Michael Schmidt
Photo shooting in 1989 with Tina wearing a Swarovski crystal dress from M. Schmidt
Michael Schmidt is a wardrobing, jewelry and interior designer, primarily in the entertainment industry and known for working with a variety of innovative materials and techniques. He designed clothes for celebrities such as Madonna, Cher and Lenny Kravitz. In 1989, he designed the iconic dress for Tina Turner, which became the centerfold image for her album Foreign Affair . This photo was used again in 2023 from People magazine for the cover of their tribute issue to Tina. In1993, he designed a scaled dress from tortoise shell guitar picks, used for a Vanity Fair photo shooting.
In 1989 Herb Ritts asked Michael Schmidt to make a dress for Tina, but she, however, didn’t wanted it. She told him 'I’ve worn so many of those sparkly little dresses over the years, I don’t ever need to do that again.' Schmidt mentioned this to Herb and he told me to make it anyway and he’d pay for it. Tina was not amused, but didn’t put up a fight. Once she tried it on, she beamed. At the shoot, she became electric. It was one of the most thrilling moments for Michael. She loved Herb’s image so much it became the centerfold of her classic album Foreign Affair. Years later she signed a poster of this image, saying ‘Michael, a great body deserves a great dress’. How right she was!
Michael Schmidt about Tina:
„I have so many fond memories of working with Tina, often alone together in a hotel room somewhere conjuring up something fun. The private dance moments will remain some of my favorites ever.“