V Magazine #133 Winter 2021 : Madonna by Steven Klein

[kasper!]

The last cover I remember is the W magazine cover with her boyfriend Jesus Lutz.....

 

[vladhatesyou]

it's no coincidence they released these covers just in time for halloween lmao

 

[ah ah]

Why Madonna? Is she still relevant to someone? Seems fashion is getting stuck in the past...

 

[Karl Boucher]

Madonna should be retired since 1998

 

[Phuel]

Why. Won't. She. Pack. It. In?
Damn it, where is the clap emoji when you need it!

Honestly, how many times have we seen this? Yeah ok, so the photography, concept, and whatever styling one can gauge from this is flawless. But who is asking for this in 2021? Erotica is over years ago. The ship has sailed. Just age gracefully. This is the difference between Madonna and Sharon/Jane. The latter two are confident in their age and they embrace nudity, but in a tasteful manner that befits their age. They don't do it to trend on Insta.

It's interesting that Madonna only appears on magazines whose EICs are her superfans. They all want to relive their memories of fanboying her. It's comical. Who are the women editors who give her covers? Glenda Bailey who had no taste?
Maybe it's because female editors realise what a caricature she has become and want nothing to do with that.

Well, the one positive thing I can say about current-day Madonna is that, at least she’s not releasing Christmas and standard family albums, or relegated to Vegas revue churning out her greatest hits to the aging gayz. Not that any of this I’m-so-down-with-the-kidz antics, regurgitating her past glories in these sort of instantly forgettable shoots— and looking hilariously younger with the retouching than when she debuted in 1983, are any better. She’s become as much of a caricature as Michael Jackson these days, sadly. And that there are some of her aging gay sycophants whom constantly praise her current, less-than-impressive efforts reminds me of how the Michael Jackson loons that will always deny any of his shortcomings and dismiss any criticism as simply “negative” energy; And the irony is, that these M fans were the ones that would mock the MJ loons for their slavish devotion; or even mock the Little Monster/Lambs for their blind organized fanaticism to their Queens— are now behaving exactly like the fanbases that they once mocked. I can’t imagine being a 30yo - 50yo gay and not finding her current antics a tad embarrassing. (Even this accompanying interview is hilariously full-blown ego-stroking: Me, me, me… I’m such a brave artist, struggling through the physical pain to give you the cheap theatre dinner experience of Madame X. My god, Madame X couldn’t fcuk off soon enough.)

One of the most candid and honest statements Madonna ever made, that left such an impression on me when I was little was her 1992 Vogue interview at the cusp of her unleashing the untouchable SEX/Erotica era: She said that those fans that loyally wait by her apartment for just a glimpse of her “aren’t the brightest bunch”. When asked what would she say to them, she candidly said what no star of her status would ever say to the people that made her rich and famous: “Strike out on your own. Think for yourself. Do something with your life instead of waiting to see me.” That was the women I adored. Nowadays, she seem to have completely given in to her own hype and seem to only want the braying sycophants around and with her. She has unintentionally become Norma Desmond reliving/recycling/revising her past glories. …Like this shoot: It looks nice enough on a superficial level— but so dated and so same old same old… So much for a woman who claimed once that she would never repeat herself nor do the same things twice. She hasn’t evolved: She’s devolved. And she’s such an ageist herself by the looks of these shoots and the company she keeps, despite accusing everyone that doesn’t praise her of being ageist LOL

And you know, having said all that about her, her past work remains even more untouchable in comparison to her last several year' output. She was glorious, and the will never be taken away from her.

 

[Horizontina]

She looks like Doctor Doofenshmirtz built an evil machine called the Madonnator and he threw her in and this came out.

 

[phungnam96]

The level of retouchism... far too much

 

[Xone]

Anything else on this issue? Editorials?

 

[MDNA]

is that you Rita? horrible covers btw.

 

[matsudaseiko]

is that you Rita? horrible covers btw.

not this, this is the cheaper beyonce to be precise......chuckle

 

[mepps]

Finally was able to snag a copy of the now iconic Madonna in Bed cover, which is pretty much sold out everywhere in Manhattan.

I at first headed to Iconic Magazines in Soho, but they only had the other two, which I had no interest in. However, one of the guys who works there, tried to sell me the Bed one, which he apparently had hidden in the back, for $40! I politely declined, but I wonder how many others said yes. It's kind of sleazy, and probably illegal, but everyone has a hustle.

Anyways, kudos to Madonna for still being able to cause a commotion, and sell out magazines. Her power still astounds.
At the end of the day, the pictures are cool, but it's the interview that steals the show, and it did not disappoint.

 

[Zorka]

ETERNALLY ELSA PERETTI
Photography: Nathaniel Goldberg
Styling: Anastasia Barbieri
Hair: Laurent Philippon
Make-up: Tom Pecheux
Model: Edie Campbell



vmagazine.com

 

[Zorka]

THE SURREAL WORLD: THIS SEASON'S COUTURE IS JUST LIKE MAGIC
Photography: Sølve Sundsbø
Styling: Gro Curtis
Hair: Laurent Philippon
Make-up: Maria Olsson
Models: Ajok Madel & Malick Bodian



vmagazine.com

 

[helmutnotdead]

Goldberg + Barbieri + Edie Campbell. The result is pure gold. Absolutely fabulous!

 

[aracic]

ETERNALLY ELSA PERETTI
Photography: Nathaniel Goldberg
Styling: Anastasia Barbieri
Hair: Laurent Philippon
Make-up: Tom Pecheux
Model: Edie Campbell

vmagazine.com

In an alternate universe, this is printed in the November 2021 issue of Vogue Paris under Emmanuelle Alt. It's a better universe.

 

[mepps]

Collectors Box Sold Out

 

[Deleted member 141309]

Shame to Klein and Madonna, Edie Campbell ed easily blows it out of the water. What an amazing model she is.

 

[YohjiAddict]

Thanks god Edie Campbell came to save this issue! The cover story is such a joke, the editing is so poorly done, I could do better on my phone!

Madonna's interview comes-off as sad to me, getting to 63 and still being so incredibly self-absorbed and impressed by yourself. It's like listening to a 3-year-old speak, at least then it's justified to be full of yourself.

The way she speaks about her artistic output during the last few years verges on parody, you would think her music is that of Arvo Pärt or Ravel. The ghost of Martha Graham (whom she cannot stop name-dropping) should slap some sense into her.

 

[balmain1914]

is this miley cyrus?

 

[amby]