Purple Magazine Pays Tribute To Helmut Newton

Don't panic, it's not porn, it's fashion. The industry has been historically a bit too obsessed with the photographers who ultimately capture a moment in time where it serves as a source for fashion aficionados to crave, dream and fantasize about the rather unique, misunderstood and creative qualities of fashion. Helmut Newton was one of those shot-makers who always told a story, conveyed a message or feeling through his rather controversial photographs. His take on the appreciation of women were sligthly complexed and mysterious with a seductive and provocative twist. The strong erotic, but tasteful imagery that Newton's photographs exuded certainly made an impact on today's top fashion insiders. I was reading an interview of editor-in-chief of French Vogue Carine Roitfeld on Acne Paper who mentioned, "My dream is to be a strong Helmut Newton woman." After reading the whole interview, who also feature a few of Mario Testino's photographs, I was rather perplexed at such humongous influence a photographer can posses over so many people who rule the fashion industry now-a-days.

In effect, it's not a surprise one of the greatest image makers of all times Karl Lagerfeld with the collaboration of editor Oliver Zahm felt like doing a small but rather significant tribute to his long time friend. In this case, he photographed one of his fav french sensations, Baptise Giabiconi for the latest edition of Purple Magazine. The spread is rumored to be 14 pages, filled with sexy, refined-tranny like pictures of Giabiconi in a pair of black stilettos and leaving almost nothing to the imagination. Newton created the Helmut Newton Woman and now Karl has created the Helmut Newton Man. I love the ambiguous idea this spread offers. I think there is this ironic feeling and contrast within the shoot, an athletic-built young dude rocking a pair of heels, and not to mention they look a bit too high.

I'm sure this spread would be in lots of folks' mouth in Europe. I'm aware the homophobia, closed-mindedness rates are high on the world, but there are those optimistic ones who embrace the idea of open-mindedness and free self-expression. And I believe this photographs just celebrate that.

Pixs: models.com