Ronald Fallon is one of the great names in photography during the 60’s. He introduced the legend of Marianne Faithfull as the symbol of a new youth. He is our photographer of the month. He is the photographer of the month at luxuryactivist.com.
The 60’s represented a renew in the fashion photography. After all the classicism of the 50’s, this new decade inspired us with a “boutique spirit”. In deed, the ready-to-wear style was predominant on the 60’s, showing much more the energy and the sexyness of that time. We think about photographers like Richard Avedon or David Bailey but Ronald Fallon is also one of the top hit photographers. He basically captured the essence of the sixties with his camera.
This period was also called the “Swinging London”. It was a youth-oriented phenomenon that emphasised the new and modern. It was a period of optimism and hedonism, and a cultural revolution. One catalyst was the recovery of the British economy after post-World War II austerity which lasted through much of the 1950s.
After a summer holidays in the south of France when he decided to become a photographer, Ronald Falloon, get a position of apprentice at John French, famous for his fashion portraits in the 50’s. By this start, Ronald Falloon started his job in the crowded and effervescent London where his camera came across the air of times. He photographed the most it-people from Twiggy to the Rolling Stones up to a young Marianne Faithfull.
If we did not hear much about him, it is probably that his work basically covered just one decade. After a photography contract in Canada mid-sixties, when Ronald Falloon came back, he discovered a different London. According to Mr. Falloon himself: “When I came back the 60s were nearly over and the look was much more dour and hard-edged“.
So the fun was over. He steps backs from the spotlights and became artists agent and antiques dealer. Here is a video based on a londonian retrospective happened a couple of years ago:
The website vintageseekers.com proposes an interesting collection of some of the most iconic photographs of Ronald Falloon. Below, my preferred pictures of Ronald Falloon with some comments.
1967 – Twiggy in White Mac
Here we can see the model Twiggy wearing a white Valspar mac raincoat. The photography was taken at the model’s apartment.
1964 Models in Courrèges.
In this photography we can see 3 models wearing Courrèges outfits with chinoiserie hair style.
Early 1960’s Model in Courrèges Coat and boots.
1965 Marie Lise Gres wearing cutlery jewellery.
1967 Model in a Mary Quant Suit
Mary Quant was a british designer who brought fun and fantasy to fashion in the 1960s. As creator of the mini skirt and hot pants, she showed a generation how to dress to please themselves. Her instant success made traditionally cautious designers change their attitudes and make their designs appeal to the newly important youth market.
1962 Jean Shrimpton wearing Susan Small dress.
Jean Shrimpton was considered the first world top models in history and she represented the “Swinging London”. She made covers for all top magazines for more than one decade (Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, etc…).
In 2012, year in which London will be highlighted by the Olympics and the Jubilee of the Queen, it is great to review images from Swinging London.
rock’it.
LA
info sourced at vintage seekers website, wikipedia and telegraph uk. All images copyrighted with no reproduction rights available.
