Modeling is fun but also hard work. One has to be in shape and look good because a lot of people are depending on it. At times it meant taking the plane very early in the morning to arrive at a studio in Hamburg or Milan at 9 and be ready to face a rack of clothes that all have to be photographed within a certain time as everything costs a lot of money. On a commercial job you sometimes had to change clothes 20 or 25 times and mostly the clothes were not that exciting and at the end of the day you would be so exhausted that it was dinner and to sleep, get up early again… working through the day and fly home, arriving at night and the next day up early again for that booking at Elle or Vogue which were much more fun and relaxing but doesn’t bring home the bacon. There were some very good photographers around and the time in Fashion was exciting as many new talents were emerging, Thiery Mugler , Claude Montana, Gaultier, Alaiia, Isy Miyaki, Yamamoto, Kenzo and more but will talk about that in an other post. Also photographers with a different vision came up……
This was part of a series called: <Artist and their model> ( see Salvador in my glasses)
Laurence Sackman ( he is English) had his very own taste and style and he knew precisely the effect he wanted to get so it was for me really like working together with him to get that effect, which was not always easy but always interesting and like he said himself “I only shoot the picture when I see it”. Always enjoyed working with Laurence and we did a lot of things for Marie Claire and also publicity. We were good friends with him and Remi, his wife and inspiration, and their daughter Apple who was very close friends of Alejandro.
Loved the pictures of Hans ( from Swiss) and liked to work with him although it was not always easy. If it did not work for some reason he would get really frustrated and you feel a sort of guilty because you think maybe it is you who cannot make it work but there are a lot of things that may influence the outcome of a picture that is to be published and judged by many. The stylist is very important, a good stylist can make the dreariest outfit look glamorous, the light is of course very important, especially when working on location outside where the light does what it wants, the surroundings and the mood you got up with are important too…
love his pictures and he is a friend, his daughter Malin was also very good friends with Alejandro…
APPLE, ALEJANDRO and MALIN on a summer day…
Loved to work with Tony, always nice people around, relaxed atmosphere, good music and great pictures. We were very good friends of Tony and his wife Susan Bottomly and he often booked Susan and me together… They are no longer together but both still dear friends, so many memories together…
Andre was very pleasant to work with, very professional and could make you look good…
Working with Eric, who is an English photographer( working in Paris then), was relaxed and you could be sure to get a really good picture of yourself…
Working with Barry was great, he was very soft spoken and gentle and it was really easy…Think it is so funny that I am holding my own bag in a Vogue shoot.
♡SACHA
Sacha is from Holland, working in Paris where she had a fabulous studio. She was one of the very few female Photographers around then. Like her pictures very much.
Alberta was a model herself before she became a professional photographer so she knew how to treat a model. She is from Italy.
Always great fun to work with Toscani (also form Italy) as we have worked together so much from the time when he first started… if you think this picture is easy try it in front of the mirror and like me imagine there is a balcony you can rest your high heeled foot on holding on to a cord that is not really strongly attached anywhere and smile, click…click, HOLD IT… click click…
Working with David was always pleasant, he is very funny and down to earth, English that is. Since you knew he would make good pictures you felt good and confident. He had it very clear, what and how he wanted it, so you only had to fill in so to speak.…
Jo booked me quiet a lot for Elle or publicity and it was super easy and nice working with him and he often booked me together with Christina Steidten and going to work was like meeting up with friends and do something creative. Jo was French I am almost sure but writing all this I realize that most photographers I worked with were from other places, either working in Paris like Helmut and Laurence and Sacha or they booked me in London or Milan or… Bockelberg in Germany, very well remembered by all the girls hat were modeling at that time.. Francois Lamy, he made you look so good… once I worked with Guy Bourdin and the picture he did won some award in a magazine, Jean Loup Sieff was also a wonderful photographer, his pictures were very meticulously prepared and actually one felt like an object, beautiful for sure but… and there were other fantastic studios in Paris, I can not put everything here but I even worked once with Patrick Demarchelier who just started out and Alex Chatelaine, Steve Hiett and others… of the girls I met and worked with I like to talk in my next post, the Fashion shows were taking off.. YSL needs a post apart too and oh, there are so many things going on… also at home where Salvador is making some incredible paintings,➜ CLICK HERE to see his work on ALEGRIA’s Blog.
Wonderful Willy !
Thanks for sharing !
Love Hazel
Wow! Ma ! What can I say, That hadn’t been said already…. 1 love
photography in that decade was such a fascinating process Willy. It required such a collaboration of model and photographer to produce a great shot . I am so interested to hear your forthcoming comments on the other girls that you worked with.
The best designers, best fashion magazines, the best photographers , for the BEST MODEL !!!
Besossssssssssss
Wow, Willy! You have outdone yourself on this one. What a treat to see these pictures , which I remember so well, and to hear your commentary. Thank you for sharing this. I will repost it on my various blogs. Love
Dearest Willy… I love your report on working in Paris…..and all the beautiful pictures…!! I remember them well….nobody looked and looks like you…. what a face and figure!!! Just beautiful….you are one of my most favorite models of all time…. thanks for sharing…
all the best to you and your lovely family….. so long.. much love. Margrit
So Very Beautifull tantos recuerdos love allways
Love all the comments and thank you all for it, love and peace dear friends
Tony Kent will be my father-in-law in just a few short weeks… I’m marrying one of his sons! We love hearing stories about Tony “back in the day” and enjoy seeing all of his beautiful work! All my best.
Guessing that Justin is the lucky one? and yes we had great times in Paris and your Father in Law, Tony, was and for sure still is, a wonderful photographer and a wonderful person too, love and happiness to you.
Nice article, brings back the feelings for me of Paris like it was yesterday, modeling in a non stop rush from studio to studio, airport to airport (catching flights where we did most of our sleeping! LOL) and working with some of the photographers you mention, (couldn’t agree more regarding Han Feuer lol). Enjoyed this post alot and the photos! Keep ’em coming…
Cathy, thank you for your comment and looked up your marvelous website, Glad you are doing so well and like your pictures very much. Good for you, have a great time, much love
Willy, wonderful article. Boy did you really hit the nail on the head with the work, bookings, travel, etc.
Regarding Hans, YES! I just always thought he hated me, because of how he was when we shot together. Wool clothing, fur coats, shoes 3 sizes too small… and him screaming at me for sweating in 90 degree weather, lol… Suddenly I feel better reading your account and also the account of Cathy above.. ha ha ha
Regarding Alberta… Can’t say enough nice things about her. She was AMAZING to shoot with. I have nothing but very pleasant and fond memories of every time I went to Rome to shoot with her.
thank you for your wonderful comment, and I am glad to know Hans was not only with me like that, LOL, but the outcome of the pictures was always cool, really like his pictures and yes Alberta is something else and you did some marvelous work Charity and so nice to be in contact with you, much love
There is no doubt he did beautiful work. That is why he continued to shoot for so many years for so many magazines, campaigns, etc. Because, there was brilliance in all of that. It was all about the end result. And, he did beautiful work.
And thank you for the kind words. You are a sweetheart.
Regarding work, I think one of my all time favorite photos is the one of you running away from the airplane that Helmut Newton shot of you. This one to be exact! https://willyvanrooy.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/plane-series–196×300.jpg
If there were big poster sized prints I would be proudly hanging that on my wall! Such art and comedy all rolled up in one. It is brilliant!
Good idea Charity, thanks ( you are too kind but love it)
If you ever decide to blow up a copy, let me know!
Great work, Willy! The more I read, the more photographs I see, the more convinced I am that fashion at that time was so much more art (although not always easy for you!). And to think about those days in Paris….wow, there can be no other place than this! Look forward to the next article. Love, Mira
Thank you Mira, Yes wonderful Paris in that time, so many new things exploding and so many talented people… I guess it is still wonderful, haven’t been there for a while but Paris is Paris always… Love to you
Willy,
Thank you so much re my site and my work. =) Coming from you that is quite a compliment and I am truly humbled by that.
I just read your “Modeling in Paris’ article 1. They’re so enjoyable to read. I definitely agree w/ Mira’s comment above. Those times, fashion photography and the life was more about art, living it, breathing it. Modeling was an artform in itself and b/c we worked in the days of poloroids and film (not digital..instant gratification and easy to retouch) it was crucial to get it right. I feel that meant the talent pool of models, photographers, hair and make up artists, stylists, etc…had to truly bring their A game to set in order to excel. Those that did, get the extra kudos for it in my humble opinion.
From your industry credentials you definitely did!! I love all your tear sheets and especially love the shot that Charity referred to shot by Helmut Newton. One of my faves as well!
Please keep these articles coming….
Best,
Cat
PS: Forgot to add, couldn’t agree more re Hans!! He was scary intimidating! LOL Brilliant? Genius?, Yes! intimidating… definite yes! Not many photographers I could say that about. He was up there for that but what a talent! incidentally, I would like you to invite you join my ciao bella! photography fb page if you like? Here is the link.
https://www.facebook.com/media/albums/?id=1003921806#!/pages/Ciao-Bella/307128599646
Lovely and all my compliments, was very surprised how wonderful and profesional you are, must have a lot of succes right? Thanks for making me attent and will share your link for sure, love
So nice to read these stories on your blog as well as your daughter’s. ….Hope to visit you next time we may go to Oregon to visit my sister Breezy…hugs Willy…
The Netherlands Women are so beautiful.xx