PICTURE THIS: Admirers of Helmut Newton’s photography may one day be able to buy beauty products, jewelry and luxury fashion apparel inspired by the late lensman.
The Helmut Newton Foundation has partnered with Trunk Archive to venture into global licensing that draws from the archives of Newton and his wife June, who was also known as Alice Springs. The deal opens the door for using some of their images for brand collaborations, exclusive alliances and special projects.
Widely recognized for his stark and sometimes controversial images, Helmut Newton died at the age of 83 in 2004. His prolific fashion photography spanned 50-plus years and captured everything from the Yves Saint Laurent “Le Smoking” era to Amazonian women wearing only corsets and Wolford tights. Divisive in life, his photos and their respective back stories remain thought-provoking or repulsive, depending on the audience. Alice Springs was an accomplished photographer in her own right, known primarily for her intimate and charged portraits, notably of actors, artists and musicians. She died at age 97 in 2021.
A portrait of Elsa Peretti dressed like a Playboy bunny that was taken by Helmut Newton and an image of Yves Saint Laurent that was shot by Alice Newton are among the more than 500 images that are now searchable via the Trunk Archive platform. Along with leading models like Jerry Hall, Nadja Auermann and Claudia Schiffer, there are snapshots of Charlotte Rampling, Marianne Faithfull, Nicolas Cage and Ralph Fiennes. Additional Newton archival images will be added to the Trunk platform.
Jamie Tredwell, executive director of marketing for Great Bowery Licensing, which includes the Trunk Archives, described the Newton-related opportunities “as pretty endless.”
Trunk, a creative licensing agency, represents the archives of such creatives as Annie Leibovitz, Steven Klein, Ellen von Unwerth, Nick Knight, Nadine Ijewere, Inez and Vinoodh, Miles Aldridge and William Klein. Previous licensing projects included a branded merchandise collaboration between Supreme and Knight. Another project brought together von Unwerth and a European luxury company to create custom plates for consumers.
Matthias Harder, director and curator of the Helmut Newton Foundation, said the new alliance helps support the foundation’s efforts to make the Newtons’ work available to a wider audience and “in a larger cultural context.”