Some of Audrey Hepburn’s most iconic photos were shot by Richard Avedon for Harper’s Bazaar; their working relationship was so storied that it was even touched upon in her classic film Funny Face. Now the magazine is revisiting that legendary friendship with a gorgeous series of photos featuring Hepburn’s granddaughter Emma Ferrer — and shot by Avedon’s grandson Michael Avedon.
Courtesy Harper’s Bazaar
Ferrer, 20, posed for Avedon, 23, wearing outfits that echoed some of her grandmother’s most memorable looks: a Funny Face-inspired black turtleneck and cropped pants, a black-and-white floral Carolina Herrera gown with echoes of Hepburn’s famous Sabrina number and a ’60s-inspired hat-and-coat that recalls a modern My Fair Lady. (See all the photos here.) And though she never knew her grandmother (she was born in 1994, the year after Hepburn passed away), she feels a kinship to her both as her grandmother and as a revered actress.
RELATED PHOTOS: See what your favorite stars are wearing!
“The first images I have of her are, interestingly enough, when she was quite young … I remember seeing a photo of her jumping on a trampoline … I remember thinking that she looked like a friend I wish I could have had,” Ferrer says of her grandmother. At the same time, she says, “When I watched Breakfast at Tiffany‘s, I enjoyed it the same way any young girl would.” After watching Sabrina, Ferrer writes to her interviewer, “It had been a while since I’d seen one of her films, and the feeling was indeed magical. Somehow, seeing her in her youth and brilliance reminded me that I do, in fact, carry her spirit along with me.”
Courtesy Harper’s Bazaar
Ferrer lives in Florence with her family (her father is Hepburn’s eldest son), and says she owns a few things that belong to her grandmother: “Her cashmere turtlenecks, which I adore and wear all throughout the winter and a white antique stuffed teddy bear,” she recalls. “Sometimes when I was younger, I felt confused toward what having a grandmother like her could mean in my life. But I am now understanding.” And now, with her first cover for Harper’s Bazaar (she’s on the subscriber issue), we’d say she understands very well.
What do you think of her photos? Any favorite looks?
-Alex Apatoff
