Modeling Journey

Supermodels are indeed the flavour of the month with Stephanie Seymour making a welcome return to modelling for the September issue of US Elle. Photographed by Horst Diekgerdes, Seymour shows off her trademark sexy silhouette in Azzedine Alaia, Louis Vuitton, Chloé, Ruffian and Stella McCartney. Forty three year old Seymour has an amazing presence in this editorial and demonstrates the sex appeal which made her a household name in the Nineties. Each time I see one of the original Supers back in front of the lens, I am reminded of the halcyon days of modelling when models were celebrated for their womanly curves, individuality and charisma.

Many of the most iconic fashion images of all-time, feature models photographed in groupings by the likes of photographers; Richard Avedon, Herb Ritts, Peter Lindbergh, Steven Meisel, Annie Leibovitz, Mario Testino, Patrick Demarchelier and Irving Penn. During the nineties the emergence of the supermodel phenomenon was greatly influenced by the photographs taken of a select group of women who would eventually be referred to as the "Supes." When I think of the term "supermodel", the classic Peter Lindbergh January 1990 British Vogue cover shot of Naomi Campbell, Tatjana Patitz, Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford and Christy Turlington instantly springs to mind. More than 20 years have passed since I first laid eyes on this image and still, I am enthralled by its beauty, so much so that I have a print of it framed and taking pride of position in my hallway.

I love analysing the dynamic and composition of various images featuring grouped models. The first thing I look for is the suitability of the selection of models. Do their individual looks compliment each other? Are the models working in unison to achieve that singular shot which encapsulates the photographer's vision? How are the model's bodies positioned in relation to one another and in relation to the image frame. I also look for elegance of the positioning of the model's limbs and the energy which transpires between the model's themselves.

The images featured below are amongst my favourites and all project a momentous sense of occasion. One gets an inkling that there is an acknowledgement of pride and appreciation amongst the models at having been selected as one of the chosen few. I only hope that today's generation of photographers will continue to follow in the ilk of Avedon, Lindbergh et al. by allowing top-tier models the opportunity to shine in equally, beautifully composed group portraits.

The relationship between a designer and muse can be instrumental in making or breaking a model's career. No other designer has inspired such devotion amongst models as the pint-sized Tunisian-born French designer Azzedine Alaia. Alaia is as well known for his body accentuating, skin tight sculptural silhouettes as he is for the fidelity and enduring nature of his friendships with models like Veronica Webb, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, Stephanie Seymour and Naomi Campbell to name but a few. 

In spite of having worked closely with some of the world's most recognisable beauties, Alaia's approach has always been one based on humanity. This perhaps is the key to why he is so adored and revered by his models. In an interview with luxuryculture.com, Alaia is asked the question "Do you have a muse?", to which he responds "I don't like the word. Everything depends on the woman you meet and dress. If it's a woman it depends on her personality, not mine. There are girls who wear clothes so well that they're more than just outfits. When a woman who loves the clothes wears them it's really an expression of her personality, and that's more important to me than any muse."

The close relationships between Alaia and his models have been well documented in the press. In an interview with American ELLE, Alaia reminisces about Linda Evangelista; "I just loved working with her. We felt like a family back then, because we practically lived together during the shows." Campbell in fact lived with Alaia in Paris during her early modelling days, and she along with Seymour refer to Alaia, affectionately as "Papa."

In an interview with the Independent Campbell talks in depth about her friendship with Alaia, "My relationship with Azzedine is different from those I have with other designers, because he is the only one I've lived with. I call him "Papa" and we really do have a father-daughter relationship. He really taught me everything about the business, and also taught me even more important things about life - to be yourself, to do things with integrity and to do things from the heart. One of my best memories is of when I was so overworked at one point and I just called him up and he said, "Come home, ma fille! Come home!" He cooked dinner for me and put me into bed. Then, he called up my agency and said, "Stop overworking her. She doesn't need to be doing all of these things." It's that genuine love of his that's very special to me."

The loyalty towards Alaia amongst his coterie of models was no more apparent than when the designer's work was snubbed by the Met's "Model as Muse" exhibition. Alaia had been working on seven dresses for models including Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista and Stephanie Seymour to wear to the Met Ball Costume Institute Gala for the opening of the Exhibit at the request of the Met. When it became apparent that the designer's work and his contributions to fashion and the modelling industry would not be recognised, Alaia asked the models not to wear the dresses. Speaking with the New York Times Alaia elaborates that "It would have been silly to have seven girls wearing my dresses at the party and not have anything of mine in the exhibit."

The opening party went on without Alaia and without Campbell, Turlington, Seymour and Evangelista in attendance. A spokesperson for Campbell issued the following statement "As Naomi has been the muse of Azzedine Alaia for 23 years, she feels she doesn't want to attend unless she can represent his work." Seymour  issued the following statement "Azzedine has made my dress for every single ball. I had a fitting in Paris. But then he called me over the weekend and asked me not to wear the dress. I will still make my donation to the Met, but I won't be going."

I recently had the immense pleasure of seeing an exhibition of the work of photographer Herb Ritts at the Camera Work Gallery in Berlin. I have been enamoured with Ritts' body of work ever since my childhood, and in that respect, having grown up with his imagery, my appreciation of beauty and the human form has been greatly influenced and shaped by his vision.

Ritts was one of the most influential and sought after photographers in the 1980s and the 1990s, and had a prolific career working for the likes of Vanity Fair, Interview, Rolling Stone, Harper's Bazaar and Vogue. Ritts' name is synonymous with some of the most iconic images of superstars such as Madonna, Richard Gere, Michael Jackson, Tom Cruise and Julia Roberts. It was however his portraits of the original supermodels which would change forever the way we would look at models. Ritts had an innate, magical ability to capture and encapsulate the essence of his subject within a single frame. Whether it be Christy Turlington posing serenely underneath a fountain of water or Tatjana Patitz frolicking on the beach, Ritts' images were always beautiful and a true celebration of the human form. 

Ritts sadly passed away in 2002 due to HIV-related complications. In 2010, a book entitled "The Golden Hour" was published in tribute to Ritts, and featured previously unpublished works as well as scores of interviews with those who knew him best. Below are excerpts from interviews with some of his favourite muses. 

"I was kind of an up-and-coming young model, definitely on the "one to watch" list. Herb was on that list to. He was in L.A., and I was in New York, but I kept hearing his name. I think the first job I did for him was for Macy's. It wasn't particularly creative for either one of us. We were both still taking those jobs to pay the bills. After that Herb started booking me a lot, and I started going to L.A. a lot. Herb was just such a gentle person. A lot of times it's very daunting or intimidating walking into a studio, especially when the photographer is a big shot, and you're twenty years old... The photographer sets the tone for the whole studio. Herb was so gracious and real and sweet, and so everyone showed up with their best selves. He really was one of those people that, even though I was sixteen, or whatever, when I met him he always treated me like an adult, and not in a sophisticated way, but just with respect." - Christy Turlington (Courtesy of the Golden Hour)

"I say this kindly, but I just don't see that many photographers - up-and-coming photographers - that have that same finesse, that understand light so well, that understand film, that understand also how to communicate. But Herb was always so excited, and that's so contagious. You feel like you're actually creating things together, and the great photographers all have that. They know they're capturing something that's fantastic, but you have to wait until they show you the contact sheet to see what it is. You feel excited, and then you can't wait to see the layout. And it was magical. That's the best way I can describe Herb, is it was always magic." - Tatjana Patitz (Courtesy of the Golden Hour)

"Herb Ritts was an amazing photographer and I was really grateful to get to work with him. His pictures are definitely something in fashion that are missed today... I just did some really incredible work with Herb and I miss him very much." - Naomi Campbell (Courtesy of Fashion for Relief)

"You knew you were going to look gorgeous - the way Herb photographed you was the way you wanted the world to see you. Herb saw the best in everyone, so that's how he photographed you. It was like, yeah, I wish I looked like that when I woke up in the morning... I think because you knew you were going to look great you could totally trust him. For a model it's very unsatisfying to come in when a photographer's already worked out the photo: Where's me in this picture? I never felt that way with Herb. You definitely felt like you made a contribution." - Cindy Crawford (Courtesy of the Golden Hour)

"On the beach Herb was incredible. I worked with him on the beach so much, but the shoot that stands out the most was the Playboy shoot. I almost didn't go, because I had a big cold sore on my face and it was breaking out. I was only twenty. He said, "Just come, I promise, I'll let you see all the pictures. Of course I was nervous about doing anything for Playboy. So anyway he got me there, and we had the best time, and the pictures were incredible. The beauty in shooting like that is that you don't really know until you get the film. But you think you know. You're there, you're shooting it, you see it, you feel it, its organic. He had this huge water truck. And they heated the water so that I could wash off afterwards. Who does that? He always thought of everything. I used to get up in the morning and go shopping for all the drinks and food with the assistants. I just loved feeling a part of everything." - Stephanie Seymour (Courtesy of the Golden Hour)