Melvin Sokolsky (1933-2022) began his career at Harper's Bazaar after being recruited by the prolific art director, Henry Wolf, at twenty-one. By age twenty-five, Sokolsky was already a regular contributor, and it was for this publication, he produced his most iconic and inventive series in 1963. His shoot of the 1963 Paris collection, later becoming known as the Bubble series, depict models floating in giant transparent plastic bubbles, apparently suspended in mid-air over streets in Paris. Sokolsky's innovative series anticipated the change of language that was to later emerge in fashion photography. The series combines surrealism and the world of high fashion, with a nod to street photography's increasing popularity. Sokolsky's series is widely credited for launching the trend of bold, artistic visions within fashion photography and has been an inspiration for many fashion photographers working today.
Sokolsky’s work can be found in the permanent collection of the Guggenheim Museum, The Getty, The Museum of Modern Art and the Victoria & Albert Museum, where he was included in Shots of Style, a retrospective of the world's major fashion photographers, among others.