Backstage At Prada FW 2006

Heather had made her Prada debut at the Spring Summer 2006 show and by now she was a Miuccia favourite. Coincidentally this is my favourite Prada show ever, with the bookish schoolgirl dresses and the fresh almost sprite-ish makeup. Heather looked beautiful in the wine stained lips and bushy eyebrows.

If there was anything Heather knew how to do it was take a beauty shot. Her doe eyes look so piercing. You can also see some backstage snaps of Heather getting ready and with friends Marina Perez and Coco Rocha. FW 06 favourite Freja Beha was also there!

images: style.com and firstview.com

Happy Birthday Heather

Happy Birthday Heather. You would have been twenty three today and just entering your adult life. Its been four years since your passing yet I feel as if it was just yesterday. I always wonder what you would have become today. I never knew you, only a fan, but you left an impression on me as well as countless others. I hope you are happy wherever you are and just know that there are many people on this small earth that love you. I hope that your family is at peace and that you are as well. Rest in paradise Heather!

Backstage At Prada

While most models were goofing off backstage and preening to the cameras Heather was sitting backstage with a book during the Spring Summer 2006 runway shows. Its understandable - she was only in her second season and was still getting used to the weird roller coaster that is fashion week.

But despite her shyness at the whole ordeal Heather could still produce a stunning image. Even if Heather isn't your favourite model you can not deny that she had some of the most soulful pair of eyes in the industry. In these photos at the Spring Summer 2006 Prada show Heather appears calm and quite naive to the craziness surrounding her. I'd like to think she approached life with the same state of mind.

Linea Rossa Spring Summer 2006 Lookbook

I'm not one hundred percent sure what these photos were for so if I am mistaken I'm sorry! For my knowledge they are from Prada's Linea Rossa Spring Summer 2006 lookbook. The images are from the jedroot.com website, but alas I do not know the photographer or stylist so tracking down this information may take a while.
However added details aren't needed to appreciate these photos. I love the simplicity and the stark contrast between the setting and action. This might just be me but the first photo screams Calvin Klein. I am sure, if anything, that the label would have worked with Heather. She had the sort of Kate Moss air around her - untouchable yet incredibly endearing.

Heather by Ivana Kronengold

Its always nice to unearth old photography sessions of your favorite models. The combination of a photographers signature aesthetic and the defining characteristics of a certain model make for an interesting dialogue.
Although this is not my favorite photo shoot of Heather you cannot deny the beguiling presence she had in every one of her photos. She was one of the few models who could emote so many feelings, and that is so evident here.

Photos by Ivana Kronengold

Remembering Heather Bratton

I only learned of Heather Bratton after her untimely death ... My interest in fashion piqued just around 2007 and I started to sift through old editorials, particularly the 2006 issues of Italian Vogue which provided for a monopoly of creativity, pop culture references and beauty ... It was there where I first saw pictures of Heather and I quickly logged on to my computer to learn more of this silent beauty, only to find messages of sadness and condolence surrounding her name ...

On Saturday July 22nd 2006 Heather passed away in a car crash on her way home after a shoot by photographer Craig McDean. Her legacy will go on and her beautiful photos, moreover her beauty as a person, will be remembered. And I dedicate this small site to her memory ...

R.I.P. Heather Bratton 1987 - 2006