Cosmo May 2012, "The Sex Issue"...as compared to every other month?

Though both parties refused to offer up any more info on the project, the mag’s fashion director Michelle McCool was spotted at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport on her way to Penney’s Plano, Texas HQ where she and other Cosmo-nauts are overseeing the design of the line.

Also reportedly in the works, TV content highlighting the Cosmo-Penney collaboration for Hearst‘s new “Hello Style” YouTube channel. [WWD]

Cosmo May 2012, "The Sex Issue"...as compared to every other month?

The channel is part of YouTube’s $100 million initiative to produce higher quality content in conjunction with other media companies in an effort to attract bigger and better advertisers who might not be so enamored with videos of dogs doing the darnest things and tweens sincerely singing Adele off-key into their computer screens .

YouTube provided Hearst with $10 million to start-up the channel, but the publisher will determine the content, which will be more plot-oriented than past online media and inspired by its magazine’s print features. So you can look forward to (?) video versions of Cosmo‘s “Sexy vs. Skanky” and Marie Claire‘s “Big Girl in a Skinny World.”

Seriously. Hello BadIdea.

Hearst is also launching a Car and Driver channel on May 1 to appeal to its man magazine demographic that will feature a mix of service and reality shows such as Driver Rehab and Battle of the Beaters. The latter, to my chagrin, is not about the joys of self-service but about two auto body shops competing to fix up old cars.

Why they didn’t call it Jalopy Seconds I’ll never know. [AdWeek]

- What’s American for “Ooh la la”? Vogue Paris may now be available in English following a mysterious tweet by the mag earlier today. [The Cut]

- Fierce Lady of the United States/renowned HBIC Michelle ”Guns” Obama covers the May issue of Ebony magazine where apparently she addresses the issue of burning in hell following a one night stand. Literally, it’s the FLOTUS, show some respect and save that smut for Cosmo. [Styleite]

- Clearly bored and seeking a completely irreverent challenge, Karl Lagerfeld will soon be designing helicopters. But  not just any helicopters, VIP helicopters. It’s not known whether they will be large enough for a full-scale fashion show. [WWD]

- PETA didn’t take too kindly to Kanye West‘s suggestion that someone tell them his “mink is draggin’ on the floor” in his new song “Theraflu” and responded by hitting him below his costumey caveman belt. [Elle]

- Kim Kardashian, however, is “lovin’” the song and apparently Kanye as well. [TMZ]

- Barbie‘s running for President…although she looks more like Jackie O.‘s lesser known slutty sister Candy O. [Refinery29]

Tell us your most SCANDALOUS Spring Break Story. Like Vegas, what happens on Spring Break stays on Spring Break, so instead of commenting, email your story to Contest@FashionIndie.com. We’ll post the wildest, raunchiest, drunkest stories anonymously (unless otherwise noted. Fame whore? Sure, we’ll link to your blog.) TEN WINNERS will get hooked you with some some of Victoria’s Secret’s best secrets.

Ready, set, GO!! You have seven minutes!!!!! Kidding, contest ends Monday 3/26 5PM sharp.

Now…

Here’s how the blogger competition went down:

I was escorted inside Victoria’s Secret headquarters to a VS PINK Style Off. Pitted against other top bloggers and online fashion editors, we entered a room, across from their very own Starbucks, that looked like a beach. With glass jars of candy and hot man serving popcorn and mocktails (you can imagine the disappointment). Victoria’s Secret Angel Elsa Hosk was there (gorgeously, naturally) to officiate the ceremony. A PINK bagful of spring break essentials for 10 of our readers, and one giant shopping spree for the winning blogger was at stake. Your spring break was on the line! I knew I had to win it for you, and for me, and for you. Well, the results are in, AND I WON!!! That means 10 of you are getting tricked out for Spring Break!!

It got all Hunger Games real quick: there was a cornucopia of bathing suits and accessories in the middle, and at an angelic, “Ready, Set, GO!” from Elsa, we had seven minutes to complete our task. I dashed forward, battling off girls from Cosmopolitan, Nylon, InStyle, Racked, StyleCaster, Hollywood Life and Modelinia (who turned out to be my staunchest competitor) and a dozen others, and fastidiously picked my look.

I grabbed the multicolor leopard top to offset the bright purple bottoms. Key wrap bracelets, a necklace, and a red ring embossed “Bad Girls” made it back with me. We each had a rack of signature PINK shorts, sweats, cropped tees and tanks to work from. In a Katniss-Rue moment of diplomacy, I made a trade with the People editor: the blue sweatshirt on my rack for the orange jean shorts on hers (who wears a sweater on Spring Break? C’mon People). With bikini, shorts and jewelry in place, I stuffed a bag with the essentials; a towel, snorkeling gear, a frisbee, a water bottle, and strapped a bra and panty to it for later. It’s in the details, kids. With a camera and headphones, she was ready for the beach. Just one question remained: “Where is the party?” Luckily, there was a neon pink shirt that asked that very question. I slung it over her shoulder, so the hotties on the beach would oblige.

582 Facebook Likes and a panel of official VS PINK judges later, I WON! Now get to winning yourself!

To get your brain jogging on those Spring Break memories (it’s likely just a cloud of margarita salt at this point), peruse the competition. See what I was up against.

But first, the look of an Angel:

After the competition cooled, the angelic Elsa Hosk took to styling her own spring break dream ensemble. It's a nice ombre, a warm purple at the bottom, easing it's way like a strawberry daiquiri up a crazy straw, umbrella included. To protect the fair skin, of course.

Juliette and Vivian

Dana Prigge

Kathleen Hou

Virginia Sena, Editor-in-Chief

Julee Wilson

Liz Doupnik, Fashion Editor at

Katrina Mitzeliotis

Kerry Folan

Lauren Levinson

Liza

PJ Gach and April Hussar

Randy Miller

Noelle Chenab, Fashion Editor

Renee Lucas

Naima Turner

Carolyn

Ariana Finlayson

Pamela

Jessica Lapidos, Fashion Editor at

- Our latest Tumblr obsession has Kate Middleton -  rather Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge because we’re not heathens — generally owning the world and not giving an eff about it.  [Kate Middleton for the Win]

- Lady Gaga advocates buying designer knock-offs. Fashion industry…probably not amused. [Mirror]

- Naked plus-sized models continue to cause “controversy.” I think people just can’t handle a big lady turning it out. [Styleite]

- Marc Jacobs‘ new ad features a male model on safari, but his big game are pants, a T-shirt and a pair of MJ sunglasses. But he’s shirtless for the majority of it, so whatevs. [Fashionista]

- Stars reveal their red carpet routines now that awards season is in full swing. Some, however, take it more seriously than others. [Us]

- Cosmo decided to class it up for advertisers and took out the vagina reference on its February cover, featuring 17-year-old Dakota Fanning. It’s called having standards, kids. [Observer]

- Speaking of class, Urban Outfitters’ CEO left for David Yurman. Way to step it up, Senk. [The Cut]

Photos: Homotrophy, Homorazzi, Homotography (sense a theme?) and YVY Mag

And as a special treat, here’s some behind-the-scenes action from the “Dieux du Stade” and German Cosmo calendar shoots.

Found Animals 2012 Calendar: 6 Packs, 9 Lives

Hot and precious

David Beckham, tubby or not, still gives good calendar

And looks damn good in spectacles.

The original hot rugby player calendar, "Dieux de Stade."

The world caught on that rugby players were extremely hot, though, and launched several others, including "Footy Ink" featuring sexy Australian rugby man candy

One of "Rugby's Finest"

What would this selection be without the requisite hot fireman calendar?

The men of Cosmopolitan Germany's 2012 calendar

A few Brazilian bombshells from ParouTudo

Even The A-List's Rodiney Santiago has a calendar, shot by fellow lister, Mike Ruiz

But the best calendar, perhaps of all time, has to belong to the Swiss Farmers

I mean, how can you go wrong with shirtless dudes and cattle?

And I'm not even sure what's going on with this blade, but I'm already on board.

- Breathable caffeine. It’s a real thing. Though for my money, there’s a much more effective, albeit illegal, way of snorting your way to a quick pick-me-up. [Nylon]

- Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin, 69, wants to put those pregnancy rumors to rest! She may be getting married to “forever fiend” Willie Wilkerson this summer, but there’s no royal bun in that majestic oven. The Queen is reportedly considering Donna Karan, Valentino and Vera Wang to do the dressing honors. [People]

- “How you Zoe-in’?” After sending The Baby Skyler an Hermès tower of toys, Brad Goreski told Wendy Williams he never received a thank you note from former boss/current rival Rachel Zoe. [Jezebel]

- Ad Age didn’t think Rihanna‘s Armani ad was the sexiest of the year, though apparently everyone else thought they thought it was. [Ad Age]

- Remember that whole Marc Jacobs sexual discrimination case? Yeah, I don’t care either, but seems like it’s been settled out of court, “to the satisfaction of both parties.” [Vogue UK]

- Cosmopolitan is oversexed, Glamour’s definitely hiding something, and Vogue is surprisingly romantic. The buzzwords magazines used most on their covers for 2011 painted a telling portrait. [Fashionista]

Link Love: WWD

Winner: Sarah Jessica Parker Her January Elle, August Vogue, and September Marie Claire covers are the 2nd or 3rd bestsellers of each mag this year.

Loser: Justin Bieber His Vanity Fair cover is the lowest selling issue since Graydon Carter took over in 1992. Rolling Stone, Teen Vogue and People similarly bombed.

Winner: Lady Gaga Mother Monster's Vogue cover was Anna Wintour's second best-selling issue, while her March Harper's Bazaar is Glenda Bailey's third top performer.

Loser: Lady Gaga However, no one wants to see a pared-down, bare-faced Gaga and the October issue of Bazaar is its third worst performer.

Winner: Mila Kunis A breakout year for the actress delivered GQ's biggest-selling issue from August and a 15% increase for a struggling W with her March cover. A turn on Cosmopolitan and a shared cover with Justin Timberlake on Elle in August also proved to be hits.

Loser: Justin Timberlake JT's cover with Mila might have been a hit for Elle, but his W cover with Amanda Seyfried was the mag's 2nd worst seller, while his solo cover for Esquire in October was its worst seller of the year.

Winner: Jennifer Aniston Alleged sexiest woman of all time, Aniston was also Marie Claire's top seller of the year and her November Elle is on track to be one of its biggest hits.

Loser: Michelle Williams The My Week with Marilyn star's Vogue cover and her Marie Claire cover were each mag's second and third worst-performing covers, respectively.

Winner: Kim Kardashian Kim delivered Glamour's bestseller of the year with her February cover, but a lot happened between then and now...

Loser: The Kardashians While Kim's Harper's Bazaar, Self and Lucky covers were mild hits, the January 2012 issue of Glamour featuring sisters Khloe and Kourtney is on track to bomb Bieber-style.

The burning questions you hear when walking past the magazines in a bookstore, drug store or bodega. The thoughts that come to mind when you page through the glossy, celebrity-filled pages of Cosmopolitan, Shape, GQ or Glamour. The answers come in the form of digital plastic surgery. In addition to the dietitians, trainers, stylists, hair and makeup teams and radical pressure to uphold the skewed and artificial American standard of beauty, behind every celebrity is a talented and seasoned retoucher. With the help of Photoshop, faces are contoured, cleavage is shadowed, fat is sucked away and muscles are defined with the strategic use of a few very powerful digital tools. Read more…

Exasperated by these repeated questions and the strange, modern-day beauty ideals in our country, five FashionIndie editors went under the Photoshop knife. That’s to say, we were pinned, tucked, pulled, chopped and airbrushed by the very talented photographer Christopher Hall to show you that, with the right team, anyone can be on the cover of an American magazine.

We decided to duplicate the poses of contestants on an America’s Next Top Model poster. As you scroll down, you will see the FashionIndie editors – Samantha Lim, Jessica Lapidos, McArthur Joseph, Lester Brathwaite and me, Amanda Gabriele – before and after the edits. The BEFORE images have the original backgrounds, the AFTER photos were pasted onto plain white. It can be difficult to see the changes without examining the large versions of the photos, so we encourage you to click on each one and check out the work we had done. Watch us transform before your eyes.

Now we are America’s next top models.

What is the moral of this story? No one is perfect, everything you see on magazine covers is fake and it’s easy to look “perfect” when you have Photoshop as a crutch. If you have any questions about these photos or post, tweet at me @CrystlMeatballs.

Fab photos and retouching by Christopher Hall Photography.

Regardless of the fact that the Wintour’s Bone is more or less alive, I’m almost always disappointed with every American Vogue cover…the last exception being Natalie Portman‘s stunner three issues and an unexpected baby ago. However, the editorials are usually better since they don’t have to sell the entire magazine.

This shoot was photographed by the legendary Annie Leibovitz who, let’s be honest, has been treading water for the past 10-15 years. Once prolific, her work comes off stale or a bit cartoonish nowadays and Rihanna’s resemblance to Jessica Rabbit certainly doesn’t help matters.

Sure, Rihanna’s a beautiful girl, but instead of playing up that beauty her face is obscured in nearly every picture; by her hair on the cover, or by her head being tilted back, or by that terrible maroon shag wig someone clearly needs to get fired for.

Simply put, this spread could have been a lot better, especially when Rihanna gives fairly good editorial. This is Vogue, for Coddington‘s sakes. The arbiter of all that is good and stylish and unattainable. And these photos don’t even belong in Marie Claire….

This is tiptoeing dangerously into Cosmo territory.

Photos: Fashion Bomb Daily

Express and Cosmopolitan have joined forces for the sexiest shopping event of the season. In celebration of Cosmopolitan’s November issue (on newsstands Tuesday, October 12) featuring the hottest bachelors from across the country, this year’s sizzling selection of single guys will gather in New York City at Express for an afternoon of fun, fashion and of course flirtation.

Express welcomes all 51 steamy Cosmopolitan bachelor contestants to shop the store for the hottest date night looks.  Cosmopolitanfashion editor will guide the gorgeous guys through the season’s key styles and trends. From laid-back looks to night-out style Express has everything guys need for a lasting impression.

WHO: EXPRESS

WHAT: Sexy, Single Shopping

WHERE: Express

7 West 34^th Street

New York, NY 10001

212.629.6838

WHEN:  October 12, 2010, 1:30-2:30PM

It’s funny to see what’s allowed in Cosmopolitan magazine in other countries. Here we’ve got Brian Shimansky and Eva Padberg getting dirty with jockstraps, plastic wrap and wheel chairs.

LINK LOVE:Anne-Marie weekly Recap, filled with celebrities and important people

Become a FashionIndie.com contributor. Subscribe to Envy.

LINK LOVE:Britney Spears Says She Doesn’t Want Her Sons In The Entertainment Business

Become a FashionIndie.com contributor. Subscribe to Envy.

When I get together with my girlfriends I dish on bad boyfriends and work drama. When the girls behind jewelry line Jullaria get together they create stunning bracelets that grace the wrists of celebrities and the shelves of Bergdorf Goodman. A collection of highly covetable jewelry, earrings and necklaces, Jullaria can now be yours at 20% off when you enter code “SPRINGFEVER” at Jullaria.com.

Created over a bottle of wine, Jullaria is a collection of versatile jewelry where wristlets double as neckwear, bracelets as belts.  A perfect mix of free-spirited refinement, Jullaria is a little dose of accessible luxury for women looking for charming elements of leather, colored stones and gold.

Featured in Seventeen and Cosmopolitan, Jullaria is quickly gaining a following amongst the classiest clientele of Bergdorf Goodman and the regular media bad girls like Aubrey O’Day, who is often seen rocking some of Jullaria’s most treasured pieces. With pieces starting at $35 there’s no reason why every girl shouldn’t have a piece from this fresh collection.

Be sure to head to Jullaria.com and pick up your very own piece. You can also follow the girls on Twitter and Facebook.

Don’t you wish you were in the middle of this male model sandwich? We partnered up with Nigel Barker and the Make-A-Wish foundation to grant wishes to two girls who wanted to be models for a day. We brought them gift bags filled all kinds of swag and of course some of our male models. MEOW!

Check out the write up on Teen Vogue.

At another studio across town, Indira Cesarine shot Dominique and Olga for Cosmopolitan. I am so jealous because Sally Hershberger did their hair. With summer coming up my hair is turning into a frizz ball and I need some serious help. I think I’ll just call up my friends at Mark Garrison and get a clear gloss. Raquel does my hair and she is da shiz.

Heidi Klum wears Emanuel Ungaro on the cover of Cosmopolitan magazine’s May 2010 issue! Click through for quotes.

On her love for dressing up with hubby Seal: “I’m not big on costumes in bed, to be honest. I wouldn’t say no if he wanted to try, but it seems so inorganic. Maybe it’ll come later – in 5 or 10 years, I’ll start buying funny outfits. But for now, we’re nice and spicy in that department.”

On moving to New York to work as a model: “I could not get a job to save my life. I was in a s—-y apartment, I didn’t know anybody, and my English was terrible. But it was my last stop, so I thought if I just try harder – if I just stick around a little longer. I didn’t want to go home having failed.”

For more from Heidi, check out Cosmopolitan.com!

Chatting with fellow bloggers, designer, and readers, I have realized a reoccurring theme. Many of us curvy women are frustrated, have hit a wall, or are tired of what fashion has to offer us. Now, this still remains true to an extent, but is and has been improving.

LINK LOVE:The Re-Education of the Curvy Fashionista

CONTRIBUTE YOUR OWN STORY: JOIN ENVY

Cosmopolitan’s circulation was down 7.8% in the first half of 2009. The NY Times blames the recession and the decreased frequency of impulse buys. But AdWeek thinks ladymags are becoming more irrelevant with the growing number of Web sites, blogs (cough, cough) and TV programs offering life and style advice. I’m just glad that someone finally said “we don’t need another ‘how to touch his junk’ story.” What do you all think?

Via: Jezebel

Thanks Jezebel! 

Sonny Vandevelde is a European-born, Sydney-raised photographer. Fed up with the unimaginative “tunnel vision” of his photography instructors, he dropped out of college and learned his craft his own way. His father did lighting on film sets, so Vandevelde picked up equipment and technical knowledge from working with him.

Vandevelde started in sports photography for Australian magazines and moved onto catalog work for Quiksilver. From his personal photography of friends, he got into documenting local night life and learning about the fashion world. At this point he’s more of a Cobrasnake than a Leibowitz, focusing more on the personality of the models and subjects than the technicalities and traditions of his work. In much of his backstage work, models are smiling!

A “lifestyle-fashion photographer,” Vandevelde describes his work as “colorful…energetic…vibrant”

Vandevelde’s portfolio includes campaigns for Lucky Brand Jeans, Lee Jeans, Billabong, and Tommy Hilfiger, and his work has also appeared in Pulp, Link, Hint, Cosmopolitan, and other publications. His signature is documenting the backstage at runway shows and speaking out against formulaic magazines whose editorials don’t let the personalities of the models shine through.

Interview with Vandevelde here.

US Harper’s Bazaar August 2008 : Jessica Biel by Peter Lindbergh

Allure August 2008 : Victoria Beckham by Michael Thompson

US Elle August 2008 : Mariah Carey

US InStyle August 2008 : by Robert Erdmann

Lucky August 2008 : Leighton Meester

US Marie Claire August 2008 : Maggie Gyllenhaal

US Glamour August 2008 : Christina Aguilera

Interview August 2008 : Eva Mendes by Mikael Jansson

US Cosmopolitan August 2008 : Scarlett Johansson

Vanity Fair August 2008 : Hollywood’s Next Wave by Mark Seliger

Vogue China August 2008 : Maggie Cheung by Mario Sorrenti

i-D August 2008 : Naomi Campbell & Stefano Pilati by Inez & Vinoodh