We are excited to share with you the story behind one of Helmut Newton’s most sensational pieces “Comme Jackie O”, featuring one of his favourite and best-known supermodels, Linda Morand.

In our second excerpt from LINDA MORAND: INCOGNITO – A Daughter’s Search for her Heritage – Preview, Linda tells of what happened immediately after that famous “Comme Jackie O” shoot.

“When we finished the shoot, we went to Newton’s Le Marias apartment. There was no one there.

“I have a great idea for your nude.” Newton said.

My nude? He acted as if it was expected of me. I didn’t know what to say. I had never done a nude before. However, this was Newton. This was art. It was to be for his private collection. And he has kept his word. No one has seen it, even me.

He was a complete gentleman, directing me to sit on the sofa with my legs crossed, one hand on the arm, the other holding a glass of champagne. I was wearing the full Jackie type big hair. The only thing I had on was high heels, long black gloves and sunglasses.

While we were shooting in his living room, his wife, June came home. Helmut introduced us. She, of course was completely unaffected by finding her husband with a naked lady. It wasn’t the first time. The atmosphere was completely professional and I didn’t feel uncomfortable.

Newton booked me again to shoot a 2 million dollar diamond necklace.

I was seated in the back of a Rolls Royce with an elegant gentleman. Newton was in the front seat. The dress was rather big on me and at one point, the strap slipped off my shoulder and dropped to my waist. Out popped my boob. The stylist reached in the window to fix it, but not after Newton began clicking like crazy. The stylist stopped.

“Grab the boob”, Helmut shouted to the male model. He was not a professional, but a friend of Newton, an elegant, silver-haired man. The poor man didn’t know what to do. He wasn’t the type to do anything like that. He gingerly placed his hand underneath my breast, wide open, not daring to touch me.

Newton promised me no one would ever see the results. However, it ended up in his book “White Women”, entitled “Commercial Outtake.”