Saint Laurent Spotlights Martin Parr's Playful Self-Portraits in Paris

Saint Laurent is paying tribute to the late British photographer Martin Parr with Autoportrait, a new exhibition at its Montaigne location in Paris. Curated by creative director Anthony Vaccarello, the presentation brings together a selection of self-portraits taken between 1996 and 2015, offering a look at the photographer’s signature humor from the other side of the lens.

Best known for his colorful, often absurd observations of everyday life, Parr spent decades photographing everything from crowded beaches and tourist attractions to the peculiar habits of modern consumer culture. For Autoportrait, however, he became the subject himself, handing the camera over to professional photographers, local amateurs and photo booths during his travels around the world.

The resulting images are anything but conventional. With kitschy backdrops, elaborate disguises and occasionally heavy-handed retouching, Parr poked fun at the familiar rituals of vacation photography. Works featured in the exhibition include portraits taken in Singapore in 2007 and London in 2008, each reflecting his fascination with how people choose to present themselves.

The exhibition also builds on Parr’s longstanding relationship with Saint Laurent, which previously tapped the photographer for its 2025 campaign, An Ordinary Day, under Vaccarello’s creative direction.

Parr, who passed away in December 2025 at the age of 73, remains one of the most recognizable figures in documentary photography. A longtime Magnum Photos member and former president of the agency, he leaves behind a body of work that made the ordinary feel strange, funny and, at times, surprisingly revealing.

Autoportrait is on view at Saint Laurent Montaigne in Paris from October 15, 2026, through January 13, 2027.

Saint Laurent Montaigne
37 Av. Montaigne
75008 Paris
France