Willy Vanderperre
Willy Vanderperre is a Belgian fashion photographer known for his striking, minimalist imagery and long-standing collaborations with top fashion brands and designers, including Raf Simons, Prada, and Dior. His work often features a sharp, modern aesthetic, blending art and fashion in editorial spreads for publications like Vogue, i-D, and AnOther. Vanderperre is celebrated for his ability to capture raw emotion and understated elegance in his photographs.
Biography
Willy Vanderperre is a Belgian fashion photographer renowned for his sharp, minimalist aesthetic and his longstanding collaborations with some of the most influential designers in the industry. Born in 1971, Vanderperre studied fashion at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, a school famous for producing avant-garde designers like the Antwerp Six. His background in fashion informs his photography, allowing him to approach images with a deep understanding of both clothing and the narratives behind them. Vanderperre’s work often fuses art and fashion, creating visually compelling images that convey emotion and sophistication through clean lines and striking compositions.Vanderperre is perhaps best known for his close collaboration with Raf Simons, with whom he has worked for decades, photographing campaigns for Simons' eponymous label as well as for his tenures at Dior and Calvin Klein. This partnership has been pivotal in shaping the visual language of contemporary fashion photography, where Vanderperre’s stark, emotionally resonant imagery perfectly complements Simons' modern, minimalist designs. His ability to capture both raw emotion and an understated elegance has made him a favorite not only of designers but also of top publications like Vogue, i-D, and AnOther.Beyond his work in fashion, Vanderperre’s photographs often blur the lines between commercial and fine art photography. His portraits are intimate and sometimes melancholic, often focusing on themes of youth, identity, and vulnerability. His minimalist approach strips away excess, focusing on the essence of his subjects, whether in fashion campaigns or editorial spreads. His ability to blend narrative depth with aesthetic precision has solidified his reputation as one of the leading photographers in the fashion world.Vanderperre’s work has had a profound influence on contemporary fashion imagery, redefining how emotion and narrative are conveyed in fashion photography. His collaborations with major brands like Prada, Dior, and Calvin Klein have further elevated his status, making him one of the most sought-after photographers in the industry. Through his distinctive, minimalist style, Vanderperre continues to shape the visual language of fashion photography, seamlessly blending artistic vision with commercial appeal.
