It wasn’t until the age of 32 that Scott Schuman picked up a camera. Even then, says the founder of The Sartorialist, he never thought of himself as a photographer in the traditional sense of the word. “To me, the job was always about walking the streets and spotting the new,” he says. Today, he only brings out the camera when he’s “in the right mood”. “It isn’t easy to go up to people and ask them to pose for you all the time.”
Schuman may not always ask them to pose – these beautifully turned-out people parading the streets of New York, Milan, Paris, Copenhagen, and populating his seminal blog – but having done this for over 15 years, he may no longer even need to ask.
With The Sartorialist, he unlocked a new dimension for the way style and fashion were perceived, accessed and interpreted globally. It spawned a multimedia empire (that Schuman actively works to grow); a whole new internet industry (that he doesn’t entirely approve of); and at least three giant coffee table books that stand witness to the evolution of street style all over the world.
Schuman’s latest, The Sartorialist. India is a 300page exposition of his decade-long fascination with this country. It’s a showcase of diversity in a single place, which he feels is increasingly rare in a globalized world. Venturing beyond the urban centers of fashion, Schuman captures everyone from the monks of Ladakh to the surfers of Kerala, the jockeys of Chennai to the ravers of Alsisar.
“I am inspired by the old guard of street photography,” Schuman notes. “Helen Levitt, for instance: The best street photography is at once simple and compelling. Hopefully, that’s what people see in my photos.”`
Why’d you choose India as the subject for your new book?
This story is from the October 2019 edition of GQ India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the October 2019 edition of GQ India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
The 30 Best Watches Of 2024
Rounding up the best shapes, materials, complications and sizes from this year's horological novelty treasure chest.
Wes Lang's Heroes of Love...
Last month, LA-based artist Wes Lang unveiled The Black Paintings, a monumental series of works that play like storyboards to a raucous midnight horror movieand a spiritual quest. Here, GQ collaborates with the artist on a fashion story that brings his stylish characters off the canvas.
The Miraculous Resurrection of Notre Dame
In 2019, a fire nearly destroyed the crown jewel of France-and the nation set a breakneck five-year deadline to bring it back from the ashes. This is the story of how an army of artisans turned back centuries to restore Notre-Dame by hand, and wound up reviving something even greater than the cathedral itself.
"IT'S NOT ABOUT BEING PERFECT. IT'S ABOUT BEING REVOLUTIONARY."
Beyoncé Knowles-Carter talks business, legacy, art, and family
The Wedding Singers
Madboy Mink's dynamic duo, Saba Azad and Imaad Shah, redefine festive style.
A Watch Is More Than Just a Pretty Face
As collectors look to make their grail watches stand out, they're turning to unique vintage bracelets and paying thousands on thousands for straps on the secondary market.
The Fluidity of Cartier
Why Gen Z stars are obsessed with this historic maison.
A Princess with Passion
From restoring monuments to reviving hereditary crafts, Bhavnagar's Brijeshwari Kumari Gohil has her sights on the future.
THE FUTURE SOUNDS LIKE AT EEZ
The Coachella-slaying, multi-language-singing, genre-obliterating members of Ateez are quickly becoming load-bearing stars of our global pop universe.
DEMNA UNMASKED
He's the most influential designer of the past decade. He's also the most controversial. Now the creative director of Balenciaga is exploring a surprising source of inspiration: happiness. GQ's Samuel Hine witnesses the dawn of Demna's new era, in Paris, New York, and Shanghai. Photographs by Jason Nocito.