Biography

Jacques Olivar was born in Casablanca. As a young man, he went to flight school to become an airline pilot. However, the immense pleasure he got from flying airplanes didn't avert his overflowing passion for images.
The beginning of his photographic career was met with rapid success, thanks to his photography work on the advertising campaign for DIM stockings. He was awarded "First Prize" from the highly prestigious "Club des Directeurs Artistiques" (Art Directors Club) for his work on this campaign. In the years that followed, he received this prize several times again. In 1984, he was also awarded the esteemed "Grand Prix Stratégies" (Grand Prize for Design Strategy) for the best advertising campaign of the year as well as the "First Prize" from the "Art Directors Club" for his photographic work on LOÏS JEANS.

In 1987, Jacques Olivar began working in fashion and collaborated with the most prestigious international magazines: Italian Marie-Claire, British Vogue, Italian Uomo Vogue, French Glamour, German Vogue, Vogue Homme International, French Marie-Claire, Marie-Claire Bis and Marie-Claire USA.
He also joined forces with the major clothing designers, and was put in charge of creating their image: Giorgio Armani, Hermès, Comme des Garçons, Céline, Trussardi, Strenesse, Rykiel, etc. Emotion, elegance and beauty are the constant key elements that are at the core of Jacques Olivar's photographic works.
The sophistication reflected in his photos is never arrogant or inaccessible. It is always a combination of simple elements, which are brought together and result in a beautifully harmonious effect.
True to his conception of humanity, his photography is sensitive before being technical and its modern character first and foremost results from the casual elegance of the women he photographs, who know that very few other photographers take such beautiful photos of them.

..."Jacques Olivar is one of the photographers with whom models prefer to work, in light of the fact that they shoot their most beautiful photos with him"...
Canal+ fashion documentary on Jacques Olivar. (NdT)