CK One 94/95

Brand: CK One
Year: 1994/1995
Models: Mike Campbell, Kate Moss, Donovan Leitch, Trish Goff, Jenny Shimizu, Stella Tennant, Kirsten Owen, Dayle Haddon, Richard Elms
Photographer: Steven Meisel
Director: Steven Meisel





From the book "Visual consumption" By Jonathan E. Schroeder :

The CK One ads were photographed by Steven Meisel in the style of Richard Avedon, arguably the world's most influential fashion photographer, Meisel, known for singular, artistic portraits routinely "samples" other photographer's work.

Avedon is known for his stark, icon-making black and white portriats of the famous and not so famous as well as his technique of breaking away from still fashion poses to favor more naturalistic shots of people moving about, gesticulating, talking, and generally not appearing posed.


Andy Warhol and The Factory' [1969] source: www.artnet.com

The overall look of the CK One image is reminiscent of Avedon's work and it echoes his use of multiple shots of the same group. Specifically, the CK One ad closely resembles Avedon's 1969 photograph of the Andy Warhol's factory crowd.This photograph of Warhol and various friends and assistants comprises four separate images placed together, and it's strikingly similar to the CK One ad. Men and woman in various states of dress and undress pose for Avedon's camera, staring blankly forward.

Like many of Avedon's photographs, Meisel's CK One image is photographed against a plain white background that serves to de-center the subjects, de-contexttualized them, and help to undefine the portrait.That is, it's unclear where this group is or where they micght come together.

The models appear to be posed together, not really displaying characteristics of friends or a familiar group, Some are engaged in animated conversations, others are looking out at the camera, A few seem to be just standing in place.

The fold-out version of the ad consists of four separate photographs pieced together, with sixteen young people depicted in total, Kate Moss look at the camera, a few engage in conversation, or at least interchange. All are thin,at first glanc, the models seem grungy, unkempt.

Excluding Kate Moss, the women are not so particularly feminine, one black woman has an angry expression on her face, and a group of two white men and a white woman seem to be engaged in a heated argument.