Gallery: In the '60s, Models Floated Through Paris in Bubbles

  • Image may contain Water Sphere Nature Human Person Outdoors Building Bridge and River
    01

    77337-023.tif

    The Victoria and Albert Museum in London recently named this photo, "Bubble Seine,” as the most iconic image in 100 years of fashion.
  • Image may contain Tree Plant Vegetation Sphere Light Flare Architecture Clock Tower Building Tower and Tree Trunk
    02

    77337-029.tif2

    Simone D’Aillencourt was one of Sokolsky's models of choice at the time of this shoot, and she is featured throughout the Bubble series.
  • Image may contain Sphere
    03

    77337-024.tif2

    The series starts over the water and shores of the Seine River in Paris, eventually floating into the city streets.
  • Image may contain Musical Instrument Musician Human Person Lighting Leisure Activities Stage Drum and Percussion
    04

    77337-033.tif-flat b/g

    The bubble, made of plexiglass and aircraft aluminum, took ten days to manufacture.
  • Image may contain Sphere Human and Person
    05

    77337-028.tif2

    The only retouching in these photos, according to Sokolsky, was involved in removing traces of the 1/8th inch cable suspending the crane.
  • Image may contain Human Person Clothing Apparel Shorts and Pedestrian
    06

    77337-027.tif

    The Bubble series is widely credited with kicking off a trend of high concept, artistic fashion shoots.
  • Image may contain Banister Handrail Human Person Clothing Apparel Home Decor and Window
    07

    77337-025.tif

    Some shots are framed so that the cable isn't an issue, and Sokolsky maintains that with enough distance and a little backlight, even a direct shot of the cable will not necessarily be visible.
  • Image may contain Vehicle Transportation Bike Bicycle Wheel Machine Human Person Car Automobile Sport and Sports
    08

    77337-014.tif2

    Despite its surreal concept, the series is ultimately a fashion shoot, showing off some of the highest fashion of the time.
  • Image may contain Human Person Park Jinyoung Transportation Vehicle Bike and Bicycle
    09

    77441-001.tif2

    Some of the clothes, especially the shoes, were damaged when the bubble was lowered too close to the water. Perhaps this contributed to the series eventually moving over dry land.
  • Image may contain Human Person Performer Vehicle Transportation Bike Bicycle Architecture Clock Tower and Tower
    10

    77337-031.tif2

    The surreal imagery of a floating bubble was inspired by The Garden of Earthly Delights, a triptych by the early Netherlandish painter Hieronymus Bosch.
  • Image may contain Human Pedestrian Person Urban Town Downtown Building City Architecture Road Path and Street
    11

    77337-018.tif2

    Several of the frames feature bystanders simply gawking at the strange sight of the hovering orb, which Sokolsky worked into strong compositions.
  • Image may contain Human Person Clothing Apparel Pedestrian Car Automobile Vehicle Transportation Coat and Overcoat
    12

    13-sokolsky©

    Sokolsky, D’Aillencourt, and crew stand beside the bubble (with suspension cable in full view) in Paris.
  • Image may contain Dance Pose Leisure Activities Human Person Art Painting Performer and Dance
    Melvin Sokolsky
    13

    1-sokolsky©

    One frame in the series is set against the other capitol city of fashion, New York
Read More
OpenAI Creates a New Framework to Disclose Bad AI Behavior
The company also disclosed previously unreported incidents in which its AI models behaved in misaligned ways, including uploading files to the internet without being asked.
Maxwell Zeff
Washington Won’t Be Regulating AI Anytime Soon
Even with mounting concerns about AI models going rogue, legislation appears unlikely, and the White House is outright opposed to oversight.
Hugo Lowell
The WIRED Guide to Shopping Prime Big Deal Days
Before Amazon’s October sale begins, learn how to investigate prices and track products like a pro.
Louryn Strampe
The Top New Features Coming to MacOS 27 Golden Gate to Try Out Now
Siri’s reintroduction takes center stage as Apple officially rolls out the latest version of macOS to download and install.
Luke Larsen
I Trained a Fly’s Brain to Generate WIRED Story Ideas
I used an open-source map of a fruit fly’s brain to vibe code a website called PitchFly. Its headline suggestions were delightfully bananas.
Will Knight
The 8 Best Movies to Stream This Month
The Mandalorian and Grogu, The Wild Robot, and Obsession are among the must-watch films arriving this month.
Matt Kamen
Chipotle Is Working With Palantir to Track Food Safety Risks
The burrito chain has enlisted Palantir for a platform that monitors pest incidents, employee illnesses, and other factors. The partnership comes after a nightmare summer for food safety across the US.
Kate Taylor
The iPhone 18 Pro Is for the Shutterbugs
Fun camera features help make these candy bar iPhones stand out from the dazzle of the folding iPhone Duo.
Julian Chokkattu
Don’t Buy an Android Phone Until You Read Our Guide
Shopping for a phone can be an ordeal. That’s why we’ve tested almost every Android phone, from the smartest to the cheapest—even phones that fold—to find the ones worth your money.
Julian Chokkattu
Hackers Got Inside a Flock Camera. Its Data Shows How the System Really Works
A hacker collective pulled down a Flock camera and dumped its data. The files included thousands of videos and logs showing that the device captured 1.6 million images of 50,000 vehicles in 21 days.
Dhruv Mehrotra
Introducing the WIRED App
The app is the best way to read, watch, and listen to WIRED’s journalism.
WIRED Staff
The EU Plans to Ban Social Media for Under-13s
The bloc wants to curb Big Tech’s grip on children with its new EU Kids Act, but age checks, parental oversight, and privacy concerns could make its plan difficult to implement.
Isabella Ward