There’s something quintessentially nostalgic about seeing fashion imagery from the past: low-res photographs from a time when fashion was, as some would argue, at its best; when the pressures of the business and the need for constantly high visibility dominating today’s industry weren’t yet dictating every decision. Fashion, especially during the defining eras that were the 90s and 00s, felt both exclusive and intimate; an insanely creative universe that granted access only to a selected few, but at the same time exuded global pull. It was fashion history in the making.
One largely under-the-radar, but incredibly trailblazing figure of that time is Angelica Blechschmidt. The creative worked at Vogue Germany when the magazine relaunched in 1974, first as Art Director, then as Editor-in-Chief from 1989 until 2003. She was instrumental in positioning both German fashion and the magazine as a relevant player internationally. She understood early on that fashion doesn’t exist in a vacuum, that it intersects with arts, culture, and society. Her pioneering mind, together with her unmistakable look, made Blechschmidt one of the most important figures in the industry in Germany and beyond.
Blechschmidt kept a private archive for all of her career, including letters, invites, fashion week schedules, and – most excitingly – photographs she took wherever she went. Without realising it, or perhaps she did, Blechschmidt created and cultivated historical fashion documents that illustrate in the most phenomenal way the fashion scene of her time. Every runway she sat front row, backstage she hung out, intimate dinner or lavish Hollywood star-studded party she attended, her analog Olympus camera always followed along, capturing behind-the-scenes moments so private and unstaged, they make you long to go back in time.
When Angelica Blechschmidt passed in 2018, Kirsten Landwehr, curator and famed hotelier, as well as a close friend and confidant to Blechschmidt, took over of the entire archive, consisting of more than 180,000 photos alone. To sort through and make sense of it all, she teamed up with Alexandra Bondi di Antoni, former head of digital at Vogue Germany. Together, they created the Archive Angelica Blechschmidt, and have been cataloguing this extensive legacy to successively make it available to the public.
Now, the first exhibition featuring selected photographs will be shown at Grisebach in Berlin. The exhibit Angelica Blechschmidt – In The Archives opens on 26th June and will provide guests a glimpse into the private and professional life of Blechschmidt, and the world of the famous and fashionable: candid, carefree, and up-close. From a young Tom Ford and Yves Saint Laurent to supermodels of the 90s and 00s to never-before-seen snapshots of some of the most recognisable faces. A rare look into Fashion with a capital F, completely unfiltered, and an event definitely not to be missed.
‘Angelica Blechschmidt – In The Archives’ from 26th June – 16th July
Location: Grisebach, Fasanenstraße 25, 10719 Berlin
Opening hours: Mo-Fr 10:00-18:00, Sa 11:00-16:00
Entry is free
Text KELLY NIESEN
