The photographers: Patrick Demarchelier

Born near Paris in 1943 to a modest family, he spent his childhood in Le Havre with his mother and four brothers. For his seventeenth birthday, his stepfather bought him his first Eastman Kodak camera. Patrick Demarchelier learned how to develop film, retouch negatives and began shooting friends and weddings.

In 1975, he left Paris for New York to follow his girlfriend. He discovered fashion photograpy by working as a freelance photographer and learning and working with photographers such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, Terry King, and Jacgue Guilbert.

Patrick Demarchelier has lived in New York City since 1975. He is married to Mia and they have twins. Since the late 1970’s he has shot the covers for nearly every major fashion magazine including American, British and Paris Vogue. He has also shot covers for Rolling Stone, Life, Newsweek, Elle, Glamour and Mademoiselle. He has photographed many advertising campaigns, including Farrah Fawcett shampoo in 1978, the Brooke Shields doll in 1982, Lauren by Ralph Lauren, Cutty Sark, and a Calvin Klein ad with Talisa Soto and did iconic ad campaigns for Giorgio Armani, Celine, Chanel, Christian Dior, Gap, Gian Franco Ferré, Gianni Versace, Elizabeth Arden, Lancôme,  L’Oréal, Yves Saint Laurent, Revlon, TAG Heuer and Louis Vuitton. He was also the primary photographer for the book On Your Own, a beauty/lifestyle guide written for young women by Brooke Shields Since 1992 he has worked with Harper’s Bazaar, becoming its premier photographer.

Patrick Demarchelier was the first non-British photographer to click the British Royal Family.  In 1989 Patrick Demarchelier became, by request, Her Royal Highness Princess Diana’s official photographer. This relationship lasted until her untimely death in 1997. Patrick Demarchelier shot four beautiful covers of Diana for the British Vogue published in 1991, 1994 and 1997.

A radiant Princess Diana in a rare portrait taken by photographer Patrick Demarchelier, 1990

Janet Jackson by Patrick Demarchelier, 1993

Alaïa, bustier dress, couture Spring Summer 2003 by Patrick Demarchelier

In 2005, he was awarded the contract for the Pirelli calendar. Demarchelier is referenced in the 2006 film The Devil Wears Prada, when the ‘dragon lady’, Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), asks Andy (Anne Hathaway), on her very first day on the job, “Did Demarchelier confirm?”, leaving her utterly confused. The first assistant Emily calmly jumps into action and calls his office, replying, “I have Patrick!” He also appears in the documentary The September Issue which is about Anne Wintour and American Vogue.

He continues to be a force in fashion photography and has interestingly been referenced in The Devil Wears Prada, Sex and the City, and America’s Next Top Model.

In 2007, Christine Albanel, French Minister of Culture, honoured Demarchelier as an Officer in l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of Arts and Literature), the same year that he received the CFDA Founder’s Award in Honor of Eleanor Lambert.

Demarchelier also appeared in the film ‘The September Issue’ and can be glimpsed in ‘The Sex & the City movie’; he can be seen taking pictures during Carrie Bradshaw’s fashion shoot for Vogue magazine. He was featured prominently in the sixth episode of Cycle 15 of America’s Next Top Model. He was listed as one of the fifty best-dressed over 50s by the Guardian in March 2013.

Gisele Bündchen by Patrick Demarchelier for Vogue Australia, January 2015

Gigi Hadid by Patrick Demarchelier for Vogue UK, January 2016

Nyle DiMarco: Today’s Most Fascinating Model

In a fashion industry that has held on gracefully to a tradition which traces back to Coco Chanel’s stellar beginnings, America’s Next Top Model winner Nyle DiMarco ‘screams’ a sense of adventure and renaissance for any brand brave enough to recognize it. DiMarco like any model is an artist – his reminiscent in looks and heart of Roman figures and today’s epitome of true Italian beauty. And just like a picture speaks a thousand words, so do Nyle’s amazingly beautiful blue gemstone eyes.

The fascination with Nyle isn’t much his deafness but how seamlessly he meets both worlds in the middle. When asked what inspires him artistically, it’s that very idea – to unite and change people’s lives.  A few years ago he had just started modeling and has since experienced success unlike any model in the industry. The 26-year-old model recognizes the responsibility which by chance and talent have given him a sense of legacy early in his career.

There is nothing more inspiring than seeing people learning and becoming more educated about Deaf culture, and ultimately becoming our allies. This gives me the courage to move forward and grow in this industry because it means I will be changing people’s lives.

Nyle DiMarco

Although Nyle echoes a special message in our society, his modeling seems to erase any barriers which exist between ‘our worlds’. In fashion he is an image hybrid between Versace royalty and All-American Tommy Hilfiger. Consider that if Versace and Hilfiger decided to collaborate on a brand, Nyle would be it.

The America’s Next Top Model winner isn’t singly defined either. He first found national success as an actor in Switched at Birth, the first television show to feature scenes entirely in the American Sign Language. It seems that from the very beginning Nyle was part of building a bridge towards social innovation – one he is so passionate about. In the style of the multi-faceted model Karlie Kloss, he is also a mathematician and educator at heart, having graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the Gallaudet University.

I have a passion to teach and inspire Deaf kids, as well as the hearing community.

Nyle DiMarco

During the competition Tyra Banks told him fiercely, “Don’t let anyone ever get in the way of your dreams!”. So how did Nyle find the confidence and resilience to become America’s Next Top Model? “As goosebumps crawled, I thought to myself; I am Deaf. And there are systematic barriers that shouldn’t exist, at all,” he recalls. Not to forget his greatest advantage, a deep understanding of self-expression, cultured from years of speaking and learning through his eyes. “Our eyes are very alert. We see everything in our peripheral vision and have motion-detection abilities. It is almost like having an increased sense in our vision since we ‘lost’ our hearing sense. I like to say that we have a superhuman vision”.

When most of the ANTM classmates didn’t have the patience to reach out in conversation, Nyle recharged his focus, sometimes through reading. “Coincidentally, in the beginning of the competition I started reading Unbroken. I quickly connected to [Italian American war hero] Louis Zamperini. It almost felt like he spoke to me and was my true friend during the entire competition. I was imagining his terrible months of being adrift in the ocean and taken away to POW camps. He was alone, deprived and ready to give up, but didn’t because of his resilience. Zamperini had far more severe consequences on his journey but his experience spoke to me. I survived, and I won”, says Nyle.

Born into a fourth generation extensive Italian American ‘deaf’ family, it’s only natural for Nyle to have inherited a love of expression. He works hard, embraces people in conversation with a big smile and air of gratitude. His mother Donna DiMarco, his biggest supporter and inspiration, is just as affectionate.

As soon as she meets a stranger, she’s able to connect with them easily. She has a warm and a big heart for people and the community.  A lot of people know her. She inspires and amazes me. The best advice my mom has given me: just be yourself. By being myself, I have been on this incredible adventure and will keep moving forward.

Nyle DiMarco

Nyle, which in English carries the meaning of Champion, has awakened a new perspective. His modeling is the spirit that is inspiring fashion and its fans. We are also learning, perhaps for the first time, that there are 70 million people who use 200 sign languages worldwide as their mother tongue – you can learn a few of those signs on the American Sign Language Application. Speaking to the deaf community can be easy as many read lips and the visual civil rights movement through the American Sign Language 4 Deaf Kids – Lead-K (Kindergarten) campaign, reaches to have all deaf babies kindergarten ready by encouraging their learning of both ASL and English. It is equally fascinating to see how much influence one man, and face, has had in the past few months, to change everyone’s perspective of the deaf community.

Photography Credits by Spirit and Flesh Magazine & Photographer Alexandra Arnold, starring Nyle DiMarco. Photographer’s assistant Hadley Henry, styling by Aaron Tucker grooming by Brandie Hopstein with  Opus Beauty using Davines and Nars, retouching by Pratik Naik, outfits by Stephen F, jewelry by Ellagem New York.

A special thank you to the inspiring Spirit & Flesh Magazine, Wilhelmina Agency’s Jessica Rosenberg and brilliant photographer Alexandra Arnold.

Welcome to the world of Spirit and Flesh Magazine and Alexandra Arnold

Nyle DiMarco “Twelve Days Of Christmas”

Nyle DiMarco Reinvents ‘Twelve Days Of Christmas’ For The 2015 HoliGays; Proves He’s Bae AF All Over Again

You probably already know by now that the gorgeous Nyle DiMarco is the crowned winner of America’s Next Top Model. But now that he’s ‘on top’, he and BuzzFeed have also become the inventor of a brand-new ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ to go perfect with your holigays.

Need something to get you in the Christmas spirit? How about a bunch of playful photos from this 2015 America’s Next Top Model winner, Nyle DiMarco…..

On the first day of Christmas my true bae gave to me ‘An HBO password to stream Game of Thrones for free’.

On the second day of Christmas my true bae gave to me ‘Two hours of comfort after listening to Adele’s new CD’.

On the third day of Christmas my true bae gave to me ‘Three venti nonfat, no-whip Starbucks Gingerbread Lattes — sugar free’.

On the fourth day of Christmas my true bae gave to me ‘Four subscriptions to access all the Kardashian-Jenner apps for free’.

On the fifth day of Christmas my true bae gave to me ‘Five selfies to leave me thirsty’.

On the sixth day of Christmas my true bae gave to me ‘Six tickets for my squad to see Britney’s Piece of Me’.

On the seventh day of Christmas my true bae gave to me ‘A text that read “Netflix and Chill?” followed by seven suggestive emojis’.

On the eighth day of Christmas my true bae gave to me ‘An 80-inch Black Friday TV’.

On the ninth day of Christmas my true bae gave to me ‘Nine terribly shaped Reese’s Christmas trees’.

On the tenth day of Christmas my true bae gave to me ‘A $10 Chipotle burrito with extra meat and guacamole’.

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true bae gave to me ‘Eleven seasons of Grey’s Anatomy’.

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true bae gave to me ‘Twelve more thirst trap selfies’.

 

 

Happy holidays from Nyle’s shirtless body to yours.