Vicki Liang, an MA Fashion Communication: Fashion Journalism student, reflects on an afternoon with Anna Wintour and Linda Evangelista at Central Saint Martins.
Many students go to Central Saint Martins hoping to become fashion legends, but last week two such legends came to us. Supermodel Linda Evangelista and Anna Wintour, Global Editorial Director of Vogue, provided the best possible start to the upcoming new academic year.
They first toured the MA Fashion Design studio to inspect the work of students. “It was all very quick,” says Maximilian Raynor, an MA Womenswear student. “But I was very flattered with what Anna had to say and it felt like they devoted time to engage with nearly all the students.”
After their studio visit, the pair stepped into the LVMH Theatre, sitting down to discuss the publication of Linda Evangelista Photographed by Steven Meisel, the model’s first book and a first monograph by the photographer too.
Evangelista turned out to be an accomplished speaker, although she’s not done much of it in her career. “I want to tell the audience another first,” Wintour said. “This is the first time that she has done a conversation like this.”
Accompanied by projected images of the model personally selected by Wintour, the two delved into Evangelista’s career, reflecting on her famed haircuts, her modelling assignments for John Galliano, her creative partnership with Steven Meisel and her ongoing long-term work with American Vogue, which has included the covers of five September issues.
“It must be kind of a curious experience to see your images everywhere,” Wintour observes. “Including when the photographer's work is auctioned at enormous, enormous prices. It's almost like all the conversations that we're having today about AI and the actors and having their images and voices used without their consent or conversation. I just wondered if that worries you?”
Evangelista replied: “It’s getting very scary now with technology and AI… Studios want to take people’s images on a one-day shoot and then be able to use them for eternity without compensating. And it's just kind of strange when everybody's making money off of your image – except for you.”
The supermodel spoke frankly about her health struggles, including treatment for breast cancer, which she has only discussed recently. “I wanted to go through the cancer by myself because it was tough. And I said ‘When I get through it, then I'll be open about it,’” she said. Proceeds from the book will go to a breast cancer charity.
Linda Evangelista Photographed by Steven Meisel is published by Phaidon.
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