Parasol: Susy Dyson, Thailand, 1977

During the 1970s and early 80s, Willie Christie worked extensively as a photographer with British Vogue, shooting ten covers along with the accompanying inside spreads.

Featuring in some of these iconic shoots, was the model Grace Coddington, with whom he worked closely and collaboratively, and later married.

His portfolio includes award winning advertising campaigns with fashion and beauty giants, L’Oréal and Yves Saint Laurent, fashion and portrait work for international icons including Cary Grant, Grace Jones, Douglas Fairbanks Jnr, Sir John Mills, and Catherine Deneuve, as well as Rock ‘n’ Roll album covers and portraits for the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Bryan Ferry, and Lou Reed.

Christie’s work has been exhibited in many prestigious shows over the years, including the International tour of Les Rencontres D’Arles 2010 exhibition, Taschen’s ‘Stones Exhibition’, in Los Angeles in 2014, as well as at the Ivy in London. 

His work also features in a wide selection of publications including, ‘People in Vogue’, by Robin Derrick and Robin Muir, ‘Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd’, by Nick Mason, ‘Vogue Photographic Covers’ by Valerie Lloyd, ‘A Memoir’, by Grace Coddington, ‘An Affectionate Punch’, by Justin de Villaneuve and ‘The Rolling Stones’, by Taschen publishing.

Justin de Villeneuve, manager of the supermodel Twiggy in the 1960s, includes Christie in his top three photographers, alongside Richard Avedon and Bert Stern.