her next move.

So this is what ex Paris Vogue editors get up to... when they're no longer editing Paris Vogue. Convincing the likes of Naomi Campbell, Dasha Zhukova, Mario Sorrenti et al to get together and in the name of a Barneys campaign. And, because they probably didn't have anything better to do that day, her kids offered up their time too. So here's an impossibly cool, Rick Ownes-clad Carine in her own ad campaign for her first client since going freelance. Julia in Tisci's panther-print Givenchy. Vladimir in his own clothes, because French boys are cool like that. And some Natasha Poly, just for good measure. And just like that, she's back. And so am I. 

X

Natasha.

And in other model news this morning, Natasha Poly got married on the weekend. Oh, the things those models do. Flowers and Givenchy. Beautiful. X

image via vogue.it

Givenchy SS11

The remaining pictures from Mert & Marcus' campaign for Givenchy SS11 have finally leaked on tFS overnight. Along with Dutch newbie Daphne Groeneveld and albino model Stephen Thompson we have Tisci favourite Mariacarla Boscono in front of the lens once again. They've kept the same hauntingly beautiful thread running through the rest of the pictures, and I love that contrasting shadow shot, where Daphne appears almost as Mariacarla's ghost. And of course, as predicted since her Paris exclusive for the house back in September, Natasha Poly (and her new brown locks) also landed a spot. 

via tFS

Some stud

Valentino and Givenchy. Makers of some of the best studded heels going around. Valentino's autumn/winter 2010 studded heels were endorsed by nearly every editor and front-rower at the spring shows. Especially popular (although not on my radar) were the kitten-heels, with Alexa Chung and even Giovanna Battaglia getting back to basics (if you call Valentino a basic) with the lower-to-the-ground variety. And when talking about anything studded, who can forget C.Centenera, self-proclaimed lover of anything studded, with her t-bar Givenchy sandals. 

via: Style.com, Stockholm Street Style, Google images

Natasha's Givenchy

It's no surprise that Givenchy's Riccardo Tisci is most definitely pro-Poly. Both Nat and Tisci made their simultaneous debuts for the house back in 2005 for the autumn haute couture collections. Natasha has been a regular fixture in Tisci's line-up ever since, up until until the most recent spring/summer 2011 shows, where she was a Paris exclusive. Meaning: she was booked exclusively for Givenchy- and did not walk in any other Parisian show.  She featured in their autumn/winter 2008 campaign alongside fellow Tisci favourite Mariacarla Boscono, Lara Stone and Lakshmi Menon. And who can forget the Natasha Obsessed issue of Muse, where she was shot by none other than Riccardo himself for the cover (and spread) featuring many a Givenchy accessory, including the infamous couture crown of... spikes.  She had the first look (of 11) for the house's latest couture showing, and nabbed the November 2010 cover of Vogue Paris, shot by Mario Sorrenti, styled with the same brown (yes, brown!) plaits she sported for her Givenchy exclusive.  Where is all this leading, you may ask? To a spot in the new Givenchy campaign, I say. 

Here's the first leaked imaged from the SS 2011 camapign, so far featuring Dutch newcomer Daphne Groeneveld (another Tisci favourite who was also featured in the exclusive spring couture lineup) and albino model Stephen Thompson. Shot by photographic duo Mert & Marcus, this picture is hauntingly beautiful. The black and white combined with the overlapping exposure makes for a campaign that will be nothing short of mesmerising. Watch this space.

[WWD]

other pictures via tFS, FGR & style.com

Morebid-ly obsessed with: Magdalena

One of my all-time favourite models, the gorgeous Polish-born Magdalena Frackowiak features (largely leather-clad) in the latest issue of Numéro lensed by by Greg KadelStyled by fashion editor Brian Molloy, she features in daring but dishevelled ensembles by Balenciaga, Givenchy and Christopher Kane. I can't get enough of Magda's chiselled face and edginess, but at the same time love how she can be soft and romantic and also fun (à la Karl in Lagerfeld's mini-movie "Remember Now")

Day 4: Natalia Alaverdian

Sasha Pivovarova wearing Givenchy Haute Couture, styled by Natalia Alaverdian for Harper's Bazaar Russia

Fashion Editor of Harper's Bazaar Russia, Natalia Alaverdian is relatively new to my radar. Even if, like me, you didn't know her so much for her street style (until now), her work for Russia's HB is amazing and and I've definitely looked twice when I've (unknowingly) spotted an editorial on Fashion Gone Rogue. Her face reminds me a little bit of Giovanna Battaglia (fash ed of L'Uomo Vogue), but the similarities end there. She isn't afraid to shake things up, mixing textures like fur and denim and lace, but at the same time knows when to keep it simple. Sometimes a navy striped tee paired with denim cutoffs is the perfect outfit for a lazy day wandering the streets (and sitting front row at fashion week, no less) of Paris.

Loving her Alaïa wedge platforms paired with white lace D&G number and laidback military parka. Major shoe envy.

Photos: The Fashion Spot

Day 2: Christine Centenera

As fashion editor of Harper's Bazaar Australia, this girl has some serious style. Dating print-happy Aussie designer Josh Goot doesn't hurt her wardrobe either. Like Carine, Ms. Centenera knows when she's on to a good thing; and sticks with it. I'm talking about her Givenchy studded sandals, of course. Having a self-confessed penchant for anything with "studs, metal detailing or patent leather", I can personally vouch for this one: when I spent some time in the HB offices, these babies showed up: twice. In one week. Her uncanny ability to pull together such sharp outfits from pieces she's already worn and make it look entirely different, just by switching up the heels and maybe adding or subtracting a certain Celine jacket, she makes this dressing thing look downright easy. Whether she's effortlessly pairing a fierce (for want of a better word) heel with grey marle, mixing Balmain and Balenciaga with Aussie staples by Bassike and Bonds, she's got that dishevelled chic down to a fine science. It's just part of her DNA. She sweats style.

photos: The Fashion Spot

couture couture

Models swirling around a lion's den at the Grand Palais in Paris for Chanel's haute couture show.

 Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! The fall haute couture shows have recently wrapped in Paris, with lions at Chanel, in honour of Leo Mlle. herself. Tigers (or their tamers/ Dita von Teese) clad in latex at the close of Jean Paul Gaultier. Bears, or -inspired coats, jackets and womanly layers at Armani Privé. Designers and couture houses this season have turned back to the traditions of the (g)olden days, favouring private showcases and intimate exhibitions over full-blown catwalk shows (à la Chanel). Riccardo Tisci at Givenchy was the main proponent, bringing couture back to its roots by opting for an intimate exhibition as a way for clients and editors to interact with the couture. Such a setting affords each delicately constructed, ornately encrusted garment the kind of attention that simply isn't possible in a catwalk show.

 For most of us, couture week is simply another chance to indulge our eyes upon fashion (or in my case- just another excuse to write about it); but as extravagant and frivolous it may be, the fact remains that couture is a dwindling, ahem, trend. Gone are the days of ateliers and fittings, meetings and measurements. Globalisation and consumerism have lead to the proliferation of ready to wear and the steady decline of the couture customer. The sheer media coverage of these lavish lion-laden spectacles (thanks, bloggers) boosts sales from prêt-à-porter and diffusion lines which in turn supports the haute couture divisions of the houses. Last year's liquidation of the fabulously extravagant Lacroix exists to remind us all just how delicate, quite literally, is the balance in which couture hangs. So if the Riccardo Tiscis of the world may leave one mark upon couture it should be the re-emergence of the intimate showcase; the pure attention to detail and the utmost interaction with the client - which - after all, is what couture is all about.   

If nothing else, couture provides us with an inside peak at the upper echelons of exclusivity and beauty; and judging by the ten creations Tisci sent out, who can complain with that?

pictures: style.com, Zimbio