Patrick Demarchelier who was a renowned photographer in the world of fashion died on Thursday, March 31, 2022. He was 78 years old.
The announcement of his passing was made on his Instagram page. He was a famous photographer with Vogue and he is well known for his collection, ‘Personal Portraits of Diana, Princess of Wales’.
He was so highly sought that Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar had a huge bidding war for him. Over the years he became so synonymous with Vogue Magazine, that he even got an honorable mention in the famous Hollywood movie, ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ where Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) says “Get me Patrick”, which we now know is Vogue’s ace photographer Patrick Demarchelier.
His portraits of Princess Diana brought him global recognition. What set him apart was the combination of ease and elegance in his photographs. When photographing the late Princess of Wales, Patrick often had an unstudied aspect that would highlight the informal personality of the reluctant royal. For instance, he once clicked a photo of her sitting on the floor hugging her knees, a vulnerable pose, only she was in a strapless gown with her diamond tiara. Her outfit and her pose provided a lovely contrast and spoke a lot about the person being photographed.
Patrick Demarchelier was born in 1943 in Le Havre, France and he moved to Paris at the age of 20. However, Patrick’s career as a fashion photographer flourished in the United States.
Apart from magazines, Vogue in particular, Patrick also worked with leading designer brands like Ralph Lauren, Giorgio Armani, Christian Dior and Chanel. He has also photographed the popular Pirelli calendar three times – 2004, 2008 and 2014.
Towards the end of his life in 2018, Patrick Demarchelier came under fire when numerous models came forward and accused him of alleged unwanted advances. This was reported in The Boston Globe. He steadily denied the accusations till the end, though this did terminate his relationship with Conde Nast.
Noted celebrities like Priyanka Chopra, Bella Hadid and others have posted their grief on Instagram upon hearing the news of his passing.
Patrick Demarchelier is survived by his wife Mia, his three sons (Gustaf, Arthur and Victor) as well as three grandchildren.
