Who better to show off the aching desirability of the new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG than photographer Nick Knight and Gareth Pugh with the lovely Julia Stegner. Knight had an open brief apparently to photograph this Bond-worthy sportscar which he promptly positioned in a nose dive as a backdrop to Pugh’s space age tailoring and Julia’s endless legs. The preview is set for Mercedes-Benz Fashion week in January.
My first question is: why didn’t someone think of this before?
Forget the usual swimsuit lineup, almost everyone looks fantastic on a bike. It must be something about engaged muscles and coordination. For it’s 2010 calendar, the Swiss Institute in New York, has produced Artists on Their Bicycles New York 2010, in a limited numbered edition of 500. The usual subjects are proudly represnted from February’s Collier Schorr to Pierre Huyghe, for November and David Byrne and Cindy Sherman in December . My personal favorite is October’s Ryan McGinley who always creates a stir wherever he goes. The calendar, edited by Emma Reeves, Gianni Jetzer and Design Li, Inc is photographed by the incomparable Lukas Wassmann (http://www.lukaswassmann.com), a young Swiss photographer who lives between Berlin and Zurich who has one of the best takes on the genially absurd I’ve seen in years.
Grainy grey Monday morning in Paris and guess what flashes on my computer. A Christmas gift idea from my friend Mandi Lennard, London PR extraordinaire. Who knew that Comme des Garçons’ Rei Kawakubo has a “Jungle Flowers nonsense theme” for the holidays? Well all the CDG fans in Japan, of course, as this Platinum Label Collection Barbie, dressed in a the nonsensical Jungle pixelated rose print gown by Rei, was a sell out last week over there. And now it’s available at Comme des Garçons stores all over the world and at London’s Dover Street market, of course. For those not into dolls, there’s wallets, T’s, scent, Artek chairs and snowballs.
