Inez and Vinoodh
Inez and Vinoodh are a married couple, both working in art and fashion photography with no distinction between these two genres.
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Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, commonly known as Inez & Vinoodh, are a Dutch duo of photographers, one of the highest paid and known for their independent view on fashion photography, the popularity of which can only be matched by Mert and Marcus.
Their works have been featured in The New York Times, V Magazine, Harper's Bazaar, and GQ. The couple has set new standards in the world of fashion photography by adding an artistic twist to commercial photography. The pair has participated in many solos and collaborative projects and their works are featured in private and national collections.
Inez and Vinoodh have been working together since 1986. During their first six years of their collaboration, Inez and Vinoodh were not a couple; each had their own life. In one of his interviews, Vinoodh said that this benefited them: in the first years of co-work they often argued and fought, but by the time they became a couple, they had already established a conflict-free working relationship.
Both were born in Amsterdam and wanted to enter into the fashion world. Vinoodh even worked as a model in the early 80s. Their first meeting took place in the Vogue Academy of Fashion Design and then Inez went on to study photography and Vinoodh launched his clothing line. Inez made photos for his first collection in 1986 and it marked the beginning of their collaboration. Initially, Vinoodh was just a stylist for Inez's photo sessions, but gradually he became an important part of the team and in 1995 his name was also attached as co-author on all of their works.
Over the years, Inez and Vinoodh have developed an approach that allows them to focus on a single subject from two different perspectives. Inez describes it this way:
"I'm usually the one that directs the model and gets the pictures where the model is looking into the lens. Vinoodh is the one that walks around. Because the model is looking at me, there is a real look in her eyes that you don't achieve by saying 'look away,' where you get a vacant thing."
Their diverse style attracts a wide variety of clients, which is important from a financial perspective because advertising campaigns determine the commercial success of any photographer. Over the years Inez and Vinoodh have contributed to countless campaigns for the most prestigious fashion brands such as Yves Saint Laurent, Balmain, Nina Ricci, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Isabel Marant, Giuseppe Zanotti, Lanvin Homme, Miu Miu, Christian Dior, Gucci, Chloé, Givenchy, Calvin Klein, Balenciaga, Yohji Yamamoto, Chanel, Roberto Cavalli, Louis Vuitton, Helmut Lang. They also made a photoshoot for Pirelli magazine in 2007.
In 2013, journalists claimed that the duo's astronomical royalties were the highest in the fashion industry.
"I'm usually the one that directs the model and gets the pictures where the model is looking into the lens. Vinoodh is the one that walks around. Because the model is looking at me, there is a real look in her eyes that you don't achieve by saying 'look away,' where you get a vacant thing."
Their diverse style attracts a wide variety of clients, which is important from a financial perspective because advertising campaigns determine the commercial success of any photographer. Over the years Inez and Vinoodh have contributed to countless campaigns for the most prestigious fashion brands such as Yves Saint Laurent, Balmain, Nina Ricci, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Isabel Marant, Giuseppe Zanotti, Lanvin Homme, Miu Miu, Christian Dior, Gucci, Chloé, Givenchy, Calvin Klein, Balenciaga, Yohji Yamamoto, Chanel, Roberto Cavalli, Louis Vuitton, Helmut Lang. They also made a photoshoot for Pirelli magazine in 2007.
In 2013, journalists claimed that the duo's astronomical royalties were the highest in the fashion industry.
Inez is not only a fashion photographer but also a highly respected artist whose creative work in photography and computer graphics is exhibited in the world's leading galleries. Vinoodh's name is not mentioned in his wife's art projects usually, though she says he is a source of inspiration for her.
Inez and Vinoodh also have quite a few self-portraits, and some of them have been among the couple's most successful and recognizable works. First and foremost, of course, is the famous "Me Kissing Vinoodh" self-portrait, in which Vinoodh was later removed using Photoshop, leaving Inez alone in the frame.
Inez and Vinoodh also have quite a few self-portraits, and some of them have been among the couple's most successful and recognizable works. First and foremost, of course, is the famous "Me Kissing Vinoodh" self-portrait, in which Vinoodh was later removed using Photoshop, leaving Inez alone in the frame.
"Removing Vinoodh from the picture on the computer afterwards showed how I would be destroyed emotionally without him," Inez explains, "This work is usually displayed alongside an image of the original kiss. It's like a film kiss, so we printed it small: we felt that it was a very familiar image of romance. In contrast, Passionately is giant – 4 metres x 5 metres. I didn't want to be demure about my emotion; I wanted to scream it out to everyone".
Inez explained their couple's relationship in these eloquent words: "We have never questioned our artistic collaboration: our lives are so much about each other that we want to spend them together as much as we can. If I had to work alone, for whatever reason, I could – but I wouldn't want to".
Inez explained their couple's relationship in these eloquent words: "We have never questioned our artistic collaboration: our lives are so much about each other that we want to spend them together as much as we can. If I had to work alone, for whatever reason, I could – but I wouldn't want to".