Peter W. Czernich

Born on September 20, 1953, in the Lüneburg Heath.
Studied Visual Communication in Wuppertal, then worked as an independent advertising graphic designer. In 1983/84, he spent two years in New York, where Czernich worked as a Creative Director at an advertising agency. Back in Germany, he founded his own advertising agency in 1985.

From 1986, Peter W. Czernich became a formative personality in the international fetish scene – initially as a publisher, author, and designer, later increasingly as a photographer and producer. He published magazines and books, produced video works, developed his own latex and leather collections, and organized groundbreaking fetish events such as Art Bizarre, Ball Bizarre, Nacht der O., Nacht des Marquis, and Terminatrix.

Since the mid-1990s, Czernich has increasingly focused on photography. With more than 3,000 shoots and an archive of over 500,000 images, he is one of the most internationally renowned fetish photographers. His works combine precise staging, fashion, body, and a distinctive aesthetic. He gained recognition beyond the fetish scene through his collaboration with Dita von Teese, particularly with the book Vintage Dita from 2008.

Milestones

1975–1978
Studied Visual Communication in Wuppertal; simultaneously worked as a freelance advertising graphic designer

1979–1982
Independent Advertising Graphic Designer

1983–1984
Creative Director in New York

1985
Founded his own advertising agency

1986
First issue of SKIN TWO – German Edition

1989
First issue of <O> Fashion, Fetish, Fantasy

1989–1994
Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of <O> until issue 23
Organization of BALL BIZARRE in Wuppertal and Munich, the Terminatrix Show in Flora Cologne, and NACHT DER O.
Development of his own latex and leather collection
Directed various video productions, including WHITE ROOM

1994
First issue of MARQUIS

1995
Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of MARQUIS
Organization of NACHT DES MARQUIS
Organization of ART BIZARRE, a three-day fair for fetish art and fashion in Cologne

1995–
Increasing activity as a photographer

1996
First issue of TERMINATRIX, magazine for fetish art and comics

1997
First issue of HEAVY RUBBER

1998
VENUS Fetish Award

1999
Acquisition of the company building in Solingen

2000–2001
Construction of the large photo studio in Solingen, where numerous photo and video productions have been created since then

2013/2014
Sale of MARQUIS FASHION and the online shop marquis.de

2015
Sale of MARQUIS including brands, magazines, etc.

2018
Reacquisition of the rights to MARQUIS

2019
Licensing/Sale to Andreas Reichardt (U-BOOKS)

Magazines & Journals

A selection of his journalistic works:

Deutsches Skin Two – 1986–1987
<O> Magazin – 1987–1994
MARQUIS – 1994–2019
HeavyRubber – 1996–2018
Marquis Photospecials – 1998–2005
Megaboobs – 2007
Penthouse Deutschland – Cover, 2007
Playboy Deutschland – December 2008
Bizarre Magazine (UK) – Column, 2007–2008

Books – Sole Author

Anette K. – <O> Edition, 1989
Bizarre Beauty – Marquis Edition, 1996
Superdolls – Edition Reuss, 2004
Fetish 101 – Hylas, New York, 2006
German Edition: Bassermann, 2007
Vintage Dita – Skylight, Zurich, 2008
Fetish Photography – Marquis Edition, 2012
Heavy Rubber Book – Marquis Edition, 2014
White Room Book – Marquis Edition, 2015
Dominatrix – Self-published, 2017
Fetish Fashion – Self-published, 2018
Fetish Academy – Self-published, 2021
Dita von Teese – The Early Shootings – Self-published, 2023
The American Shootings – Marquis, 2025

Books – Multiple Authors

Selection:

Sex – Take a Walk on the Wild Side – Carlton, 2002
Burlesque & the Art of the Teese – HarperCollins, 2006
Fetish Dreams – Skylight, Zurich, 2008

Exhibitions

Selection:

Art Bizarre – 1999
Erotic Art Museum Hamburg, Solo Exhibition – 2001
Art Bizarre Essen – 2006
WAVE Gallery, Brescia, Italy – 2011
Fetish Photography, GO Gallery, Amsterdam – 2013
Etienne’s Art Gallery, Luxembourg – 2017

Events & Shows

Selection:

Terminatrix Cyber-Fetish-Show, Flora Cologne – 1992
Marquis Ninja Show, Essen – 2016
Peter & Friends – A Collection of Fetish Icons, AVANTGARDISTA Munich – 2025

Peter W. Czernich & AVANTGARDISTA

Peter W. Czernich represents a world of images and media where photography, fashion, fetish, and staging have intertwined for decades. What began in the 1980s with magazines, graphics, and events evolved into a comprehensive photographic archive and an important part of international fetish culture.

With “Peter & Friends – A Collection of Fetish Icons,” Czernich was part of AVANTGARDISTA Munich in 2025.