Martin Parr

Martin Parr, David Birkitt, & DMB Represents — 25 Years

Some creative partnerships are built on contracts. Others are built on trust, instinct, and a shared belief that the power of an image can stop the world in its tracks. The relationship between our founder David Birkitt, Martin Parr, and DMB Represents has always been the latter.

Over the past 25 years, David and Martin have worked side by side. Artist and manager, yes, but more than that: two people who understood each other's vision and knew how to bring it to the widest possible audience without diluting what made that vision extraordinary. Together they helped shape some of the most iconic visual conversations of our time.

Their collaborations have spanned some of the most celebrated and culturally resonant campaigns of the past quarter century. They defined an era across three landmark chapters with Gucci: "Time to Parr" brought Martin's wit and warmth to the world of Gucci timepieces. The "Gucci Beauty" campaign, conceived under the singular creative direction of Alessandro Michele, became an instant cultural touchstone, its imagery as bold and joyful as the collection itself. The last chapter, "Gucci Cruise", extended that collaboration further still, cementing a creative relationship between photographer and house that felt truly singular. Martin's lens also brought something entirely unexpected to the Balenciaga universe alongside the visionary Demna Gvasalia, and more recently the collaboration with Saint Laurent under Anthony Vaccarello continued the tradition of pairing one of photography's great originals with one of fashion's most daring creative voices.

But the work together stretches well beyond fashion. To mark Camper's 50th anniversary, Martin was commissioned to capture the community, countryside, and culture surrounding the beloved Spanish shoemaker. His idiosyncratic eye found the humanity and humour in every frame. Martin's perspective was then brought to an entirely new audience with a global campaign and T-shirt range for Uniqlo, in collaboration with the Louvre in Paris. Proof, if any were needed, that his work would always speak universally.

Martin also published over 150 books in his lifetime, and edited even more. "WORLD: The Price of Love", still stands as one of the most ambitious and affecting projects of Martin's career, a document of our world in all its contradiction and colour. And then there are the magazine covers: numerous front pages of Vogue, each one a statement, and unmistakably Parr.

Twenty-five years is a long time in any industry, but in the creative world it is a lifetime. That this partnership has endured — and not merely endured, but flourished — is a reflection of the mutual respect, shared ambition, and genuine friendship at its heart. As this chapter draws to a close following Martin's death in December 2025, a new one begins. DMB, David, and the Martin Parr Foundation look back on everything we have built together with enormous pride, and will continue to work closely together to develop bespoke projects with Martin's archive, and will do all we can to maintain his legacy.