I was born, but…

Credit: Fashion Gone Rogue

Ming Xi & Hyoni Kang by Will Davidson for Dazed & Confused February 2011

Believe it or not, I’ve been a bit disenchanted with fashion print work lately.  Most likely due to the lull of the December/January period.  Not to mention, I was feeling a major lack of academic drive.  However, trust Dazed & Confused to snap me right out of that apathy.  With dancer-like grace and romanticism, Ming and Hyoni take my breath away in this editorial.  And Will Davidson sweeps me right along with his dreamy vision.  Such a gorgeous piece of work.  I think I am so greatly drawn to this because I needed to find my inner dreamer again.  The timing was so utterly perfect that this struck me powerfully, viscerally.  Moreover, bringing back Hyoni reminded me of that time when I was just discovering my passion for the fashion industry.  I needed to feel that magic again.

However, as much as I adore Hyoni, it was Ming who thoroughly impressed me with her depth.  She positions like a veteran, and her lines are beautiful.  She is able to catch my eye with something as simple as her hand just past Hyoni’s shoulder as she embraces her (featured shot above).   I just love the black and white shot (shot 6) of her bent over her outstretched legs.  Not to mention, the smoothness of her skin contrasts so nicely with the gritty ground beneath her.

And certainly, I would be remiss for not talking about Will Davidson.  He’s been responsible for a good number of my favorite editorials.  “Alessandra” and “Bunny Ain’t No Kind of Rider” certainly come to mind.  With this piece, his photography reminds me of well-blended brush strokes.  And I love how the out-of-focus parts suit the styling at that exact moment.  He always has a wonderful gritty romantic aesthetic, something that falls in well with my own.  Stunning photographer as per usual, Will Davidson.

But really.  Thank you Dazed & Confused for making me fall in love once again with fashion.

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Forever Young

Credit: Fashion Gone Rogue

Arizona Muse in Gucci by Mario Sorrenti for Vogue Paris February 2011

**First, if you don’t have the maturity, don’t look at the rest of the editorial.  As for the feature shot, I find it gorgeous so I’m leaving it unchanged.**

Well.  Arizona is certainly wearing Gucci in some fashion.  Just not Gucci’s clothing collection haha.  At any rate, Arizona looks spectacular.  She displays nothing but confidence and strength.  Moreover, she conveys an innate knowledge of her own sensuality.  I love that.  There is something highly attractive about a gorgeously unashamed naked woman.  Unfortunately, an editorial like this may never been seen in a commerical American publication.  I fear that American society has perverted nudity.  Nudity has become this huge bigass deal, and the prevalent society shames a woman for reveling in her nude body.  Because that would mean acknowledging a woman’s innate sexuality, which contradicts the pure chaste virgin ideology that is so popular in the United States.  And God forbid that a woman can unabashedly display her body without it becoming hyper-sexualized.  For make no mistake; Arizona’s photographed nudity does not mean her victimization.  This is hardly a desperate bid for print work.   This editorial is erotic, just a tad kinky, and very striking.  Arizona Muse is a rising star; don’t be surprised if we see her take the industry by storm.

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Barbara Palvin & Samantha Gradoville by Sean & Seng

Credit: Fashion Gone Rogue

Barbara Palvin & Samantha Gradoville by Sean & Seng for Numéro #120

Numéro always manages to intrigue.  And push boundaries.  Employing seduction and provocation in equal measure, this editorial both titillates and disconcerts.  Womanly curves are most certainly displayed to full effect, which is a major shift from the waif aesthetic that fashion has favored in the past.   The feature shot above is my particular favorite instance of that.   Gorgeous perspective.  And the black and white doesn’t hurt either.  But while there is no shortage of come-hither looks from Barbara and Samantha, some of the seduction is a bit too obvious for my liking.  Not to mention, Samantha is a whole lot more attractive than she comes across in this.  She’s a bit too heavily made up.   And there is a discontinuity about this editorial.  I honestly don’t know how cavorting with statues comes into play.  Moreover, was there really a need to put bees on Barbara’s face?!?!  That aside, the shots I liked, I ended up really liking so all is not lost.

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Pont Neuf

Credit: Fashion Gone Rogue

Iselin Steiro by Camilla Akrans for Numéro #75 August 2006

I love the simplicity of this editorial.  And how the texture of the background plays a huge part in setting the tone.   Not to mention, I am a huge fan of color blocking neutrals; gold is an excellent accent color.  But mainly, I’d have to credit Camilla for making this editorial.  While I absolutely adore Iselin, it’s Camilla’s eye for framing the shot that stands out.  She always fleshes out beautiful lines with the architecture of the location and manages to keep my interest.  Even with the monochrome neutral stone.  And, I didn’t even recognize that this is near the river Seine.  Camilla gives me an intriguing, unusual perspective on Pont Neuf.  I still get the sense of history from it, but without the touristy Seine river shot.  And for that, I thank her.

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Naty Chabanenko by Robert Hamada

Credit: Smile

Naty Chabanenko by Robert Hamada for Smug Magazine Issue No.3

Naty Chabanenko is stunning.  Honestly, that’s the only reason why I’m posting this shoot.  I had first noticed her in the Cushnie etc Ochs Spring 2011 Ad Campaign, and boy, do I love that attitude.  She intrigued me then, and she intrigues me now.  With this editorial, she presents softness with a dose of edginess.  Which is a contradiction.  I’m sure everyone knows by now how much I adore contradictions.  This may sound weird, but it’s in the slant of her eyes.  She has these big baby blues that could make her seem cute, but doesn’t.  Moreover, it’s the knowing look in her eye that gets me.  She conveys so much more than I expect.  Sorry.  This is a rather incoherent post on this; it’s a little difficult to articulate why I like her quite so much.  Perhaps it’s a visceral thing.

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Gertrud Hegelund by Andreas Öhlund

Credit: Fashion Gone Rogue

Gertrud Hegelund by Andreas Öhlund for Cover February 2011

I want to lop off my hair right this instant.  Before I saw the shots of her blunt bob, I was ready to write off Gertrud as the standard girl next door model (fits the mode, but isn’t a particularly interesting model).  With her hair cut, she suddenly became so much more interesting.  Perhaps because the current trend of romantic long seventies hair has been boring me.  That look is certainly pretty, but boring.  Or perhaps she just feels more charismatic with shorter hair.  In any case, I like the easiness of this editorial.  I didn’t love all the looks, but I do like the overall feel to the editorial.  Not to mention, that bob isn’t too put together; razor-straight would have been too perfect.  Getrud just displays easy chic hair.  Put together without being too contrived.  And sometimes, it’s about having a good hair day to put one in an excellent frame of mind.

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Dazed & Confused Korea February 2011 Cover

Credit: Smile

Iekeliene Strange by Alexander Neumann for Dazed & Confused Korea February 2011 Cover

Why hello there Rag & Bone bondage bra.  Oh and Iekeliene, I love the nose stud.

Aymeline Valade by Craig McDean

Credit: Fashion Gone Rogue

Aymeline Valade by Craig McDean for Interview February 2011

Oh so sorry but this must be done: *points while flailing* shoes shoes shoes shoes would you just look at those shoes?!?!!?!?  I cannot possibly love Balenciaga more than I do right now.  Thank you Nicolas Ghesquiere for giving me something I never even knew that I needed in my life. *_*

Now onto the rather calmer response.  I don’t care much for the chaotic styling and haphazard color scheme, but I do appreciate the sentiment.  Aymeline does emit a cool that’s needed to pull off the punk-themed aesthetic, but this editorial still feels a little one dimensional.  What made Balenciaga and Proenza Schouler so fucking epic for Spring 2011 was the duality that each collection had.  This presents all punk and barely any chic.  I guess I’m judging this a little harshly.  I always expect a lot from Interview Magazine.  With the precedent that it had set (thanks for that Bob Colacello), I should be expecting a lot.  I want it to thrill me and amaze me.  And while the pieces separately thrill me, I already fell in love with those during the collections.  I just wish this would give me something new to fall in love with as well.

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Cesare Paciotti Spring 2011 Campaign

Credit: Fashion Gone Rogue

Anna Jagodzinska by Mariano Vivanco for Cesare Paciotti Spring 2011 Campaign

Anna Jagodzinska is a goddess.  She so ably presents sensuality with a dose of regal bearing, depicting feminine charm with attractive confidence.  Oh…and she’s effing gorgeous.  The end.

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Just Like Sisters

Credit: Fashion Gone Rogue

Bambi Northwood-Blyth, Lisanne de Jong, Hannah Holman, Abbey & Meag by Benny Horne for Russh #38, Just Like Sisters

For a second there I thought that Bambi was Crystal Renn.  She truly does resemble her in shot 8.  In any case, I really like how Benny Horne decided to showcase these young models.  The shots are beautifully cast, perfectly age-relevant, and romantically set.  I’ve always appreciated his aesthetic–he captured Tati Coliar beautifully in “Ce Matin La“–but he’s most certainly growing as a photographer.  I love the glimpses of familial intimacy between the girls (even they aren’t related in any way) that he depicts.  They hardly feel contrived at all.  And he intersperses just enough black and white shots to hook me.  Not to mention, Bambi really shines in this piece (I knew that girl was special when Zanita Whittingon had captured her in “Desert Fox”); my focus is drawn to her each and every time.

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