Long before buzzy turns in Mare of Easttown and Hacks, or the two Emmy wins that followed, Julianne Nicholson was modeling for friends, waiting tables at downtown New York staples, and navigating a city that still felt rough around the edges. Those early years were immortalized in photographer Kevin Hatt’s 1994 series of the young actor, now released in a Dashwood Books zine, Julianne, which collects the intimate portraits together for the first time.
For CULTURED, Hatt and Nicholson revisit the photographs and the memories they preserve, reflecting on the creative partnership that brought them together, the scene that shaped them both, and what it feels like to see a fleeting moment of youth transformed into a lasting document.
How did you two first meet? Kevin, what was it about Julianne that made you want to photograph her?
Kevin Hatt: I first met Julianne when I was photographing a beauty story for Seventeen in New York [in 1989]. My partner, stylist Simone Colina, was also at the shoot, and we both fell in love with Julianne. A young model with sparkly-eyed, singular beauty, her energy and persona made it natural to want to work together again. We were fortunate to do that over several years. These images may be among the last sittings we did together. It has been a wonderful privilege to watch the rest of the world discover what we saw on that shoot.
Julianne Nicholson: Over the years, I worked for Seventeen and Sassy a bunch, Glamour, Interview, the designer Daryl K, Susan Cianciolo’s Run Collection. I was a fitting model for Betsey Johnson and so many other random jobs! I worked in restaurants too. All the trendy ones. Coffee Shop in Union Square, Café Tabac, Bowery Bar. But my “home” was Sugar Reef from when I was 21 to 28.
I lived on Mott between Houston and Prince streets when it was still Little Italy and there were social clubs with men hanging around, keeping an eye on the neighborhood. There was one guy who always called me “Freckles.” It was a railroad apartment in a sixth-floor walk-up across from the old St. Patrick’s Cathedral. In the neighborhood, there was Ray’s Pizza, Connecticut Muffin, a diner on Elizabeth Street, the deli on Prince, and no other shops or cafes. I loved living in New York. I couldn’t believe you could really get anything you wanted at any time of day. I met so many people from so many different walks of life.
How and when did you rediscover the images compiled in this book? How did the idea to republish them come about?
Hatt: Honestly, the idea was sparked as I scrolled through Instagram. I’m on there way too much, and it might seem like a trivial source, but I love looking at photography and that’s where to find it! I saw a photo on my stylist friend Rachel Gilman’s feed, of Julianne modeling in a Todd Oldham fashion show. I mentioned how I knew Julianne, and may have photographed her first job. I recalled to Rachel that I took some of my personal favorite photos with Julianne one day in Washington Heights, and of course she wanted to see them. She encouraged me to post them, and the photos got a fantastic response.
The response to the photos inspired me to put them out there again, so I approached David at Dashwood Books with the idea. He loved the photos and suggested the zine, so here we are! Before the Internet days, I remember lugging these photos around in my portfolio, dropping off and picking up a heavy 11-by-14 leather bound book. I’m thinking maybe 25 people actually ended up seeing these photos in my portfolio at the time, with little response.
Over what time period were these images taken?
Hatt: I’m really bad with dates, but Julianne recalls it was around 1994. My memory of the time isn’t the clearest, but I do remember that this was a pivotal time for me, photographically. These pictures represent a time when I had made a massive shift in my approach. I was very fortunate to get to work with some of the most influential fashion photographers and industry talents of the time.
It was a time of true photographic inspiration and exploration for me. I felt that many models may have been too self-conscious for the type of photos I wanted to take, so Simone suggested Julianne. She came over to our apartment one day, Simone dressed her beautifully, and off we went.
What would you bring back from that era that doesn’t exist now?
Nicholson: I loved the ’90s in New York. It still had some of the grit. There were still “neighborhoods” then, whereas it all feels so homogenized now. There were so many young, broke, creative people hustling to make ends meet. So many wonderful weirdos.
Do you think being in front of the camera as a model helped you become a better actor?
Nicholson: I wouldn’t have thought modeling helped with acting until I saw these photos, which evoke such feeling.
What would you tell your younger self from that era?
Nicholson: I would tell my younger self she was on the right path.
Looking through these photographs now, what do you feel?
Nicholson: Looking at these photos brings me right back to that time. The hopes and heartbreaks, the foolish courage. And all the many people I loved and laughed with along the way. It’s so special to have these pictures gathered and printed here.
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