TREND I-SPY

The photographs of the British royal family by Sir Cecil Beaton (1904-1980) were central to shaping the monarchy's public image in the mid-20th century. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was still a young princess when she first sat for Beaton in 1942. Over the next three decades he would be invited to photograph the Queen on many significant occasions, including her Coronation Day in 1953. The most memorable of Beaton's images combine the splendour of historic royal portrait painting with an intimacy that only photography and film can convey. His detailed diary accounts reveal the complexities of each sitting, from the intense planning and excitement beforehand to the pressures of achieving the perfect shot. Beaton bequeathed his archive of royal portraits to his devoted secretary Eileen Hose. In 1987 she, in turn, bequeathed the archive to London's Victoria and Albert Museum. Photographs, diaries, personal letters and press cuttings combine to...

Doutzen Kroes, US Vogue April 2009 Whatever the eventual outcome of the new health bill this historic occasion will, when it comes to matters of well-being, undoubtedly lead to a major shift in the nation's collective consciousness. It might even mean that the notion of needing to be wealthy to stay healthy will be turned on its head. A national survey by the CDC polled 79,000 Americans, ages 18 and up, from 2005 to 2007. The results reconfirmed other studies that found the number of overweight Americans has jumped. The CDC's last survey, released in 1997, found that 35 percent of adults were overweight. The new survey finds that 68 percent of men and 53 percent of women weigh too much. The good news is that fewer Americans are smoking. Twenty-percent are regular smokers, several percentage points down from the last survey, and 58 percent have smoked fewer than 100 cigarettes in their lifetime. Michelle Obama, Official White House Portrait 2009 The fight for fitness ...

Prada, F2010 And Miuccia created woman... Prada F2010 was shown on uncharacteristically curvaceous models. The celebrated designer used simple, womanly shapes offset with prints that harked back to the geometric patterns she made popular in the mid-nineties at the height of late-twentieth century Minimalism. US Vogue, September 1996

More proof-positive that Alexander McQueen was not simply a great fashion designer but also a true visionary comes from an article in Britain's The Daily Mail which recently reported that UK department store Debenhams has become the first major retailer to show a disabled model in an advertising campaign. 32 year old Shannon Murray has been using a wheelchair since breaking her neck at the age of 14. McQueen included the double-amputee model and athlete Aimee Mullins over 10 years ago in his Spring 2000 Collection. She wore intricately carved wooden legs! Just how many men and women are being sent home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with missing limbs is not certain but the numbers are significant enough to raise awareness of a potential new consumer group, people with special needs. Principles by Ben de Lisi for Debenhams Spring 2010 The late, great photographer Helmut Newton was famous for exploring "the dark side" of beauty. In 1995 he caused an uproar in fash...

Hermes S2010 with Karlie Kloss by Paolo Roversi It's London Fashion Week and designers such as Basso and Brooke and Mary Katrantzou are showing conversational prints for Fall 2010 of the sort Hermes and Gianni Versace made popular in decades past. The Hermes Spring campaign is similarly eye-catching. Mary Katrantzou, Fall 2010 Basso & Brooke, Fall 2010 US Vogue, July 1989

American Vogue glaringly omitted Nicolas Ghesquière at Balenciaga in its "The Designers Who Defined a Decade" feature so I delved into some back issues of the magazine and found the following great shots! This is Keira Knightley in a black wool-crepe molded dress from Balenciaga's Fall 2008 Collection. Its to-the-knee length, squared-off neckline, peplum and slit make it an L.B.D. of the most flattering sort. This fashion story, set within Berlin's art scene was called "Wanderlust", styled by Grace Coddington and shot by Mario Testino. "Pale Fire" shot by David Sims for the March 2009 issue of Vogue focused on the tea-stained and blush-toned shades of the season. Even this high-tech, jersey-crepe jacket and pant suit gets a soft spin thanks to its vintage peachy hue. The top has attached gloves and the heels, attached tights. Grace Coddington was the fashion editor. For the September 2009 issue, Steven Meisel photographed...

Italian Vogue July 2008 If you only bought one item this season I hope it was a pair of over-the-knee boots! Isabel Marant F09 I loved this look a couple of years ago when Kate Moss wore them in a casual, every day way with skinny jeans and a tuxedo jacket. Isabel Marant styled them in a similar way for this season. Check out this video on how to wear over-the-knee boots from Elle UK , fun! Elle UK Fall 09 Kate Moss, Fall 07 American Vogue October 09

As I mentioned recently, the current fascination amongst certain runway designers and celebrities with racy lingerie looks often brings to mind Helmut Newton 's style of photography. If only he were still alive, what a moment he'd be having. Unfortunately he died in a macabre accident when his car hit a wall in the driveway of Chateau Marmont which had for several years served as his L.A. residence. It has been speculated that Newton suffered a heart attack in the moments before the collision. Newton favorite Nadja Auermann appeared in many of his portraits including these photos taken for American Vogue in 1994. Newton was born in Berlin in 1920. The 1972 movie Cabaret based on a novel written by British author Christopher Isherwood, Goodbye to Berlin evokes the air of danger and desperation prevalent during the years of the Weimar Republic as Hitler rose to power and Jews were increasingly discriminated against. Seemingly the spirit of smoke-filled, pre-WW2 German night-clu...

Ysl F09 Corsetry of the sort Helmut Newton used to favor in his photography, was featured on several Paris runways for Fall 09 and is in stores now. Stefano Pilati showed a strong collection that fully utilized the air of sophisticated eroticism only supple black leather can engender. This included a zippered body suit first shown alone and then styled with a sober pinstripe pencil-skirted suit. To me it looks even sexier peaking out from underneath the jacket than it does when fully revealed. Here is the inimitable Kate Moss wearing a similar outfit in an ad for YSL fragrance Parisienne. Karl Lagerfeld shot a fashion editorial story for Harpers Bazaar this month featuring a similarly styled outfit from his collection for Fendi. Ooh, la la! Harpers Bazaar, November 09 Lady GaGa in January 2010