Walt Disney may have changed the endings of some of the most historically renowned fairy tales, but he also succeeded in making these stories nearly ubiquitous around the globe. These days, whether you grew up in Albuquerque, NM, or Beijing, it’s likely you read many of the classics tales. The recent trend in cinema has been aimed at reminding us of more modern fairy tales, like “Where the Wild Things Are,” or Wes Anderson’s new movie “Fantastic Mr. Fox.”
We began daydreaming about all our favorite tales, and realized: no one is immune to reminiscing about bedtime stories, not even the most glamorous of fashion’s creative minds. Take a look at some of these fairy tale-inspired images from our Image Archive. Can you name the photographer and/or tale behind each image?
1. Carter Smith
2. Ellen von Unwerth
3. Annie Leibovitz
4. Craig McDean
Looking at behind-the-scene photos of Hind Sahli’s recent show season, one would think she is a veteran as she naturally blends into the atmosphere of the runway shows. In person the fresh-faced Morocco native is reserved and soft spoken, which only serves to enhance the air of glamour surrounding her. We can’t wait to see her imbue the pages of fashion magazines with the same delicate yet attentive manner she possesses in real life.
With every editorial Mariacarla Boscono proves herself to be more awe-inspiring. An editorial in December Vogue China, shot by Sølve Sundsbø, reinforces our love of the demi-goddess. Her classic poise and grace as captured in these beautiful vignetted frames remind us of the the Greek goddess Nike of Samothrace. We wonder if the creative team behind the editorial had this concept in mind?
Of all the fashion collaborations H&M has debuted, we think the upcoming lingerie line by Sonia Rykiel is by far the most ingenious. The label is synonymous with the chic Parisian street style, and as fashion-forward New Yorkers we have long been fans from across the Atlantic.
The so-called Queen of Knitwear is the first to develop a lingerie line for H&M, and we can’t wait to see her timeless take on sexy. We’ll be back in February 2010 to blog and gush about her much-anticipated knitwear line for women and children.
Sonia Rykiel pour H&M, Winter 2009. Ph. Sølve Sundsbø.
Some girls just look better natural — take Jacquelyn Jablonski, for instance. The New Jersey native has what it takes to stand out in a crowd: piercing green eyes, long dark hair, the perfect complexion with just a hint of freckles, and cheekbones to die for. With that stellar list of features, who needs makeup?!
Jacquelyn stole the show this past runway season by walking 58 shows, and her editorial season is already shaping up to be equally impressive. We love the minimal makeup she carried for most of the shows, but can’t decide whether we prefer her with a slicked-back ‘do or long and luxurious locks. Which is your fave?
November 9th is a day rich with historical significance. On the one hand we have the 40th anniversary of Sesame Street, while on the other we have the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. As adults who came of age with both of these elements at play, we would like to say that the fall of the Berlin Wall represents an important moment in the grande scheme of things. In celebration of this anniversary, we bring you this light-hearted video of Germany’s favorite singer David Hasselhoff performing for both sides of the wall.
We hope you enjoyed learning a thing or two about this history of denim this weekend! Without further ado we bring you the answers to Friday’s Photo Pop Quiz:
A. Hedi Slimane
B. Adrian Gaut
C. William Abranowicz
D. Steven Meisel
There is something so utterly All-American about denim. November being an important month for Americans, between Election Day and Thanksgiving, we got to thinking about blue jeans and the history of this American clothing staple. We were pretty surprised to learn that the word “jeans” actually evolved from the French language, as the name for pants worn by sailors from Genoa, Italy (spelled Gênes in French). The technique of weaving that distinguished denim from other fabrics, on the other hand, was developed in the French town of Nîmes, and was referred to as “serge de Nîmes” (thus de-nim).
These two histories have happily merged in the American Frontier, with jeans as the garment of choice for everyone from cowboys to farmers, punk rockers to preppy kids, and the list goes on. We picked a few iconic shots of denim-clad folks from the Art + Commerce Image Archive for this week’s Photo Pop Quiz. Can you match the photographer’s names to the images below?
When Sessilee Lopez came by our office last week we couldn’t help but bask in her impeccable glamour and charisma. Let’s face it: she has been working since her mid teens, which means at the age of 20 she is practically a seasoned vet! Looking as casually charming as she did last week, we would not be surprised to hear she is capable of shooting an editorial two minutes after rolling out of bed. We also want to note that we love her Cipollino-inspired go-see hair do!
This week we lost another great artist. Evelyn Hofer, the German photographer who spent much of her life living and working in New York as a fashion and documentary editorial photographer, passed away this week at the age of eighty-seven.
Hofer studied under photographers such as Robert Spreng, one of the pioneers of the New Objectivity movement responsible for the return of realism in art. She worked for illustrious publications such as Harper’s Bazaar, Vanity Fair, and The New York Times Magazine. Her images are replete with realism and a delicate nostalgia that will be remembered and imitated for generations to come.
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