Big Shot
by Tamsin Blanchard
He says he is a prude, but Nick Knight has been photographing a lot of nudes recently. He shot the model Sophie Dahl for i-D magazine in all her curvaceous glory—except that her curves were not glorious enough. When she arrived at the studio, Ms. Dahl had been on a diet. “I curved her up on the Paint Box and made her tummy bigger, her breasts bigger, her bottom bigger,†he says. That’s why the images in i-D’ s New Beauty issue in March looked a little unreal, as though this was a body that had been gently eased from a jelly mould. Not only does the camera lie, but the computer paint box can triple your cup size with one single swoop of the mouse. As Knight admits, photography is not a good medium to record reality: “If you want reality, look out of the window.â€Fashion photographers traditionally spend hours in the darkroom—re-touching, streamlining, shaving off a slight hip bulge here, a dimple in the bum there. Nick Knight, however, has perfected the art of enhancement. He also has the great gift of anticipating trends. The shoot with Dahl made her an instant celebrity. Then he was credited with another fashion coup.
SHOWstudio is an award-winning fashion website, founded and directed by Nick Knight, that has consistently pushed the boundaries of communicating fashion online.
Established in November 2000, SHOWstudio’s innovative and ground-breaking projects have defined the manner in which fashion is presented via the Internet. SHOWstudio has pioneered fashion film and is now recognised as the leading force behind this new medium, offering a unique platform to nurture and encourage fashion to engage with moving image in the digital age.
Working with the latest technology SHOWstudio broadcasts live from catwalk shows and fashion shoots, allowing an international audience instant and unparalleled access to the previously closed world of high fashion. Inspired by the inherent generosity of the verb ‘to show’, SHOWstudio opens up the studio of designers and artists, allowing everyone to not only witness the creative process, but to respond and contribute creatively, documenting, communicating and evaluating the results.
SHOWstudio collaborates with some of the most influential and acclaimed figures of contemporary fashion, including John Galliano, Kate Moss, Rick Owens, Comme des Garçons and Alexander McQueen. Alongside these established names, SHOWstudio has also supported and nurtured emerging talent, including Giles Deacon, Gareth Pugh, Rodarte and Mary Katrantzou, offering exciting new designers an important global showcase for creative expression. SHOWstudio has also worked with pop culture icons and creatives from the world of art, music and film including Tracey Emin, Björk, Brad Pitt and Lady Gaga.
Since its inception, SHOWstudio has worked with the world’s most sought-after filmmakers, writers and cultural figures to create visionary online content, exploring every facet of fashion through moving image, illustration, photography and the written word.
Constantly changing, consistently innovating, SHOWstudio delivers fashion, live, as it happens.
