Just when you think Kanye West ran out of creative ideas, he does something extraordinarily weird and fascinating to remind you why he's the King of kookiness.
Take his XXL cover, where he was among the first stars to write his own cover story (asFerocia remarked, "Is that even allowed?"). Now, months later, he's topped his own odd behavior with a cover, shot by Karl Lagerfeld, with a real $1 bill stuffed in his mouth. Don't believe me? Check the video below of some poor magazine worker literally placing $1 bills in each issue via HighSnobiety.com. How's that for different?
I could totes see someone taking the $1 bills out of all the magazines at a newstand in New York City. What do you think of the novel put-your-money-where-your-mouth-is idea? Which Kanye cover is the weirdest best:XXLor VMan?
Has anyone seen Black Swan yet?! If so, please refrain from spoiling it by providing detailed scene deets for the rest of us that haven't (me included...I meant to get to it this past weekend, but doing laundry won out over that one..ugh.) OK, now that we've gotten that out of the way, I can share the news that actress Natalie Portman (the star of Black Swan) will be gracing the cover of Vogue's January 2011 issue. I'm no stranger to fawning over her looks (ahem, just click here for evidence of that) but I have to admit that she looks so gorge here on the cover! In the issues, she shares details about the major transformation she had to undergo in order to take on this part. Apparently, she worked 8 hours a day, 6 days a week with former New York City ballet dancer Mary Helen Bowers. It took her about 6 months to create that ballerina body.
Um, that's insane. I can barely get my butt to the gym once a week and once I do I have to go to some sort of organized class because otherwise I'll stay on a machine 15 minutes and call that a work out hahaha. So, I applaud Portman and her ability to transform her body into this greatness and can't wait to see the movie this week!
What do you think of her picture on the cover, Glamazons? I love it! Totally glam.
In her relentless quest to be the next Madonna,Lady Gaga unveiled her iconic shotgun bra on the cover of Rolling Stone's July issue.
The bra doesn't surprise or alarm me because as a Gaga fan, I've seen her in everything from see-through underwear, bubbles (remember her last Rolling Stone cover) to a nun's costume.
And speaking of nuns, the controversial Alejandro video also features Gaga's shotgun bra...in a dance sequence.
What does thrill me? Those to-die-for pink platform shoes. They give me life, death and resurrection in one glance.
The article might excite you as well. For one, it's the longest, most in-depth interview Gaga's ever given. And it further underscores her obsession with fantasy and mystery. Here are a few quotes that stood out to me (the last one made me laugh out loud).
On Fantasy:
"If I were to ever, God forbid, get hurt onstage and my fans were screaming outside of the hospital, waiting for me to come out, I'd come out as Gaga," she says, adding that she models her celebrity on Michael Jackson. "Michael got burned, and he lifted that glittered glove so damn high so his fans could see him, because he was in the art of show business. That's what we do. I don't even drink water onstage in front of anybody, because I want them to focus on the fantasy of the music."
On Mystery and Nightmares:
Gaga also reveals some deeply personal details for the first time, including her recurring nightmare involving a phantom and a blond girl who's tied up with ropes. "She's got my shoes on from the Grammys," Gaga says. "Go figure — psycho." When presented with the idea that her behavior indicates she's a survivor of a traumatic experience, Gaga says there are limits to what she'll discuss in public. "You have to be careful about how much you reveal to people that look up to you so much."
On Being a "Normal" Girl:
"When I wake up in the morning, I feel just like any other insecure 24-year-old girl," she says. "Then I say, 'Bitch, you're Lady Gaga, you get up and walk the walk today.' "
Haha! This girl is crazy. Pick up the cover on newsstands and click here for more.
Well, Matthew Williams andV Magazinetake you inside the crazy world of Gaga with their latest feature, "Flash of Genius: A Gaga Journal." Fasten your seatbelts.
The story documents her most recent adventures in major cities (naturally, NYC, Miami and L.A.) while taking us behind her performances at award shows and events. There's even a shot of her in the shower. Only Gaga!
The explosive, never before seen photos were all captured with a Polaroid camera as Gaga is the new Creative Director of the company (hence the Polaroid photo shoot of Beyonce in the Telephone video).
This spread will be outrageous, refreshing and cool in true Lady Gaga fashion. Check out some scans below:
Are you as excited to see it as I am? If so, pick up a copy when V Magazine hits newsstands May 11th.
With her beautiful face, mile-long legs and curvy frame, Kelly Rowland looked like a real-life Barbie at her Cosmopolitan South Africa photo shoot.
The R&B songstress who is a Glamazon favorite (see her pic with me below! she is hilarious!) twitpic'd behind-the-scenes photos from her upcoming feature spread. And wow, she looks stunning!
The big, curly hair, gold corset and studded minidress are simply ravishing on Kelly. Can't wait to see what the final photos look like. And I pray the article has some fitness secrets, because look at those legs! (Running to hit the treadmill after this post, hehe).
What do you think of the pics from Kelly Rowland's shoot, Glamazons? Don't you love them?
Put Zoe Saldana in a brown paper bag and she'll look beautiful. The It Girl actress has appeared on several magazines this month like Glamour and ESSENCE in everything from a sparkly minidress to a metallic tank. And she's looked gorg on every cover.
NYLON Magazine's April cover is no exception, and yet people have been tearing the cover apart. The funniest complaint is that it looks like an Urban Outfitters ad. I agree but there is something charming about Zoe in a casual, unfussy moment.
What do you think? Is it an Urban Outfitters knockoff? Is it a refreshing look for Zoe? Give your verdict: Glam or a Sham.
Sidenote: say what you want about the cover, but this article may be my favorite. Check out excerpts and go to Nylonmag.com for more.
On learning dance as a child: “That was the beginning of a beautiful fucking romance. That was my Xanax, let me tell you… it put all my demons in order.” On Hollywood casting: “When they say ‘We want to go white,’ they have a very smooth way of saying it, and the recent one is the word traditional. [I’ve heard] ‘Oh, you know, you’re just not what we were looking for, your skin is a little darker.’ Compared to what?! My skin is just my skin. It’s dark if you compare it to someone who’s lighter.”
On meeting James Cameron: “I’m thinking he probably imagined some Amazonian girl [for Neytiri] – I had really long hair at the time – wearing really little shit with like, a bow and arrow. I had no idea she was blue and nine feet tall. But for some reason, he was like, ‘You look so much like her!’”
For the first time since 2006, Glamour Magazine will feature models on their cover for the June Swimsuit issue.
And not just any models: Brooklyn Decker, Alessandra Ambrosio and Crystal Renn. Crystal Renn being, as you know from V Magazine's Size issue, one of the best curvy models in the business.
The ladies tweeted these pictures from their shoot in St. Bart's. Gorgeous!
I'm so excited for the new cover, shot by Matthias Vriens-McGrath, and for Glamour's decision to embrace models (so tired of celebrity mag covers) and curves!
Of course, not everyone is as excited as I am. ABC News said, model Alessandra Ambrosio bears a "closer resemblance to a pre-pubescent teenager than a 29-year-old mother" via WWD. Ouch!
Ambrosio, pictured above, countered by raising an interesting point that the media "should be more responsible while covering the model size debate." I agree. Because shouldn't sensitivity toward size go both ways (for plus-size models and thin models)?
Ambrosio told WWD: "If I'm two pounds heavier, I'm fat. If I'm skinnier, I'm sick. It's ridiculous." It has to be hard for a model to endure constant criticism of her weight, whether thin or curvy.
I think a healthy body weight is ideal, and we, as media, should promote 'healthiness' in a tactful, socially responsible way. In other words, we don't have to attack thin models to embrace plus-size models.
What are your thoughts? And are you excited for the new Glamour cover?
I'm addicted to huge fashion glossies, among other things. So I'm thrilled to share with you the latest covers of two of my favorite mags, W Magazine and V Magazine.
As much as I love Rihanna, I have to start with V Magazine's Size Issue. With all the buzz surrounding January's V Magazine---and those incredible spreads, the cover has to be just as special, right? Right. With double covers featuring "Precious" star, Gabourey Sidibe (that movie was so touching) and Dakota Fanning (looking very Twiggy-like), the V Magazine editors have successfully relayed the message that every size is beautiful.
I especially love Gabourey's cover. I've never seen her look more gorgeous and glamorous. It really goes to show that beauty has no size limit.
Collect both covers of the magazine - on newsstands NOW! Click here for more info about the covers.
And now for Rihanna, her February 2010 W Magazine cover and spread, shot by Craig McDean and styled by Lori Goldstein, is to-die-for!!! Seriously, the leopard-print Lola hat almost knocked me out cold when I saw the photo on my blackberry.
Wearing Gucci, Prada and Michael Kors in clean black and white shots, Rihanna solidifies her place as a high-fashion favorite. In python coats, leopard print hats and studded fingerless half-gloves, Rihanna continues to venture into bad-girl territory with her fusion of glamor, grit and goth.
I wonder if Anna Wintour feels she missed the boat by allegedly denying Rihanna the American Vogue cover after her nude photos hit the web. Oh well, looking hot is the best revenge, indeed!
Gucci dress. Ivanka Trump Fine Jewelry earrings. Dior Fine Jewelry ring. Chanel Fine Jewelry cuff.
Michael Kors dress. Lola hat. Van Cleef & Arpels necklace. Gucci ring and bracelet.
Dior coat. Van Cleef & Arpels necklace. Ivanka Trump Fine Jewelry tassel necklace. Bulgari bracelet.
The magazine glamour continues! As a fashion assistant, I know how hard it is to nail an amazing shot with more than one model. When one model looks stunning, the other has a hair out of place or needs her eye make-up touched up or is too stiff to deliver a great pose. Furthermore, the energy and the model/photographer chemistry has to be perfect in order to arrive at that rare moment where everyone looks striking and flawless.
i-D Magazine accomplishes this with their September 2009 Cover spread and their success is a testament to the photographer, Emma Summerton, the fashion editor, Edward Enninful, and the phenomenal models, Arlenis Sosa, Chanel Iman, Jourdan Dunn and Sessilee Lopez. These women prove why they are the best black models in the business. They are each a beauty in their own right and together, they are simply breathtaking.
By the way, after seeing the September issue yesterday, I have to say I lament the fact that supermodels no longer cover magazines. While celebrities aren't always the best posers (this clearly excludes Rihanna) and have outrageous demands like 400 white candles and separated M&Ms (true story), models come to do a job and just deliver incredible shots. Proof? Take a look at the spread below (courtesy of our friends at The Fashion Bomb).
