By Katie Dominy /asdf 27-01-2011

Only the extremely well established get to be known by their first name, and Sacha, in full Sacha Van Dorssen, is certainly a key figure in the fashion photography world. 

Born in Rotterdam, Sacha went to study at the St Joost fine art academy in 1960,  and travelled to Paris for a photography internship in 1963 where she met the artistic director of the French magazine Elle, Peter Knapp, who promptly commissioned her first photographs. Sacha never went back to the academy to finish her studies, but instead carved out a prestigious career working for the top fashion magazines in Paris and Milan.

The exhibition at the Institut Néerlandais is in two parts. The upper level deals with the public face of Sacha’s work; the magazine spreads and covers from the 60s onwards. These include French publications such as Elle and Marie Claire, as well as elsewhere in the world The Sunday Times Magazine, GQ and Stern. Sacha also worked on advertising campaigns for French brands such as Dim and Yves Saint Laurent, as well as photography for publications by Louis Vuitton and Hermès. The images are reproduced in a super large format, arranged by curator Gabriel Bauret, who also edited the accompanying retrospective book Sacha photographe de mode which includes over 200 images by Sacha, and is published by éditions du Chêne.

The lower floor of the exhibition shows all the hard work behind the glossy images; the entire series of shots that was necessary for the one chosen frame, the preparation for a fashion shoot, with sketches of outfits, contact sheets full of different poses etc. The displays explain the techniques Sacha has adopted over the years to create the required effects. On the walls, the photographs chosen for specific magazine features sit alongside others especially put together for the exhibition, all interspersed with quotes by people Sacha worked with – fashion designers, models, editors and artistic directors of magazines etc.

Sacha has also worked on a series of prestigious fashion books published by éditions du Regard, including Mariano Fortuny in 1979 and Dior in 1987. Both publications contrast historic images of the designers’ work created by some of the world's top fashion photographers of the time, with Sacha’s images - often beautiful close-up shots of the designs - highlighting the textures of the Couture fabrics, the detailed craftsmanship and the dramatic silhouettes.

Last year, Sacha worked with French label Agnès b, as well as the Dutch publication Bloom, a nature-focused trend bible for anyone working in interiors

Sacha photographe de mode runs 20 January to 20 March, 2011 at the Institut Néerlandais, 121 rue de Lille, 75007 Paris.

Main image: 1987 Marie Claire ⁄ Miami Beach ⁄ mannequin Veronica Webb ⁄
rédactrice Isabelle Rovillé ⁄Ungaro
Other images top to bottom: 1. 1981 ⁄ Marie Claire ⁄ Essaouira ⁄rédactrice Betty Bertrand ⁄ Kenzo et Dorothée Bis 2. 1983 ⁄ Marie Claire ⁄ Bahia, Brésil ⁄ mannequin Eleonore Klarwein ⁄ Yves Saint Laurent  3. 1973 ⁄ Stern ⁄ mannequin Vibeke Knudson ⁄rédactrice Simone Bergman ⁄ lunettes Pierre Marly 4. 1991 ⁄ Fort Lauderdale, Floride ⁄ rédactrice Geneviève Delaunay ⁄ Issey Miyake 5. Une page de l’un des cahiers de prises de vue tenus par Sacha à partir de 1983

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