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Marta Ortega hosts exhibition dedicated to photographer Steven Meisel in A Coruña
A Coruña, once again turned into a fashion capital last Wednesday night, on November 16. Internationally known for being home to the Inditex group's headquarters in the town of Arteixo, the Galician city of around 250,000 inhabitants owes its fame to the Ortega family. In addition to Amancio Ortega's role as founder of the textile empire, his daughter Marta, who recently became president of the company after the departure of Pablo Isla, has gone from being a low key member of the company to progressively becoming the face of the textile group, often seen with well-known names and celebrities from the sector. Her latest project in Inditex's home city? Organizing the first international exhibition dedicated to the work of iconic American fashion photographer Steven Meisel.
Last Wednesday, a true parade of international stars took place at the small airport of A Coruña, in Culleredo. In any other small Spanish provincial town, this event would seem exceptional. But the capital of Galicia is getting used to the Ortega family's surprises. In November 2018, Marta and Carlos Torretta's high-profile wedding was attended by a good handful of celebrities such as Pierpaolo Piccioli, Chris Martin and Norah Jones. This time, the crème de la crème once again traveled to Galicia for the first photo exhibition organized by Inditex's president herself.
It was in December 2021 when the heiress inaugurated the retrospective exhibition "Untold Stories", dedicated to the work of trailblazing photographer Peter Lindbergh, who passed away in 2019. Held in an industrial space in the port of A Coruña, the immersive exhibition brought together 152 images selected by the German photographer from his extensive body of work spanning more than four decades of career.
After a successful exhibition that kept its doors open for more than three months, Marta has once again organized a photographic exhibition, this time dedicated to the 68-year-old American photographer Steven Meisel. Entitled "Meisel 93. A year in photograhs", the retrospective pays tribute to one of the most prolific photographers of his generation, responsible for launching the careers of some of the most renowned supermodels of the 1990s.
Quite a handful of them accepted Marta's invitation and attended the exclusive inauguration, which included a dinner catered by the two-star Michelin restaurant Culler de Pau and a live performance by singer Lous and the Yakuza. Celebrities such as Natalia Vodianova, Amber Valletta, Irina Shayk, Karlie Kloss, Honor Fraser, Pat and Anna Cleveland, Coco Rocha, Karen Elson, Anna Sui, Eugenia Silva, Jon Kortajarena and John Galliano were spotted at the evening organised by Inditex's president, who is continuing with her strategy to reposition Zara as a more high-end brand.
"We leaned on each other a lot. The job was hard work, but it didn't feel like work. It was also fun and we worked all hours of the night to achieve what we wanted to achieve: the goal, the look, the whole essence of the shoot. It was all very special," said Naomi Campbell, one of the evening's honoured guests. "I don't know anyone who has so much respect for fashion and for aesthetics. Having a campaign or a shoot with Steven is the moment when your career has the chance to transform into something much bigger," added model Christy Turlington.
For her part, Marta noted that Meisel has shot "some of the most important and interesting fashion photographs". She added: "It is a great privilege to be able to bring this rare and special exhibition to A Coruña. It will not only be an important addition to the rich tapestry of cultural life in Galicia, but also a rich source of inspiration for everyone fortunate enough to be able to spend time with Steven's remarkable images".
Organised by Marta's foundation at the Muelle de la Batería space in A Coruña, the exhibition presented more than 100 portraits selected by Meisel's studio, mainly taken in 1993, a "pivotal" year in the photographer's career. "Meisel 93. A year in photographs" will be open to the public every day of the week, from November 19 to May 1 of next year.
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