If you have not yet found your way to the exhibition of Richard Avedon's fashion work at the International Center of Photography (ICP), your last chance could be the best bet. Why? Starting this Thursday, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week arrives at Bryant Park, just a couple of blocks south of ICP. Chances are that many of the fashionistas at this twice yearly extravaganza will also find their way to the museum. Whether or not, the people-watching in the area is sure to be amazing.

The first exhibition devoted exclusively to the fashion work of Richard Avedon (1923-2004) is comprised of over 175 photographs plus original magazines showing the images in their editorial context, and related materials such as contact sheets and notations. Considered the most influential photographer to have taken fashion as a major subject, Avedon gave one of the most exclusive commodities - haute couture fashion - a journalistic slant and a social dimension that reflected the worldly role that women began taking after World War II.

Left: Dorian Leigh, Paris, August 1949. Center: Naty Abascal and Ana-Maria Abascal with Helio Guerreiro, Ibiza, Spain, September 1964. Right: Suzy Parker with Robin Tattersall, Place de la Concorde, Paris, August, 1956. Copyright The Richard Avedon Foundation, courtesy International Center of Photography.

Avedon started out as a photographer in the U.S. Merchant Marine at age 17, using a Rolliflex given to him by his father to make ID photos of servicemen. On his return to New York in 1944, he briefly worked as an advertising photographer in a department store before getting regular assignments for the fashion magazine Harper's Bazaar.

Working with the magazine's legendary art director Alexey Brodovitch, he took his models out of the studio and into the streets, onto the beach and even into the circus ring. Inspired by the Hungarian fashion photographer, Martin Munkacsi, who was the first to create dynamic images of models running across the page, Avedon went even further.

Starting in 1947, with the end of the Nazi occupation of Paris, he began shooting the couture collections on their own turf, in a city still devastated by the war. Setting up scenes outdoors in the Marais, the Luxemburg Gardens, the Place de la Concorde, his shoots electrified the drab city; people would gather in throngs to observe the beautiful models in gorgeous clothes being directed by the handsome and charming photographer. These were the first images to bring the Paris couture back to an American audience after being cut off from the outside world since the start of the occupation in 1940.

One of the highlights of the exhibition is a gallery painted dark gray with spotlights precisely illuminating photos from Avedon's Paris shoots during the early 1950s. By then, he had established control over what and how he photographed, and secured enormous budgets for the scenes he created at the city's most famous night spots. The fact that Avedon chose models with unconventional looks gives these photographs a documentary feel that is at odds with their reason for being. And that is just one of the ways in which he revolutionized fashion photography.

The events and energy of the Swinging Sixties provoked in Avedon a shift toward an even more journalistic approach. Using Suzy Parker and the comic Mike Nichols as models, he created a ten-page fashion spread laid out like a pulp magazine feature and based on the international paparazzi scoop of the Elizabeth Taylor-Richard Burton affair. The September 1962 feature made fun of the new media glare on celebrities but it didn't go down well with the editor, who thought that the clothes weren't well presented. Many subscribers thought the feature was actual reportage.

But that didn't stop Avedon from taking the reportage idea even further. For the September 1964 issue of Bazaar, he staged a 23-page spread in which two beautiful young women and a handsome man vacation in Spain. Throughout the story, an insinuating visual narrative implies the unfettered sexual expression of the times. It must have registered with its audience, for in the following issue, Avedon capitalized on actor Steve McQueen's tough-guy masculinity in another set-up piece of faux journalism that brought high and low culture together with an exhilarating breath of fresh air.

The exhibition covers Avedon's subsequent move to Vogue following editor Diana Vreeland's exit from Bazaar; his advertising campaigns for Versace, Dior and other fashion houses; and his work as the first staff photographer at The New Yorker, under Tina Brown's stewardship. At each stage of his career, Avedon created something entirely new, whether it was a redefinition of feminine roles, a celebration of sexuality, or a celebration of simply having fun. The exhibition, a celebration of Avedon's genius, is a must for anyone who loves photography and style.

Avedon Fashion: 1944-2004 was organized by ICP Curator Carol Squiers and Adjunct Curator Vince Aletti, with the cooperation of The Richard Avedon Foundation. The exhibition and accompanying book (Harry N. Abrams, Inc.) was designed by Yolanda Cuomo. The exhibition closes on Sunday, September 20, 2009. The International Center of Photography, 1133 Avenue of the Americas at 43^rd Street, New York, NY. 212.857.0090.

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