Self-portrait of Sam Haskins in his Johannesburg studio (1962).
The fashion world is mourning the loss of one of its most iconic photographers.
Sam Haskins, famed for his nude photography, his book "
Cowboy Kate" and fashion shoots for the likes of
Vogue and
Harper's Bazaar, took his own life on Nov. 26, according to a letter from his son, Ludwig, posted on the photographer's blog,
SamHaskinsBlog.com. He was 83.
Calling the act "entirely out of character with his consistent celebration of living large, art and beauty," Ludwig says Haskins had grown depressed after suffering a stroke on Sept. 19, the day of his most recent show opening (at Milk Gallery in New York City), and "never recovered his emotional stability."
Ludwig says his father's "last rock star moment" was the success of his "
Fashion Etcetera" book launch and exhibition. As
we reported this fall, the tome's release also coincided with a
Haskins-inspired collection from Tommy Hilfiger.
This exclusive biography, written for StyleList by Sam Haskins' son, Ludwig, is a touching tribute to his father's legacy:
"Sam Haskins produced one of the great pioneering moments in the history of post-war photography. The production of '
Five Girls' in 1962 liberated figure photography from cliche and won equal proportions of fans among both genders.
"His unapologetic celebration of life, beauty, sensuality and visual ideas found a huge international audience. 'Cowboy Kate,' first published in 1964, a whimsical Western tale and the first creative photographic book to use pure visual narrative and the conscious use of grain as creative tool, has become a ubiquitous reference for the design, fashion, movie and photographic industries.
"The lightheartedness which Sam brought to the content of his images was combined with a signature quest to show his models as natural and real people.
"He was also a photographer's photographer, a master of studio and location shooting and one of the great black and white printers of his generation. His content spanned a huge range of work, from the ethnic art homage seen in "African Image" to his books of nudes, 'Five Girls,' 'Cowboy Kate,' and 'November Girl,' and the polished graphic photo illustrations in color first seen in 'Haskins Posters,' the 30 years of calendar production from 1970 to 2000, to the fashion work done in the last decade of his life.
"It was ironic that in his mid-70s the fashion industry 'discovered' the master photographer whom they had been 'referencing' for decades. While the content spanned a wide gamut from tender and profound to whimsical and humorous, he was, in every respect, hard-core about the photography itself and set relentlessly high standards of presentation.
[Haskins enjoyed a "rediscovery" of sorts as a fashion photographer following a shoot for
Yves Saint Laurent in 2002, and in response to huge demand, released a
"director's cut" version of "Cowboy Kate" in 2006.]
"Each new generation of young photographers produces a fresh batch of fans because Sam's images speak of common longings and celebrations across time."
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Sam Haskins - A Retrospective
Click through the gallery to see the iconic images of legendary photographer Sam Haskins through the years.
Sam Haskins
Elin Woods
Men around the world were envious not only of Tiger Woods' golf swing, but also of his stunning wife Elin. The former babysitter and model has shunned the spotlight, and America assumed she and squeaky-clean Tiger had a happy union. Until, of course, Tiger mysteriously crashed his car at the end of his driveway in November, 2009, and details of a scandalous affair emerged. While reports initially pointed to a Las Vegas club promoter, other women have since come forward claiming they had trysts with Tiger, too.
Christie Brinkley
She was America's Sweetheart, and the epitome of 80's beauty as a Cover Girl. But that didn't stop her architect husband Peter Cook from engaging in a little hanky panky with a 19-year-old employee in 2008. Brinkley filed for divorce, and all the sordid details played out in the media for all to see.
Victoria Beckham
She was on top of the world with her success as a Spice Girl, and even landed mega-heartthrob David Beckham as her husband. It seemed like things couldn't possibly get better for this sassy fashionista -- until she found out that David was cheating on her with nanny Rebecca Loos in 2004. Victoria, who was expecting a child at the time, announced that she would stand by her man and work on forgiveness. Even though more women later claimed to have bedded Beckham, it seems that things worked out, as the pair are still together and appear quite happy.
Carrie Underwood
Her hit single, "Before He Cheats," says it all. The gorgeous country girl who hit it big on "American Idol" dated two of America's hottest young stars -- football player Tony Romo and "Gossip Girl" star Chace Crawford. She wouldn't reveal who exactly she was referring to, but Underwood caused a mini scandal when she revealed to InStyle, "I've been cheated on" in the May 2008 issue. Rumors pointed to Romo, but only Underwood knows for sure who strayed.
Elizabeth Hurley
Hugh Grant has been typecast as a sweet, funny guy in most of his chick flicks, but behind the scenes, his life ain't so innocent. Longtime girlfriend, supermodel Elizabeth Hurley, was shocked (along with the rest of the world) when Grant was caught with a prostitute in 1995. Elizabeth moved on, but luckily for Hugh, at least the box office forgave him.
Halle Berry
She may have been voted the most beautiful woman in the world, but Berry's former husband, musician Eric Benet, still had a wandering eye. No one knows the full story about why Benet strayed, but claims have been made that he did it to "save" the marriage, as well as that he was a "sex addict" who couldn't help himself. Regardless of the excuses, Halle left her two-timing man in 2003 and moved on to bigger and better things -- like model Gabriel Aubry, with whom she has a daughter.
Shania Twain
She's the smokin' hot country star who single-handedly brought leopard print back in style (well, at least for a little while). Her hit song, "You're Still the One," was about how Twain and producer husband Mutt Lange defied friends' predictions and made their marriage work. Unfortunately, after years of what we assumed to be wedded bliss as the couple stayed out of the spotlight, Lange and Twain suddenly split in 2009 when he had an affair with secretary Marie Ann Thiebaud.
Sienna Miller
Jude Law may have good looks, but actress Sienna Miller's certainly no slouch. The pair were engaged in 2005 when Law confessed publicly that he cheated on Miller with his children's nanny, Daisy Wright. Since then, the beautiful pair have tried to rekindle their romance in an ongoing on-again, off-again pattern.
Tea Leoni
Leoni and husband David Duchovny seemed to have a happy life. That is, until Duchovny entered rehab for sex addiction in 2008. After reports of his infidelities surfaced, he and Leoni split--but remained amicable. Meanwhile (almost too conveniently), Duchovny ended up starring in the HBO series "Californication," in which he plays... a sex addict. How's that for life imitating art?
Uma Thurman
Thurman has good looks in her blood -- after all, her mother was a model. So it certainly shocked us when her husband, actor Ethan Hawke, cheated with former nanny Ryan Shawhughes in 2003. Hawke claimed the affair was just retaliation for Thurman's alleged relationship with director Quentin Tarantino. Whether it's true or not, Thurman left Hawke, who later married his mistress.
