Zara Revisits Iconic Peter Lindbergh Photographs In A Surprise Collection

Though Peter Lindbergh’s photographs helped to define an era, their sense of timelessness makes them rather hard to date. In 2015, Calvin Klein used one of Lindbergh’s images featuring Mark Vanderloo and Christy Turlington for its Eternity campaign. At the time, the image was over 25 years old, yet no one clocked it. Some of the late photographer’s works, curated by his friend, the creative director Fabien Baron, have been selected to grace a collection of T-shirts and pullovers for Zara. And, like the Eternity ad, the merchandise—created to benefit the Franca Sozzani Fund for Preventive Genomics—evokes a cool factor that belies the archival significance of the works they present.

Launching today, the five-piece collection revisits Lindbergh’s black-and-white images, all famously untouched. There’s Kate Moss in 1994, so striking that she has no need for the second strap of her denim dungarees. There’s Amber Valletta in Helmut Lang and a pair of wings; a photo from a series taken for Harper’s Bazaar in 1993. There’s Linda Evangelista, slick with water from the Bahama beach on which she was photographed. There’s the actress Debbie Lee Carrington, dressed as a martian alongside Helena Christensen in a 1990 issue of Italian Vogue. And, rounding out the set, Lynne Koester dons Comme des Garçons in an industrial photo from 1984.

All of the proceeds from the pieces, comprising Zara’s first-ever tribute collection, will benefit the Franca Sozzani Fund. It’s a touching collaboration, as the late Italian Vogue editor in chief championed Lindbergh and his work in the pages of her magazine for decades. In a press release for the collection, Baron notes that “Peter and Franca were, each in their own way, true legends in the industry and responsible for some of the most iconic fashion images made over these past decades. Their creative partnership was based on trust, excellence, and always challenging the status quo. I miss them both more than words can say and am honored that perhaps this project helps introduce a new audience to their work, as well as helping address some of the social change that Franca, in particular, felt so passionate about.”