Pat Cleveland is a true fashion icon: one of the original muses to designers like Thierry Mugler, Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent and a force on the runway for over half a century. For this story, shot in New York City — the city that helped shape her legend — Eric Johnson and I wanted to capture her as the exalted figure she is: bold, playful, and utterly singular. Styled in looks that echo her exuberant spirit, the wardrobe was designed to emphasize her presence rather than tame it.
The setting, both inside and outside a building in Manhattan’s Financial District, creates a contrast between the formal rigidity of business and the expressive freedom Pat has always embodied. We aimed to portray her not just as a model, but as a living piece of fashion history reclaiming the city on her own terms.