Dread Agent of Unimaginable Pleasure and Pain!

The late 19th century has always been my favourite historical period: the Victorian age, in particular, retains an incredible charm, as it represented a period where appearance and good manners had many different dark counterparts, one of which is the use of drugs. The title of the post refers to Confessions of an English Opium-Eater by Thomas De Quincey, first published anonymously in 1821, an autobiographical account of the addiction to laudanum (opium and alcohol). It has never been proved that London had more opium dens than France or North America, yet De Quincey’s account, along with The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, contributed in establishing the fame of the British capital as a centre of danger and mystery [1]. I am sure Yves Saint Laurent had this in mind when he decided to call one of his most famous perfumes after the poppy-derived drug. The great French designer was addicted to drugs for part of his life, so it’s interesting to see how he turned to the imagery related to opium and decadence.

The fragrance was created by Jean Louis Sieuzac and combined oriental and floral accents: the complex olfactive pyramid includes benzoin, patchouli, oppoponax, cedar, sandalwood, labdanum, castoreum, musk and vanilla at the base, clove, jasmine, cinnamon, rose, peach, orris, myrrh and ylang ylang at the heart, aldehydes, plum, pepper, tangerine, coriander, bergamot and lemon on top.

The advertising campaign by Helmut Newton featured a stunning Jerry Hall, leaning on a bed covered by silver and pewter brocade cushions, surrounded by white lilies and a golden Buddha statue; she wore a Chinese-style embroidered jacket, purple pants, strappy sandals and loads of rings on her fingers. The idea you get from this image is a clear reference to the Far East culture and to decadence. The catchphrase (“For those addicted to Yves Saint Laurent”) caused quite a stir, so much that in some countries the campaign was banned.

When Whitney Turned into Jerry

I was born in 1974 and lots of that decade still lingers in my life: I love music, fashion and culture from the 70, fashion included. As a fashion photography nerd, I’ve always admired the work of Helmut Newton, one of the most ground-breaking and original photographers ever. I have been collecting his books since the 90s, so I know his work in depht; even if most of his photos were amazing, I have a thing for portraits of celebrities (among my favourite, the infamous portrait of Charlotte Rampling as Venus in Furs, Brigitte Nielsen and Elizabeth Taylor), for the advertising campaigns he shot for Blumarine, Dolce & Gabbana, Versace and Thierry Mugler, and for his extraordinary photoshoots for Vogue (especially the ones shot on the Cote d’Azur). The love for Helmut Newton’s photography is the reason why I was enthralled by a photoshoot I saw on the March 2010 issue of Zink magazine, starring Whitney Port. I must admit I’ve never watched The City, but I quite like Whitney’s style, where a quirky or a personal touch is never missing.

In this photoshoot, which is very reminiscent of Helmut Newton’s approach to fashion photography, she is turned into an icon of the 70s, the one and only Jerry Hall, the American blonde model who will always have a special place in my own fashion shrine.

Those blonde locks are mesmerizing, aren’t they? You may be not used to seeing Whitney with this hairstyle and all this make-up on, but I think she looks gorgeous. The hairstyle, the make-up and all the jewellery scream 70s and Jerry Hall to me, do you agree?