As far as supermodels go, it doesn’t get more legendary than Claudia Schiffer. From sashaying down the runway as one of Versace’s “Golden Girls” to making a memorable cameo as Liam Neeson’s love interest in Love Actually, the fashion icon has done—and seen—it all. It makes sense, then, why she has decided to chronicle her wealth of experiences in a new illustrated book. Captivate! Fashion Photography from the ’90s, due out in November, will accompany the first-ever exhibition curated by Schiffer, featuring stunning (and unseen) photography by Arthur Elgort, Ellen von Unwerth, Herb Ritts and more, largely culled from the model’s private archive. Here, exclusively for ELLE.com, Schiffer shares the story behind some of her favorite images.
ELLE France, 1988
“Each cover is memorable, but certainly my first-ever cover, which was for ELLE France, was special. I was living in Paris at the time, and it stared out at me at every kiosk.”
Guess, 1989
“The chemistry between photographer and model is vital, as is a sense of trust. Ellen von Unwerth’s specialty is to ask the model to move and express herself freely, rather than focus on a still pose. This shoot was one of many for Guess in Marrakesh, and was one of its most successful campaigns.”
Revlon, 1992
“Photographer Bruce Weber seized on the idea of supermodel sisterhood, framing Cindy Crawford and myself with tousled hair wearing leather jeans and white T-shirts in this campaign image for Revlon, one of the most successful cosmetic brands in the world at the time.”
Guess, 1992
“Herb Ritts had an extraordinary eye for beauty, and worked with natural light and graphic simplicity. He made his subjects feel absolutely at ease and he embraced the personality of the model. This photo was taken for a Guess fragrance campaign.”
Versace, 1994
“Doug Ordway championed the supermodels as a group. Here we are backstage in 1994, against a shimmering gold backdrop dressed in the famous chain-mail dresses by Gianni Versace, who electrified fashion by turning it into a pop culture phenomenon. The Golden Girls were Emma Sjöberg, Nadja Auermann, Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Ève Salvail, Shalom Harlow, Carla Bruni, Olga Pantushenkova, Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, me, Yasmeen Ghauri, Amber Valletta, Tricia Helfer, and Helena Christensen.”
Valentino, 1995
“Arthur Elgort is renowned for his free-spirited reportage style that liberated fashion photography from the confines of the studio. He allowed stories to unfold on location with real people creating the drama. Here, we were in Rome, shooting a Valentino campaign inspired by Federico Fellini’s iconic film La Dolce Vita. I took on the role of Sylvia, played in the film by Anita Ekberg. Throughout the day, we attracted crowds until life finally imitated art: we were chased through the streets by paparazzi, just like Sylvia in the movie!”
“Captivate! Fashion Photography From the ’90s” will be on view at Kunstpalast Düsseldorf from September 15, 2021 through January 9, 2022. For more information, visit kunstpalast.de.
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