Black and True Blue

With Madonna's Herb Ritts-shot True Blue cover as a reference point, Cameron Diaz does the cover of V Magazine and makes Mert, Marcus, and V Mag look all edgy and relevant again. Painted on tats? A corset of electrical tape? Some waders, and cone boobs? I'm liking it.

Madge's inspirational true blueness:


Madonna is the eternal pop culture godmama. More than ever, I see her as a survivor. She's still here, still doing her thing, still a reference point for cool. I say she's got even more in her. Let's see it...

One/One-Thousand: Miles Aldridge

One of Aldridge's typically saturated fashion images.

Steven Kasher Gallery is hosting an exhibit of work by fashion photographer Miles Aldridge. His plastic fantastic photo style, pallet of bright, crayon colors, and super-lit, sexed-up scenes are classic examples of fashion's current flair for hyper-maximalism. With fellow snappers like Mert and Marcus, David Lachapelle, and Solve Sundsbo working in similar styles, it's interesting to see Aldridge's defining characteristics on display. His process is thought out pre-shoot.

He literally sketches his shots by hand in marker on paper. The pre-photo set pieces are on view right next to Aldridge's super-saturated portraits of mouths engaging in all sorts of lippy activities. The two subjects- Aldridge's prep work and his mouthy portraits- are the highlights of the show.

You can see more from the exhibit on Steven Kasher's website. You can get sparly gold lipstic here. Just in case...

Fashion At Her Fingertips

Yuna Park is the only Nail Technician on the prestigious creative management agency Streeters New York roster. A few years ago manicurists began gaining credit for their work in magazines and at fashion shows, listed in editorial features right alongside the photographers, models, makeup artists, and hairstylists. Even among the limited number of name-brand nail painters in the fashion industry, Yuna's portfolio is a clear standout. She works with the top photogrpahers for all the top publications and while perusing her pics, I realized that any of the shots I've admired in the last few years simply for their manicures have been done by Park.

Christina Ricci's yellow paint job for Another Magazine? The black tips on Guinevere van Seenus in that Mert & Marcus shoot for W? Julianne Moore's inches-long red talons? It's all Park's work and it all adds something vital to the final product.

Head on over the the Streeters website to view the images above and Park's full portfolio.

One/One-Thousand: Mert Alas & Marcus Piggot

Mert & Marcus are a fashion photo team that make highly stylized, perfected images. Their work is always tinged with a hint of darkness, something a bit unsettling, or just too much. The images are always that strange brand of beautiful with an edge.















With backgrounds in classical music and graphic design, Mert & Marcus met on chance years ago to the betterment of fashionistas' lives everywhere. I love a dynamic duo.