We Asked Photographers From All Around The World What ‘Fashion’ Meant To Them, And Here Are Their Responses (50 Pics)

Take a stroll on the Agora catwalk and discover the 50 #Fashion2019 finalists who are competing to win the $1,000 prize!

Over the past month, international photographers have submitted more than 20,314 photos to the #Fashion2019 Contest on Agora free-to-use app. The voting phase is now open to decide who will be the #Fashion2019 Hero who will win a prize of $1,000. Winner will be announced on Thursday 19th December 2019.

Which photo should be awarded the hero title? Have your say and vote for your favorite!

More info: agoraimages.com

Colorful shot of three best friends taken in the streets of Tsibili, Georgia. By @damiane (Georgia)

When asked about the essence of this photo, @gami declared: "Fashion is not standing still, it is movement." By @gami (Lithuania)

Culture and tradition play a key role in Papua New Guinea. More than 80% of the population lives in villages and follow ancestral rites, some of which are more than 1,000 years old and are passed on from generation to generation. By @georock888 (Indonesia)

In this self-portrait, @sakinamahama_ wanted to display the essence of African fashion in one photo: "I want to show the world that Africa is beauty and culture. In this photo, I use my natural hair (afro); the cloth on my waist is also African." By @sakinamahama_ (Ghana)

A young Vietnamese woman is pictured wearing an Ao Dai on her way to the temple. @nguyenvuphuoc said: "I am currently working on a photo project of the women suffering from acidosis in Vietnam. If I win the #Fashion2019 contest, I will use a part of the prize to help them overcome difficulties in surgical treatment." By @nguyenvuphuoc (Vietnam)

In this shot taken in the Almadam desert, @keeksawy wanted to show the soft sand dunes, and how the model's outfit "flows like the sand and wind", although camels attempted to photobomb the picture. By @keeksawy (United Arab Emirates)

This professional dancer trusted @montseferre for an unconventional ballet shooting in an abandoned train station. By @montseferre (Spain)

By @markellos (Greece)

According to @javito80, "Fashion is not just on the catwalks, it is everywhere. Even in the middle of a lavender field. Close by, there was a road sign with a recommendation to slow down because (literally): tourists taking photos. For this specific picture, my wife was so tired that I almost stopped shooting and called it a day... then the light just turned incredible." By @javito80 (Spain)

By @oleksandralitvinova (Russia)

By @keyoktava (Indonesia)

@awasenphotography said: "It's all about portraying a person not only for what she is but mostly for she really wants to be. This my fashion concept: show the world what you want the world to see in you. I used to be a model myself, but then I realized that I just wanted to create my own fashion with my personal beauty. So I decided to study photography to create it the way I love to." By @awasenphotography (Italy)

Photographer @photolivestudio met these two models near Times Square, NYC. He said: "When they saw my professional photo material, they came up to me and said, "we’re ready for a shoot here and now." Their relaxation, their pose impressed me and I gave them the best compliment: you are real New Yorkers, thanks for this! When we think about fashion, one often imagines a fashion show with its codes, its ways of scrolling and its spectators who think very quietly I will never be able to walk in this dress but in New York, we speak about street fashion with natural and uninhibited people. It’s real life, no taboos!" By @photolivestudio (France)

The photographer portrayed Accra-based model and professional makeup artist Erica Edudzi and said: "I have been shooting for 4 years and I got into photography when I discovered the lack of positive or beautiful images I saw coming out of Africa, therefore I wanted to be that person who would change the narrative through my images." The confident look combined with the tribal face painting gives a powerful twist to the photo. By @afrochime (Ghana)

Taken during a photoshoot in Duisburg, Germany on a cold crisp morning. By @alissaralia (Germany)

@franciscopaez snapped his model friend in the streets of Buenos Aires: "I think that it's a different way to relate a model with the fashion theme. Usually, fashion pictures try to show off the clothes and the beauty of the subject. However, in this case, I think fashion could be related to strong and empowered women." By @franciscopaez (Argentina)

By @birazhayalci (Turkey)

Taken in Tema Harbour, southeast Ghana. Shortly after taking this picture, @Calvin_Walker and the two models were asked to leave as the shooting wasn't allowed in this location. By @Calvin_Walker (Ghana)

By @josefbazyfilmz (Nigeria)

By @shutterphactory (Ghana)

@lensapriyo got a particular connexion with the model during a photoshoot in the Jakarta Bank Mandiri Museum, Indonesia: "This one model particularly moved my heart, her face reminded me of Marilyn Monroe." By @lensapriyo (Indonesia)

By @jameskangee (Kenya)

By @charliieb (Monaco)

@tinozavrus photographed her daughter as a tribute to iconic artist Frida Kahlo de Rivera. By @tinozavrus (Russia)

@chanthar spotted this pretty little girl on his way to the Mandalay pagoda. By @chanthar (Myanmar)

@wunderbilder snapped his step-daughter at The Mill Colonnade, the Czech Republic, popular for its thermal springs.
By @ wunderbilder (Germany)

By @kyawkyaw19 (Myanmar)

By @franseschart (Spain)

@angiolomanetti flew his drone to photograph his wife in the lavender fields of Valensole (France). He said, "I liked the feeling of naturalness of the girl who seemed to be one with the surrounding environment: flower among the flowers."
By @angiolomanetti (Italy)

Shot at Fort Canning, a famous spot for prenuptial shoots in Singapore. Photographer @jovanneamolat explained: "I was actually not part of the group that conducted the prenup photoshoot. It just so happen that I was in the area for a photowalk and came across their group. While they were shooting, I sneaked in and took this majestic photo." By @jovanneamolat (Singapore)

By @dikyedarling (Indonesia)
This studio shoot was taken in Jakarta in 2017. If she wins the contest, amateur photographer @dikyedarling plans on upgrading her photo gear and taking photography classes.
(Photo credits: Agora / @dikyedarling)

By @mobolakoya (Nigeria)
(Photo credits: Agora / @mobolakoya)

by @thienbinhtruong (Vietnam)
The 'Ao Dai' is a traditional Vietnamese dress worn by almost all women during official ceremonies, conferences and weddings. Through her photos, @thienbinhtruong wants to introduce vietnamese culture to the world.
(Photo credits: Agora / @thienbinhtruong)

by @kokosat (Myanmar)
Two local ladies from the ancient city of Bagan are wearing a traditional costume.
(Photo credits: Agora / @kokosat)

by @nicoprg (France)
While walking through the streets of Toronto, @altone spotted Naomi and asked if he could take a photo of her, which she replied "Of course! I'm used to it".
(Photo credits: Agora / @nicoprg)

By @stillone (Italy)
Italian photographer @stillone spotted this business woman walking up the stairs: "A Milanese girl in the fashion capital, dressed in style but without shoes: this is fashion!"
(Photo credits: Agora / @stillone)

by @reqshotit (Ghana)
To shoot this image, @reqshotit used an old vintage Nikkor 10.5cm f/2.5 lens: "I don't even know when it was manufactured. And even though it has all the dents and looks rough it gave me this amazing image!"
(Photo credits: Agora / @reqshotit)

by @laboussole.seon (Hong Kong)
Photographer @laboussole.seon wanted to contrast the traditional Hong Kong areas with fashion and unusual poses: "Fashion is about original style, original pose and original venue or environment. I believe it is important to relate fashion to daily locations people pass through during their day. It is really the combination of the 3 elements that let this photo stand out. This photo was quite stressful to take because of the traffic - we were lucky that the taxi behind stopped to unload passengers. Still we really had to rush to take it, I had no chance to change lens and had to crop the full frame photo."
(Photo credits: Agora / @laboussole.seon)

By @hlaingmyothein (Myanmar)
This young girl was spotted by @hlaingmyothein as she was selling flowers in Bangun's main pagoda. The photographer struggled to keep the monkeys who live there out of the shot: "Monkeys were jumping everywhere, I tried to avoid them not to jump on my subject".
(Photo credits: Agora / @georock888)

By @thantzin712 (Myanmar)
(Photo credits: Agora / @thantzin712)

By @jevgenij (Latvia)
Young lithuanian man spotted in Kaunas, Lithuania by photographer @jevgenij who was waiting for his bus: ""I tried to use these colors to bring a bright sunny mood with a little autumn twist"".
(Photo credits: Agora / @jevgenij)"

By @nataliworldphotography (Spain)
This photo was taken on the rooftop of an abandoned hotel in Madrid.
(Photo credits: Agora / @nataliworldphotography)"

"By @oscar_penelo (Spain)
This fashion influencer was spotted during a music festival in Barcelona last summer.
(Photo credits: Agora / @oscar_penelo)"

"By @williamyohanes13 (Indonesia)
@williamyohanes13 explains the spontaneity of this natural photoshoot: ""During our camping trip, my best friend happened to have brought a unique cloth that she had bought in the eastern region of Indonesia, I happened to have brought my camera, so we decided to shoot some fashion photos!""
(Photo credits: Agora / @williamyohanes13)"

"By @jordisark (Spain)
(Photo credits: Agora / @jordisark)"

"By @sunnysohalphotography (UK)
(Photo credits: Agora / @sunnysohalphotography)"

"By @vdukova (Germany)
(Photo credits: Agora / @vdukova)"

"By @altone (Lithuania)
(Photo credits: Agora /@altone)"

"By @thecrowface (Italy)
Early morning shooting in Cappadocia, Turkey, one of the most popular location in the world for hot air ballooning. If he were to become the #Fashion2019 Hero, the venetian photographer @thecrowface would donate a part of his prize to help Venice recover from devastating floods.
(Photo credits: Agora / @thecrowface)"

"By @eighthman (Ghana)
This shoot was inspired by Warrior Queen Yaa Asantewaa, who led the Ashanti rebellion against British colonialism to defend the Golden stool. According to @eighthman, ""there's nothing more rare or more beautiful than a woman being unapologetically herself, comfortable in her perfect imperfection: this is the true essence of beauty, because she knows who she truly is . She comes from a long line of Strength, Honor, Beauty and Intellect which has groomed her to be a visionary who controls the energy around her."" @eighthman recently won the Agora Awards 2019 with his photo 'Songs of Freedom'.
(Photo credits: Agora / @eighthman)"