Out

I'm having vacation and in general getting tired somewhere around Andalusia. Recovery in front of the computer commencing September 7th. Cheers!

Live From New York - V #61

Oh, New York, New York.... We get more and more of you every September. It's one of those places, that looks good in the pictures, no matter who is behind the camera. But when it's Mario Sorrienti and the Big Apple is accompanied by Sasha Pivovarova and Freja Beha, the outcome must be stunning. I love the claustrophobic angles, I love the poses and I even like the circus-like styling. And it's 20 pages.


Magazine: V #61 (September 2009)
Title: Live From New York
Photographer: Mario Sorrenti
Models: Sasha Pivovarova and Freja Beha Erichsen

And more September covers

This time two Serbian beauties!

Harper's Bazaar Russia September 2009 - Milla Jovovich by Igor Vishnyakov - she just looks wonderfully creepy

Elle Serbia September 2009 - Georgina Stojiljkovic by Milena Rakocevic - striking a pose!

Top models' nationalities

Have you ever heard "oh, fashion - it's all about Russian and Brazilian models". Well, I have. So just out of curiosity I took models.com Top 50 Models list and came up with those stats:

US 8
Russia 7
Poland 5
Netherlands 5
Belarus 4
Canada 4
UK 3
Australia 3
Ukraine 3
Germany 3
Sweden 2
Estonia 2
China 2
Brazil 2
Slovakia 2
France 1
Japan 1
Norway 1
Dominican Republic 1
Finland 1
Belgium 1
India 1
Lithuania 1
Martinique 1
Austria 1
Denmark 1
Hungary 1
Italy 1

I find it interesting. US and Russia are leading - that I could tell without statistics. But where's France? Where's Italy? Where's entire South America with all its beautiful latino girls? Where's Asia?
I guess we will not get rid of the blond, blue eyed type for long, long time.

More September covers

I'm glad there is some more good covers this month. After terrible Vogue China (so disappointing!), boring Vogue US and Kate Moss everywhere, we can enjoy for example those two below.

i-D September 2009 – Chanel Iman, Sessilee Lopez, Jourdan Dunn & Arlenis Sosa by Emma Summerton - black models striking again

L’Officiel Paris September 2009 - Jana Knauerova by Enrique Badulescu - Paris, Paris...

Anna Wintour + Fashion's Night Out

Two days ago Anna visited David Letterman on his Late Show to talk about fashion, The September Issue movie and Fashion's Night Out. I don't think she did a good job there, but Letterman was even worse (I have this feeling he was afraid of her(?)).



Anyway, she's mentioned an interesting thing - this whole NY Fashion's Night Out, which is basically supposed to be a massive shopping spree. After seeing the movie above, I found this ad of the already famous night featuring Vera Wang, P. Diddy, Carolina Herrera, Coco Rocha, Donna Karan, Ashley Olsen, Diane Von Furstenberg and Anna, of course. But... watch out - she is wearing a t-shirt!

Sesame Street in Harper's Bazaar

Isn't that cute? After Simpsons in Paris and Bambi for Stella McCartney we got a new fashion&cartoon mixture. This time Harper's Bazaar and designers joined forces with Sesame Street. Although the idea is rather cheap (they could do more than this...) - I love it! The editorial can be found in September's issue of HB + here.

Oscar de la Renta with Oscar the Grouch

Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte with Cookie Monster

Francisco Costa with Grover

Carolina Herrera with Elmo

Derek Lam & Thakoon Panichgul with Bert & Ernie

Vera Wang with Abby Cadabby

Diane von Furstenberg with Big Bird

Into the Woods - Vogue US September 09

I guess crisis and sales dropping came out doing well for the quality of Vogue US. The best editorial of theirs I've seen in a long time. But to be not too innovative, they used Natalia (and for the rest of the eds - Karlie Kloss). Well, you can't have everything. More + source: tfs.

Magazine: Vogue US September 2009
Title: Into the Woods
Photographers: Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott
Model: Natalia Vodianova

Lara Stone for Vogue Paris September

Is somebody going to beat it? I don't think so. This will be the best September 09 cover.

In the picture - Lara Stone looking like Natalia Vodianova. I absolutely love it - her lips (!), her eyes, her hair... Wonderful. Photo was taken by duo Mert & Marcus.

It's Lara's fourth Vogue Paris cover (after April 2007, March 2008 and February 2009) and her seventh Vogue cover in general (Paris (4), Nippon (2), Italia(1)). Although she's not my fav, I like the fact she's scoring so many covers. Stylists seem to love experimenting with her uniqueness (starting with famous teeth gap) and Bardot-like features.
source: tfs

Rachel Zoe criticizing Rachel Zoe

OK, that is a good one. Zoe has held yesterday a conference regarding the second season of The Rachel Zoe Project debuting on Bravo next week. Guess what she said on her own style in the first season of the program? "I thought, ‘oh my god do I really look like that everyday?’ I need less hair, less makeup, less everything. I can’t even watch it. It was way too much of everything. Why didn’t anyone tell me I looked like that?"

Healthy self-criticism is the key to success. source: Black Book

Scarlett Johansson in Dolce & Gabbana perfume ad

In September a new perfume by Dolce & Gabbana will be launched - Rose the One. This time our Italian fellows have come up with romantic version of Scarlett (not pregnant) instead of sexy version of Gisele (pregnant) for the ad campaign.


source: Sassybella

Prada for W

Honestly, I don't like Prada. Not the brand, nor the lady. I'm prejudiced towards any woman not using make-up (I'm dead serious). So pardon me if I'm not the most objective person commenting her thoughts from the newest W (yes, it's this issue with Kate Moss on the cover).

On models falling down during her SS 09 show: "I liked it. It made the show more interesting." Well, no, it didn't. It basically showed that Prada shoes are unwearable. If professional catwalkers have problems walking in them, potential customers will not try. Unless they want to have a nice collection to watch only.

On economical crisis in fashion: "When you say 'commercial,' it shouldn't be an insult, like something is not beautiful. It has to be best in the sense that [it's] really what people want to wear to look beautiful and elegant [in]." Hold on, hold on... Didn't you just express your happiness over the fact that people can't wear your artistic, non-commercial shoes and now you want to be commercial, because we have the crisis?

On dressing up: "It's important that you feel right, so I use an instinct at the last moment. What I think is unbearable is to wear something that we don't feel comfortable in. It's completely, totally psychological. One dress you felt so happy in for that day and that occasion, you put it on in another moment and all the magic is completely disappeared. There is a very tricky [relationship] between the occasion and your mind at that moment." Good advice if you have more then 20 big-moment-dresses in your wardrobe and you choose whichever you feel "comfortable in" 5 minutes before going out. Not everybody is that lucky.

And my fav, on criticism: "I don’t believe that anyone is not bothered by critics. I think that everybody cares." Absolutely true. So why are you still claiming that you enjoyed models falling down in shoes designed by you?

Mean me.

FotoDecadent

Dear Good Fashion Spirits, thank you for bringing back to life FotoDecadent. Without it I would have no idea about existence of many pretty editorials and - above all - this picture:

Domenico and Stefano by Terry Richardson for GQ Italy June 2009

Dior is not going to have Fall 09 campaign

...fine, not exactly, but close. The brand changes its advertising approach due to the financial crisis and big loss in profits. Sidney Toledano, Dior CEO has announced (temporary) end of typical seasonal campaigns featuring professional models and a big move towards long-lasting campaigns with celebrities: "Now we have to give more meaning. People are looking for iconic products and they want to see a product representing the values of a company."

That's why Dior focuses its efforts (and money) on Lady Dior handbag campaign with Marion Cotillard by Peter Lindbergh (last year, above) and Annie Leibovitz (now, below). In parallel to advertising in fashion magazines, the campaign is also run in the internet with one film released in May and the second one to be released in December.


I'm really curious about the outcome. We are used to continuous or similar campaigns - season after season (like f.ex. Madonna for LV), but not to campaigns lasting for more than a couple of months. Plus one can see more visible shift towards internet advertising, which is cheaper and relatively effective - perfect combination in difficult economical situation. Furthermore, I'm wondering whether using Cotillard (expensive) instead of a professional model (cheaper) will have an impact on sales results. If so, we may soon expect similar formulas used by other big fashion brands.
source: fashionologie

Anja Rubik - Vogue Germany September

OK, next one scored! Actually, fourth this year (? - correct me if I'm wrong) after Vogue Korea in May, Vogue Paris in June/July and Vogue Nippon in August. This time Anja graces the German edition's cover. The picture was taken by Alexi Lubomirski.
I love Anja, she's a great editorial model, but she doesn't have much of luck with covers, does she?
source: tfs

Jennifer Gucci barred from using Gucci trademark

"The court concludes that (Gucci) has proven that defendants willfully infringed and diluted the Gucci trademarks" wrote NY court in its statement regarding Gucci trademark usage by Jennifer and Gemma Gucci - ex-wife and daughter of the fashion heir. The ladies have developed a line including coffee, bedding, housewares, cosmetics, hosiery, handbags, wine and gelato under their name with a very similar logo to the one developed by Paolo Gucci, now belonging to French luxury goods seller PPR.

Jennifer Gucci has been trying to use commercially her name since 1998 - seven years after divorcing Paolo. Fortunately, up to the moment she's not been successful. source: Reuters

Linga Evangelista for Vogue Italia

I don't know... Everybody says it's such a good cover, but I hate it. Maybe because I'm tired of:

• Meisel
• Linda Evangelista everywhere
• "Dreamy" style created by increasing contrast and blurring a picture
• This week
  

Vanity Fair's Best Dressed

Vanity Fair has released today on its website preview of the annual International Best-Dressed List - officially it's going to appear in the September issue. Celebrities included on the List are divided into a couple of categories like f.ex. "[Fashion] Professionals" (with Tory Burch), "Couples" (with Natalia Vodianova and Justin Portman) or "Hall of Fame" (with Catherine Deneuve). Not only almost no Hollywood stars appeared the List (exceptions: Brad Pitt and Anne Hathaway), but also Anna Wintour didn't make it.

Vogue UK - September 09

Kate Moss got her 28th Vogue UK cover! This time the magazine invested in the classy-classy trio: Moss + Testino + Burberry coat.
And below - four editorials appearing in this issue. Click on the picture to see the entire ed. Everything scanned by OhJane at tfs.