Scene: Arthur Elgort, photographer, and his incredible body of work at his opening On the Move at Staley Wise Gallery. Etheleen Staley and Takouhy Wise opened Staley-Wise Gallery in 1981 with an exhibition of Horst P. Horst photographs, and continue to specialize in fashion photography which they introduced to the gallery world.
The exhibit spans Arthur Elgort’s five-decade career, offering an all-encompassing view of his celebrated work and showing him as the original artist who introduced the “snapshot” style in fashion photography featuring models with wit, freedom of movement, and reportage influence.
The photographs of Arthur Elgort created a sensation in his 1971 debut in British Vogue when a breath of fresh air wafted into the world of fashion photography. His free and easy style freed his models to move. His models wore less makeup, were more casual and lively and moved about freely in outdoor locations such as city streets, pools, and beaches which characterized his style.
Arthur and I worked together many times. When I was at Bloomingdale’s, Revlon, and my own ad agency, Fred J. DeVito, Inc, for my client Almay Cosmetics.
Photo above: Arthur Elgort’s Caroline Trentini and David Alvarez, New York City, Vogue, 2008. Model Caroline Trentini sits on a basketball hoop, wearing an Alexander McQueen chiffon dress with jeweled bodice, as dancer David Alvarez, from the musical Billy Elliot, jumps below.
Photos Fred J. DeVito unless noted otherwise.

Scene: The Staley Wise Gallery for Arthur Elgort’s opening On the Move.

Scene: Arthur Elgort’s The Rolling Stones, Long View Farm, Massachusetts, 1981.

Scene: Arthur Elgort’s Naomi Campbell, Paris, Alaia, 1986; Shaun Casey, Italian Harper’s Bazaar, 1978.

Scene: Arthur Elgort’s Shaun Casey, Italian Harper’s Bazaar, 1978.

Scene: Arthur Elgort, “When my career was just beginning, I noticed that most of the magazines had plenty of studio photographers, all I saw were models standing still. So I decided to do something else. I took my models out on the streets of New York, Paris, or wherever I was, and the magazines liked it. It felt different”.

Scene: Harry King and Deirdre Maguire Jowers.
Harry King, iconic hairstylist with about a hundred magazine covers worldwide including Vogue, Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Time, Newsweek, Life, and People. In the 70s, Harry established the look for Calvin Klein and for models Patti Hansen and Rene Russo. Deborah Turbeville was the first photographer he worked with at America Vogue, then Scavullo, Irving Penn, and Avedon.
Deirdre Maguire (Jowers) former model who appeared on the covers of Elle, Grazia, Lei, and Vanity Fare. Her advertising work included Escada, Guess, and Loreal. Presently, Deirdre Maguire Jowers is one of the top producers of Corcoran’s East Hampton offices, Hamptons Real Estate. She has over 16 years in residential sales experience.

Scene: Kevin Hatt, Kim Williams, and Christiaan Houtenbos.
Kevin Hatt is a New York based photographer and cyclist from Canada. Kevin loves to shoot portraits, beauty, and fashion. Whether in the studio or on location, his images are about building a story that can be suspenseful and evocative.
Kim Williams, model then and model now, muse to photographers Steven Meisel, Peter Lindbergh, Mario Testino, and Patrick Demarchelier. And also muse to designers Commes des Garçons and Yohji Yamamoto. She appeared on the covers of magazines including Cosmopolitan; British Elle; French Marie Claire; The New York Times Magazine; and American, British, French, Italian Vogue. Kim’s most recent editorial assignment was with Spirit & Flesh Magazine in their story “Norisol Ferrari – the Tempest”. Represented by The Model CoOp.
Christiaan Houtenbos, Dutch hairstylist, Arthur’s number one hairstylist and associate. They met in 1969 when Mary Carter was the editor of Mademoiselle and booked him for a cover try with Arthur and some French actress. He was known in the editorial world. It was Kenneth and Bergdorf Goodman’s salon who asked Christiaan to join them. He was there for two years working in the salon. He had become a magazine and celebrity favorite, frequently collaborating with photographers like Arthur and shaping the iconic cuts of Grace Jones and Debbie Harry.

Scene: Arthur Elgort’s Kristen McMenamy and Linda Evangelista, 1991.

Scene: Sandy Linter and Barbara Camp.
Sandy Linter, legendary makeup artist, who has worked for over five decades with many of the greats in the fashion, beauty, and entertainment world from renowned photographers and iconic models to esteemed celebrities. She has worked on countless covers for Vogue. In 1979, Linter released Disco Beauty: Nighttime Makeup, her most iconic book to date. Today, she continues to do makeup on a daily basis and has established herself as one of the foremost experts in beauty for women of every age, having published the book The Makeup Wakeup: Revitalizing Your Look at Any Age. Sandy can be booked at The Salon Project, by Joel Warren, a unique hair salon inside of Saks Fifth  Avenue on the 7th floor.  
Barbara Camp, Senior Associate at Billy Clark Creative Management, the world’s preeminent design agency. They collaborate with a select group of creative companies and individuals globally in talent acquisition, business strategy, executive leadership and career development.

Scene: Arthur Elgort with Alva Chinn.
Alva is an American fashion model and actress. During her modeling days in the 70s and 80s she was one of Oscar de la Renta’s favorite models. Chinn modeled for Chanel, Chloé, Halston, and Saint Laurent. Alva along with nine other stunning models participated in The Battle of Versailles Fashion Show on November 28, 1973 at the Palace of Versailles in France. With Pat Cleveland, Anjelica Huston, Pat Ast, Karen Bjornson, and Connie Cook, among others, she became one of Halston’s favored troupe of models, nicknamed the Halstonettes. Alva Chinn is known for Great Expectations (1998), On the Rocks (2020) and Trainwreck (2015).

Scene: Arthur Elgort’s Alva Chinn, Rosie Vela, and Karen Bjornson, 1977.
Getting ready for a Calvin Klein fashion show in the 70’s.

Scene: Arthur Elgort’s Grace Coddington and David Baily, 2014.

Scene: Marianne Houtenbos and Grace Coddington.
Marianne Houtenbos, Arthur’s long time friend and photo rep and Christiaan Houtenbos’ wife. Marianne started working in the advertising department at Harper’s Bazaar. A couple of weeks later she went to the editorial floor. Nancy White, editor, asked “Where do you work?” And she said “ The advertising department. ” She said, “No, darling, you don’t want to work in advertising. Come see me tomorrow, maybe we can find you something on the editorial floor.” When I was fashion art director at Bloomingdale’s Marianne was a freelance stylist.
Grace Coddington, former Welsh model, former senior fashion editor at British Vogue, and former creative director at large of American Vogue. In 1959 at the age of 18, there was a Vogue model competition, and someone submitted her pictures. She ended up winning the Young Model section and was featured in the October issue photographed by Norman Parkinson. She then began her modeling career for Vogue. Coddington, or “The Cod” as she became known, soon established herself on the London scene during the swinging sixties. Thanks in no small part to Vidal Sassoon creating his iconic five-point cut on her “incredible bones, and marvelous neck”.
Grace is known for the creation of large, complex and dramatic photoshoots. A Guardian profile wrote that she “has produced some of fashion’s most memorable imagery. Her pictures might be jolly and decadent or moody and mysterious”.

Scene: Elizabeth Covintree and Alva Chinn.
Elizabeth Covintree, studio and digital assistant at Arthur Elgort.

Scene: Alva Chinn from behind featuring her lovely hair style.

Scene: Arthur Elgort and Marianne Houtenbos.

Scene: Arthur Elgort’s Susan Hess, Fire Island, New York, 1979.

Scene: Grethe Barrett Holby and Barry Weinbaum.
Grethe Barrett Holby, Arthur’s wife, American theatre producer, stage director, choreographer, and dramaturge best known for her work in opera. Grethe is noted as the founder of American Opera Projects, where she served as Artistic Director from 1988 until 2001.
Barry Weinbaum, Creative Consultant.

Scene: Deirdre Maguire Jowers with her youngest son, Aubrey.

Scene: Harry King and Grace Coddington.

Scene: As executive art direction at Revlon I directed this campaign with photographer Arthur Elgort and model Renata Vakova, 1981.

Scene: Arthur Elgort’s In The Studio, New York City, Vogue, 1978. Michelle Stevens, Lisa Ryall (Elisabeth Halsted), and Debbie Dickinson to name a few of the models.

Scene: Barry Weinbaum and Robert Chacona, independent writing and editing professional.

Scene: Andrew Brucker and Sandy Linter.
Andrew is a former photography assistant to Arthur Elgort and now a Manhattan based photographer whose work has been published in magazines including Rollingstone, Esquire, Interview, Visionaire, Details, and Bald Ego. Working with James Taylor, Andrew provided him with three separate album covers.

Scene: Arthur Elgort’s Gia, Fire Island, New York, 1981.

Scene: Arthur Elgort’s Christy Turlington, New Orleans, British Vogue, 1990.

Scene: Arthur Elgort’s Lisa Taylor, JFK Airport, NYC, Vogue, 1976.

Scene and Heard: Matt Sky and Lyena Sky.
Matt Sky, photographer, singer, song writer, and musician.
Lyena Sky, model at Next and NYMMG, and owner of Notbusted Entertainment.

Scene: Andrew Brucker and Tom Wool.
Tom, British photographer currently living in NYC, worked with fashion publications in the 1980s. He has spent the last 20 years traveling the world and documenting the cultural diversity of humanity. Tom raised enough funds to build a school in Tzombuk, where some of his portraits were made. His photographs have been exhibited internationally and are on permanent display at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University and are part of the permanent collection at The Rubin Museum of Art, in New York City.

Scene: Arthur Elgort’s Lisa Taylor Driving over the George Washington Bridge, New York City, Vogue, 1976.

Scene: Arthur Elgort’s Nadja Auermann Crossing Park Ave., Vogue, 1995.

Scene: Arthur Elgort’s Patti Hansen, Lisa Taylor, and Beverly Johnson, San Francisco, 1976.

Scene: Arthur’s Bonnie Berman, Palm Beach, FL, Vogue, 1986.

Scene: Kim Williams standing in front of Arthur Elgort’s photographes.
In The Studio, New York City, Vogue, 1978; Bonnie Berman, Palm Beach, FL, Vogue, 1986; Gia, Fire Island, New York, 1981; Self Portrait at Home, New York City, 1982.

Scene: Sandy Linter and Christiaan Houtenbos.

Scene: Christiaan Houtenbos and Sandy Linter viewing Arthur’s photo wall.

Scene: Arthur Elgort’s photo wall.

Scene: Arthur Elgort’s Karl Lagerfeld, Paris, 1993; New York City, 1992; Christy Turlington, New York City, 1993; Manolo Blahnik, Paris, 2002; Lion in Africa, 1991; Wycliff Gordon, New York City, 1992; Claudia Schiffer, Rome, Valentino, 1994.

Scene: As fashion art direction at Bloomingdale’s I directed this Halston advertising campaign with Arthur Elgort and models Joan Serverance and Tony Spinelli. One of the images from the Halston advertising campaign, 1980.