Ellen von Unwerth. Fräulein. 40th Anniversary Edition

They’re not your girls next door. Fashion and fetish in a female fantasyland

Ellen von Unwerth was a supermodel before the term was invented, so she knows a thing or two about photographing beautiful women. Now one of the world’s most original and successful fashion photographers, she pays homage to the world’s most delectable females in Fräulein. This celebration of our era’s sexiest female icons includes Claudia Schiffer, Kate Moss, Vanessa Paradis, Britney Spears, Eva Mendes, Lindsay Lohan, Dita von Teese, Adriana Lima, Carla Bruni, Eva Green, Christina Aguilera, Monica Bellucci and dozens more.

Switching effortlessly between color and immaculate black and white, von Unwerth’s photography revels in sexual intrigue, femininity, romance, fetishism, kitsch humor, decadence and sheer joie de vivre. Whether nude or in lingerie and a dazzling smile, her subjects are never objectified. Some flaunt personal fantasies; others are guarded, suggesting that we have stumbled into a secret world. Fashion and fantasy were never so enchantingly combined.

The photographer:

Ellen von Unwerth worked as a top fashion model for 10 years, before taking up the camera and becoming one of the world’s most in-demand fashion photographers. Her work has featured in countless magazines, including Vogue, Interview, Vanity Fair, and i-D, while her advertising campaigns include Victoria’s Secret, Banana Republic, and Chanel. Von Unwerth’s TASCHEN books include Heimat, Fräulein, and The Story of Olga.

The author:

Ingrid Sischy (1952-2015) was a Contributing Editor for Vanity Fair. A former staff writer, photography and fashion critic at The New Yorker, she was editor in chief of Interview, 1989-2008. She has profiled Keith Haring, David Hockney, Jeff Koons, Nicole Kidman, and Madonna, among many others.