Olivier Saillard: Models Never Talk

Models Never Talk is the latest performance piece curated by esteemed fashion historian Olivier Saillard. Made in partnership with the French Institute Alliance Francaise as part of MADE fashion week, it recounts memories triggered by clothing, from a Yves Saint Laurent trouser suit to a Lanvin dress by Claude Montana. Presented during New York Fashion Week, Saillard gathered an impressive cohort of former models from the 1980s for the piece, including Jean Paul Gaultier's muse, Claudia Huidobro alongside Anne Rohart, Charlotte Flossaut, Axelle Doué, Christine Bergstrom, Amalia Vairelli and Violeta Sanchez. The piece highlighted the personal relationships that models used to have with designers – built over season after season – as opposed to fashion's current disposable attitude to girls.

Much of Saillard’s work concentrates on the emotional and biographical weight of clothing, how a garment can tell a powerful story. His prolific portfolio includes curated exhibitions for the Musée de la Mode, Paris and The Victoria and Albert Museum, London. He worked on the Commes des Garçons White Drama retrospective in 2012 and the The Impossible Wardrobe at Palais de Tokyo, where Tilda Swinton performed in a range of couture artefacts. Saillard repeatedly finds imaginative and powerful ways to tell the story of fashion’s past. Here, AnOther chose our favourite excerpts from Models Never Talk.

"Claude Montana always use to look at you and say, "pump it up, pump it up" — Christine Bergstrom

Violeta Sanchez on Yves Saint Laurent, A/W84, Look 180
"It's a long sheath dress in silk and scarlet velvet, that Monsieur Saint Laurent drew for me, and Catherine, the head seamstress fits. The boat neckline is embellished by garnets and rubies, with tight sleeves. Saint Laurent loves my adrogyny, but me? I wanted to be sexy. I make my entrance. He looks at me approaching, astonishment in his eyes. "My little Catherine! What is that? I have asked you for Lady Macbeth, not Mae West!"

Axelle Doué on Madame Grès, 1980
"'Too tall, too curvy, too much bottom!" This is what Madame Grès said when I introduced myself for a fitting, before adding, "but I'm going to try anyway.' I was lucky to model for Madame Grès when I arrived in Paris, at the beginning of my career. The dress she made for me incorporated the drapery which made her famous and influenced my way of walking."

Christine Bergstrom on Claude Montana of Lanvin
"At a Lanvin fitting with Claude Montana, there was always tension in the air. You would be topless, black tights, very high heels, full make up, hair done, exaggerated pose. To imitate the drawing on the wall. Claude always use to look at you and say, "pump it up, pump it up."

Text by Mhairi Graham