To me, the (over) utilization of sexuality is much like contrast, saturation, composition, leading lines, etc. In creating an image of any kind (landscape, product, fashion, etc.) ONE element of it is its ability to ‘grab’ the viewer’s attention amongst the competition. ANOTHER element is its ability to ‘draw the eye’ of the viewer to where you want them to go. Just like using high saturation doesn’t necessarily make for a better image than a desaturated one can … but it can definitely ‘Make ya look” a bit quicker … so it is with sexuality in imagery.

It is in my opinion that the fashion industry is a game of ‘one upmanship’ in the ability to GRAB the viewer’s attention and has relied more heavily on the sexuality as it’s method of ‘grabbing’. And given that the root purpose of fashion is to sell products, I find that most fashion images do a poor job of drawing the viewers eye. They do however strive to generate an association of ‘sexiness’ or glamor or richness or coolness or some other form of associative emotion… so the viewer goes “Oooooh, I wanna be like that, so I gotta have Designer X.” by virtue of the ‘creativeness’ of the image as a whole. (This is a reflection of society being a ‘wanna-be’ society, in my opinion.)

ENORMOUS amounts of money suggests that “Sex Sells” and thus it ‘must’ be the way to go … and becomes somewhat self-fulfilling… continuing the one upmanship to perpetuity. For me, I find that the more ‘sexual’ a fashion image is … the more often I find it lacking in other elemental areas. I realize that the photographer may not be the one driving this… rather it might be the AD, or simply being driven by the desire to set themselves apart with even more ‘cutting edge’ … i.e.”Made ya look” can apply all along the food chain.

I realize that I’m an absolute ‘nobody’ when it comes to this, but I find that the (over) utilization of sexuality is proportionate to the (under) utilization of other ways to draw the viewer to where you want them to go … yet has an undeniable power in tapping in on some base emotions. For money, sex sells … as an indication of a photographic excellence, “skin to win” can be a bit of a (money making) cover up. There are plenty of non-sexual ways to create a powerful image that both grabs and leads … they just take more talent & effort to achieve. Sexuality is quicker and easier … and thus very profitable.

Just say it like it is … SEX SELLS … and it’s all about the MONEY. It’s not a reflection of today’s society to ‘justify’ the further utilization of sexuality, but rather a reflection of those who are chasing the money … the masses of society are just a captive audience that trail those who have monetary influence. If you have a market that wants to pay for sexuality and you want to produce sexuality to garner that money … that’s an individual (albeit many individuals) choice.

While the masses may have become ‘normalized’ and ‘desensitized’ to the sexuality … it’s a game of “Made ya look.” one upmanship that took them there. Then again, so is the used car salesman wearing the clown jacket and screaming about the “crazy” prices at their BIG SALE, or the impoverished images of devastation fund raisers use. People eventually grow weary of “looking” and finding little interest in what lies behind the ‘grab’ when it is a shallow grab. Thus, the cycle of needing a LOUDER grab seemingly self-perpetuates … until such time everyone is screaming, then someone will ‘whisper’.

“Made Ya Look”…Now What?

Natalia Vodianova for VOGUE UK © Mario Testino

From Benjamin Kanarek Blog

The words Sex, Sensuality and Seduction are bandied around more often in Fashion and Beauty Editorial spreads than the words “Fashion” or “Beauty” in  “Fashion” and “Beauty” magazines.  Why is that?

Well that is not new news as we have been so heavily inundated that we have reached the point of a mind numbing indifference. Perhaps indifference is not really appropriate. Let’s call it, normal. Seductive, sexy, sensual are all very appropriate words indeed, as that is what most of us strive for. We all want to be appealing to those viewing us and as sentient beings, sexuality is a very powerful part of our id.

But not only are the words being used in the content of mainstream media, but they are being carried over to illustrate the most common magazines read by the general public. In fact if you were to look at a magazine like Numéro ten or fifteen years ago, you would be forgiven for thinking that you were looking at a spread (no pun intended) of Playboy magazine, with more slender and lanky models.

Now I am not here to pass judgment, nor to pontificate, as that is not my role here. I see it as a mirroring of the body politic of the masses, what we wear and how we express our selves through art, photography, music etc… is a very important expression of our society as a whole or better yet a huge snap shot of a point in time that we can study in retrospect to determine the sociological and psychological profile of a society at any given time.

Well, at this juncture in time, it is the norm and not the exception that we adorn fashion magazines with nude or scantily dressed semi nude models wearing very little if any fashion at all. Of course there are exceptions to the rule, but most of the more relevant fashion magazines, find it very much a part of the norm to express themselves using nudity as part of their policy to garner a larger reading audience.

Being that we are being exposed daily with gratuitous nudity on the internet, I can understand why they would feel the need to use this very powerful tool of sexuality to sell their products. Without this vehicle, many of them would probably be out of business today. Of course for the more conservative magazines, there are the obligatory nipple pads that often give the models a less than human barbie doll look or even worse the removal of the breast nipples from opaque or transparent bra’s, making the whole thing look absurd at best. In those cases, it is best to not show the breasts all.

But like all things in fashion and fashion is a mirroring of society as a whole, we live in a cyclic world, with what was out of fashion today becoming in fashion tomorrow. What may be considered sexy today will become boring and predictable tomorrow. So who knows, perhaps in the next decade or so, the sexy women in fashion magazines will be depicted in a scenario unintentionally flashing her knee during a dinner date at a posh restaurant or touching her shoulder during a conversation or showing a tiny bit of breast cleavage while bending over to pick up a hair pin.

All I am saying is that what goes around comes around and what we consider shocking today might be the norm tomorrow and that norm just might end up being very boring indeed. So enjoy the ride, “what ever will be will be, the future’s not ours to see, Que Sera Sera…”

Source From Benjamin Kanarek Blog

That’s right, I’m a photographer, covering a very prominent part of our culture. I shoot nightlife — and what aspect of our society is more riddled with crazy fashion than nightlife – it’s our time to shine – strip off those work clothes (for those of us who have jobs) and hit the town to get fucked up.

(That’s me on the right in the coon skin hat along with my buddies Jesse Marco & DJ Sinatra.)

And so because of my excessive drinking and creeping on hot chicks, FashionIndie and I have teamed up to bring you a sorta-weekly blog that I call: Pretty & Plastered! (which for argument’s sake may not always contain plastered people, but will ALWAYS contain pretty people)

I will admit I am very biased, I like my girls hot & clothing optional… so brace yourself!

PS – Don’t expect me to comment on the photos like every other lame blogger does. Look at the photos for yourself and form your ideas – I’m not here to insult your intelligence. And so without further adieu…

Pretty & Plastered: The following photos were all taken at SL East in the Hamptons excluding the few day/bedroom shots:

View all photos at www.kirillwashere.com and follow me on twitter @KirillWasHere!

It girl and teen magazine editor Kristin Prim made a post on her blog tonight that really proves she is unstoppable in black and white.

It is also cool to see the “S&M” side of her while bracing the Zana Bayne harness!

Big things coming up for this girl, oh wait! We weren’t suppose to say that..

LINK LOVE: KRISTIN PRIM

Lea’s first sexual experience left a bad taste in her mouth. “It was quick, uncomfortable.” Lea said she was ashamed of her own body.

It’s difficult carrying the extra baggage that comes with sticking out. Lea thinks “Even with surgery, I’ll never be a woman. And I will not be man. I’ll always be in the middle.”

Thankfully, her father is supportive of whatever path Lea chooses: “He’ll love me if I am man, woman or dog.” What a good dad!

Link Love: Huffington Post

Funny thing is… the guy who bought Sex.com had no clue how he wanted to “position” the site. He’s had offers for “partnerships.” But which “angle” should he “take advantage of” to “penetrate” the market?

The last company that owned Sex.com (Escom LLC) went bankrupt — they couldn’t turn a profit. And, a minor detail — $13 million is the most ever paid for a domain.

The clock is ticking. What will the owner of Sex.com do? (May I suggest something having to do with sexual intercourse?)

Link Love: Tech Crunch

If you missed Erotic Chic with Fashion Indie‘s own Daniel Saynt and Rebecca Alexander, check it here!

1. “Finish on my face, literally, anywhere but the face.“
2. “I will never have another one-night-stand without using a condom. I got gonorrhea. I felt like a f**king after-school special.”
3. “One guy wanted me to slap him in the face. While I do occasionally enjoy giving a good slap in bed, the face is too intimate.”
4. “I won’t, however, let a guy smack me in the face during sex again. The one who did did it without permission, but it wasn’t hot.”
5. “My high school boyfriend spanked me with a coat hanger that he’d twisted into a paddle shape. That left a welt.”
6. “Put a picture of my parents on my nightstand. I was in a position where I looked up, and there they were. Awkward.”
7. “Laugh at his sexy talk. Whoops! That kinda crushed him.”
8. “Try to do it in the bathtub. It doesn’t work, except in the movies.”
9. “I once thought it would be a good idea to use ice during sex on a really hot summer day. One of the cubes ended up in my vagina. It was like having a really, really bad brain freeze between my legs.”
10. “Just go through with the sex even though he started acting weird, lame, or crazy once we got back to my place. I swear, I will kick out the next weirdo! Bad sex is worse than no sex.”
11. “Have a cheating hookup. The guilt wrecked my self-esteem.”
12. “Play ‘rape fantasy.’ It actually scared me how into it he was. I felt like I saw his dark side.”
13. “Use olive oil as lube. I ruined a good pair of sheets because I was too lazy to run to the store.”
14. “Quote a sex statistic. Job hazard of being a Frisky blogger …”
15. “Make out with another girl to get my boyfriend off. Turns out, I’m not even a little gay.”
16. “Stick my finger in the booty hole after I just got acrylic nails put on.”

Honorable Mention:” I would like to say anal, but I just know I have too many men in my future for that to be true. Sigh.”

LINK LOVE: The Frisky

Join Lookbooks. The Professional Fashion Network. Fashion News and more at LookBooks.com.

Add some color in your rubbery life… just make sure to write a note to self and make sure they’re not used and remember this dress might be filled with awesomeness but it doesn’t prevent pregnancies.

baby proof yourself and buy one : adrianabertini.com.br

La Perla takes over this CYF December 2010 shoot!

I could go into the seductive details but that would just be more inappropriate than my usual self. So why not just creep through Maxine Schiff by Alvaro Beamud Cortes for Flair December 2010 in the  LOOKBOOKS album and love the love of the lacey reds… yes I said love that many times.

Classy.

I like it.

Portman has previously been a bit shy about showing off her skin. (Minus that Wes Anderson short film, Hotel Chevalier.

On baring her body, Portman says: ”It’s annoying, because online bullsh*t interferes with what I want to do artistically. I’m not opposed to sexuality or nudity in a film, but I’m very opposed to pornography sites and you’re pretty much giving them material if you do any of that. It’s always a big dilemma for me.”

I totally understand. I hated it when I found a naked picture of my face on top of a naked baby.

It’s just weird.

models :Sara Blomqvist and Jeremy Young

Sorry for those of you who are ready to insert your credit card digits but these are only available somewhere in China… don’t worry I’ll keep you updated.

In a revelatory, totally eye-opening profile from the New York Times, Olivier details a life of globetrottin’, schmoozin’ with downtown hipsters, why the hell Purple costs $35, and how he will sex you up. Because he loves women. With respect.

Basically, anyone who writes him off as a misogynist pig is just a sex-starved prude. Not to worry, Olivier has some advice to spice up your life!

Everyone is scared of having a free sexual life and what they do is go on the Internet and masturbate. This is the pure sexual misery today. They don’t even go to the movie theater like in the ’70s.

Masturbating in a movie theater. CAN YOU NOT? Have you learned nothing from Pee Wee Herman?

Absurd girl-crush on Freja Beha Erichsen aside, this is every hedonist’s dream. Hopefully nothing’s too NSFW, as we couldn’t quite tell the difference between the emaciated boy chests and the girl boobs.

Get in on all the sexy action at LOOKBOOKS.

PURCHASE

In Touch Weekly have all the details from lady of the night Irma Nici.

The high-class street walker is claiming that she had sex with Beckham five times in 2007. Her’s what she has to say…

“It was a high. All of these women dream of being with him, and I got to hook up with him. It was very exciting.”

Here are some of the highlights:

• Her rate was $10,000/night
• Beckham paid for a threesome and didn’t use protection
• Beckham made fun of Posh’s weight while with Irma
• Beckham was a “very gentle and kind” lover
• Nici gave him a 7.5/10 on the lover rating scale
• Beckham used lotion to pleasure himself, but it was scented, and burned him. (Guess it’s not smart to wank it like Beckham)
• Beckham is “more of a butt man than a breast man”

Do U think David Beckham is going to become the next Tiger Woods?

Do you think Posh will believe this or that more girls might come clean?

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.

Become a FashionIndie.com contributor. Subscribe to Envy.

Become a FashionIndie.com contributor. Subscribe to Envy.

LINK LOVE:Ask Pinstripe: Why Do Bad-Boys get all the Girls?

Become a FashionIndie.com contributor. Subscribe to Envy.

Me in James Brown’s custom made SEX jumpsuit.

LINK LOVE:Me in James Brown’s custom made SEX jumpsuit.

Dear Tracey,

I’ve been with my boyfriend for around a year and we have an amazing relationship, he’s also my first serious boyfriend.  I completely adore and love everything about him.  I have friends that are a lot more outspoken and experienced when it comes to sex than me, which makes me feel uncomfortable to talk to about sex with them.  I’m a lot more shy than them.  I want to spice things up with him for his birthday.  Is there an appropriate time in a relationship when sex toys can be introduced? Is one year to soon? I’m a little nervous, Please help!

-Michelle

Dear Michelle,

After I had read your question, I was out with friends and asked for their opinion.  Is one year too soon to introduce sex toys?! Our answer, NOPE! There should be no shame in your game and there is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to spice things up in the sack.  There isn’t a set appropriate time in a relationship when everyone starts using sex toys.  It depends on your comfort level. I have a question for you, Why don’t you own a vibrator? Also, don’t be scared, nervous or uncomfortable to talk about sex with your friends.  Who cares if they seem to be more experienced in the sheets than you?  Just because they might have banged more dudes and talk about it doesn’t mean they’re more experienced than you.  I think it’s great that you want to spice things up sexually for your man on his Birthday.  What guy doesn’t want some kinky sex, especially on his birthday!  I’m not opposed to using sex toys.  I love checking out the back section of Ricky’s and have been eyeing the sex swing.  But really, who has room for a sex swing in a Manhattan apartment? I sure don’t! Anywho, back to you.

Gather your girlfriends, do brunch (one with unlimited mimosas preferable!) and hit up the sex shops.  Nothing like being a little boozed up and shopping for vibeys!! Plus a little liquid courage never harmed anyone, right?  If your friends are as sexually outspoken as you say they are, then they should definitely be interested in this little outing.  Also, don’t be afraid to ask the sales associate for help and advice, that is what they are there for! They know the product and can best suggest items for you and the special B-day boy!  Shopping for sex toys is meant to be fun and shouldn’t me intimidating & scary. Remember… Sex toys feel good, are fun and makes sex feel better! I have a feeling you and your boyfriend will be pleasantly please and this experience will open the door to more kinkiness and sex exploration for you two! Good luck, have fun and be safe!!

Xoxo,

tracey

P.S. If you have questions you need answers to email Tracey@fashionindie.com

VIEW 30 MORE PHOTOS IN THE SERIES ONLY ON ENVY >>

Here’s what she said in an interview with British Vogue: “The fountain of youth [for me], let’s see…I guess it’s exercise, healthy diet, lots of water, lots of laughter, lots of sex — yes, sex, we need that as human beings. It’s healthy, it’s natural, it’s what we are here to do!” Good for her, and her current boyfriend, A.Rod.

Prince Peter‘s line of tees consist of Rock ‘n Roll art photography and graphic design. A real fashion statement, the brand has been gaining attention for their latest video lookbook which features very pretty rockers rioting around town, snorting nose candy and sexing it up. A true rock love story. Check out the collection here. Video after the jump.

“S is for Sex. Love it, love it, love it”can’t live without it. I love sex. I love skin. I don’t believe the body is something to hide. I think in American society we’re messing up our kids by taking away the education on, and awareness of, our sexuality and replacing it with violence, guns and video games-and we’re breeding little criminals.”

LINK LOVE: ICYDK

#4640339 Celebrities make their arrivals on the red carpet at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards held at the Kodak Theatre on March 7, 2010 in Hollywood, California. Pictured: Zoe Saldana Fame Pictures, Inc - Santa Monica, CA, USA - +1 (310) 395-0500

The new Spring/Summer 2010 issue of GQ Style Russia breaks all boundaries with a dominatrix-inspired spread that features groping, guys in wheelchairs, foot worship and a little animal action. Let’s just say you’ve been warned. The full spread is on ENVY, click here to view.

LINK LOVE: Homotography

Guns don’t kill people, blow jobs kill people…

So, so naughty. So, so good. I can’t wait till I start shooting. This is the exact type of stuff I would die to work on.

LINKAGE: Henrik Purienne SEXY Fashion | Trend.Land

Zach Gold perfectly melds together beautiful women, sex and burkahs in a series of shots that seriously would make any woman want a pair of those blue heels. Gorgeous.

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE IN THE SERIES…

Just spotted this video while searching for fashion advertisements on Youtube. It’s funny how well over sexualized imagery, gang rape, and voyeurism go so well with techno.