Confession: I am not a fashionista. I toggle between boho chic and what might best be described as elevated contemporary dork—intentional layers and off-brand drama blended into polished rebellion. And yet I am fascinated by the role that fashion plays in our culture and in art.
We’re inviting photographers to explore fashion as transformation on any subject. Traditional models are welcome, and so are animals, dolls, mannequins, objects, unlikely muses, and hybrid forms. If it can wear (or convincingly suggest wearing), then it qualifies.
Fashion is alchemy. It changes posture. It shifts mood. It invites inquiry. It can reveal a personality or even birth one.
Your Fashion Photography Must Include . . .
Create a fashion spread of six images that explore how fashion alters, elevates, disguises, or reimagines the subject. The work should clearly and intentionally communicate a cohesive theme—seasonal, narrative, emotional, conceptual, activity based, or delightfully undefinable.
One of my favorite examples of such a fashion statement is the darkly comic visual memoir Hitler Saved My Life, by Jim Riswold. With fashion at the hem of the punchline, it uses fashion-styled Hitler dolls as a surreal, cathartic response to cancer treatment. It layers humor, discomfort, history, and absurdity into something unexpectedly human.
Submission Guidelines
All fashion spreads must include:
- six high-resolution images (each should be labeled according to its matching ensemble description), 300 DPI or higher, edited and print ready;
- an obvious unifying theme across all six images; and
- a Word document that includes the following: photographer’s first and last name, mailing address, phone number, email address, title of the spread, and ensemble credits (including model(s) name(s) or object(s)). Please ensure that ensemble credits are labeled to correspond with their matching image filenames.
Send submissions to UpStartEditor@gmail.com.
Deadline
The deadline is May 25, 2026.