What is the difference between fashion and style?

Style is more about people dressing well for their shape and personality. Overall, I’d say that style is consistency and fashion is made up of lots of soon-to-be-obsoletes.

Are trends set on the street or on the catwalk?

They are set on both. I have been asked to shoot campaigns for fashion houses and magazines, so the influence of the street is entering the mainstream.

Is style specific to a city?

Milan retains its old-world charm partly through the level of formality in people’s dress. In Paris you can still see the smoky sexiness of Parisian style in some bars and cafés, and in America, clothes reflect their aggressiveness.

What is your favourite place/time of year to shoot?

Florence in January during Pitti Uomo [the men’s trade show]: it draws chic men from all around the world, becoming a cornucopia of styles, price points and tastes.

How much direction do you give your subjects?

Very little — they have a better understanding of what makes them look good than I do, and they adopt much more interesting poses than I would ever put them in.

What makes you want to take someone’s photo?

I try to stay open to the moment. I’m usually just reacting to what I see, and don’t know what I like “best” about someone’s style until I sit down to view the photographs later. I’m always looking to be surprised or to see something familiar in a new way: it could be about colour or proportion or just a person’s posture.

How long does it take to get the right street shot?

When I approach someone I usually know already how I want to shoot them, so I try to have my camera settings prepared. That way, when I shoot them — usually just a few snaps — there is a greater chance of spontaneity.

What is your one piece of fashion advice?

Dress for your lifestyle. Even though I love suits and the craftsmanship that goes into them, I don’t wear them much because I’m always out shooting in the streets.

What aspect of fashion do you dislike the most?

The perception that everyone in the fashion community is as nasty as people see in the movies.

What is a fashion day in the life of Scott Schuman?

Get up, get the kids off to school, look through images that are ready to go online and pick the ones that I’ll post. Spend almost all day shooting, then have dinner and work on the images at night. I’m always changing neighbourhoods and try to find new spots in all the cities I visit on my travels.

www.thesartorialist.blogspot.com
The Sartorialist, a collection of Schuman's photographs, is published by Penguin Books, £19.99.

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