A Chicago native, ERNEST COLLINS was known as one of that city’s top hair-stylists and make-up artists.

Ernest began in fashion in a round-about way. His sister-in-law, CARMEN COLLINS, was a working model in the mid-west. Whenever she worked with reknowned photographer, VICTOR SKREBNESKI, she was obliged to arrive on set, “hair and make-up ready”.

What SKREBNESKI didn’t know at the time was that, Ernest was the one doing her hair and make-up at home before each photo shoot. But, the inability to work directly with SKREBNESKI proofed tremendously frustrating. So, Ernest sought out other more approachable photographers of equal status as SKREBNESKI: LANCE STADLER, TOM STYRKOWICZ, and STAN MALANOWSKI, to name a few.

In 1983, ERNEST ventured to Milan, Italy to work. There, he was well received, having the opportunity to work with photographers, TIZIANO MAGNI, TOM WOOL, JONATHAN LEONARD, SERGIO CAMINATA, LIONEL PASQUON and others. And so, after years of working with some of fashion photography’s biggest names, Ernest decided that it was time to try his own hand at the craft. He knew that his biggest advantanges were his sense of style, his growing reputation as a model-maker, his ability to grace models with a “look”, his own personal sense of direction, and ultimately the ability to photograph it all.

Ernest knew that Chicago would be an impossible base for fashion. This prompted a return to Europe. In 1990, he accepted an invitation to come to Paris and instantly fell in love with the city. He has been based there ever since.

ERNEST COLLINS now resides between Paris and Chicago, and is immersed in both cultures. He is a truly cosmopolitan photographer who continues to create magnificent pictures, bringing out the best in his models !!!