Foreword By Sciascia Gambaccini
Beauty is an intimidating subject in several ways, but it should not be confused with the negative implications of narcissism. It is the instrument of seduction. It is honest, selfless, and out there to be seen, touched, smelled, and ultimately desired. The essence of a woman shines through her skin, which can be bare or like the palette of a universe of colors. But it is the key to what being a woman is all about.
If Cleopatra used gold and over-the -top opulence to impress her lovers, it was the simple, double charcoal line on her eyelids that made her an icon. Beauty can be a well-executed trick, an illusion, and sometimes deceptive—but always a statement.
After working as a fashion editor for over thirty years, I have come to the conclusion that for me, it’s not about the clothes, it’s not about the trends, nor the magazine. It’s about the girl. If there is true beauty, that girl is timeless. There is no age, there are no defects, there are no limits. Being a woman is the advantage we have from birth: beauty is our mother language.
In this book Kenneth Willardt celebrates beauty the way he knows best: by having women (and a few men) seduce his inquisitive camera freely, creatively, intimately . . . as if he were not behind it. They’re ultimately deeply touched by what he sees. His camera is the keyhole to life, which is sometimes raw and sometimes glamorous, but always undeniably beautiful.