Short story of the iconic cover shoot for Homogenic album by Björk
In 1997 Björk got inspired by the photography work done with Devon Aoki by McQueen and Nick Knight for Visionaire magazine, from AW97 collection.
She liked the idea of multicultural references of this collection and wanted the Homogenic cover to be similar, so she approached McQueen.
Björk wanted equally powerful image and to be depicted as "someone who is put into an impossible situation, so impossible that she has to become a warrior. A warrior who has to fight not with weapons, but with love". This blue and white damask satin kimono was handmade in McQueen’s studio in London. It was woven with prunus blossom and lined in oriental scarlet satin:
Homogenic cover was designed by McQueen and photographed by Nick Knight. Here's what he told about the photoshoot:
“The picture we did for Homogenic, which Lee McQueen art directed, was the very first shot we took of the day. Lee saw it and went home because he’d decided we already had the shot. Björk ver patiently put up with me spending the next three and a half hours and 300 sheets of 10x8 proving him right!"
No outtakes from this photoshoot were published.
Björk about the photoshoot:
"I had ten kilos of hair on my head, special contact lenses, a manicure that prevented me from eating with my fingers, and gaffer tape around my waist and high clogs so I couldn't walk easily".
Picture below is the alternate album cover made by me to show the beauty of the kimono in full view, as it was probably photographed back then. It’s a mashup of original digitally sourced cover and few other photos showing invisible lower part of the kimono.
The dress was sold on auction in 2016 for £10,000.
The Visionary coiled neckpiece, wich Björk wears on the cover photo, was made by Shaun Leane. This bespoke piece, commissioned by Björk, was inspired by the brass coils worn by the women of the Kayan Lahwi tribe, a Tibeto-Burman ethnic group of Myanmar.
Leane about the neck piece:
"I saw today’s woman as a warrior, romantic, strong yet also vulnerable". After creating this piece, he challenged himself to create a piece that covered not just the neck, but the entire torso, down to the hips (last photo).
