Clothes define us

Dressing up is no longer limited to special occasions. Everyday life is also a stage for people to step out in style and elegance. After all, clothes are much more than just simple accessories and represent more than pure functionality: they define identity awareness, reflect trends and can also be expressions of individuality and non-conformism. Our LFI Gallery photographers captured stylish, self-confident people wearing carefully curated outfits – from top to bottom. The images reveal how fashion and style move people – how they define us. 

1. Ruediger vom Brocke
I met Stoni in a screwdriver workshop and factory. He lives the Rockabilly style: he dresses accordingly, drives a 1956 Buick, combs back his Elvis quiff with the iconic hand gesture, and has decorated his kitchen in the style of the 1960s. Stoni embodies a pure passion for music, his car and his love of Rockabilly.  

2. Peter Bell
In Soho, New York City, I was drawn to this image – the abundance of colours, the elaborate and detail-oriented fashionable outfits and accessories, perfectly coordinated from hats to shoes, and the symmetry of the composition. 

3. Russell Cobb 
The photograph was taken next to the fashion stage at the Goodwood Revival, a major vintage motor-sport festival where everyone dresses in styles from 1948 to 1966. Revival feels like a vast film set, with every attendee playing a part. I realised I had found myself in a perfect moment of time travel, when I came across this group of dancers in their space-exploration-inspired outfits.

4. Wenpeng Lu
I stumbled across this artistic backdrop on the Rue de Rivoli in Paris. The woman’s bright yellow dress together with the red and blue background completed the palette of primary colours. It was a moment of visual harmony, with conspicuous accessories. The scene created the effect of a graphic canvas.  

5. Stephen Song
I met Hippolyte Roman in the Marais district of Paris – he is a painter, illustrator and author with a background in fashion and couture. His style combines provenance, craft ethics and a kind of self-authored persona. Caps and heavy coats make him and his companion stand out in the crowd; his striped shirt and neck scarf are cultural codes. In French urban tradition, appearance it not designed to please but to declare identity.

6. Naziela Nasir
During Fashion Week, Paris becomes a living catwalk. I’m fascinated by the tension between the timeless Tuileries Gardens and the courageous, modern energy of the street style crowd. Street style during Fashion Week is a master class in individuality. In this frame, the mirrored silhouettes, sculpted hair, and impeccably tailored leather jackets spoke volumes. They convey strength, elegance and personality. 

7. Giuseppe Pons
I became aware of something at the Milan Fashion Week in 2023: I saw fashion like a jungle. The orange skirts reminded me of the heat in tropical regions, and the leopard prints of one of the big five predators. The legs of the models looked like those of gazelles – tense and ready to run away.

8. John Starkey
The image was taken in my home city of Worcester, UK. What instantly attracted me to this gentleman was the Steam Punk goggles he was wearing, the large dog collar with a large medallion hanging from it, also a very wide waist belt, again with a very large medallion in the centre. His clothing was perfectly appropriate as it was in a very striking Goth style.

9. Aurélie Sauffier
As I was coming up the steps at Austerlitz station in Paris, I immediately noticed this lady’s incredible shoes, the posture of her feet, and her dog’s paws and outfit. Their elegant, timeless clothing – the way the bottom of the lady’s coat falls perfectly, her amazing, sophisticated hairstyle – on this somehow timeless platform, made it for me.

10. Robin Sinha 
In 2010 I happened to come across two men dressed in Rockabilly style on the streets of Harajuku, Tokyo. They epitomized the attitude of the sixties and exuded an unmistakeable coolness.