Editor’s Note: Think of it as a prequel to a prequel. We’re resurfacing Vogue’s “Madly Max”shoot, inspired by the movie that started the franchise, to whet your appetite for Furiosa, the fourth movie in the George Miller series and a prequel to his 2015 blockbuster Fury Road, which stars Anya Taylor-Joy, and arrives in theaters on May 24. This story was originally published as part of a COVID-era series, Past/Present, highlighting images and articles from Vogue that have personal significance to our editors.
“Madly Max,” photographed by Arthur Elgort, was published in the 2000 issue of the magazine. Fashion Editor: Grace Coddington. Hair, Julien d’Ys; makeup, Aaron de Mey for Atlantis NY. Coordination, Legend Inc.
What does the future hold? At the moment, no one really knows. The spread of COVID-19 has raised many questions, but the answers are all estimations and predictions, at least for now. We know this virus will forever alter our lives, our ways of working, and the ways in which we see the world and each other, but it’s still unclear what our day-to-day life will look like in six months or a year from now. Ruminating on these thoughts can be crazy-making, especially as the news cycle is basically all doom and gloom. What can be momentarily soothing is escapist dreaming of a better post-coronavirus world. Perhaps our current dystopia will persuade us all to be kinder—not only to ourselves and one another, but to the environment too.
My own hopes and dreams have been boosted by a fashion shoot from Vogue’s September 2000 issue. “Madly Max” stars Carmen Kass as the matriarch of a desert-dwelling, post-apocalyptic family in an uplifting riff on the cult classic Mel Gibson vehicle Mad Max.
Styled by Grace Coddington and photographed by Arthur Elgort, the shoot was both fantastical and scrappy, the clothes a mix of torn and tattered pieces mashed up with sleek and refined ones. There are utilitarian trench coats and free-flowing gowns, and runway looks from Ann Demeulemeester, Helmut Lang, and Martin Margiela. The photographs are a little rough around the edges, balancing a darker, almost sinister vibe with an approachability and familial softness. It’s punk glamour in the middle of nowhere, in a world that no one has ever seen before.
Looking at these images from 20 years ago has helped me imagine how fashion of the future might look, and it’s also helped me escape a little bit. At the beginning of another week of predictions and estimations, Elgort and Coddington’s narrative reminds me that no matter what, clothes will always be able to tell beautiful stories—and we need those more than ever as we ride ahead.
