The 90s by Pamela Hanson
Pamela Hanson has always had a gift for making the extraordinary feel effortless. She was one of the most brilliant photographers I ever worked with—and one of the rare fashion people without the armor of attitude.
No frosty eyes, no inflated ego, no self-important airs. Just a warm, clear vision. She captured the heart of fashion and, more importantly, the souls of the women in front of her lens in a way no one else has, before or since.
Her new book, The 90s, is an ode to joy, beauty, and the power of womanhood.
With an intimate foreword by her lifelong best friend, fashion editor and jewelry designer Lisa McCormick Love, every page feels like time spent with your closest girlfriends. You can almost hear the secrets being whispered while makeup is applied, hair teased and tossed into place, and that perfect little something slipped on before heading out to dazzle the world.
Pamela and Lisa made a pact when they were just five years old, growing up in Switzerland: one would become a fashion photographer, the other a fashion editor. They kept their promise.
I met Pam in Paris in 1985, and we became fast friends and collaborators. For a time, I even shared her apartment on Île Saint-Louis—just a few cobblestoned steps from Berthillon, the legendary ice-cream shop. Many of our shoots were a kind of three-way friendship: Pam behind the lens, me in front of it, and stylist Brana Wolf bringing laughter, magic, and a mischievous wink to the room.
What did I learn from Pam about making pictures? That the most exciting and alluring thing you can do on camera is to relax. Over-working anything—hair, makeup, styling—was anathema to her. Often, she had already caught the perfect frame before you even realized the shutter had clicked.
And the most practical lesson? Never complain about the weather on location. Shooting sleeveless dresses on the streets of Paris in below-zero temperatures, toes frozen in open sandals, I heard her voice in my ear: “There’s nothing anyone can do about it, so don’t waste the energy.” It may sound small, but in a world as high-pressure as fashion, that kind of grace makes everyone’s day easier.
Yes, Pamela Hanson’s book may be called The 90s, but what it truly captures is timeless: the strength, vulnerability, and eternal power of women standing in their own beauty.
A good fashion photography book isn’t just for the coffee table—it’s a time capsule. The 90s belongs alongside Peter Lindbergh’s Images of Women and Herb Ritts’ Notorious, each reflecting a different lens on beauty, intimacy, and rebellion. First editions are always worth the hunt: they hold not only the richest print quality, but often the greatest future value.