10 Fashion Stars of the 17th Annual Out 100

Edited by Lester Brathwaite

Andrej Pejic gets wrapped up in Nastassja Kinski. Brad Goreski channels Yves Saint Laurent. And Nicola Formichetti holds up two pork shanks. Is this just another day in the glamorous life? Yes, but it’s also Out Magazine‘s homage to some of the fashion industry’s best and gayest. For their 17th Annual Out 100 list, the mag enlisted the talents of Gavin Bond to create portraits inspired by iconic photos of the past. Mining the catalogs of Richard Avedon, Cecil Beaton, Irving Penn and Helmut Newton, among others, Bond’s photos serve a fitting tribute to the 100 queens, trannies, lesbians, and other assorted queers that showed that if things don’t necessarily get better, they at least get fabulous. 

Alice Ritter Tells Tales and Recommends Some Fashionable Reading

Edited by Lester Brathwaite

Jessica paid a visit to designer Alice Ritter as part of LOOKBOOKS.com‘s new feature, “Tales of the Atelier”:

Through the concrete and brick columned hall of the CFDA Incubator, past glass doors with names like Bibhu Mohapatra, House of Waris and Prabal Gurung etched upon them, sits a room on the end that houses the studio of a French expat with a beautiful concept. Alice Ritter works seemingly solitary in a tidy, brightly lit room with a towering cubic bookshelf, a sewing machine and inspiration all around. Her style rings from the authenticity of growing up in the late 70s in France, where Yves Saint Laurent was god and high power glossies were sacred. Having studied economics, she created a fashion lab within her home with her Brooklynite husband to pursue her true art of design. Poring over books and dissecting vintage clothing lead to her creating an aesthetic that is uniquely hers. 

INDIE REWIND: Backhanded: Karl Lagerfeld’s 13 Greatest Compliments

Edited by Lester Brathwaite

Karl Lagerfeld is a genius. And like most genii, he’s also completely bat-shit crazy. Over the years he’s offered his usually unsolicited opinions about people and — never really known for his cheery disposition — his comments have usually fallen in the spectrum of bitchy and, well, super bitchy. Below are 13 of the Kaiser’s greatest backhanded compliments.

Saint Laurent Muse, Loulou de la Falaise Dead at 63

Edited by Lester Brathwaite

One of Yves Saint Laurent‘s legendary muses and his collaborator for over three decades, Loulou de la Falaise passed away on Saturday at her country home in Boury-en-Vexin, northwest of Paris. Reportedly, de la Falaise was diagnosed with cancer last June and wanted to keep her illness private. She was 63.

MALE MODEL HUMPDAY: Causing a Spectacle

Edited by Lester Brathwaite

Essential Homme stripped down 10 male models and left them with nothing but their spectacles for the completely gratuitous but completely wonderful “You’d Be Naked Without Those Spectacles,” shot by Sabine Villiard. This Male Model Humpday, we’re putting on our reading glasses and sticking our nose in a good…book. 

Pat McGrath Shares Her Favorite Backstage Polaroids from Fashion Week

Edited by Amanda Gabriele

Famed makeup artist and Creative Advisor for Dolce & Gabbana The Make Up Pat McGrath has plenty of Fashion Week experience under her belt. With the Spring 2012 collection shows behind her, McGrath wants to share her backstage polaroids with the world. Not only can you see her brilliant makeup jobs on the industry’s top models, but these photos give you a glimpse of the most exclusive backstages in the fashion world. Click through for the gallery.

Vuitton to Launch Louis’ First Fragrance

Edited by Lester Brathwaite

For its premier perfume, Louis Vuitton has picked a nose that knows. Noted nose, perfumer Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud, has been tapped by the luxury brand to develop their first fragrance, reportedly using extracts from rare, nearly extinct, flowers. 

Tiffany Empathizes With Louboutin’s Red Sole Battle

Edited by Amanda Gabriele

Months ago, Christian Louboutin attempted to sue Yves Saint Laurent over a red shoe with a red sole, saying the red sole is Louboutin’s “trademark.” While the rest of the world was saying “bitch please,” Tiffany & Co stepped forward saying they understand the importance of a signature color and wouldn’t want anyone to copy their hallmark baby blue.

Let’s Heel It for the Boys

Edited by Lester Brathwaite

High heels: they’re not just for women, drag queens and the oft-misunderstood transvestite anymore. The New York Times ”Style” section, the only news source of any import, chronicles a trend sweeping the nation — or at least a trend lightly dusting Los Angeles: the gentleman stiletto. 

INDIE REWIND: The Greatest Supermodels of the 70s

Edited by Lester Brathwaite

What the 60s set into motion, the 70s broke up on a glass table and snorted through several stacks of hundred dollar bills. Supermodels went from being muses of the fashion world to muses of rock stars, actors, athletes and the occasional congressman when the wife was out of town, while trying their hands in front of the camera and behind the microphone. This decade saw the birth of outsized personalities that continue to shake up the world whenever they deign to acknowledge it. Put on some Cheryl Lynn, we’re going to the 70s!