William Klein

Born in New York, William Klein is an innovative photographer and filmmaker, respected for his contributions to American Vogue during the 1950s and 1960s. Following his service in the military during World War II, Klein studied art in Paris with the French painter Fernand Léger. In 1954, a series of Klein’s kinetic sculptures brought him to the attention of the art director at Vogue. Klein’s passion for street photography reoriented the direction of fashion photography; he photographed his models outside the studio. He also designed and produced a number of photo books of his personal work. In 1965, Klein left Vogue to return to Paris, where he redirected his focus toward filmmaking.