A cold November day in 1933 on Long Island Sound.

Fashion editor Carmel Snow stands on a desert. on Long Island Sound.

Fashion editor Carmel Snow stands on a deserted beach in her usual black hat and pearls.

After 11 years at Vogue, she's done the unthinkable, defected to Harper's Bazaar.

There just wasn't enough room at the top.

Carmel turns to the photographer next to her, who's unpacking his camera bag.

This is the first time she's worked with him.

So, what's the plan?

The young photographer is wearing large round eyeglasses that give him an owlish look.

He's a former photojournalist from Hungary, but Carmel's taken a big risk in hiring him.

He doesn't speak English, and he's never taken a fashion photo in his life.

He waves his arm from left to right down the beach and

points at the model standing just on the water's edge. Then he stares

expectantly at Carmel. Tell the lady! Carmel bites her lip in frustration and feels a hint of panic.

Harper's bizarre December issue is ready to be sent to the printer, but the current cover of models posing in front of a painted backdrop is boring and static,

like something that would appear in the more conservative vogue.

Carmel envisions a modern action-packed look, like the shots the young Hungarian photographer took of children running into the sea.

But if he can't nail the shoot today, she'll have disrupted the whole printing schedule and rung up quite a bill for nothing.

The model waves her arms at them in confusion.

She's an athletic socialite wearing a dark one-piece swimsuit with an attached short cape.

Her lips are blue with cold.

What do you want me to do?

...