Fashion photography, once thought frivolous, has become art's rising star with a new visual language

At one time, not so very long ago, the only place to see a fashion photograph was in the pages of a magazine or possibly stuck to the wall of a teenage girl's bedroom; but things have changed, with museums holding major exhibitions, galleries and auction houses selling fashion images, and publishers constantly releasing new titles devoted to fashion photography.

Removed from its original context (the magazine page), fashion photography has become art's rising star. The art world has become more receptive to the medium as museums have moved from high art to an all-embracing visual culture. For a long time, fashion photography was seen as exclusively commercial. However, contemporary photographers don't necessarily conceive of their work as fitting into one single category or medium.

In the 21st century, boundaries between editorial work, advertising work and personal work are now blurring. Digital media have changed the way photography is reported, consumed and shared. With the explosion of street-style blogs, Instagram and Pinterest, fashion photography has become the new visual language.