Balenciaga's Spring '10 ad campaign couldn't be any more different than its previous. For one, Fall '09 featured actress Jennifer Connelly. This one features models Iselin Steiro and Mirte Maas, shot by Steven Meisel. I guess it's out with the old and in with the new at the house of Balenciaga! I'm digging all the vivacious colors from the Spring collection; the only problem I have is that gargantuan horizontal model in the back. Artistic, perhaps, but kinda distracting. What do you think?
>> 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?
>> With a track record of Lanvin ad campaigns that are never like those of any other house, Alber Elbaz wasn't going to ruin his reputation for Spring 2010. Instead of the prostrate model shots that have become so prevalent, Elbaz asked for "a bit of action." Hence, Jamie Bochert, photographed by Steven Meisel running through the hall of a studio in New York. “She moved so fast, even the chandelier was moving with her,” Elbaz noted. Perhaps he was inspired by Bochert's recent 12-block chase after a thief? She was successful in reclaiming her bag: “That’s the kind of girl I like." Interestingly enough, you wouldn't know it was Jamie from this first image — her face seems to have escaped the lens.
Lanvin also went with a new concept for the men's side of things. Instead of just employing married couple Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin to do the photography honors, they star as well. “He’s not our model,” Elbaz said of Matadin. “We just photographed him in our clothes, and it becomes very believable. Also, to see him through the eyes of his wife and to see the love story between them — it’s a very emotional campaign.” Of the red airbrushing on Inez? “It took two hours to paint."
You don't know how glad I am that Mr. Jacobs decided to leave the afros on his Spring Louis Vuitton runway. This way, his Spring muse and our model of the year contender, Lara Stone, can shine on. Snapped by Steven Meisel, Lara is basking in a nature-infused world. Artistic Director Marc Jacobs explains: "Because the collection loosely took its cues from the idea of the New Age traveler, we decided to create a green, outdoorsy set that would evoke a spirit of peace and love. To model the clothes, we wanted a modern, iconic, sexy beauty . . . It had to be Lara Stone." Bardot-esque hair, wooden clogs, tufts of fur, and white doves — do they make for a dreamy campaign?
>> As rumored, Louis Vuitton chose to go with Lara Stone for Spring 2010, rather than bring Madonna back for her third consecutive season. Antoine Arnault, Vuitton's communications director, explained: “After two seasons with such a huge star, Marc [Jacobs] decided to take a breather and work with a model — and not just any model. It’s the choice of a new supermodel.”
Steven Meisel, who took over the Vuitton campaign three seasons ago from longrunning Vuitton photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, captured Stone surrounded by doves (perhaps carrying on a thread of his Fall 2009 Lanvin campaign with Kristen McMenamy in the midst of black cats). Arnault described the six images, which break in February magazines, as fresh, summery, whimsical, young, and optimistic.
UPDATE: More images can be seen here.
>> Steven Meisel co-opted the Twitter phenomenon for the last Vogue Italia issue of the decade — December 2009 — and rechristened Twitpic "Meiselpic" for his purposes. Inside the issue he wrote to his 20 model "followers" under a blurred portrait of himself — surprising, as the photographer is reclusive and does not like to be photographed himself —"Feeling a touch swine flu . . . so not coming to work today. I'm sending you some clothes . . . wear what you like, Meiselpic it back to me. xxSteven." What comes next — and is featured on the cover — are twenty pages of model self-portraits in the style of Twitpic. Lara Stone took the below picture of herself and "Twittered" underneath: "I love my new boobs. Werk!!" A pregnant Gisele snaps herself in lingerie, covering up her bump, and "Tweets": "Privacy is beautiful!" And Freja Beha Erichsen, who's not known to be a Meisel favorite, makes a surprise appearance, as well.
You may have noticed the Sugar Network has kicked off its Best of 2009 goodness. It's December and that means it's time to take a look back at the year in fashion, celebrities, and shopping. Share your '09 favorites — the news, trends, models, designers, celebrities, and musings that rocked your world this year.
I kicked things off with this visual splendor from Prada and Steven Meisel — these Spring ads were one of my favorites from the year. There are already a bunch of groups you can join and explore, and please — start some new ones! Here's a helpful guide to creating in case you need some clarification.
>> Models Photograph Themselves for Vogue Italia's December 2009 Twitter Cover Story —Steven Meisel devoted the January 2007 issue of Vogue Italia to webcams and YouTube, and for the magazine's last issue of the decade, it's all about Twitter. So far, only the December 2009 cover has surfaced, featuring Kasia Struss alongside iconic top models Lara Stone, Natalia Vodianova, Christy Turlington — and in a surprise, the currently close-to-the-end-of-her-pregnancy Gisele Bundchen — but word is that the models on the cover and in the accompanying editorial inside all photographed themselves, in an ode to Twitpic. [TFS, TFS]
>> Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Dolce & Gabbana Campaigns Under Way —Last week, Gucci wrapped its Spring 2010 ad campaign shoot in Miami, with Emmanuelle Alt styling once again, and this week, it sounds like Louis Vuitton and Dolce & Gabbana are taking care of business. Mary Alice Stephenson Tweets that Vuitton is shooting today in New York — Lara Stone has reportedly replaced Madonna for the brand, with Steven Meisel on photo duty — while Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce left for New York earlier today for their ad campaign shoot — funnily enough, Madonna is said to be on Dolce & Gabbana menswear duty this upcoming season. [@LiveFashionWeek, @maryalicestyle, @stefanogabbana]
>> Rianne ten Haken, Meisel Darling Once Again —Rianne ten Haken, who appeared on her first Vogue Italia cover back in December 2003, has definitely been welcomed back into the Steven Meisel fold. After appearing on a number of top Spring 2010 runways — Proenza Schouler, Versace, Jean Paul Gaultier — with a shock of red hair, Rianne now boasts a set of back-to-back Vogue Italia covers in her portfolio. She appeared with Karlie Kloss for October 2009, but for November 2009, it's all solo. [Models.com]
![Balenciaga Fall 2011 Ad Campaign with Liya Kebede [Video]](http://media1.onsugar.com/files/2011/07/28/1/166/1668379/f20b0f27ea1cea7e_balenciaga.xxlarge/i/Balenciaga-Fall-2011-Ad-Campaign-Liya-Kebede-Video.jpg "Balenciaga Fall 2011 Ad Campaign with Liya Kebede [Video]")
![Prada Fall 2011 Ad Campaign by Steven Meisel [Video]](http://media4.onsugar.com/files/2012/08/34/3/166/1668379/5506542ca0cd0685_Screen_shot_2012-08-22_at_5.43.57_PM.xxlarge/i/Prada-Fall-2011-Ad-Campaign-Steven-Meisel-Video.png "Prada Fall 2011 Ad Campaign by Steven Meisel [Video]")
