Let them eat cake!

Among the many wonderful fashion and photography related presents which I received for Christmas, one of the things I was most intrigued about was a DVD documentary of the photographer Annie Leibovitz. Most known for her celebrity portraiture, the documentary reveals Leibovitz previous work for Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair, and her thought provoking reportage work documenting the traumatic effects of war. A lot of Leibovitz' non-fashion black and white photography is inspiring and it was definitely worth watching to see how she she captures a view of the subject which most people would either avoid or not notice.

HOWEVER, being the fashion-obsessed, closeted girly girl that I am the one thing that really caught my eye in the documentary (and in the accompanying book) was Leibovitz' high-fashion concept shoots for Vogue; in particular the couture shoot to accompany the release of Sophia Coppola's film Marie Antoinette. As a student of visual culture in the French Revolution I had mostly scene only fairly graphic sexual caricatures of Marie Antoinette so to see something that was so.....romantic, soft and colourful was amazing. The costume designer for the film, Milena Canonero, should win an award for the exquisite drapery, detail and extravagance of her creations.

The Vogue shoot, published in September 2003, was shot in the chateau and grounds of Versailles. If you have never visited this palace, which is about a half hour train journey from Paris, then you need to check it out, especially in Spring when the gardens are in full bloom and the landscape sets the architecture in a magical wonderland. Leibovitz uses the interior of the chateau to enhance the pastel Rococo style of the group shot, whilst using the vast landscape of the garden and steps to act as a counterbalance to the dramatic almost baroque gothic style of the John Galliano gown. Kirsten Dunst is just the right type of interesting pretty to pull off the couture and the setting, and Leibovitz captures the glamour and the sadness of Marie Antoinette perfectly.