Bella Hadid stars on the cover of Vogue Australia’s November 2019 issue

Vogue

The story behind a fashion shoot is often as intriguing as the images that end up being printed on the page. The result of dialogue between the stylist, photographer and model, beautiful imagery can be inspired by anything from a historical figure to a place, a moment in time or even an object, just as it may be influenced by the runway pieces hanging in a magazine’s fashion cupboard. Occasionally there’s a desire to reference something from the past, not only to pay homage, but also to reimagine it for a new audience. When done well – updated for the time and with nuance – such shoots can spark discussion about the meaning behind their re-creation and even offer commentary about the present.

Such was the case with this Bella Hadid shoot, when the suggestion was made to use the work of Sam Haskins as a reference. Born in South Africa, Haskins built his reputation on capturing what the describes as the “lighthearted tone and liberated aesthetic” of the mid-1960s. He is most famous for his 1965 photography book, , in which he shot an unknown model who stars as a heroine on a quest for justice in the Old West.

The book sold more than one million copies, was credited with starting a new genre and
is considered a seminal classic. At present, there’s even an exhibition dedicated entirely
to it at the Atlas Gallery in London. In the original introduction, respected picture editor Norman Hall wrote: “Nostalgically, it guys the props, the conventions and sentimentality of vintage ‘westerns’ but the point it makes is the triumph of beauty – young and wholesome, innocent beauty.”

It’s a book that holds special meaning to Australia. While Haskins never shot for this publication, he worked with several members of the team prior to his death in 2009 at the age of 83. “We were so excited when we learned he was living in Australia,” remembers ’s creative director at large, Alison Veness. “I went to meet him at his home in Bowral [New South Wales]. He opened map drawers full of incredible prints from the 1960s onwards. We worked with him and facilitated many stories through the 2000s [featuring] Nicole Kidman, Naomi Watts, Cate Blanchett and many Australian models.” As for what he brought out in his subjects, Veness recalls: “He had a great way of capturing a woman’s spirit and making her look so naturally part of his world. He caught the vulnerability and the strength.”

For this month’s cover, fashion director Christine Centenera was keen to emulate this style with Hadid and showcase a fierce femininity reminiscent of Haskins’s work. Naturally, this opened up a conversation about art, photography and the male gaze, particularly given that the original featured a beautiful near-naked female form. There has never been any suggestion Haskins acted inappropriately with models in his career; rather, his work is a study in the marriage of sexuality and beauty. “Sam’s legacy is lasting and strong because he knew who he wanted to photograph: a woman who was secure in her own skin, whatever path her life had taken,” says Veness.

Nevertheless, re-exploring the concept – and looking at it through a post #MeToo lens – got us thinking about analysing art from another time and the issue of labelling works as risqué or uncomfortable according to today’s standards. Speaking to the ahead of a photography exhibition in 2016, Italian senior photo editor Alessia Glaviano made the point: “Some feminists think that if there is a woman’s body that’s naked, you’re objectifying it. And I don’t agree with that. I believe that you always have to see case by case, judging the awareness of the subject and the motivation of the artist. Let’s not be so black and white, maybe there are some areas of grey that we should look at.”

At its core, the issue is not only grey: it’s multilayered and it warrants further conversation. A blanket approach suggesting art from the past be disregarded because it doesn’t fit with today’s doctrines is much too simple. We can’t rewrite our creative history and it’s unhelpful – not to mention a slippery slope – to ignore works that are a product of their own space and time. If Haskins were alive today, Veness says he wouldn’t give much weight to conservative thought.

“He wouldn’t care too much because he was always true to himself,” she offers. “If we live under the expectations of our peers, we live in the shadows forever. He never did that; he was one of the legends.”

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