Pure Feelings.

One of the defining phenomena of the German "Economic Miracle" was the massive, multi-hundred-page catalogs produced by the mail-order house Quelle—volumes in which German citizens could browse and order fashion and other goods to their heart's content. To reach specific target groups within the fashion sector even more effectively, Madeleine Mode GmbH was founded in 1977. Initiated by the successful entrepreneurial couple Grete and Gustav Schickedanz—and named after their own daughter—the company was established to market elegant, glamorous, and trend-setting fashion. A team of just three employees assembled the initial collection; however, its presentation proved rather modest, as the early catalogs failed to live up to the sophisticated standards the fashion itself was intended to embody. Consequently, in the early 1980s, the search began for a photographer capable of translating Madeleine’s elevated brand aspirations into visual form. The name Ulrich Pracht quickly rose to the top of the list, as his work for Blacky Dress—a supplier to Quelle—had already earned him high praise from one of the company’s key partners. "One day, the phone rang in my studio, and a Ms. Hoffmann was on the line. At that moment, the name 'Madeleine' meant nothing to me, though 'Quelle' was, of course, a household name. I replied: 'The best thing would be for you to come meet me in person.'"

At the company’s headquarters in Fürth—a place where time seemed to have stood still—Ulrich Pracht met the amiable, yet cautious, Ms. Hoffmann. Upon his arrival, the gatekeeper—in keeping with the social conventions of the era—had announced her to him simply as "Fräulein Hoffmann." Step by step, a working relationship began to evolve between the dynamic photographer—who carried a vision of contemporary imagery in his mind—and the Madeleine executive, who hailed from a world that still breathed the spirit of bygone days. Following an initial series of test shots at his studio on Lindemannstraße—which were received with enthusiasm—Ulrich Pracht proposed a photo shoot in Marbella. This venture, too, yielded results that met with great approval. "At that stage, the Madeleine executive remained somewhat cautious; she suggested that I photograph only a portion of the collection. I, however, wanted to shoot the entire collection." With Pracht’s new visual language—a graphic concept that evokes Vogue far more than a Quelle catalog—and the slogan "Madeleine: The Feeling of Experiencing Fashion," the brand finally gained the momentum needed to achieve success. "By naming it the 'Madeleine Feeling,' I gave a specific name to the philosophy behind my photography for the brand."

"I photographed a summer collection in the South of France. Miss Hoffmann had asked beforehand, 'Is that really necessary?' but I simply replied, 'Yes, it is.' Upon hearing this, she informed me that she intended to join us. I was well-acquainted with the South of France, so I hired a local producer named Brigitte Roßband. She secured every location I requested. In Nice, we discovered a large square paved in white marble, and I declared, 'Brigitte, this is it.' As it turned out, however, the site was a well-known war memorial. Brigitte somehow managed to obtain permission for us to shoot there, but then Miss Hoffmann arrived and raised objections. Although I convinced her that the specific backdrop wouldn't be recognizable in the final images, the situation later escalated. She became anxious that the garments weren't fitting correctly because she felt my photographic style was too casual. Eventually, I said, 'We can't go on like this. Either you fly home, or I do.' Miss Hoffmann withdrew, and I didn't see her again until that evening. She informed me that she had booked a flight, to which I replied, 'I take full responsibility for this shoot.' Following this clarifying exchange, a successful professional partnership spanning three decades began."