Christy Turlington and Crew in Valentino, by Herb Ritts for Vanity Fair US F/W 1995.96

Italian luxury brand Valentino is making headlines today, with news that the maison’s creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli has come to the end of his Valentino tenure after 25 years.

Related: Pierpaolo Piccioli's Humanist-Focus Chapter Ends at Maison Valentino AOC Daily

The Italian humanist was not a member of the Maison Valentino family in 1995, when esteemed photographer Herb Ritts [IG] created this series of elegant but sensually provocative images of the Valentino F/W 1995.96 collection for Vanity Fair US.

Supermodel Christy Turlington was joined by Gregg Avedon, Rick Dietz, Scott King, and Patrick Lau [missing one] come together in this Valentino campaign filled with homoeroticism and references to female goddess worship.

Related: Fast forward almost 20 years, and a similarly-erotic, uptown-woman with male friends luxury fashion story appeared in Document Journal featuring Karlie Kloss and friends. AOC recently renewed it in our daily pre-2020 posts.

We are so far away from this overtly sultry and suggestive imagery that it’s difficult to imagine its return in 2024.

Karlie Kloss Makes Private Arrangements By Collier Schorr for Doc. N.246 2013 AOC Style Photos