What better Fashion Week kickoff than a nasty catfight between Jessica and Ashlee Simpson and legendary photographer David LaChapelle?
The 37-year-old LaChapelle spewed flames of hatred for the sisters Simpson at Tuesday night's benefit for the Brazilian charity Voice of the Streets at Churrascaria Plataforma Tribeca.
"They're everything that's wrong with music," LaChapelle seethed to Lowdown. "Out of everything combined, they're everything wrong with culture, and everything wrong with art, and what we think of as art and musical culture - in one family!"
LaChapelle, who not only shoots covers for Vanity Fair and Italian Vogue and makes music videos but also directed the critically acclaimed documentary "Rize," was just getting warmed up.
"They're nothing. They have nothing. They hold no interest whatsoever for anybody," he sniffed. "They're reality-red-carpet, lip-synching television stars. I don't know what they are beyond that. I don't think they offer anything."
So what did these innocent young ladies ever to do to him?
According to a source in the Simpson camp, LaChapelle is bitter that Jessica and Ashlee recently refused to pose for him for a Rolling Stone cover.
"When you do a cover with your sister, you both want to look like who you are," says the source. "David doesn't have that skill. The girls were looking for a photographer who wasn't a one-trick pony. He's good at what he does, but that's it."
LaChapelle's longtime producer, Fred Torres, yesterday fired back: "We've worked with everyone from Madonna to Janet Jackson, and have never had someone so on-again, off-again as the Simpsons. In the 10 years I've worked with David, I've never known anyone to be so difficult as they were."
LaChapelle was too busy packing for the Paris premiere of "Rize" to get on the phone, but he couldn't resist taking a final swipe in a statement that he issued through Torres.
"I was only doing it because of my relationship with Rolling Stone," he said. "We were going to try and make the Simpsons look cool. I realize now that is an impossible task."
― shookout (shookout), Thursday, 8 September 2005 15:19 (twenty years ago)
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 8 September 2005 15:23 (twenty years ago)
― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 8 September 2005 15:23 (twenty years ago)
― CUTSOS-PASSANTINO-RAGGET-DADAISMUS-CUTTY-SLOCKI-AND ALL OTHER ILXORS WHO MAKE BA, Thursday, 8 September 2005 15:24 (twenty years ago)
― Confounded (Confounded), Thursday, 8 September 2005 15:25 (twenty years ago)
― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Thursday, 8 September 2005 15:30 (twenty years ago)
― disco violence (disco violence), Thursday, 8 September 2005 15:32 (twenty years ago)
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 8 September 2005 15:32 (twenty years ago)
THE HAND THAT FEEDS
― trent, Thursday, 8 September 2005 15:46 (twenty years ago)
― Magic Marissa, Thursday, 8 September 2005 15:46 (twenty years ago)
― bb (bbrz), Thursday, 8 September 2005 15:50 (twenty years ago)
― nickn (nickn), Thursday, 8 September 2005 16:30 (twenty years ago)
Watch One Zoolander, spunkmonkey.
― I Ain't No Addict, Whoever Heard of a Junkie as Old as Me? (noodle vague), Thursday, 8 September 2005 16:38 (twenty years ago)
What, photography?
― mike h. (mike h.), Thursday, 8 September 2005 16:46 (twenty years ago)
― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 8 September 2005 16:50 (twenty years ago)
― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 8 September 2005 16:51 (twenty years ago)
but how long will that last...will their careers have legs?
Rize was great.
― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Thursday, 8 September 2005 16:59 (twenty years ago)
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Thursday, 8 September 2005 17:03 (twenty years ago)
― bb (bbrz), Thursday, 8 September 2005 17:04 (twenty years ago)
OTM X 1000
― President Busch (dr g), Thursday, 8 September 2005 17:05 (twenty years ago)
― mike h. (mike h.), Thursday, 8 September 2005 17:08 (twenty years ago)
― President Busch (dr g), Thursday, 8 September 2005 17:09 (twenty years ago)
― The Ghost of Black Elegance (Dan Perry), Thursday, 8 September 2005 17:14 (twenty years ago)
― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Thursday, 8 September 2005 17:15 (twenty years ago)
since i cant link to his work directly...
― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Thursday, 8 September 2005 17:17 (twenty years ago)
― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Thursday, 8 September 2005 17:19 (twenty years ago)
― The Ghost of Black Elegance (Dan Perry), Thursday, 8 September 2005 17:23 (twenty years ago)
― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 8 September 2005 17:27 (twenty years ago)
I know it's hyperbole and all, but thinking it over, David LaChappelle kind of does represent everything wrong with music, art, and culture these days.
― dar1a g (daria g), Thursday, 8 September 2005 17:34 (twenty years ago)
― President Busch (dr g), Thursday, 8 September 2005 17:35 (twenty years ago)
― The Ghost of Unfounded Stereotypes A Go-Go (Dan Perry), Thursday, 8 September 2005 17:37 (twenty years ago)
― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 8 September 2005 17:38 (twenty years ago)
― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Thursday, 8 September 2005 17:38 (twenty years ago)
― The Ghost of Black Elegance (Dan Perry), Thursday, 8 September 2005 17:41 (twenty years ago)
― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Thursday, 8 September 2005 17:50 (twenty years ago)
― The Ghost of Black Elegance, Supervillain (Dan Perry), Thursday, 8 September 2005 17:53 (twenty years ago)
― LeCoq (LeCoq), Thursday, 8 September 2005 18:05 (twenty years ago)
― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 8 September 2005 18:07 (twenty years ago)
― The Ghost of Black Elegance (Dan Perry), Thursday, 8 September 2005 18:09 (twenty years ago)
― President Busch (dr g), Thursday, 8 September 2005 18:10 (twenty years ago)
― donut Get Behind Me Carbon Dioxide (donut), Thursday, 8 September 2005 18:19 (twenty years ago)
At least he's good at something. Hold on, Jessica's pretty darn good at doing the lockjaw.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/totp/secret_shots/images/20040929_jessica_simpson.jpg
Does she ever NOT have that expression? Sure, when she's flashing her tits and doesn't want to take attention away from daddy's pride and joy.
Seriously, I'm with Maria, he's a very talented photographer/director. I ab-so-lu-te-ly adore his work. Comparing him to Pierre & Gilles or the Simpsons is ridiculous. Doesn't validate nor refute anything.
― nathalie's pocket revolution (stevie nixed), Thursday, 8 September 2005 18:25 (twenty years ago)
― Candicissima (candicissima), Thursday, 8 September 2005 19:12 (twenty years ago)
― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Thursday, 8 September 2005 20:06 (twenty years ago)
― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 8 September 2005 20:31 (twenty years ago)
― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Thursday, 8 September 2005 20:33 (twenty years ago)
― polyphonic (polyphonic), Thursday, 8 September 2005 20:39 (twenty years ago)
― Zed Szetlian (Finn MacCool), Thursday, 8 September 2005 20:47 (twenty years ago)
"My daughters are not a bunch of brainless whores who are to be pinups on 15-year-old boy's walls!", thundered Joe Simpson.
David LaChappelle's number was in Paris Hilton's phone sidekick. He was reported to work with her and help her with her music career or something. Anybody who works with Paris but bashes the Simpsons girls has zero credibility.
― Cunga (Cunga), Thursday, 8 September 2005 20:47 (twenty years ago)
― The Ghost of Black Elegance (Dan Perry), Thursday, 8 September 2005 20:49 (twenty years ago)
http://us.movies1.yimg.com/movies.yahoo.com/images/hv/photo/movie_pix/oscars/77th_academy_awards_parties_photos/_group_photos/david_lachapelle2.jpg
― Who Are You, Buster Gonad? (Bent Over at the Arclight), Thursday, 8 September 2005 20:54 (twenty years ago)
― President Busch (dr g), Thursday, 8 September 2005 20:54 (twenty years ago)
― B G Chan, Wednesday, 14 September 2005 18:34 (twenty years ago)
Uh, dude, BARTHES of course.
Ah Maria, you don't blame a teacher for his students' work. So what if he's responsible? There's tons of saddos who want to be Nan Goldin or Sherman, but that doesn't lessen their work, now does it?
― nathalie's pocket revolution (stevie nixed), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 18:44 (twenty years ago)
clearly, you've never attended art school.
― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 20:04 (twenty years ago)
Never been a fan of his celebrity photography, but this profile is interesting:http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/29/fashion/david-lachapelle-from-photographer-to-artist.html?_r=2&ref=style
Anyone see Rize?
― more horses after the main event (Eazy), Sunday, 29 May 2011 05:35 (fourteen years ago)
COCANE HEL OF DRUG― CUTSOS-PASSANTINO-RAGGET-DADAISMUS-CUTTY-SLOCKI-AND ALL OTHER ILXORS WHO MAKE BA, Thursday, September 8, 2005 11:24 AM (5 years ago)
― CUTSOS-PASSANTINO-RAGGET-DADAISMUS-CUTTY-SLOCKI-AND ALL OTHER ILXORS WHO MAKE BA, Thursday, September 8, 2005 11:24 AM (5 years ago)
underrated poster, this guy
― gtforia estfufan (unregistered), Sunday, 29 May 2011 06:50 (fourteen years ago)
Last i recall, david lachapelle's body of work was thought-provoking, timeless and classy. you know, like ansel adams, edward weston and shit.
I think I read this on models.com
― Deremiah Was a Bullfrog (u s steel), Sunday, 29 May 2011 12:48 (fourteen years ago)