While I was a fashion photographer, I sometimes became so tired of the stereotyped expressions of models, that I wished I could dispense with them altogether. This became a possibility with the computer: I might photograph the dresses on a real girl, then delete the human figure and keep only the dress, in the attitude or movement in which it was modeled.

The snag was that by the time I had this idea (and the computer that was needed), I wasn't involved with fashion any more. But the concept appealed to the publisher of L'IMPRIMERIE NATIONALE, who was planning a book about the masterpieces of fashion at the MUSÉE GALLIERA. The curator, agreed to the idea, on condition that the dresses be photographed on mannikins rather than on real models, mainly because the museum pieces had to be preserved from contact with human skin, but also because modern models wouldn't have the right shapes for ancient dresses. Besides, she added, what was the use of paying live models, if they were to be deleted anyway?

I tried to explain that it made a difference to me, because the attitudes and movements of a real (though invisible) person would leave some mark on the folds of the dresses, and this would add a kind of mystery to the images. But this didn't persuade the curator: so the best I could do was having the dresses stuffed and shaped by her manniquinistes, and adding what mystery I could by a few digital special effects. Still, a few images may still come across as I originally intended them, i.e. as "portraits of invisible people".