Rei Kawakubo is one of my favorite designers. The S/S 2012 collection was extraordinary and Anna [Wintour] encouraged me to do a shoot with Tim, who is a great admirer of Rei’s. Comme des Garçons likes to exercise strong control over editorial shoots, and we had endless discussions before an agreement was finally reached so I could have the clothes. The condition was that we would photograph in the studio. It was January in London, it had rained, the ground was muddy, and it was cold, but when I got to the studio, Tim was determined to do the picture in the woods. He was ready to go: had thermal underwear for the models, a minivan waiting on the street, and had already put boards on the ground so the spotless white boots would stay spotless on the way into the birch forest. As soon as we arrived, he had the forest sprayed with snow and did this picture in no more than an hour. Comme des Garçons loved it.
Phyllis Posnick
Extravagant staging and romantic motifs characterise Tim Walker’s photographs. Walker began as a freelance photographic assistant in London before moving to New York as a full-time assistant to Richard Avedon. At the age of 25, Walker shot his first fashion story for Vogue, and in 2008, he staged his first major exhibition, which took place at the Design Museum in London. He received an Infinity Award from the International Center of Photography in 2009 and an Honorary Fellowship from the Royal Photographic Society in 2012. Walker’s works are held in numerous collections, including the National Portrait Gallery and the V&A in London.
Courtesy of Phillips