W July 2009 : Bruce & Emma Willis by Steven Klein

[Miss Dalloway]

It really is shameful that there is no other edit in this issue, i can't believe it! W has been lacking for a while now, but this year in particularly!

 

[retailqueen]

fashions mags becoming tabloids.

 

[ettebe]

I enjoyed the shoot. I found it different then most of the other ones in the past W issues.

I guess I am bias seeing I do sort of have a thing for "bondage"

 

[clocked]

i can't say i'm excited to get this in the mail based on the cover/main edit....so sick of celeb covers in W

 

[BerlinRocks]

fashions mags becoming tabloids.

i sincerely think W is having a hard time ... since some times, now ...
and if they're chosin celebs is certainly to try to have the head over the pool's surface ...

but maybe there's no reason to ALWAYS hire Steven Klein - Meisel is certainly the VI omnipresent God, but he has the power to be multiple-face - to shoot celebs !

What really lack W those days is CREATIVITY and ORIGINALITY !
They often delivers good stuff .... But it's not enough ...

I remember when not so long ago, they had Gondry to shoot Julianne Moore (? what is her ?) or a special Kate Moss with different artists and photog' ...

Where are they going ?

And OMG, I checked the last issue .... this was SOOOO thin !! *EDITED*

I still don't understand why magazines in troubles (W is obviously in big troubles) never try to give another chance to their magazine and reborn (with a different format, different photog' etc.).

 

[Les_Sucettes]

Magazine covers, not just W's are getting more and more random. Who cares about the willis's .I also thought this girl was some daughter that I hadn't payed attention before...

 

[j'adorekapusta]

but maybe there's no reason to ALWAYS hire Steven Klein - Meisel is certainly the VI omnipresent God, but he has the power to be multiple-face - to shoot celebs !

to me Steven Klein does amazing work which may be repetitive (i prefer to think of it as being continuous). but he clearly very much depends on the object he works with. the problem with his recent W portfolios is that the people he shoots don't do much justice to the talent and efforts put in the production (contrary to some amazing stuff he did with models for Arena Homme Plus i.e.) here the pictures are good, but this couple um... doesn't really deserve it in terms of not being able to make it work.
and here comes a quite reasonable question. why on earth should they get an editorial like this (and i'm not speaking about the celebrity aspect here)?

 

[Luxx]

^ I have to say that I actually think Klein's style was a good choice given that Bruce is currently pushing his latest sci-fi vehicle and as an actor he has a history of doing very cerebral science fiction vehicles in addition to his action work. His latest film deals with androids and science vs. man so I feel as though Klein was the right photographer in that his work also addresses those themes.

That said the story was interesting but not 100% up to snuff and it was odd seeing it on the newsstand. I had to process it because it was just the opposite of anything I was expecting.

 

[vavavinny]

I first saw the pictures on E! News last night and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Ryan Seacrest kept on mentioning how "shocking" and "provocative" the photos are and then they did a teaser and showed the "most shocking" photo at the end. The whole time I thought to myself the writers at E! must have never picked up an issue of W in months , because I've seen the same editorial in every issue of W since the beginning of the year! And there is NOTHING shocking, provocative, or innovative about it, even if Bruce PERFECTLY fills in those yummi nude boxers briefs !

Yes, Klein is an excellent photographer who has a certain style and executes that ouevre quite well, but I think it's time for him to draw inspiration from some different sources! As far as I'm concerned, the whole bondage gang bang editorial is a vintage concept! There is nothing appealing to me about taking a random Hollywood star and giving them a dungeon dominatrix make-over. It's almost like the new Warhol society portrait !

I think M&M need to return to shooting W stories. Their work for the magazine has been stellar in the past and I really think the editorial pages need a sprinkling of their magic fairy dust. I can't wait to see the rumored Kate cover/ Lara, Guinevere, Edita edit. W has been really disappointing as of late and I would like to see the same creativity and vision the magazine used to be known for make a comeback.

 

[j'adorekapusta]

^ I have to say that I actually think Klein's style was a good choice given that Bruce is currently pushing his latest sci-fi vehicle and as an actor he has a history of doing very cerebral science fiction vehicles in addition to his action work. His latest film deals with androids and science vs. man so I feel as though Klein was the right photographer in that his work also addresses those themes.

i didn't mean the Willis couple was not suitable for the concept, it's just their presence in this particular edit lacks something (is it 'modeling skill'? is it edge? sorry, i don't know). they look confused, rather than convincing; stoned, rather than confident. i am sure everyone did their best on set and both of them delivered in a certain way. but then again, there's something that tells you, 'here are two people who look fantastic but they don't really belong there'.

Yes, Klein is an excellent photographer who has a certain style and executes that ouevre quite well, but I think it's time for him to draw inspiration from some different sources! As far as I'm concerned, the whole bondage gang bang editorial is a vintage concept! There is nothing appealing to me about taking a random Hollywood star and giving them a dungeon dominatrix make-over. It's almost like the new Warhol society portrait

that's what i meant in my first post. getting this situation of an object being overwhelmed and swallowed by the concept doesn't do much justice neither to the people the photographer portrays, nor to themselves.

 

[pinksatin]

I first saw the pictures on E! News last night and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Ryan Seacrest kept on mentioning how "shocking" and "provocative" the photos are and then they did a teaser and showed the "most shocking" photo at the end. The whole time I thought to myself the writers at E! must have never picked up an issue of W in months , because I've seen the same editorial in every issue of W since the beginning of the year! And there is NOTHING shocking, provocative, or innovative about it, even if Bruce PERFECTLY fills in those yummi nude boxers briefs !

I saw that too while I was eating lunch today and then my issue came in the mail. It is funny how they act like it's something to blush about. Since they made such a fuss, I was hoping there was more to the issue that I'd enjoy that they didn't mention, but sadly there wasn't. W has been one of my favorites forever but it seems so many issues lately leave me looking forward to the next month. Not because I enjoyed the current one, but because I'm wanting more from them. It just isn't satisfying or stimulating or inspiring in the same way that it has been in the past. I guess it also doesn't help that the book has been so thin lately.

 

[DVEP]

I'm loving this shoot, actually. It fills my kink quota for the day...

 

[Mchunu]

i actually quite like the cover, but i really do wish it was a model cover.

 

[Deslin]

ugh do not want.

 

[CocoW]

I love W magazine but I'm getting really bored of how thin the issues are (I'm taking it this is a small one too if Bruce is the only editorial) at the moment. This year there has been a real lack in fashion content.
Buying it in the UK is pretty expensive compared to other mags and it's starting to feel like a waste of money.

That said I do like this cover but I don't buy W to see Bruce Willis, I need models too.

 

[chaneladdict]

^ i too am tired of how thin all the issues are, but they still charge the same price?? This issue along with the Ginnifer Goodwin one are two of the weakest I've ever seen them produce. Why do I need to see Bruce Willis's young hottie wife's boobs? Give me some fashion instead.

 

[kiki<3]

i liked bruce's ed

 

[Kanna]

No models' ed.. That's the reason I'll never buy this issue

Yet Bruce and his wife's ed is pretty good. Steven Klein settled his style as controversial and provocative.

 

[dfl-001]

What's with the clowns in the pictures?!?
Looks like someone trying to get over a childhood fear of clowns.
Rabid clowns! Really! Uh...

 

[KKnardi]

ok? did somebody say money...?