Blacklisted Photographers

BY: Andy Shoulders

In recent years, more and more high-profile figures have been taken to task for their alleged sexual misconduct. In no other area has this been more apparent than in the world of entertainment. Models in particular have cried foul for decades, having regularly been the victims of predatory behavior. You may remember back in February 2018, when the anonymous Instagram account @ShitModelMgmt created the “Blacklist” as a reference and warning tool for models. What eventually began as a meme account for venting about the fashion industry quickly morphed into a forum for models to share their stories. Eventually, the administrator, a former model herself, started to compile the names shared by the models, and the Blacklist was born. Around 290 names, from famous fashion photographers to well-known designers, appeared on the Blacklist, but the specific allegations tied to each name did not. Just one week after the Blacklist appeared, it was taken down after the author began receiving death threats. Questions surrounding its legality had swirled since its inception, which incidentally opened up an important conversation about the importance of being heard versus the publication of unverified information (which obviously led to quite severe public shaming on both sides of the aisle). We’ve taken a closer look at some of the most well-known fashion photographers who appeared on the Blacklist, and who faced years of accusations and lawsuits as well. Models and others in the fashion industry had been raising red flags on them for years (and in some cases, decades) – before the Blacklist was even a pipe dream.

TERRY RICHARDSON

Best known for his fashion and celebrity work, Terry Richardson’s photographs have been featured everywhere from Harper’s Bazaar to GQ. He even shot the music videos for Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball” and Beyoncé’s “XO.” A good chunk of his fame has come from his penchant for including himself in many of his photos, with most of the subjects alongside Richardson adopting part (or all) of his signature look – flannel shirt, mutton chops, and/or glasses. He also became infamous for his series of sexually explicit photos, often showing him nude and erect, which obviously made many of the subjects involved in them decidedly uncomfortable.

And so began the lawsuits and increased instances of people speaking out about it, whether in public or in interviews. He was dubbed “the world’s most fucked up fashion photographer” by the website Jezebel and “fashion’s shameful secret” by the Guardian. Not long after, Richardson’s world began to crumble, with clients no longer willing to work with him and petitions being created in order to gain support for his permanent exile from the fashion world. Things essentially came to a head in 2017, when publishing powerhouse Condé Nast International sent out an email directing its publications to sever ties with Richardson.

 

BRUCE WEBER

Like Terry Richardson, Bruce Weber was also blacklisted by Condé Nast. Mounting sexual assault allegations (dating back to 1982) also led to longtime Weber clients Abercrombie & Fitch, Ralph Lauren, and Versace severing ties with him. Models had been crying foul on Weber for years, only to be told by clients and agents alike that, yes, he’s a tad odd, but can take a model’s career to the stratosphere – provided that the model just turn on the tunnel vision and ignore Weber’s eccentricities.

Weber has since found himself the subject of several lawsuits brought by male models he’s worked with on past shoots. One of those lawsuits, brought about in 2017 by model Jason Boyce, alleges that Weber touched the model inappropriately during a 2014 photo shoot. However, Weber readily provided racy texts and photos that Boyce sent to him during the months following the photoshoot, which calls into question the voracity of Boyce’s claims. Weber has slowly returned to showcasing his work, most notably and recently in the independent men’s fashion magazine Man About Town. He’s also been active on Instagram, with his postings garnering likes from Carine Riotfeld and Nicolas Ghesquière (artistic director for Louis Vuitton).

 

MARIO TESTINO

Renowned fashion photographer Mario Testino saw himself accused of several sexual misconduct allegations right alongside Bruce Weber, as his accusers were also male models, and the timing of the allegations lent itself to often pairing the two together. In January 2018, thirteen male models and assistants went on record with the New York Times to say that Testino regularly subjected them to unwanted sexual advances dating back to the 1990s.

Testino was soon inevitably blacklisted by Condé Nast (the company’s statement named both him and Weber as no longer being employed by them – another probable reason for their frequent pairing). Burberry also issued a statement declaring their severed ties with Testino. The increased avalanche of accusations also led to him being dropped from consideration for photographing Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding.

 

GREG KADEL

Greg Kadel made name for himself shooting for Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Allure. He built a strong list of high-powered clients like Diane von Fürstenberg, Aveda, Valentino, and Victoria’s Secret. He has shot famous faces from Britney Spears to Casey Affleck to Claire Danes.

That came to all but a screeching halt when, in February 2018, two women went on record in the Boston Globe accusing Kadel of making unwanted advances. One of them accused Kadel of pushing her up against a wall and taking advantage of her while she was drunk. Kadel insisted that any and all sexual encounters were consensual, or that he “misinterpreted a social situation.” As a consequence of these allegations, Kadel lost contracts with both Condé Nast and Victoria’s Secret.

 

PATRICK DEMARCHELIER

Following the bombshell reports exposing Bruce Weber and Mario Testino, photographer Patrick Demarchelier found himself at the center of another exposé. Released by the Boston Globe’s Spotlight team, it was the same February 2018 report that named Greg Kadel. In Demarchelier’s case, the paper spoke to seven different women, including one assistant who accused him of relentless sexual advances to the point of beratement if she refused. She even reportedly emailed Anna Wintour detailing what happened.

As with the other photographers, Condé Nast cut ties with Demarchelier. Once the personal photographer of Princess Diana, Demarchelier suddenly found himself with a severely slashed workload. He vehemently denied all of the allegations, instead calling them complete fabrications from models who “get frustrated if they don’t work.”

 

MARCUS HYDE

Last year, photographer Marcus Hyde faced accusations of sexual misconduct and forcing models to pose nude. Model Sunnaya Nash escalated the controversy by posting screenshots of an alleged text interaction between herself and Hyde, which was removed and later reinstated by Instagram itself. Once fashion watchdog Diet Prada got a hold of the story, it went viral. The interaction posted by Nash allegedly showed a conversation between her and Hyde in which Hyde requested nude photos from Nash prior to a scheduled photo shoot. He allegedly told Nash that the shoot would be free if she sent the photos, but when Nash said she had no nude photos to send, Hyde told her the price of the shoot would be $2,000.

After Diet Prada exposed the scandal to its vast audience, Nash began receiving tons of messages from other models who had similar experiences with Hyde. Kim Kardashian and Ariana Grande even went public with their own statements on the issue. Hyde’s Instagram account was soon removed by the social media platform after they determined it violated the company’s sexual solicitation policies.

 

TIMUR EMEK

The accusations against Marcus Hyde directly preempted those against New York-based photographer Timur Emek, who lists Vogue, GQ, and Victoria’s Secret as clients. Once Diet Prada picked up the allegations against Hyde, they soon began posting several against Emek as well.

Production designer Haley Bowman claimed that Emek sexually assaulted her at the Panorama music festival when she was 19. She alleged that he invited her back to his apartment, where he snapped several photos of her after pulling down her shirt. She then claimed that he began to expose himself and forcibly placed her hand on his genitals. Bowman inevitably began receiving messages from other alleged victims, one being from model Jade Warnes, who claimed that Emek lured her to a hotel room when she was 17 and offered to pay her for sex. Like it did with Hyde, Instagram soon deactivated Emek’s account.

 

 

When all is said and done, immense talent means nothing if a person uses it to further a nefarious sexual agenda. When a voice speaks out against predatory behavior, that voice must be heard, but it’s extremely important that the voice be heard with an unbiased ear – a next-to-impossible feat. The court of public opinion is welcomed when it creates a healthy discourse on the merits of a specific design or photograph. However, as long as people continue to be victimized by those in power, the conversation will continue to inevitably shift from the work being created to the horrible acts being committed. Will there ever come a day when the world of fashion isn’t rife with allegations of misconduct and abuse?

Here’s hoping.