For those who might have missed it, there's a new documentary series about 90s supermodels, aptly named Supermodels, directed and produced by two-time Academy Award-winning director Barbara Couple. It will air on AppleTV+ on October 20 <> and will revolve around the story of four epoch-making charismatic figures: Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington. We wouldn't be able to understand this phenomenon without Peter Lindbergh, the German photographer who ignited this cultural movement that reshaped fashion and beauty forever. To pay his respect, the Stockholm Museum of Photography will host an exhibition by Peter Lindbergh. "The Lightness of Being", showcasing more than a hundred shots taken by the influential creator**.
The exhibition is the first of its kind in Sweden by the photographer's son, Benjamin Lindbergh, in close collaboration with the Peter Lindbergh Foundation. "We hope this installation will shine a new light on his legacy, pay homage to his pioneering vision of fashion photography and resonate with younger generations," Benjamin said. He concluded: "I believe that Lindbergh's authentic portrayal of women – without artificiality or superficial filtering – is still important for how beauty is defined today."
As his son put it, he was ahead of his time "in a way that realistically portrayed women." In the mid-1980s, the photographer told Alexander Liberman, Condé Nast's legendary editorial director, that he didn't like women in Vogue magazine because they were often over-produced. Lieberman then suggested that he portray the kind of women he was interested in. That's when Lindbergh headed to Santa Monica Beach with Linda Ivangelista, Karen Alexander, Christy Turlington, Estelle Lefebble, Tatiana Partitz and Rachel Williams, all wearing oversized plain white shirts. Peter Lindbergh made history by capturing candid moments of joy and laughter in a group of young models who were unknown at the time. Well, sort of. Because both Alexander Liberman and Grace Mirabella, then editor-in-chief of Vogue USA, rejected these**.
A few months later, however, Anna Wintour replaced Mirabella at the helm of the so-called fashion bible. After learning that Peter was filming on the beach**, she commissioned him to shoot the cover of her first Vogue book, the infamous 1988 issue of 1990, in which model Michael Bercu wore a Christian Lacroix jumper with appliqués and a pair of jeans. Now, history has finally been made — even though the 15-year-<> monthly edition of British Vogue features Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Tatjana Patitz, Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista evangelista), which really cemented the foundation of the supermodel.
Being an accidental instigator of this phenomenon is just one of the many accomplishments that Peter Lindbergh has achieved during his long and successful career. As a genius, Lindbergh was an artist of another era (before the digital age took over the magic of film photography), an artist who looked for raw and natural honesty in his work. Fotografiska's major exhibition, which runs until <> <>, is yet another reminder of his incredible talent and a unique opportunity to explore the photographer's vast body of work.
Amber Valletta, New York, 1993. Peter Lindbergh.
Angela Lindvall and Chris Dye, Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, CA, 2004. Peter Lindbergh.
Estelle Lefebble, Karen Alexander, Rachel Williams, Linda Ivangelista, Tatiana Patitz and Christy Turlington, Santa Monica, CA, 1988. Peter Lindbergh.
Kate Moss, New York, 1994. Peter Lindbergh.
Ulli Stein Meier, Lynne Koester, Cindy Crawford, and Linda Evangelista, Paris, 1989. Peter Lindbergh.