Kate, Black and White

Givenchy, Give?

Seriously, I'm not one of those rabid Givenchy fans, even though my favourite magazine's entire staff have thrown their weight behind the label's Ricardo Tisci. But I must say Givenchy has had a few moments this year, not least with their latest ads which feature the albino model Stephen Thompson (above, okay, he doesn't have a neck, I know, I know), and last season's transgender model Lea T. Is this casting call exploitative? I don't know, but it's sure influential.
Givenchy also gave us leopard preens for men: Tron: Legacy’s Garrett Hedlund makes a fairly convincing case for it in January 2011 W. Now, that's a neck.And Givenchy has given us Rob Evans. Mr Evans would be something to find under a tree, or in a stocking, tied with a grosgrain bow!

Is this a TV Guide?

Stefano Tonchi said: "I want W to be a little be divisive and unexpected." The November cover, features Kim Kardashian, "someone very different from what you expect for the magazine. November is the art cover, so we collaborated with an artist, and we have a great reality TV person!" Ms Kardashian was photographed by Mark Seliger, and Barbara Kruger the artist collaborated on the art. "December is a very special 'family issue,' with kids!" adds Mr Tonchi.

1950s

The 1950s fashion (yawn...) is predictably popping up in every magazine, which leaves us the bandwith to study how they are presenting it: In W this month, it's given a cinematic lushness in the story Brooklyn by Mert & Marcus. It's one of their better efforts, I have to say, and one of the more interesting 1950s stories this month.I also see that it's inspired by Edward Hopper(1882 – 1967), just like those (really literal) fall Fendi ads.The Fendi ads (by Karl Lagerfeld):More Edward Hopper paintings:

W... Or is it T?

Stefano Tonchi's fully revamped W. I must say it looks much more interesting; The coverlines say something at least! I must also say the last panel of the three looks really badly styled! And who are these common-looking girls?
Hollywood, like magazines, are in a sad state indeed.

Tonchi's Touch

Finally, English coverlines on W!

Cate The Great

June issue of W.

And That's All!

"Anna Wintour wants designers to schedule their shows during these three days. It has bad consequences for many, many people involved in the shows, from stylists to models to hairdressers. It's absolutely crazy. She's welcome in Milan but if she only comes for a fleeting visit, perhaps it would be better if she stayed at home."
- Mario Boselli, President of the Italian Fashion Chamber

For the Chinese New Year overhaul, I was at the salon for a record four hours, from 2.30pm till slightly over 6.30pm. Ben has been doing my hair for over a decade, and pure genius (I can't say enough good things about Ben who is talented, stylish and kind any encounter with him improves one); But that makes him the busiest man standing on any given day, not to mention during festive periods. The boys and girls at the salon are all super sweet and sooo nice, but still. One does feel quite marooned at the chair and somewhat like a zoo animal as sundry people come and peer at you (all this is kindly meant, to be sure) and you need to be all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed even whilst your hair is all up in cling film or you're wearing a cushion-like silver plastic cap. It's defeating.
This is what I overheard at the salon:
M: "Am I alone in thinking that a lot of editors and magazine journalists here take their so-called image more seriously than their jobs? Seriously... I wanted to yank the arm off one at an event - she was so carrying on like she was Meryl in The Devil Wears Prada. Such a twit!"
J: "There are seriously TOO MANY Anna Wintours in Singapore. I don't know why the world thinks Anna Wintour is so special... They only need to come to Singapore to realise they are a dime a dozen in SPH.
M: "Her highness and her Andre Leon Talley doppelganger... I wanted to slap her!"
J: "They should just invite all the Anna Wintours here, then Milan won't have to shorten their fashion week ler!"
F: "This new editor might be a very stylish woman in person, you have to admit that she is stylish, but it does not show in her work. Just look at the magazine."
C: "I was in Milan when I heard that Alexander McQueen died and my first thought was... why couldn't it be Marc Jacobs?"
J: "Did you know that Mrs Jacobs is now designing a line of swimwear?"
As a treat, I also heard a TOP photographer say that things are going swimmingly now because working with the editors now is like being in a "think tank" where they all share ideas.
Now, that, my dears, is quite an idea.

November Covers

I don't really understand Kate Hudson, do you?

Linda in W

You know Madonna would be sooo jealous (she also want le!). Do I like it? I'll have to see the rest of it in November's W. My instinct is I won't like it. It's outrage for the sake of outrage, and not particularly clever. It's rather bo liao, if you know what I mean.

Recession Vogue

"...Several Condé Nast editors said off the record that the budget cuts have not significantly altered the atmosphere of the top magazines, which have long had access to the best photographers and readily projected a spare-no-expense mentality to help maintain their status. A fashion shoot at a magazine like Vogue, or Vanity Fair, or W, can easily cost $150,000. Anna Wintour, the editor of Vogue, has killed shoots that didn’t meet her standards and ordered them reshot. Such creative excess serves Vogue’s star image, like the Town Cars waiting outside Condé Nast, and apparently has been condoned by management so long as revenues are high.
In other areas, though, Ms. Wintour is known for being strict with her budgets and questioning expenses. There are likely to be fewer Vogue editors at the shows in Europe this fall. It may be difficult for outsiders to appreciate the logic in fashion shoots that require a team of 30 photographic assistants, digital producers, lighting experts, hairstylists, makeup artists, a manicurist, editorial gofers and caterers to feed everyone. It’s not uncommon at a top American magazine, editors say, to spend $5,000 a day just on food at a shoot. In this regard, European glossies are practically tightwads.
The mentality is changing, however. Another Condé Nast editor, referring to chastened consumers, said: “Everybody thought they had to spend money. They thought it was a new way of life. Now they’re rubbing the dust out of their eyes. ‘I don’t need that handbag. What was I doing?’ ”..." - Cathy Horyn, The New York Times

Lara Stone

Original Bardot
Lara Stone as Brigitte Bardot? I totally heart: So genius! 

There's Something About Jesus

                                    Not bad after the photoshopping.

Madonna Needs Jesus

...Because even Photoshop can't save her now! Here, in the latest outing for W, shot by Steven Klein (so inevitably right?) her cheekbones and tight temples are so chanelling Faye Dunaway's aren't they?
And who looks at W anymore anyway?