Ivy Nicholson in Rome, c.1955 by Regina Relang
Regina Relang (1906 – 1989)
German Fashion Photographer
Regina Relang was a German fashion photographer and photojournalist born in 1906 in Stuttgart, Germany. The daughter of painter Paul Lang and textile designer Minna Lang-Kurz, her upbringing clearly influenced both her initial and later artistic pursuits. Her photographs are known for their elegance, glamour and playful documentation of female fashion.
Relang began her career studying painting at the Academy of Arts in Berlin before turning to the camera, learning photography as she traveled around Europe. She found herself particularly drawn to documenting women, clothing and culture, photographing Andalusian dancers and female workers in Porto. In 1938, she began working for Vogue where her photographs were published in the French, American, and British editions. This interest in photographing female subjects continued when she was introduced to the world of fashion photography by photographer Willy Maywald and moved to Paris. There her work gained more prominence; she shot for major fashion houses such as Christian Dior, Pierre Cardin and Yves Saint-Laurent and Haute Couture fashion shows.
She became one of the most well known photographers in Germany in the 1950s and 60s. In 1972, she was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit, a medal given to individuals who displayed exceptional service in political, economic, cultural, or humanitarian fields. She died in Munich in 1989, aged 83.
By Hattie Alwen
In the Collection
- Tear sheet from unknown magazine featuring image (above) of Ivy Nicholson.
- Book The Elegant World of Regina Relang by Esther Rules
