Image: Irving Penn, Naomi Sims in Scarf, New York, circa 1969. Collection The Irving Penn Foundation, New York © The Irving Penn Foundation
The Maison Européenne de la Photographie (MEP) in Paris is presenting "PENN & FASHION", a tribute to the American photographer Irving Penn (1917–2009), from 30 September 2026 to 17 January 2027. Penn worked with Vogue for more than six decades, and the MEP counts him among the most influential photographers of the twentieth century, pointing to the lasting effect of his refined style and command of composition on later generations.
Arranged chronologically, the exhibition follows Penn's fashion work from 1947 to 2008. It opens with his photographs of Paris haute couture in the 1950s, including designs by Dior and Balenciaga worn by leading models of the day such as Jean Patchett and Lisa Fonssagrives, who became his wife. The 1970s bring garments by Ungaro and Courrèges and the flamboyant looks of Marisa Berenson and Lauren Hutton, followed in the 1980s by Yves Saint Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld.
A section is devoted to Penn's long collaboration with Issey Miyake, whose sculptural clothing suited the photographer's spare studio approach. In his later decades Penn worked increasingly in colour, photographing gowns by John Galliano and Christian Lacroix and Chanel's feathered headpieces while keeping his attention on silhouette, volume and texture. The show closes with his pictures for Vogue's beauty pages in the 1990s and 2000s, which the MEP sees as evidence of a body of work that has still not been fully explored.
Works on view include Christian Dior (New York, 1947), from the MEP's own collection; Fashion Photograph (Jean Patchett) from 1949; Balenciaga Roses Dress (Paris, 1967); Yves Saint Laurent Embroidered Cubist Cape with Braque-Inspired Design (Paris, 1988); and Young Woman with Headdress (New York, 2005).
Most of the exhibition is drawn from the MEP collection and from the collection of Nicola Erni, assembled over the past 25 years and focused on fashion photography from the 1930s to today. It also includes loans from The Irving Penn Foundation and the Miyake Issey Foundation.
Penn studied under Alexey Brodovitch before joining Vogue in 1943, where art director Alexander Liberman encouraged him to take photographs himself. Beyond fashion, he became known for portraits, still lifes and series such as Small Trades and Cigarettes, was the subject of a Museum of Modern Art retrospective in 1984, and established The Irving Penn Foundation in 2005.
The exhibition is curated by Pascal Hoël in collaboration with Frédérique Dolivet.
