Speaking to AnOther last year, Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin laid out the manifesto for their photographic creativity. "We don’t do "fashion" – we portray people," Vinoodh said, and it is this sense of humanity...
Speaking to AnOther last year, Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin laid out the manifesto for their photographic creativity. "We don’t do "fashion" – we portray people," Vinoodh said, and it is this sense of humanity, of personal interaction with their subjects, of understanding and empathy, that has served to create some of the most innovative and extraordinary fashion and artistic photography of the past twenty five years. Much of this comes from the closeness of their partnership – they both work together and live together with their son – as well as a shared interest in the marriage of the beautiful and the weird, creating extraordinary images through pushing the boundaries of digital technology and manipulation. Famous faces, models and individuals pass under their lens, and every time the pair fashion an image that exudes personality and feeling never created before.
2013 sees the opening of a new exhibition of their work at the Gagosian Paris, with images ranging from the back of Drew Barrymore’s head – in a cover shoot for AnOther Magazine in 2005 – to their latest experiment, starkly elegant still lives of flowers. To celebrate, AnOther presents 10 Inez and Vinoodh facts.
1. Inez and Vinoodh met at the Vogue Academy of Fashion Design in their hometown, Amsterdam, where they both initially studied fashion design — Vinoodh from 1981 to 1985 and Inez from 1983 to 1985.
2. When they started their collaboration, Vinoodh was credited as the stylist, Inez the photographer. When they began shooting for Vogue, they began to use a joint credit.
3. Their names amount to 34 characters and has 8 syllables.
4. In 2004, Inez and Vinoodh filmed Kate Moss dancing to Michael Jackson's Billie Jean during a shoot for Harper's Bazaar in LA. At the time, it was rare to see Kate on film.
5. They are two of a handful of duos working in the creative industry. Others include M/M (Paris), Mert and Marcus and Gilbert & George.
6. Their birthdays are 3 days apart – Inez September 25th, Vinoodh 29th – making them both Libra. The romantic combination of two Libras is understood to be one of the most agreeable, romantic and well-balanced relationships. Characteristics of the star sign include being intellectual, refined, communicative, social and artistic.
7. Inez and Vinoodh live in Manhattan, New York in a loft apartment with their son Charles Star Matadin. They have a Table Bleue coffee table by Yves Klein.
8. Inez and Vinoodh are obsessed with flowers and methods of flower arranging.
9. Inez regularly wears New Balance trainers.
10. At this time they have 31,974 followers on twitter and use it regularly. The last twit pic of Vinoodh and Charles in a lift was taken by Inez.
Text by Tish Wrigley
