Fashion Show, Hotel Pierre, New York City Possibly 1940 - 1976

Lisette Model made this photograph, Fashion Show, Hotel Pierre, New York City, with a camera, of course. It looks like two women at a table. They are at a fashion show, and the whole scene oozes money and class. But the magic of Lisette Model is that she gets at something else, too. The woman on the left looks bored, maybe a bit tired of it all. Her hand is on her face, like "Oh, not another dress." The other woman, with the wild fur hat, is talking, maybe gossiping, who knows? You can almost hear her voice, a real New York accent, probably. Model isn't afraid to show these women as they are, not just perfect mannequins but real people with thoughts, feelings, and maybe a bit of cynicism. It makes me wonder if they know the picture is being taken.