Emma Ferrer, the granddaughter of style icon, humanitarian and legendary Belgian-British actress, Audrey Hepburn, has been photographed for the edition of Harper’s Bazaar, in the illustrious September 2014 issue.
“I knew her image, of course, and that I happened to be, by pure chance, related to her. But as a child I couldn’t really relate to Audrey Hepburn, the actress. To me, she was family.” – Emma Ferrer on her grandmother, Audrey Hepburn
In the photo, the art student and former ballet dancer, replicated her grandmother’s famous pose. The photographer is Michael Avedon, the grandson of acclaimed photographer Richard Avedon (1923–2004), who shot Audrey many times and considered her his muse. Michael is the son of John Avedon, a writer.
The professional relationship between Audrey and Richard Avedon was made into a fictional, romantic story through the 1957 film, Funny Face, starring Fred Astaire as a fashion photographer known as Dick Avery. Incidentally, Kay Thompson’s character of Maggie Prescott was based on Vogue editor Diana Vreeland and Harper’s Bazaar editor Carmel Snow.
The American musical film, set in New York and Paris, was directed by Stanley Donen, and contained assorted songs by George and Ira Gershwin. Avedon provided some of the photographs for the film, including its most famous image: an intentionally overexposed close-up of Audrey Hepburn’s face in which only her eyes, her eyebrows, and her mouth are visible.
“I am, and forever will be, devastated by the gift of Audrey Hepburn before my camera. I cannot lift her to greater heights. She is already there. I can only record. I cannot interpret her. There is no going further than who she is. She has achieved in herself her ultimate portrait.” – Richard Avedon on Audrey Hepburn
