Born in Zurich in 1954, Michel Comte trained as an art restorer before turning to photography. His editorial work has appeared in publications including Vogue Italia, L'Uomo Vogue, Interview and Vanity Fair; and he has created advertising campaigns for brands including Armani, Moschino, Mercedes and Jaguar. In recent years Comte had ventured into reportage photography, documenting war and famine in the service of the International Red Cross; in 2004 he founded a foundation to provide drinking water to the Third World.