Terence Donovan Fashion

Book excerpt: 'Flawless' — New York Journal of Books 'Superb' — Observer 'Stylish' — Sunday Telegraph, 'Favourite Books of the Year' 'The story of fashion photography in the UK' — Herald Terence Donovan was one of the foremost photographers of his generation – among the greatest Britain has ever produced. He came to prominence in London as part of a postwar renaissance in art, fashion, graphic design and photography. His working-class background and outlook helped change the face of British fashion photography and made him a major figure of London's Swinging Sixties. A star in his own right, he was equally at home with celebrities and royalty as well as the ordinary girl on the street, whose mannerisms informed his photographs. Gifted with an unerring eye for the iconic image, Donovan was also master of his craft, a technical genius who strove to push the limits of what was possible. And yet despite his fame and status, there has never been a publication devoted solely to his fashion work. Terence Donovan Fashion is the first time his fashion pictures have been collected together in book form. Arranged chronologically, from the gritty monochromatic 1960s and 1970s to the vibrant and colourful 1980s and 1990s, the book reveals how constant invention and experimentation set Donovan apart from his contemporaries and influenced generations to come. The pictures have been selected by his wife Diana Donovan and the former art director of Nova magazine and Pentagram partner David Hillman, who worked closely with Donovan for over a decade. With a text by the photographic historian Robin Muir, and a foreword by Grace Coddington, creative director of American Vogue, Terence Donovan Fashion is a landmark in the history of fashion photography.