Someday I'll Be Famous

In 1994 Neiman-Marcus launched a new campaign called "The Art of Fashion."  The idea was to pick a photographer with a "personal vision" to

photograph the store's top fashion designers of the season, once in the Spring and once in the Fall.  The store would give the photographer a set budget

and complete freedom to create the project.

The first series was photographed by Richard Avedon in 1994, followed by Helmut Newton and Annie Leibovitz.  Kern photographed this series, as the

fourth installment, for the Fall 1995 collection, published in Harper's Bazaar.

Kern's story was about the dark side of fame; a spiral into desperation and obscurity.  The store was worried how it would be received until it was

published to rave reviews.  Time Magazine called Kern's series the "Best Advertising Series of 1995."

"The Art of Fashion" continued for many years featuring the work of many photographers.  Kern photographed it once more in 2016,

21 years later, for the Spring 2017 collection.  He was the only photographer the store chose to photograph the series twice.  After 2017

"The Art of Fashion" series quietly diminished in importance as the store, and the way stores promoted themselves, changed with the times.