Fashionation - Hot Editorials From The World's Best Fashion Magazines!

Set against an industrial looking landscape amongst yellow bobcats and dump trunks, this shoot by Italian Elle is cleverly titled “Lavori in Corsi” which translates to “Works in Progress”. 

The look is sculptural, body conscious and features unexpected high shine details. The waist is highlighted with belts or in clothing shape to create a strong warrior silhouette. 

Allowing the shapes of the styling to take focus, the colours are demure in asphalt grey, smudged black, post war ration brown and putty. 

Photographer Alexei Hay has found a great muse in Barbara Garcia. Her angular features compliment the style of shoot perfectly, creating a striking, strong presence rather than playing up her beauty. 

The hair styling team of Tony Chavez and Trucco Yumi have created a severe bonnet headpiece that spurts forth a long black ponytail whip like in its shape. - Kate Vandermeer

Although referenced widely amongst the fashion industry, David Bowie is most iconic for walking the tightrope between masculine and feminine styling. 

This shoot by Wonderland, titled “Falling Angel” takes inspiration from Bowie’s hairstyles, power shoulders and accentuated waistlines. 

Photographer Simon Thistleton has shot entirely in black and white capturing a solemn but strong presence from model Ryan Thomas whose cheekbones bear a striking resemblance to Bowie. Fashion editor Grace Cobb has accessorised the black leather waisted jackets, matador style waistcoats and tuxedos with high shine patent corset style belts, dazzling brooches and black leather gloves. - Kate Vandermeer

Form and the ever curious study of form is what inspire many designers to continue creating and evolving. 

The way different textures will help build shapes and indeed the desire to generate practical fashion pieces are ever stimulating. 

This shoot titled “Endless nights” studies fashions evolving form in monochromatic black allowing the emphasis and focal point to rest solely on the silhouettes. 

Whether it’s a funnel neck coat, post war style shift or 70’s style polo neck full skirted dress, form can be interpreted in many ways as shown by photographer Beau Grealy. - Kate Vandermeer

When I was little, this budding fashionista loved her paper dolls with an almost unhealthy obsession! There was something about the ability to change the look of the dolls by simply replacing her accessories and dress at the mere fold of the paper outline that brought out the inner stylist in me!

UK Vogue have recreated this retro, doll-playing innocence in their “Dolly Mixture” story created by fashions own dream team – photographer, Mario Testino and stylist, Lucinda Chambers. 

The fashion silhouettes are box like and stiff in texture with larger than life buttons and exaggerated cape sleeves all offset with bold pop coloured accessories. 

With a comic strip backdrop of playful toys and dolls, model Anna Selezneva manages to strike the correct stiff mannequin poses of the 2D paper dolls in an uncanny resemblance.  And, just when you feared it might become too predictable, make-up artist, Linda Cantello provides tongue in cheek panda eyes.   -  Kate Vandermeer

Like a black widow in a Tim Burton film, this shoot for Elle UK titled “Edge of Darkness” is a study in the macabre and sombre mood that this winters fashion is taking. Fashion can be mere decoration but is often a reaction to the world around us and the social, political and popular culture trends that infiltrate our lives. 

We live in a time of uncertainty, recession, terrorism and violence and the darkness of this has been reflected in this serious, solemn shoot. In a stark, barren countryside the mood is bleak, the sky is ominous, the make-up witchlike and the fashion is in mourning. Black lace dresses are severe and constricting and not at all sexy.

 Mohair long coats whistle in the wind as is birds are attacking, warrior inspired shifts are heavy and ready for battle and fishtail neck to floor dresses are worn with melancholy. The veil accompanies each shot as if grieving for a time where purity reigned supreme. - Kate Vandermeer

As the autumnal leaves drop and the mornings become crisper, we struggle to protect ourselves from the impending cold and yet still desire to hold onto the fluidity of summer dresses. At last an answer provided by Harpers Bazaar with this shoot. Coats have often being described as “Cocoon-like” and this series of images captured by Solve Sundsbo exemplify this mood brilliantly. 

Take your summery pastel wisps of chiffon dresses and wrap them up in the warmth of a sculptural coat. Steer away from dark, drab colours (plenty of time for that when winter hits!) and ease your way into autumn by keeping the colour palette soft, light and complimentary in shades of butter, cream, mustard, icy blue and powdery pink. - Kate Vandermeer

Street Style - Vote For The Best Look
05 August 2008

Berlin

Milan - The Sartorialist

Each era in fashion has its iconic looks that immediately conjour up a sense of "I remember that time, that look and how fresh that was in fashion at the time!" For me, the 80's epitomised a new face in fashion. Women in control, power shoulder pads and severe wet look hairstyles (eg. Robert Palmers Simply Irresistible film clip) This shoot by Anthony Maule for Interview magazine titled "Paris Nights" is like a blend of Blade Runner and YSL's chic parisienne twist on masculine fashion for women from the 80's. The styling by Karl Templer is perfection- satin jumpsuits, wide elastic belts, chunky costume jewellery, pillbox hats, blood red leather gloves and transparent tribal print jackets are all offset by the fabulous cheekbone accentuating make up from Diane Kendal. - Kate Vandermeer

As the Olympics draw closer, we will soon be overwhelmed with cheesy references to all things sporty which is why we are so surprisingly impressed with the "Fashion Olympics" theme for Harpers Bazaar magazine.

With a tongue in cheek approach, this shoot is irreverent, entertaining and yet undeniably stylish and chic in its execution. Perhaps the combination of talent between Liu, Zoe and Lindbergh is the reason for this shoot being nothing short of memorable instead of cringe worthy!  Liu lifts designer handbags instead of weights, walks the bar in couture complete with pink stiletto's and collects her medal (designer jewellery) and the Chinese and American flags with dignity and patriotism.  

So, sit back and begin cheering for the "Fashion Olympics" where we compete for most Stylish Bohemian, Queen of Couture and Conqueror of Accessories coming to a catwalk near you! -  Kate Vandermeer

The ability to capture a personality on film is no easy task. Few photographers are able to delve that bit deeper with their model and convey the theme of the shoot as well as the model's unique attributes.  Photographer Yu Tsai (based in New York and LA) is one such photographer. 

His celebrity profiles for magazines like Arena, Harpers Bazaar and Flaunt,  portray a refreshingly new perspective of each star. There is something tangible, raw and honest about these shoots that strips away the celebrity status and makes the voyeur relate in an appreciative manner. 

Working with the new breed of celebrity that favour a slightly anti-Hollywood lifestyle, Tsai has managed to shoot Sienna Miller, Bijou Phillips, Cat Deely, Topher Grace, Ewan McGregor and Ryan Gosling to name a few. It seems the creative pursuit of portraying movement as well as still photography are equally as successful for Tsai. 

He cut his teeth at the Art Centre College of Design in Pasadena which is where he discovered his passion for pursuing a creative concept to reality. He also directs commercials and films alongside his advertising work with Avon, Samsung, Puma and Neiman Marcus and can switch between black and white high octane fashion with Chanel's Paris Collections and colour saturated old style glamour with Guess. - Kate Vandermeer