If you’ve spent any time on Instagram or flipped through a copy of Vogue lately, you’ve definitely seen her work. You just might not have known it was hers. Nadia Lee Cohen photography is everywhere—from the hyper-saturated, doll-like world of Kim Kardashian's SKIMS campaigns to the gritty, cinematic music videos for A$AP Rocky. But here’s the thing: most people think she’s just another fashion photographer obsessed with the 1960s.
Honestly? That’s barely scratching the surface.
Nadia Lee Cohen isn't just taking "retro" photos. She’s building entire universes where the "American Dream" looks like it’s having a slow-motion nervous breakdown. It’s weird, it’s beautiful, and it’s often deeply uncomfortable. And as we move through 2026, her work is shifting into something even more personal and, frankly, a lot more human.
The Glossy Lie of Americana
Most photographers try to make things look perfect. Nadia makes things look too perfect, which is how you know something is wrong. Basically, she takes the aesthetic of 1960s and 70s suburbia—the tufted carpets, the avocado-green kitchens, the heavy blue eyeshadow—and pushes it until it turns into a fever dream.
You’ve probably seen her 2020 book Women. It’s huge. It took six years to make and features 100 portraits. What’s wild is that these aren't just models in wigs. Cohen treats every frame like a still from a movie that doesn't exist. There’s a story in the way a subject holds a cigarette or the specific, tacky texture of a motel bedspread.
She’s often compared to Cindy Sherman because she loves a transformation. In her project Hello, My Name Is, she used prosthetics and costumes to turn herself into 33 different characters based on name tags she found at flea markets. It wasn't just a gimmick. She was exploring how we all "wear" our identities.
That Kim Kardashian Moment (And What It Really Meant)
We have to talk about the Kim K collaboration. When those images dropped—the bleached brows, the denim, the weirdly stiff, almost robotic poses—the internet went into a tailspin.
People called it "ugly-chic" or "alien." But if you look at it through the lens of Nadia Lee Cohen photography, it makes total sense. She was using Kim—the ultimate symbol of modern celebrity—to critique the very idea of the "perfect" image. She turned the most famous woman in the world into just another one of her characters. It was satire hidden in a high-fashion shoot.
The 2025 Shift: Holy Ohio and Martin Parr
For years, Nadia was the "LA girl." Even though she’s British, her work felt deeply rooted in the plastic soul of Southern California. But lately, things have gotten... quieter?
In late 2025, she released Holy Ohio. This project is a massive departure. Instead of rubber masks and theatrical lighting, she went back to Heath, Ohio—the place she first visited as a kid in 1999. It’s her most personal work yet.
- No Prosthetics: For the first time, she’s not hiding behind characters.
- The Family Factor: She photographed four generations of her own family living on a cul-de-sac.
- The Vibe: It’s less "Hollywood nightmare" and more "tender documentary."
The book is even designed to look like a Bible, with a white leather cover. It’s her way of saying that the mundane, cluttered lives of "normal" people are just as sacred as any movie star.
Then there’s the Julie Bullard project with Martin Parr. If you don't know Parr, he’s the king of "boring" British documentary photography. Seeing them work together was like two different eras of kitsch colliding. Cohen played a fictional version of her childhood babysitter, and Parr shot it. It was funny, slightly morbid (she even photographed her character in a coffin), and quintessentially British.
Why Her Work Still Matters in 2026
In a world where AI can generate "perfect" images in seconds, Nadia Lee Cohen’s obsession with physical detail matters more than ever. She doesn't just use Photoshop; she builds sets. She finds real props from the 1970s. She spends hours on the "wrong" shade of lipstick.
There’s a soul in the imperfection. Her work reminds us that beauty is often found in the things that make us feel a little bit "off." Whether she's shooting Lana Del Rey for Interview or her own uncle in Ohio, she’s looking for the cracks in the facade.
How to Appreciate (and Collect) Nadia’s Work
If you’re just getting into her aesthetic, don't just scroll her Instagram. You’ve got to see the print work to really "get" the texture.
- Start with the Books: Women is the gold standard, but Holy Ohio is the one to get if you want to see her evolve into a more mature artist.
- Look at the Edits: Watch her music videos (like Kali Uchis' "After the Storm"). Notice how the colors don't just look "old"—they look intentional.
- Visit the Galleries: Her shows at Jeffrey Deitch in LA or NYC are immersive. They usually include sculptures and video installations that make the photos feel like they’re breathing.
Next Step: If you want to dive deeper into the technical side, I highly recommend looking up her interviews with Dazed or British Journal of Photography. She often talks about "the logic of the frame"—how every single object in the background has a specific reason for being there. Next time you see one of her photos, try to find the one object that doesn't seem to belong. That's usually where the real story is.
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Key Works & Collaborations (Quick Reference)
| Year | Project / Client | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Women | Established her as a major force in fine art photography. |
| 2022 | Kim Kardashian (Interview) | A viral moment that redefined "celebrity" portraiture. |
| 2025 | Julie Bullard | A collaboration with Martin Parr exploring British identity. |
| 2025 | Holy Ohio | Her most personal, non-staged documentary project. |
Nadia Lee Cohen is one of the few artists successfully bridging the gap between high-fashion commerce and "weird" fine art. She’s not just a photographer; she’s a world-builder who isn't afraid to show us the dust under the rug.
To truly understand her work, stop looking for the beauty and start looking for the story. The "Nadia Lee Cohen look" isn't about the wig; it's about the woman underneath it who’s wondering why she’s wearing it in the first place.