Picture Twiggy, mid-60s, in a minidress. Her legs spring-loaded with coltish youth, she’s wide-eyed and spidery-lashed. Now picture the classic Dior “new look”: an hourglass jacket whittled to willowy form. A woman stands serene as a ballerina, one pointed toe directed at the camera. Both are fashion photographs selling the world a new silhouette. But both are about so much more than the clothes.
A great fashion photograph is not just about a great outfit. It captures a moment in history. It is more than a portrait of a person; it is a portrait of all of us at that moment. Jumping into the frame like a kid who’s been hiding behind a door, Twiggy is rattling the cage of the establishment with the charm to get away with it.
