The only thing more elusive than the price of couture is the question of who, exactly, is buying it. In W ’s March 1999 issue Juergen Teller photographed a story called “The Clients.” Dennis Freedman, W ’s Creative Director at the time, had asked him to shoot the couture collections, and Teller decided to photograph the clothes on actual clients—including Marie-Chantal of Greece, Ann Getty, and Deeda Blair. For our Originals Issue, W Editor in Chief Sara Moonves asked Teller to revisit the portfolio. At the July couture shows, he shot the new generation of couture clients, from Princess Olympia of Greece (the daughter of Marie-Chantal) and Ivy Getty (the granddaughter of Ann) to Alexa Dell (of the technology conglomerate). Below, 11 patrons explain why they buy couture.

Ivy Getty

C

See Full Page