rare helmut newton portraits of andy warhol and gianni versace

'Naked With a Fur Coat' is a massive retrospective of the photographer's iconic celebrity portraits and ultra-rare selfies, opening in New York City tonight. 

Helmut Newton was never afraid to take sexy photos. There&#x2019;s a reason the German fashion photographer was called the &#x201c;King of Kink.&#x201d; Today, New York City&#x2019;s [Guy Regal Gallery](https://guyregalnyc.com/) is opening a massive retrospective of rare Newton photos at 49 Chambers, before sending them uptown for a month-long show at Guy Regal&#x2019;s Lexington Avenue location. _Naked With a Fur Coat_ features 33 photos tracing Newton&#x2019;s teen years in Berlin to his most iconic racier work from the 70s to the 90s, including portraits of Andy Warhol, Gianni Versace, and Salvador Dali.

&#x201c;This show is a true reflection of Helmut Newton&#x2019;s personal and artistic journey,&#x201d; said Regal. &#x201c;At a time where issues of women&#x2019;s empowerment and equality in the LGBTQ communities are paramount, what stands out in this collection is how Helmut Newton imbued his subjects with strength, dignity, and power.&#x201d;

Paris, where Newton lived for decades, makes a sparling backdrop for many of the photos. One shows Paloma Picasso on a dimly-lit street wearing a Karl Lagerfeld dress in 1978, another has Salvador Dali in the famed Hotel Meurice in 1973. There are even some ultra rare selfies from the 80s and a 1994 nude of Gianni Versace perched on a leopard-print couch in Lake Como.

Newton helped create the powerful woman figure in fashion photography &#x2014; and was hugely controversial in the 70s for incorporating BDSM elements. Some of the women in _Naked With a Fur Coat_ wear Yves Saint Laurent pant suits, while others are entirely nude, but all of them epitomize strength. &#x201c;As the title of one of the images in the show suggests, you find sexiness, luxury, style, vulnerability, and especially women in control of the story,&#x201d; said Regal. &#x201c;As you walk through this collection, this power is apparent in each image.&#x201d;