Lindbergh's Vogue cover of Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Tatjana Patitz, Christy Turlington and Cindy Crawford kickstarted the supermodel phenomenon.
Legendary German fashion photographer Peter Lindbergh has died at the age of 74, according to a social media post by his wife Petra on Wednesday.
His January 1990 British Vogue cover of Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Tatjana Patitz, Christy Turlington and Cindy Crawford kickstarted the supermodel phenomenon.
Lindbergh was born in 1944 in German-occupied Poland, studied art in Germany, and moved to Paris in 1978 to pursue his photography career. He was influenced by photojournalism and documentary films, and pioneered realism in fashion photography.
Known for his hatred of photoshop and a humanistic approach, he is quoted as saying: "This should be the responsibility of photographers today to free women, and finally everyone, from the terror of youth and perfection."
One of Lindbergh's final assignments was shooting the cover, in his trademark monochrome, for British Vogue's September issue guest-edited by the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle. It featured portraits of influential women including New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden and Greta Thunberg, and Lindbergh was personally chosen for the project by the Duchess.