Modeling Journey

Pirelli enlists the remarkable artistic talents of Karl Lagerfeld and a cast of 21 models for it's Mythology themed 2011 calendar. The calendar features Lara Stone, Bianca Balti, Natasha Poly, Lakshmi Menon, Isabeli Fontana, Anja Kneller, Abbey Lee Kershaw, Freja Beha Erichsen, Elisa Sedanoui, Jeneil Williams, Iris Strubegger, Magdalena Frackowiak, Erin Wasson Daria Werbowry, Heidi Mount, Brad Kroenig, Garett Neff, Baptiste Giabiconi, Sebastian Jondeau, Brad Davies and actress Julianne Moore, each posing as different ancient Greek and Roman deities in varying states of undress. 

At the press conference for the unveiling of the calendar, Lagerfeld surmises "I wanted to do something different. I looked at all the other calendars," he said, adding that his had a message "of timeless beauty and youth." The 36 photos selected for the calendar, depict 24 different subjects, including gods, heroes and myths. Lagerfeld's series of black and white images take on a distinctly artistic slant with an emphasis on sculpture and form. Lagerfeld creates a luminous three dimensional quality to the images by contrasting stark backgrounds with light carefully positioned on the model's bodies. The resulting images are insanely beautiful and a welcome departure from the salacious pin-up style nudity of previous years.

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 love this editorial shot by Inez Van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin for V magazine's issue no. 48. The editorial, centred around the theme of before and after shots, features a cast of thirty models in their natural state and then with complete makeup, hair and styling. The juxtaposition between the before and after shots is startling and in most cases, I prefer the models pre-makeup and hair. Out of the thirty  beauties, Christy Turlington, Shalom Harlow, Lara Stone, Daria Werbowry, Raquel Zimmerman, Isabeli Fontana, Natasha Poly, Malgosia Bela and Natasa Vojnovic made my final cut.

Photographer Hans Feurer captures the astonishing beauty of two of the current generation's most relevant beauties Jourdan Dunn and Natasha Poly for the August issue of Paris Vogue. Make-up artist Lloyd Simmonds and stylist Marie Chaix transform the modern day beauties into otherworldly creatures through the use of plumes, fur and exotic flora and fauna. The vibrant mascara colours, glossy lip application and immaculate styling are accentuated by the early morning light and remind me of the Paris Vogue editorials pre-Carine Roitfeld. It is especially wonderful to observe Dunn and Poly looking as divine as ever, especially with the modelling industry's attitude towards dispensable beauty.

Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott go for maximum exposure, shooting Fall/Winter campaigns for Roberto Cavalli, Versace and Dsquared2. Maria Carla Boscono, Natasha Poly and Karen Elson team up for the photographic duo in Roberto Cavalli's lush autumnal themed campaign. The trio of enchantresses cast a spell amidst a lush setting of fuschia pink flora and golden brown foliage. Versace's bold campaign features Saskia de Brauw and Sean O'Pry against a desert landscape with ominous dark clouds swirling on the horizon. Newcomers Emily Baker, Saskia de Brauw, Bo Develius and  Francisco Lachowski have gone back to the ranch for DSquared colonial inspired campaign. Stylist Katie Grand combines leather, denim, sequins, swarovski crystals, fur and bow ties, to bring new meaning to the term colonial chic.