Renowned American photographer Annie Leibovitz has released an updated edition of her celebrated 'WOMEN' project, first launched in 1999, showcasing more than 250 portraits of influential women across all walks of life. The two-volume collection features powerful images of figures including Michelle Obama, Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish, Malala Yousafzai, Elizabeth Taylor, Kamala Harris, and Taylor Swift, accompanied by essays from Leibovitz's late partner Susan Sontag, women's rights activist Gloria Steinem, and novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
The project began when Hillary Clinton's production company reached out to commemorate the original 1999 'WOMEN' book that Leibovitz created with Susan Sontag. Initially planning to simply reissue the out-of-print original, Leibovitz expanded the concept to include a companion volume featuring women she has photographed over the past 25 years. 'I thought, oh, it's going to be relatively simple to do that. But of course, it turned into something much, much more difficult because I started to think about women's issues, and how to cover what's going on,' Leibovitz explained during a Zoom interview from her New York City photography studio.
The second volume required Leibovitz to conduct 10 to 12 new photo shoots to ensure the collection felt complete. She describes this new work as 'really an homage to the first book,' noting that while the original was carefully planned over several years with women from all walks of life, the second volume represents an edited selection of her work photographing women since 1999. Some photographs were chosen purely for their artistic merit, while others feature women she deeply admires.
Reflecting on the evolution of women's roles since 1999, Leibovitz observes that while there hasn't been a 'big power surge,' the changes are more subtle but significant. 'Women are doing what they want to do. And doing things, incredible things, much quieter and with much more authority within themselves and confidence within themselves than I think in that first volume,' she noted. The first volume featured many performance artists as that was one of the primary ways for women to express themselves at the time, while the current collection showcases women across diverse fields and positions.
Gloria Steinem's essay in the collection addresses concerns about whether women's progress has stagnated or reversed. According to Leibovitz, Steinem's message is reassuring: 'She says, if you want to know what backward is, go back to the 50s. We are going somewhere. It doesn't look like it. But, we are making progress, even though it's more subtle and doesn't look like it.' Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie contributes a more emotional, contemplative essay that encourages readers to deeply consider the current state of women's experiences.
Several iconic photographs emerged from the project, including memorable shoots with Lady Gaga and Rihanna. The Lady Gaga portrait occurred during her collaboration with Tony Bennett, when Leibovitz suggested photographing Bennett painting Gaga. 'She walked in, and she immediately just took off all her clothes and went up on the little podium,' Leibovitz recalled with laughter. 'We all didn't know what to do. She just said, Well, I thought you wanted me like this.' The resulting image became one of her most recognizable works.
The photograph of Rihanna displaying her 'bedazzled baby bump' during pregnancy showcased the singer's confidence and control over her image. 'She's so ahead of her time,' Leibovitz explained. 'She basically was in a whole other stratosphere about her pregnancy and how she displayed herself. And she didn't have any concerns.' The shoot took place at the Ritz Hotel in Paris for Vogue magazine, with Rihanna directing much of the creative vision herself.
Addressing global women's issues, particularly the situation in Afghanistan where women face increasing restrictions, Leibovitz acknowledged the heartbreaking nature of current events while praising the work of photojournalist Lynsey Addario, who documents women's stories worldwide. 'The stories she shows of women across the world in very difficult situations are so powerful,' Leibovitz said, noting that exceptional journalism continues despite the dangers faced by reporters.
When asked about artificial intelligence in photography, Leibovitz expressed skepticism while admitting limited experience with the technology. 'To me, you can always tell when it's phony,' she stated. 'It just feels so not real to me anyway, that I think we all know. I think we have a sense of what's real.' However, she acknowledged that as AI improves, distinguishing between real and artificial images may become increasingly challenging.
Looking back on five decades of work, Leibovitz remains most proud of her family photographs, particularly a portrait of her mother included in the first 'WOMEN' volume. 'It feels as if there's no camera there between my mother and myself,' she explained. 'It feels like my mother's really just looking at me. She's not thinking there's a camera there. She's just looking at me, and it's very strong to me.' This philosophy of removing barriers between photographer and subject has guided her approach throughout her career.
Leiboovitz envisions 'WOMEN' as an ongoing project rather than a finished work, though she admits uncertainty about what the next 25 years might bring. 'I think we're just going to continue, on our sense of confidence and building our confidence, and understanding of who we are,' she reflected. Her immediate plans include working on archive books that will catalog her five decades of photography, essentially creating comprehensive catalogs of her extensive body of work.
'Annie Leibovitz: WOMEN' is published by Phaidon and was released on November 4. A four-day pop-up exhibition inspired by the publication and supported by UBS will run in New York City from November 5-8, 2025, as part of Leibovitz's six-city global tour promoting the collection.
