Diane, A Shaded View on Fashion

POPARCHIVES - PHOTOGRAPHY BY DUSTIN PITTMAN - CALVIN KLEIN

FROM THE JOURNALS OF PHOTOGRAPHER  -  DUSTIN PITTMAN

                         

             CALVIN KLEIN   -  NEW YORK CITY 1982

   CALVIN IN HIS WEIGHT ROOM  - 1982  -  DUSTIN PITTMAN

 

Calvin and I have been working together for over 35 years. If you wanted to work as a photographer with Calvin, you better know how to "make" a great photograph. Calvin knew his stuff. Not only did he study the Masters of Photography and Art, he knew most of the living artists on a first name bases. His Advertising campaigns are legendary. His signature fashion style is iconic. Once I was privileged to photograph the most expensive Calvin Klein fashion shoot in the world using more than 35 of Calvin's models. Going to Calvin's house was a treat in itself. There was always a party. I would be photographing, models would be dancing, music would be blasting. I can remember one night, David Geffen arrived with Donna Summer, the first artist he signed on his new Geffen record label. David headed to the turntable, slapped on the vinyl and played her latest single, "State Of Independence". As the track was spinning, Donna got up and sang. Come on, how cool is that? Calvin had a huge hot tub on the roof of his penthouse overlooking Central Park. What a view. I loved working with Calvin. Flying to fire island for photography shoots, working on his partner's horse farm in Upstate New York for fashion magazine covers, dodging trucks and taxis in New York's Times Square, creating photographic images in his New York design studio. It was always so special. I will always admire and love my friend Calvin for his talent, creativity, strength and for his daily courage to take phenomenal risks. 

            

More on Calvin later. 

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POPARCHIVES - PHOTOGRAPHY BY DUSTIN PITTMAN - YSL 1983

FROM THE JOURNALS OF PHOTOGRAPHER  -  DUSTIN PITTMAN

                         

      YVES SAINT LAURENT   -    PARIS 1983  

It is 1983 and I've just landed in Paris to shoot the Yves Saint Laurent Couture collection for The New York Times/Fashion Of The Times magazine. I checked into Le Meurice on Rue de Rivoli at 8 am, cleaned up and headed straight out to meet Yves Saint Laurent and his business partner/protector Pierre Berge. I emerged from the taxi at YSL's atelier, excited and a little nervous. Who wouldn't be, the man was notoriously private, the master at the top of his game. There was Yves, so relaxed and disarming. We met and connected right away. What I wanted was to capture was the magic of YSL, the transformation of fabric, from roll to worn opulence. Seeing him work was like watching a magician wave his hands, creating beautiful pieces before my eyes. I spent virtually every moment with him for a week, dinners at Maxims and walks through the Tuileries but mostly just at his atelier, capturing every moment that I could on film. He was totally in command, never distracted by anything or anyone. Completely focused on his vision, the slightest movements, the tilt of a hat, the detail of an accessory all had equal meaning. All of the work that I was witnessing culminated with the couture collection. There I was backstage, photographing Alexandre creating these amazing hairstyles the fashion crowd has never seen before on some of the most beautiful women in the world. There's YSL in his white lab coat, waving his cigarette like a conductor waves his baton. Yve's chief muse, Loulou de la Falaise right at his side at every moment as we move from model to model. After the show, I congratulated Yves. He put his arms around me and kissed me on both cheeks. 2 days later, I'm on a plane flying back to New York. I drift off to sleep- - my thoughts of the previous Paris couture week with the legendary genius. It will always be a precious moment in my career.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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POPARCHIVES BY DUSTIN PITTMAN _ ANDRE LEON TALLEY

FROM THE JOURNALS OF PHOTOGRAPHER  _  DUSTIN PITTMAN

IN FASHION CIRCLES, ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY IS "ANDRE"                

Back in 1977, before Michelle Obama, Oprah, Venus Williams, Jason Wu and Tracy Reese there was a time when Andre Leon Talley and I worked regularly together for W and WWD every day and into the night for 6 years. And what a time it was. YSL, Valentino, Karl, Halston, Oscar, Diana, Paloma, Calvin, Ralph, Nan, Diane, Steven, Georgio, Fernando, and on and on. 

I loved working with Andre. He is the Master of Flash. The Wizard of Style.

The Dictator of fashion In and Out.  

                                       Andre Leon Talley - 1978             

 

Photographed by Dustin Pittman

POPARCHIVES _ PHOTOGRAPHY BY DUSTIN PITTMAN

FROM THE JOURNALS OF PHOTOGRAPHER - DUSTIN PITTMAN

DUSTIN PITTMAN ON THE GHOST OF ANDY WARHOL _ 1969 _ NYC 

 

ANDY WARHOL AND JACKIE CURTIS _ FACTORY 1970

Photographed by Dustin Pittman

ANDY_JACKIE CURTIS_ PAUL MORRISSEY_ FACTORY_1970

PHOTOGRAPHED BY DUSTIN PITTMAN

Andy Warhol and his art will always personally be with me. I met and photographed Andy Warhol during the Summer of 1969 at the Factory. I used to hang out with him and the Warhol Stars while making my own "underground films" directing and working with Taylor Mead, Jackie Curtis, Holly Woodlawn, Candy Darling, Eric Emerson and countless others. During those days, the factory was very guarded and only a few select friends were allowed to visit on a regular bases. Andy and I used to have weekly elaborate dinners along with friends Jerome Hill, Charles Rydell, Larry Rivers, Terry Southern, Donald Lyons, Charles Henri Ford, Sylvia Miles, Bob Colacello and a cast of others in the legendary Algonquin Hotel dinning room. What a thrill it was being with the greatest artists of all time and also being in the same room that Dorothy Parker and the Algonquin Round Table 40 years ago. Andy always carried his little tape recorder with him recording the entire conversations at the table. He recorded everything, everywhere. People were always stunned at how much Andy could remember. Go figure.  I miss Andy Warhol.  He was always very generous to me.  I can't count how many times Andy used to say to me; "Dustin, why don't you go in the back and take yourself a painting". In those days Andy's painting were worth about $300.00. Andy used to offer his SuperStars the choice between the money, which was usually $100.00 or an original Warhol silkscreen. Most took the money.

ANDY ALWAYS GOT IT RIGHT....

 

ANDY AND JACKIE _ FACTORY _1970 PHOTOGRAPHED BY DUSTIN PITTMAN

                            

POPARCHIVES _ PHOTOGRAPHY BY DUSTIN PITTMAN

FROM THE JOURNALS OF PHOTOGRAPHER - DUSTIN PITTMAN

LOU REED  _ 1970 _ NYC _ PHOTOGRAPHY BY DUSTIN PITTMAN

                            

PHOTOGRAPHED BY DUSTIN PITTMAN

The summer of 1970 was a great time to be in New York City if for nothing other than the nine week residency by The Velvet Underground upstairs at Max's Kansas City. Max's has always been a very special place for me because I cut my photographic style, upstairs and downstairs "Walking On The Wild Side" while photographing at Max's. Max's upstairs was always a great place for me to capture memorable images of artists, actors and music icons of the world. Iggy And The Stooges, The New York Dolls, Patti Smith, Bob Marley, Blondie, Jayne County and The Electric Chairs and of course, The Velvet Underground. One night I was sitting at the round table in the back room at Max's Kansas City with Lou Reed and friends when he mentioned to me to get my camera and dance shoes ready because The Velvet Underground were going to play upstairs at Max's every night, all summer long. I was shocked. After all, we all knew what ups and downs Lou Reed was going through with the other members of the band. The last few years, The Velvet Underground was iffy as far as the possibility of them staying together. This was going to be legend. I don't know if anyone knew that it would be their last shows as a group. I think that if people has known then there would have been more than the usual 20 or 30 people that turned up each night. Most of those who showed up each night were basically family. People like Candy Darling, Jackie Curtis,  Brigid Berlin, Joe Dallesandro, Wayne County, Andrea Whips, Jane Forth, Geraldine and Maria Smith and Sylvia Miles. The people who should have been there were. It was awazing, they would play two sets a night and they would sometimes just go on and on for hours without stopping. Sometimes improvising, sometimes jamming on one song for an hour. I remember having room to dance to "Sweet Jane" in front of the small stage and then Lou putting down his guitar and the two of us having a drink together in the corner. No hysteria, no tongue wagging fans, just the magic and spontaneity of the music and imagine....this was every night all summer long. The playing was tight, and the songs were beautifully from their instruments and mouths onto the crowd. They were the epitome of down and dirty rock and roll who spoke to the streets, and that's what Lou Reed wrote and sang about. Holding up a mirror to society through his lyrics. One memory that really stands out for me was that they seemed to play a different version of "Heroin" every night, and during one set I was photographing and dancing to it for what seemed like hours...catapulted into another dimension and there are so few musical experiences like that. I admire Lou Reed for being so true and authentic, speaking and playing what he believes without relying on the formulaic practices the business was trying to force on him. His attitude: This is mine....I own it. Take it or leave it. "Lou Reed is a man of great integrity".             dustin pittman

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PHOTOGRAPHED BY DUSTIN PITTMAN

PHOTOGRAPHED BY DUSTIN PITTMAN

POPARCHIVES _ PHOTOGRAPHY BY DUSTIN PITTMAN

FROM THE JOURNALS OF PHOTOGRAPHER  _  DUSTIN PITTMAN

NORMA KAMALI PORTRAITS  - 1982  -  BY DUSTIN PITTMAN

Norma never liked getting her picture taken. She was always more comfortable being behind the scenes. I never understood why because

she has a face that every photographer dreamed of capturing. It was like, once you captured her on film "Sparks Would Fly".

 

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POPARCHIVES BY PHOTOGRAPHER _ DUSTIN PITTMAN

FROM THE JOURNALS OF PHOTOGRAPHER  _   DUSTIN PITTMAN

KARL LAGERFELD  -  "UNMASKED"

I have been photographing Karl Lagerfeld with his Masks, Whips, Fans, Gloves and Riding Crops for over 30 years. Enjoy.

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POPARCHIVES BY PHOTOGRAPHER _ DUSTIN PITTMAN

FROM THE JOURNALS OF PHOTOGRAPHER  _   DUSTIN PITTMAN

JEAN PAUL GAULTIER  -  PARIS  1983

             BEHIND THE GARE SAINT LAZARE TRAIN STATION 

I had the privilege of working with Jean Paul Gaultier, one of the great designers of our times, photographing many of his awe-inspiring collections around the Gare Saint Lazare train station. I absolutely loved this location. It was like I was transported back to the Paris of the 1800's. I was inspired by Eugene Atget, one of my favorite photographers. Atget's photographs have always had that "timeless" feel to them. One never knew whether they were taken in 1852 or hundreds of years later.

PHOTOGRAPHED BY DUSTIN PITTMAN

POPARCHIVES BY PHOTOGRAPHER _ DUSTIN PITTMAN

FROM THE JOURNALS OF PHOTOGRAPHER  -  DUSTIN PITTMAN

EARLY JEAN PAUL GAULTIER  -  BEAUTY   -  PARIS  1983

PHOTOGRAPHED BY DUSTIN PITTMAN

POPARCHIVES BY PHOTOGRAPHER _ DUSTIN PITTMAN

FROM THE JOURNALS OF PHOTOGRAPHER _  DUSTIN PITTMAN

DUSTINPITTMAN.COM

FASHION NITE OUT WAS WICKED

Just like New Years Eve in New York City. The streets were filled with love...

More Fashion Nite Out 

 

 

 

 

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