Vogue.com

As usual, I am having mixed feelings about the latest Vogue cover. Charlize Theron, styled by Camilla Nickerson and shot by Annie Leibovitz covers the December issue with a marine theme not far from what Largerfeld did with Florence for his SS12 Chanel show.

 Charlize looks stunning on the cover. I love the fact that this feels a bit more relaxed and cheerful than what Anna usually does for the front picture. The hair and makeup are super natural, as is the pose and I love that she's actually in the water. My only problem with it is the dress, which I guess suits the theme but fails to make anything interesting for the cover.

The shoot inside, however, is simply beautiful. My favourite picture is the one of Theron in the McQueen dress standing on a rock with the waves breaking on it. It reminds me a lot of the famous 'The Birth of Venus' by Boticelli. I also really like the other two pictures of her in Marchesa and Salvatore Ferragamo. But I don't get the one of her in Christopher Kane swimming under water. It's just too artificial.

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[Vogue.com]

If you read Know Wear often you'll be really aware of how I haven't been too happy with the last few American Vogue covers in terms of photography, crops, styling, layout... Well, I can finally say that I love this one!

Emma Watson covers the July issue shot by Mario Testino and styled by Camilla Nickerson. Everything about the cover and the story inside is absolutely spot-on. The burgundy and orange work brilliantly together and feel both summery and sophisticated. The headlines, while still overpowering, have been reduced in number and increased in size, which somehow works quite well. The hair and makeup are stunning and slick. I particularly like the intensity of the lips, which are the centre of attention in the picture, and the very subtle eye shadow.

The editorial inside follows the same line. Very intense colours and quite a lot of metallics. I am in love with the Tom Ford chain-mail top and the brass feather skirt just as much as with the Prada paillette dress. These choices seem quite edgy for the American bible, something that makes me very happy and gives me hope for future issues.
Check out the whole shoot here.

First look: Tom Ford SS11

It's not easy for me to accurately talk about Tom Ford without being borderline cheesy. And this is because the 10-year bracket during which he forever imprinted his signature in Gucci and YSL was also the period of my life when I heartily got into fashion. He was, together with Giorgio Armani, the designer who could never cease to awe me season after season. Little did I know then that Ford was resurrecting the Italian and French icons while building on his influences for the future.
It has now been another 10 years since Tom Ford officially announced the creation of his namesake brand in 2005. We have been enjoying his superbly refined menswear since 2007, which coincided with the opening of his first flagship store in New York, and his acclaimed directorial debut with 'A Single Man'. Nonetheless, the most exciting of his ventures (I daresay) is his first womenswear collection presented during the last New York Fashion Week.
And Ford was not joining back in by the rules. He showcased his collection at a 100-guest cocktail party where attendees were banned from taking pictures. There were no Style.com pictures, no online streaming, the clothes would't appear on editorials until January and celebrities wouldn't sport any of the looks until December. A rebellious Fordian twist going against the current rushed pace of the industry, which worked as well as a genius PR campaign.

Before we get to see the full collection on Vogue Paris' January 2011 issue we can calm our thirst for Tom-Ford-ness with the December issue of American Vogue. Steven Meisel was in charge of capturing the first public look at Ford's SS11 collection for women, beautifully styled by Camilla Nickerson. There is an incredibly contemporary feel to the dominating 20's vibe of the collection. The long-sleeved night gowns share the limelight with tailored pieces reminiscent of YSL's Le Tuxedo and yet strongly influenced by Ford's mens suiting. I don't want to speak to soon but judging but what we can see so far Ford's womenswear positions itself at the top of the market, joining places with Chanel, Lanvin and Givenchy and all the other quasi-Couture prêt-à-porter.

After seeing this, I simply can't wait to see what Vogue Paris does with the whole collection. I can picture Carine in the leopard and white suits walking across Les Tuilleries. Not to mention Tom's list of celebrity friends, who will work the red carpet in his designs. Do notice that the collection will hit stores in February —in perfect time for the early March Academy Awards! In the meantime, I will rejoice every second of my life with this image below as my laptop wallpaper.

I'm off.

[Picures: Bryanboy, TFS]