Craig McDean

Fashion photographer

Craig McDean was born in Middlewich, near Manchester, in 1964, and is now based out of New York. He originally worked as a car mechanic before studying photography at the Mid Cheshire College and Blackpool and The Fylde College. He dropped out of college to move to London and work as an assistant to Nick Knight.

He began shooting stories for magazines such as i-D and The Face, then started commercial work for clients such as fashion designers Jil Sander and Calvin Klein. His campaign for Klein caused a storm as it heralded the era of ‘heroin chic’.

In late 2019 his latest book, Manual, was published – it features a vibrant and fascinating mix of images of car parts, racecars and famous fashion models.

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The worlds of high-octane motor racing and stylish supermodels collide in spectacular fashion in the latest book – Manual – by photographer Craig McDean. It’s hardly surprising: this former car mechanic has a long-held love for motorsport as well as an impressive CV in the challenging and competitive worlds of fashion, advertising, editorial and commercial photography.

During the mid-1990s, early in his career, McDean was embroiled in the media storm over the so-called ‘heroin chic’ style of fashion photography. The then-design director of Vogue, Charles Churchward, told The New York Times, “The test for all these young photographers is whether they can reinvent themselves. I think Craig McDean is a great photographer, but can he evolve?” More than 20 years later, the answer is an emphatic ‘yes’, and McDean’s profile has arguably never been higher.

What drove your initial interest in photography?

I always was interested in the visual arts as a kid. I didn’t really