If one had to choose a single series that summed up Koto Bolofo’s unconventional approach to fashion photography, it could well be Say Cheese—pictures brimming with light and delight which defy the often stilted, glum or over-dramatized images of the industry. These photos were originally published in 2000 in Vogue Italia, then under the legendary Franca Sozzani, whom Bolofo first met in 1984 and worked with for more than 25 years. He fondly remembers the exceptional creative freedom she gave him and other photographers at the magazine—Sozzani provided the clothes, they did the rest. And so it was with Say Cheese: Bolofo was given a wardrobe of female swimwear, and with the help of his frequent stylist Nicoletta Santoro, he shunned professional models, instead enlisting a vibrant squad of real synchronized swimmers, California’s Riverside Aquettes. The resulting images show a variety of female bodies at ease and play—floating and twirling in sparkling, sun-filled water, clad in retro looks, from Great Gatsby flair to flowered 1950s bathing caps, and each wearing Bolofo’s favorite accessory: a genuine smile. My work has always been “off fashion,” while still being in fashion. - Koto Bolofo