Josie Borain’s Intimate Moments in Fashion

The last two posts about fashion photographers and Sarah Moon made me think a lot about models and in particular about one model who, in a similar way to Moon, chose to dedicate her life to photography rather than to fashion, Josephine Borain.

Born in South Africa, Borain moved to France in 1982 taking with her only one case and her portfolio.

She started working for model agency City and, after receiving from a friend a Leica camera as a present and probably perfectly understanding that modelling wasn't going to be a job for life, she developed a passion for photography, displaying a strong interest for taking pictures of people.

Working as a model in the 1980s and 1990s, she documented with her Leica everything she saw, proving that fashion models aren't stupid.

Her early images mainly revolved around the fashion industry (she had a three-year contract with Calvin Klein and worked with Bruce Weber) and feature photographers, models, hair stylists, actors and friends.

In a way Borain is one of the pioneer of the backstage catwalk show picture: today’s backstage pictures mainly show the models ready to go out or making faces at the camera in their pristine clothes, flawless make-up and perfect hairstyles.

Borain seemed instead interested in different situations: in her pictures icons, colleagues and friends are portrayed in unusual and intimate moments. Images from the early '80s show photographers eating pasta or Inès de la Fressange phoning while wearing a veiled fez and black sunglasses; Louise Despointes is instead portrayed in a car hugging an inflatable doll and fashion editors Carlyne Cerf and Polly Mellon are shown in action, in front of a rack of clothes.

A friend of Bill Cunningham, though shyer than him, after moving to New York Borain found even easier to indulge in her passion, taking pictures of people.

She remains a famous face in the history of fashion for being one of the first androgynous models to appear in advertising campaigns, though she also contributed with her natural sensuality to change the notions of women in knickers in commercial adverts (until then many companies still thought women mainly bought underwear to impress and seduce a man…).

One of my favourite images she shot, remains a portrait of Steven Meisel, as a young photographer and tap dancer, mysteriously wrapped up in a scarf.

You can discover more about Josie Borain in the photographic book Josie You and Me that chronicles her supermodel heydays in New York and Paris and also features her self-portraits often taken as reflections in mirrors.