Inez van Lamsweerde

>> INSIDER WIRE —The Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin-only issue of Vogue Paris has been confirmed as the August 2009 issue — not only are they the only photographers for the issue, but the magazine has decided to use the same concept they did for their February 2009 Lara Stone-only issue: Inez and Vinoodh worked with Daria Werbowy alone. As for the September 2009 issue, the cover is rumored to feature a "radical model makeover," with the subject's hair dyed from its usual blonde hue to black. [WWD, The Imagist, TFS, TFS]

>> ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL —The first of many Fall 2009 Gucci ads has dropped, this one featuring Anja Rubik. Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin still did the photographing honors, but the look is a hard-edged change from the pastoral, verdant ads of seasons past.  Expected in upcoming images: perennial Gucci faces like Jacquetta Wheeler, Raquel Zimmermann, Freja Beha Erichsen, Natasha Poly, and Abbey Lee Kershaw, with a few surprises — Myf Shepherd, Dree Hemingway, and Jamie Bochert. [TFS, TFS, TFS]

>> INSIDER WIRE —Some are surprised that Fabien Baron is being welcomed back at Interview, given the magazine's financial state and that Baron was originally let go because he was going over budget.  Apparently, fashion director Joe McKenna — who is expected to leave — cancelled a recent shoot on grounds of nonpayment, creative directors Michael Amzalag and Mathias Augustyniak of M/M Paris quit because they are owed three months pay plus expenses, and a number of retouchers and photographers are owed, including Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, who have not been paid for their August 2009 cover story. [FWD]

>> INSIDER WIRE —Carine Roitfeld dedicated the entire February 2009 issue of Vogue Paris to Lara Stone, and now it sounds like an upcoming issue of Vogue Paris will be dedicated to Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin — they are photographing the entire thing, cover to cover.  Recent rumors have placed the duo shooting Jacquetta Wheeler with Shalom Harlow and Sessilee Lopez with "the fastest rising new Asian star on the scene" and a recent VP cover girl for the magazine — perhaps it's all for this issue? [TFS, The Imagist, The Imagist]

>> THE MODELIZER —Rumors are circulating that Vogue Italia is taking extra measures to keep its covers secret until they come out — apparently they've starting using nondisclosure forms forbidding anyone working on set from leaking details — but apparently there's no such policy for Vogue Paris. Sessilee Lopez tweeted about a Vogue shoot she did with Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin today, and COACD confirmed it was for Vogue Paris — her first with the magazine.  No word on whether it's for a cover or inside the book. [TFS, TFS, SessileeLopez Twitter, COACD Twitter]

>> THE MODELIZER —Talk in the last week has centered on which model might be poised to give Raquel Zimmermann a run for a place on top of the heap — Lara Stone or Natasha Poly — but her Fall 2009 campaign run is shaping up well so far — she's shot Gucci and Jean Paul Gaultier, both with Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, Giorgio Armani with Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, and Hermes with Eric Valli — all supposedly before she bleached her hair.  Speaking of the new hair, the first editorial with it on display appears in the July 2009 issue of Vogue Nippon, captured by Mert and Marcus (above). [WeLoveModels, TFS]

>> We found out a couple of weeks ago that Frida Giannini chose nine models for the Fall 2009 Gucci campaign, and now we've got more details.  Apparently the designer is quite taken with London and decided to have her usual campaign photographers Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin do the honors in a north London studio; she's even picked to feature native Londoner and 1999-2000 Gucci face Jacquetta Wheeler (left, Fall 1999).  “We’re in London, so of course I had to have an English girl.”

Joining Jacquetta in the campaign are Raquel Zimmermann, Natasha Poly, Freja Beha Erichsen, plus Myf Shepherd and Abbey Lee Kershaw, whose television commercial for the brand's Flora fragrance, which was filmed over four days in Latvia last July and created using more than 20,000 fake flowers, just debuted.

Three faces are left to be named — Lily Donaldson is likely one of them, since Frida likes to stick with the same girls and Lily has been in at least two of her campaigns.  Plus, a Gucci spokesman advises that the upcoming campaign will be similar to past seasons, “a continuation of Frida’s Gucci generation."
*image: source

>> ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL —Scott Schuman recently nabbed his first major fashion campaign for DKNY Jeans, and now another cult street photographer, Tommy Ton of Jak & Jil, has been tapped by Chinese luxury retailer Lane Crawford to take over shooting its ad campaign from Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin. The store's fashion director, Sarah Rutson, is known as a tastemaker, so who knows what her blessing will bring Ton in the future, but it's safe to say that streetstyle bloggers are gaining traction in the ad market. [NYT, Jak & Jil]