Would These Photos Change Fashion?

Rankin. Homage to Cecil Beaton - Hat Box, 1934

Tonight BBC Four ran Seven Photographs That Changed Fashion in which fashion photographer Rankin seeks to re-create his favourite iconic photographs. David Bailey made an appearance (the only one of the respective group of greats who is still alive) to witness Rankin's attempt at reproducing the magic of his portrait with Jean Shrimpton (and taunt him a bit as well), as did Lillian Bassman and the original model from Helmut Newton's Le Smoking photo - taken more than 30 years earlier - who was around to share her reminiscings about that night in the backstreets of Paris.

The re-creation models included Erin O'Connor, singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor (who looks best without make-up), Jade Parfitt, and Daphne Guinness, who got right into her sexy shoot. The one that least hit the mark was the re-staging of Bailey's Jean Shrimpton portrait with Rankin's girlfriend posing - a blonde with arms that were just too long to get the shape right. And there's nothing like the Shrimpton nose. Bailey even joked "You might as well have brought in Naomi!"

Rankin. Homage to Richard Avedon - Dovima With Elephants, 1955

 

Richard Avedon - Divina With Elephants, 1955

Erin O'Connor is a fantastic model but Dovima's body was amazing, she moved with those elephants. It's like a glamorous version of the Hellenistic pose - strong footed but with just a bit of tension as opposed to an all-out struggle.

Rankin. Homage to Helmut Newton - Rue Abriot, Vogue. 1975


Helmut Newton. Rue Abriot, Vogue. 1975

It's supposed to be about the Yves St. Laurent jacket, right? Le smoking? In the re-stage you don't think about the jacket - you notice Jade's forward left leg, the stiff, bent arm. Her pants were too tight to fit a hand into a side pocket comfortably. I can't recall the name of Newton's model - she nailed the chic and confident Parisian woman. And she's still a stunner 30 years later.

Rankin. Homage to Guy Bordin - Untitled

Guy Bordin. Untitled.

The original model is more unrestrained and seems to saying "'Come and take me". Daphne looks like she's saying the same but would kick you in the junk if you actually tried it.

Erwin Blumenfeld. Vogue. January, 1950.

 

Rankin. Homage to Erwin Blumenfeld - Vogue, 1950

Rankin used Heidi Klum for The Doe Eye, whom he described as one of the best supermodels today (and I could just imagine what Karl Lagerfeld would say to that! "Claudia Schiffer doesn't even know who she is." What a guy.) Heidi got the tongue out and it worked better than those where she tried to duplicate the original. This is the portrait of Jean Patchett that was manipulated for that most famous of covers:

Erwin Blumenfeld. Jean Patchett. 1950

Rankin photos from Telegraph

Comments

[Luckie Daniels]

Do you know what I love about this? How many miles of water separate us YET we are all kindred fashion, soul sisters!

Le Smoking is forever the epitome of timeless chic {I recall Syd blogging on this recently} & the Erwin Blumenfeld 1950 Vogue cover was my inspiration behind our sites Tres Chic pinkicon! It is my favorite V cover of all time!:-)

Luckie.