11 November 2010

Fire & Ice

Before: Revlon’s 1952 ad for the Fire & Ice Collection, shot by Richard Avedon, featuring model Dorian Leigh wearing a silver gown framed by a sweeping opera cape (a copy of a Balenciaga original), her hands drawing attention to her red nails and lips.
Its like a Rene Gruau drawing, isn't it?
After: With Fire & Ice back on shelves (Revlon has re-released three “lip-and-tip” pairings). The recreated ad, shot by Mario Testino, features actress Jessica Biel (it's challenging to even try to think what she's ever been in. TV movie, maybe?). It just looks so tawdry. Is it her? Is it him?

8 comments:

  1. Her. Definitely her. Testino is usually slightly better than this.

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  2. Dear Anon: Slightly is correct. Did you see mr testino's angelina jolie dec vogue cover? Shocking.

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  3. The original is far better and as you say very Gruau.

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  4. The only movie i remember jessica biel in is Blade: Trinity. Even then, she was forgettable; how is she even famous?

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  5. what's with that fake looking backdrop ?

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  6. Dear Mr Toms: It's ever so much more graphic - and took more skill to execute. This is before digital so I'm quite certain that the lights reflected in the mirror-mosaic background were really there. which brings me to Dear Anon 2: I think the background is their lame attempt to make it look 'contemporary' - digital. They look like enlarged pixels - a very clumsy attempt.
    Dear Anon 1: My friend R said that she's famous for dating Justin Timberlake. It's the sort of fame akin to being in a lousey telemovie.

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  7. Jessica's overly stretched fingers are so awful. bad bad art direction. Beauty .

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  8. Dear Beauty: I think it's just lazy and uninspired.

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