Moez Achour unveiled his new politically-conscious photo exhibition in Dubai’s Nasab gallery space last week The Tunisian photographer wants to use his fashion photography skills to raise awareness DUBAI: When it comes to fashion photography, luxury designer campaigns featuring the latest runway looks in glossy magazines come to mind, but one fashion photographer is changing that by bringing global issues into the mix with his politically conscious photo exhibition that opened in Dubai’s Nasab gallery space last week. Tunisian fashion photographer, Moez Achour, unveiled “The Real Issue” photo featuring striking images that highlight issues from climate change and the refugee crisis to gun control and privacy rights. Having kicked off the project two years ago, Achour said he wanted to use his fashion photography skills to raise awareness. “I started from a feeling of uselessness,” he told Arab News, explaining that after working in the industry for 13 years, he decided to raise awareness about important issues. “No one knows that a pair of denim (jeans) cost 10,000 liters of water (to produce),” Achour said. “It’s not about whether people care or not, it’s just they don’t know because the information is not in the mass media.” “I don’t want to be dramatic, but we live in a tough time,” Achour said. At first glance, the striking glamour shots look no different from those featured in luxury brand campaigns, however, the stylized fashion-inspired images feature models in different looks that focus on key global issues. “I am against doing graphic images and shocking people, so that’s why I used more polished images, just to attract people,” Achour said. Achour added that the pollution caused by the fashion industry is something that necessitates discussion. Fast fashion has reshaped the fashion landscape and has been a major driver of the industry’s enormous greenhouse gas emissions and devastating environmental impact. In the US, the average person in 2014 owned 60 percent more clothing items compared to the average consumer in 2000, and only wore those clothes half as long, according to a report by the global consulting firm, McKenzie. Many of these clothes end up in landfills. “Don’t (get) me wrong, I love being a fashion photographer, but I love my daughter as well and when my daughter does something wrong, I tell her…same thing with the fashion industry,” Achour said.