W December 2012 : Marion Cotillard by Tim Walker

[Mat Cyruss]

"Flooded. Gregory Crewdson-inspired spread styled by @edwardenninful in December @wmagazine" Looks like Natalia V
instagram.com/minniemuse

Natalia Vodianova for @Wmag December 2012 styled by @EdwardEnninful

twitter/nayla_alnaimi

 

[Melancholybaby]

^I honestly don't get the point of this post. Is there a picture my browser isn't showing?

 

[Mat Cyruss]

nope, it's simply a confirmation, that it's really Natalia in this ed

 

[ChrissyM]

i think this cover's going to be really striking in person... can't wait to get it in the mail

 

[Neely]

I really really like what W is up to these days
It seems it's almost the only mag I'm buying lately

 

[jexxica]

I couldn't get tired of seeing her in so many covers. She never dissapoints.

 

[Phuel]

People here complain, and even want Emmanuelle Alt dismissed at Vogue Paris. I think Stefano Tonchi is doing a much, much, much poorer job than Alt (not that I think she's doing a poor job at VP). At least she's consistent, and makes her editorials look expensive and polished-- he's all over the place, rarely delivering a full-impact (the last really impressive editorial from W for me was the Fassbender/Mia one). I don't know how well W is doing, but his direction is so schizo and weak, it's tepid at best. I always feel he's trying to be all things to all readers, with very mainstream, almost catalogue-editorials at times-- then he tries to be creative by having these fantasy/fairy-tale editorials at other times-- that only end up looking messy and cheap.

This cover is another example of his very tepid, weak direction. Marion always looks so good, so she sells herself. The all-red is... nice, but it's nothing new; Tom Ford's done it much stronger and better for his own campaign this season. It's the hands that bug. This is a perfect instance where photoshop would really aid in defining those hands coming out of the red "walls" to create a stronger, sharper, and more graphic composition. As it stands, it's like a student project that needs further refining-- albeit a student project with a very expensive wardrobe and high-profile subject, but still lacking, still amateur.

Tonchi's a very weak editor.

 

[TREVOFASHIONISTO]

^although you are voicing your opinion, I don't agree. Stefano is consistently delivering an amazing magazine month after month. His ability to combine celebrities, fashion, and art and not make it repetitive or boring by using celebrities that aren't always the obvious choice. W has definitely taken a younger direction, but I think they are doing an amazing job. Far better than V and Harper's Bazaar imo

 

[jmrmartinho]

^Being a big Alt fan I dont agree with you.
Tonchi might not be the most concistent editor but this is impressive. Theres alwasys something exiting and new in every W issue. Its generaly that magazine that Im always exited for and also the only american magazine that takes risks.
This cover (even tho not in a good resolution) is amazing. The all-red looks expensive and creative in here on the oposite side Tom Ford campaign looks boring, ugly and over photoshoped.
My only complain in his work is the lack of models in the cover (its an american magazine but still) and the inconsistency on his editing but his vision for the magazine is trully exiting and its getting better and better, 2012 was such a great year for W.

 

[valliaddict]

^^^I also don't agree . W, Love, & Antidote are the three magazines that always deliver strong content imo.

 

[vogue28]

W's one of the most inconsistent magazines out there. Their issues are forgettable and erratic for me. Aside from Model Mania from November, Joan and Karlie's Meisel shoot has been the magazines best, since Tonchi started. W doesn't have a strong enough identity, considering the number of competing publications. Edward Enninful has put his aesthetic into the magazine.. that's it.

 

[Phuel]

^although you are voicing your opinion, I don't agree. Stefano is consistently delivering an amazing magazine month after month. His ability to combine celebrities, fashion, and art and not make it repetitive or boring by using celebrities that aren't always the obvious choice. W has definitely taken a younger direction, but I think they are doing an amazing job. Far better than V and Harper's Bazaar imo

Really? Are his choices for celebrities that different from any other mainstream magazines? Penelope, Fassbender & Charlize, etc and now Marion... These are but a few examples, but they've all been on covers of other mainstream magazines so many times, so it's not like W took the risk and lead. I guess I just don't like how timid he is as an editor: His middle-of-the-road approach and lack of distinctive identity for the magazine; it's the equivalent of a film or album that tries to have a bit of everything to keep up with the trends and to cover all the bases. It's colorful-- but not much else, instead of being tightly edited with a strong concept. I like my editors to be more aggressive, taking more risks and being provocative and daring. And on a purely superficial note, the graphic design for this magazine is so cheap-looking with terribly bland composition, it brings down whatever sleekness the editorial may have-- kind of like the salesgirl dropping your Hermes purchase in a WalMart plastic shopping bag.

I do agree W is leagues ahead of magazines like American Harper's Bazaar and V-- but those 2 are really at the very bottom of the heap, so that's not saying much.

 

[ALAUU]

^ I've never really viewed American fashion magazines as being particularly progressive or daring. They're too mainstream for that. I didn't like Tonchi's early work for the magazine, but this year he's put together some stellar covers and pretty good editorial content. Even if he puts a lot of mainstream celebs on the cover, at least he knows how to work with them well so that they produce beautiful, memorable covers, which is something I feel magazines like HB and Vogue rarely do nowadays.

 

[Phuel]

^^^ I agree that American magazines have a very different sensibility than their European counterparts. It is a tough job walking that fine line between appealing to masses so your magazine sells, and still retaining a sense of freshness and excitement to create buzz for your magazine. I suppose that's why I don't buy any of the American publications because they're not able to walk that fine line-- or chose not to. American Interview is the exception. Fabien and his team remains one of the strongest-- not just in the US, but on an international level. Who but Interview would put Lil' Wayne, or Jay-Z (without Beyonce) on the cover? And thank the magazine gods they've yet to stoop so low as to put boy bands, or Gaga... (yet). Things were so dire when Ingrid Sischy was heading it without Fabien, she was turning Warhol's Interview into US or People...

 

[Fiercification]

And on a purely superficial note, the graphic design for this magazine is so cheap-looking with terribly bland composition, it brings down whatever sleekness the editorial may have-- kind of like the salesgirl dropping your Hermes purchase in a WalMart plastic shopping bag.

You bring up some really good points Phuel. I always feel like I'm walking a tightrope when analysing Tonchi's W, particularly because I had such admiration for the publication when it was under McCarthy and Freedman and still do treasure the editorials. So whoever were to follow on would never be able to live up to the aforementioned duo in my books.

In recent months I have been trying to dissect what it is about Tonchi's W that irks me. Initially I pinned blame on Edward Enninful, but he seems to be slowly regaining a grasp of how to create a solid fashion story (although he is inconsistent and can slip into horrendous cliches at times; see Joan/Karlie by Meisel and most of his work in the last March issue). So that leaves Tonchi himself...or whoever actually handles the art direction. There's something I really dislike about the magazine's layout. What really bugs me is when the fashion credits literally swallow the pages of some of the editorials. They already have an index, so why list absolutely everything?

It would also be better if they stopped trying to imitate the original calligraphy that appeared in editorial, because frankly it's sub-par. Although I understand the team are trying to pay homage. I have other smaller gripes with the written content; I miss the snappy tone that the articles (as irrelevant as they could be) and interviews had in the previous era.

W does still excite at times, but I often think that that has to do with how comparatively lackluster the publication landscape has become in the last two years or so. It's better than every other US publication, save for Interview. Marie-Amélie Sauvé should be contributing more often; particularly as she has a title at the magazine.

I do applaud the magazine mixing it up with the photographers and in particular for pushing racial diversity in the model casting (I wish every other fashion publication would open their eyes already ) though.

Let's see, it's still relatively early days for the reboot and things are getting progressively better. I'm just hoping for some consistency at the very least.

 

[JessicaKarina]

I agree with the fact that W is very diverse and almost eccentric with the casting they do for editorials

 

[Psylocke]

I don't really think Tonchi is doing a bad job, I just think W is extremely inconsistent. I thought this year's March issue was absolutely brilliant, probably my favorite issue of any magazine ever. But then there are so many issues where I just can't get excited about anything. Also, the magazine offers no interesting written content at all so it's hard to really become a loyal reader when it depends solely on the quality and visual appeal of the fashion editorials whether or not you buy an issue. I do think Enninful adds a lot to the magazine and I consider W one of the better US fashion magazines currently, and especially model casting-wise they are doing a great job, but I can definitely see where the criticism regarding Tonchi's lack of a direction for the magazine is coming from because I agree that he is all over the place.

 

[Phuel]

W does still excite at times, but I often think that that has to do with how comparatively lackluster the publication landscape has become in the last two years or so. It's better than every other US publication, save for Interview. Marie-Amélie Sauvé should be contributing more often; particularly as she has a title at the magazine.

Exactly! Because American fashion magazines have to appeal to the masses-- which like their fashion pretty and safe, the result is a bland, homogenized asembly-line output. W does seem to make an effort in giving something more than just what the likes of AMerican Vogue, Elle, Bazaar and V are doing-- but that doesn't make it great. It's like saying it's the best-- of the mediocre bunch... (I won't bring Canadian magazines into the fold, because they're even more dire and by-the-numbers worse than the weakest of American magazines. So yes, if you think Bazaar is the worst, take some time to peruse Flare, Fashion or Elle Canada.)

With W, I always fell the potential leading up to some possible greatness, but most of the time-- miss the mark. It can't be the high-profile photographers, because their work with other magazines are always stronger. And as much as I don't prefer Enninful's type of styling-- which is too cluttered and department-store for my taste, he has definitely defined his brand of styling (his success seems to be that his styling is very wearable and relatable to women), so I can at least appreciate that. And the art department is only as strong as the editor allows--and encourages them to be. So the blame is with Tonchi. I feel he simply cannot commit, dedicate, or enforce a sense of direction for the W brand, so he throws it all out there, and hopes something at least sticks. That lack of direction and consistency may be mistaken for variety, but it's an easy cop-out; his "creative" direction/approach comes across passive and aimless to me.

To keep in topic with the Dec cover, which is such a perfect example of his non-committment to a strong direction. Marion is a fashion editor's dream; that face, her sense of the dramatics and the camera worships her: she's in a classic high fashion pose in iconic Dior-- yet those hands timidly coming out of the seamless are so-- timid, weak and distracting, when it should-- and meant to be strong and dramatic. Tonchi can't seem to decide if he wants a modern classic image, or a whimsical-theatrical image, and he isn't strong enough to pull off a fusion of the two. It would have looked much better without the hands in this case. I can appreciate his efforts, but his final results-- which is all that matters, is so awkwardly amateur for someone in such a high-position, it's unacceptable. Well, to me at least.

***As for the credits in the editorial: I'm glad they're an accompaniment instead of relegated to the back-pages. Designers, new and established, need the exposure for themselves/houses, and smart fashion directors like Enninful realizes that to keep the credits along with the editorial is a positive gesture and goodwill on the magazine's part. And Enninful is also a courteous gentleman who does not shortchange the designers he pulls from-- unlike some other more high-profile stylists, who can be very underhanded and nasty.

 

[t-rex]

Review -

Marion is shot by Tim Walker, styled by Jacob K. Editorial is lots of red and a Nutcracker man.

Wild Ones
Photographed by Emma Summerton
Styled by Giovanna B
Models Jasmine, Zen S, Anmari, Franzi M, Liza Golden

Sleep No More
Photographed by Mert and Marcus
Styled by Edward Enniful
Model Natalia V

Come As You Are
Photographed by Craig McDean
Styled by Marie-Amelie Sauve
Models Julia Nobis, Natasha Poly, Kirsten Owen, Maria Bradley, Jamie Bochert

 

[anlabe32]

Sounds like a great issue, but i'm not a fan of the McDean cast.