Jane Hilton has been chronicling the American dream since 1988 with her quietly powerful portraits – from down-on-their-luck cowboys to Vegas newlyweds, the award-winning photographer’s seen it all. Her latest exhibition, Precious, opens today at London’s Eleven Gallery.

Hilton convinced brothel owners in Nevada – where prostitution is legal – to let her live alongside and photograph their employees. The result? A sensitive, startling and most importantly, real look at a community of women at work and play.

You weren’t always a photographer – you studied music in Lancaster. What drew you to photography?

I wasn’t good enough to be a concert pianist, and thought music my end up being a very anti-social career choice. Although strangely, after deciding to follow photography I was away so much that I never saw anyone anyway. I was introduced to photography as part of my art degree course, and once I had a camera in my hand, I was hooked!

A lot of your work has centered around classic American imagery – roadtrips, cowboys, Vegas and the like – what’s the root of this fascination?

I was originally introduced to the states when I went to Tucson, Arizona in 1988 as an assistant on a three week fashion trip. I was bowled over by the whole experience; the culture and the big wide open spaces. I discovered Las Vegas whilst going to shoot in some very large dunes just outside. We were staying in a casino on the strip and it also just happened to be Valentine’s Day – so I witnessed queues of people lining up outside the chapel in the grounds waiting to get married. This was the start of a ten-year project where I returned to Vegas two or three times every year. I went on to photograph rollercoaster weddings, drive-in weddings and literally anything you could think of; you could do it Las Vegas!

What’s your creative process?

No particular process, I just photograph things I am curious about, and people I am fascinated with. If the results are interesting then I might take the project further, which leads to a slow uncovering process, and many weeks/months/years of tracking people down.

So where does the interest in photographing brothels come from?

I was first intrigued by the brothels after driving past the many signs on the side of the road in Nevada advertising them. They were discreet but still strange: “Shady Ladies 20 miles ahead”, “Cherry Patch”, “Madam Kitty’s Cathouse”… I just had to go and find out for myself. After meeting a few of the women I realized they had a lot more to say than I had banked on, so I ended up filming them telling their stories which the BBC decided to commission as a series. I did exhibit several photographs from this period in a show The whole Year In; but it was actually the films that everyone talked about.

How did the name Precious come about?

I was in the darkroom printing the girls photographs with my printer, and my assistant at the time bashing out ideas. I didn’t want anything obvious, just maybe one word that described my feelings for the girls. It was my assistant Anna that finally came up with Precious, and as soon as she said it, I knew that was it.

You must have set out with some preconceptions of prostitution before you lived at a brothel and started documenting the women there. What did you expect to find at the start?

I hadn’t even thought about it until I walked in. I was probably still very naïve, which actually in retrospect did me a favour. I am by nature very non-judgemental, and feel it very important to have experience of a subject matter before making any strong points of view about it.

Have brothels changed in any way since you started photographing them years ago?

Brothels are now so media friendly, with a lot of banter on social networks which fills their time ‘while they are waiting’. They’re now fully kitted out and refurbished with all mod cons, which was not the case years ago. In some cases they look more like a spa than a brothel.

Is there anything that surprised you about the attitude and the treatment of women in a legal brothel?

They are much more relaxed then I was expecting probably because they are secure, tested and legal. They can do what they want within reason. I wanted to show them more as ‘women’ than ‘hookers’ – which is why I ended up doing most of their portraits nude. Their clothes disguised their beauty to me, and I wanted to show their true souls. To me they were much more interesting with their clothes off where in some cases you would have no idea what they did to earn their money.

Were there any women you were most inspired by during the making of Precious?

One in particular has stuck with me, probably because she was so young and the story she told me was so harrowing. She’d witnessed her mother being murdered by her stepfather when she was six years old, alongside her three year old brother. Her and her brother were subsequently brought up by their grandparents. She carries with her the only photograph she has of her mum looking absolutely stunning in her graduation photo. She was so incredibly positive and vibrant: I felt very small and unworthy when I was with her.

Precious opens at the Eleven Gallery today and will run till 25th May. www.elevenfineart.com

Words: Elise Marraro (follow Elise on Twitter @PardonMe_Lissie)

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Saint Laurent sure loves being contrary. For his first autumn/winter RTW collection, contrarian extraordinaire Hedi Slimane gave us proper lesson in house evolution with a Saint Laurent collection that added a pleasant dose of rebellious grunge. The connecting thread lies, of course, within the attitude of Saint Laurent woman – she’s a smart, independent, fast-talking dame, who stands where she pleases and blows smoke in the face of her adversaries.

But instead of demure, Marlene Dietrich le smoking jackets of YSL past, it’s the grunge tartans and biker chick leathers of Saint Laurent present. A black dress constructed of bands of leather strips emphasises the bare essentials of modern womenswear. Tartan and floral print dresses with Peter Pan collars were given a Saint Laurent punch with empire waists and black boots, adding a Gothic twist to otherwise cutesy forms. From bejewelled, studded hotpants paired with floral blouse and a luscious fur coat, to a sheer, skimpy slip dress with oversized tartan jacket, the AW13 Saint Laurent woman brings the contrarian full circle from woman debonaire to anti-establisment dreamer.

Whether or not you like it (and some, like Cathy Horyn, didn’t), one thing’s for certain – to remake the much-loved image of a YSL woman takes guts. We’ll just have to wait and see what Hedi does next.

Words: Elise Marraro
Images: Harry Carr

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Taking on a contemporary Annie Hall strolling down the Seine with her travelling buddies on gap year, the Paul & Joe AW13 woman is carefree, cool and socially prominent.  Usually sporting flower power florals and Jodi Mitchell blouses, this season can be summed as comfortable, loose and causally chic, with seventies tailoring parading backstage and on the catwalk.

Baggy, tailored trousers paired with billowing blouses and pastel jumpers were cool and androgynous. Nude, pale pink and black trenches

combined precise tailoring and oversized ease, adding a playful twist on the menswear-inspired designs. Of course there were prints, it is Paul & Joe after all. But unlike the bright florals of spring, these prints were dark and moody: midnight florals, golden brocade, checkered nudes, all paired with simple fur collars and loose, relaxed layering. And with the exception of bright canary yellow trousers and trench coat, the palette, rarely diverting from pale pinks, nudes, and blacks, was as relaxed as this collection’s dreamy silhouettes.

Words: Elise Marraro
Images: Mark Rabadan

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Gold Louis shoes, leather skullcaps, boxed leather jackets and the Edwardian nude and sheer black gowns melded Gothic romanticism and S&M eroticism, made even more apparent by the monochrome palate. Think Jane Eyre as a red-light district brothel madam. Heavy fabrics like leather dominated traditional feminine silhouettes.

But while in the first look its shiny patches hardened a sailor-white jacket, in another, the feathered leather neckline on a white dress added a romantic quality. We were mesmerized by the circular evolution from childish sailor cuts to sensual, womanly forms, and finally back to virginal white. Devoted to beauty in its strangest and most exquisite forms, Meadham Kirchhoff transcended themselves this season.

Words: Elise Marraro (follow Elise on Twitter: PardonMe_Lissie)

Images: Harry Carr

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Performing in the deep dungeons of the Tate Tank, Shystie and her fabulous dancing entourage were both the models and entertainment for Nasir Mazhar’s wild AW13 collection. Retro zebra-striped jackets accompanied the colourful and sporty midriffs, and crushed velvet sleeves glimmered in the neon haze of the Tanks. Almost all of the models sported Nasir’s apparent AW13 signature: the shiny pleated skirt. Whether mini or maxi, the pleats swayed and swivelled with erotic, jerky vampiness. But nothing compared to the Queen of the hour, as Shystie performed in a full-length, multi-textured hot pink Nasir

creation. The overdone make-up, retro hair and plush coats conjured images of a harder, more fabulous modern Birdcage spoof. Turning the Tate Tanks into London Fashion Week’s hottest new club? We approve.

Words: Elise Marraro
Images: Mark Rabadan

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For autumn/winter 2013, Claire Barrow, Ryan Lo (above) and Ashley Williams present their first Fashion East collections, giving the crowd a taste of the different, the strange, and the pop culturally fantastic from the great designers of tomorrow.

CLAIRE BARROW

Our first taste of Claire Barrow was certainly one we won’t forget. We were hooked after the first fish clutch made its way down the runway, accompanied by a tough, loose sack-dress reminiscent of a Biblical power woman. The Adam and Eve feel then transcended into full woodland goth, a dark, twisted fantasy world where Turn Of The Screw meets Midsummer Nights Dream. Forest greens, widow blacks, and Miss Havisham white gowns glided along in an eerily fun beat. It seems very clear that Claire Barrow will be a success, both in this world and the next.

RYAN LO

The Ryan Lo collection was true to its inspiration: if Bridget Jones and

Ally McBeal had a love child, the result would be a powerhouse kid with the coolest sleepovers in town. The first looks were plush pink and monochrome power suits that harken Jackie O – if she joined the grunge movement. Then came wonderfully soft, bathrobe blue jacket. But it didn’t stop there: polka-dot onesies, clownish skirts and colourful trainers brought the nineties back, and we’re totally digging it.

ASHLEY WILLIAMS

Through prints and pristine cuts, the Ashley Williams collection was an evolution of pop Americana. Her baby doll dresses evoked the blonde bombshells gracing Hitchcock silver screens. Homey gingham pencil skirts and heavy knit jumpers were something out of a Gidget fantasy, while the king of retro Americana, Elvis Presley, was everywhere – on dresses, skinny trousers, and t-shirts. But from double-denim to the popular references on dresses, Williams takes retro pop and gives it new life, proving that the pop culturista isn’t just always looking to the past, she’s shaping the future.

Words: Elise Marraro
Images: Harry Carr

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Sequins and studs are no longer constricted to nighttime debauchery. This season, sparkling clusters and metallic sheens meant for daytime revelry prevailed at Burberry and Jonathan Saunders. Along with diamond whites, SS13 revels in jewel tones – fiery reds, sapphire blues, deep purples and emerald greens. So remember the rule of summer: the shinier, the better.

Designers to follow: Burberry, Jonathan Saunders, Simone Rocha, Fendi, Alexander Wang

It’s time to get in touch with your untapped subconscious, because psychedelia was all over the spring/summer runway. House of Holland released a glamorous but daring collection full of hallucinogenic yellows, peace-loving purples and acid greens, while Mary Katrantzou and Holly Fulton concentrated on abstracted, Pollock-like patterns. Ditch your inner wallflower, because this trend is loud and proud.

Designers to follow: House of Holland, Mary Katrantzou, Holly Fulton, Proenza Schouler, Peter Pilotto

For the indispensable key item for this season, may we suggest the biker or bomber jacket? These jackets toughen traditionally sweet and feminine looks, plus they’ll keep you toasty in the typically freezing English springtime. Stella McCartney and Christopher Kane provide sporty, relaxed bombers while Versus biker jackets will release the beach babe badass in you.

Designers to follow: Stella McCartney, Christopher Kane, Antipodium, Versus, Daks

Of course it wouldn’t be spring without floral prints bloomin’ everywhere. But these aren’t your Grandma-on-Easter-Sunday florals; these are floral prints on acid. Vibrant colours and intricate motifs cascade down skirts at Dior, on trousers at Erdem, and on the heads of Vivienne Westwood models. But it’s not just flowers on display; garden critters litter the fashion landscape, from snakeskin to bird motifs. So take a risk on one of the most traditional spring trends in fashion; we promise you won’t be disappointed.

Designers to follow: Vivienne Westwood, Erdem, Christian Dior, Valentino, Kinder Aggugini

Don’t worry if colourful prints and metallics aren’t your thing – another runway trend is monochrome. Black and white pairings dominated the runways of Louis Vuitton, Acne, and Chanel. But this trend is anything but boring; in fact, instead of blending with the bushes or graffiti, monochrome is the standout trend here, appearing as stripes and standout checks.

Designers to follow: Acne, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Balenciaga, Eudon Choi

When we long for warm, summer days (particularly with the recent, sub-zero weather forecast), we usually envision the bare midriffs and over classic nineties coming-of-age film. Luckily, the SS13 trend of nineties sport plays perfectly to our idea of a casual summer. Topshop Unique, JW Anderson and others reveled in nineties nostalgia, from oversized cloth jumpers, neon jersey and grunge-inspired mesh jackets. So dust off those old dungarees: the nineties is, like, totally back.

Designers to follow: Topshop Unique, Ashish, JW Anderson, Richard Nicoll, Antonio Berardi

Girly to gamine is the theme of spring and summer fashion. From Michael Kors to Stella McCartney, designers mixed feminine, whimsical looks with straight-edged, androgynous cuts, allowing for day-to-day role-play. Whether you mix tea dresses with biker jackets or tailored suits with bare-midriffs, shake up those conformist gender norms, because this season it’s all about exploring the layers of modern womanhood.

Designers to follow: Michael Kors, Lacoste. Acne, Stella McCartney, Thomas Tait

Words: Elise Marraro (follow Elise on Twitter: PardonMe_Lissie)

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