Who

The French-born Demarchelier is one of the most famous fashion photographers in the world.

Backstory

Born in Le Havre, France, Demarchelier started taking pictures at age 17 after his uncle gave him a camera, and within a few years his work had appeared in France's leading fashion magazines Elle and Marie Claire. In the mid-1970s Demarchelier decamped to New York, where he found work at GQ and Rolling Stone, and established a formidable client list that included Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, and Versace. In 1992, Harper's Bazaar's legendary editor Liz Tilberis put him under contract, and he remained Hearst's house photog until 2004, when he jumped ship to Condé Nast.

Of note

Over the years Demarchelier has photographed practically every top model and starlet around, but he's particularly associated with the supermodels of the '90s: Linda, Cindy, Christy, and Naomi. These days, as part of his rich contract with Condé Nast, Demarchelier shoots exclusively for titles like Vogue, Glamour, and Vanity Fair. He's published two books, Patrick Demarchelier: Photographs (1998) and FORMS (2000). He's also known for his work on the annual Pirelli calendar, which he produced in 2005 and 2007.

Drama

In 2001, Gwyneth Paltrow claimed that some nude shots—taken by Demarchelier and published in Australian Harper's Bazaar—were done without her permission. Paltrow claimed Demarchelier had promised her he'd crop out her naughty bits. Demarchelier's reply: "She wanted to pose nude. I didn't force her. I asked her to do some nudes and she said 'Yes.'"

For the record

Demarchelier is the only non-British photographer ever to have been officially requested to shoot a portrait of a Royal member. The result was his now iconic shot of Princess Diana.

Personal

He's been married to his wife, Mia, for more than 30 years and they have three sons: Gustaf, Arthur, and Victor. Former residents of the Beresford on the Upper West Side, they moved to Chelsea in 2004. They also spend time in East Hampton, where they have a second home, and on St. Barth's, where Demarchelier can often be found sailing.

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