Fashion Now

This an exciting time of the year for fashion: he collections issues are coming up soon, new designer campaigns are being released, and more exciting celebrity covers are popping up everywhere. Here is a roundup of my favourite stories right now.

 

Okay, if I don't stop blogging about the Beckhams for at least a month after this, you can shoot me. It turns out the Beckham covers UK ELLE released on Monday were in fact both newsstand covers... So you get a choice (yay!). The real subscribers' is this one right here. I'm a sucker for covers with really cool writing on like this - so I absolutely love it.

Meanwhile, Queen Victoria (totes going to start calling her that) was photographed for the June/July issue of German Interview by Angelo Pennetta. Styled by Beth Fenton, this shoot is all about Viccy reading a book. Simple and lovely. I wonder if she and David will keep a bookshelf with magazines they covered for their children...

 

 

In non-Beckham cover news we have Rihanna on the July cover of UK Esquire.

So this cover isn't much about fashion (I don't think those dog tags, or the other scant items they put her in for the rest of the shoot are going to change anyone's life) but may I just say how perfect the SA ELLE editors was to put her on their June cover? Rihanna is definitely in right now.

Photographs by Matt Irwin.

 

 

Moving away from the cover and on to what you may find inside... The AW12 campaigns are slowly but surely being revealed. These are the ones that tickled my fancy...

Those legendary hats by Stephen Jones and Marc Jacobs for AW12 have finally been immortalised in this campaign shot, of course, by Juergen Teller.

And let's not forget Marc's new fragrance coming out soon called spot. The bottle is obviously inspired by a ladybug, one of the only bug I not only tolerate but actually like. Also shot by Juergen Teller, this one is definitely a winner!

Burberry takes us into a cinematic British fantasy. Shot by Mario Testino at the Royal Naval College in Easy London (not South Africa) starring Gabriella Wilde and Roo Panes, this campaign is nothing if not classic.

 

 

Vintage Allure

When I say that the cover of the ageless style issue of UK VOGUE looks old, I really don't mean it in a bad way. If you told me this was a cover from a few decades ago, I'd probably believe you. It's all part of this new trend about making truly vintage-looking magazine covers (last seen with GQ Style). It all seems pretty refreshing to me. I'm looking forward to more of the same.

Vintage or not, Rachel Weisz looks beautiful (ageless, if you will) on the July 2012 cover in a Cèline knit, photographed by Alasdair McLellan.

 

David Beckham ELLE Covers Revealed!

The last time a name was splashed so big across the cover of UK ELLE, the it read GAGA. Now, six months later, Lorraine Candy and the team make history by revealing their first solo male cover star.

Here is Victoria's manly half photographed by Doug Inglish on the newsstand July 2012 cover wearing only a pair of Dior Homme jeans. David posted a link to the cover on his facebook page, adding a modest "hope you like it."

Meanwhile, everyone has been twittering their appreciation:

@victoriabeckham looking good on @ELLEUK!!!! X vb

@ELLEUK @victoriabeckham Thanks for letting us borrow him for a bit!

@LorraineELLE @victoriabeckham he is our favourite cover star ever!

 

Speaking of twitter, I remember a while back when Lorraine tweeted that she was making the final cover decision and wanted suggestions on whether his shirt should be on or off. I was thinking on for newsstand and off for subscribers... Turns out they did the exact opposite. While the newsstand cover is nice, I much prefer the subscriers' one. (as usual)

Oh well, it's too late to subscribe now. I think they should send this cover to South Africa to say sorry that we have to wait a month longer than everyone else to see it.

Can you believe the next issue will be winter collections? Time flies.

 

My 'War Horse' Story

 

Okay, so you may have heard of the War Horse film, and if you're cultured you may have heard of the War Horse stage production. What you probably don't know is that both are based on the War Horse book, which I found out last night is going to be translated into Afrikaans by my father, Kobus Geldenhuys (he also did Harry Potter. Swag.)

Naturally this sparked many thoughts of fashion... Earlier this year, Esquire did an editorial with the star of the WH film Jeremy Irvine. The shoot was all about the new season clothes coming fresh out the box and... Wait! Hold the phone... I did a shoot by the same theme for Ultimate PV's September 2011 issue. Literally the same concept. It's clear Esquire is stealing my ideas. (Please note the sarcasm in that statement.) seriously though, take a look at these...

 

BOX FRESH starring Jeremy Irvine. Styled by Catherine Hayward and photographed by Dan Burn-Forti. From Esquire February 2012.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SPRING UNWRAPPED starring Morgan Wolf. Styled by Daniël Geldenhuys and photographed by Kim Swarts

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you see the resemblance? Sure, the Esquire one looks a little cooler because they had a budget and stuff, but ours is just as awesome.

Moving on. I know I've got to stop referencing Vogue editorials, but I can't help myself. For their November 2011 issue, Grace Coddington styled the most amazing War Horse inspired shoot. I'm not gonna tell you how great it is - these pictures speak for themselves.

 

CALL IN THE CAVALRY starring Arizona Muse and Jeremy Irvine. Styled by Grace Coddington and photographed by David Sims.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Serious Frivolity" - Chanel Cruise 2013

Karl Lagerfeld's latest burst of opulence manifested next to three fountains at Versailles, where 400 of his most fashionable acquaintances sat down to get their first look at the Chanel 2013 Cruise collection. (can you believe we're in 2013 already?)

Just in case you weren't aware, Christopher Bailey isn't the only one who can controll the elements: Karl scheduled this show right in the midst of the Paris rainy season... And the son shon bright. Perhaps not as dramatic as rain falling on cue, but still.

The clothes can best be described as "Marie Antoinette goes modern-day gangster." How to pull of that look? (Yes it's possible.) It's all about taking vintage eighteenth-century details and executing them in contemporary fabrics like denim, chambray, and plastics. Keep it grunge with platform trainers and subtle chain details. And then there is the most important part: the frills. Because as Mr Lagerfeld says, "Frivolity is a healthy attitude. I know people who were saved by frivolity."

 

Images from americanvogue.com and elleuk.com. Collection shoot by Karl Lagerfeld.