I love this photo taken of Elsa Peretti in New York by Helmut Newton in 1975. Elsa had always wanted to be photographed by Newton and he wasn't interested until she cut her hair. After the shoot, she was desperate for a copy of this photograph. Apparently, Newton wouldn't budge. She had to pay him $400 for the image. Last year an artist's print of the same shot sold at Christie's for $79,000.
Elsa Peretti grew up in Italy and in 1966 she scandalized her family and Italian society by leaving to Barcelona just two weeks before she was set to marry a publisher from Milan to pursue more creative endeavors. She took up with artistic circles and modelled for Dali before arriving in New York in 1968....just in time to hit Studio 54.
Peretti was a natural muse hanging with the likes of Halston and Andy Warhol, before being commissioned by Tiffany & Co to shake things up. Using sensuous materials and understated design, Peretti enjoyed enormous success reportedly selling two miles of diamonds by the yard necklaces in her first year alone. Her affordable pieces were coveted by the sexually liberated 1970's woman who wanted to adorn herself and buy her own jewelry. She created an accessible line of jewelry that echoed the sentiment of the times and her designs continue to be top sellers today.
Peretti once said "I'm a Taurus. We want to be comfortable. If you are comfortable, you are ahead of everything."
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