Patrick Demarchelier, the photographer of Lady Di, died

Patrick Demarchelier, the French-born photographer known for his haute couture images of leading models and celebrities, including Princess Diana, died at the age of 78. His Instagram account broke the news of his death on Thursday, but did not provide further details and attempts to contact his family have been unsuccessful.

“It is with great sadness that we announced the disappearance of Patrick Demarchelier on March 31, 2022, at the age of 78,” reported the photographer's official Instagram account.

Demarchelier made a career in luxury brand campaigns, including those of Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Dior, and worked for Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Elle and other top fashion magazines. He began photographing Diana in 1989 and remained her personal photographer until the early 1990s.

One of her images of Lady Di, with her arms crossed at the knees, dressed in a headband and necklace, became one of her most iconic photographs. From that photo he became the official photographer of the then Princess of Wales.

He also published photography books, worked on the Pirelli calendar, had cameo appearances in “Sex & the City” and in the film “The September Issue”, and participated in “America's Next Top Model”. He was immortalized in “The Devil Wears Prada”, when Anne Hathaway's clueless Andy Sachs has no idea who he is, and later tells her boss Miranda Priestly: “I have Patrick” before transferring her call.

Known for working quickly and instinctively, the self-taught Demarchelier first shot photos for Vogue in 1975, before moving to New York from Paris.

In 2018, his reputation was badly damaged after The Boston Globe reported allegations of sexual misconduct by 50 models. He denied any crime, but Vogue and other publications broke up with him. He was one of several photographers accused in the middle of the #MeToo movement.

The lens didn't just work in the fashion industry. She photographed Janet Jackson's topless cover for Rolling Stone in 1993, with the breasts covered by the hands of her then-boyfriend René Elizondo. In 1990, she directed her lens to Madonna in an iconic image of the star in a jeweled bodice and back in leather, with a cigarette hanging from her lips, during her “Justify My Love” days. And he captured Britney Spears over and over again.

His work with Diana, as the first non-British photographer hired, took him to a new level. The French Ministry of Culture appointed Demarchelier officier dans l'ordre des arts et des lettres in 2007, the same year that he received the CFDA Founder's Award in honor of Eleanor Lambert.

Demarchelier began photographing as a teenager in Le Havre (Normandy). He moved to New York at the age of 30, working on advertising campaigns. His career exploded in the United States as his reputation spread. She worked for great designers such as Tommy Hilfiger and Vera Wang, and for beauty companies and non-luxury brands such as H&M.

Condolences on social media multiplied when his death was known. Supermodel Amber Valletta published: “It's the history of fashion and legendary photography. We will miss him.”

Demarchelier is survived by his wife, Mia, his children Gustaf, Arthur and Victor, and three grandchildren.

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