'Something simple. It is just a woman looking into the camera—nothing else, no background, no special lighting… What matters to me is whether you can feel the photograph. I often work with my wife during shoots, and she sometimes asks whether I can feel it. And I can still feel this photograph of Chloë Sevigny, even though it was taken a few years ago.
With her fist against her head, there is a kind of Jane Fonda-style twist from the sixties. Yet the photograph was taken in Los Angeles in 2005 for the Italian Elle and to mark the twentieth anniversary of Dolce & Gabbana as a label. For the series, clothes from Dolce & Gabbana collections spanning the years were flown in, and Chloë chose her own combinations of new and vintage pieces.
My work as a fashion photographer revolves around questions such as: who are you photographing, and why? What do you dress the model in? What does the combination do—does the person enhance the clothing, or does the clothing enhance the person? And what kind of light do you use? It is like cooking, like a chef working with spices. That is the essence of what I do. But Chloë brings all of that herself. She has power and conviction, and she always makes good choices, including in her film career. She is always one step ahead, someone who can make things happen. On top of that, she is incredibly fun, kind, positive, sexy, and delightful. To me, she represents that elusive coolness, and I love capturing it.'
Name: Marc de Groot (1964)
Location: Amsterdam
Info: www.marcdegroot.net
