Esther Haase

Esther Haase © Orion_Dahlmann

Germany | Born in 1966

“My life is a dance
with the camera through the world.”

Esther Haase

Esther Haase is one of Germany’s most distinguished fashion photographers, known for her dynamic blend of visual inventiveness, empathy, and theatrical composition. Her images are often described as cinematic and spirited, celebrating life, movement, and confidence in her subjects – a testament to her belief that fashion photography can be both visually arresting and emotionally resonant. 

Among Haase’s most emblematic works is Rock ’n Old, a long term photographic project that brought together people of advanced age with film and stage personalities in staged role plays for the annual calendars of a Berlin care service.
In Rock ’n Old, Haase’s lens captures a surreal blend of authenticity and dreamlike fantasy, turning older models into protagonists of narratives that are as playful as they are poignant. This social art project also had a unique connection to Vivienne Westwood, the late British fashion rebel whose influence on contemporary style and culture was profound. Students from Westwood’s Berlin fashion class provided costumes for the series, infusing the images with her unconventional spirit and reinforcing Haase’s commitment to collaboration across generations and disciplines.

 Haase’s relationship with Westwood extended beyond Rock ’n Old, as she also portrayed the icon herself. Westwood, a pioneer of punk inspired design and a relentless advocate for individuality and expression, became a compelling subject for Haase’s lens.

In the wake of Westwood’s death at age 81, her long time creative partner and husband, Austrian designer Andreas Kronthaler, inherited not only her personal and artistic legacy but also the responsibility of leading the fashion house that bore her name. Kronthaler, who first met Westwood when she was his professor in Vienna and later became the creative force behind the label Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood, continues to shape the brand’s future while honoring the ethos they built together. 

Recently, Haase was commissioned by the festival to photograph Kronthaler in Milan, a city synonymous with fashion and reinvention. The assignment was more than a portrait shoot: it was an exploration of transition, stewardship, and memory. In a setting where the weight of history meets the momentum of today’s style landscape, Haase’s photographs reflect Kronthaler’s intimate connection to Westwood’s life and work, as well as his own vision for carrying forward her legacy.