The goal was a series of photographs for Sugar and Spice , a publication owned by Playboy Press. Marketed as a “toned-down” artistic cousin to the flagship magazine, Sugar and Spice promised “surprising and sensuous images of women”. For the fee of $450, Gross photographed the prepubescent Shields standing in a marble bathtub. The images show her wearing heavy makeup and glistening with oil, posing in a manner that shocked the world. The photographer later admitted he intended the images to reveal the “not-so-latent sexuality of the prepubescent child”.
The early 1990s marked a broader cultural shift in how women were portrayed on screen. The era of the flawless, untouchable 1980s soap opera vixen was giving way to more grounded, flawed, and relatable female protagonists. Sugar and Spice sat at the intersection of this evolution. Brooke Shields Sugar And Spice
To understand the buzz surrounding the project, one must look at the unique premise of the film. Directed by Francine McDougall and written by Lona Williams, Sugar & Spice follows Diane Weston, a popular high school cheerleader who becomes pregnant by the star quarterback. When their families cut them off financially, Diane and her loyal squad of cheerleaders plot a series of armed bank robberies to secure their future. The goal was a series of photographs for
★★★★☆ (4.5/5) Best for: Women 30+ who love warm, spicy-sweet scents with character. Price point: Mid-range (approx. $45–65 USD for 50ml) The images show her wearing heavy makeup and
Shields has written several books, including her memoir There Was a Little Girl , which explores her complicated relationship with her mother and her experience growing up in the spotlight.
While Sugar and Spice represents the dark side of Shields’ youth, her story is also one of ironic cultural power. Just a few years after the legal battles, a 15-year-old Shields fronted a Calvin Klein jeans campaign shot by Richard Avedon. Purring the line, “You want to know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing,” she became a global sensation. The ads were banned by major networks for their sexual innuendo, cementing Shields as a paradoxical icon: a teen virgin marketed as a sex symbol.
Ironically, for a child who had already appeared nude in a Playboy publication, the controversy over a pair of tight jeans seemed to hit a different nerve in society. Shields later reflected that during those ads, she was “naive” and did not understand the sexual implications of the tagline.