Fashion is not merely the province of the high street or confined to the pages of Vogue, Harpers, or other Conde Nast titles. They may get the most attention, but the bulk of the fashion world is closer to the rag district than the high street. A quick peruse of any newsagent will give you the names of many other titles covering what the world can realistically afford. Often mixed in with arts, culture, entertainment, titles such as Oyster, Yen, Frankie, Kurv, i-D… the list goes on (see here for a big list). Most of these titles are youth centric and some were spawned from the 80's/90's zine scene. Photocopied and hand stapled. The emphasis on the street. The photography in many of these titles have a decidedly 'street photography' or lo-tech feel about it. The antithesis of what is happening in Milan or Paris.
American Apparel archive - January 2000 - www.americanapparel.net
This has been used to great effect to put distance between itself and the high street while connecting to it's viewership who likely identify more with the perceived 'real world' these titles portray. Big name companies often run different campaigns in these magazines artistically more in line with the existing content.
Tim Barber - Nike Bridge Runners - http://www.tim-barber.com
Melodie McDaniel - Levis 'Braddock' - http://www.melodiemcdaniel.com/
Carlotta Manaigo via Feaverishphotography.com - http://carlottamanaigo.com/
Oystermag.com - Photography: Ryan Kenny
Yen Magazine - Michelle Williams posing for 'Band of Outsiders' - See more of this campaign at http://www.yenmag.net/fashion/michelle-williams-for-band-of-outsiders-2/
Another example that highlights the lo-fi becoming mainstream, is the work of Ryan Mcginley, having shot works for the New York Times, the US Olympic teams and many more.
Photography at it's most raw is a trend/technique/artform that I believe is here to stay.
