Modeling Journey

W Magazine remodels the seventies with its March 2011 editorial lensed by Inez Van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin. Styled by Alex White, the editorial features a who's who cast of modelling talent including Karolina Kurkova, Adriana Lima, Raquel Zimmerman, Anja Rubik, Hind Sahli, Anna de Rijk, Tasha Tilberg, Crystal Renn, Izabel Goulart, Delfine Bafort and Karlie Kloss, decked out in 70's revivalist fashion by Diane Von Furstenberg, Dolce Gabbana, Chloé, Jean Paul Gaulthier and Roberto Cavalli. It's wonderful to see a mix of newcomers, established names and veteran models like Tilberg and Bafort bringing an element of surprise to this 70's glam-inspired editorial.

During a recent trip to New York, I almost put my back out lugging home hand luggage brimming full of fashion magazines and coffee table books. One of the books that I picked up along the way was Roberto Cavalli's book celebrating his 40th year in fashion. The book photographed by Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott features 84 decadent images of some of modelling's biggest names including Cindy Crawford, Kate Moss, Gisele Bundchen, Karolina Kurkova, Carolyn Murphy, Angela Lindvall, Heidi Klum, Maria Carla Boscono, Natasha Poly, Joan Smalls, Liu Wen, Lara Stone and Daria Werbowry. The retrospective of classic, rich Cavalli signature looks get the midas touch by stylist Marie-Amelie Sauve with art direction by Fabien Baron. In his foreword, Cavalli sums up the book's motif, "It is a journey into my world, and my way of seeing women. Women, for me, are undisputedly the focus of beauty and sensuality."

I have every edition of American Vogue dating back to Anna Wintour's premiere issue as Editor-in-chief in November 1988. I fondly recall spending a large part of my adolescence pouring over the pages of American Vogue, searching for the names of the models, make up artists, stylists and photographers. The late Eighties and Nineties were a magical period. Each month I would hunt down the latest issue of American Vogue at news stands all over my hometown in Sydney Australia, anxiously anticipating who would be that month's cover model. 

An appearance on the cover of American Vogue was and still is, the very highest accolade that a model can achieve throughout her modelling career. It was during this period that photographers such as Arthur Elgort, Peter Lindbergh, Patrick Demarchelier, Herb Ritts and Steven Meisel collaborated with a select group of young women including Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell, Tatjana Patitz and Linda Evangelista. Many of the images that would appear on the cover and within the pages of American Vogue are now iconic and at the time set a new standard for fashion photography.

With the advent of the internet and the cult of celebrity, models now seldom appear on the cover of American Vogue. Models have since been replaced by actresses as cover subjects and unfortunately the covers of US Vogue have become banal and predictable, with an endless stream of covers featuring the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Aniston and Nicole Kidman. I miss the spontaneity, grace and astounding beauty that models bring to the fore as cover subjects and now find myself pouring over newsstands in Berlin where I now reside, searching for the latest edition of Paris Vogue and Vogue Italia. Below is a selection of my all-time favourite American Vogue covers.

Danish newcomer Josephine Skriver has had a Fall/Winter 2011 season that can only be described as impeccable. Seventeen year old Skriver captured the attention of casting director Russell Marsh at the pre-show castings and consequently walked in only the most prestigious of shows  including Calvin Klein, Prada, Gucci, Preen, Carlos Miele, Phillip Lim, Ruffian, Dolce & Gabbana, Emilio Pucci, Salvatore Ferragamo, Sportmax, Etro and Just Cavalli. Represented by Marilyn Model Management in New York, Skriver stands at 177 cm in height and has cobalt blue eyes, flawless skin and a pillowy pout. Skriver is one of the most exciting modelling prospects that I have seen in recent times. Blessed with angelic features, Skriver has the kind of natural, healthy looks and glow that the industry has been yearning for. When I look at Skriver, I get the same feeling that I got when I first laid eyes on Natalia Vodianova, Karolina Kurkova and Liya Kebede. Mark my word, this girl is going to be Major!