Sony World Photography Awards
The Global Tour: Discovering a World of Images

The international exhibition tour begins on 26 June 2008 (until 24 August 2008) at BOZAR Centre of Fine Arts, Brussels. It will travel to the most prestigious galleries in countries across the world, including the US, Asia, Australia, Eastern and Western Europe, Africa and South America.
Tour dates www.worldphotographyawards.org/globaltour/

The winning images were chosen from a total of 44,641 professional entries internationally
In June 2008 Sony World Photography Awards launched The Global Tour: Discovering a World of Images, an international touring exhibition of the winning photographs from this year’s competition. The winners from categories such as fashion, documentary, sport and nature have been selected by a jury including Nan Goldin, Bruce Davidson, Tom Stoddart, Elliott Erwitt and Martine Franck.

The Presentation
A total of ninety-seven images submitted by the eleven professional category winners have been printed on specially selected photographic papers and framed. These will be displayed in BOZAR’s gallery space, alongside displays of work by the runners up in each category and the winning amateur images, shown on Sony BRAVIA HD LCD televisions. The exhibition will also feature a moving film homage to Phil Stern, who was awarded the Legacy award for his outstanding contribution to the photographic industry during the Cannes festivities last April.

Valeska Achenbach and Isabella Pacini won in the Category "Fashion"
In the category "fashion" the work of the two German photo journalists Valeska Achenbach and Isabella Pacini about the fashion label named “Daspu", established by prostitutes from Rio de Janeiro, has been chosen.

"We are active primarily in the field of photojournalism. Our main focus is the so-called "staged documentary photography" - a photography which looks produced without being it. Therefore, we do not see ourselves as "classical fashion photographers". However, our photography also fits in the fashion field. We do not work with professional models, but we take photos of real people, so that the relation is authentic between person and clothes." Valeska Achenbach and Isabella Pacini

Question: Where have you photographed the series?

Valeska Achenbach and Isabella Pacini: "The first image (“Lebensreform”): is about a hip quarter in Berlin, Germany named “Prenzlauer Berg”. The picture was taken in an ecological market in the heart of Prenzlauer Berg. The other images ( 8 ) belong to series “Prêt-á-porter from the brothel” in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil."

Question: Has it to be read as a story about a young woman?

Valeska Achenbach and Isabella Pacini: "The series “Prêt-á-porter from the brothel” is a story about three women - prostitutes from Rio de Janeiro and models for their own fashion label named “Daspu”."

Question: What's the story?

Valeska Achenbach and Isabella Pacini: "PRÊT-Á-PORTER FROM THE BROTHEL - A group of prostitutes from Rio de Janeiro has created a flourishing fashion-label. What does not mean that they want to give up their old job. "Daspu" - the new fashion label signifies so much like "Das Putas", "from the whores". Davida, an organization which fights for the rights of the prostitutes had the idea to make money and policy with fashion.

The press bustle was the starting signal of a successful history: Daspu was invited on "Fashion-Rio". Their fashionshow in the middle of the red light quarter of the Praca Tiradentes competed with the top model Gisele Bündchen. Daspu is hip, the concept becomes the synonym of careless atmosphere, and the women are seen on television suddenly with pleasure. Daspu has already brought out several collections which pick out as a central theme the life as a whore in a creative way.

The collection "Highway 69" for example, is a homage to especially dependable customers: the truck drivers. With Daspu a life's dream has gone to fulfilment. The women are no more ashamed of her trade, but are proud to be able to be for Daspu on the catwalk. It is their biggest success in the fight against stigmatization and double moral standards.

Our photography documentation accompanies the "Daspu women" privately at home, at the work in the brothel, on the street prostitution... on the other side it also shows their "new life" as a model-in a fashionshow, as well as presenting the new summer collection in the poor suburb of Rio de Janeiro "Campo Grande" where the fashion designer and the seamstresses live."

Question: On one of the pictures there's a bag with the word “Lebensreform” - what is the significance of this?

Valeska Achenbach and Isabella Pacini: "Lebensreform means “life's reform”."

Check out the photo story by the two photo journalists www.worldphotographyawards.org/wpa08-winners.asp

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fig.: (c) Valeska Achenbach & Isabella Pacini, courtesy of Sony World Photography Awards