Jean-Paul Goude's collaboration with Grace Jones for “Nightclubbing” (1981) resulted in one of the most iconic album covers of all time. The cover features Jones in an androgynous, hyper-stylized pose, wearing a sharply tailored Armani suit with exaggerated shoulder pads, a flat-top haircut, and heavily contoured makeup. She holds a cigarette at an impossibly precise angle, her expression both aloof and commanding.
Goude, a French graphic designer, photographer, and art director, had a long creative and romantic partnership with Jones, shaping her striking, avant-garde image. His work often involved photo manipulation before the digital era, using collage, retouching, and physical distortion to create surreal and exaggerated forms. However, the “Nightclubbing” cover was relatively minimal compared to some of their more manipulated collaborations—relying instead on stark lighting, bold composition, and Grace Jones' naturally imposing presence.
The aesthetic of the cover blended elements of masculinity and femininity, high fashion, and pop art, reinforcing Jones' boundary-pushing persona. It became a defining image of the early '80s, influencing fashion, photography, and music visuals for decades.