The Eco Brigade

Best known for his gritty, black-and-white documentary pictures of world events, Paolo Pellegrin is not the first person that springs to mind when you think of fashion photography. But this year Magnum Photos picked the photographer to head up its seasonal fashion magazine—an annual,  limited-edition publication for which the agency marshals one of its star members (Martin Parr, Bruce Gilden, Alec Soth and Lise Sarfati have previously taken charge of the project) to explore fashion in a way that is new, original, and above all, personal. For 2010 Pellegrin—a contract photographer for Newsweek and eight-time winner of World Press Photo awards in various categories—has created Storm, which he describes as “a rethinking of how we conduct ourselves, of how we inhabit this world.” This conceptual slant translates into some unconventional spreads, with stories visiting unfamiliar landscapes, from condensed Asian metropoles to volcanic Iceland and bleak Siberia. The intention is to highlight the inter-connectedness of man and nature, the latter of which “has a fascinating way of reminding us of its presence and power,” he says, referencing this April's ash-cloud debacle. Alongside these dramatic images are portraits of key visionaries—chosen by Pellegrin for their progressive and influential ideas about the environment and lifestyle—including Bruce Mau, founder of eco-design think tank “Massive Change,” outspoken fashion designers Vivienne Westwood and Stella McCartney, and postmodern anthropologist Mark Augé. Today we offer an exclusive preview of Storm, which is released by Magnum Photos on June 16.