WHY AM I ALMOST UNMOVED BY YET ANOTHER FIERCE PHOTO OF POSH....

Victoria Beckham graces the cover of yet another magazine in yet another fierce outfit with yet another fierce pose.

USA - Perhaps I am just having a jaded moment (though I am such an optimist that I am optimistic I am not...), but I can't squeeze an ounce of enthusiasm for this Elle cover. It's great - don't get me wrong. But at this point, Posh is starting to feel like a one-trick pony. When it comes to fashion this footballer's wife has come, has seen, and has conquered (with loads of inspiration from womenswear designer, Roland Mouret along the way.) But what else my dear? How can you share the transformative power of really good clothing (a miracle that has already changed your life, or at least elevated your status) with the masses beyond designing $3,000 knee length dresses? It's time to offer a little more than just being posh.

CLEARLY STEVEN MEISEL HAS A THING FOR DIRT & SASHA PIVOVAROVA

After the homeless chic story they did for W Magazine, the legendary fashion photog gets dirty - again - with Sasha Pivovarova  + Co. for Vogue Italia.

Milan - Dirty chic must be in for Steven Meisel these days. After a huge spread in the September 2009 issue of W Magazine highlighting the stylish side of homelessness, the legendary photographer carried the theme over to Vogue Italia. Meisel shot not one, not two, but three covers featuring Anna Jagodzinska, Will Lewis, Ash Stymest, Jamie Bochert and of course, Sasha Pivovarova who also worked with Meisel in the W Magazine homeless chic fashion spread. On each cover, the models pose in pairs or trios with luxurious clothes which are made to look worn and pancake make up which is applied to make them look like a troupe of dusty, thirsty vagabonds. The shoot was styled by Karl Temper with makeup duties going to Pat McGrath. [story and images from designscene.blogspot.com]

Fashion Without Fashions: W Magazine Explores Homelessness

W Magazine releases images of a homeless inspired photo shoot  from its upcoming September Issue. We can't decide: Tacky or Tasteful?

usa - Leave it to a fashion magazine. In any other medium, exploring homelessness would mean in-depth interviews, following up with local politicians and including a quote or two from national charity organizations. For W Magazine: it meant draping models in tissue paper from Dior, paper bags from Prada and odds and ends from Chanel. The shoot, which was shot by Craig McDean and styled by Alex White, features model Sasha Pivovarova. W gets brownie points for an interesting concept and - per usual - beautiful imagery. But are we the only ones who think a chic twist on homelessness is in poor taste?

THE MAJOR FASHION MOMENT REVEALED: CHANEL, JORDAN, SESSILLEE

Chanel Iman, Jourdan Dunn and Sessilee Lopez Grace the September Cover of i-D.

london -a few months ago both chanel iman and jourdan dunn tweeted about a "major" moment in fashion and a surprise cover. that should have been clue enough for some fash insiders to guess. now the secret is out: the two young models, along with others: jourdan dunn and arlenis sosa will grace the cover of i.d magazines september issue. the iconic photo features all four girls with corset-inspired tops, figure hugging skirts, matching black gloves and shimmery makeup. it was shot in london by emma summerton and styled by i-d fashion director, edward enninful. besides featurig four of the hottest models of the moment on one cover, i.d's september issue is distinctive for yet another reason: it is the only, non-urban magazine to opt for women of color on its cover. kudos. [story and photo via nymag.com]

AMBER VALLETTA DOES V MAGAZINE

Hedi Slimane shoots Amber Valletta for the September issue of V Magazine. The model talks projects, GAMER, and sports an eclectic mix of labels (H&M and D&G).

usa - just a little eye candy on a saturday evening. (perhaps not the kind you'd like as midnight nears, but alas.....) clare richardson styles amber valletta in some very basic brands: uniqlo, h&m, levi's and emerges with a not so basic shoot. everything in these photos works for me. what say you? the issue debuts on newsstands september 1st.

THE MYTH OF KATIE HOLMES AS A FASHION ICON JUST GOT BELIEVABLE....

Katie, along with Kate, Vanessa and Natalie pose on the cover of AnOther Magazine. Masterful.


worldwide - what kind of awesome marketing work is this? can someone hand her agent a gold star? whoever pitched tom cruise's wife for the cover of another magazine deserves a standing ovation. For the first time in a long time, I actually believe the marketing ploy: katie holmes is a fashion icon. please get into the fierce face she is serving, the snatched hair, and the dramatic structured collar. she is actually wearing azzedine alaia, one of my absolute favorite fashion icons. in my opinion this cover marks the end of the debate: katie holmes is a genuine fashion icon. what's a good stylist, without a great muse who can channel the look. and a great muse holmes has become. she shares cover girl duties with kate moss, natalie portman and vanessa paridis. they each grace separate covers, celebrating "a decade of style" for another magazine.

THE BEST MICHAEL JACKSON COVER - PERIOD!

GQ magazine places the King of Pop on the cover of it's September issue.


new york - okay, so maybe the tag line "when michael jackson was cool," definitely didn't help the case any. (but truth be told between dangling babies on the balcony and masking his entire face, michael didn't help his own case any either. let's just stand in the truth.) but i digress....a quick scan of this cover on the web reveals a laundry list of blogs from coverawards.com, to crunk and disorderly who strongly dislike the cover. some feel it's too late (after all, michael died weeks ago) while others feel it's a touch snarky (the cover line and tone of the article.) but we here at the blay report think this is the best cover - period. it catches michael at his height: looks, fame, style and goes on to share never before seen images with readers which highlight one of michael's most important contributions to pop culture: his style. i'm all for it. good job gq.

YOU SEEN IT FIRST: COLOR ME LINDA BY V MAG

Here is a quick taste of what will be in the V Mag issue #61 hitting news stands September 1st.

new york- kids, you remember linda evangelista don't you? back in the day, mamma was legend for changing her looks more times than naomi campbell changes her cellphone. she proves the point to perfection in an upcoming issue of v magazine. check out this sophia achval styled portfolio, shot by sebastian faena. good job all. the supermodel (alas, one who truly deserves that moniker) wears marc jacobs, y-3, chloe, gucci and more in the multi-page

Terrence Phearse

Sessilee Lopez Does Harper's Bazaar "From Seventh Avenue to Sesame Street"

One of our favorite models dons this seasons hautest looks, accompanied by fashion legends like Wang, de la Renta, Lim, Herrera and...Elmo?

usa - gotta be honest, since i'm a slight stan for sessilee lopez at the moment, i saw absolutely nothing wrong with the photo shoot below. then i spoke with my younger sister, zeba blay. this astute young photographer was kind enough to point out how absolutely simple this shoot was - and i don't mean the good kind. i love the styling and the pairing of a young model with established designers, but at what point during the editorial meeting did it become clever, brilliant - or at the very least, okay - to incorporate the cast of Sesame Street into the mix. Where is the connection? I can almost understand what the creative powers at Harper's might have been going for: a light hearted combination of couture and cartoons. but like oil and water, some things just don't mix.

MIUCCIA PRADA IN W MAGAZINE

The woman behind the threads unabashedly speaks to W magazine for their September issue, touching on everything from fashion to family.

new york - so many alluring september issues i can't wait to finger through, so little time. but one in particular that's sure to be interesting is w magazine's september issue, featuring a compelling interview with the fascinating miuccia prada. the designer, who speaks with no hesitations about her own empire, is always notoriously tight-lipped when it comes to other subjects; she does not publicly name designers or celebrities that she admires (odd?) nor does she publicly speak her sons' names. on the economic crisis, she says, "you have to be more and more yourself. what is really selling is what is really prada. you cant do some generic bullsh*t". and on the recent scandal of pictures of her husband seemingly getting cozy with another blonde, she undauntedly replies, "gossip is everywhere, so what do you do?" she expresses her fondness for "six girls, really well dressed" at this year's biennele, but before divulging details on one woman's ensemble, she sternly instructs the w writer that it's off the record. she also discusses design inspirations for her fall lines. all that juice and much more, coming to a newsstand near you!

–sydney cannon

[image via frllr]

SPOTLIGHT ON: AZZEDINE ALAIA PHOTO SHOOT IN T-STYLE MAGAZINE

The legendary African born couturier, Azzedine Alaia is honored with a special spread in T Style Magazine

new york - mommy, money, love and alaia - these are the top things that make me smile - genuinely - from the inside out. the latter, of course, is the esteemed azzedine alaia, the tunis born designer who made his mark in paris. as a young ma alaia, who hails from a family of farmers, moved to paris where he began babysitting. the job allowed him to simultaneously further his passion for creating couture while attracting a clientele of wealthy french mothers who were drawn to his bold aesthetic. he moved on to work in the atelier's of fellow legends like mr. christian dior, mr. guy laroche and ( i diiiee for this man) mr. thierry muglier. in the 1970s alaia spun off to start his own atelier out of his apartment on rue de bellechase. for the next 20 years he operated exclusively out of there attracting a devoted following which included grace jones, tina turner and greta garbo. while he continues to be popular today, alaia reached a zenith in the 1980s. since then he's partnered with prada, been honored with numerous retrospectives and has attracted a new list of devoted fans including madonna and our first lady, michelle obama. the new york times style magazine recently did a style retrospective on him which featured a beautiful photo shoot starring model sessilee lopez. the clothing, lighting, styling, hair, make up - all of it - is supreme and worthy of the amazing talent it seeks to highlight. kudos to andrew richardson, the stylist, alasdair mclellan, the photog as well as didier malige who did the hair.

HOW MUCH DO WE LOVE AGYNESS DEYN AT MICHAEL JACKSON?

HARPER'S BAZAAR reveals six page tribute to Michael Jackson, starring super model Agyness Deyn.




new york - and i for one love it! this is hands down one of the best, freshest, funnest interpretations of michael jackson's style. the six page spread was shot for the september issue of harper's bazaar and pays homage to iconic bits from the king of pops wardrobe like the sparkling glove and military-style jacket. this is the first time i have been able to see -vividly - the charm and energy that has catapulted deyn to the top. good job to the model and all involved.

VOGUE ITALIA GOES BACK TO BLACK....ARE YOU SURPRISED?

italy - i mean, after what i am guessing was an enourmous amount of buzz, publicity and most importantly - advertising dollars - the italian edition of vogue is relaunching it's iconic "all black issue." if you remember (but then again, how could you forget!) the issue featured black models, from front to back in addition to features that highlighted trends and personalities in the black community. a year later, a highly anticipated follow up is in the works. weeks before it launches, they've leaked the news of a special insert which will be included: barbie - and ofcourse, not just any barbie - black barbie! the insert looks back on the history of the dolls which first launched in 1967. the issue is currently out on newsstands, so run - don't walk - to pick it up.