Blue Velvet

Deep blue velvet fibers woven together resemble the soft hues of a midnight glow while the luminous text, “NICKNIGHT,” glows on the cover of Knight’s second book titled, Blue Velvet. With the help of Marc Ascoli and Peter Saville’s meticulous art direction and Satoko Nakahara’s acclaimed writing, the book’s design, layout and narrative are impeccable. From Nick’s first project surrounding London’s skinhead culture, to “100 Portraits” for i-D magazine; Knight and his team’s careful, chronological curation and layout appropriately depict Knight’s true excellence.

 

Satoko Nakahara, a longtime friend of Knight’s, created a series of interviews, quotes, and personal accounts to tell Nick’s story in becoming, including her interactions with Knight and the legacy he left with her. “Nick Knight’s photographs cannot be explained by preconceived notions. His fashion photographs are not about fashion in the elitist context. His images of men and women do not serve to reinforce the values of masculinity and femininity. They go beyond sexuality. His photographs relate to his personal, sometimes romantic, vision of the world.” -Satoko Nakahara.

 

While the highlights of this book showcase Nick Knight’s earlier work with Yohji, it also includes popular campaigns for Jil Sander and Martine Sibton, and notable images of Linda Evangelista and Naomi Campbell. Knight took a different approach for each project, playfully experimenting with bright colors and white space, yet he continued to invoke the same whimsical, surrealist allure in all his images.

 

This book is a holy grail for any fans of Nick Knight and Yohji Yamamoto. The book features a wide range of Knight’s editorial work for magazines like i-D and Arena, with a biographical component incorporated through Nakahara’s words, telling the story of Knight’s origins and influence. Blue Velvet is a soft invitation to the futuristic, multicolored world of the visionary photographer Nick Knight.

​

​

Writer: Dana Aufiero