Steven Meisel Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington, New York City, 1989
This year marks the centenary of British Vogue and Phillips is honored to join in this month's celebrations with ULTIMATE VOGUE, a curated selection of photographs taken for Vogue, available for sale only at Phillips. The 13 featured artists—Peter Lindbergh, Walter Pfeifer, Steven Meisel, Ellen von Unwerth, Mario Testino, Nick Knight, Steven Klein, Mario Sorrenti, Glen Luchford, Sølve Sundsbø, Mert Alaş and Marcus Piggott, and Alasdair McLellan—represent four decades of image-making and are leading forces in fashion.
Visionaries and creators, these artists have made unique contributions to the arts and continue to push the boundaries of visual language in fashion.Their editorial work for Vogue occupies both the commercial and art realms. The 12 photographs here stand alone as works of art and can be described as timeless, powerful, distinctive and intoxicating. Fashion both informs and reflects our society and visual culture, and through the lens of fashion, these artists expose facets of civilisation and capture defining moments.
The VOGUE and VOGUE logo trade marks are owned and licensed by The Condé Nast Publications Ltd.
One cannot deny the crucial role played by the subjects. The 13 models appearing in these photographs, many of whom have attained pop icon status, are recognizable by their first names: Linda, Christy, Naomi, Claudia, Cindy, Tatjana, Eva, Kate, Gisele, Daria, Karlie, Lara and Cara. For these successful artists working in fashion, the model is an inspiration, a vehicle for expressing their vision, and often represents long-term working relationships that continue to this day.
The 12 works from this collection represent either the last prints from sold-out editions or unique-sized one off prints, the majority of which have not been editioned previously and are available for sale for the first time. ULTIMATE VOGUE allows collectors an unparalleled access to exclusive photographs created by the world’s top artists in fashion who have defined, and will come to define, key moments in our social history.
Ellen Von Unwerth Parasol, 1990
Ellen von Unwerth first came to prominence in 1989 when she shot the now legendary Guess campaign with a 17-year-old unknown model named Claudia Schiffer—channelling a sensuous Brigitte Bardot – and catapulted her into the spotlight. In 1990, a year after the initial Guess campaign, von Unwerth took this photograph of the young Schiffer in Deauville, France for Vogue Italia.
Von Unwerth, who worked as a model before going behind the camera, has published a number of photobooks and two photo-novellas. Her work has been exhibited internationally, including the C5 Art Center, Beijing; the Australian Centre for Photography, Sydney; and the Museum of Modern Art, New York.
I am standing behind a camera in order that I can extend myself in front of it.
—Steven Klein
Steven Meisel Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington, New York City, 1989
This famous photograph by Steven Meisel of Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington, taken for the cover of Vogue Italia in 1989, is the only Vogue cover, across all editions, to feature only these three women—popularly referred to as 'The Trinity'. The photograph appeared as the magazine’s final cover of the 1980s, ushering in the 1990s era of the 'supermodel'.
Having shot every cover of Vogue Italia for 27 years beginning in 1988, Meisel is one of fashion’s preeminent image-makers—prolific and innovative—visualising the trends of every season. Along with his ability to cast the faces and characters that came to represent the look of the day, Meisel has a prodigious talent for scripting story lines that reflect culture.
Nick Knight Black Pearl, 1996
Focusing on the black pearl balanced between Rebekka Botzem’s teeth and framed by her lips, this captivating photograph by Nick Knight highlights the visual associations between jewelry and female sexuality. The image was part of a subversive editorial Knight shot for British Vogue in 1996, presenting some of the most expensive pearls, diamonds and gems in a new light.
In 2000, Nick Knight founded SHOWStudio, a groundbreaking multimedia platform for presenting fashion on the internet and in 2010, he was awarded the Order of the British Empire for his services to the arts. Knight’s work has been exhibited widely, including the Tate Modern, London and the Victoria & Albert Museum, and another print of this image is featured in the current exhibition Vogue 100: A Century of Style at the National Portrait Gallery in London.
Walter Pfeiffer Untitled (Eva Herzigova), 2009
In his first commission for Vogue, Walter Pfeifer took this photograph of Eva Herzigova, engulfed in a sea of fabrics and shoes. For the story 'Cherchez la femme', which appeared in the May 2009 edition of Vogue Paris, Pfeifer had the model roll around in various clothing, crawl across the foor and eat cake; the resulting images are imbued with Pfeifer’s signature blend of eroticism and wit.
Pfeifer’s retrospective exhibition Walter Pfeifer: In Love with Beauty, chronicling his work over the past four decades, opened in 2008 at Fotomuseum Winterthur, and in the same year, the Swiss Confederation awarded him the Grand Prix Design. His works are held in various collections, including Fotomuseum Winterthur, Kunsthaus Zürich, and the Sir Elton John Collection.
Mario Testino Gisele I, Vogue Paris, 2002
This larger-than-life portrait of Gisele Bündchen by Mario Testino was featured in a story in Vogue Paris in December 2002/January 2003. Bündchen’s roots in Brazil inspired the entire shoot, and within the spread, Testino’s photographs are paired with images from the model’s childhood.
Testino’s work has been exhibited internationally, including the Shanghai Art Museum; MALBA, Buenos Aires; and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Alongside his 35-year practice as a photographer, Testino was appointed the Grand Cross Order of Merit in 2010, one of the highest honours in his native country of Peru and was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 2013 in recognition of his remarkable career and charity work.
Peter Lindbergh Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Tatjana Patitz, Christy Turlington and Cindy Crawford, New York, 1989
For the cover of the January 1990 issue of British Vogue, Peter Lindbergh photographed Naomi Cambpell, Linda Evangelista, Tatjana Patitz, Christy Turlington and Cindy Crawford—all together for the first time—on the streets of New York. The inside story, featuring images of Lindbergh and the supermodels, speculated how modelling might change in the coming decade.
Lindbergh has exhibited at the Centre Pompidou, Paris and the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, and another print of this image is featured in the current exhibition Vogue 100: A Century of Style at the National Portrait Gallery in London. Lindbergh’s works are part of many collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Victoria & Albert Museum, London; and the Fonds National d’Art Contemporain, Paris.
Steven Klein Woman in Kitchen, 2011
Steven Klein took this captivating photograph, the only image to accompany Andrea Cooper’s article on ADHD in women, for Vogue US in October 2011. In this hyperreal photograph, a distracted Karlie Kloss does not notice the overflowing sink, burnt toast and whatever might be cooking in the oven. Klein’s unique perspective provokes the imagination and draws the viewer into the chaotic scene. One of his many collaborations with esteemed Vogue editor Phyllis Posnick, this oversized work best exemplifes Klein’s dark, glamourous and innovative approach to image-making.
This image will be featured in Posnick’s forthcoming book Stoppers: Photographs from My Life at Vogue to be published by Abrams this autumn. Klein’s works are held in several public collections, including the National Portrait Gallery, London; the Victoria & Albert Museum, London; and the International Centre for Photography, New York.
Alasdair Mclellan Lara Stone, 2009
This photograph of Lara Stone in a black asymmetrical maillot was taken by Alasdair McLellan for the April 2010 issue of British Vogue. McLellan and Stone have had an ongoing working relationship since 2008 and in this image, the Dutch model’s natural beauty and athleticism are accentuated by the contours of the swimsuit and the natural light.
McLellan’s frst book Ultimate Clothing Company, published in 2013, documented modern British masculinity. His second book Ceremony, published in January 2016, featured his series on the ceremonial troops of the British Army. In addition to shooting for both British Vogue and Vogue Paris, McLellan works across the spectrum of the international fashion press, including i-D, Self Service and W.
Glen Luchford Cara Delevingne, Ardingly, UK, 2012
This image is from a reportage-style shoot at a car boot sale taken by Glen Luchford for British Vogue’s November 2012 issue. In this black-and-white photograph, Cara Delevingne sits among a group of young men, staring defiantly at the camera.
Luchford’s name figures prominently in any review of the generation of young photographers who, in the early 1990s, brought a sense of realism back into fashion photography. The trend started in the pages of independent 'style' magazines such as The Face, i-D and Arena and soon influenced the mainstream. Luchford’s work has been exhibited internationally, including the Victoria & Albert Museum, London and the National Portrait Gallery, London.
Mert Alaş and Marcus Piggott Changes, 2011
Here, dynamic artist duo Mert Alaş and Marcus Piggott depict Kate Moss in the guise of David Bowie in his Ziggy Stardust persona. Changes, 2011, is indicative of the creative duo’s luminous style, characterized by their technical precision and use of saturated colours, as well as their close relationship with their muse Kate Moss. Known for their attention to detail, Mert and Marcus used both analogue and digital manipulations to seamlessly blend Kate Moss’s and David Bowie’s facial features.
Paying tribute to these two chameleonic pop icons from South London, this arresting image was realized for the cover of the music-themed Christmas 2011 issue of Vogue Paris. Mert and Marcus have exhibited internationally, including the Victoria & Albert Museum, London; the National Portrait Gallery, London; and the New York Public Library.
Mario Sorrenti Daria, NY, 2004
Inspired by the Old Masters, Mario Sorrenti’s beauty shot of Daria Werbowy plays on classical hairstyles, as well as the traditional treatment of lighting, and the positioning of the sitter. Taken for the September 2004 issue of Vogue Paris, this timeless portrait is imbued with soft sensuality.
Since his rise to prominence in the early 1990s, Sorrenti has become famed for creating photographs that highlight his subject’s vulnerable beauty. His work has been widely exhibited and published, including his 2013 monograph Draw Blood for Proof, based on his large-scale installation in 2004. Sorrenti’s work resides in a number of public collections, including the Victoria & Albert Museum, London; the National Portrait Gallery, London; and the New York Public Library.
Sølve Sundsbø Close, 2009
To create this extreme close-up, Sølve Sundsbø, who is known for his otherworldly concepts and stylistic versatility, photographed Kate Moss in his East London studio, integrating long exposure and deliberate movement. While the black-and-white variant of this image was published in Vogue Russia in September 2009, this stunning colour version is previously unpublished.
Voted best newcomer in 1999 at the International Festival of Fashion and Photography in Hyères, Sundsbø successfully works across a range of platforms from photography and fashion to music and film, winning an Emmy® award in 2011 for 'Fourteen Actors Acting', a video project for the New York Times.