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The world of fashion has always been a shady one, and most of it stems of individuals like these. Terrence Richardson, more widely known as Terry Richardson, is an American fashion photographer known for his work with big fashion names like Marc Jacobs and Saint Laurent. He also worked with Vogue, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone and Harper’s Bazaar.
So, how is such a well-received photographer also a part of the dark underground of fashion? Richardson has been accused of sexual assault and harassment over the course of his career, and recently he’s been banned from working with magazine publications like Vogue.
Terry Richardson’s Estimated Net Worth as of 2018: $5 Million
Lets take a look at how he earned his riches, shall we?
Early Life
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Richardson didn’t have his eye for photography until much later. In fact, I’m sure he didn’t have that many fond memories regarding it considering his mother, a fashion photographer, struggled with schizophrenia and drug abuse. After his parents divorced, he moved to Los Angeles and later Ojai, CA. Richardson wanted to become a musician and often played bass guitar for The Invisible Government.
His flair for photography was born in 1982 when his mother gave him his first snapshot camera. Richardson used it during his band days in Ojai, but eventually he hung up his guitar in 1992 to pursue photography.
1994 – 1995
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Richardson’s portfolio grew after spending years photographing the New York City nightlife. His photos appeared in Vibe for the first time in 1994, which earned him some recognition in the fashion industry. He continued on to work with designer Katharine Hamnette’s Spring Collection in 1995. That particular advertising campaign garnered mixed responses since the photos were on the racier side.
2001 – 2004
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Richardson didn’t let the momentum from his appearance on Vibe stop. In 2001, Richardson was hired by Tom Ford to shoot Gucci’s fall campaign. His unique snapshot style of photography was a big change from Gucci’s typical spread. After working with Gucci, Richardson went on to shoot one of his most infamous sessions. Richardson photographed a particularly provocative image of model Josie Maran spraying milk from a cow into her mouth.
Despite how obscene and risky his photographs were getting, it still ushered in a new wave of photography. In 2004, Richardson published a rather scandalous book, Terryworld, which contained multiple explicit photographs that borderlined pornography.
2007 – 2010
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Unfortunately, news of sexual allegations regarding Richardson were coming to light. Over the years, multiple models have come forward to share their experiences working with the photographer, most of which involved requests for sexual acts under the guise of “work.”
After some hard years of depression and drug abuse following his success, Richardson reunited with Tom Ford for an advertising campaign. According to Highsnobiety, this particular job resulted in one of Richardson’s most sexualized portfolios due to its rather explicit content.
He also expanded his skillset to film work after collaborating with Lady Gaga and Miley Cyrus. Remember “Wrecking Ball”? Richardson was the one who directed that particular music video, and after seeing his work I’m not surprised.
2012 – 2014
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In 2012, Richardson attempted to host his first solo exhibition at Los Angeles’s OHWOW Gallery, which he titled “TERRYWOOD.” The exhibition lasted from February 24 to March 31. He also worked with famous actresses and singers, like Kate Upton and Lady Gaga for films. In Lady Gaga’s case, he helped film a documentary of her life.
In 2014, Richardson continued his charity work by participating in the House of Faberge’s egg hunt in New York City. The event served to support multiple programs, including art and wildlife conservation.
2016 – Present
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Despite his success, all his past misdemeanors and allegations have managed to catch up with him. Following the Harvey Weinstein sexual allegations, the fashion industry finally agreed to crack down on Richardson’s explicit style of photography.
As of October 2017, Richardson has been banned from working with some of the fashion industry’s biggest magazines. According to The Daily Telegraph, “Staff were told that any work already commissioned from Mr Richardson but not yet published should be ‘killed or substituted with other material.'”
Some of the publications he is banned from include Vogue, GQ, Vanity Fair and Wired.
2018
Terry Richardson posted a completely nude photo of his wife Alexandra on Instagram.
