Born in 1956 in Paris to a French Soldier he never knew and an Algerian Muslim mother, Michel Haddi had a turbulent childhood, moving between foster homes until the age of six; eventually, he ended up at the Sisters of Saint Vincent de Paul Orphanage in Paris. During this time, Haddi’s mother brought him copies of Vogue which fascinated him throughout his childhood, looking at the photos of great photographers. Piqued by a particular shot by Helmut Newton, Haddi aspired to leave Paris and become a photographer while working in a famous restaurant where he met personalities from the world of fashion and many stars.
In 1970, after a journey that took him by way of Saudi Arabia, Michel began assisting various photographers. Once back in London, he met his lifelong mentor Victor Herbert who set him on the path to success. In 1980 Haddi opened his first studio and then began collaborating with famous magazines such as American GQ, Jardin des Modes, and British Vogue. In 1981, Haddi was commissioned by Vogue Hommes for a ten-page photoshoot, which resulted in a long and fruitful collaboration that took him to Italy, where in 1985 he met Franca Sozzani (then Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Italia until 2016), Editor of Lei and Per Lui, who asked Haddi to join her team. Michel Haddi began his many travels as collaborations with The Face, GQ, The Sunday Times, Tatler, British Vogue, and many more renowned publications developed. From 1989 on, he moved around New York, Los Angeles, Paris, London, and Milan working for more than 30 years as one of the leading photographers in fashion.
Michel Haddi’s editorial collaborations include the most important magazines in Europe, Asia, and the USA: Italian Vogue, Italian Glamour, Uomo Vogue, French Vogue, Vogue Hommes, British Vogue, Mademoiselle, Tatler, GQ, Allure, Vanity Fair, The Face, Arena, Interview, Details, Rolling Stone, Vibe, Elle, Premiere, Stern, The Sunday Times, The Washington Post, Harper’s Bazaar and Marie Claire Germany are among them. He photographed advertising campaigns for Armani, Yves Saint-Laurent, Emilio Pucci, Lancetti, Replay, Lee Jeans, Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s, Bloomingdales, Guerlain, and many others.
While living in the USA, he met and photographed many high-profile celebrities including, Clint Eastwood, Martin Scorsese, David Bowie, Uma Thurman, Francis Ford Coppola, Cameron Diaz, Faye Dunaway, Nicholas Cage, Johnny Depp, Heath Ledger, Angelina Jolie, Janet Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and many others, capturing intimate moments and the essence of all those he shot. A photographer and film director, Haddi is currently based in London where he also manages a publishing house, MHS publishing, which publishes his own books.
