Fetish photographer Eric Kroll captures the hottest looks of the season

“I’ve had so many people – huge, huge fashion and art photographers – say to me, ‘oh my God, it’s so amazing you guys shot with Eric Kroll!’” The admission comes from Dazed’s US senior fashion editor Zara Mirkin, who’s just collaborated with the legendary erotica photographer on a new shoot for our Autumn 2026 issue, shot on location in Tucson, Arizona. “We had the best time ever, and I’m really happy with the pictures,” Mirkin tells us.

Born on October 23, 1946, Kroll began his photography career at the tail end of the 60s, before becoming a photojournalist in his native New York City. There, he was a prominent figure on the downtown art and nightlife scene of the 70s and 80s, shooting Madonna backstage at the club Danceteria and Keith Haring at the Fun Gallery in 1983, as well as documenting Andy Warhol, Kenny Scharf, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Debbie Harry and Grace Jones. Kroll was even there in 1977, when Bianca Jagger rode into Studio 54 on the back of that bright, white horse, given to her as a birthday gift by the fashion designer Halston.

Considered an erotica historian as well as a photographer, Kroll also captured X-rated material alongside his photojournalism, and his best-known work to date is 1994’s Fetish Girls, released on the German publisher Taschen, where he acted as photo editor for over a decade.

“We hung out in his house so much, and he would just tell us every story about every photo that he’s ever made,” continues Mirkin. “He has a fetish clothing archive and costumes in his house, so you can just play dress up for as long as you want.”

Working with Michele Mansoor and Eléonore Hendricks – casting directors for Good Time, Uncut Gems and Euphoria – Mirkin let us know that it was actually Mansoor’s idea to recruit Kroll for an erotic fashion shoot in the pages of Dazed, which she originally thought he’d never agree to. “I was like, ‘that’s so crazy’,” she remembers – but Kroll was happy to collaborate.