sports illustrated: Stephanie Seymour

Showing posts with label Stephanie Seymour. Show all posts

Friday, August 12, 2011

Dangerous Curves Ahead

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.

Stephanie Seymour
US Elle - September 2011
Photographer - Horst Diekgerdes
Source - fashiongonerogue.com

Sunday, July 31, 2011

A Sense of Occasion

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.

Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Tatjana Patitz,
Christy Turlington & Cindy Crawford
British Vogue - January 1990
Photographer - Peter Lindbergh
Source - thefashionspot.com

Wild at Heart
US Vogue - September 1991
Photographer - Peter Lindbergh
Source - thefashionspot.com

Stephanie Seymour, Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington,
Tatjana Patitz & Naomi Campbell
Photographer - Herb Ritts
Source - artnet.com

Estelle LeFebure, Karen Alexander, Rachel Williams,
Linda Evangelista, Tatjana Patitiz & Christy Turlington
British Vogue - August 1988
Photographer - Peter Lindbergh
Source - bellazon.com

Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista & Christy Turlington
Vogue Italia - December 1989
Photographer - Steven Meisel
Source - thefashionspot.com

Nadja Auermann, Cindy Crawford, Stephanie Seymour,
Claudia Schiffer & Christy Turlington
Photographer - Richard Avedon
Source - thefashionspot.com

Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington,
Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Tatjana Patitz,
Niki Taylor, Yasmeen Ghauri, Karen Mulder & Elaine Irwin
US Vogue - April 1992
Photographer - Patrick Demarchelier
Source - thefashionspot.com

Isabeli Fontana, Natasha Poly, Raquel Zimmerman, Liya Kebede,
Karen Elson, Sasha Pivovarova, Natalia Vodianova, Lara Stone,
Coco Rocha & Caroline Trentini
US Vogue - May 2009
Photographer - Steven Meisel
Source - models.com

Linda Evangelista, Nadja Auermann, Naomi Campbell,
Shalom Harlow, Christy Turlington, Amber Valetta, &
Kristen McMenamy
Vogue Italia - May 1993
Photographer - Steven Meisel
Source - thefashionspot.com

Stephanie Seymour, Linda Evangelista, Claudia Schiffer
& Christy Turlington
US Vogue - September 1993
Photographer - Steven Meisel
Source - thefashionspot

Vogue Italia - October 1994
Photographer - Steven Meisel
Source - thefashionspot.com

Gail O'Neill, Kadra Ahmed Omar, Karen Alexander, Kara Young,
Shakara Ledard, Oluchi Onweagba, Katouche, Cynthia Bailey,
Clara Benjamin,Tyra Banks, Adia, Noemie Lenoir, Liya Kebede,
Naomi Campbell, Iman Abdulmajid & Beverly Johnson
Vanity Fair - September 2001
Photographer - Annie Leibovitz
Source - vanityfair.com

Caroline Ribeiro, Isabeli Fontana, Gracie Carvalho,
Fernanda Tavares, Aline Weber, Izabeli Goulart,
Ana Claudia Michels, Emanuela de Paula, Barbara Berger
Vogue Brasil - May 2010
Photographer - Gui Paganini
Source - models.com

Chanel Iman, Sessilee Lopez, Jourdan Dunn
& Arlenis Sosa
i-D Magazine - September 2009
Photographer - Emma Summerton
Source - models.com

Liya Kebede, Caroline Ribeiro, Colette, Carmen Kass,
Malgosia Bela, Karen Elson, Maggie Rizer & Missy Rayder
US Vogue - July 2000
Photographer - Steven Meisel
Source - bellazon.com

Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington & Cindy Crawford
British Vogue - June 1991
Photographer - Herb Ritts
Source - thefashionspot.com

Christy Turlington, Nadja Auermann, Cindy Crawford,
Stephanie Seymour & Claudia Schiffer
Photographer - Richard Avedon
Source - thefashionspot.com

Stephanie Seymour, Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista,
Claudia Schiffer, Cindy Crawford & Naomi Campbell
Vanity Fair - September 2008
Photographer - Mario Testino
Source - models.com

Kate Moss, Lauren Hutton, Iman Abdulmajid, Naomi Campbell,
Stephanie Seymour, Christy Turlington, Claudia Schiffer, Lisa Taylor,
Paulina Porizkova, Patti Hansen, Carolyn Murphy, Amber Valetta & Gisele Bundchen
US Vogue - November 1999
Photographer - Annie Leibowitz
Source - nymag.com

Gisele Bundchen, Isabeli Fontana, Daria Werbowry, Karolina Kurkova,
Hana Soukupova, Karen Elson, Natalia Vodianova, Liya Kebede & Gemma Ward
US Vogue - September 2004
Photographer - Steven Meisel
Source - models.com

Joan Smalls, Ajak Deng, Arlenis Sosa, Chanel Iman,
Anais Mali, Jourdan Dunn & Sessilee Lopez
US Vogue - February 2011
Photographer - Mario Testino
Source - models.com

Eva Herzigova, Beverly Peele, Petra Linblad,
Claudia Mason & Nadja Auermann
British Vogue - January 1992
Photographer - Unknown
Source - bellazon.com

Helena Christensen, Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell,
Christy Turlington & Stephanie Seymour
US Vogue - April 1993
Photographer - Herb Ritts
Source - nymag.com

Kirsty Hume, Nadja Auermann, Nadege Dubospertus,
Claudia Schiffer, Shalom Harlow, Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell,
Linda Evangelista, Carla Bruni & Brandi Quinones
Vogue Italia - Unknown
Photographer - Mario Testino
Source - thefashionspot.com

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

The Way You Make Me Feel

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."

Azzedine Alaia & Linda Evangelista
Photographer - Sante D'Orazio
Source - thefashionspot.com

Azzedine Alaia Backstage
Paris Vogue - April 2008
Photographer - Bruce Weber
Source - thefashionspot.com

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."

Naomi Campbell & Azzedine Alaia
Photographer - Unknown
Source - douban.com

Stephanie Seymour & Azzedine Alaia
The New Yorker - November 1994
Photographer - Richard Avedon
Source - thefashionspot.com

In March 2009, Seymour met with Alaia for a tete-a-tete for Interview magazine, "Azzedine may be the designer who best understands a woman's anatomy, which makes sense because he also is a man who understands a woman's heart and soul. I began collecting Alaia when I started modelling for him as a teenager, and I own pieces that continue to astonish me every time I put them on. He even designed my own wedding dress."

Stephanie Seymour: "I have such fond memories."

Azzedine Alaia: "It made me laugh when you first visited. You were 14 years old."

Stephanie Seymour: "Yes I was. And I had never done a show in my life! I went on 20 go-sees around Paris and you were the only one who hired me. You even called your friends to try to persuade them to use me. Their response was, "Her rear is too round!" And your response was, "I think it's perfect." I was a total disaster in the shows. Your atelier was so small and you had to do three shows each day, so you just kept me on. That's when we became so close. You really took care of me, Papa."

Azzedine Alaia & Yasmeen Ghauri
Photographer - Patrick Demarchelier
Source - obssessionphoto.com

Karen Mulder, Angelika Kallio, Yasmin le Bon,
Azzedine Alaia, Gail O'Neill, Susan Homes & unknown
Photographer - Unknown
Source - thefashionspot.com

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."

Azzedine Alaia & Veronica Webb
US Elle - May 1992
Photographer - Gilles Bensimon
Source - thefashionspot.com

Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Tatjana Patitz,
Christy Turlington & Cindy Crawford wearing Alaia
British Vogue - January 1990
Photographer - Peter Lindbergh
Source - thefashionspot.com

Cindy Crawford in Alaia
US Elle - Circa 1989
Photographer - Hans Feurer
Source - thefashionspot.com

Laetitia Casta & Azzedine Alaia
Photographer - Olivier Zahm
Source - fashionologie.com

Alaia's Leopard print clad models
US Vogue - Unknown
Photographer - Unknown
Source - thefashionspot.com

Friday, May 27, 2011

Herb Ritts

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.

Stephanie Seymour, Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington,
Tatjana Patitz & Naomi Campbell, Hollywood, 1989
© Herb Ritts Foundation, Courtesy of artnet.com

"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)