Bella Hadid Channels Sam Haskins' Cowboy Kate for Vogue Australia by Daniel Jackson
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Top model Bella Hadid channels vintage western fashion looks, styled with a sexy vibe by Christine Centenera. Daniel Jackson is behind the lens for Vogue Australia’s November 2019 cover story, paying homage to British photographer, South Africa-raised photographer Sam Haskins (November 1926-November 2009).
Moving to London in 1968, Haskins “produced one of the great pioneering moments in the history of post-war photography. The production of 'Five Girls' in 1962 liberated figure photography from cliche and won equal proportions of fans among both genders.” via
The photographer’s book ‘Cowboy Kate & Other Stories’ sold more than a million copies with its printing and is estimated to be the best-selling photography book of all time. London’s Atlas Gallery has a selection of cinematic black and white prints from the book on view until November 16, 2019. Haskins is credited with being the first prominent photographer to use grain as a creative tool.
Haskins never shot for Vogue Australia but he retired in Bowral [New South Wales], which is where the magazine’s creative director at large, Alison Veness found him. Haskins recalls: “He opened map drawers full of incredible prints from the 1960s onwards. We worked with him and facilitated many stories through the 2000s [featuring] Nicole Kidman, Naomi Watts, Cate Blanchett and many Australian models.” As for what he brought out in his subjects, Veness recalls: “He had a great way of capturing a woman’s spirit and making her look so naturally part of his world. He caught the vulnerability and the strength.”
When Vogue Australia’s current fashion director Christine Centenera sought to emulate the Haskins style with Bella Hadid center stage, the decision “opened up a conversation about art, photography and the male gaze, writes VA, particularly given that the original ‘Cowboy Kate’ featured a beautiful near-naked female form. There has never been any suggestion Haskins acted inappropriately with models in his career; rather, his work is a study in the marriage of sexuality and beauty. “Sam’s legacy is lasting and strong because he knew who he wanted to photograph: a woman who was secure in her own skin, whatever path her life had taken,” says Veness.
