These images certainly got the fashion world talking about Steven Klein again. The way they haven’t been talking in years. Now, I know both Kurkova and Renn, and neither are easily persuaded to do anything they don’t wanna do. They are both powerful women who love their jobs. Doing a shoot like this for these models is the equivalent to Charlize Theron playing a killer in “Monster”, it’s acting and something exciting and challenging to do outside of their type cast. And they played their roles beautifully. Part Girl Interrupted, Part Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, these are the kinds of images people outside of fashion look at and get “disturbed”, “upset” or “confused” by. “How could someone depict women this way?” Blah Blah Blah… Here’s what I love about stories like this: It reminds me that we are in a creative world working with talented artists who have something to say besides “look at me, aren’t I perfect and pretty?”. Artists are not afraid to venture into the taboo and forbidden. I think it’s important to have artists like Klein or the former Lee McQueen making images that wake people up and make them think about things. Life isn’t always pretty, and great artists in the fashion community do know how to make images that can be stunning and disturbing at the same time. I like the anarchy that images like this bring to the table. And I am happy that Interview has the balls to print it. I appreciate people who have the guts to explore the dark as well as the light. OK, I will step off my philosophical fashion soapbox now.
Photography Steven Klein. For more, click here.
Styling Ludivine Poiblanc at Management Artists. For more, click here.
Hair Paul Hanlon at Julian Watson Agency. For more, click here.
Makeup Mark Carrasquillo at Art + Commerce. For more, click here.
Manicure April Foreman at the Wall Group. For more, click here.
Model Karolina Kurkova at IMG Models. For more, click here.
Model Crystal Renn at Ford Models. For more, click here.