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September ‘08 magazine covers

posted on August 20th, 2007 · by Laila Lu · Add comments?

Vogue Paris
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Natasha Poly in Givenchy Haute Couture for her fourth French Vogue cover. I have always thought that leopard prints are overrated and trashy but it looks great here! But why pairing it with pink words?

Italian Vogue
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‘A Touch of Glam’– with Magdalena Frackowiak and Maryna Linchuk , both in Ralph Lauren, on the coveted cover of Italian Vogue, photographed by Steven Meisel. At first glance, I thought it’s yet another futurism-themed photoshoot featuring astronaut-like clothings. Ok, it’s G-L-A-M.

Russian Vogue
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Natasha Poly rocking the ’sailor’ look. I prefer this to her French Vogue cover.

German Vogue
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Angela Lindvall, in a feathered Alberta Ferretti dress, for German Vogue “New Chic”.

Chinese Vogue
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This is the second anniversary issue and Du Juan is on the cover again, with three other up-and-coming chinese models namely Stephanie Shiu, Mackenzie Hamilton ( canadians with a chnese face???) and Emma Pei, all in Louis Vuitton. My favourite model on the cover is Emma (far right), who opened Dior couture’s SS07 show and has since walked the runways of Miu Miu, Dries Van Noten and Alberta Ferretti. The hair here reminds me of MaxMara’s SS07 ad campaign with Lara & Vlada though.

US Vogue
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I got a copy of this yesterday because the words ‘…Biggest Issue Ever… 840 pages of fearless fashion…’ caught my attention and even though I dislike celebrity covers, Sienna looks really gorgeous in this Marchesa feathered top. But I thought there has been a thicker issue of US Vogue? Plus, it got really thick because there are loads of new ad campaigns for the latest Fall/Winter collections, they fill in 2/3 of the 800+ pages and get this—- the last of the four content pages ends at page146. Another thing I hate is that, Caroline Trentini is jumping in her editorial with the same expression again.
But you got to check out the other editorials, they are god damn fabulous, with Shalom Harlow & Daria Werbowy starring in some of them. I call ‘Paris je t’aime’ the must-see editorial of the year. The shots are breathtaking.

UK Vogue
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I bought this too! Because Sasha Pivovarova, in a Christian Dior pink gown, is on the cover. She has nabbed three covers for the September issues already. This is my first time buying UK Vogue and I think it’s alright. I love the Gemma Ward ‘Indian Summer’ editorial in it.

Japan Vogue
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Sasha, in Balenciaga. Somehow, this cover appeals to me the most. It’s very dreamy and snowy…

Australian Vogue
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Alice Burdeu in a Gucci gown. If that name doesn’t sound familiar to you, she is actually the winner of ‘Australia’s Next Top Model’. While winner of the US version can only nab an ELLE cover, Alice gets to appear on a Vogue cover… all by herself! She looks ok, considering the fact that Gemma Ward and Catherine McNeil are Aussies, she’s almost nothing compared to them.

Korean Vogue
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Can’t get rid of that recycle bag blocking the cover but Agyness Deyn, in a Burberry studded dress, is fronting this very environmental conscious issue. No wonder Aggy is so coveted in the fashion world right now, check out her pose & looks! She is one of a kind, cool & edgy lass and simply too handsome to handle.

Spanish Vogue
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Caroline Trentini… And what? 1000+ pages?! I thought only US Vogue has the cheek to scream 849 pages on the cover with all the new fall/winter ad campaigns…

Numero Tokyo
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Shannan Click in a rare solo cover appearance. Nice styling, love the pale makeup.

Numero
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Nothing screams femme fatale better than this. Numero is Sasha’s third cover of the month and she looks so smokin’ hot in another Christian Dior gown. Click here to check out the editorials based on cartoon and comic characters.

ID magazine
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Love how they keep the ‘wink’ going on after so many years! Gemma Ward is so romantic and sweet here in violet & roses. Can’t wait to see her Indian Vogue cover.

Vanity Fair
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Gisele Bundchen in Roberto Cavalli. This getting-out-of-the-car-glamorously shot looks good on her, but overrated.

Flair
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That’s modelling veteran Angela Lindvall. I talked about this cat-eyed eyeliner trend and there she is rocking that makeup style! Cool… and the fur is chic!

Dazed & Confused
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Is everybody going for the Agyness Deyn look? Punk, rebellious but still fashionable? But this is definitely one of the better Dazed & Confused cover I have seen so far. Can sense that a lot of photoshop has been done on this though.

POP
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Lindsay Lohan… Gosh, enough with her getting inked with fashion.

Nylon
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Shock rocker Marilyn Manson’s lady, Even Rachel Wood, doesn’t even look like she’s 21 here!

Flare
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Keira Knightley in a Sophia Kokosalaski red mini. Looks very photoshopped to me.

BlackBook
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I am used to seeing the very demure Carolyn Murphy as the face of Estee Lauder and this very edgy look is such a big change, but refreshing.

Ebony
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Love this! Tyra Banks, Iman, Kimora Lee Simons and Alex Wek, all four of them have given so much to fashion and gathering them for a covershoot simply made this issue a must-buy.

W magazine
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‘Goddess Gwyneth’? She share such an uncanny resemblance to Heidi Klum here! Anyways, it’s good to see her back after dedicating her time and shedding away from the limelight for her children. I would prefer to see a classier shot of her than this though.

Teen Vogue
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Anne Hathaway in Donna Karan. It must be hard to find covergirls for Teen Vogue. They have to be young (below 25?) and they have to be celebrities, not professional models. It’s exciting to see who will land on the cover of Teen Vogue every month!

US Harper’s Bazaar
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After last month’s Jessica Simpson cover that still gives me goosebumps every time I think of it, this looks slightly better. Kate’s bright & beautiful smile wins them all.

UK Harper’s Bazaar
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Georgia Frost in Dolce & Gabbana. A cover that’s very heavy on old hollywood glamour.

Japan Harper’s Bazaar
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Dita Von Teese…

Russian Harper’s Bazaar
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Coco Rocha…


photos: frillr.com

Chanel rotund sunglasses

posted on August 19th, 2007 · by Laila Lu · Add comments?

Nicole Richie has been spotted wearing this pair of sunglasses by Chanel lately…

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The deal is, amidst tons of celebrities wearing coloured frame or oversized sunglasses, this pair does scream STANDOUT better than others. I like the half shaded part of the glasses because it looks really 60s’ and mysterious! Plus, since this is by Chanel, it won’t go too wrong pairing it with any chic outfit in your wardrobe.

photo sources: stylefinder.com, style.com, people.com

Beauty and brains

posted on August 18th, 2007 · by Laila Lu · Add comments?

You can’t help but get a little jealous of the 19 year-old supermodel Lily Cole. Maybe she did hit the jackpot for her genetic lottery but can you believe how perfect her life is? Not only is she a very successful model who has catwalked for a lot of $how$ in as many years but at the mean time, she managed to juggle work with her studies, which is so darn good. Moreover, Lily is going to Cambridge University next year and she has just finished filming the movie adaptation of ‘St Trinians’.

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Vogue.com reported recently that Lily has admitted that she missed most of her classes at school. She says her attendance was low but she was always on time with homework. Apparently, she can focus and do her homework… while getting her makeup done at the ultra chaotic backstage of the fashion shows!

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“I missed about 50 per cent of my classes,” she told CONTACTMUSIC.COM. “[But] I was always the first to hand in my work because I knew if I was late the teachers would come down on me like a ton of bricks. Modelling is great, but studies came first.”

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…on the runways of Christian Dior and Christian Lacroix Haute Couture

Lucky girl.

photos: style.com , hellomagazine.com

Fall trend alert: high pockets

posted on August 17th, 2007 · by Laila Lu · Add comments?

I noticed this trend of tucking your hands into jackets with pockets positioned at the chest area…

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from left: Emanuel Ungaro, Hermes, Alexander McQueen

Isn’t it uncomfortable? Like feeling your own… chest? But it’s a very new, never-seen-before way of pocket positioning that keeps your hands warm and literally ‘close to heart’. I think it looks rather quirky and chic though.

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photos: vogue.com

London Spring ‘08 fashion shows to watch out for

posted on August 15th, 2007 · by Laila Lu · Add comments?

In the acclaimed novel ’The Devil Wears Prada’, Miranda Priestly said that everybody goes to Milan and Paris and completely skips the London shows. It’s kinda true. Comparing London Fashion Week to the likes of the other fashion capitals’, it’s lying relatively low. The organizers have since recruited a few big name designers to showcase their runways in London and hopefully, attract more fashion figures in those glitzy front row seats. Last season was Marc by Marc Jacobs, which killed off all the other shows with the attention. This time, it will be Matthew Williamson and Luella Bartley, both formerly of New York FW but are natives of Britain, to help spice up the week.

Saturday 15th September

09:30 Paul Costelloe
10:30 Gavin Douglas
11:45 Caroline Charles
14:00 Ben De Lisi
15:45 Bora Aksu
17:00 Ashley Isham
18:15 Unconditional
19:30 Issa

Look out for …Ashley Isham, Gavin Douglas:

I’m an Ashley Isham fan most probably because he is from Singapore too and being one of the greatest export to the fashion world, he certainly does not disappoint, with loads of critics tauting him as an up-and-coming design talent to watch out for.
And then,  Gavin Douglas. Firstly, he is black and you don’t really see a lot of black designers out there who’s doing so good. Secondly, he has a unique laid-back style and he embraces a woman’s curve, making really sexy clothes with a strong silhouette. By the way, he won the coveted Fashion Fringe competition in 2006.

Sunday 16th September

09:30 PPQ
10:45 Armand Basi
12:00 Danielle Scutt
12:00 Louise Goldin
13:15 Amanda Wakeley
14:30 Peter Jensen
15:45 Gareth Pugh
17:00 Todd Lynn
18:15 Eley Kishimoto
19:30 Julien Macdonald

Look out for… Amanda Wakeley, Todd Lynn, Gareth Pugh

Amanda is a great bridal designer that can draw comparisons with Vera Wang and she seems to know what a woman wants. For example, if you want to keep yourself warm but still remain stylish for the cold season, check out her Fall/Winter collection, really beautiful coats with corset belts and fur collars.

Also check out Todd Lynn, known as the ‘King of Rock & Roll’ of fashion.

I am real crazy over menswear for women and his ultra masculine fall/winter collection just hit the right note for me. I’m craving for the very popular boyfriend trousers!

Last one, I think Gareth Pugh deserves a little mention. His designs are so flamboyant and dramatic that they look like they do not belong to the London crowd at all. He reminds me of John Galliano meets Hussein Chalayan meets Giles Deacon… ummm get it?

Monday 17th September

10:45 Luella
12:00 Jasper Conran
13:15 Margaret Howell
14:30 Christopher Kane
15:45 John Rocha
17:00 Basso and Brooke
18:15 Jonathan Saunders
19:30 Ann-Sofie Back

Looking out for… Christopher Kane, Basso & Brooke


The sensational Christopher Kane, whose show has been one of the biggest highlights of LFW ever since his debut in SS07. His neon minis have been so popular and I think what takes him to where he is today is his early working experience in Versace. As you can see from his designs, he is very curve-conscious, women love that. And do you know that his first Fall/Winter show is sponsored by Swarovski’s crystals and Manolo Blahnik’s shoes?
Do take a peek at Basso & Brooke’s show. They won the first Fashion Fringe competition… should be promising.

Tuesday 18th September

09:30 Duro Olowu
10:30 Paul Smith Women
12:00 Isabella Blow Private Memorial Service
13:30 Nicole Farhi
14:45 Jens Laugesen
16:00 Sinha-Stanic
17:15 Erdem
18:30 Clare Tough

Look out for… Fiona Sinha and Aleksandar Stanic, Jens Laugesen

I have already seen pictures of his Spring/Summer 08 collection presented at the recent Copenhagen fashion week already and it is pretty good. Vogue.com actually highlighted it out of all the other shows. I like how he work minimalism with clean, sleek silhouettes.
Another must-see is designing duo Sinha-Stanic who were runners-up in the first Fashion Fringe competition to winners Basso & Brooke. They have a wide variety of inspirations and their clothes are made for women not only to look good but be, according to critics, ‘’sinuous, modern, confident luxury”.

Wednesday 19th September

09:30 Betty Jackson
10:30 Roksanda Ilincic
11:45 Matthew Williamson
12:45 Ashish N Soni
13:45 Aquascutum
15:00 Rodnik
16:15 Richard Nicoll
17:30 Fashion
18:30 Nathan Jenden
19:30 Giles

Look out for… Giles
Giles is the other show that people will rush to get the tickets. They love how he plays games with fashion, churning out showstopping funky designs one after another and keeps people guessing and be in love with the fun side of fashion. Plus, Giles’ show always manage to boast the most impressive line of supermodels on the catwalk. By the way, he is the latest British Designer Of the Year and that is a really great honour

Thursday 20th September

09:30 Osman Yousefzada
10:30 Asprey
11:45 Antoni & Alison
13:00 Fashion Fringe
14:45 Modernist
16:00 MAN
17:15 Biba
18:30 Allegra Hicks
19:45 Adidas by Stella McCartney

Look out for… Biba, Osman Yousefzada

Osman Yousefzada, who is talented enough to score himself the New Generation sponsorship for the forthcoming LFW event. Watch out for that. But the real highlight is– after Bella Freud left Biba, a whole new creative team, headed by Hector Castro, will be debuting their effort for Britain’s most iconic and fastest-selling label. Anticipation? Yes.

Click here to see New York Fashion Week’s schedules and which shows to watch out for.

photos: vogue.com