Peter Lindbergh & Azzedine Alaïa, the photographer and the couturier, were united by their love of black. Lindbergh ceaselessly turned to black and white to signify his search for authenticity in the faces he brought to light. Alaïa drew on the monochrome of timeless clothes to create veritable sculptures for the body. This book illustrates their community of spirit, its images are a celebration of their artistic partnership and testament to their history-making achievements in photography and fashion.
The relationship between Alaïa and Lindbergh was the stuff of fashion folklore, a cauldron of adrenaline and glitz and stretch fabrics that came to a crackle when Turner stepped into the frame. Her ferocious presence – all leather and lace and short, short dresses – codified what it meant to be a modern pop star.
In 2021, Tina was prominently represented in the Azzedine Alaïa / Peter Lindbergh exhibition at the Alaïa Foundation in Paris with many photos as well as some clothes designed especially for her.
Release: May 14, 2021
Publisher: Taschen
Pages: 240
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
Their collaborative vision was a rare kind of magic. Showcases the unique bond between Alaïa and Lindbergh, and how it played out in their work. ― anothermag.com
We met in 1979, I believe. Ever since, Azzedine and I are hand in glove. I photographed his collections and I have countless portraits of him. ― Peter Lindbergh
Azzedine Alaïa
was a Tunisian designer, particularly successful in the 1980s. By 1988, he opened his own boutiques in New York City, Beverly Hills and Paris. His seductive, clinging clothes were a massive success and he was named by the media 'The King of Cling‘. Devotees included among others Grace Jones, Madonna and Tina Turner.
After Tina bought some clothes in L.A, she called Azzedine while she was in Paris and asked to meet him. Both became friends and Azzedine designed some of Tina’s most memorable stage outfits, including the dress Tina wore at the iconic photo shooting at the Eiffel Tower with Peter Lindbergh, used for the cover of the Foreign Affair single.
In 1988, Tina closed Alaïa’s autumn collection alongside Farida Khelfa in Paris with a long jet-black velvet dress. On June 28, 1990, Tina dedicated her performance of I Don’t Wanna Lose You at the Palace of Versailles in France to her friend, when she told the crowd: „I’m gonna do this one for my boyfriend. I call him Azzedine.“
They’re special clothes, they’re unlike anyone else’s. You have to try it on sometimes just to get the feel of it, you get an attitude with his clothes. You become very French. — Tina Turner
Peter Lindbergh
was a German fashion photographer and film director. He portrayed models like Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford, made several films, and created covers for music including Sheryl Crow, Beyoncé and Tina Turner's seventh solo album Foreign Affair in 1989. He was also responsible for her Missing You music video, which was as well used for a Hanes commercial.
In 2016, Tina visited the opening of his exhibition in Rotterdam, where he presented among others the iconic picture from Tina climbing the Eiffel Tower in high heels, used for the cover of the Foreign Affair single. Beside of this cover picture, Peter was also responsible for the center page picture for the soundtrack album What’s Love Got To Do With It in 1993 and nearly all pictues for the album Wildest Dreams in 1996.
When Tina Turner scaled the Eiffel Tower in 1989, she clasped the side with one hand and smirked into the barrel of Peter Lindbergh’s camera. She looked like a superhuman – legs astride and body-bound in a high-slit Azzedine Alaïa mini dress. Peter told her she could put the heels on after she had climbed the tower, but she just replied, ‘You must be kidding.’
Peter had a unique ability to capture all sides of me - the woman, the child, the prankster, the seeker, the true believer. — Tina Turner
For me every photograph is a portrait; you are photographing a relationship with the person you are shooting; there is an exchange, and that's what the picture is. — Peter Lindbergh