David Bailey is one of the most iconic living fashion photographers in the world—and his work, specifically 250 portraits taken over the course of his 55-year career, is the subject of a new exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in London.
At the opening event last night, Bailey sounded off on supermodels and the whole selfies trend right now. Here's what he said:
On models Jean Shrimpton and Kate Moss: There are many more beautiful girls. But they've got this universal, democratic appeal. It's like Dietrich and Garbo in movies, they've just got this thing that makes them stand out."
On the selfies trend: "I only just found out what selfies were. I thought it was something entirely different! It's just a silly moment. People won't be doing it in six months' time. There will be another craze; I can't see the point."
Throughout his career, Bailey has traveled extensively and photographed some of the world's most famous faces, including the Beatles, Mick Jagger, and Andy Warhol. He was once married to Catherine Deneuve and was awarded an OBE by Queen Elizabeth II in 2001. The 1966 film Blow-Up was loosely based on his life:**
