From Fashist
UK Elle Apr 06 [info]
[SIZE=-2]Posted on March 8, 2006 at 05:34:49 AM by Cathy
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As requested - I bought the new issue at lunchtime, so I'll slip in a quick mention; excuse the crappy format of this post. Cover is Christina Aguilera, as seen in scan at fashionspot.com. While the styling has lots of tacky elements, overall, I like the cover shot because it has a strong impact.
372 pgs (big for an April issue)
UK issues come with free bag in a choice of three different metallic covers (gold, silver, bronze) though I could only see the gold one in shops.
Nothing different has happened to the overall layout or style of the magazine, but thanks to the theme of Karl Lagerfeld's guest editorship, Chanel products are promoted in nearly every 'buy this stuff' article.
Bella Freud shows us her wardrobe... a focus on show to wear shorts... 'The Karl Lagerfeld diet'... 'Chanel's new muse' which looks like a two-year-old rehashed article from French Elle with Anna Mougliais... 13 pg section about the Elle Style Awards 2006, with lots of pics of celebs who turned up like Charlize Theron and Mischa Barton... stylist Rachel Zoe talk about her clients...3 pg Kiefer Sutherland interview...
The editorials are described as 'Karl Lagerfeld's exclusive portfolio' and start with:
PARIS BY NIGHT, a 12 pg series shot by the man himself and starring Lily Cole. Some shots are b/w while others are simply the model against a backdrop of black shade. The clothes are boyish tailoring.
WHO'S THAT GIRL continues the Aguilera story with pics by, yep, Karl in the same mood as the cover, plus a 3 pg accompanying article.
24 HOURS WITH KARL LAGERFELD does what is says - it's a 6 pg series of small images of the man going about his business of creating the collections together with an article that gives hourly updates describing what he's doing.
RULE BRITANNIA has Rosie Huntington-Whitley playing a posh-girl punk, hanging around her ultra-tidy bedroom in luxe versions of what Sex Pistol groupies would have worn; stripy jumpers, Union Jack bikinis, men's clothes.
SELMA TALKS FASHION which really means 'Selma interviews Proenza Schouler'. 4 pgs
WHEN GILES MET KARL which is a 4 pg interview, done at Lagerfeld's bookshop &l, with portraits shot by Lee Jenkins.
DANCING QUEEN moves away from the Lagerfeld-frenzy, because it's just a 10pg studio-shot editorial with Jorgelin @Select and Ania @ Storm in leotard-inspired fashion.
YOUR PRETTIEST SUMMER HOLIDAY is a nice outdoors editorial, 8 pgs of Ksenia Markova and Julie Henderson in white clothing.
No special beauty editorial, just a lot of backstage shots of looks.
OVERALL: This issue is like some super-concentrated version of UK Elle, with the contents equating to six ordinary issues of the magazine. I haven't seen it make such an effort to bring us big-name articles and collaborations in years. After years of regular purchasing, I recently quit seeing this magazine as worth automatic purchase - but this issue is worthwhile