Vogue Italia Stella Tennant Corset
You only need a quick glance at the title of Vogue Italia‘s September issue to get the jist. Avant Garde, it certainly is. Combining the magic of photographer Steven Meisel and Photoshop (…I mean, it has to be), we are presented with both a gorgeously haunting image of Stella Tennant and the tiniest waist in the Universe. With runway-worthy sculpted hair and an incredible play on proportions, the pair of scissors in her right hand and enormous nose ring were actually the last thing I noticed. Meaningfully menacing? Whatever the inspiration, I am beyond titillated.

Lanvin Dance
Though I wasn’t blown away by Lanvin‘s Fall/Winter 2011 campaign images (featuring Karen Elson and Raquel Zimmermann ‘dancing’), I was definitely intrigued. Dancing campaigns are usually chosen to show us the movement and texture in the garments, where the Lanvin shots were almost frozen stiff.

Then came the Steven Meisel-shot campaign video. It is the missing puzzle piece, thank the Fashion Gods. In the short-ish clip, we see Raquel, Karen, and two male models doing some poker-faced choreography to Pitbull’s “I Know You Want Me“. Never did I think I would see the day Lanvin would embrace Pitbull. It is delightfully tongue-in-chic, and expertly wrapped up with a little boogie from Lanvin designer Alber Elbaz. Tres cute.

Jessica Stam
I have raved and raved about Jessica Stam for years. Almost ten years, actually, from her fresh-faced entrance into the industry as Steven Meisel‘s muse. The Canadian model is a fashion fixture with one of the most striking faces working today.

Lucky for us? One of my favourite websites, Into The Gloss, delved into Stam’s impressively low-key beauty regime. Low-key for a model, anyway. Her secrets?

  • Balm! Added to the eyelids for a sheen, or her eyelashes if she foregoes mascara.
  • Old Spice. Yep, the men’s deodorant.
  • She adores Egyptian Magic“>Egyptian Magic. (But seriously, this product is absolute gold.)
  • Viviscal supplements. Both to keep her hair healthy and help it grow!
  • Herbal Essences shampoo and conditioner. The “Hello Hydration” range fools even industry experts!
  • She eats “whatever [she] wants”. We call that the model gene. (Granted, she does so “in moderation” and works out.)

    • Louis Vuitton Fall Winter 2011 Campaign
    It’s campaign time! Kicking off the Fall/Winter 2011 ads are Daphne Groeneveld, Zuzana Bijoch and Anais Pouliot for Louis Vuitton. No shock in the photographer choice; it’s Steven Meisel, of course, who had been doing the brand right for some time. View Post

    Personal Best Vogue Italia
    I love seeing ‘hated’ models raise the bar above the supers. Vogue Italia are offering a prime example with “Personal Best” in their April 2011 issue. Three unusually gorgeous women – Kristina Salinovic, Daphne Groeneveld, and Lindsey Wixson – were blessed with the styling of Edward Enninful and lenswork of Steven Meisel in order to produce the fashiongasm you see here. Brilliant in every way. View Post