Annie Leibovitz Celebrated Women Alongside Her Many Muses
Annie Leibovitz has captured some of fashion’s most indelible images over the past five decades—oftentimes for this magazine. Many of those photographs—from Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace to Michelle Obama and Malala Yousafzai—and some 250 others of influential female figures have been compiled in Annie Leibovitz: Women, a two-volume tome which revisits and builds onto her seminal 1999 collection of the same name. To celebrate, publisher Phaidon is presenting a four-day pop-up exhibition in Chelsea, which was feted on Wednesday evening with a cocktail reception.
At Studio 525, the room was buzzing on opening night. Phaidon’s Deborah Aaronson—who is also the photographer s longtime editor—welcomed 200 guests alongside co-host Gloria Steinem. Among the crowd were Martha Stewart and Fran Lebowitz, as well as Anna Wintour and Grace Coddington, who has infused many of Leibovitz’s images with her own magic.
The release sees Women back in print for the first time in many years, updated to include striking imagery of individuals like Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, poet Amanda Gorman, Olympic swimming champion Katie Ledecky, and many more. Susan Sontag’s essay from the original is joined by new texts from Gloria Steinem and Chimamanda Ngozi, and words penned by Leibovitz herself.
“It’s amazing to be able to re-publish the first volume that came out 26 years ago and add this companion volume to it,” Leibovitz told Vogue, in between fielding congratulatory hugs and kisses from well-wishers. “It’s really about continuing women’s stories and showing what extraordinary, complicated, brilliant women are doing and accomplishing today. Gloria has also written a powerful essay about how important it is to be seen, and how we are seen changes how we see ourselves.”
Around Studio 525, arresting images from the book are pinned to the gallery’s pristine white walls, arranged in themes. There are political portraits of Hillary Clinton and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez— the youngest woman to ever serve in the U.S. House of Representatives—and sports heroes like Simone Biles, Serena Williams, and Venus Williams. Singers such as Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift, and Joan Baez, and Hollywood royalty in the form of Elizabeth Taylor are also on display. When Martha Stewart spotted her own portrait, the original lifestyle influencer stopped in front of it and smiled proudly.
When Steinem took to the microphone, the room fell silent. “I just want to make sure that this night changes your life in a good way like how Annie’s artistic genius has changed mine,” Steinem said. “So make sure to say hello to a couple of people you don’t know. Say what you do, what you care about. Organize, make trouble, and make sure this night is as changeful and miraculous as this person right here.”
Leibovitz returned the sentiment. “To me, this is Gloria’s night. In my line of work the word ‘iconic’ is used a lot, but Gloria is one of the very few people who actually qualifies. She is my friend and collaborator. We have been on the road together. I dragged her around to exhibitions in several countries and she pulled me into talking circles everywhere we went. Thank you Gloria, I love you.”
Enjoying a lap around the exhibition was Karen Elson. The singer-songwriter and model has known Leibovitz for 20-plus years, and has been photographed by her on numerous occasions. “There’s photographers, and then there’s Annie Leibovitz,” she told Vogue. “Annie is in a different class of photographers all together. She captures a vital part of a soul. She understands the struggle of what being a woman is, and the joy as well. You feel that when she takes your picture. Sometimes it’s a challenging process to work with Annie—and I love that. For me, there’s something so much more authentic about it instead of having somebody butter you up and say, ‘Oh my God, you’re gorgeous!’ I don’t care for that. And Annie doesn’t care for that. Annie cares for substance in a photo. You look at all these images and that’s what you’ve got: substance.”
The pop-up also features large-scale digital screens, flashing images from the book of a pregnant Rihanna, a 2017 close up portrait of Oprah Winfrey, and Anna Wintour at her desk, among others. Over hors d’oeuvres of cauliflower dumplings and chicken empanadas, guests were enthralled by the conversation-sparking photographs. Many stated that Leibovitz’s portraits have managed to capture the spirit of both individuals and the era they represent, which she intends to continue to do, spurred on by the events of this week.
“Tonight’s exhibition is really a celebration of the moment we are living in and a continuation from the elections. There were many women that won,” said Leibovitz, referring to a record 14 states that will be led by female governors in 2026. “And Zohran Mamdani being elected mayor of New York City—it just feels great. The timing of the second book perfectly coincides with extraordinary women accomplishing so much today. They deserve to be seen because it inspires us all, and that s the goal of the book.”
The pop-up is open through November 8.
Quadir Moore/BFA.com1/13Gloria Steinem
Quadir Moore/BFA.com2/13Karen Elson
