1980s Fashion Photography
- Fotoprostudio
- Jun 13
- 3 min read
Fashion photography isn’t a 21st-century invention—it existed long before the internet and social media boom. But have you ever stopped to wonder what 1980s fashion photography looked like? Well, stay tuned—what comes next will surprise you.
Photography: Irving Penn
Both photography and fashion have evolved tremendously over the past 40 years. They’ve always been shaped by the era, history, and cultural trends—and have given us incredible images like these:
Although many fashion photographs remind us of those featured on today’s covers, there are others that simply wouldn’t fit in our current times.
We’re talking about those little details that once seemed perfectly normal but now strike us as jarring. Society changes and evolves, and you can clearly see this when you compare 1980s fashion photos with today’s imagery.
What do you think of this vintage lingerie ad? Do you believe it would be well received today?
Join us on a journey through 1980s fashion photography to see how societal influences, clichés, and customs were already reflected back then.
Impossible Perspectives
If those glorious years taught us anything, it was how to create photos with impossible angles. Fashion photographers of the era played with locations, viewpoints, and framing to achieve stunning effects like these:
In this other fashion photograph, you can see how they played with perspectives… and we love it. A superwoman at the very top?
Cars Were Everywhere
In the 1980s, cars made a powerful entrance. Film icons like the DeLorean in Back to the Future and KITT in Knight Rider fueled every kid and teen’s dreams.
Period photos abound with automotive references.
This shot makes you want to hit the open road for an adventure—are you in?
Seeing a beautiful woman posed beside a car was very common. We can’t help but wonder if this was their curious way of boosting car sales.
Futuristic Effects
Over the years we’ve seen so many amazing things with Photoshop that these effects no longer surprise us. However, in the ’80s, playing with futuristic effects was a major achievement—and far from everyone’s reach.
Many of the era’s photographs featured neon lights and special effects… The goal was to be the most original, break the mold, and grab attention.
Those special effects in this ’80s photo might make you laugh or seem a bit “cheesy,” but pulling this off back in those wonderful years—and without Photoshop!—was a real feat and far from common in the industry.
1980s Music Video Lighting & Neon Hues
What about 1980s music videos? Have you ever wondered what the lighting was like for photo shoots and video clips? Fashion was synonymous with neon, loud, fluorescent colors… an extravagant style that lit up music videos with spectacular colored lights. Pure fantasy!
Provocation
Provocation has always been a popular advertising tool. Major fashion houses and brands have masterfully used these tactics to spark controversy.
Historical context plays a key role—just look at this photograph and imagine how it would be received if published today.
A woman sensually savoring an ice cream… her perfectly manicured nails matching the flavor… Do you think it sold more product? At the very least, the brand certainly got people talking…
In this other image, once again we see the trio of man, car, and woman as a sexual figure at his side. Did the woman slip into lingerie so he’d pay more attention to her than to the car? Another intriguing photograph we’ve unearthed from the 1980s.
Louvered curtains
Louvered curtains were one of the most common styling elements. You’d see them in countless films and music videos and, of course, in 1980s fashion photography. This shot was so original it became a trend and it’s still widely used today! The horizontal lines play a key role in the composition, adding balance and making the final image visually compelling.
Even renowned names like Dior adopted it.
Although photography in the 1980s was still very limited, photographers managed to create true marvels working with film negatives and without the tools digital cameras and editing software give us today.
What’s most surprising is that these images perfectly reflect 1980s society—and many of them simply wouldn’t fly today.
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