Patrick Wilen Photographs (PH-00472)

Patrick Wilen is a former freelance fashion photographer who was born in Basel, Switzerland on August 30, 1960 to Yovonne Wilen, an artist, and Barney Wilen, jazz musician. After his parents' divorce he was adopted by Sandro Bocola who was a writer, artist, and graphic designer. Wilen was raised by Bocola and his mother and was raised in Basel and Monaco and attended school in Zurich, including one year in the photography program at the Zurich School of Applied Arts. At the age of 17, Wilen worked as a photographer's assistant to W.S. Eberle followed by mandatory military training where he worked as an artillery photographer in the Swiss Army. Wilen also worked as a photographer's assistant to Guido Bini in Milan, Italy and worked with Eberle again as a studio manager and second photographer. In his early twenties, Wilen worked as a freelance fashion and commercial photographer in Zurich before moving to Paris in 1982, where he worked for fashion photographers including Leo Paul Erhardt, Eddy Kohli, and Ken Browar.

Wilen began securing commercial and fashion photography jobs for L'Officiel magazine and photographed model Linda Evangelista for the French edition of Harper's Bazaar. He began to receive regular assignments from fashion publications including ELLE, Marie Claire, and Votre Beauté. In 2000, Wilen relocated to New York City to take on assignments for Avon, Univision, Playboy, and Vegas Magazine. He shot a commercial campaign for Wayne Newton and the Borgata Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. In 2007, he relocated back to Zurich, retired from fashion photography, and transitioned into the wine business with his own brand, DON. As of 2025, Wilen is retired.

Source:

Patrick Wilen, email message to Aaron Mayes, October 5, 2026.