Kate Moss, 1993 (Calvin Klein)
Hepburn in Givenchy, Sedgwick in Johnson, Moss in Klein: 50’s, 60’s, 90’s
- 1953: Audrey Hepburn: “Gamine” (Hubert de Givenchy)
- 1966: Me: “Waif” (Betsey Johnson)
- 1993: Kate Moss: “Heroin Chic” (Calvin Klein)
Rubens Who?
Back in the 17th century when Dutch-boy Peter Paul Rubens was doing his Baroque thing, lots of peeps were starving. So he thought about big girls and said, That’s Hot. Then it was the 20th century and in Postwar America a lot of people had a lot to eat. Thanks to Industrial Food (yes, The Factory’s war against The Farm, again!) government subsidies for Archer Daniels Midland and friends, and McDonald’s mass distribution of high-fructose corn syrup into the bloodstreams of every vehicle occupant on every freeway on-ramp, it became pretty easy to be large. Large wasn’t so hot anymore. So Anna Wintour said, Oh, thin? That’s hot!
In praise of Kate Moss
In 1993 Kate Moss launched a massive new advertising campaign for Calvin Klein. Striking out against the athletic models of the day, like Cindy Crawford, Elle Macpherson, Claudia Schiffer, and Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss ushered in a more elfin physique. Moss look was dubbed Heroin Chic by some. Then president Bill Clinton took the trouble to dis the style. I’ve always loved finding the power in a small package! It’s just more efficient, isn’t it?
Betsey Johnson was born just 8 months before me. But she’s lived a whole lot longer. Calvin Klein was born just 3 months after Betsey! All 3 of us are 71 ATM! And 66% of us are even still alive. Hubert de Givenchy’s 87 and he’s still alive too!
It’s not that we don’t have the Kennedys and Clintons under surveilance, in all politeness, its just that we might want to talk them into going out and having a cigar and not really know what they talk about on the phone, in one ear out the other, nice day for a football game- why put our our head in the noose?
But…..BEAUTIFUL Betsy Johnson. pesonally, I find it erotic, True, Waif is a midriff shot and the angle of the legs do day come find my sexual postition. The obvious mini-skirt, but less demonstrative in the entire compositon.
In the U.S we have a new commercial for Rimmel, which seems exciting- I’ll try to find a copy of it.
F. Boucher? Ingress? The Female Form has often been an Ideal, where beauty is its subject- and look how it interacts with men that are not in the picture.
Oh yes, Kate Moss’ Rimmel campaign.
Wasn’t Rick Rimmel a beat poet!?
Brief, not a poet I’m aware of. To the point, didn’t recognize Moss, was only looking for retro pop-comercials.