Vogue turns oil spill into fashion

Vogue Italy's August edition frontcovers models in the midst of an oil spill. A shoot by Stephen Meisel, a photographer now infamous for his fashion shoot amongst soldiers in Iraq back in 2007.

In case you are interested:

Kristen McMenamy (...) keeps her skin golden thanks to Self Tan Face Bronzing Gel Tint (to wear alone or with foundation): it takes care of the skin, while giving it a hint of color. Carbon, anthracite, and all of the earthy shades "dress" her eyes: Quick Eyes Cream Shadow, cocoa shimmer, a long-lasting cream eye shadow, worn with brown High Impact Mascara, and her lips feature a nude look. All by Clinique. Tulle dress with beaded embroidery, Ralph Lauren Collection. Rubber necklace, My Sister's Art. Hair by Orlando Pita for Orlo Salon. Make-up Pat McGrath. Fashion editor Karl Templer. Set design by Mary Howard.

And I guess "Oil courtesy BP?"

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The Taliban makes it to the catwalk.

In the shortstory "In Pace", I predicted one day the Taliban turbans would become mainstream fashion.

Looking at this picture, found in a NY Times article on fashion, it seems my prediction came true.

How often is this not the case: A certain culture, pops up as a violent opposition to mainstream society and then is gradually absorbed into the same mainstream culture which adapts ever so quickly but changes ever so slightly.

Che would turn in his grave if he knew his image was used as a fashion statement these days. Don't know if the Taliban would be happier neither... ;-)


Pictures courtesy catwalk.com, rockymountainnews.com

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News: Louis Vuitton Sues Darfur Fundraiser

The Paris based fashion house Louis Vuitton has filed charges against Nadia Plesner, a Dutch 26 year old student artist for selling posters and t-shirts of a Darfur victim, holding a designer bag inspired by a Louis Vuitton design. All of the profits were going to charity.

Nadia said: “I started this campaign because of the distorted way the media prioritizes between big and small world news. How can Paris Hilton make more front covers than the genocide in Darfur? So, I “pimped” a victim, to see if it worked. And it did!”

Louis Vuitton now demands $7,500 (5,000 Euro) for each day she continues to sell Simple Life products, $7,500 for each day their letter is published on the website and $7,500 a day for using the name “Louis Vuitton” on her website. In addition they want her to pay their lawyer costs and $15,000 to cover other expenses they have incurred in protecting their ‘intellectual property’. (Full)


More posts on The Road about Darfur.

Source: Torrent Freak
Picture courtesy Nadia Plesner.

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Rumble: Gorbachev and Louis Vuitton. The end of communism as we knew it. Or not?

Apparently this ad has been around for a while, but I only noticed it yesterday, spread over two pages of the Alitalia inflight magazine: Former Soviet leader and USSR president Mikhail Gorbachev now makes publicity the French luxury label, Louis Vuitton.

The ad shows Gorbachev in a car with a Vuitton bag at his side. The picture is rather dark, suggesting the gloomy ages of the Cold War and Communism. Gorbachev looks through the window at the Berlin Wall, depicted in the background.

There is an interesting twist to the whole thing:
Poking out of the bag is a publication with the headline (in Cyrillic): "The Murder of Litvinenko: They Wanted to Give Up the Suspect for $7,000.", referring to Alexander V. Litvinenko, the former KGB spy who died last November after being poisoned with a radioactive isotope. On his deathbed, Litvinenko accused Russia's President Vladimir Putin of orchestrating his murder. The British authorities accused one of Litvinenko’s associates, Andrei Lugovoi, of the crime and requested his extradition from Russia. The Kremlin refused.

So it looks like Gorbachev outsmarted everyone: He (being well paid, no doubt) used a luxury "Western" fashion label to give a hidden critical message to the current Kremlin rulers. Maybe communism has not died after all... Or he is just trying to follow the footsteps of Putin, who is after all, said to be Europe's richest man...

Picture courtesy photographer Annie Liebovitz, Louis Vuitton and AP. Source: NY Times

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News: Make Love, Not War

Vogue published a series of pictures from fashion photographer Steven Meisel approaching the war in Iraq from a different and rather unique angle. 


Some see it as distasteful, others see it as criticism on the war, others see it as pure commercialism. Whatever it is, it is controversial in a world often dominated by conformism.
 
More pictures from the "Make Love, Not War" series, you find here.

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