Marisa Mell by Bert Stern

Marisa Mell

models

David Webb emarald, ruby and diamond belt

Hair by Martin Downey

Photo by Bert Stern

Vogue

1968

Photo shoot for Vogue 1968 as run up to the Mata Hari musical starring Marisa Mell trying to make her a new Broadway star which in the end horribly misfired! 

Cleopatra Bis

Last week on June 12th 2013 it was exactly 50 years ago that the movie "Cleopatra" with Elizabeth Taylor got its première in America after a long and very hazardous production schedule in London (Britain) and  Rome (Italy) and above all the movie went way over budget almost bankrupting 20th Century Fox! But the movie was an absolute success in America and the rest of the world for years to come on every level of  life like fashion or entertainment igniting a slew of peplum movies during the rest of the 60's and early 70's, all being produced in Cincecitta in Italy . Even Marisa Mell could not escape the tsunami that this movie caused.  Hence this photoshoot with fashion photographer Bert Stern completely dressed like an Egyptian princess! As always Marisa Mell is just absolutely beautiful but what makes this shoot special is that it also gives us a  glimpse behind the scene of the photoshoot.

Glamour Puss!

In the March 1st 1968 issue of the American edition of fashion magazine "Vogue", Marisa Mell had a fashion photo spread as lead up to her American adventure as one of the stars in the musical version of the life of spy "Mata Hari". The picture was taken by then very famous photographer Bert Stern. Bert Stern gained notority at the beginning of the 60's when he was able to photograph Marilyn Monroe during a three day shoot six weeks before her tragic death. He became one of the most celebrated photographers in the States untill recently having had almost every star and starlet before his camera's. This photo shows clearly that Marisa Mell, when she had not been a movie star, had all the qualities of becoming a top fashion model during the 60's like the then glamour pussies Verushka, Wilhelmina, Jean Shrimpton, Lauren Hutton, Ingrid Boulton or Karen Graham. I love this picture because it shows Marisa Mell's personality in a complete different styling than usual. Bellissima!