COUGARRR!!!

Don't you love this? The latest Vogue Hommes cover certainly stopped me in my tracks and isn't this what a great magazine cover is supposed to do? Wouldn't you let Marlon Texeira grab you like that (and more!) and isn't Stephanie Seymour stunning? 

But domestic violence and women’s advocacy groups are up in arms over the magazine’s Terry Richardson cover. Only in America, I'm telling you. Sanctuary for Families, Safe Horizon, Equality Now, and the New York chapter of the National Organization for Women are saying that the image connotes domestic violence with sex and glamour (only in America!). The groups have reportedly written a letter to Condé Nast, protesting the promoting of choking as “a sign of passion rather than violence” and asking that the magazine be pulled from newsstands. They’ve already received some 200 signatures (but that's not that many what? You can get more just by posting pics of a handbag what?) on their online petition on Change.org backing up this request. Only in America could they not tell that this is banal fashion magazine posing and imagery and pretty tame as far as most of the magazine's intended audience is concerned. 

James Franco's Armpit

Sofia Coppola's Somewhere

Sofia Coppola’s Somewhere won the Golden Lion in Venice. This, her fourth feature, will be released in December. Somewhere marks a return to form for the writer-director:"I never get myself in a situation where I don’t have creative freedom. I learned that from my dad: you put your heart into something, you have to protect it, what you’re making. I always like to keep the budget as small as possible just to have the most freedom. You know you get left alone, you get to pick the actors you want to use. I like doing personal films, after doing a bigger movie, I enjoy doing smaller, intimate films."(Pictures: L'Uomo Vogue Oct)

Weekend Reading List

On F's instructions, I actually bolted all the four floors up to Basheer at Bras Basah Complex (isn't this the most old school of names for a building?) on Bain Street, to buy Fantastic Man and Vogue Homme International. The whole building smells of musty books and yellowing paper which is such a nice smell, redolent of my schooldays spent in second-hand book stores. And then home, and with a tub of strawberry ice cream, I settled down and studied the mags and couldn't wait to discuss every picture and page with F. I don't know anyone who's as crazy about models, mags and photography as F and I can't think of a nicer way to spend an hour (or two!) chatting away about the images and words and stuff that moves us, on the hottest of afternoons (aren't the days fever hot now?).
F and I don't always agree on everything, but that's part of the fun.
As you already know, I love detective stories (with a clinking glass of Ribena and the ceiling fan whirring) so I'm thrilled to discover the enigmatic Father Brown, created by the eccentric G K Chesterton. I'm now reading the superb collection of short stories Father Brown: The Essential Tales. These would be great on a flight. On a slightly more serious note, my bedtime reading is now A Scream Goes Through The House, by Arnold Weinstein, in which Professor Weinstein explores how great works of art, especially literature, illuminates what human life actually feels like, the human cry that echoes in the dark of existence.

American Archetypes: Sean O'Pry

Vogue Hommes International

With Love From Kate

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
"Oh my god." - Kate Moss

Carine Bonanza

Are you panting yet? The 252-page Vogue Paris April 2010 looks so promising!
The cover is of Natasha Poly, shot by Vinoodh Matadin and Inez Van Lamsweerde. The Western theme and navy masthead promises... denim, I guess. Inside:

• "Les Soeurs Jac & Lily" - The Donaldson sisters by Steven Klein.
  
• "Tsarine Daria" - Daria Werbowy by David Sims.
  
• "Princesse Natalia" - Natalia Vodianova by Marcus Piggott and Mert Alas


• "Fleurs De l'Age" - Raquel Zimmermann by Mario Sorrenti


• "Comtesse Natasha." Natasha Poly,by Vinoodh Matadin and Inez Van Lamsweerde


• "Une Fille Un Style" is Catherine Baba
  
• Alexander McQueen tribute

Similarly (or do I mean 'consistently'?), the summer Vogue Hommes International features a 'Americana' theme. Kate's cover is by Mario Sorrenti, styled by Emmanuelle Alt. The editorials include:

• "L'Étoffe des Héros" by Beat Bolliger/David Sims


• "Basquiat" by Anastasia Barbieri/Cedric Buchet


• "Elvis" by Emmanuelle Alt/David Sims,


• "Nouriev" by Carine Roitfeld/Patrick Demarchelier

(I'm quite certain that this shoot is based on the ballet legend Nureyev, after he defected to New York, probably set in the 1970s - 1980s? It's been done before, of course, but I can't wait to see this nevertheless because it's totally Carine's period!)

Vogue Hommes Fall 2009

What a nice fall cover! The plummy colours look so cosy... It looks just like my blog colour scheme.

Jon K in Vogue Hommes

Jon K in a watch 'spread' for Vogue Hommes International. I know, whatever reason will do to see him wet and naked. Photos: Mikeal Jansson