fashionologie

Mario Testino On His Top Five Favorite Photographic Subjects of All Time

fashionologie — Fri, 27 May 2011 14:20:16 PDT

>> Last night, 600 people - including Grace Coddington, Anna Wintour, Carine Roitfeld, and Donatella Versace - gathered in New York to celebrate Mario Testino's illustrious career as part of the El Museo del Barrio gala. Kate Winslet, who presented Testino with an award, said of working with the photographer: “He’ll say, ‘It’s beeuuutiful, but I think it would be better naked, no?’ Quite frankly, how could one refuse? No matter what insecurities about oneself a subject may have, Mario makes them go away like a magician. One moment you are in the hair and makeup chair fully clothed and wishing you had smoother skin, longer legs and smaller feet and then Mario comes in and in that charming way he takes you by the hand and says, 'Don't worry it's going to be amazing.'"

Carine Roitfeld, meanwhile, said of collaborating with Testino: "What I love about him I can tell him anything and that is very rare with a photographer. If I don't like these shoes, or I don't like this picture I can tell him. It is his complicity . . . to be able to say what you want to someone. I just finished a book about my work so far and 80 percent of it is with Mario."

Testino, meanwhile, credited his career to Anna Wintour: “Long ago she decided I was a good photographer.” As for his favorite photographic subject, he replied: "It would have to be Princess Diana, it took my career to another level. Top five? Kate Moss has been one of my favourites for a long time. I have worked a lot with her. I think I have managed to document her through the 20 years that we have worked together. But there are many people like that: Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, it is hard to pick just one."

View Slideshow ›

Chinese Models Sweeping Recent Cosmetics Contracts; The Latest: Shu Pei Qin for Maybelline

fashionologie — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 17:07:57 PDT

>> It's a good time to be a Chinese model. Particularly when it comes to cosmetics contracts, widely considered the bread and butter of the modeling world. Shortly after Estee Lauder tapped Chinese model Liu Wen - the brand's first Asian face - earlier this year, Lauder global brand president Jane Hertzmark Hudis acknowledged: “China is our fastest-growing market. What better way to honor that than to hire a native of the country?” And Aerin Lauder, SVP and creative director, added: “We’re doing very well in Asia, and we’re No. 1 in China. So Liu Wen sends the perfect message at the perfect time.”

Now Maybelline is jumping on the idea »

Rag & Bone Adds Sunglasses, Shoes, and Other Sundry Accessories to Their Cool Girl Basics for Spring 2010

fashionologie — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 00:44:11 PDT

>> Marcus Wainwright and David Neville are expanding Rag & Bone in every which way for Spring 2010 - sunglasses in three types of tortoiseshell, accessories spanning belts to stick pins to sure-to-be-clamored over wedge boots. Just as much as the show is about cool girl basics - this time flutter-backed tops and fitted leather jackets - and how show stylist Tabitha Simmons pulled them all together, it's about the models. Iselin Steiro, who hadn't walked a runway in a year, opened; model-to-watch Emily DiDonato made it her first runway show ever; Kinga Rajzak debuted a newly-dyed brunette 'do; and Jessica Stam, who is said to have collaborated on the collection, sat front row and Tweeted about it - she's only doing two New York shows, the first is Anna Sui.

View Slideshow ›

The September Issue Premiere: All About Anna Wintour

fashionologie — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:57:50 PDT

>> Last night, Anna Wintour hosted a premiere of The September Issue (which opens Aug. 28 in NYC, Sept. 11 nationwide), and no one dared be late. Arrivals were scheduled to start at 7 pm, but Anna appeared and was joined (despite all the digs about her appearance she receives in the film) by September 2007 cover girl Sienna Miller promptly at 6:45 pm. Even Sean Combs and entourage, when realizing they were late, "sprinted across the lobby," the New York Observer reports.

Despite the general consensus that the film's true star is Grace Coddington, last night was all about Anna. Grace and Andre Leon Talley both avoided being photographed on the red carpet, and it appears that Vogue staffers were required to wear t-shirts for Fashion's Night Out (Anna's pro-shopping pet project) to the event. Grace did comment on her portrayal in the film, however:

I hate to say it, but true to life! A very annoying person. But it’s not really bickering. It’s a process you have to go through for the job we do and it just makes everything stronger. Whatever gets through is then very valid and very strong. I think they focused on me in the movie because I’m a bit more outspoken and because I don’t care about the cameras, I’ll say whatever I want to say and I won’t hold back.

Bee Shaffer, who attended in Proenza Schouler and reminded her mother to put on her sunglasses while on the red carpet (which Anna duly did), thought her own scene in the film was "so embarassing":

It’s funny because that was two years ago and I wanted to go to law school then and that’s basically all I’m talking about and now I don’t want to go to law school at all so . . . [I] still don’t want to work in fashion, that was never a possibility. Now I’d like to work in theater.

Marc Jacobs, who was apparently speaking with a French accent, had his own Anna tribute to share. "She’s a risk-taker unafraid of taking chances. She doesn’t suck up,” he said. “And she’s been very good to me on a personal level as well. When I was having some personal problems, Anna was always there for me. She’s very maternal and caring to people she cares about."

View Slideshow ›