Amid social distancing orders, VMAN called upon photographer Steven Klein and stylist Patti Wilson to showcase how—even in these incredibly trying times—a new creative vision can come to life with men’s style at the forefront—no less impressive under contactless instruction. In the second installment of “Zero Contact,” starring James Turlington, who conveniently happens to live right next to Klein on Long Island’s Bridgehampton, VMAN is forging a new path for creatives in an effort to keep art and photography alive. With Klein utilizing a zoom lens to ensure he’s staying over 6 feet away, Wilson styling the entire shoot via FaceTime, and James in charge of dressing himself, this shoot successfully came together with absolutely zero contact.

An atypical-yet-personal process, Turlington recalls how small the shoot’s team was. “Since I just started, all the teams have been really big. It was a more personal connection, I would say, with the photographer.” Letting creativity reign supreme in the face of hardship, VMAN hopes this shoot and its story provides proof of fashion’s eternal spirit. 

At the face of the project, social distance model James Turlingtion could never have forecasted this shoot as part of his repertoire, let alone the shift to becoming a model in general. How did he manage to alter his entire livelihood from a baseball star to IMG model in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic—an inquiry Turlington has now the time to reflect on. In the face of several injuries, a short-lived career on the LA Dodgers team became a forced retirement. Now, switching gears as one of the up-and-coming faces of the male fashion industry, it came as quite a surprise that the “Zero Contact” shoot was the budding model’s most adventurous experience on set to-date. At one point, “[w]here Steve is shooting from inside his car, I was running next to it along the road” James rationalized his decision. Especially in a time when jobs are limited, “It was a pretty special moment,” said the model.

A trailblazing archetype of the potential for creativity in the current time of crisis, “Zero Contact” showcases both safe, social distancing practices and a superior level of editorial craftsmanship.