W Dec Cameron Diaz - The Earl of Grey review
Source:
http://the-earl-grey.livejournal.com/
edit #1 sasha by mcdean. as demonstrated in several w edits since 2005, sasha & mcdean have some of the best chemistry of any model & photog right now. if you havent yet taken to sasha you really should get a look at this smashing edit. she boasts everything that a 21st century supermodel should have- an attractive, beautiful face, features & body; but much more than that, an edge, a distinctiveness, an offbeat beauty & glamour that is new, novel, unique & so very NOW. sasha has that in spades, especially as shot by mcdean, and i think its why a few people still dont 'get' her. they think she has an orphan or homeless quality. well the only way i can say it is that the vulnerable, little girl, troubled look that carmen kass patented in the late 90s has been taken over & also surpassed by sasha since 2005. its a very eastern euro look, childlike & exotic at the eame time. as i recall sasha has been superb in every w shoot this year, and mcdean seems to be her best accomplice. that is true & then some in this swoonsome edit, a studio shoot in colour with lots of girly yet very sexy looks, mainly minidresses. alex white styled & its up to her usual high level of excellence- some of the best work youre going to see in any fashion magazine, american or other in 2006. really every look is great but they include margiela [twice] , fendi, marc, chanel, lanvin, versace, , giles, V&R & prada. mcdean shoots these looks to perfection incl getting a bravura performance out of sasha incl some challenging & unexpected side/profile shots. its funny how lots of us vogue studio shoots look dumb with the girls acting up and jumping around like brainless monkeys as meisel or sims or whoever shoot them. but here its not dumb at all. sasha is seriously sexy, look at the prada fendi & versace pics espec to illustrate her come hither poses that are part lolita and part sex on a stick. I suppose there are still some people who dont 'get' sasha but I got her immediately & i think mcdean shoots her poss better than anyone else. this is really a stunning studio shoot to close out w's 2006 year & in this partic story sasha, mcdeans pics & white's editing are basically out of this world, it just couldnt be any better than what they delivered, given what they tried to do here. sasha is a strong contender for #1 model of 2006. rating 9 of 10.
edit #2. fabien baron shoots his own swedish summer home. the generally clean & airy aesthetic that baron's art direction boasts extends to his photos. some may find this edit a bit flat or droll but i think its a nice representation of an aesthetically spare yet sophisticated architectural project. theres a lot of love in these pics for the landscape, his home, his family....its a strong architectural/lifestyle shoot in W if not exactly a blammo homerun like some of the castles & other decor we've seen in 2006 & before. but its a sophisticated shoot & it also says a lot about baron's style & mindset too. rating 7. 4 of 10.
edit #3/cover cameron diaz by mert/marcus. cameron has dark hair; shes pretty bronzed tanned; and i think she just got a nosejob. i was a big fan of her modelling...gosh was that like 1990 when she was with elite? and then as she became a famous actress by mid-late 90s she still kept a certain sensual appeal, the rolling stone hot issue silver bikini sticks in my mind. after so many run-ins with papparazzi, & various other media stories that i think she came off less well in, she comes with a lot of media baggage but given all that i think mert/marcus actually did quite a good job with her - better than youd really expect. shes shot in malibu i guess, although some of the craggy rocks & stuff almost look like ibiza or the mediterranean. m&m have done some kate moss shoots like this, espec in b&w, that were all time classics since like 2003-04 in w. I think they kind of replicated that style of 'stretching classical sexy bikini girl' with cam's poses here. as good a model as she was in 1991, she was never kate moss & shes still not. these are good for cam but fall short compared to M&Ms legendary classic w kate & other shoots. alex whites looks of tse odr ck & ralph work well, white fabric vs cams dark hair & tan, so its sexy but its just not through the roof like the b&w looks on kate that Im sure many of you recall fondly. the ralph sequined gold pants that create a mermaid look are pretty hot & smartly styled, altho i guess it also makes me think of darryl hannah in splash. the sheer ck blouse pic is prob hottest & give cam credit shes still legit sexy after quite a few years playing that role. but cam is also coming up short here vs several classic film & photo allusions....shes ok tho- some people will say shes still really sexy ...i see this as a good & generally creative celeb/actress sexy edit but by no means something that wildly impresses me & while M&M worked smartly here, they def did not make an all time classic, as they have def done in past with kate, julia & lots of others. decent celeb edit but actually a little slumming for W. 7 of 10.
VERDICT: theres lots of good social/party stuff in the middle of the book. the arts was ok but not that important. theres also a lot of euro s/s 07 pics which were really great, prada and lots of other shows. I may go back & examine those & the social pics & even the ads a bit more. so with all that & a stunning & exemplary sasha/mcdean leadoff shoot this is surely a very good or better w. the euro collection pages are significant & the sophistication of the baron home shoot was nice too. cameron gave them a celeb/actress cover/edit & M&M did a nice job but its lacking compared to the sasha shoot or past M&M triumphs. still a very pleasurable dec w & I think as i tally up the best us edits of 2006, w is going to have at least 5 of the 10 best & is surely my #1 best american magazine in any genre. make sure you see sasha by mcdean !!!!!!! ONE STRONG THUMBS UP
