I always expect Spring ads to lighten the mood, wipe the palate clean, rev up my fashion engine. Prada's Spring images do just that. Not only was the beachy-chic collection stellar, but the house chose a fresh face to represent: Lithuanian model Rasa Zukauskaite. Snapped by Steven Meisel, the white backdrop allows the ghostly floral prints, covetable handbags, coquette pigtails, acid green shades, and juicy-red lips to do their thing. Another winner in my book.
>> The trend of using uniform, indistinguishable models has been taken one step further this season: a couple of prominent brands have chosen to crop their models' heads out of ads, eluding any recognizability. Two out of three Prada Spring 2010 ads out so far show a model, the upper half of her head lopped out of the picture, with bag swung over her shoulder; the third ad finally shows her full face, revealing her to be Rasa Zukauskaite. And in Phoebe Philo's first campaign for Celine, shot by Juergen Teller, the first photo out includes four bodies, but no heads or feet at all. Perhaps further down the line the faces of Lisanne de Jong, Carmen Kass, Jacquelyn Jablonski, and Valerija Kelava — all said to be Celine Spring 2010 faces — will be revealed?
Taschen releases 100 Contemporary Fashion Designers, a two-volume compilation of profiles on the established and the young.
Fendi introduces the F Factory during Art Basel Miami, a limited-edtion retail outpost for custom versions of the brand's most popular bags.
The latest and greatest designer blogs.
Karl Lagerfeld still refuses to sell Chanel online in order to protect the brand.
Swarovski challenges menswear designers to create bejeweled ready-to-wear for the boys.
Lithuanian model Rasa Zukauskaite lands Prada spring 2010 campaign.
Guccio and Alessandro Gucci launch a handbag company called To Be G.
Valentino The Last Emperor makes the Oscar short list in the Documentary Features category.
Source: Tashen
