In Flight

Supermodel Jourdan Dunn never fails to deliver the goods with each and every editorial appearance. American Vogue's September issue features the magnificent Brit in an only-girl editorial lensed by David Sims. Dunn looks sublime sporting a chin grazing bob and a super lean physique. I never tire of Dunn because she is the very embodiment of elegance, sophistication and refined beauty. As with model Liya Kebede, I predict that the best is yet to come from Dunn following her hiatus from modelling in December 2009 to give birth to her son Riley. Dunn looks as alluring and fresh as the day when she was discovered as a sixteen year old whilst shopping with a friend in Primark.

Jourdan Dunn
US Vogue - September 2011
Photographer - David Sims
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

Mix & Match

Model veterans Liya Kebede and Liisa Winkler join forces with newer faces Julia Nobis, Carla Gebhart, Juliane Grüner and Milou Van Groesen for Balenciaga's Fall/Winter 2011 campaign. Steven Meisel captures each model individually in a futuristic-looking black and white tiled change room and then collectively as the models traipse up and down the arched hallways of an old-world cathedral. The combination of established and newer faces is a master stroke of casting genius very much in sync with designer Nicholas Ghesquiere's futuristic vision with references to the past.

 Juliane Grüner, Julia Nobis, Carla Gebhart, Milou
Van Groesen & Liya Kebede

Juliane Grüner, Carla Gebhart, Julia Nobis, Milou Van
Groesen & Juliane Grüner

Julia Nobis, Juliane Grüner, Carla Gebhart, Milou Van
Groesen & Liisa Winkler

Milou Van Groesen, Juliane Grüner, Carla Gebhart,
Julia Nobis & Carla Gebhart

Julia Nobis, Juliane Grüner, Carla Gebhart & Milou Van Groesen
Balenciaga - Fall/Winter 2011
Photographer - Steven Meisel
Source - fashiongonerogue.com

Amazing Grace

Fashion's finest turned out at New York's Indochine restaurant in celebration of American Vogue's creative director Grace Coddington's 70th Birthday. Shalom Harlow, Naomi Campbell, Stella Tenant, Liya Kebede, Caroline Trentini, Isabeli Fontana and Karlie Kloss amongst others paid tribute to Coddington in an evening that was marked by genuine warmth, emotion and camaraderie. Photographer Bruce Weber and Marc Jacobs made heartfelt tributes whilst model Karen Elson serenaded Coddington with a moving rendition of Amazing Grace after recalling how Coddington took her (Elson) into her office as a scraggly seventeen-year-old red head during her early modelling days.

Grace Coddington
British Vogue - August 1962
Photographer - Unknown

Grace Coddington's 50th Birthday at Indochine in 1991

Grace Coddington & Shalom Harlow
Photographer - Hannah Thomson

Grace Coddington & Karen Elson

Coddington herself began working as a model for Vogue at the age of seventeen when she won the young model division of a Vogue modelling competition. After a few years of modelling, Coddington began working for British Vogue as a stylist. Coddington spent nineteen years at British Vogue as the Photo Editor before moving onto American Vogue in 1988 joining forces with Anna Wintour in the role of creative director. 

As one of the world's most influential fashion editors, Coddington's brilliance lies in her ability to transform photographic spreads into narratives. In an interview with Time Magazine, Coddington surmises, "I like fairy tales, and I like dreaming. I try to weave the reality into the dream. When readers pick up Vogue, I want them to smile. Everything should be a little tongue in cheek, a little dare to-go-there." Editor in Chief of American Vogue Anna Wintour, perhaps sums it up best, "I think of Grace as the heart and soul of the magazine. She is a beacon of excellence."

Pat McGrath, Karen Elson, Anna Wintour,
Edward Enninful &Naomi Campbell
Photographer - Hannah Thomson

Olivier Theyskens, Hedi Slimane & Stella Tenant
Photographer - Hannah Thomson

Karen Elson & Stefano Pilati
Photographer -  Hannah Thomson

Karlie Kloss & Grace Coddington
Photographer - Hannah Thomson

Caroline Trentini, Liya Kebede & Isabeli Fontana
Photographer - Hannah Thomson
All images courtesy of vogue.com

Legends of Fall

Runway-shy Claudia Schiffer has gone on record in an interview with Vogue UK as saying that "Designers are very clever at trying to persuade me to do it (fashion shows) each season and it's flattering that they do, but nothing would change my mind...Nothing, definitely." The recent Fall/Winter 2011 shows however saw the return of several other former catwalk godesses.

Supermodels Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell and Amber Valletta, all made return appearances to the runway at Louis Vuitton. Natalia Vodianova was seen at Givenchy and Hakaan, whilst Stella Tenant and Liya Kebede popped up at Balenciaga's Fall/Winter presentation. Carmen Kass showed off her moxie with a newly cropped bob at Michael Kors, Zac Posen and Isabel Marant, and Karolina Kurkova, Angela Lindvall, Erin Wasson and Isabeli Fontana also appeared in Michael Kors' runway extravaganza to celebrate his 30th year in the business. 

Chandra North made a welcome return to the runway at Reed Krakoff, however it was fellow model Danielle Zinaich who stole the show. Zinaich, who burst onto the modelling scene in the late nineties, was ubiquitous, appearing at Hakaan, Balmain, Chanel, Reed Krakoff, Michael Kors, Emanuel Ungaro, VPL and Louis Vuitton. Zinaich's unique, unadulterated beauty made her the cool girl of the season. Amidst a sea of newcomers, the return of Zinaich et al. serves as a reminder to us all of what it truly means to be Super...

Danielle Zinaich
Balmain F/W 2011
Photographer - Monica Feudi

Liya Kebede
Balenciaga F/W 2011
Photographer - Monica Feudi

Carmen Kass
Michael Kors F/W 2011
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

Chandra North
Reed Krakoff F/W 2011
Photographer - Monica Feudi

Erin Wasson
Michael Kors F/W 2011
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

Stella Tenant
Balenciaga F/W 2011
Photographer - Monica Feudi

Angela Lindvall
Michael Kors F/W 2011
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

Amber Valetta
Louis Vuitton F/W 2011
Photographer - Monica Feudi

Kate Moss
Louis Vuitton F/W 2011
Photographer - Monica Feudi

Isabeli Fontana
Michael Kors F/W 2011
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

Naomi Campbell
Louis Vuitton F/W 2011
Photographer - Monica Feudi
All images courtesy of style.com

Fall/Winter 2011 New Faces Josephine Skriver

Danish newcomer Josephine Skriver has had a Fall/Winter 2011 season that can only be described as impeccable. Seventeen year old Skriver captured the attention of casting director Russell Marsh at the pre-show castings and consequently walked in only the most prestigious of shows  including Calvin Klein, Prada, Gucci, Preen, Carlos Miele, Phillip Lim, Ruffian, Dolce & Gabbana, Emilio Pucci, Salvatore Ferragamo, Sportmax, Etro and Just Cavalli. Represented by Marilyn Model Management in New York, Skriver stands at 177 cm in height and has cobalt blue eyes, flawless skin and a pillowy pout. Skriver is one of the most exciting modelling prospects that I have seen in recent times. Blessed with angelic features, Skriver has the kind of natural, healthy looks and glow that the industry has been yearning for. When I look at Skriver, I get the same feeling that I got when I first laid eyes on Natalia Vodianova, Karolina Kurkova and Liya Kebede. Mark my word, this girl is going to be Major! 

The Next Big Thing
Photographer - Billy Kid
Source - fashionising.com

Photographer - Billy Kid
Source - fashionising.com

Best Behaviour S/S 2011 Campaign
Source - bellazon.com

Rough Diamond
Source - coacd.com

Preen F/W 2011
Photographer - Alessandro Garofalo

Prada F/W 2011
Photographer - Monica Feudi

Rag & Bone F/W 2011
Photographer - Monica Feudi

Calvin Klein F/W 2010
Photographer - Marcus Tondo

Carlos Miele F/W 2011
Photographer - Alessandro Viero
All runway images courtesy of style.com