Selfies are actually pretty…cool.

I can’t believe I just said that.

Anyways, where did it all begin? How did the infamous selfie take over the whole freaking world?

No one knows better than Vanity Fair.

The “Selfie King” himself, whose real name is Jean “Johnny” Pigozzi, told the magazine that it all started in 1973 with a shot of Faye Dunaway when he was only 22, wanting substantial proof that he did, in fact, meet the actress.

Writing was never enough for Pigozzi:

“I always thought that getting an autograph was stupid because you can cheat. But with a selfie, you can’t cheat. You really met Faye or Michael [Douglas].”

All he did was stand next to her, swing the camera around and click the button – creating what is thought to be the first ever commercial selfie.

It wouldn’t be the last for Pigozzi as he continued to capture moments with the likes of Mick Jagger, Andy Warhol and Candice Bergen among other members of “his legendary social circle”.

Thursday night saw good friend and Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter host an event to celebrate Pigozzi’s latest work: Me + Co – a “compilation of his photographs from the last several decades”.

They said this about the work:

The book offers a rare, reflexive glimpse into the world of the jet set and its glamorous inhabitants, as did the evening itself, evoking a bygone era of the New York haut monde, where actors, editors, designers, and artists sipped champagne and mingled among Picassos and Rodins.

After catching up with the man himself and asking him about the one that got away, Pigozzi said:

“The one I really wish I’d had is someone like Picasso.”

Get real, brother.

Here are a few snaps from the event:

As you can see, Michael Douglas (no, not the Cape Town DJ) has also been a good mate of Pigozzi for over 30 years. They’ve had some good times together, Michael saying:

“We were always fearful that this day would come . . . but so far everything’s been pretty good!”

Maybe you can learn one or two things from the man, boys and girls?

[source:vanityfair]