mario testino

>> Candice Swanepoel has been Victoria's Secret's go-to girl in the last few months — she was on the brand's holiday and swim catalog covers, and figured prominently into last year's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show as well. After Mario Testino shot her for VMAN's Winter 2010 issue (declaring, “Candice is an amazing new find for me. Gorgeous, free, fun. I decided to do the whole trip on her visiting Denmark. She was awesome and did not feel inhibited. She made the shoot an amazing experience. The guys were in awe of her.”), many guessed that she was well on her way to being the next Victoria's Secret Angel to cross over into high fashion.

And it seems like that's the plan. She's on GQ UK's February 2011 cover with a smattering of fellow Victoria's Secret models, but she also just popped up on the February 2011 Vogue Italia cover — quite the coup — shot by Steven Meisel and styled by Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele. Will we see her on a choice (non-Victoria's Secret) runway next?

>> John Galliano stuck to his staples for Spring 2011 Christian Dior couture — a retro silhouette, this time inspired by illustrator Rene Gruau, and perennial Dior face Karlie Kloss opening, introduced to the audience with a rotation of the set. Mario Testino, Stella Tennant, Lou Doillon, Pedro Almodovar, Patrick Demarchelier, and Azzedine Alaia were all front row to take in the show, and Galliano took his bow in a cropped black wig and red-striped black tuxedo pants. Backstage, Martha Streck Tweeted, the models — including Iekeliene Stange and Angela Lindvall, who both made appearances — had to pose for Demarchelier afterwards.

>> A trio of first campaigns have popped up for Spring 2011: Shu Pei Qin's premiere ad as a Maybelline model; Peter Copping's first ever Nina Ricci ad image, featuring Malgosia Bela shot by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin at New York's Greenwich Hotel ("She looks contemporary, modern, sensual — all those things I see for the Ricci woman,” Copping explained); and Alexander Wang's first ever print ad, featuring Aymeline Valade shot by Craig McDean. Although Wang doesn't like his four images, styled by his show stylist Karl Templer and creative directed by Fabien Baron, to be called a campaign. “We restrained from using those words, because you set yourself up for doing things in a systematic way — like rolling out ads in the magazines certain times of the year,” said the designer, who instead uses the term “image piece.” All those — and for good measure, the full Spring 2011 Versace campaign, featuring Abbey Lee Kershaw by Mario Testino — in the gallery.

>> Vogue is treading new cover girl territory, what with Kristen Stewart on the February 2011 cover and upcoming Vogue covers for two more first timers — Lady Gaga and Rihanna — but the Stewart cover also marks another first: Proenza Schouler's first Vogue cover. And the coup doesn't stop there — Stewart wears Proenza exclusively in the cover story, including outtakes.

Stewart first wore Proenza in November 2009, at the London Twilight Saga: New Moon premiere, but Lazaro Hernandez says that he and Jack McCollough hadn't met her physically until when they were photographed by Mario Testino together for the Vogue cover story. "She's very the girl we have in mind when we design," he added. "It's cool to see Kristen in the clothes because she's not 'the lady,' and that's exactly who we see in those clothes."

>> Crystal Renn is following up her Chanel and Jean Paul Gaultier campaigns last season with another campaign one-two punch for Spring 2011: Jimmy Choo and the newly-released DSquared2 set, in which she is joined by Anna Maria Jagodzinska, Sun Fei Fei, Hailey Clauson, and Monika Sawicka. Put that together with the new Missoni Spring 2011 ads, which feature the Missoni family along with Leighton Meester and social personalities like Tatiano Santo Domingo and Camilla Al Fayed, Freja Beha Erichsen's Valentino ads, a first look at Mariacarla Boscono for Loewe, and Sarah Burton's first Alexander McQueen campaign featuring Lindsey Wixson, and you've got the sum whole of the latest Spring 2011 ad campaigns.

>> After seasons and seasons of Carmen Kass-fronted ads, Michael Kors has switched to another Estonian-born Karmen this season: Karmen Pedaru, who Kors paired with Simon Nessman for his Spring 2011 ad campaign. “They’re both youthful and elegant all at once — which makes them so very Michael Kors,” the designer explained. A first look at that — plus Daria Werbowy for Celine by Juergen Teller (left), and Lara Stone exercising her Calvin Klein exclusive for the second season running — among the latest batch of Spring 2011 ad images.

>> In the latest round of Spring 2011 ad campaigns to pop up, Crystal Renn nabbed a starring role in Jimmy Choo's colorful, colorblocked set shot by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin; Baptiste Giabiconi sprays Freja Beha Erichsen and Stella Tennant in their Chanel suits with a water hose; and Ellen von Unwerth, who first found fame photographing Claudia Schiffer for Guess, is back for another round with the brand.

2010 was no small year for Puerto Rican model Joan Smalls. The woman known for her endless legs, powerful stare, and personal charm has walked the runway of every major fashion designer, including opening the Jason Wu and YSL Spring 2011 shows. Mario Testino, Steven Meisel, Patrick Demarchelier, and David Sims have all shot her in editorials. She appeared in Gucci's Pre-Fall 2010 ad campaign and just recently signed on to be the new face of Estée Lauder. Phew. And it goes without saying that she's completely stunning. Here's a slideshow of some of our favorite Joan Smalls moments thus far.

>> Donatella Versace loves her some January Jones: Jones has worn Atelier Versace on a number of red carpets, the Spring 2011 Versace show was delayed by more than 45 minutes while waiting for Jones to arrive, and now she's appearing in the brand's Spring 2011 accessory ads, wearing solely Versace bags, shoes, sunglasses, or eyeglasses.

“I am always on the lookout for the next Versace blonde . . . and in January I feel I have found a perfect Versace woman for the 21st century,” said Versace. “She is chic and elegant but deeply sensual too.” Mario Testino shot the black and white images in London, with Jones's hair and makeup referencing her role in the '60s-era Mad Men.