David Sims

Acclaimed fashion photographer David Sims was initially known for the stark modernism, plain backdrops and the graphic posing in his work. In later years he would begin to capture movement in his photographs. American Vogue remarked that Sims' work was “setting a new standard” for fashion photography.

Sims over the years has contributed to the most influential fashion publications in the world, including US and French Vogue, W magazine, The Face, i-D, L'Uomo Vogue, Arena Homme Plus, Vogue Homme International and Dazed & Confused. The photographer signed an exclusive retainer with US Harper’s Bazaar for 2000 and 2001. His numerous commercial clients represent fashion’s biggest players: Prada, Givenchy, Valentino,  Stella McCartney , Salvatore Ferregamo,  Louis Vuitton  and  Alexander Wang , among many more.

Sims began his editorial career in 1985 shooting for i-D, having assisted photographers Robert Erdmann and Norman Watson when he left school. Sims' commercial break came when he was called upon to shoot  Calvin Klein  and CK’s 1993 campaigns featuring  Kate Moss. Calvin Klein  sought a more modern aesthetic to suit his minimalist designs. Growing recognition in the fashion world saw his works appear at the Howard Greenberg Gallery in New York in 1994 and he was named the Young Fashion Photographer of the year.

A second globally recognised campaign, for  Yohji Yamamoto  in 1995, would cement Sims’ reputation and lead to him being named Photographer of the Year in 1996 at the International Festival of Photography, beating Craig McDean,  Steven Meisel,  Juergen Teller  and David LaChapelle. That same year he would shoot his first cover, for i-D, again featuring Kate Moss .

Sims’ work has been exhibited across the globe, with solo and group shows at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, the Fotomuseum Winterthur in Switzerland and the Institute of Contemporary art in London among them.

Sims lives in London with his partner Luella Bartley; the couple have three children together. In 2009, the couple was included in The Independent’s list of style influencers.