Nadia Lee Cohen: “I Like the Kind of Ugly-Pretty Thing”

Fresh off a 2025 collaboration with Martin Parr mining her ’90s upbringing, Nadia Lee Cohen continues to shape glamour and storytelling in fashion imagery.

Nadia Lee Cohen | Photo by Chloe Chippendale | Source: @nadialeecohen
Nadia Lee Cohen | Photo by Chloe Chippendale | Source: @nadialeecohen

In her latest project, Nadia Lee Cohen finds glamour in an unlikely muse: her childhood babysitter. The British-born photographer and filmmaker has built a career on turning the mundane into something cinematic. Her new photo-book Julie Bullard, created with Martin Parr, captures early ’90s Essex life, with Cohen herself playing Julie in a series of staged vignettes. The book honors the ordinary cool, familiar domestic moments made vibrant through her saturated, nostalgic eye.

Cinematic Origins
American Nightmare by Nadia Lee Cohen | Source: Pinterest
American Nightmare by Nadia Lee Cohen | Source: Pinterest

Cohen was born in 1990 and raised on a farm in rural England. Far removed from the world of fashion, she grew up in isolation, surrounded by her mother’s antiques and her own imagination. At London College of Fashion, her parents helped build DIY sets for her student films. In 2012, while still a student, her photograph American Nightmare was selected as a finalist and exhibited in the prestigious Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize at London’s National Portrait Gallery, marking her early recognition as an emerging talent.

“I like the kind of ugly-pretty thing.”

— Nadia Lee Cohen, The Cut (2013)

A trip to Los Angeles in her final year changed her path. Drawn in by its myths, Cohen moved there after graduation. However, it wasn’t the glitz but the contrast of Hollywood Boulevard that inspired her. That dissonance became her material, mixing Old Hollywood tropes with something stranger. Her imagery often sits somewhere between glamour and discomfort.


Women and World-Building
Nadia Lee Cohen's first major solo show, Not a Retrospective | Source: @nadialeecohen
Nadia Lee Cohen’s first major solo show, Not a Retrospective | Source: @nadialeecohen

By the late 2010s, her character-led work gained attention. In 2019, she launched her first major solo show, Not a Retrospective, in Spain. But it was Women, her 2020 debut monograph, that cemented her profile. The book, which took six years to complete, featured over 100 portraits exploring what Cohen calls strong femininity. The images leaned into 60s and 70s Americana, stylized but never hollow.

Women by Nadia Lee Cohen | Source: @nadialeecohen
Women by Nadia Lee Cohen | Source: @nadialeecohen
Women by Nadia Lee Cohen | Source: @nadialeecohen

Cohen photographed women of all ages, backgrounds, and body types, styling each with precision. Women quickly sold out and was reprinted multiple times. The project highlighted Cohen’s interest in creating alternate realities that challenge conventional beauty norms and social values.

“I have always had an acute appreciation of femininity and was drawn to anyone who pushed it to theatrical limits.”

— Nadia Lee Cohen, C41 Magazine (2021)

Nadia Lee Cohen's First U.S. Solo Show at Jeffrey Deitch | Source: @nadialeecohen
Nadia Lee Cohen’s First U.S. Solo Show at Jeffrey Deitch | Source: @nadialeecohen
Nadia Lee Cohen's First U.S. Solo Show at Jeffrey Deitch | Source: @nadialeecohen
Nadia Lee Cohen’s First U.S. Solo Show at Jeffrey Deitch | Source: @nadialeecohen
Nadia Lee Cohen's First U.S. Solo Show at Jeffrey Deitch | Source: @nadialeecohen
Nadia Lee Cohen’s First U.S. Solo Show at Jeffrey Deitch | Source: @nadialeecohen

In 2021, she released Hello, My Name Is, based on 33 found ID cards. Each card became a fictional identity fully realized through wardrobe, styling, and props. The transformation was both playful and unsettling. Exhibited at Jeffrey Deitch in 2022, her first U.S. solo show, the work included sculptures and installations alongside portraits, creating an immersive experience.

Hello, My Name Is by Nadia Lee Cohen | Source: @nadialeecohen
Hello, My Name Is by Nadia Lee Cohen | Source: @nadialeecohen
Hello, My Name Is by Nadia Lee Cohen | Source: @nadialeecohen
Hello, My Name Is by Nadia Lee Cohen | Source: @nadialeecohen
Hello, My Name Is by Nadia Lee Cohen | Source: @nadialeecohen
Hello, My Name Is by Nadia Lee Cohen | Source: @nadialeecohen
Hello, My Name Is by Nadia Lee Cohen | Source: @nadialeecohen
Hello, My Name Is by Nadia Lee Cohen | Source: @nadialeecohen

Fashion’s Cinematic Muse
(From Left to Right) Coumba Samba, Linda Honeyman, and Rachel Sennott in Balenciaga Summer 25 Campaign by Nadia Lee Cohen | Source: Balenciaga
(From Left to Right) Coumba Samba, Linda Honeyman, and Rachel Sennott in Balenciaga Summer 25 Campaign by Nadia Lee Cohen | Source: Balenciaga

Fashion houses quickly tapped into her vision. Her aesthetic, retro and character-based, suited brands eager to stand out. Cohen has shot campaigns for Balenciaga, Gucci, Valentino, Schiaparelli, Fendi, YSL, and Dsquared2. She has also photographed Kim Kardashian, Lana Del Rey, and Julianne Moore.

Dolce&Gabbana x Skims Campign by Nadia Lee Cohen | Source: Skims
Dolce&Gabbana x Skims Campign by Nadia Lee Cohen | Source: Skims
Dsquared2 SS24 Campign by Nadia Lee Cohen | Source: Dsquared2
Dsquared2 SS24 Campign by Nadia Lee Cohen | Source: Dsquared2

Her Summer 2025 Balenciaga campaign departed from traditional formats, using screen-test-style portraits featuring actors Kyle MacLachlan and Rachel Sennott in dramatic roles. For On Running, Cohen directed Zendaya in a mock sci-fi trailer, mixing camp with precise execution.

Saint Laurent 'As Time Goes By' Holiday 2024 Campaign by Nadia Lee Cohen | Source: Saint Laurent
Saint Laurent ‘As Time Goes By’ Holiday 2024 Campaign by Nadia Lee Cohen | Source: Saint Laurent
Zendaya x On 'Zone Dreamers' Campaign by Nadia Lee Cohen | Courtesy of On
Zendaya x On ‘Zone Dreamers’ Campaign by Nadia Lee Cohen | Courtesy of On

“I just love the theatrics of fashion. I love the effort. I have such a respect for the dedication and work it takes to be a designer.”

— Nadia Lee Cohen, W Magazine (2024)

Cohen’s editorial work carries the same narrative impulse. For Interview magazine’s Spring 2024 issue, she styled Rihanna as a pin-up nun in oversized Dior and cartoon makeup. With Perfect Magazine, she transformed Kate Moss into a faded 60s club figure. Her approach is narrative-driven, focusing on character rather than conventional beauty.


Beyond the Frame
Nadia Lee Cohen and Martin Parr Capture 90s Essex in ‘Julie Bullard’ | Source: @nadialeecohen
Nadia Lee Cohen and Martin Parr Capture 90s Essex in ‘Julie Bullard’ | Source: @nadialeecohen

Cohen’s work flows between contemporary art spaces and the wider cultural mainstream. She’s directed videos for A$AP Rocky and Kali Uchis, including Rocky’s visually compelling “Shittin’ Me” music video, photographed celebrities such as Beyoncé and Sophia Loren, and continues working on personal photo projects. She resists labels, preferring others to define her artistic role.

Julie Bullard by Nadia Lee Cohen and Martin Parr | Source: @nadialeecohen
Julie Bullard by Nadia Lee Cohen and Martin Parr | Source: @nadialeecohen
Julie Bullard by Nadia Lee Cohen and Martin Parr | Source: @nadialeecohen
Julie Bullard by Nadia Lee Cohen and Martin Parr | Source: @nadialeecohen

“I am magnetically drawn to the artifice of it all… it repels and exhilarates me simultaneously.”

— Nadia Lee Cohen, It’s Nice That (2019)

Nadia Lee Cohen's Personal Work | Source: @nadialeecohen
Nadia Lee Cohen’s Personal Work | Source: @nadialeecohen
Nadia Lee Cohen's Personal Work | Source: @nadialeecohen
Nadia Lee Cohen’s Personal Work | Source: @nadialeecohen

Her latest book Julie Bullard emphasizes this versatility. The project elevates an ordinary teenage babysitter into the central figure of a photo-narrative, highlighting that carefully composed imagery is accessible to everyone.

Scenes from Essex banquet halls and dim living rooms echo broader themes of visibility and identity. Even as she hints at exploring filmmaking further, Cohen’s work continues to question and celebrate the power beauty has in shaping identity.

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Nadia Lee Cohen