"Glamour with a Touch of Irony" an excerpt from German Avant-Garde Fashion Photographers by Dr. Ingrid Loschek Glamour with a touch of irony At first sight of her works, Ellen Von Unwerth seems to be carrying on the tradition of glamorous fashion photography in the style of the 1980s: fashion and eroticism à la Helmut Newton. But a closer look reveals an extra component there, a cheeky nonchalance with which she unties glamour from its procrustean bed and adds a touch of humour and irony: therein lies the modernity of her work. Born in Frankfurt in 1954, Von Unwerth went to Paris as a model in 1975, where she developed a knack for mise en scène and effective portrayals of the human body. A notable example is Revenge (2003), the picture-story of a sexy romp in the country that hearkens back to the frivolity of 18th-century aristocratic life. In all her photo series, e.g. Couples (1998), Picknick (1996) and Snaps (1995), the staging and story take priority over the presentation of fashion.