One Week In New York

One Week in New York

Rebecca Willer

A woman crouched down with a stuffed squirrel: an unlikely beginning for what can be seen as a revolution in fashion photography and heralded in the image of the ‘Swinging Sixties’. One small image in the daily express helped to redefine the face of fashion, and its 1950's principles into what we know it as today.

The ‘squirrel lady’ brought David Bailey, an up and coming photographer, to the attention of British Vogue. An East end boy who had worked for the great John French, who envisaged a more engaging and modern path for fashion photography. A fan of Picasso and Jazz, Bailey’s approach toward his work began to challenge the upper class, stiff, aristocratic grandeur of the 1950's. All models and photographers fit a specific profile; they were to have an air of superiority, of wealth and sophistication – which they did, as they were upper class and many older than what we think of a model to be today. When David Bailey met Jean Shrimpton – a country girl, mush taller than the conventional model with no title to her name -  they formed a partnership that helped to bring his new ideas to the forefront of the industry; new ideas and images synonymous with our depiction of the sixties today.

The ‘Young Idea’s’ section at vogue was nothing new having been established in the 1950's, however when they entrusted ‘Young Idea’s go West’ to David Bailey it changed and became something new; something truly revolutionary. Taking two young individuals across the pond to take some snaps shocked those in the industry, especially as the pair did not conform to their ideal of photographer and model. They defied those holding positions of authority within vogue. David Bailey refusing to remove his leather Jacket in the St Regis Hotel despite being asked to by senior editors, only demonstrated the rebellious and convention defying behaviour and antics of the young photographer. His lack of interest in the rules and the proper way of doing things did not leave him unnoticed by Lady Rendlesham who was in charge of the ‘Young Idea’s’ section. Bailey pushed Lady Rendlesham out of her comfort zone, something she was not amused by. Refusing to use a tripod or the correct camera, choosing to ignore her requests at where and how the photograph should be shot, not choosing the correct model. Lady Rendlesham did not approve of Jean Shrimpton, thinking she was plain and unladylike and certainly not innocent. To remedy this in his own unique way, Bailey made Jean pose for photos with a teddy bear to make her seem more innocent.

His want and desire to create something different, something new, innovative and alive, formed the basis for this shoot. Using a commercial camera, unconventional backdrops and positions. Taking photographs on the busy streets of New York meant that members of the public would walk in and out of shot, these photograph captured the vibe of New York: its busy and chaotic existence. He brought the new ideas of the young and innovative to the forefront of fashion photography – the radical ideas that helped create the 1960's as something new and vibrant from the austere and more traditional 1950's and its photography.

There is a drastic change between the photo from the 1950's and the Bailey/Shrimpton shoot. The photographs from the New York shoot aimed to be alive, something they achieved. It is not only the fashions that changed in these photographs but also how they were displayed and who they are intended for. They are youthful, energetic; they illustrate the new direction that the youth wanted the 1960's to take. An entirely different route of the 1950's, these photographs display the images of what has become synonymous with the way we envisage the 1960's today, they helped create this lasting image of an entire decade. The youth will make it their own, and they did: “Photographs was the perfect example of the way the youth were the vanguard”.