With the Autumn Winter 2008 collections awash with uber-glam sophistication and fierce femininity, its no wonder that fashion-forward brand, Topshop, has teamed up with the Helmut Newton estate to showcase the controversial and influential photographer’s ‘Newton Machine’.
The ingenious ‘Newton Machine’ was first developed in the 1970s, designed to take fashion pictures without a photographer being present. Helmut Newton’s idea behind this was to capture the subject as they see themselves, ‘drawing parallels to today’s obsession with self-image’.
Topshop have done their best to recreate this idea with a bespoke photographic studio within three of their stores. Customers can go inside, stand within the marked area, pose, and then press a button on the cable release to take a photo. The great thing about doing this is that you get to keep a printout of the image yourself, as well as having another copy on display for all to see.
Helmut Newton, famous for pushing the boundaries within the fashion industry, actually has quite a lot of characteristics in common with Topshop. They are both strong, powerful and represent a woman as an individual – a perfect match!
Sadly the machine at Topshop Oxford Circus closed for business on the 15th June. Log onto www.newtonmachinetopshop.com for more information on other dates and locations!
