Erin Heatherton for Elle UK June 2011

Miu Miu top; Cutler and Gross sunglasses

Warning: Partial nudity below in two photographs.

Prada hat and skirt

Mark Fast dress

Giambattista Valli dress

Cutler and Gross sunglasses

Mark Fast dress

Jonathan Saunders top

Jil Sander skirt

Vanessa Bruno top; Oliver Goldsmith for Betty Jackson sunglasses

Christopher Kane neon pink dress

This editorial, originally named 'When The Dawn Breaks' and published in the June 2011 edition of Elle UK was actually re-printed in the July 2011 edition of Elle Russia as 'Neon Girl.' In this post I have combined all of the photos from both editorials and I have put them together. 

This shoot features English model Erin Heatherton. It was photographed by Enrique Badulescu and styled by Anne-Marie Curtis, both of whom are the major reason for the success of this editorial. For once, it has not been the "wow-factor" of the model that pulled an editorial through, but the background team in the production and post-production stages (the exposure and digital enhancement of colours). Of course, Heatherton does some amazing work let us not discount that. 

I have included the pictures that involve nudity because, once again, I believe it to be an appropriate and justified artistic decision. Much of fashion has become raunchy and sexy for sexy sake. This is not one of those cases in my opinion.

Tiiu Kuik for Vogue Latin America August 2011

Click on the pictures for a larger version.

This is one of the best and most stylishly cohesive fashion editorials I have ever come across. Photographed by Michael Filonow and styled by Lauri Eisenberg, indisputable model of the moment Tiiu Kuik projects a quiet and graceful aura of strength and resilience. Need I say more? I think not.

Keira Knightley for Flaunt Summer 2011

Click on image for a larger size

Keira Knightley for Flaunt Magazine

It is highly unusual for me to post fashion editorials featuring celebrities but for this sole occasion I will break the trend. Keira Knightley is stunning and avoids the stereotypical Hollywood star shots that so often ruin a good editorial. For all purposes, she could be and is a model in this shoot. The fashion and the person meld into one and complement each other beautifully. Of course, it is clear that the photographer Yu Tsai and stylist Yasuhiro Takehisa were the main reasons behind the success of these photos. I have excluded a few from the shoot which I felt weren't of the same high quality as the others featured above.

Solange Wilvert for Iguatemi Magazine

Solange Wilvert

Solange Wilvert

Solange Wilvert

Solange Wilvert

Solange Wilvert

Shot in Nice, France, this editorial is one of the best black and white features I have seen in a very long time. The photographer Jacques Dequeker has done an outstanding job to bring out her complete and utter beauty, basically everything Solange Wilvert has to give as a model. This editorial is as much about the model and the clothes as it is the location and aesthetics. Bravo.

Arizona Muse for Stern Magazine 2011

Arizona Muse

Arizona Muse

Arizona Muse (click photo for larger size)

Arizona Muse (click photo for larger size)

With so beautiful and artistic photos such as these it is a shame I can't put them on my blog in their full size, but if you click on any of them they will appear in a window at their original, larger size. I have well and truly swallowed my pride and judgement on this model. Arizona Muse has the capacity to become a supermodel. It is my opinion that she is yet to fully develop and mature professionally but I would say another couple of years and she will be alongside Freja Beha Erichsen in terms of modelling skills in front of the camera for advertising campaigns. This editorial was shot by Peter Lindbergh and I think the credit must equally go to him for such a common but entirely new artistic vision, the industrial landscape with elegance and strength.

Jessica Stam for RUSSH #39 April/May 2011

Jessica Stam for RUSSH April/May 2011

When this editorial first came online at RUSSH I was impressed and very unimpressed at the same time. Jessica Stam was a perfect casting choice for the above looks. But the other grungey casual looks which I have chosen not to post because I aesthetically disliked them so much, did not suit Jessica Stam at all and perhaps should have been confined to a separate editorial with another model. It also brought me much sadness to see that so many of the above looks were created using RUSSH customised fabric and with the focus not actually on the clothes themselves. Yes, the fabrics are beautiful and there is no doubt that it makes this editorial really shine but in my opinion fashion editor Stevie Dance has been relying on this technique too frequently. I love RUSSH for it's originality and beauty but the use of additional fabrics, especially the mesh ones, have become too predictable.

Arizona Muse - Editorial - Vogue China April 2011

I must say that all of this fuss and hype over Arizona Muse has caught me a little bit by surprise. Much of her editorial work and a lot of her runway work I just feel isn't particularly special. When I came across this editorial photographed by Paolo Roversi in Vogue China April 2011, I certainly had to re-consider my judgement of her. I have previously posted on an editorial Muse did for Dazed & Confused, thus I have now found two instances where she has defied my expectations. This gives me enough solid ground to state that she is a  definite talent in modelling and has the potential to convey a strong presence in particular supportive contexts. I would not go as far as to say that she has the talent of Freja Beha Erichsen or Abbey Lee Kershaw yet, but it is not out of the realm of possibilities. What I believe she must do is cultivate her uniqueness and strength - namely, her hair, eyebrows and eyes - as they really pierce a picture and make you take notice. Of course, she naturally has a figure that lends well to modelling, but I'd like to note that it is really no one's business to provide opinions or judgements on that matter, as long as the person is healthy and happy. I really look forward to seeing what Muse does next as her career continues to develop.