FRAMING LEGENDS

Tom came from London to New York in the early 1990s to study at the famed Parsons School of Design. In 1996, while still working as an assistant in New York, Franca Sozzani of Vogue Italia took Tom under her wing, producing covers and editorials for talian Glamour, as well as L’Uomo Vogue and Vogue Italia. Tom joined with his first agent in January 1997, and three months later, in March 1997, he shot his first editorial for British Vogue. Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Stella Tennant, and Nicole Kidman all appeared on Vogue covers shortly after. Liz Tilberis at Harper’s Bazaar US saw them and in September 1997 Tom found himself in Milan filming his first collection story. Tom started shooting for Anna Wintour at Vogue US in just three years, by 2000. He hasn’t turned back since. His devotion and love for his profession has attracted the industry’s most prestigious designers and companies, including Armani, Dolce Gabbana, Givenchy, Guerlain, Saint Laurent, and Tom Ford. So in this interview, we talked with Tom Munro about his significant experience in the field of fashion photography. Excerpts:

- Tom Munro

Can you tell us how and when you realised you wanted to be a photographer?

I was born and grew up in a provincial market town in the English countryside. My father did a bit of photography, mostly architecture, which was necessary for his work. Occasionally I'd tag along and help, tucking polaroids under my arm to keep them warm before pealing back the chemical layer to reveal the picture. I guess this was my first introduction to photography.

It wasn't until my late teens that I first witnessed a fashion shoot. A neighbouring American family had a friend of their daughter's staying one summer, who happened to be a model, Gillian King, based in Paris. It must have been around 1982, I'd have been about 18.

To cut a long story short, I spent a couple of weeks in Paris accompanying Gillian to a few shoots. All pretty exciting for a country boy. This was my first taste of the business, although it wasn't until I was in my mid 20's that I decided to pursue photography as a career.

Who was the first individual to appear in front of your camera? How have you and your photographic style changed since then?

Professionally? Whilst working as an assistant in New York, I photographed a few models doing 'tests' to build material for my portfolio. I'd become friends with Stella Tennant (both being English), who worked with the photographer I assisted, so Stella was one of the first known models that I worked with, which was a huge help to me.

Ling Tan, the Malaysian model was another who I did a 'test' with. Those pictures were published in Vogue Singapore.

I'd send those 'test shoots' to Franca Sozzani at Vogue Italia, who eventually asked if I'd like to shoot for Italian Glamour, which of course I was thrilled to do.