A Matter of Principle

Photographic duo Inez Van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin have released a photographic retrospective of their greatest work to date through Taschen, entitled "Pretty Much Everything". The hefty monograph consists of two volumes, featuring 666 photographs from their work for publications including Paris Vogue, V Magazine, various art projects, and from campaigns for the likes of Balenciaga and Yves Saint Laurent.

Van Lamsweerde and Matadin are well-known for their steadfast loyalty towards a motley crew of models including Kate Moss, Guinevere Van Seenus, Raquel Zimmermann and Daria Werbowry amongst others. Of particular interest is the duo's  policy of not photographing models under the age of 18. In an interview with style.com, the pair outline the reasons behind their age conscious decision.

IVL: We saw this happen to so many models, especially with girls. They start at 14 and everyone says to them "Wow, you're incredible. You're so skinny. You look like a boy." And once that girl is 18 and she is finished growing, all of a sudden it was like, "Oh, she's fat."The poor girl. She's just growing. We felt it was unethical to support that. You get judged anyway and it's not easy. You have to really know who you are first. And at such a tender age - between 14 and 18 - you're figuring out who you are.

Style.com: But also I love seeing these girls like Malgosia who get older and just get better.

IVL: Yeah, more beautiful and more interesting. And as they grow, we grow with them. You never get bored of shooting someone that has made an interesting life for herself. What's exciting for us is when someone is not afraid to be someone else, and it takes character to be able to do that.

With the modelling industry's cast away attitude to last season's faces, I have complete admiration for Van Lamsweerde and Matadin's nurturing and principled approach towards their models. The images featured below from the CFDA Journal, illustrate the duo's ability to magically capture each model as a human being rather than an empty vessel ready to be discarded at whim.

Guinevere Van Seenus

Jamie Bochert

Anne Vyalitsyna

Isabeli Fontana

Doutzen Kroes

Dree Hemingway

Candice Swanepoel

Arizona Muse

Raquel Zimmermann

Freja Beha Erichsen

Anja Rubik

Natasha Poly
CFDA Journal Portraits 2011
Photographer - Inez Van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin
Source - inezandvinoodh.tumblr.com

A Fine Line

Was it only a year ago that Karl Lagerfeld's artful imagery set a new standard for the traditionally risqué Pirelli calendar? This year Pirelli returns to its provocative roots, enlisting the talents of photographer Mario Sorrenti, who is well-known for creating sensual images for Paris Vogue, V Magazine and Purple. Amongst this year's alumni are models Kate Moss, Lara Stone, Joan Smalls, Isabeli Fontana, Saskia de Brauw, Malgolsia Bela, Edita Vilkevicuite, Natasha Poly, and Guinevere Van Seenus. Actresses Rinko Kikuchi, Magareth Made and Milla Jovovich also disrobe for Sorrenti amongst the beautiful remote landscape of Murtoli in Corsica. 

Of his approach for the Pirelli shoot, Sorrenti reveals to WWD, "You know, originally, I was going to do very sexy pictures, and when we got there I realised that I didn't want the pictures to be sexy at all... I didn't want them to be posing and arching and like sticking their boobs in my face or anything like that." Sorrenti, a former model himself, explains his approach to nudity in an interview with Glenn O'Brien at the Pirelli calendar press release, "I always thought about taking off clothes as a way of getting closer to the individual and the person, and of getting something that was more honest and pure."   

Joan Smalls

Joan Smalls

Edita Vilkevicuite

Lara Stone

Saskia de Brauw

Isabeli Fontana

Guinevere Van Seenus

Saskia de Brauw

Edita Vilkevicuite

Isabeli Fontana

Rinko Kikuchi

Natasha Poly

Kate Moss

Guinevere Van Seenus

Malgosia Bela
Photographer - Mario Sorrenti
Source - fashionista.com

Stark Contrast

Steven Meisel shoots some of modellings most compelling faces for W Magazine's September issue. A cast of supers, current tops and faces of tomorrow make up the cast of chameleons assembled for the editorial entitled "Transformers". Linda Evangelista, Raquel Zimmerman, Karen Elson, Jamie Bochert, Jessica Stam, Aymeline Valade, Fei Fei Sun, Guinevere Van Seenus and Candice Huffine pose for a duo of portraits, first as they see themselves and then as their alter egos. The results are magnificent with each model undergoing a dramatic transformation thanks to the creative genius of Meisel and stylist Edward Enninful. The September issue of W marks Enninful's first full issue as the magazine's fashion and style editor, and if this is an indication of things to come I will be anticipating each issue with abated breath.

Linda Evangelista

Linda Evangelista

Raquel Zimmerman

Raquel Zimmerman

Karen Elson

Jessica Stam

Jessica Stam

Aymeline Valade

Aymeline Valade

Candice Huffine

Fei Fei Sun

Fei Fei Sun

Guinevere Van Seenus

Jamie Bochert

Jamie Bochert
W Magazine - September 2011
Photographer - Steven Meisel
Source - models.com

Meisel's Menagerie

Steven Meisel assembles a diverse group of Supermodels and up-and-coming stars for US Vogue's August 2011 edition. The eclectic group consists of familiar and newer faces ranging in age from twenty to forty six years. The cast of models includes veterans Kristen McMenamy, Audrey Marnay, Guinevere Van Seenus, Liya Kebede, Raquel Zimmerman, Karen Elson, together with faces of the moment; Candice Swanepoel, Miranda Kerr, Arizona Muse, Fei Fei Sun and Anais Pouliot. Each model has posed previously for Meisel's lens hence the editorial title "Double take".

Liya Kebede

Kristen McMenamy

Audrey Marnay

Candice Swanepoel & Miranda Kerr

Fei Fei Sun

Raquel Zimmerman

Arizona Muse

Karen Elson

Guinevere Van Seenus

Anais Pouliot
US Vogue - August 2011
Photographer - Steven Meisel
Source - models.com