Back in time

Did you know that in the beginnings of fashion photography the designers feared it as it could lead to stealing their ideas? Plus it was always connected with celebrity photography as most popular models were nobles, actors, singers or any other artistic souls, as one had to be something more than good looking to influence other people's taste. Fashion wasn't universal - fashion was for rich and so was fashion photography.

The picture was taken by the first fashion photographer in history (or at least one of them) - Adolf de Meyer. Actually, he could be a celebrity himself as he got married to a bisexual goddaughter of Edward VII, while having affairs with men. He worked for Vogue, Vanity Fair and Harper's Bazaar almost up to the World War II. The picture below comes from the beginning of his career - 1918. The person shown is Rose Dolores, a Broadway actress.

Stolen from here. You can find more here.

i-D March 2009

Sorry for the delay in posting and not moderating the comments. I have just finished my exams session. What a relief now I feel...

Sooo... Below you can find 12 new i-D covers for March 2009 featuring best known British models (taken by Solve Sundsbo):

Naomi Campbell, Daisy Lowe, Stella Tennant, Twiggy;
Yasmin Le Bon, Susie Bick, Alice Dellal, Agyness Deyn;
Lily Donaldson, Jourdan Dunn, Eliza Cummings, Kate Moss.

And there's more - really interesting editorials inside with not only the models from the covers, but also with f.ex. Alek Wek, Lily Cole or Cecilia Chancellor. Funny thing - I haven't seen people at fashionspot so divided on an issue since long time. Everyone has different types. Mine is Susie (isn't she more of an actor than a model?), I really don't like Daisy - what about you?

The pictures by tarsha.

Retro quiz

Which Marilyn would you rather choose?

1. Scarlett Johansson for Dolce&Gabbana cosmetics line by Sølve Sundsbø
2. Daria Werbowy for Roberto Cavalli SS09 by Inez & Vinoodh
   

Pam for Viv

Oh-my-god! I love this SS 09 campaign. Regardless of what you think about Anderson's intelligence, acting, private life or appearance, Pamela has really became iconic those days. She is such a great match for eccentric Vivienne - no matter which picture, they look together like they are just in the middle of a great party! And Teller did surprisingly well (I usually prefer his editorials rather than campaigns). Plus Malibu reminds me of GTA Vice City again(obsession or what?).

More here.

LV + celebrities

For quite some time every major advertising campaign must contain "behind the scenes" video. Especially, when Steven Meisel is the photographer, Louis Vuitton - the brand and Madonna - the model. I must say, those short movies are getting better and better and this one is just terrific.



But it's not end of the news about LV. Kanye West's sneakers were a part of the FW 09 Louis Vuitton's men show this Thursday. As far as I could spot, they went in orange, red and black (correct me if I'm wrong). Marc Jacobs seems to be very pleased with the collaboration, but Kanye after all these years dreaming of becoming someone big in fashion, must be dying of happiness.

Lindsay finally got a job

Lohan was chosen to become the face of an Italian brand Fornarina last May and here are the results. I wonder why most of the websites call the pictures "sexy". Regardless Lohan's acting skills and her personal life, in the past she mainly did very good campaigns for high quality brands (Donney & Bourke, Miu Miu, Jill Stuart), but this time neither the pics nor the clothes are impressive. On the other hand, Fornarina has chosen a perfect model for their customers - "the Hollywood celebrity testimonial of the brand. Young, beautiful, eclectic, with great talent and a great personality, Lindsay Lohan immediately appeared as one of the few in the show-biz able to represent the glamorous style of Fornarina." Just one doubt from my side - isn't she wearing black, edgy clothes all the time in her real life? Plus I don't get the point with no facial expression.

More here.

If something goes wrong, let's clone what has been working in the past

Make Me A Supermodel reality show is an originally British program airing on channel Five. Besides that the show has got it's Australian and US version, the US one, of course, being the best known.

The first American season averaged over one million viewers of which about 800,000 were adults of 18-49 years old (statistically the most active consumers). It was aired on Bravo cable channel known also for the Project Runway show.

What will be changed in the upcoming (March 4th) 2nd season are the judges, the host, the format and one of the "mentors", meaning pretty much for an average successful show. All the judges were replaced from supermodels Tyson Beckford and Niki Taylor, fashion casting director Jennifer Starr and Cory Bautista from New York Model Management by designer Catherine Malandrino, model Jenny Shimizu, model scout Marlon and a fashion photographer Perou, who's been also a judge in the original UK version of MMS. It will be now in single host-format - from a duo models Tyson Beckford and Niki Taylor, Tyson is the one who stays. From now on it is going to be the judges who get to determine the eliminations and finally eventual winner. Additionally an Australian 23-year-old model Nicole Trunfio will replace Taylor as a mentor to the female contestants.

There are 16 contestants altogether from the age of 18 to 30. Heterosexual and homosexual. Experienced and unexperienced. With children and without. Artists, students, sportsmen. Very typical mixture for such a show. It hasn't started yet, and we've already got emotional stories that hit one's heart. 22-year-old Karen wants to win for her family to "lift their spirits after they've suffered a family tragedy last year when one of her twin brothers died in an accident". 24-year-old Kerryn is "inspired by her brother, a Marine who received a Purple Heart when he was injured from a roadside bomb attack". 19-year-old Salome "puts in about 70 hours into two part-time jobs a week". And last, but not least 30-year-old Shawn is "inspired to win because his brother passed away a little over a year ago".

This series will require less of the viewers' engagement by changing the voting rules. Plus, after the first series it is already known, that all the contestants, not only the winner, will sign a contract with New York Model Management. I wonder how those are going to influence the number of audience.

More information, pics and videos here.

Back / FF for JV

OK, so here it is - I am not a very organized person. Working for this big-international-tobacco-company (no... nobody knows, what am I talking about seeing their logo below my links) takes all of my free time, but - oh well - there are things that are important and those which are even more. Blog seems to me to be in the second category as a way to express my egoistic mind, which certainly is not being expressed at work. Plus, the theme changed a bit - hope you'll enjoy it.

So Franz Ferdinand is a Scottish band of a pretty sharped, stylish image. Their new CD (coming out in a couple of days) is said to be "taken straight out from the end of the '70". But above that they are just four simply good looking, but a bit strange guys fascinated with Russian avant-garde. And then we've got Greek-born American John Varvatos, who's been working in the past for Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein and - probably the best known collaboration of his - Converse. How could not a Converse guy make a perfect match with Russian avant-garde freaks?

So far there are only two pictures released for the SS o9 campaign. The were taken by Danny Clinch in Harlem and show the guys enjoying Mister Softee's ice cream (the scene reminds me of GTA Vice City - who's played, knows). According to Varvatos, Franz Ferdinand was "the perfect choice to express the sleeker, mod-inspired edge of my spring collection". Guess, it really was.

The first year of Vogue India

"I suspect our Vogue will be nosier and more colorful and more vibrant than the western models" said Alex Kuruvilla, the managing director of Condé Nast India before the first issue of Vogue was published. Here are the results after the first year of its existence (taken from the FashionSpot).

This whole "more vibrant" part worked out. Besides the magazine is mostly very... "Indian" (contrary to the Chinese Vogue, which is less Chinese than what we expected after the first issue). But - being antibollywood person - I feel a little bit lost. Is it still a fashion magazine or more of lifestyle one? Hard to decide seeing only the scans at the Fashion Spot - but I'm disappointed anyways.

As a cover-lover - I was eager to see something more surprising, more original, more fashionable on the Indian Vogue cover. And I've got this:

Please, don't.

We'll be showing some body next season! (3)

We'll be showing some legs. Anyone surprised?


Benjamin Cho, Dolce&Gabbana, Versace


Bluemarine, Marc by Marc Jasobs, Stella McCartney


Dior, Valentino, Herve Leger by Max Azria


Givenchy, Just Cavalli, Zac Posen


La Perla, Alexander McQueen, Erin Fetherston

source: style.com