_{The French born, turned NYC living artist has shot some of the biggest names in fashion and he’s not done yet}

The fashion industry is one of the most versatile industries. It’s also inclusive of skills. If you’re business oriented there’s a place for you in the business side of a brand, publications, or agency. If you’re creative then you’ll find a place as a creative director, designer, photographer, make-up artist, or hair stylist. If you’re gifted with words, you’ll find a place in editorial. If you’re relational in nature and can make things happen then public relations is your place, and if you’re into law then brands will find you of benefit as their legal counsel. The fashion industry is a well-oiled machine for just about any skill, where one will find their place.

When you sit and talk with insiders you will often hear that photographers are some of the highest paid arm in the industry. They also have an exciting role, getting to travel to exotic locations, meeting inspiring models, forming relations with respected brands, while being able to be the head of their own business. Television host turned fashion photographer Antoine Verglas has a had a successful career as fashion photographer the past thirty plus years. He opens up about his journey and what it takes to be a photographer.

How fashion photography happened

Everyone is gifted with at least one thing that they are good at, something that it doesn’t take effort and that comes naturally, that’s sparked by deep passion and talent. When a person discovers that thing, it’s a freeing and revelatory moment. Verglas was born in France and studied at E.S.C., a prestigious business school in the country. Those early days of his career was spent in front of the camera but then the urge to transition to fashion photography was biting him.

“I was lucky that it came naturally during my student years in a business school. I got some modeling jobs to help pay for my studying and started to befriend photographers. I looked more and more at fashion magazines and spent time in photo studios. At the time, I had a Swedish model girlfriend and I started to take pictures of her for fun. It became a passion and obsession after a brief stint as a TV program host on Channel 5 in France and a try as a photographer’s agent.”

The television host thing ended. Veglas wanted to stay in TV but often in life when one door closes and won’t reopen, it’s an obvious redirection. “The Channel La 5 that Silvio Berlusconi was heading stopped after a year,” he remembers. “I tried to propose on Channel 2 a program on advertising and TV commercials, which was not accepted. It was a program similar to what I was hosting on Channel 5, and I thought I would become another TV personality. I had to wait a year for the new grill of programs. I got more gigs in TV commercials but they were becoming less glamorous, and I didn’t want to go back to modeling. I tried to represent photographers’ friends, but they were too difficult on the type of jobs I was getting for them, so I decided to do it myself.”

Verglas thought his post university studies would lead him to advertising, however trying many things and having up and down experiences, which prepared him for the rigors of these industries he was trying things in, led him to realize what he wanted to do. “I had a genuine interest in specialized magazines on advertising and communications. Modeling brought me to appear in 30+ TV commercials, advertising campaigns, catalogs, and editorials. TV hosting came out of the blue through casting and it was actually a fantastic experience. I learned at a pretty young age, at 24 how to deal with some types of fame and criticism on multiple forms, politics, and the inside of TV network. But TV hosting was definitely not my calling and I failed.”

Breakthrough

“My breakthrough moment came when I decided to follow and accompany my model girlfriend to NYC. She was a face of the 80s contest winner of the Ford Model Agency and had to honor her contract. I decided to go along with an idea to report on top models in their intimacy of very natural black and white portraits, and candid questions interviews.”

“A French top model, Estelle Lefebure, introduced me to her modeling agency, Elite models and to her director and the right hand of John Casablancas, Monique Pillard. Pillard was seduced by the idea and gave me access to her roster of top models: Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Stephanie Seymour, to name a few. I managed to get Claudia Schiffer in another agency. It took me about 3 to 4 months to get an hour or so with the ten top models, to shoot and interview them. At the time, I was still living in Paris and French Elle and French Photo were the magazines I wanted to propose the story. The dream came true, and they both published it.

While Verglas has found success, he’s amenable to share with others how they can get to where he is. His advice is simple, try things. “For those who struggle to find their calling, my advice is to try many things, explore different fields, take risks, and don’t be afraid to fail. You never know where your passion lies until you try. Keep an open mind, and don’t limit yourself,” he says.

Photographing the big names

Verglas has taken portraits of Halle Berry and Cindy Crawford, he has done commercial shoots for Badgley Mischka and Louis Vuitton, and his work has been featured in GQ, Sports Illustrated, and Elle. Many photographers dream to reach this level, so I ask if he feels he has arrived. “You are always as good as your last job,” he muses. “You never truly “arrive” in photography. You can reach a certain level of notoriety but it can be very fickle. I have always been fascinated by the longevity of careers of Patrick Demarchelier and Gilles Bensimon, and how they have surfed the waves of this industry for over five decades. I really believe that, like in any job or discipline, the day you think you have arrived is the beginning of the end for you. It implies that you no longer challenge yourself and are not looking to progress and improve your skills.”

A typical day

His typical day to day is simple but full. “I get up early, go to the studio, shoot, select images, take care of my kids and dog, work with my wife on her business (clic.com), review and trade in the stock market, and socialize in the evening. My routine is from 7 PM to midnight.”

His home is New York City and while the pandemic saw a lot of people leave the Big Apple, Verglas doesn’t seem to ever dream of doing a thing like that. “I loved NYC the minute I arrived here. The optimism, cosmopolitanism, speed, energy, noise, and how easy it was to meet people. The adrenaline and excitement this city gave me back in the late 80s and early 90s. Paris is beautiful, charged with so much history, and I must say I’m happy to be able to spend time in both cities.”

Speaking of the pandemic, it did affect fashion and fashion photography. “The world has changed. More people want to work remotely. Some models started to shoot themselves with brands they called, and turned into photographers themselves. Instagram, Tik Tok, and now AI are totally changing the world of fashion and fashion photography. AI is actually very scary to me. Soon, you don’t need models, stylists, hair and makeup artists, or photographers any longer. The technology can replace them all. And it goes for a lot of actors in different industries, not only fashion. I am worried for the new generations and the world they will inherit from us. I have a true and sincere nostalgia when I look at pictures, reportage, and movies depicting the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and 2000s.”

Verglas has reason to fear and not just him, models as well and Lord knows who else. Lots of creatives will be out of jobs with the advancement of AI and influencers. Brands from Nike to Dior to Valentino heavily use AI technology. One positive of using AI is that the industry can cut down on textile waste. Fashion is the second most unsustainable industry in the world. But, people and economies will suffer with job loss and relationship loss. But Verglas isn’t totally opposed to technology. His advice to someone thinking about going into photography is this:

“Ten to twenty years ago I would have said go to museums, enrich yourself with paintings, sculptures, etc. Look at the years of Vogue, Bazaar, and Elle, look at fashion photographers’ books, go to photo galleries, and be an encyclopedia of fashion photography. Today, you need to do that too, of course, but additionally, be extremely savvy of new possibilities that technology offers.”

Antoine Verglas has shot dozens of magazines covers and shot well known fashion campaigns. But he remains humble, never thinking he has “arrived.” He often doesn’t feel he’s that good but au contraire. “I am just happy to share what I do and I hope people like it. Personally, I never think it’s good enough.” But those in the industry knows how gifted he is and I suspect we’ll see his work around for a long time to come, even with the rise of AI.