02 May. 2012

ACNE STUDIOS X LORD SNOWDON

During his long and distinguished career as a photographer, London born Antony Armstrong-Jones, better known as Lord Snowdon, has portrayed some of the most outstanding personalities of our time, from celebrated actors, art-world giants, top fashion designers, literary luminaries, political leaders, pop stars and royalty. 

This May sixty of Snowdon’s portraits will be presented in Snowdon Blue, a book published by the Swedish fashion company Acne Studios. To coincide with the publication Acne Studios has designed a limited edition of blue shirt inspired by those worn by the famous people in Snowdon’s portraits, including Ralph Fiennes, Jeremy Irons, Emma Thompson, Graham Greene, Sidney Nolan, Manolo Blahnik, Agatha Christie, Tony Blair, David Bowie, and the Prince and Princess of Wales, to mention a few. 

What makes these portraits not only special but also deeply personal is that many of the sitters are wearing shirts belonging to Lord Snowdon himself. In a cupboard in the darkroom next to his studio in London he keeps a small pile of blue shirts in varying shades and textures. Over the years his assistants have often been asked mid-sitting to “please bring me one of my shirts” whereby the sitter has changed into one of his blue shirts for the portrait. If on location Snowdon would often rummage through someone’s drawer to find the right blue top. In other portraits, such as of the Queen or Nancy Reagan, he would ask them to bring something blue to wear.

In Snowdon’s own words: “The blue shirt is anonymous and yet kind of a uniform. It is like a simple backdrop that leaves us to focus on the sitter’s face without being distracted.” 

“It is this ethos that made me think to approach Acne and why this is such a brilliant and exciting union and collaboration” says Frances von Hofmannsthal, Snowdon’s youngest daughter. 

As the creator of Snowdon-Review.com - Snowdon’s first official website which in addition to outlining his professional career will function as an online platform for collaborations within contemporary fashion, design and art worlds – Snowdon Blue will be Frances von Hofmannsthal’s first major project in which she will present her father’s work in a new and unexpected context. 

For the launch of the shirt collection and the book Acne Studios will mount a Snowdon portrait exhibition in their stores, a show that will open in London and travel to Paris, Stockholm and New York. A signed limited edition portfolio of prints will be made available through Acne stores, acnestudios.com and snowdon-review.com.