in the looking glass

>> Yasmin Warsame has come full circle. Her first big break in came in 2002, when Steven Meisel shot her for an editorial inVogue Italia.  Here she is, six years later, shot for the historic all-black July 2008 issue of Vogue Italia, by Steven Meisel once again. (NSFW)
*image: source

>> Time for July 2008 Vogue Italia editorial roll call.  Cover shots?  Check. Naomi Campbell in all her glory?  Check.  Sessilee Lopez's black-and-white sizzler?  Check.  The multi-girl extravaganza?  Check. 

It's the beginning of the end folks — all that's left is the set featuring Toccara Jones, Yasmin's elegant grouping, and the beauty editorial with Chanel Iman channeling Grace Jones.  Oh wait, we've already got the latter — Chanel edgier than ever before, shot by Dusan Reljin.
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>> This morning, the July 2008 Vogue Italia hit stands, and we've got the scans to prove it.  The magazine features an 11-page spread, "Elegance as a Form," with Yasmin Warsame and devotes 9 pages to America's Next Top Model alum Toccara Jones in addition to the two editorials we've already seen: Naomi Campbell's 9-page luxe spread and the 25-page ode to new girl Sessilee Lopez.

But I saved the best for last: "Modern Luxe" by Steven Meisel, spanning 15 pages, and featuring everyone from Noemie Lenoir to Kiara Kabukuru to Jourdan Dunn.

*image: source

>> Just as The Wall Street Journal promised, a couple of editorials from the July 2008 Vogue Italia appeared today, featuring two out of the four cover models.  Both sets were shot by VI perennial favorite Steven Meisel.

"There's only one Naomi" features Naomi Campbell in a luxe setting — pretty normal fashion editorial fare, nothing outstanding except a shot of her crawling on a pool table — full gallery (NSFW) below.  Sessilee Lopez's set is in all black-and-white, very Yves Saint Laurent-inspired; In fact, one shot of her in head wrap, teeth bared, reminds me of YSL favorite Waris Dirie.

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>> Tiiu is back, and with a new agency to boot. She scored the July 2008 cover of Velvet, along with a right breezy editorial inside. Photographed by Enrique Badulescu and styled by Laura Bianchi, the set oozes vivid colors; These are not the same old, same old shots you see every day. Experience the full-on Tiiu glory in the gallery below (NSFW).
*images: source

>> Last month, seven models made the trek to a luxury elephant camp in the Okavango Delta of Botswana to shoot the 2009 Pirelli calendar.

Mariacarla Boscono, Malgosia Bela, Daria Werbowy, Lara Stone, Emanuela De Paula, and Isabeli Fontana mucked around in the mud, waded in the marsh, and climbed trees, sporting little but a square of leather here, a string of beads there, while Peter Beard documented the whole thing.

The calendar won't come out until later this year, but until then, a look at the behind-the-scenes shots and retro photographs that will be interspersed between (NSFW).
*images: source

>>In the CFDA Awards aftermath, the images of Raquel Zimmerman modeling each nominated designer's duds, which were produced for a book handed out at last night's award ceremony, have appeared, albeit in small form, featuring Raquel wearing chain eyelashes under her eyes for the Rodarte shot, and a crazy punk wig for the Subversive Jewelry photo.