The Bite Magazine - Spring 2016 - Issue 15

Vogue 100: A Century of Style Dawn Hunt visits the Vogue 100: A Century of Style at the National Portrait Gallery and gives us an idea of what we can expect. M adonna sang it best in her song ‘Vogue’ with the lines, “Ladies with an atti- tude / Fellows that were in the mood / Don't just stand there, let's get to it / Strike a pose, there's nothing to it.” The Queen of Pop’s song is perhaps the most fitting anthem about fashion of all time. She references some of the world’s most talented and beautiful people in the lyrics which says as much, and with such muses to look up to, who wouldn’t want to forever idealise them in song? However, songs about beautiful people aren’t enough. No, those perfect faces and bodies need to be immortalised on film, and that’s just what British Vogue has done for the last 100 years. In honour of celebrating this centennial anniversary, London’s National Portrait Gallery has taken up the opportunity to showcase some of the truly incred- ible works showcased within the glossy pages of the magazine over the years to an adoring public this spring. Sponsored by Leon Max and Hebert Smith Freehills, this explorative exhibition highlights the last 100 years of BritishVogue and features over 280 cutting-edge fashion, beauty and portrait photographs. Leon Max stated, “I have always had an interest in art and fashion so it was a natural fitting for me to support  Vogue 100: A Century of Style, an exhibition celebrating two institutions: Vogue and the National Portrait Gallery.” Furthermore, this installation was curated by the multi-talented Robin Muir, a contributing editor at British Vogue, who has assisted in arranging several of the gallery’s exhibitions in the past 20 years, covering fashion and portrait photogra- phy.These include Snowdon:A Retrospective at the National Portrait Gallery in 2000, Unseen Vogue:The Secret History of Fashion Photography at the Design Museum in 2002 and the very successful Under the Influence: John Deakin and the Lure of Soho at the Photographers’ Gallery in 2014. However, this renaissance man of the art world has also curated shows for theVic- toria & Albert Museum, the Museum of London, and the Yale Center for British Art in New Haven, USA. He has also written a few books covering fashion, biteexhibition David Hockney, Peter Schlesinger and Maudie James by Cecil Beaton, 1968 ©The Condé Nast Publications