Unconventional and delightful, Say Cheese epitomizes Koto Bolofo's approach to fashion photography.

These photos were originally published in 2000 in Vogue Italia, then under the helm of the legendary Franca Sozzani, whom Koto Bolofo (born 1959) first met in 1984 and worked with for more than 25 years. Bolofo fondly remembers the exceptional creative freedom she gave him and other photographers at the magazine--Sozzani provided the clothes, they did the rest.

And so it was with Say Cheese: Bolofo was given a wardrobe of female swimwear, and with the help of his regular stylist Nicoletta Santoro, he shunned professional models, instead enlisting a vibrant squad of real synchronized swimmers, California's Riverside Aquettes. The resulting images show a variety of female bodies at ease and play--floating and twirling in sparkling, sun-filled water, clad in retro looks, from Great Gatsby flair to flowered 1950s bathing caps, and each wearing Bolofo's favorite accessory: a genuine smile.

Koto Bolofo : say cheese

Koto Bolofo binding

Revamped ! - London's new design museum

Quand l'épure de l'art équestre rencontre l'écriture photographique de Koto Bolofo, nous atteignons là une grâce rare et majestueuse. Koto Bolofo a pu pénétrer les coulisses de l'académie équestre de Versailles où Bartabas l'a invité à découvrir le quotidien de ces cavaliers d'exception, offrant un recueil unique de photographies intemporelles. Le noir et blanc, le travail sur la matière (cuir, bois, crinière...), sur les lignes architecturales, sur les costumes et l'attention particulière portée aux portraits procurent des images hors du temps, mais qui traduisent cette excellence dont la quête est, en ce lieu, quotidienne.

Académie équestre de Versailles

Koto Bolofo printing

Sounds the call to come together, And united we shall stand, Let us live and strive for freedom, In South Africa our land.

The prison

Parcours photographique de la course Goodwood revival lancée en 1998 par Lord March, petit-fils du fondateur de la course automobile qui avait lieu sur le circuit du même nom en Grande-Bretagne de 1948 à 1966.

Ses oeuvres

Ses derniers livres