Alexey Brodovitch began his career in Paris and emigrated to the US in 1930. He exerted significant influence on American graphic design and photography during his 25 year tenure as Art Director of Harper's Bazaar. His use of asymmetrical layouts, white space and dynamic imagery changed the nature of magazine design. Brodovitch exposed Americans to the European avant-garde by commissioning art and photography from leading European artists and photographers including: A.M Cassandre, Salvador Dali, Henri Cartier-Bresson and Man Ray. He was one of the first designers to teach design as a professional discipline. In his Design Laboratory classes, Brodovitch imparted a philosophy that affected an entire generation of leading photographers and designers. Among these students were photographers Irving Penn, Richard Avedon, Art Kane and Hiro; art directors Bob Gage, Helmut Krone and Steve Frankfurt. While working at Harper's Bazaar he worked on several photographic books and the short-lived but artistically successful magazine Portfolio. He received the AIGA medal in 1987. Regardless of what he was working on, his energy, style and aesthetic philosophy inspired those around him and continues to be admired today.