Michel Comte: One Night in Wien

Few events have become as iconic as Gery KeszlerÆs annual Life Ballùfor all not to forget that AIDS is still present. From Bill Clinton to Whoopi Goldberg, from Naomi Campbell to Elton John, the worlds of politics and fashion unite at amfARÆs (the American Foundation for AIDS Research) gala in Vienna, designed each year by a different artist and now one of the most coveted events in Europe. The spectacle invariably turns into an all-night party with several thousand donors dressed in the most stunning and outrageous costumes.

This book is Michel ComteÆs portrait of the glamour and grit of the Life Ball. Comte remembers: ôMy first journey started in New York. We all boarded a large chartered Airbus. Wherever I looked, there was somebody I knew, had read about or was interested in meeting. The experience onboard reminded me of a sixties rock-ÆnÆ-roll charter. People were frolicking through the aisles with glasses of champagne. In Vienna my assistants and I started working early afternoon before the lege

Born in Zurich in 1954, Michel Comte trained as an art restorer before turning to photography. His editorial work has appeared in publications including Vogue Italia, L’Uomo Vogue, Interview and Vanity Fair