Michel Tréhet
Tells us his Barbie Stories

Maison Mère likes to share our favourites with you and introduce you to artisans and artists whose work questions, surprises and amuses. There can be no doubt that the photographer and artistic director Michel Tréhet is one such. And these are his Barbie Stories…

Michel Tréhet ©Michel Tréhet Life@MM

The genesis of Barbie Stories
by Michel Tréhet

A graduate of the Beaux-Arts, Michel Tréhet has become a success in painting and advertising. From these two worlds he derives his passions for composition and graphic research into the glamour and elegance of the 50s and 60s, passions that he expresses through photography. His first work with Barbie was created for the Deauville Photography Festival in 2014. It was for this event that he first incorporated the famous doll into his shots. Barbie became, in effect, his muse. His immaculately staged photographic compositions featuring the doll as a great lady of fashion set against iconic backdrops made a considerable impact.

Maison Mère - Michel Tréhet ©Maison Mère - Michel Tréhet

Barbie
in 60 shots

Since 2014, Michel Tréhet has expanded his collection of Barbie photographs, creating a unique visual universe. Before his lens, Barbie becomes a feminine icon of 50s fashion and glamour evocative of Katharine Hepburn and Grace Kelly, sublime in couture designed by Chanel, Dior and Givenchy. Imaginatively placed in sets that are instantly recognisable, drawn from classic movies or emphasising a location, his Barbies play the role of the Woman; mythical, eternal, ultra-feminine and sophisticated to the tips of her accessories. The use of black and white and painstakingly balanced lighting add depth and resonance to the scenes.

To mark 60 years of the famous - and sometimes controversial! - dolls, Michel Tréhet has created 60 shots that are a tribute to the eternal Woman and the elegance and spirit of the Fifties, while still adding a light touch of benevolent humour to the mix... A conceptual blend that your Maison Mère loves.

Maison Mère - Michel Tréhet ©Maison Mère - Michel Tréhet

Michel Tréhet
in 3 Instagram posts

#1: This image from my very first photography exhibition in 2010, celebrating 150 years of the city of Deauville, is called ‘Flash on the A13 Autoroute’.
Since the days of the first phone with a built-in camera, I have recorded my almost daily trips between Deauville and Paris. Nearly 60,000 unpublished and rare photos.

#2: Some photos are obvious. The swimming pool juxtaposed with snow is a typical example of an image in which everything is in its place, simple, without artifice. The colour of the water tending towards green, the snow present but not overwhelming, the horizon softened by a slight mist, an old painting on the wall worn by time, and sweeping curves, like pencil strokes rendered by a skilled hand. This picture is composed like a painting, probably the result of my studies at the Beaux Arts.

#3: This photo is a synthesis of my work on Barbie© collector. A simple staging of a black and white image, graphic and effective.
The Barbie© mischievous princess plays hide and seek in the gardens of the Palais Royal in Paris.

Maison Mère - Michel Tréhet ©Maison Mère - Michel Tréhet

Maison Mère - Michel Tréhet ©Maison Mère - Michel Tréhet

Maison Mère - Michel Tréhet ©Maison Mère - Michel Tréhet

Maison Mère - Michel Tréhet ©Maison Mère - Michel Tréhet