I first became aware of Emmanuelle Alt back in the early 90′s when she headed up Fashion in the forward thinking and very creative magazine “20 Ans” in France, meaning 20 Years Old.  I was struck by her avant garde approach to her styling and her eclectic choices of designers used in her editorials.  She took this rather tame magazine and turned it in to one of the most desirable magazines to be seen in and that applied to France and Europe! If you were in 20Ans you were IN. It was Young, Chic and Rebellious.

As a result of her uncanny capacity as a “Styling Chef” to put together an incredible menu of delicious eye candy that was often more suited for the pages of magazines like Numero, which had not yet come out or Italian VOGUE, it was obvious to me from the onset, that Emmanuelle Alt was destined to become an icon in the fashion industry.

Not to get in to a lengthy diatribe regarding her bio, from 20Ans, she moved on to Mixte Magazine and from there we all know that she went on to become the Fashion Director of VOGUE Paris.

I am giving you this short but sweet synopsis of her journey for one very important reason, her creativity has always been at the forefront of what she has accomplished.  The eyes of the Fashion community have been scrutinizing Emmanuelle very closely and will probably not let up for quite a while.  Why? Because there are many people out there in the world of the arts that love to see people fail.

I find that notion sad at best and pathetic at least.  It is way too early to judge what she is capable of accomplishing at this juncture in time.  Although she was the Fashion Director at VOGUE Paris for over 10 years, she was not at the helm and that is a totally different mind set to employ.

What I can say based on my knowledge of Emmanuelle Alts past and if that is any indication of her future, is that she will cast her die, leave her mark and have a major effect on the fashion industry.  Like Elizabeth (BABETH) Djian a luminary creative fashion engine and the Editor in Chief of NUMERO  Magazine (with whom I had the privilege to work with when she headed up Jill magazine), I am sure that Alt will also be instrumental in setting, rather than following trends in the very near future.

I can totally understand why her initial steps were to tread more lightly than if she had just come in from elsewhere.  What she is doing right now I believe is a very fine balancing act between necessity and her desired direction.  She just needs a bit more time. As she has already stated (and I am embellishing…creative license) her September 2011 Issue, will be her true immersion in to her identity and the direction of the magazine.

Emmanuelle Alt is representative of the hybrid approach taken by many artists in the Creative Business arena.  By hybrid, I wish to imply that for any artist to leave a mark on the body politic of the day, they must know how to strike a perfect balance between pragmatism and child like optimism. She seems to have accomplished this rather daunting task with panache. Emmanuelle Alt is the Modern French woman in all respects.  She is totally at ease with her persona which is refreshingly and naturally confident.

I believe that Emanuele Alt is probably doing some serious creative soul searching and looking both forward and backwards at the same time to find the essence of who she truly is and always will be…an Artist.

From: Benjamin Kanarek Blog

Emmanuelle Alt © Garance Doré

Emmanuelle Alt is writing her own ticket for VOGUE Paris. I was not expecting a fundamental change in the Editorial Direction being that she has been the Fashion Director of the magazine for over ten years and collaborating with Carine Roitfeld. Thus the assumption that there would be little change from the status quo. However, the April 2011 issue of VOGUE Paris gives a clear new direction; bye bye porno chic, provocation, unjustified nudity, welcome softness, lifestyle, casual clothing. Emmanuelle’s approach is more consensual and obviously more commercial, which the fashion customer might find more accessible.

I want to show in French Vogue more and more a lot of clothes … It’s a different point of view, but nobody gave me a mission to change it or make it more commercial. she stressed in her WWD’s interview

Her vision of fashion is also conditioned by the choice of photographer she has decided to collaborate with and thus don’t expect any radical changes in those she has already worked with.

I want to keep the quality, the photographers we work with—David Sims, Mert and Marcus, Mario Testino, and Bruce Weber. I don’t think there should be radical changes. The magazine should still be chic and sophisticated. VOGUE.com interview

There has been one huge surprise however… The Return of Hans Feurer in VOGUE Paris is great news and a welcome change.

Hans Feurer ©DR

Hans Feurer’s style is easily recognizable:

• Outdoor shoots, long lenses, grainy film aspect, blurred background, sharp on the model (bokeh effect), sunrise or sunset light and often with the introduction of back light and flare.

This style was in “VOGUE” in the 70′s and 80′s and has come back in to fashion since certain internet bloggers started to photograph street fashion a few years ago. The styling often associated with his photography is ethnic, tribal in wildly natural spaces. However, he can express himself in a more urban environment as he did recently in French VOGUE with Supermodel Anja Rubik.

Anja Rubik by Hans Feurer for VOGUE Paris - April 2011

Feurer, a highly renowned fashion photographer in the 70s and 80s, is Swiss born and studied photography in London. In the ’60s, he became a photographer for British Vogue, Vogue Paris, US Vogue, Marie Claire, French Elle… He photographed most of the major supermodels from Claudia Schiffer to Laetitia Casta with Yasmeen Ghauri, Christy Turlington… He launched Amber Valletta in French Elle Magazine.

Who do you dream to photograph?

- I had the chance to work with the most beautiful women in the world from Pat Cleveland, Christy Turlington to Stephanie Seymour… Kate Moss is the only one that I haven’t photographed. Excerpt of his interview in the Contributor Section of French VOGUE April 2011.

I would add “so Far”… , but I have the feeling that with his statement in the Contributor Section of the magazine, this omission will be repaired quickly enough.

Some of his archives

In the early 60′s, he was assisted by French Photographer Patrick Demarchelier. Hans Feurer is also renowned for his collaboration with Kenzo for several of their Ad Campaigns in the 70′s and 80′s and was well known for his shooting of lingerie and swimsuits in a beach environment. In 1974, he directed the famous Pirelli Calendar.

Over the past few years Hans Feurer is back on track with magazines the likes of Numéro, I-D and VOGUE China, etc…

I really appreciate the fact that Emmanuelle Alt went for the original “Real Deal” photographer rather than one of the numerous copies amongst the younger fashion photographers emulating his and Eddy Kohli‘s style.

DIM Advertising © Eddy Kohli

Watch more photos from Hans Feurer in VOGUE Paris – April 2011

Here is the video of the 2005 edition of the International Fashion Photography Festival in Cannes, France with interviews of Hans Feurer, Jean-Daniel Lorieux, Benjamin Kanarek, amongst others.

Celebrities and Fashion have always been synonymous. However, today more than ever, fashion magazines are featuring more celebrities than immigrants trying to get into the USA for their Green Card. In many cases these highly regarded magazines are using celebrities more often than Super Models for their covers. There are many reasons for this and in my opinion some of those decisions have more to do with the Politics of Fashion than the notoriety of the Celebrity.

Why is it that some of the Biggy Fashion Mags don’t feature Super Models, but do feature Celebrities from all sectors of the Entertainment Industry?  I believe that it is because they can’t get the Super Models for their magazines. In fact their are very few magazines that can get Super Models and find it a lot easier to get Celebrities to adorn the covers of their ELLE’s, Marie Claire’s etc…

It is true that Celebs sell and can attract a large audience, but when it comes to the giants vying for THAT Top Model, that is where only a few of the Biggies like VOGUE, Harper’s BAZAAR, ELLE and a few other more obscure, but none the less important magazines like Numéro, V and perhaps L’Officiel can get on occasion.

Of course many would argue that the reason that this or that fashion magazine are shooting Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears or Paris Hilton is because they sell magazines. That may be true, but I am quite sure that if all of the major and lesser influential fashion magazines attempted to compete for the creme de la creme of the modelling industry and could only get models and not celebrities, that the King of the heap would surface really quickly. You would see immediately by the standard of the models acquired who really rules the game.

Thus again the reason why Celebs act as a great draw that diverts the attention from the obvious omission from the covers of “Fashion” Magazines of Top Models. Why would a major fashion magazine want to be judged by their peers and the public based on the fact that so and so was on this magazines cover but not on theirs? Celebs are a kind of “Hey we have Paris on our cover wearing Gucci” and not “Hey we could only get so and so and so and so competitor Fashion magazine knows that we could only get so and so because of you know why…”

I am not saying that celebrities should not be on magazine covers. I am saying that a Fashion magazine should be a Fashion Magazine and not a people magazine. Models are part of the Fashion landscape and I am hoping that we can get back to the epoch where fashion magazines did what they did and did it well and leave the people’s magazines to People Magazine.

And lastly, celebrities seem to be more accessible than agents representing those models most of the fashion magazines would love to get on their covers but won’t. They and their PR people understand that the exposure they garner being seen on the cover of Redbook could aid in them getting their next big part in that 2012 blockbuster “Calender’s End”*

So the next time you see the cover of a magazine with a celeb on the cover, you may want to ask yourself, “Did they because they wanted to, or because so and so didn’t want to”.

* (I made that up)

by:Benjamin Kanarek

Big hair, strong eyebrows and a delicious pout: Dafne Cejas has the iconic look of 90s supermodels. Think Cindy, Linda, Naomi, Christy; think George Michael‘s Freedom 90 video.

And like that music video, Kadel and Sulcer perfectly capture the spirit of the 90s. Think glamor, opulence and a love of wind machines.

In love with ENVY

OneStopPlus.com is bringing “the first ever plus-size-only runway show“ to the NY Fashion Week. Part of me is excited about this news but at the same time the plus-only part bugs me though I like the theme which is themed Belle Epoque, the Golden Age plus-size fashion

Before you guys hang my up by my toes for speaking such blasphemy with the segregation of the plus-size during the events and I should just be happy that plus is in the house of an event that has a history of only showcasing size 6 and under models.  In good conscious I have to state my dream for plus-size fashion is for it to disappear into fashion in general and just be a part of the rest of fashion not be shown in the other room for only plus consumers to view.   That is my opinion, without knowing all the facts.  Below is part of the press release, if you want to read the rest read Plus-Size to Make Debut in New York Fashion Week With OneStopPlus.com

OneStopPlus.com, a brand under the Redcats USA umbrella and the premiere online destination for curvy women who demand high style in plus size fashion, will produce the first ever plus-size-only runway show during New York Fall Fashion Week. Set for September 15th, 2010 at The Atrium in Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, famed curvy models will walk the OneStopPlus.com show featuring the latest collections for Spring 2011.

OneStopPlus.com is taking a stand to prove that curvy women are equally as beautiful and as fashionable as their size two counterparts with a plus-size runway show coinciding with the high-fashion shows located at Lincoln Center. The noteworthy event will showcase top trend-driven styles, featured on prominent models such as: Lizzie Miller, and Tocarra Jones, who have been chosen to flaunt their curves down the runway. Emme, the plus-size icon and brand ambassador to OneStopPlus.com, will be hosting the red carpet.

The press release teased me to the point of contacting the public relations company handling the show to find out more. What do you guys think about it?  When I know more you guys will know more. In the mean time check out OneStopPlus.com

Glen Johnson is the author of Full Figure Plus

About OneStopPlus.com®

OneStopPlus.com® is the world’s first and only web-mall for plus-size women and big & tall men. The OneStopPlus.com® philosophy for plus-size women is reflected in every aspect of its website. The look and feel is upscale and the collections are not considered simply as clothing, but fashion. Plus-size women now have the same fashion choices as their size 8 counterparts, with access to everything from the classics to what’s right on the mark in terms of the latest trends. Featured on this website include leading designs in American and European plus size fashion from Woman Within®, Roaman’s®, Jessica London®, AVENUE®, Taillissime and Ellos. OneStopPlus.com® is a Redcats USA brand.

About Redcats USA

Redcats USA is a dynamic, multi-channel, web-driven home-shopping leader, with numerous well-known brands in its portfolio: AVENUE®, Woman Within®, Jessica London®, Roaman’s®, KingSize® and BrylaneHome® sold on OneStopPlus.com®, The Sportsman’s Guide® and The Golf Warehouse™. Redcats USA offers a wide range of value and quality driven merchandise categories, including men’s and women’s plus-size apparel, home and lifestyle products, and sporting goods/outdoor gear. Redcats USA is a Redcats company. For more information: Redcats.com.

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With products like Latisse and numerous OTC lash enhancers bombarding the market, it’s all too obvious what the current “IT” factor of the beauty industry is.

Stepping into Sephora or any drugstore can be overwhelming when you’re on the search for a lash pick me up.

They've got your lengthening,  strengthening, separating, waterproof, the brush bends this way! this brush bends that way! They even come in different colors now!

*takes a deep breath*

Then there’s your volumizing, curling, conditioning, thickening and non-clumping.

Where to begin? Nowhere yet, because now they’ve got lash enhancers. Now you’ve got to prep your eyelashes before the mascara.

There’s your lash maximizer,booster, enhancer, overnight lash conditioner.

Think we’re done? Nope. So we’ve enhanced/primed, put on our mascara and now there’s a third step. Now we have lash fibers to add over our wet mascara to add even more length.

Now that we are all overwhelmed with the crowded mascara market, we can begin now.

What you’ll need

• Lash comb. I prefer metal,but if you must use plastic then carry on.
• Curler.  (I don't use anything but Shu Uemura.)
• A mirror. Duh.
• Primer/Enhancer. My secret potion is DiorShow plumping serum
• Mascara. I haven’t strayed from Benefit’s “Bad Gal” in years.
• Lash fibers.

The Process

• Begin by carefully, CAAAREFULL, combing out your eyelashes. Keep the comb near by, we’ll repeat this step a couple times.
• Curl lashes: Hold your lashes in between the pressing plates for about thirty seconds. Comb through again.
• **If you’re sensitive to having something so close to your eyes, a trick is to look up and to the corner while you curl.
• Apply a thin layer of a lash enhancer of your choice. Quickly comb through to remove any clumps.
• Before your enhancer dries, apply a coat of your favorite mascara. Then, apply another coat.
• Now, we’ve got to be quick with this last step. Have your fibers ready to go because they need to be applied to wet mascara. So, right after your last coat of mascara, quickly apply a very light coat of lash fiber.
• Comb, comb, comb!! This is very crucial to the last step. Fibers tend to clump drastically and ruin the whole show. Show your lashes who’s ringmaster and comb like a beast!

I must attest to my own lashes and tell you how fabulous they always look. So, while you may be used to a quick “brush and run” technique of mascara-ing, putting in the extra three to four minutes to properly apply will certainly make a remarkable difference.

LINK LOVE:Beauty 411: Lash out

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“Plein Soleil”
Model: Anja Rubik,
Photographer: Camilla Akrans

LINK LOVE:Plein Soleil

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Kasia Struss gets some cover action on Numero Tokyo.

LINK LOVE:COVERGIRL: Kasia Struss for Numero Magazine

A blond Miranda Kerr is playing a naughty Catholic school student/nun for this spread titled “La Mauvaise Education” (which means “The Bad Education”). This spread is very naughty but we’re loving the colors. Gallery after the jump…

Entire gallery on Envy

LINK LOVE:  Egotastic

See full gallery at Envy!

LINK LOVE: Fashion Copious

LINK: Doutzen Kroes for Numero Tokyo

Add Your Own Stories on ENVY The Fashion Network

LINK: Anna Maria Jagodzinska by Greg Kadel | Numéro #112

Add Your Own Stories on ENVY The Fashion Network

Numero Magdalena from Greg Kadel Studios on Vimeo.

Greg Kadel shares a behind the scenes video of his shoot for Numéro #111 staring Magdalena Frackowiak.

LINK LOVE: Fashion Gone Rogue via Greg Kadel Studios on Vimeo.

The December cover of  Numero stars Abbey Lee Kershaw as shot by Miguel Reveriego.

LINK LOVE : Fashionista via Models

Here is one of our fave models, Anja Rubik, in the latest spread for Numero Mag.

LINK LOVE: Anja Rubik in Numero 108 November 2009.

Before Gaga, there was Gisele, pantless for the August 2000 issue of Numéro, shot by Patrick Demarchelier.

LINK LOVE: modelinia

Love this spread, something so beautiful about the colors and the juxtaposition of the meadow with the all black garments.

Find more photos like this on CULT

LINK LOVE

The Numéro #107 October 09 cover features model Eniko Mihalik, and is shot by Greg Kadel.

LINK LOVE

Looks like the September cover battle is between Kate Moss and Lara Stone. Moss may be winning for now, but being Lagerfeld’s current crush of choice wins in the long run.

The punk-inspired styling is nothing new, but the Catherine McNeil’s spread in Numéro #105 (August 2009) is gorgeous nonetheless.

The Greg Kadel-shot editorial, “Just for One Day,” is heavy on studs, shoulders, and black-and-white.

GALLERY: “Just for One Day.”

GALLERY: Myf for Numero

SOURCE: See Like Me

Hilary Rhoda looks like she belongs in the jungle in Numero.  Dusan Reljin did a great job using natural light to capture Rhoda in bird-like masks and floaty fabrics, but Rhoda isn’t the only thing beautiful in these photos, the scenery is gorgeous! Check out the rest of the shoot on Cult

SOURCE: The Pipeline

The redhead-playing-with-fire theme isn’t terribly original, but Karen Elson still looks, um, hot on the June/July 2009 issue of Numéro.

Issue #104, titled “Fever,” is kind of a stand-out photo for the spring/summer season, though, when imagery is usually a lot cleaner and lighter.

SOURCE: Major Model Managemetn NYC

Myf Shepherd (who was also on Aussie Vogue this month) played a geisha girl for Sofia Sanchez and Mauro Mongiello.  The first photo is amazing, I think Shepherd is totally gorgeous, and I love the jewels in her hair.  Her face is a bit dead in the rest of the pictures, but maybe she’s supposed to be looking like a doll?

SOURCE: Models

Vlada Roslyakova covers the July/August 2009 issue of Numero Tokyo. In the editorial, shot by David Vasiljevic and styled by Victoria Adcock, the Russian model plays the part of 80′s jailbait.

The Valley Girl themed story features high ponytails, big bows, lace, and denim, as far as Madonna’s eye can see.

GALLERY: Vlada Roslyakova for Numero July/August 2009

This spread is a couple months old, but still gorgeous. The Greg Kadel-shot spread for the April 2009 issue of Numero is dark yet luminous. “Lady Lafayette” is a Spring spread, but the color palette draws on much richer colors to complement the pale skin and angular features of Patti-Smith-lookalike Jamie Bochert.

GALLERY: Jamie Bochert by Greg Kadel for Numero, April 2009.

I am being forced to write about this image of Shannan Click for Numero photographed by Camilla Akrans, apparently the shiny jacked is a must have this season.a

SOURCE: eat ur hearts out

Josh Olin shoots “L’hirondelle” (the swallow) with Anja Rubik for  the latest Numéro. Love her new haircut, and the black and white imagery is so beautifully dramatic…

GALLERY: L’hirondelle

LINKAGE: fashiongonerogue

Magdalena Frackowiak is stunning in this spread titled Á Fleur de Peau, for Numéro (Issue #103) shot by  Sølve Sundsbø.

GALLERY: Á Fleur de Peau

LINKAGE: Sugar Sugar White

Magdalena Frackowiak for Numéro 103 (May 09) shot by Solve Sundsbo. Such a beautiful cover, love the contrast of the all pale makeup and blond hair to the brightness of the orchid stem.

LINKAGE: Fashion Copious

This golden vintage editorial proves once and for all why Anja Rubik is a supermodel!

GALLERY: Vintage Anja Rubik

LINKAGE: 2photo.ru

Def part of our Fashion Porn category, this spread embodies what sex appeal is, and what strength the nude female body possesses.

GALLERY: Michelle Buswell for Numéro

LINKAGE: 2photo.ru

Thanks Fashion Gone Rogue!

Thanks Wicked Halo of the pics

Thanks Wicked Halo for the pics

Numero is slowly becoming one of my fave fashion magazines due to its incredible spreads. Above,  Norwegian photographer Sølve Sundsbø has done it again, bringing us one of the most innovative fashion spreads I’ve seen in a while.

Thanks Wicked Halo

[Source]