When Augustin Lignier, a professional photographer in Paris, was in graduate school, he began to ponder the point of picture-taking in the modern world: Why did so many of us feel compelled to photograph our lives and share those images online?
It was not a novel question, but it led Mr. Lignier to a surprising place, and before long he found himself building what was, in essence, a photo booth for rats.
He took inspiration from B.F. Skinner, the famous behaviorist who had devised a test chamber to study learning in rats. The Skinner box, as it became known, dispensed food pellets when rats pushed a designated lever.
It became one of the most well-known experimental paradigms in psychology. Scientists found that reward-seeking rats became lever-pressing pros, pushing the bar down over and over again in exchange for food, drugs or even a gentle electric zap directly to the pleasure center of the brain.
Mr. Lignier built his own version of a Skinner box — a tall, transparent tower with an attached camera — and released two pet-store rats inside. Whenever the rats pressed the button inside the box, they got a small dose of sugar and the camera snapped their photo.The resulting images were immediately displayed on a screen, where the rats could see them. (“But honestly I don’t think they understood it,” Mr. Lignier said.)
The rodents quickly became enthusiastic button pushers. “They are very clever,” Mr. Lignier said. (He named the white rat, which proved to be the cleverer of the two, Augustin, after himself. The brown and white rat he named Arthur, after his brother.)
But after this training phase, the rewards became more unpredictable. Although the rats were still photographed every time they hit the button, the sweet treats came only once in a while, by design. These kinds of intermittent rewards can be especially powerful, scientists have found, keeping animals glued to their experimental slot machines as they await their next jackpot.
Indeed, in the face of these unpredictable rewards, Augustin and Arthur — the rats — persisted. Sometimes, they ignored the sugar even when it did arrive, Mr. Lignier said, and just kept pressing the button anyway.
To Mr. Lignier, the parallel is obvious. “Digital and social media companies use the same concept to keep the attention of the viewer as long as possible,” he said.
Indeed, social media has been described as “a Skinner Box for the modern human,” doling out periodic, unpredictable rewards — a like, a follow, a promising romantic match — that keep us glued to our phones.
Or maybe being able to keep ourselves busy pressing buttons is its own reward. In a 2014 study, scientists concluded that many human volunteers “preferred to administer electric shocks to themselves instead of being left alone with their thoughts.” Maybe we would rather sit around and push whatever levers are in front of us — even those that might make us feel bad — than sit with ourselves in quiet contemplation.
But that’s precisely the sort of thing that might be too uncomfortable to sit around and contemplate. Especially when there are rat selfies to marvel over — “I found them cute and fun,” Mr. Lignier said — and an endless stream of Instagram photos to scroll through or even, occasionally, enjoy.
Igarchitects brings a forested ambiance to this japanese home
A boomerang-shaped dwellingby IGarchitects completes for two families in Japan‘s Fukushima prefecture. Framing a large mountain at the rear and tucked among neighboring houses, the project carefully achieves a balance between privacy from the surroundings and between the families, as well as balance between closed spaces and open views that visually incorporate the natural mountainous backdrop. The Japanese practice adapted to the site layout by organizing the building plan along the back hill, with the south side wide open. The walls block the view from the surroundings, while clerestory windows placed above create the impression of a floating roof. Stepping inside, a large open space appears with ‘boxes’ that enclose private functions like toilets and bathrooms. Meanwhile, slim, woodenpillars that recall a forestscape are displayed amid the interiors, creating depth and playful vantage points.
using wood to create a sense of floating and reconstruction
The teamat IGarchitects placed this forest of 90 sqmm pillars at an equal distance of 1.8 meters from each other. Spanning individually 3.5 meters in height, the wooden structures collectively support the roof while offering a visual extension of the greenery outside, simulating an artificial woodland that feels almost natural. As project architect Masato Igarashi explains it, the architecture here attempts to disassemble then reconstruct: ‘The pillars are out of walls, forested as if dancing. The roof is disconnected from the walls, floating freely. The separated elements are united once again in a different form. The displacement and gaps are therefore produced, creating new relationships within the interior space and between the outside and inside of the building.’
a forest of pillars defines this Japanese dwelling by IGArchitects
the pillars are separated at an equal distance of 1.8 meters from each other
simulating a natural woodland
the two-story house accommodates two families in Fukushima
A sculptural light pendant suspended above the counter is the work of Pablo Bolumar, a Madrid-based designer who employs a low-resolution 3D-printing process to create bioplastic ellipsoid forms. The pendant’s contemporary lines are juxtaposed with the vintage scallop shell wall lights whose aquatic theme is echoed in the bathroom where a Japanese paper lantern hand-painted with fish by New York-based artist Claire Dufournier is paired with a wavy-shaped oak-framed mirror and green ceramic tiling. Hand-crafted bar stools from sustainable manufacturer Maderas Collective along with hand-crafted ceramic vases by Fefostudio further underline the scheme’s craft-centric sensibility.
In contrast to most of New York’s high-end sushi spots that boast rare ingredients flown in daily from fish markets on the other side of the world, Bar Miller prioritizes local seafood and produce fish, whilst avoiding overfished species, serving a 15-course omakase menu created in partnership with chef James Dumapit. The eco-conscious ethos extends to the beverage offerings which comprise local, small batch, and sustainable wine, cider, and beer mostly from natural makers.
Danish brand Vipp, renowned for its 85-year tradition of metalwork and most notably their iconic trash bins, introduces their latest kitchen design that’s a perfect testament to the company’s legacy. Crafted with aluminum, the V3 kitchen is a modular masterpiece that seamlessly merges functionality with minimalist aesthetics, marking a new chapter in Vipp’s storied journey. Wrapped in naturally anodized aluminum, the freestanding modules boast vertically extruded profiles that gracefully curve, infusing a light elegance into the metallic landscape. Vipp CEO Kasper Egelund describes it as “a unique kitchen that feels like a sculptural piece on its own.”
The V3 kitchen pays homage to Vipp’s heritage, tracing back to founder Holger Nielsen’s entrepreneurial spirit. Inspired by the legacy of their notable stainless-steel pedal bin, the V3 follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, the V1 kitchen made of black powder-coated steel, introduced in 2011. While maintaining the principles of the V1, the V3 takes a departure, introducing an aluminum-first appearance that breathes freshness into Vipp’s longstanding metalwork legacy.
True to Vipp’s philosophy that “a kitchen is a tool, not a decoration,” the V3 is designed for everyday use. Discreetly integrated pulls, long handles with rounded rubber inner edges on fridge and freezer cabinets, and a four-millimeter stainless-steel countertop are thoughtful details that underscore Vipp’s commitment to form, function, and durability. The kitchen is envisioned to be a lifelong companion, celebrating thoughtful design and premium materials. Kasper Egelund sums up Vipp’s approach, stating, “Our kitchens are based on everything we’ve learned about metalwork since Vipp was founded in 1939.”
The V3 kitchen offers versatility with three distinct modules – island, wall, and tall – and the choice of integrated gas hobs or an induction option.
While Vipp’s metalwork history revolves mostly around steel, their latest design introduces a lighter option inspired by the use of aluminum in the brand’s Shelter and Chimney guesthouses.
From afar, the cabinets appear to have a fresh, light gray color exterior. Upon closer inspection, the metallic hue and tactile quality of the fluted panels makes for an elevated and unique kitchen design.
For those eager to learn more or experience the V3 kitchen, further details can be found on Vipp.com.
Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.
Among the names of mostly white men and a few women that have been carved into the marble walls of the Royal Institute of British Architects since 1848, this year will see a first. Lesley Lokko, a Ghanaian-Scottish architect and academic, has been announced as the winner of RIBA’s gold medal, becoming the first African woman to receive the gong – and only the second black architect to be honoured in its history.
“It was a bit of an out-of-body experience,” she said, on hearing the news. “It was so far off my radar – I’m not a practising architect by any stretch of the imagination.” Lokko, 60, may not design buildings, but she has long been one of architecture’s most energetic advocates for widening access to the profession. As a teacher, writer and curator, she has dedicated her career to amplifying underrepresented voices, exploring the relationship between architecture, identity and race, and trying to democratise what has always been a rarefied pursuit. She has taught around the world, founded two architecture schools – one in Johannesburg, South Africa, another in Ghana’s capital, Accra – and curated the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale, putting the focus on the African continent for the first time.
Fittingly, she will be awarded the medal in May by the RIBA’s first black president, and youngest ever: Nigerian-born Muyiwa Oki. The 33-year-old was elected last year after a grassroots campaign to elevate a young “architectural worker” to the lofty role rather than the principal of an eponymous practice, as is usually the case.
“A fierce champion of equity and inclusion in all aspects of life,” said Oki of Lokko. “Her progressive approach to architecture education offers hope for the future – a profession that welcomes those from all walks of life, considers the needs of our environment, and acknowledges a broad range of cultures and perspectives.”
A powerful corrective … Lokko at the Venice Beinnale last year. Photograph: Jacopo Salvi
Born in Dundee, to a Ghanaian father and a Scottish Jewish mother, Lokko grew up in Accra. She was sent to Malvern College boarding school in England at the age of 17, and went on to study Hebrew and Arabic at Oxford, but dropped out to spend five years in the US, where she studied sociology and law before settling on architecture. She graduated from the Bartlett school of architecture at University College London in 1992 before moving back to Ghana in 2000, where she wrote several bestselling racy novels, and completed a practice-based PhD by building her own mud-brick house.
An invitation to be an external examiner at the University of Johannesburg brought her back to architectural education, and she became an associate professor in 2014, founding the first postgraduate architecture school in Africa there the following year. When she was hired, the architecture programme had 11 students, all white.
“In South Africa,” Lokko told the Guardian in 2020, “I used to have very interesting conversations with the vice-chancellor of the university about why there are not more African academics in architecture. I said that it was not our job to go out and find them; it was our job to make them. It’s a project that takes two generations.”
“For all of our talk of inclusivity and diversity and togetherness,” said Lokko, “when these moments happen, they are vicious. You are bearing the brunt of that brutality, and it’s a deeply scary space to be in.” Nonetheless, she is optimistic about changes she has seen in architectural education over the last few years, particularly since the wider societal reckoning triggered by the murder of George Floyd.
“The kneejerk reaction is to employ more people of colour,” she said, “and implement policies that make sure you’re more representative, but the canon itself doesn’t change very much. I think we’re now at the point where the canon and the content, and who’s delivering it, are beginning to catch up. The younger generation is impatient for meaningful change – not just lip service to policy, but change in the way they’re taught, what they’re reading, and who they’re being taught by.”
Lokko’s Venice Biennale was a powerful corrective to the usual focus on the global north, spotlighting the scarred landscapes of postcolonial Africa, and giving a platform to a new generation of young, optimistic African architects, framing the continent as a “laboratory of the future”. It was the second-most visited edition of the architecture biennale in its history, with young people and students accounting for almost 40% of visitors, and featured a “biennale college” for the first time.
“Africa has an incredibly youthful population who are really hungry and ambitious,” said Lokko. “But education is the biggest challenge: there are under 90 accredited schools on a continent of nearly a billion people. And often the curricula they are following have been inherited from former colonial powers. The speed of change is also enormous, and we don’t have the educational infrastructure to tackle that yet.”
Driven by these challenges, Lokko founded the African Futures Institute in Accra in 2021, as a nimble “pan-African thinktank”. It was originally conceived as an accredited architecture school, to be partnered with an institution from the global north, but the urgency of the situation has made Lokko rethink the model. It will begin this year with a nomadic studio in Morocco, focused on Maghrebi identity and migration, with 30 fully funded places open to global applicants, half from Africa. Lokko is also fundraising to build a centre for the institute in Accra – in between finishing the manuscript of her 13th novel, The Lonely Hour, due out next year.
“I vacillate between writing funding proposals, feasibility studies and sex scenes,” she said. Which is probably another first for an RIBA gold medal winner.
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Joseph Cornell, who died in 1972 at the age of 69, belongs to the tradition of the homebody-artist. A gray whisper of a man, he eschewed the excitements of travel in favor of a tea-filled life in his house on Utopia Parkway in Queens. His medium was the Box — that is, the Victorian-era shadow box, and he spent his days in his basement workshop, assembling cork balls, paper cutouts of birds and other dime-store material into improbably poetic arrangements that owed something to French Surrealism.
Among the cities he never visited was Washington, D.C. So one wonders what he would make of the news that the National Gallery of Art has just acquired a veritable truckload of his work — some 20 boxes and seven collages from throughout his career. The gift comes from Robert and Aimee Lehrman, Washington collectors.
Robert Lehrman, a trustee of the Hirshhorn Museum and a grandson of the co-founder of Giant Foods, a supermarket chain, has lectured extensively on Cornell and bought his first piece in the early 1980s. “It was a white dovecote box that had a childlike mystery about it,” he said. “I like that his work is both very simple and very complex.”
In some ways, it is hard to imagine Cornell’s intimate boxes nestled comfortably in the marble-clad halls of the National Gallery. The modest scale of his work, its whiff of the romantic past, puts it at odds with the epic proportions and air of officialdom of I.M. Pei’s East Wing, whose atrium alone is likely to boost a visitor’s daily step count.
On the other hand, Cornell seems perfect for the nation’s capital because his story is so archetypally American. He was obstinate, cranky and consumed with the beauty of common objects; he persisted with his art in the face of enormous loneliness. Living with his mother and his disabled brother, he found his inspiration in the work of other artists and dedicated his boxes to figures ranging from the composer Franz Schubert to the poet Emily Dickinson to the television actress Patty Duke.
The Lehrmans’ gift, comprising about half their Cornell holdings, “is major, major, major,” said Harry Cooper, the senior curator and head of modern and contemporary art at the National Gallery of Art. Although the museum has received far larger bequests, the gift, he said, is singular because it targets a single artist and presents his work in unusual depth.
“I would say that 20 Cornell boxes and seven collages puts us up there with the Art Institute as one of the two major collections of one of the great artists of the 20th century,” Cooper said. “That doesn’t happen every day.” The collection he mentioned at the Art Institute of Chicago consists of 37 works acquired in 1982, from the Chicago collectors Lindy and Edwin A. Bergman.
Taking its cue from the Bergman installation, the National Gallery will display its Cornells grouped together family style in a horizontal wall case in an upstairs gallery. It intends to keep several Cornells on view at all times; the first rotation opens on Thursday.
The works in the Lehrman gift range chronologically from 1939 to 1969. About half belong to Cornell’s lushly Surrealist style of the 1940s, featuring Medici princes and Romantic-era ballerinas. Others belong to the stripped-to the-bone style of the ’50s, especially the Aviary boxes, whose nearly empty, white-painted interiors can be seen as precursors of the geometric obsessions of the Minimalists of the ’60s.
The star of the collection is “A Parrot for Juan Gris” (1953-54), a quietly riveting object that features a paper cutout of a white cockatoo perched on a branch. An odd bird it is, dwelling in a dusty room that lacks a window or a view. The walls are lined with papery things — sheets of newspaper and fragments from a map.
In some ways, the bird may seem to anticipate a Washington type of person, someone ensconced in a newsy world, surrounded by headlines. But when you look closely, you see that the newspapers are in French and faded with age. The map is of Mozambique. As in every Cornell box, all paths lead away from the present and into the mists of the imagination.
foster + partners crafts luxury waterfront residences in dubai
Dubai-based property developer OMNIYAT has broken ground with the construction of VELA, Dorchester Collection, along the canal of the Marasi Bay Marina. The contemporary residential structure conceived by British architecture firm Foster + Partners will rise 150 meters above the promenade to overlook the urban sprawl of the Burj Khalifa district, sharing the stage with its highly anticipated neighbor, The Lana, Dorchester Collection. Reflecting its waterfront location, the tower is marked by fluid curves, wraparound terrace pools, and vast glass facades, intertwining indoors and outdoors for an elevated urban living experience.
all images courtesy of OMNIYAT
vela, dorchester collection weaves panoramic views of the city
VELA spans a total floor area of 270,000 square feet spread over 30 floors and housing 38 fully furnished residences. Stepping inside, interiors crafted by Parisian design firm Gilles & Boissier draw on VELA’s surroundings to curate a sophisticated ambiance that is both dramatic yet calming, as a harmonious extension of Foster + Partners’ facade. Each apartment, including penthouses and three- and four-bedroom properties, enjoys extensive views of the marina, Business Bay, and Downtown Dubai, through glass balconies and unique L-shaped corner pools. Additionally, some residences enjoy double height living areas and private lift lobbies. The Sky Palace crowns the development, sprawling over three floors to accommodate two swimming pools, grand terraces, a private gym, and a majlis.
VELA offers lifestyle amenities such as an infinity-edge lap pool that seemingly floats above the marina, triple-height gym, spa suite and salon, cinema room, valet services, and more. Residents can also enjoy access to the neighboring Lana hotel’s services and a golf-buggy service along the promenade. Only a limited number of units are currently available, with handover anticipated for Q4 of 2026.
sited along the canal of the Marasi Bay Marina
VELA, The Dorchester, rises 150 meters high
the residences sit beside Foster + Partners’ The Lana, Dorchester Collection
the tower is marked by fluid curves, wraparound terrace pools, and vast glass facades
each apartment enjoys extensive views of the marina, Business Bay, and Downtown Dubai
Commissioned to redesign The Mandarin Cake Shop at theMandarin Oriental, Guangzhou, interior design practice CCD/Cheng Chung Design drew inspiration from the region’s rich cultural heritage and 19th-century British artistry applying a design language that blends Oriental elegance and contemporary design. Situated off the hotel's lobby, the revamped space pays tribute to the enchanting allure of Lingnan culture (also known as Cantonese culture) focusing in particular on the charming Lingnan gardens as depicted by British architect and noted topographical artist Thomas Allom, whose engravings were used to illustrate numerous 19th century travel books. Animated by lush green tones, scenic murals of 19th century Guangzhou and bespoke furnishings that mix antique and modern stylistic influences, CCD’s dreamy scenography complements the confectionery’s artisanal creations providing a beautiful backdrop for the Mandarin Oriental’s ceremonial afternoon tea service.
To enter The Mandarin Cake Shop, visitors have to traverse an elongated vestibule which makes the double-height, light-filled space of the cake shop at the end of it all the more glorious. Swathed entirely in green tones, the intimate passageway showcases vitrines in antique bronze ensconced in French-style arched alcoves along the walls and a freestanding jewellery-style display cabinet in polished steel, offering visitors tantalising glimpses of the shop’s artisanal pastry and confectionary creations that will be served during the tea service. In direct contrast to the antique-inflected furnishings, the vestibule’s sleek, unadorned design conveys a contemporary feel creating a past-meets-present ambience that carries on in the main space.
STUDIO K’s empathetic design ethos still echoes through the 25,000-square-feet of wellness, work, and community spaces comprising BIÂN – Chicago’s premiere health and social club – some three years later in a testament to the multidisciplinary firm’s holistic approach and collaborative workflow. Housed in a bi-level commercial building, the comprehensive network of spaces – including fitness, recovery, nutrition, medicine or alternative therapies, socialization, and spa – feels more like a biosphere for living than the simple summation of programming that constitutes a typical luxury facility with a similar focus. Forgoing trendy finishes or Insta-friendly set dressings, which often pander to contemporary gym-goers looking to generate content for social currency, BIÂN’s interiors support the services provided instead of functioning as a backdrop for activities.
At the club’s entrance stands a 6’ round table that consists of two halves – one side is the white oak reception desk, which is juxtaposed against a full-sized concrete sink used as a skin care sales counter. Photo: Leslie Blasgen
Soft linen is set against comforting wool fabrics that cascade across windows, offering respite from the bustling city in the social lounge’s main seating area. Photo: Eric Kleinberg
This main bar in the social lounge is finished in leather. Photo: Anthony Tahlier
The social lounge uses white oak and beechwood materials to radiate a calming, warm atmosphere. Photo: Eric Kleinberg
The social lounge at the club’s entrance also features a 14′ custom communal table. Photo: Eric Kleinberg
“We were sure to use as many natural materials throughout the club wherever possible: wood, leather, textiles, and lime plaster. In addition, we layered each of these in a way to create a sense of warmth and welcoming,” Karen Herold, designer and principal of STUDIO K, says. “[The challenges presented by austere industrial architecture were resolved] by focusing on highly textural, soft but light materials accented with moments of black wood and steel. And we worked with a talented lighting designer to wash the entire space in a glow.” Maximalist textures help minimalist interventions punch up for what all parties involved refer to as “industrial zen.” And minimalist touches create contrast by articulating historical elements to create a supercharged visual language.
The staircase leads members from the social lounge down to the gym and spa facilities. Behind the wood louver screens is the medical facility. Photo: Anthony Tahlier
The sushi counter is located on the lower floor and adjacent to the gym showcasing blue vinyl upholstery flanked by the plaster raked columns. Photo: Eric Kleinberg
Members can rent access to a listening room completely sound insulated with a specialty entertainment system and vinyl records. Photo: Anthony Tahlier
The listening room also showcases a daily rotating arrangement of records hand-selected by partner Kevin Boehm. Photo: Eric Kleinberg
Locker rooms include amenities like a steam room, cold plunge, and customized shower experiences. Photo: Eric Kleinberg
The relaxation lounge and spa located at the lower level provides a place for patrons to wait for their treatments or relax afterwards. The chaise lounges are custom creations by STUDIO K. Photo: Eric Kleinberg
Each ecosystem within the larger biome has a focus that caters to the moment at hand while allowing for artful transition into the next, which begins upon entry where guests are received at a round apothecary table. Members meander from program to program receiving subtle cues from a neutral-toned concoction of creams, whites, and taupes that gradually shift only to mingle with accents like inky blue furnishings and living greens. A change from linen to wool textiles plays with light and spatial transparency while the density of slatted surface treatments or wood grain patterning affects vibrations resonating from the room.
Patient rooms within the medical office suite are outfitted with calm and spa-like interiors to ensure an elevated experience while adhering to regulations that apply to standard facilities. Photo: Anthony Tahlier
One of multiple reformer studios for pilates. Photo: AA SNAPS LLC
Custom gym cubbies, closets, and seating line the hall outside the main fitness studio. Photo: AA SNAPS LLC
“Aside from the fact that our brand is built upon collaboration and integration of philosophies, the way that the design lends itself to allowing for each area to have appropriate space while being welcoming to the other areas of the club, is simply magnificent,” Mar Soraparu, Co-Founder & Chief Wellness Officer of BIÂN, says. “The color palette, unique features, artistic details, and the comfort and calmness of the lighting choices that allow for many activities to be done comfortably, and with a luxurious feel, exudes BIÂN while offering members pathways to live a more vital life however they choose.”
Members can work or lounge in the 10,000-square-feet of expanded space creating an extension of the main social lounge. Photo: AA SNAPS LLC
The new coworking space features a rust-colored leather wrapped bar for food and berate service, which was inspired by sushi counters. Photo: AA SNAPS LLC
This expanded space hosts many member-only events, as well as conference gatherings. Photo: AA SNAPS LLC
Successful design elements echo through the most fresh of co-working spaces, inclusive of the architectural finishes, furniture, decorative lighting, and artwork initially curated upon opening. Photo: AA SNAPS LLC
With professional degrees in architecture and journalism, Joseph has a desire to make living beautifully accessible. His work seeks to enrich the lives of others with visual communication and storytelling through design. A regular contributor to titles under the SANDOW Design Group, including Luxe and Metropolis, Joseph serves the Design Milk team as their Managing Editor. When not practicing, he teaches visual communication, theory, and design. The New York-based writer has also contributed to exhibitions hosted by the AIA New York’s Center for Architecture and Architectural Digest, and recently published essays and collage illustrations with Proseterity, a literary publication.
Fashion icon, artist’s muse, queen of rock’n’roll … for more than 30 years, Kate Moss has been at the cutting edge. In her first landmark photoshoot with the late Corinne Day, the then teenage model embodied the blissed-out spirit and optimism of the early 90s. Since then, she’s been painted by Lucian Freud, sculpted by Marc Quinn, sung about by her ex Pete Doherty, and even rapped about by Playboi Carti and Kanye West. So what makes the Croydon beauty such an object of fascination? As she turns 50, five photographers who have taken classic images of the model share their thoughts.
‘I wanted a pure version of Kate with no distractions’
Nick Knight
Kate Moss by Nick Knight, 1998. Photograph: Nick Knight
This was shot on a 10-by-8 camera which gave a soft, delicate quality to skin tones. The image was almost size for size, so it’s a pretty realistic portrait of Kate. She comes in many guises, but for this Vogue cover, I wanted to get a pure version of Kate with very little distraction, which is why it’s just her face. We were in love with, fascinated by, and in awe of Kate and her talents.
What makes Kate different from a lot of other models is her understanding of imagery. If you said to her, “OK, I want you to look a bit Tina Modotti mixed with Edie Sedgwick,” she’d get it. An actor has a script to interpret, but a fashion model interprets the narrative in a piece of clothing.
Models know that a fraction of an inch makes all the difference to a picture. Kate would model with the same enthusiasm from the beginning of the day to the end. I remember a shoot for Visionaire, where I had her on a swing, going backwards and forwards – for seven hours! It was an act of physical endurance, but models can do it.
With Kate, you know you’ll always come out with a great image. She’ll put everything into it – and knows her face incredibly well. She’ll stand with me and the stylist, looking at pictures we’ve taken, and say: “Oh no, I can do better than that. If you move the light to the left, I’ll lift my head a bit and make my neck look longer.” Like any good performer, she knows how her persona is best delivered.
Kate represents the cultural zeitgeist in the same way Marilyn Monroe did. I started working with her in the mid-90s and we’re still doing shoots. That’s a long time to be relevant and inspirational. David Bowie’s metamorphosis from one character to another kept generations enthralled and Kate’s similar. She represents something that we think is exciting and important, but you can’t describe why that person is that way. They just are.
Kate had come round to cheer up Lucian Freud who was unwell in bed. He had painted her portrait a year or so before. A young film-maker had wanted to do a short film of Lucian with a zebra, inspired by a 1950s photograph of the artist with a stuffed zebra head. Lucian, who was very, very good with horses, gave the zebra a tap – but it suddenly yanked its head back and pulled him over. He was a bit sore for a few days although nothing was broken. So that was why he was in bed and he had to tell Kate all about this.
I’d let Kate into the house, brought her upstairs to Lucian, and said: “Oh Kate, I just want to have a photo of the two of you together.” Kate said: “Yeah, of course!” Then she spontaneously jumped into bed and had a cuddle with him. That’s the brilliance of Kate – she knows how to make a great photograph. But it also showed the tender friendship between the two of them.
‘She said she didn’t know her dress was transparent’
Richard Young
Moss by Richard Young in 1993. Photograph: Richard Young/Shutterstock
Last year, Kate and I were chatting about this shot and she said: “You could have told me my dress was transparent!” I thought: “Kate, you knew it was transparent. That’s why you were wearing it!”
The picture was taken in 1993, at one of the very first British fashion awards. Kate was about 19. What’s so lovely about it is that she’s got a cigarette in her hand. Smoke gives pictures a much better atmosphere. With everything now so pristine and clean, things can be quite boring.
I’ve been photographing Kate for years. The last time was a month ago, arriving at the British fashion awards in her black Valentino dress. She looked fantastic. She puts her outfits together so well, keeping it very simple. I don’t think that will ever change. In her later years, she’ll look just as remarkable, elegant and lovely.
‘She’s so British it’s probably tea in the cup, not coffee’
Kate Garner
Kate Moss in 1990 by Kate Garner. Photograph: Kate Garner
I had shot Kate Moss before, for i-D magazine when she was about 14, a little fashion shoot about sweaters. By 1990, we knew each other from around town, being on the scene. The idea was to do a more sophisticated shoot, on the theme of the morning after the night before. We did a series of pictures where she was getting ready to go out, then coming home dishevelled, and then going out for a coffee the next morning.
The magazine I shot the series for didn’t publish them in the end because they said Kate wasn’t going to make it as a model. Then they came to me a couple of years later, wanting the pictures. They published one of her holding a teddy bear in her underwear, which is now kind of controversial.
The reason why Kate made it so big is that she’s deeply intelligent on a body level. She can figure out what you’re trying to do and make it bigger. It’s not just about being good-looking. This coffee picture, which is probably tea because she’s so British, is such a simple image – but she just connects with the camera. Of all the pictures I’ve taken of celebrities, the ones of Kate just keep selling.
The fashion world can be very: “Shall I be friends with this person – or is it more advantageous if I don’t speak to them?” Kate never indulged in that sort of behaviour, which makes her very likable. If you help Kate at all, she will be faithful to you.
As far as her looks go, you can think: “Oh, she’s just pretty.” But if you look deeper, you’ll see that the eyes are a little farther apart than normal, the mouth fuller, the cheekbones bigger – and suddenly that prettiness takes on another dimension. You could not take a bad picture of her.
This was taken outside the Ivy in London, where there had been some sort of dinner related to Madonna starring in Evita. I’ve always felt uncomfortable taking photographs of models when they’re socialising in their spare time because they actually make their living out of being photographed. So I was always slightly nervous in Kate’s presence. She’s one of those people who are able to exude the message: “Don’t point that camera at me.”
Damien Hirst, who I knew quite well, would have said: “Johnnie, take a pic and I’ll grab Kate.” It shows you how photographs can result from collaborations rather than the photographer just going snap. It’s very Damien – taking control and having the generosity to set up such a great shot for me.
Vogue once commissioned the YBAs to do portraits of Kate, so she was friendly with Tracey Emin and Sam Taylor-Wood too. I like Kate enormously: she’s always very sweet. Damien looks gobby? It was a gobby time! I took mountains of photographs of the YBAs, and one of the things I’d love was to spend the day with him. For Damien, the word no doesn’t exist, everything is achievable if you want it. I think the picture of him and Kate together has that same energy, that sense of fun and brilliance.
