Harper’s Bazaar: Models #hotbook

‘You know them by their first names: Christy. Naomi. Linda. Kate. Gisele.
Their faces are unforgettable.
They are supermodels, and the pages of Harper’s Bazaar are their stage.
The new book Harper’s Bazaar: Models gives an exclusive look at the top models that have graced the magazine for the last sixty years. Harper’s Bazaar editor at large Derek Blasberg has selected twenty-eight women for this book from the publication’s rich and diverse history: iconic beauties from Suzy Parker, Dovima, and China Machado to Iman, Patti Hansen, and Cindy Crawford–plus new stars such as Lara Stone, Hilary Rhoda, and Lily Donaldson.
Alongside essays written by Blasberg, who is a friend and confidant to many of the models, are more than 200 stunning photographs shot by leading photographers including Richard Avedon, Francesco Scavullo, Patrick Demarchelier, Peter Lindbergh, and more. Filled with revealing anecdotes and images from the archives, Harper’s Bazaar: Models is a celebration of the gorgeous women who have lent so much inspiration and beauty to the pages of this visionary magazine.’

The first thing that comes to mind when Iman, the Somali model, actress, and entrepreneur thinks of Bazaar is legendary fashion editor Diana Vreeland, of course. “I met her the first week I arrived in New York,” Iman recalls. “I will never forget it. As a little girl, I didn’t know modeling existed. I was raised in a family of political science. I didn’t wear makeup or own heels. And then I met this woman who looked like a bird of prey with her red cheeks and black lacquered hair. She put her hands under my chin and turned my head to profile and said, ‘Now, that is a neck.’ And I thought, What the hell is this business?”

What was Amber Valletta’s favorite shoot for Bazaar? “That’s simple,” she says. “It was the angel story.” In 1993, photographer Peter Lindbergh had an idea for a fashion editorial: An angel from heaven falls to earth and ends up in New York City. “I was on an intense spiritual journey at the time. I know this sounds corny but I felt like angels were speaking to me. So when I found out I was going to be one, it seemed like a sign form above.” The images were so stunning that they became a centerpiece of the December issue. “It didn’t look like a typical fashion story,” says Amber. “It spoke to a lot of people, because it showed that fashion can transcend clothing. It can transcend into art and emotion.” Read more here at Harpers Bazaar.

$65 Imprint: Abrams Books Publication Date: October 13, 2015