Greg Girard, Under Vancouver, featured in
Jil Sander Spring/Summer 2025 Collection
Lucie and Luke Meier’s collection for Jil Sander Spring/ Summer 2025 debuted at Milan Fashion Week presenting a captivating homage to Greg Girard’s iconic Under Vancouver series. Embracing a dark and retro aesthetic, the collection infuses the runway with Girard’s nostalgic neon-lit nocturnal scenes from 1970s and early 80s Vancouver. Several of Girard’s photographs appeared on ensembles from a vintage car, to a room at the Lotus Hotel, a jewelry store window and the Silver Grill Café. The collection presents a unique interpretation of Under Vancouver, highlighting the influence Girard’s pictures continue to have on contemporary culture.
Several books on Girard’s work have been published, including Under Vancouver 1972–1982, Phantom Shanghai, City of Darkness, In the Near Distance, Tokyo-Yokosuka 1977-1983, HK:PM Hong Kong Night Life 1974–1989, Hanoi Calling: One Thousand Years Now, JAL 76–88, and American Stopover among others. Early runs of his books quickly sold out, making them highly coveted, with many now well past their fifth edition. Phantom Shanghai, which offers an intimate portrayal of the rapid urban transformation in present-day Shanghai, was listed as one of the top ten photography books of all time by The Independent (UK). Girard’s work has been exhibited at prestigious institutions, including the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (Beijing), M+ Museum (Hong Kong) the International Center for Photography (New York,) PM Gallery (London), the National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa), and the Yixian International Photo Festival (China) among many others.
For information about available work, please email info@monteclarkgallery
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“Jil Sander took their cues from the work of the Canadian photographer Greg Girard. His images of 20th-century cars and motel rooms appeared as prints, the former on a boxy shirt and pencil skirt and the latter on a caban and matching shift that complemented the show’s carpeted runway.” — VOGUE
Greg Girard
Dark Car
1982
Archival pigment print
29.5 x 22 in
38 x 28 in
45 x 30 in
60 x 40 in
Credit to Alessandro Lucioni / Gorunway.com
Credit to Alessandro Lucioni / Gorunway.com
Credit to Alessandro Lucioni / Gorunway.com
Greg Girard
Jewellery Store Window
1977
Archival pigment print
22 x 29.5 in
28 x 38 in
30 x 45 in
40 x 60 in
Credit to Alessandro Lucioni / Gorunway.com
Credit to Alessandro Lucioni / Gorunway.com
Credit to Alessandro Lucioni / Gorunway.com
Greg Girard
Lotus Hotel
1982
Archival pigment print
22 x 29.5 in
28 x 38 in
30 x 45 in
40 x 60 in
Credit to Alessandro Lucioni / Gorunway.com
Credit to Alessandro Lucioni / Gorunway.com
Credit to Alessandro Lucioni / Gorunway.com
Greg Girard
Silver Grill Café
1975
Archival pigment print
22 x 29.5 in
28 x 38 in
30 x 45 in
40 x 60 in
Credit to Alessandro Lucioni / Gorunway.com
Credit to Alessandro Lucioni / Gorunway.com
Credit to Alessandro Lucioni / Gorunway.com
Greg Girard
American Hotel
1975
Archival pigment print
29.5 x 22 in
38 x 28 in
45 x 30 in
60 x 40 in
Credit to Alessandro Lucioni / Gorunway.com
Credit to Alessandro Lucioni / Gorunway.com
Credit to Alessandro Lucioni / Gorunway.com
Greg Girard
East Hastings Street (Dusk)
1978
Archival pigment print
22 x 29.5 in
28 x 38 in
30 x 45 in
40 x 60 in
Credit to Alessandro Lucioni / Gorunway.com
Credit to Alessandro Lucioni / Gorunway.com
Credit to Alessandro Lucioni / Gorunway.com
RELATED PRESS
VOGUE
“[Greg Girard’s] images of 20th-century cars and motel rooms appeared as prints, the former on a boxy shirt and pencil skirt and the latter on a caban and matching shift that complemented the show’s carpeted runway.”
MARIE CLAIRE
“Frills and frippery were eschewed for sleek, boxy silhouettes and a whole lot of black and white. Loud pops of colour were delivered via graphic prints featuring neon lights, cars and motel rooms, taken from the photos of Greg Girard.”
WALLPAPER*
“The work of Canadian photographer Greg Girard inspired Lucie and Luke Meier’s latest Jil Sander collection, which unfolded in dimly lit corridors of brown velvet curtains erected in a warehouse space on the northern reaches of Milan.”
10 MAGAZINE
“Jil Sander SS25 took us to an uncanny place. Shrill synths suspended over a cacophony of drums, and soft lyricism, set the tone for the show, which was inspired by the haunting photographs of Greg Girard.”
THE IMPRESSION
“The dark mood was actually part of a collaboration with Canadian photographer Greg Girard whose work has provided a window into how Asias largest cities have transformed – physically and socially – over the last three decades. ”
GRAZIA MAGAZINE
“The collection actually took cues from Canadian photographer Greg Girard—namely, his images of 20th-century cars, motel rooms and the the nightlife of global metropolises, which were seen on prints.”
AVAILABLE WORKS
Each picture in the Under Vancouver series has an edition
of 10 prints in total. Editions are made to order, meaning you can
select what size you would like your edition to be from the
following options:
Dimensions:
A. 22 x 29.5 inches
(3.5 inch mat in metal frame behind plexiglass, image size is 15 x 22.5 in)
B. 28 x 38 inches
(4 inch mat in metal frame behind plexiglass, image size is 20 x 30 in)
C. 30 x 45 inches
Framed, no border, laminated
D. 40 x 60 inches
Framed, no border, laminated
Greg Girard
Juke Box and Umbrella
1975
Archival pigment print
22 x 29.5 in
28 x 38 in
30 x 45 in
40 x 60 in
Greg Girard
Chinese Voice Daily News
1982
Archival pigment print
22 x 29.5 in
28 x 38 in
30 x 45 in
40 x 60 in
Greg Girard
Lotus Hotel (Balloons)
1982
Archival pigment print
22 x 29.5 in
28 x 38 in
30 x 45 in
40 x 60 in
Greg Girard
Woman With a Cigarette (Steams Cofé)
1975
Archival pigment print
29.5 x 22 in
38 x 28 in
45 x 30 in
60 x 40 in
Greg Girard
Gas Pumps Near Sugar Refinery
1981
Archival pigment print
22 x 29.5 in
28 x 38 in
30 x 45 in
40 x 60 in
Under Vancouver 1972-1982
Book
The photographs in Under Vancouver 1972-1982 show Vancouver’s final days as a port town at the end of the rail line. Living in cheap hotels I photographed the cafés, pool halls and working waterfront of the city where I grew up. Many of the downtown streets ended at the waterfront. Pawn shop windows displayed outboard motors, chainsaws and commercial fishing gear. Soon after these pictures were made Vancouver began to be noticed by the wider world (Expo 86 is generally agreed as the pivotal moment), refashioning itself as an urban resort on nature’s doorstep and a destination for real estate investment. This book is the first comprehensive collection of my Vancouver photographs.
Limited stock available, contact the gallery to reserve a book.
Greg Girard
Greg Girard’s photographs have been featured in TIME, Newsweek, National Geographic, The New Yorker, and numerous other publications. Girard’s publication list includes:
City of Darkness Phantom Shanghai
In the Near Distance Tokyo-Yokosuka 1977-1983 HK:PM Hong Kong Nigh Life 1974–1989 Under Vancouver 1972–1982 Hanoi Calling: One Thousand Years Now JAL 76–88 American Stopover
Girard`s work has been exhibited at the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, The International Center for Photography, New York, PM Gallery (London, UK), The National Gallery of Canada, The Yixian International Photo Festival (China), and numerous other venues.
Collections:
Art Gallery of Ontario
National Gallery of Canada
Vancouver Art Gallery
Royal Bank of Canada
Art Bank of the Canada Council
Related Press:
Independent: “American Stopover: My memories of hitting the road alone as a teenager in the 1970s”, 2024
Designboom: “Greg Girard’s American Stopover captures his journey along the west coast in the 1970s”, 2024
i-D: “Greg Girard i-D Photographing the Forgotten Labyrinth of Kowloon Walled City”, 2023
Hypebeast: “Greg Girard Takes Us Back In Time to a Pre-Bubble Tokyo for ‘JAL 76 88′”, 2022
CNN: “Vintage photos show underbelly of boom-era Japan”, 2022