Top models Carol Ribeiro and Karolina Kurkova posed in this very 60’s-inspired, huge fashion story ‘New Fantasy’, lensed by Steven Meisel for Vogue Italia July 2001. The riches included major jewelry statements and a huge shot of modern-attitudes optimism.

Anne of Carversville did not exist in 2001, but six years in advance of its founding in July 2007, I was quite frantic in posting on my other website, troubling bubbles of information leaks — including a CIA report that a major terror attack was coming. So few people took the rumors seriously and thoughts of those happy summer days flood back into my mind in moments like this.

I was actually at Windows on the World Friday night September 7, 2001. Four days later, I raced to the Jersey City waterfront on Tuesday morning, in time to watch the second plane hit the second tower. That impossible to comprehend moment is burned into my brain forever.

Meanwhile, on with the show. Fashion media rarely invests in shoots this deep in today’s declining print world. Steven Meisel’s contract with Vogue Italia had him shooting every cover and accompanying cover story for almost 30 years. He shot for other Vogues and other magazines as well.

The Vogue Italia relationship was great for Meisel. It wasn’t great for advancing other talented photographers.