What was lost has been found!
I have been looking for this particular editorial for the past 10 years, and I finally found it!
When I was 12 I was an avid reader of American Vogue and when this issue came in the mail I ran up to my room to read it cover to cover. Back then I had a pretty regular view of beauty, I gravitated towards the Cindy Crawford/Marilyn Monroe sort of glamour. I really hadn't registered the darker side of femininity. Well, as soon as I turned the first page of this spread I started to feel like I was looking at something I wasn't supposed to, something I would be embarrassed to let my mom know that I had. Certainly something I wouldn't be sharing with anyone else. I was a little surprised, and disturbed, but I loved it all! Who knew summer whites could be so dark and seedy. Who knew role playing and hooker heels could be so powerful. A woman playing a man being dominated by a glamazon? A boredom with luxury? The suggestion of a holiday devoted to naughty indulgence? These were concepts I had not considered before. These were images forever burned into my brain. This was the moment that transformed my outlook on fashion, art, photography and sex. Helmut Newton became my hero.
In other words: MY MIND WAS BLOWN.
It is amazingly satisfying and a little disappointing to find something you have been obsessing over. The search is over, mystery solved... now what?
xoxo
Hi Robin, greetings from Sweden!
ReplyDeleteI was really glad to see those images again when searching for "American Vouge, white mischief" tonight.
Between '92 and late '93 I was working in New York as a freelance photo assistant and I was assisting Helmut Newton on this shoot. After 20+ years I don't really remember all the particulars of this job, I think Grace Coddington from Vouge was there, Helmut's lovely wife June was there and I recall a guy called Didier (?) doing the hair.
As a budding photographer, 27 years old at the time, I enjoyed studying how Mr Newton dealt with direction; when Ms Coddington tried to make him change angle or height or whatever for the shot we were just doing, he cooly walked over and dropped the camera in her lap saying ,
"Soo, Gracie, you want to be a photographer? Here's your camera." Then turning to me; "Come on my boy (this was actually what he called me, I'm not sure he ever learned my name) let's have lunch!"
Regards
Magnus Eklof
Hello!
DeleteWow, what an amazing story! Thank you so much for sharing it here. This editorial means a lot to me artistically - it's great to connect with someone who was involved in the photo shoot and witnessed the crazy genius of Helmut Newton as well as Grace Coddington (another personal hero of mine.)
Best to you!
xo