The Sartorialist Hits Miami Beach: Inside Scott Schuman’s Exhibition

With 1.8 million unique visits and 12 million page views a month, it’s no secret that Scott Schuman’s street-style blog, The Sartorialist, is the go-to website for fashion aficionados around the globe. Schuman’s New York gallery, Danziger Gallery, took a selection of images from his latest book, Closer, to the Pulse Art Fair, held in conjunction with the weeklong bonanza that is Art Basel in Miami Beach, for a solo show and book signing held in the fair’s Impulse section, along with an evening cocktail party at the Standard Spa to celebrate the exhibition.

“We think that his work is most effectively shown when you get to see it in large groups,” said gallerist James Danziger. “What separates him from the rest of the pack is not just that he was the first person to photograph and develop this style of street fashion photography but that if you look at his pictures, you’ll see that the composition of each picture is beautifully done. To be able to do those pictures in the split second he has to do them is a real talent—is just something that has to come innately from you.”

The 14 large-scale prints on display showcase a carefully curated cross section of Schuman’s work, from the sidewalks of New York, Milan, London, and Paris. Designer Giorgio Armani, smiling in a navy wool coat in Milan, and fashion editors Emmanuelle Alt and Carine Roitfeld, looking fierce in strappy stilettos and aviator sunglasses, are among the bold face fashion names in the exhibition. Schuman’s other subjects include an older woman in a bold floral jumpsuit in Milan and another striking woman wearing a turquoise turban in New York. The latter image is also one of the covers of Closer.

“I’m just trying to capture my feeling towards that person at that time,” said Schuman. “I don’t know these people, so I’m just imagining what they mean to me at that moment.”

And what does the street-style photographer like best about scouting out fashion?

“I like the freedom of it, I like turning the corner at any moment,” said Schuman. “I don’t like to set the shot up. I like the surprise of turning a corner, and there’s a shot right there.”