Would you rather... Lana del Rey in Vogue Australia or Vogue UK?
TFS

Kristen Stewart covers the latest Vogue UK in Gucci
Celebrity-Gossip

You know I have been having mixed feelings about the Vogue UK covers of the last few months. The October cover is definitely an improvement from the horror of September. Kristen Stewart, shot by Mario Testino, covers the latest issue dressed in Gucci. I always love K Stew because I think she's got quite a unique look but sometimes I feel like fashion stylists just don't get her. While I do like the cover look, the eye makeup is totally wrong for Kristen. It makes her look drowsy. The editorial inside goes totally in the wrong direction with an 80's styling that makes no sense for the actress. It is really a shame because there are so many bad-ass shoots you could do with Kristen and everyone just keeps trying to dress her up for no reason.

What do you think?

Emma Stone covers the new British Vogue

This makes number 6, I believe! Emma Stone is seriously taking over the fashion world at the moment and you won't hear me complain. I am also thrilled to see such a good British Vogue cover after the magazine has been missing the mark more often than not for the last few months.

As opposed to the über-glamourous cover of American Vogue, the British title has gone for a more 'real' Emma, who wears MaxMara for the cover, shot by Patrick Demarchelier. I must say I like the change. Emma is so beautiful she looks good anyway but I am particularly enjoying this sexy stare she's given me – move over, Andrew Garfield!

The hot pink font, which I can't stand but British Vogue loves using actually works pretty well in this case. Those blue eyes completely distract you from the text anyway. Though I must say I'm intrigued to find out what that 'LOL (That's late-onset-lesbianism)' piece is about.

What do you think of Emma's cover?

Rachel Weisz covers the new British Vogue
TFS

Vogue UK's covers have been incredibly hit and miss so far this year. I honestly don't understand how you can create beautiful and simple shots like these and terrible ones like Sienna Miller or the Adele one last year.
Thankfully, the July issue is back on track with a stunning Rachel Weisz shot by Alasdair McLellan. I love the contrast between the blue of the jumper and the bright red of the chair and hot the orange adds an extra pop of colour. It might not have the strongest Summer feel – it would have been a great October cover – but it is super chic and it feels British to me.
I am super curious to see what the inside story is like, especially in terms of styling. I am hoping for a simple and elegant shoot in the country side with cozy jumpers and maxi skirts sipping coffee on old wooden benches.

What do you think?

Kate Moss covers British Vogue (again)
TFS

I don't know if there's a quota of covers that British Vogue needs to devote to Kate Moss. The model covers the June issue less than a year after her last cover for the mag back in August. It's funny because she seems to alternate a Vogue UK cover and a Vogue Paris one so I guess we'll wait for the latter in the next few months.

Apart from that, I am quite impressed with this. Just like I said last year this is one of the best covers we have seen from the mag (last month's Charlize Theron one was also brilliant). I love the colours, the fuzzy background, the gold font (very Vogue Paris) and the white Versace – perfect for the season. Someone on The Fashion Spot forums had the brilliant idea of comparing the Mert & Marcus cover photo to this one of David Beckham – it's undeniable he was the inspiration!

What do you think of the cover?

Lana del Rey covers the new British Vogue!
TFS

British Vogue has finally done it!! They have not only delivered a brilliant new cover but they have also managed to be ahead of American Vogue for once. And they have Lana del Rey to thank for it. Lana, shot by Mario Testino, covers the March issue of the magazine in a yellow Louis Vuitton number from the SS12 collection. The magazine has now featured the main two spring collections so it'll be interesting to see what's on the April cover.

The timing of the issue is, of course, perfect as Lana's album has been released this week after months of buzz about it. I haven't had a chance to listen to it in full but its reviews are really good! There has also been a lot of talk about where she comes from and what she did before but, honestly, I couldn't care less. If no one cared about Lady Gaga's why should we care about Lana's past? She is stunning and there is something so intriguing about her eyes. I love everything about her and I hope to be seeing great moments of her on the red carpet. After all, she started off quite well –you might remember her Prabal Gurung moment a few weeks ago or her super chic Antonio Berardi look in her 'Born to Die' video.

Are you a fan?

Arizona Muse (in Prada) covers the new Vogue UK
Photo: KnowWear

I have just received the latest issue of British Vogue at home. I was surprised because I usually see a picture or two on The Fashion Spot before it's delivered and I have to say I am feeling a lot happier about their work after looking at this.

Arizona Muse shot by Patrick Demarchelier and styled by Lucinda Chambers covers the February issue in a lot of SS12 Prada. You know I have been babbling about the collection for weeks. The same goes for Arizona, who I am so happy to see on such great covers lately. So, yes, you could say I am very keen on this particular issue of Vogue. And I don't even have any negative feelings against the cover text. If only, I wish Arizona's smile was a little more natural. The shoot inside is nothing to die for but there is quite a cool story after it, "I am a camera" shot by Raymond Meier and styled by Charlotte Pilcher that makes up for it.

I have often complained about Vogue UK's covers and borderline boring content but I feel like if they take baby steps in the line that they seem to be going now 2012 will be an excellent year for them.

What do you think about the February cover?

Florence Welch covers the January issue of Vogue UK
TFS

Yesterday, when I opened the envelope carrying the January issue of Vogue my first reaction was good. I love the fact that Alexandra Shulman finally put Florence Welch on the cover of British Vogue. It also makes me very happy that the cover text has been reduced a little and that they've changed the fonts, it feels more neat and more expensive –more Vogue. The colours are also excellent. the greenish greyish blue works fantastically with the sort of brass gold and white fonts. So far so good.
The only problem, a big one, is with the cover picture itself. First of all, Shulman needs to realise there are more photographers out there other than Mario Testino, it's like she's got the Anna Wintour virus! But even that wouldn't bother me that much if it weren't for the ridiculous photoshopping going on poor Florence's face! Her skin is so airbrushed it's almost like it doesn't fit in her frame. And the pose doesn't really help.
Despite this flaw I will say that there is some hint at an aesthetic change happening at Vogue UK, which makes me happy. Hopefully this is only the start of a whole new array of 2012 covers.

TFS

British Vogue keeps repeating this pattern behaviour where they publish two or three really bad covers that are followed by a really great one –notice the gaps between the Kate Winslet cover in April, the Kate Moss one in August. And now this. Rihanna covers the November issue shot by Alasdair McLellan with a cover simplicity we don't see often at the Vogue's covers.

I love Ri-Ri's pose, the Marylin-esque (American Vogue started the trend last month) blonde wig and the beautiful Armani Privé she's wearing. I like the neutral blue backgrounds that makes the very subtle details of the dress pop out. And I obviously love the fact that they haven't overcrowded the cover with heaps of text. All of which is quite a change from last month's Adele cover –such a bad and awkward crop framed in crazy white and pumpkin text. It was a real shame because Adele looked stunning inside.

What are your thoughts on Vogue UK in general and on this issue in particular?

TFS

Firstly, I'd like to say I love the perfect timing of this cover. British Vogue had been missing the point with their covers for more months than I can remember. This feels so fresh and young and exactly along the line that Vogue should be following!

I was surprised to see this because I had heard so much about how Kate Moss had given the exclusive of her wedding to American Vogue that this is the last I expected! I suppose they have got the cover and editorial but the wedding story will only appear in Anna's bible.

I also love the fact that Kate looks really glamed-up and not in some decadent Balmain-esque rock'n'roll styling. Nothing less, of course, could be expected from Mario Testino. A preview of the shoot inside has also been published and even I must admit that the story is spotless. Not very avant-garde or innovative but a great fit for British Vogue.

I posted about how much I loved Miu Miu on Japanese Vogue a few days go and Kate Moss is wearing another of their f/w11 dresses. It seems like the brand is going to take over covers once again.

For the first time since my subscription started I am genuinely excited about getting home and having it in my hands!

Every month I feel like the new covers come out earlier. As much as I like looking at all of them I'm often too tired by the time they hit the newstands, by which point I will only buy the handful of issues I think are really worth it.

After a few months on the up British Vogue is quickly dipping in terms of cover style. Last month's multiple royal wedding covers were as bland as can be and this month's Alexa cover genuinely looks like you've picked up a magazine a couple years old. Her editorial inside doesn't try anything new in terms of styling and photography and it's just Alexa being Alexa in Alexa clothes with Alexa hair. The only thing that saves the issue is one double-page picture by Patrick Demarchelier and styled by Lucinda Chambers in the "Let's dance" story.

Vogue should really learn from the other British fashion titles. This month's ELLE and Harper's covers are chic and spot-on. And I'm especially keen on ELLE's rotated frame on their subscriber's cover. They keep getting it absolutely right every month and it's making me want to get a subscription.

[TFS]

I haven't really liked a British Vogue cover for months now. And this really annoys me because the magazine inside has been getting so much better since just before the new year. I felt a little unsure about Kate Winslet on April's cover (too out of control retouching) and I will forever defend that less is definitely more when it comes to writing on the cover. For the May issue, which I received at home today, there's three choices of cover. I was happy to find that Freja was in my mailbox because Lara Stone and Natalia Vodianova (all shot by Mario Testino) look almost ugly. All three covers are pretty bland but at least Freja still looks pretty on hers. I do like the fact that the model's name is written on the cover because it elevates their status. After all, they look better on  magazines than celebrities but they're often ignored or not mentioned by name.

The wedding stories inside, entirely shot by Mario too, are as boring and uninspired as they are clichéd and expectable. I understand that a royal wedding is a national event but the country's fashion magazine should be able to do better despite it's roller-coasting conservatism. To compensate Agyness Deyn, styled by Kate Phelan and shot by Tim Walker, looks extraordinary in an abandoned location in the Namibian desert. A place I had spotted on "Wonders of the Universe" on TV a few weeks back and thought would be excellent for a fashion story. I deserve some credit for that, no? What do you think of the covers?

The (Victoria) Beckham Empire

It's quite funny how as I started preparing this post last Sunday as the news of Victoria's pregnancy flooded twitter. I personally don't know where she finds the time to be a mother but it looks like she's doing an excellent job so far.  I do wonder if she keeps trying for the girl she still doesn't have or if she wants to make a fashionable version of  'The Brady Bunch' in a few year's time.
In any case, it's admirable how she has managed (not without a lot of effort and plenty of time) to get away from the WAG status and be her own person. I have always liked her (she was my favourite Spice Girl) and I always found her fashion and hairstyle choices absolutely fascinating. But what I am most keen on is her fashion line. It's an undeniable fact that she has had an incredible success in the industry since the launch of her first line. And it must have felt excellent to prove wrong all the people who didn't believe she had the brains to do it.

This month, almost like a good omen for the year, she covers the front of the first British Vogue of 2011 (Feb issue) looking quite 90's but also very contemporary and fresh. This cover is one of my favourite ones from the British bible and it's also the best VB cover yet. Also, she didn't do her signature pose. The mag has also cut down on cover text a little, which makes me very happy. I can't wait to have this issue to see her editorial inside and, even more so, to read the interview.

All of this Victoria Beckham news got me looking at her past collections and at what she's doing at the moment. I did not know this until now but she also has a range of accessories, which includes totes, clutches and travelling bags. Looking at the collection I realised I had seen most of them before worn by her. I had previously been in awe of the big suitcase-y ones in black and ivory she travels with. There is a beautiful air of the 50's in the range, which I obviously love. But they also feel (like her Vogue cover) very clean and current. And it was extremely clever of her to be seen using the different models so that we know they're also useful classic items one can use in various situations. The price range and stockists have not been published yet, as the line is part of SS11 and still won't hit stores for a couple of weeks. But one thing is certain, they're going to be another hit.

I'm off.

[Pictures: TFS, JustJared.buzznet.com, Celebrity-Gossip.net, RDuJour.com]

The coolest shopper, duh!

Giulia and I rose (too) early this morning to head down to H&M's flagship store on Regent Street and try to get a head start at the Lanvin x H&M collection launch. We queued for about two hours, enjoyed a Starbucks and built up the excitement as our body temperature dropped. It was at some point then, after the sun had come out, that Vogue.com spotted Giulia's warm, chic and easy look to endure the wait. What did they expect from soVIPzone, tracksuit bottoms and fleece?! (Stay tuned for our post on Giulia's buys).

I'm off.

[Picture: Vogue.co.uk screen cap]

Gwyneth now and then

Amongst these British Vogue covers below you will find Gwyneth's latest post for the May issue an another three ones shot previously. Now, do you think you can put them in the right chronological order? (It shouldn't be to hard just by looking at the hair).

[Pictures: Vogue.co.uk, CoverBrowser.com]

I'm off.

The Prada dress

Whenever I come back home to Madrid I always make sure I stock up on magazines so I can enjoy the peace while catching up with all the editorials I otherwise don't have time to have a closer look at. Does anyone else think that the bejewelled Prada dress on the cover of British Vogue was rather pointless after it had been featured by Carine back in February? I do. As as I thought that using the same dress on one of the editorials of April's Vogue Paris was simply unoriginal. I did like Cindy Crawford wearing it for Harper's Bazaar Russia. I love the fact that they've played with water but I'd appreciate it if someone would put anything other than white under it. Are you a fan of the dress?

I'll keep an eye out for more Prada SS10 spottings, I'm sure they will come.

I'm off.

Britishness flash

I know for a fact that if I said I am not big on celebrity Vogue covers many people would give me their nods in agreement. But this is not such time. I saw Alexa Chung on the cover of the March issue of British Vogue and I somehow could not come up with a consistent complaint or any obvious flaws. On the contrary, her casual coolness (or reality chic, as Vogue likes to call it) brings in a freshness that we haven't seen in many months by injecting a more contemporaneous feel that escapes the tacky pastel covers. (Also, check her out on the Pepe Jeans ads, where she looks freakishly like Anja Rubik's evil twin).

Following the like of fashionable Britishness, I was glad to read (also on British Vogue —they were on fire today) that many LFW shows will be streamed live. Woop! Click here for the whole fashion week schedule and get your pens ready for some heavy reviewing. Giulia and I are still trying to be the physically but nothing is yet confirmed. I am pretty excited about Bailey this season, don't ask me why. I can't wait for the 23rd!

[Pictures credit: Vogue.com]

I'm off.

a PATTERN for life

If I were to choose only one out of all the great aspects of the Christmas holidays, it would definitely be carefully going through all my magazines over and over again. Whether I read Vogue, GQ, Bazaar or i-D surprises come to the surface once you've had the time to see beyond the images and read the quick notes and dig into the first pages' details. Well, it was this favourite treat of mine that brought me to discover Olivia Rubin. January's Vogue UK issue selects her as the "need to know" for the new year, a refreshing proposal of a St. Martins graduate who excelled in pattern making and was selected to participate in the college's annual catwalk show. The key to her success is in the simple way she creates patterns and includes them on cotton, chiffon and silk taking anyone who dares to stare to an alternative universe where Calvin Klein meets Pin-up girls.

If you're already looking of the perfect way of investing your extra Christmas pay, this is it. Something fresh and new that will never cross the door to enter the old-fashion world.

Click here for contact details and more information on her.

I'm off.