arizona muse for vogue paris

appearing for the cover of french vogue, november, arizona muse of next models ny smiles from ear to ear as an unexpected beauty shot is selected. through the lens of inez + vinoodh, arizona appears beautifully. i’ve noted here many times that vogue paris is one publication that im keeping my eye on. granted, french vogue has always been considered ‘one to watch’, the selection of cover models by way of editor-in-chief, emmanuelle alt, is a huge conversational piece. frist came gisele, then came kate moss who was followed by isabeli fontana & then lara stone. a break in model cast was seen when charlotte casiraghi landed the september issue cover & sasha pivovarova landed october. now in november, muse makes her debut. it’s funny, i watch these girls come into the game- i watch them on the runway, keep tabs on their bookings from campaigns to covers & editorials. from cosmetic contracts to catalog bookings- i cannot understand, for the life of me, why the FUCK joan smalls has not landed a solo v0gue cover yet. arizona muse debuted on the runway in 2010 & slaughtered the scene as the face of YSL for the labels SS11 campaign. from there, her bookings have not stopped but other girls in the game have held much more impressive resume’s considerably. the last time a face of color has been seen on the cover of french vogue was in march of 2010, since then lara stone has landed the cover four times, with natasha poly & kate moss landing two covers from then up until now. are there not enough models to go around? & even more interestingly, shouldn’t all things be considered when casting a girl for a cover? you know, how many years they’ve been in the game- how visible they are, what they represent in terms of reshaping how global beauty is precieved? why are all shades not represented?

imagesource | tfs

charlotte casiraghi for vogue paris, september

while american vogue swaps actresses for supermodels for their september cover; french vogue flips the script & ditches their expected supermodel selection for royalty. fourth in line for the throne in monaco, charlotte casiraghi graces the cover of french vogue’s coveted september issue. while supermodels reign supreme in my world, i think royalty is a fair trade off. considering the royal wedding & the recent press focused upon monaco’s newest princess, charlotte’s cover booking is rather fitting of the current moment. as the grand daughter of grace kelly, charlotte is listed as an equestrian & has developed a noted presence in journalism. all that offical shit aside, the cover was shot by mario testino & really makes me think of american vogue. the commercialized trade off from carine roitfeld’s departure is most clearly felt in this cover- creatively & casting considered. the absence of models has shaken some fashion kids to the core as some responded with, “what the fuck? she’s not even a model”. that said, the cover is interesting & definitely makes for a conversation piece when considering royal legacies & high fashion editorial. while the remainder of the issue has been seen, as we wait for high resolution images to surface in the coming week, along with the other september covers; i will say that this issue is packed with the glamour, regality & opulence we’ve come to expect from french vogue. let’s hope the models return for the publication’s october cover. interestingly, im always looking to identify ethnicity & charlotte is of french, italian, monégasque, mexican, american, english, german, irish & swedish ancestry.

imagesource | tfs

lara stone for vogue paris

one of the most interesting fashion publications to watch, currently, is french vogue. not just for the french association but for the changes that are still very fresh at this mid-way point of the year. under the direction of emmanuelle alt, a resurgence of supermodels has graced the cover & a much more polished direction is seen. from 2001-january 2011, under the direction of carine roitfeld, vogue paris has become synonymous for groundbreaking visuals & parisienne seduction- it’s been about sexual energy & tested limitations. but all that has changed & over time, i like what is seen. while i still did love french vogue the roitfeld way; i very much respect this reestablishment of commercialized glamour that alt has brought back to the forefront. im sure that over time this polish & demure nature will grow old & weary but for the most part, it’s new & fresh for french vogue. shot for the august cover, lara stone appears through the lens of inez + vinoodh in this vintage inspired, salue the troops styled cover shot. much like moss for british vogue, lara stone has become a french vogue cover girl fave in recent years & here she returns to defend her title. considering that this is the august cover & september is looming around the corner; im betting that lara won’t snag two vogue paris covers for two consecutive months so im definitely wondering who’ll be the next chick.

imagesource | tfs

editorialesque » isabeli fontana + clément chabernaud for vogue paris

beautifully bold tones, sexual chemistry- two aspects of image that are clearly represented for the pages of french vogue through the lens of mert + marcus. represented by women model management, isabeli fontana is seen colorfully for the pages of french vogue alongside male model, clément chabernaud of wilhelmina. as mentioned previously for the issues covers, some have noted photographic similarities to that of steven mesiel for a spread that used linda evangelista. what amazes me is this concept of whose to blame; in my constant review of editorial a number of people point their fingers every direction. similar aesthetics are seen in the work of mert & marcus, as the two have been known to pay tribute to the greats before them. while some question the inspiration as lack of creative ability, the purpose of serving up a beautiful image is demonstrated clearly. both fontana & chabernaud fit well together & i love the focus upon color. appropriate for the spring,  prada’s banana prints & versaces color splash patterns are all seen beautifully throughout the spread. isabeli is one of my favorites, as is clement- mert & marcus kill it everytime. in living color, summer never looked so good.

imagesource | tfs

isabeli fontana for vogue paris

through the commerciallly pure styling vision of emmanuelle alt, editor in chief of french vogue, isabeli fontana appears for the publication’s june cover. shot by mert + marcus, bronzed skin & vivid color take the stage as isabeli appears stunning looking something like linda evangelista. while the cover shot & editorial feature have been compared to photographic work by steven meisel, i love & can clearly distinguish which work is under the direction of alt. in the fashion publication game, the editors, especially the editors in chief, have this unbreakable reign once put into position & french vogue has an incredibly interesting timeline as of late concerning this heirarchy. emmanuelle alt, once the fashion editor at french vogue, you may remember as taking her place as chief february of this year. after replacing the void left from carine roitfeld, roitfeld herself has addressed the issue & revealed some interesting rumors in a recent interview had with the financial times. roitfeld broke new ground as the head of french vogue, allowing transgendered models the platform for fashion fame & used excessive nudity in tandem with jaw dropping, high-end glamour. for this roitfeld says that xavier romatet, heavy-hitting president of condé nast france, “didn’t like” her use of experimentation at the magazine. granted roitfeld has moved on, announcing projects with barney’s new york, what i respect about roitfeld is her approach to fashion as art. throughout the interview, roitfeld had discussed everything from her ex-friend editor in chief to mcqueen to galliano- the one thing that seemed to be a recurring theme was the concept of ‘artistry’. this approach resonates greatly with me & mirrors my own approach & for that i will always respect carine roitfeld. granted, my respect for roitfeld doesn’t effect the love i have for the commercial polish alt has broughten to the table- it’s just a different vision. noticeably, the re-introduction of french vogue has been seen under the direction of alt & through beautiful execution, this cover demonstrates that with fervor. all in all, the cover is stunning & with time things change. from french seduction to commercialized beauty at the end of the day the fashion industry has been built to sell fantasies of beauty; products both alt & roitfeld have sold incredibly well. i can easily separate the vision of both & for that, im inspired.

imagesource | teevanity

editorialesque » raquel zimmermann for vogue paris

through the lens of david sims, raquel zimmerman  of DNA appears darkly chic for the pages of vogue paris, for the publication’s june issue. styled in all black by beat bollinger, i love how movement was captured & am tremendously inspired by the use of both black & white, as well as colored photography. as one of my favorite editorial female models, raquel has mastered the art of modeling from a super extension. while some of the pieces throughout the editorial are much more minimal, stylistically, movement of the clothes & how it’s captured on film are what make this spread special. the studio backdrop seemingly compliments the simplicity of the clothes as raquel demonstrates true model versatility, transforming from one frame to the next, one page to the next. incredible styling & beautifully executed, this is editorial i love to see.  

imagesource | tfs

editorialesque » malgosia bela for french vogue

for the pages of vogue paris, malgosia bela of next models ny appears in this black & white editorial spread shot by inez + vinoodh. malgosia makes graphics gush for the pages of the publication’s may issue as we see combined element of horizontal stripes, as well as polka dots & some aspects of sequins. after becoming aware of malgosia, i will say; i began to expect this dark, broody & intensely seductive photographic presence whenever seeing her name & ever since she shot the spring chloe campaign & was photographed smiling, im almost looking for the next time she will smile again. granted that many aspects of high fashion don’t often associate with smiling or showing teeth, mind you cristobal balenciaga though showing teeth was completely vulgar; i think it says a lot when a model can add a notch of versatility to her belt with a single smile. the spread seen here contains depth through greyscale & adds a light overtone through malgosia’s presence.

imagesource | tfs

editorialesque » kate moss for vogue paris

represented by IMG models, may vogue paris cover girl appears boldly laced in a wide range of colors, metallics & fashion pieces for this inspiring palette of an editorial. styled by emmanuelle alt, kate is seen transcending space & time in some of spring most outstanding couture pieces. from irredescent pieces to loubotin’s signature red sole- every fashion mark is hit & precisely well. commercial beauty is much more in the lane of alt’s work & that is felt in every aspect of the magazine. though commercial, the styling is high end & our beloved supermodels are seen center stage. photographic credit to mert + marcus.

imagesource | tfs

kate moss for vogue paris

through the lens of mert + marcus, kate moss appears for the may cover of vogue paris. clad in armani prive with male hands surrounding her, kate flourishes through yet another year & another cover. seen against a bold red backdrop with a red lacquered lip to match, moss continues to defy the limitations of age, consistency & model demand in booking covers & campaigns effortlessly each season. editor in chief, emmanuelle alt continues to thrive in her efforts to represent a new, redefined interpretation of french vogue & i feel a greater sense of high-end, commercial glamour with her vision. it’s polished, still chic & new ideas are presented- with roitfeld, it was almost like a parisienne seduction, with emmanuelle it’s a full force presentation of clothes & supermodels. love the cover, the addition of arms add that extra boost. represented by IMG, kate currently ranks as the no. 2 female model icon while holding the rank as fashion’s third highest earning.

imagesource | tfs

editorialesque » sasha pivovarova for french vogue

 

shot for the april issue of french vogue, sasha pivovarova goes green through the lens of hans feuer looking wildy chic. styled by marie chaix, the spread conveys a stronger message of beauty & natural allure at that. as the first issue under the direction of new editor-in-chief, emmanuelle alt; im closely watching to see how gradually french vogue will evolve. in this spread with sasha, there is an underlying purity felt- a soft reflection of femininity & a bit of conservative, almost hushed, sense of sensuality. the shot with the green tongue adds a needed disruption of the rather tame images & clearly, a difference of carine rotifeld’s vision versus alt’s is being born in front of our very eyes. it’s edgy, alluring & very polished. sasha is represented by IMG models & remains atop my list of favorites within the modeling galaxy- here she is fresh & beautiful.

imagesource | tfs