Vanitas Diary: Art and Fashion Muse

During my formative years in NYC (1997-2006), I worked as a dancer and modeled for numerous acclaimed and emerging artists, photographers and avant-garde fashion designers. These experiences taught me about various creative processes, and how to work with other artists, and leading to my own production and creative direction.

In the arts, I had the privilege to work for established artists amongst Alex Katz, Vanessa Beecroft and Andres Serrano. I modeled for the published book concept projects of photographer Christoph Klauke (The 28 faces of Corinne Dolle, 2004) and Katrin Thomas (No View, 2005), and for conceptual artist Ellen Jong (Serpent on the Mount, 2012).

In the Fashion world, I worked with acclaimed photographers and fashion designers including Steven Klein, Mary Rozzi, Danielle Levitt, Mark Borthwick, Geoffroy de Boismenu, Wendelien Daan, Elisa Jimenez, Phyllis Leibowitz, Pierrot Knitwear, Eric Daman, Terry Richardson, Miguel Adrover, Tess Giberson, Gil Blank, Yi Zhou and Roderick Angle, to name a few. My modeling works appeared in Vogue USA, Entertainment Weekly, ELLE Italia, Vogue Japan, WWD, Dazed and Confused.

“CORINNE” by Alex Katz, 2006 - on view at OPERA GALLERY PARIS

Alex Katz - Portraits

I met Alex at a gallery opening in Soho. He said he wanted to paint my eyes. And so we spent some time talking and then soon I was sitting in his studio on Prince Street. First is a sketch, then comes a small version painting. He told me wonderful stories of New-York in the 60s and how his career had all begun. A jolly hard painter, a living master with a hint of flirtation. Working ten canvases at a time, his palette and style, the scale and use of space, cinematic crops and subjects are just wonderful-powerful. 

Nude by Alex Katz, 2009

Christoph Klauke - The 28 Faces of Corinne Dolle

German photographer Christoph Klauke had this very old black chamber camera that looked like it was coming from the birth of photography. With its cape and accordion-like shape, this became my daily 'rendez-vous' for 28 days. Perched on top of a Union Square studio overlooking the Empire State Building, Christoph and I documented the emotional content of my psyche, affected by the shock of witnessing the fall of the Twin Towers. This month after 9/11 was a confusing mixture of sadness, loss, fear, depression in the city. There was not much to do, so sitting for this project was a total treat. Like a moon cycle, those portraits express variable human emotions.

The book was to be published ten years later.... Publisher 2011 DBA, limited edition 250

View the rest of the portraits in an article on SPIEGEL or on the photographer's page Christophe Klauke

Pierrot - The Muse

Official Muse of Pierrot Knitwear fashion designer.

I met Pierrot on a photo shoot for the Italian Vogue at Coney Island. He was knitting crochet pink bikinis in the bus. We both loved to smoke cigarettes and talked some french slang words, we clicked. He asked me to wear his clothing line, an all knitwear paradise. And so we were inseparable, I followed him through many fashion shows until he made it to Bryant Park. That year I cat walked with Paris Hilton and Amanda Lepore, all in crochet bikinis. 

Photo credit Jerome Albertini, Dutch Magazine, 1999

VOGUE Japan 2000

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Geoffroy de Boismenu - Album Cover

Another Magic Summer, 2006   

All the visuals for this album were taken on the islands of Frioul in Marseilles, near the famous Chateau d'If, home of the novel The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas- one of my favorite books. Geoffroy and I navigated the Mediterranean sea on a small white boat to get to the island and passed by the terrifying castle. The generosity of the sun and its stark luminosity sparked timelessness. One of my dearest and nostalgic memory in the South of France.

DETOUR MAGAZINE 2000 - FASHION STORY by GEOFFROY DE BOISMENU

Fashion & Films

I was a favorite model for avant-guard and Courtney Love designer Elisa Jimenez in the early Y2K. Her fashion performances were radical and highlighted in Vogue, involving both dancers and models. Elisa always wanted me to perform some kind of sensual spiritual dance. No one was doing this in high fashion at the time. We’d performed at Sotheby’s auction house or high-end Soho fashion store Kirna Zabete’s. Ivanka Trump modeled with us when she was singed at Trump’s agency, so was Paris Hilton. It was hot stuff celebrity back then! This is the full performance duet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUEClqGqnuk

Another fashion creator I worked with was Yi-Zhou an international multimedia artist, globe-trotter and ambassador of fashion culture. She directed a short film in collaboration with Paris based concept brand, art meets fashion EACHxOTHER. This film was in the Official selection of the CANNES Film Festival Short Film Corner in 2013. To watch my performance jump to the 1:45mn  http://vimeo.com/65282245

My daughter, Noor Katarina, features in it as well, for a glimpse of second, a baby start in film.

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Dancing “White Ensemble Duet” for Elisa Jimex Fashion with my boyfriend at the Producer’s Club in New York, early Y2K

Performing “Serpent Goddess” early Y2K for Elisa Jimenez @Kirna Zabete Fashion boutique, Soho, New York

Andres Serrano - Nude

Andres was introduced to me by a friend in 2010. At the time, he was working on a book project on Nudes and needed a pregnant model - I was in my 7th month. The photo shoot took place at his house near Union Square. I was astonished by the religious content and furnitures of his home. It felt like entering a medieval chapel with its own dark wood priest chair, purple and red draperies, adorned with crucifix, Little Mary and other painted icons in the hallway. Him and his wife Irina were extremely charming. Funny to think that 2 years later his Piss Christ photograph was being vandalized by Christian protesters while on display at the Collection Lambert in Avignon, my medieval hometown in France, and former residence of the Popes. Had they known that Andres was actually a collector and fond admirer of christian art, with its aesthetics and worships ....Far-fetched.

I also like this photograph as it questions the consensus theory on social order and censorship on nudity especially female nudity, often viewed in our contemporary minds as a sin instigating the evil in men. What if Eve hadn't given that apple to Adam...? A good old christian propaganda ...

                                                               The paleolithic Venus of Willendorf

Frederic Koenig - Vintage Coco

Fred is a lovely creature, photographer and director of some exotic documentaries on underground german cabaret performers and African matriarchal tribes. These portraits were shot for Bolero Magazine to portray the knitwear Collection by Pierrot 1999, influenced by French Sailors and film Querelle by Fassbinder. I love these photographs, the flair of vintage postcards in New-York . The one with the Twin Towers in the background in particular seems surreal nowadays.

Miguel Adrover 2000

My very FIRST official fashion catwalk

RUNWAYS - Designer Fashion Shows

A vibrant community of avant-guard designers started emerging in New-York in the late 90s, amongst them, Pierrot, Miguel Adrover and Elisa Jimenez. All that, before project runway...

Mary Rozzi - Feminin Pluriel

Galerie Studio Pin-Up, Paris, 2001

Mary was one of the first photographers I worked with in New-York. We became friends. Later on, she was shooting a series for a gallery show in Paris. I happened to be at my house in the south of France. She came over for a week-end and we shot this portrait in white pants in my garden on the grass. This very view is the one I see from my childhood bedroom window. Romantic and timeless...

Gil Blank

Portfolio 1998

Danielle Levitt - Portrait

TORI AMOS - Music Video 2014

Featured in - Tori Amos, Flavor - music video directed by Danielle Levitt. Tori hands a fairy to my daughter Noor.

Umberto D'aniello - Capri

 Capri, Italy 2005

Shot by photographer Umberto, on the island of Capri in the facility of a magnificent hotel. That summer I was visiting my artist friend singer/songwriter and diva of accordion, Nicole Renaud. At the time she was in residence at the Villa of Baron Fersen, which life inspired her to compose 'Les Amants Solitaires'. A festive Baron from the 1920's, who was host of numerous mundane erotic avant-guard  balls, filled with poetry, opium interludes and lover's despair. One night, he raised to his lips a goblet of champagne laced with cocaine, his last breath drifted away on the breeze...  

Katrin Thomas - NoView

Limited edition of 2000 copies. Book published by Aplanat Galerie, Hamburg, 2002.

This photograph is one of a series that features in Katrin's conceptual project where models are being hypnotized and confronted with fundamental ideals of fashion and pop culture. When she told me she wanted me to model for this, I immediately thought of Werner Herzog's 'Heart of Glass' where all the actors played under hypnosis, and accepted the job. Unconventional and unsettling , I was told to show a state of hunger around an empty table.

CC McGurr - Vintage Bikini Fashion Show

Grand Street Brooklyn, 2013.

Photography: Robert Christensen.

With her Brigitte Bardot looks, CC McGurr might as well come from France. Yet she was exactly born in St-Tropez! Married to the USA by highly influential graffiti artist Lenny McGurr, aka Futura 2000, CC opened her stylish boutique, Le Grand Strip, in Brooklyn in 2006. We met as she needed a muse and a cheeky mascot for her shop. We became friends and I continued to model for all her pop and pin-up projects. 

DISC WOMAN

PHYLLIS LEIBOWITZ 2003

BORN TO WEB

Shot by MARK BORTHWICK

Nudes

 ALEX KATZ - AMERICAN PAINTER in his Soho studio, 2009

WENDELIEN DAAN - PHOTOGRAPHER - Gallery Del Cortile, Rome Italy 2002

A very slick design set for this very precise shot. From the lighting to the very use of my modeling, everything was thought of. Sensual minimalism I would say.  Wendelien was very brief in words, a professional behind the lens, before digital cameras and photoshop. That image is an actual polaroid I snatched from her on the shoot. This picture was published in Elle Magazine Italy and part of an exhibition in Rome.

RODERICK ANGLE - PHOTOGRAPHER - Series on eastern Gods PANGU 

ELLEN JONG - CONCEPTUAL ARTIST & PHOTOGRAPHER - Self-Published Book “SERPENT ON THE MOUNT”

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