Anastasia Barbieri on HELMUT NEWTON

In this iconic photo by Helmut Newton titled Rue Aubriot, the model is posing at night in a deserted Parisian lane illuminated by streetlamps.

I chose this image because it has always fascinated me: the flawless androgynous pinstripe suit, the nonchalant elegance of the model’s attitude, the enigmatic aura of the night. This photo sums up my aesthetic canons for both men and women. In an interview with The New York Times i n 1988, Newton explained t hat t he idea of this photo was to immortalise a man-woman standing in a street at night.

I love this picture because of its classicism. I also think it’s particularly relevant in this genderless moment of fashion and ( perhaps) of society in general.