Can glam be macabre?

Glamorous and macabre seem like two concepts totally alien to one another… but are they?

In the Dior archive circa the 1970s, you can find a collection of ads shot by Chris Von Wangenheim that seem to mix high-fashion glam with equally macabre, provocative, and outrageous visuals. 

This led me to go down a rabbit hole and read up on his history and his inspirations - I had encountered a new icon, and I want to show you some of the images he crafted. 

“Fetching is your Dior” features supermodel Lisa Taylor posing with Whiskey the Doberman.

Fearlessly posing for the camera as the Doberman bites her delicate wrist, clad in Dior’s in-house jewellery line.

A scandalous set of images that went on to become one of the most talked-about ads of all time. 

“Nightlife is your Dior” features model Patti Hansen dressed to kill, embodying the femme-fatale figure of film noir, walking away from a car aflame.

An image of chaos and dripping opulence. 

 “Goodbye Boots, Hello Sandals” ad published in Vogue circa 1977 features model Sherry Smith being carried away by an elegantly dressed man.

Her hair is dishevelled, her shoes are off - effortlessly chic. 

Makes you wonder what takes a high-fashion image from good to legendary. I think Chris Von Wagenheim continues to be iconic, and the imagery he created inspires me to be more daring, to create vintage glam images that are unforgettable - even decades later. 

Anyways, 

That’s all for today,

xoxo

Mars