| Groundbreaking attendance of 18,000 establishes the inaugural international photography showcase as a major attraction for years to come |
Miami Beach, FL – In Fashion ’07 presented by Miami Beach Art Photo Expo established itself as one of the most successful independent exhibitions during this year’s Art Basel Miami Beach, with a breathtaking attendance of 18,000 art enthusiasts passing through the doors of the Surfcomber Hotel in Miami Beach throughout the week. The combination of Miami’s most beautiful oceanfront scenery, relaxing music, flowing cocktails and the world’s most cutting-edge fashion photography displayed on the grounds of one of South Beach’s most historic hotels, proved to be a winning formula during the world’s second largest week of art and culture.
The inaugural In Fashion ’07 exhibition, that took place from December 2 through December 9, attracted some of the world’s leading art collectors who purchased today’s most contemporary and timeless photography masterpieces, with sales during the exhibition totaling almost one million dollars. Some of the most popular items sold included works by Miles Aldridge, Seb Janiak and Kanjo Take, whose collections proved to be highly in-demand over the seven days. Some of the most acclaimed international fashion photographers were in attendance during the exhibition to witness the popularity of this new retrospective look at the fashion photo industry, including Matthew Brookes, Christiane Draffehn, Stéphane Sednaoui, Max Vadukul and Kanjo Take, Japan’s most esteemed talent.
Prior to the official opening of Art Basel, the week began with a highly anticipated VIP Gala on Monday evening, attended by Miami’s leading business moguls, socialites and VIPs. Exhibition Curator Marion de Beaupré and the team from Miami Beach Art Photo Expo welcomed more than 1,900 invitees for a first-look preview of the exhibition. As the attending audience gathered in front of the purpose-built 25,000 square-foot marquee tent, immense excitement was in-the-air before the curtains to the exhibition were finally opened in front of the world’s media, revealing 150 models from MC2 model agency around the pool. Following the daytime exhibit, that was open-to-the-public, Miami Beach Art Photo Expo held a series of private, invitation-only parties for the likes of The Make-A-Wish Foundation and top executives from finance giants UBS.
“The inaugural In Fashion ’07 exhibition attracted the complete who’s who of the fashion and art world visiting Miami Beach during Art Basel,” said Marion de Beaupré, the exhibition’s curator. “The attendance figures far exceeded our expectations and sales of the exhibition photography went tremendously well,” she added. “The overwhelming media attention and exception feedback we received throughout the week really compounds the impact the exhibition has had on this year’s Art Basel Miami Beach.”
200 contemporary works of photographic art, personally signed by 20 of the world’s leading icons in fashion photography were exhibited. Representing a total of 12 countries, including France, The United States, Germany, The United Kingdom, China and Japan, some of the most globally esteemed names exhibiting their works included Thierry Mugler, Jean-Baptiste Mondino, Ellen Von Unwerth, Miles Aldridge, Elaine Constantine, Juan Gatti, Stéphane Sednaoui, David Seidner, Ali Mahdavi, Wing Shaya, Matthew Brookes, Christiane Draffehn, Rene Habemacher & Jannis Tsipoulanis, Seb Janiak, Jean-Pierre Khazem, Michael James O’Brien, Kanjo Take, Max Vadukul and Willy Vandereperre, among many others.
This prestigious group of international photographers had never before shown their collections together, under one roof, and the exhibition is considered to be the first of its kind in the country.
Miami Beach Art Photo Expo, the visionary team of organizers for In Fashion ’07 led by Francois Trabelsi, formed an exclusive partnership with internationally acclaimed icon Marion de Beaupré, an undisputed European authority in fashion photography for more than 25 years. As the curator for the inaugural exhibition, De Beaupré hand-picked 20 of the world’s most famous and emerging fashion photographers, whose personalities and work have been chosen as a true representation of the future of fashion photography today.
“The sales and the success of the first edition of In Fashion ’07 were way over our expectations, with an incredibly diverse range of Art Basel VIPs and collectors in attendance,” said Francois Trabelsi, President of Miami Beach Art Photo Expo. “We had to keep the exhibition open until midnight, as visitors would keep coming late into the evening,” he added. “The week of Art Basel was a good choice for such a big premiere and I am certain that even in Paris, the capital of fashion, where we had initially planned to launch Art Photo Expo; we wouldn’t have had such a tremendous success. Six months ago, we had the vision of exhibiting these beautiful photos overlooking the ocean, and in an elegant “In Fashion” setting. We felt it important for us to open a few days before Art Basel, to give the opportunity for local residents to discover and appreciate these masters of fashion photography in a calmer atmosphere. The contribution of Miami Beach Art Photo Expo to the improvement of Miami Beach during Art Basel was beautifully recognized by a certificate of appreciation from the City.”
Trabelsi added: “The success of In Fashion ‘07 can be attributed to the convergence of the high quality of work presented, combined with the complimentary setting of the exhibition itself. The creativity born from this new generation of photographers, boasting new techniques and original approaches to this classic medium was fresh and inspiring,” said Trabelsi. “Furthermore, the cross-section of the artists on display were keenly devoted to their own particular styles without concern for broad public appeal. Some of the photographers wanted to present their work as it related to fashion, but others just wanted to present their unique artistic expressions by themselves. A young student, hopelessly in love, purchased a photo for his beloved fiancé at the exhibition, in which a woman with a stark resemblance to Naomi Campbell was prominently featured. The $15,000 he spent on the picture was worth it, he said, because for him, it reminded him of his own precious gift – his wife-to-be.”
In Fashion ’07 was a major attraction during Art Basel and ultimately helped to position Miami Beach as a capital of fashion photography in the United States. Plans for In Fashion ’08 are already underway, with inquiries currently being received from potential sponsors, international artists and collectors from around the world.
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