I had a good, thorough flip though the September issue of US Vogue over the weekend, and I was surprised to see how boring the advertising campaigns were. Firstly, Louis Vuitton was noticeably absent, which was very strange. And the magazine was also lacking in nice-looking campaigns, which, let’s face it, is usually the main reason we buy the September issues. I know that desperate times call for desperate measures, but the second, third, and fourth quarters of the magazine were crammed with tasteless, ugly campaigns from brands that are not “worthy of Vogue.” I guess they have had to drop their standards in order to fill their pages.

Before I go through my Loves and Loathes for the ad campaigns from the brands we know, I should point out that there was a very good article in Vogue about mothers in the US Army. Not only was it a riveting read, but it made me 1-feel so sad for children whose parents are in the military, and 2-hate the US Army more than words can describe.

I Love…

how amazing Karen Elson looks in this Balenciaga campaign. And the shape of that white furry coat is INSANE.

the way this ad highlights the unusual shapes Bottega Veneta is known for.

Roberto Cavalli at his best: glamour, leopard print, and fur.

these simple Celine ads.

that these Chanel photos look pretty relaxed.

the best trousers of the season, by Chloe.

that despite the fact that Gucci has basically repeated their Spring Summer photos, it still very luxury and on-brand.

Autumn Winter with Michael Kors. Only Carmen Kass can make grey jogging pants look great with a fur coat.

alien eye makeup at Lanvin.

gorgeous contrasts and hardcore hardware at Miu Miu.

that Nicole Miller suddenly looks modern and slick.

Prada's choice of models, Miranda Kerr looks amazing.

that Tommy Hilfiger does the American preppy look better than anyone else.

this beautiful photo. This Valentino dress looks absolutely stunning.

Cleopatra hair and dramatic stairs at Yves Saint Laurent.

I loathe…

the whole concept of this Bulgari shoot, plus the style of the photography, which looks quite tacky.

a boring Burberry campaign. Time to try something new.

ditto at Dolce & Gabanna. They also need to try something new.

when Hermes looks too equestrian.

this Jimmy Choo campaign. It is such a predictable fashion photo set-up, and the shoes look like nothing special.

when a campaign gets done too many times. The cute young Lacoste models jumping up and down were nice for a few seasons, but now they look like silly ravers.

that Ralph Lauren has chosen some of his most boring product for the seasonal ad campaign.

Kate Moss naked in this David Yurman campaign. She doesn't look nice at all, in fact, she looks a bit yuck.

Max Tan is a Singaporean designer who designs “for women with an artistic and intellectual bent.” His play on shapes reminds me of when Rei Kawakubo used to distort silhouettes, but his are much more classy and less strange. However, there is definitely a ‘Japanese” handwriting in his work, combined with a bit of Gareth Pugh.

Photographs by May Lin Le Goff.

I’ve been debating about whether to post images from this brand because I really like it, but they aren’t available to buy anywhere in North America for now (although the brand’s founders have promised me this is going to change.) Their stockists list is here, my UK readers can find Medusa in England.

Anyway, Medusa is an Israeli brand that makes bags and jewelry, all made from processed plastic. I am hoping there is something recyclable or sustainable about this material (for example, Melissa uses recyclable plastics for all their shoes) but regardless, the pieces are quite interesting. The bags are definitely the best pieces, but a few of the necklaces are quite fun too. Definitely a summer accessory, it is something you wouldn’t worry about ruining on holiday, so here’s hoping they are more widely available by the next summer!

Photos by Omer Messinger and Ben Massiot

I love Diane Von Furstenberg’s clothes, and I love Terry Richardson’s work. So what went wrong here? This campaign just looks…tacky. The photoshopping looks like it has been done by a 5 year old (and not in a good, “crafty” way) and the models legs are just horribly thin compared to her giant head.

Image from The Fashion Spot.

Well, here they are. The most anticipated magazine issues of the fashion year. With my comments, of course.

I Love…

Doutzen Kroes on the cover of Flare. Yay to models instead of celebrities! What a great choice of a cover girl. Photographer: Max Abadian

Frida Gustavvsson on the cover of Elle Sweden. Not your typical magazine cover at all...love it! Photographer: Andreas Sjodin.

Jennifer Aniston on the cover of Harper's Bazaar. I loathe her, but it is so nice to see her without her silly haircut and a quote like "I'm still mad at Angelina." Photographer: Mark Seliger.

Gisele Bundchen on the cover of British Harper's Bazaar. Great photo. Photographer: Cedric Buchet.

Bianca Balti on the cover of Spanish Harper's Bazaar. How brave to cover the model's face with text. And it is a beautifully composed image. Photographer: Txema Yeste

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley on the cover of LOVE magazine. LOVE has about eight covers coming out (yes, that idea was interesting the first time, but now it is boring.) Some I love, some I loathe. This one is beautiful. Photographer: Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott.

Buela the doll, on the cover of LOVE Magazine. It would be nice to see more illustrations and dolls on the cover of magazine. (Dolls look about as real as the overly photoshopped images we see nowadays.) And they are SO much more interesting than celebrities. In fact, a toilet would be more interesting than a celebrity. Photographer: Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott.

Gisele on the cover of LOVE Magazine. The best hair, ever. Photographer: Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott.

Lauren Hutton on the cover of LOVE magazine. Well, they've got the doll cover, so why not the old supe cover. Boring, but she looks amazing. Note to self, look like that when you are 66. Photographer: Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott.

Liu Wen on the cover of Numero China. Black and white makes such a nice change for a magazine cover, and what a gorgeous dress.

Lady Gaga on the cover of Vanity Fair. Love Lady Gaga, love Vanity Fair, love when a magazine photographs a celebrity in an unexpected way. Photographer: Nick Knight.

Scratch off covers on V Magazine. There were a few versions of this, with different models. Again, it is so nice to see something unexpected on a magazine cover. Photographer: Mario Sorrenti.

The Chinese supes on the cover of Vogue China. With makeup....and without. Fei Fei, Liu, Ming, Shu Pei, and Tao by Peter Lindbergh & Daniel Jackson.

Constance Jablonski on the cover of Vogue Germany. She's winking at me! Photographer: Alexi Lubomirski.

Marion Cotillard on the cover on Vogue Paris. First celebrity cover since September 2005, and she's a respectable one. Photographer: Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott.

Olga Sherer on the cover of Vogue Portugal. Sepia rules. Photographer: Bojana Tatarska.

Caroline Brasch Nielsen on the cover of Dansk. I love a simple magazine cover. Photographer: Henrik Bulow.

Daria Werbowy on the cover of Elle Quebec. There's nothing surprising, or particularly interesting about this, but it looks good. Photographer: Raphael Mazzucco.

I loathe…

Halle Berry on the cover of US Vogue. Bad hair, and even worse photoshopping. Plus it is boring as hell. Photographer: Mario Testino.

Mary Kate Olsen on the cover of Marie Claire. Aren't we over those twins? Photographer: Tesh.

Ashley Olsen on the cover of Fashion Magazine. Boring: see above. However this is the only September isue I have actually read cover to cover so far, and there's some good stuff in there. Just ignore the cover. Photographer: Cedric Buchet.

Alessandra Ambrosia on the cover of LOVE magazine. She is gorgeous, but here she looks...uninteresting. Photographer: Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott.

Agyness Deyn on the cover of LOVE magazine. What a hideous photograph, although at least she closed her mouth. Photographer: Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott.

Kelly Brook on the cover of LOVE magazine. It is just tits and ass. Photographer: Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott.

Sienna Miller on the cover of LOVE magazine. Didn't she stop being interesting five years ago? Photographer: Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott.

Kate Moss, Lady Gaga, and Naomi CAmpbell on the cover of i-D. Maybe the reason why the magazine is almost out of business is because they keep doing the same thing over and over again. Photographer: Nick Knight.

Emily Blunt on the cover of British Elle. She is simply not cover-worthy. Photographer: Matthias Vriens-McGrath.

Julia Roberts on the cover of Elle. She looks like a drag queen on the bottom one. Photographer: Carter Smith.

Leighton Meester on the cover of Cosmopolitan. What is wrong with this cover? A: That the words "OMG" are on the cover. B: That she is wearing a strapless mini dress for a September issue. C: All of the above.

Guinevere Van Seenus on the cover of 10 magazine. Gross.

My friend Jessica sent me these images of paper shoes. They are by Ndeur, a Paris footwear brand, and they are a collaboration with Make a Paper world. Neither Ndeur, nor Make a Paper seem to have much of a web presence (or at least, a functioning one that explains their story) so I am just going to say they are very cool.

Images from the Ndeur blog.

It kills me to do a “Loathe” post about Hermès, my favourite brand and the ultimate symbol of luxury fashion, but alas, it must be done. Their most recent project, a website called “J’aime Mon Carré,” is their first and hopefully last foray into the world of tragic “It-girls.” Basically the website invovles a bunch of “It Girls” photographed wearing limited edition Hermès scarves, with instructions on how to imitate their styles. The girls are just another group of boring twenty-somethings with pretty faces and born into rich families.

Reading the descriptions of the girls makes me want to puke. One, who looks like she is 14, likes to “drink red wine, eat croissants, and make love while listening to Edith Piaf.” I’m wondering if she is even the age of consent. Another one likes to go out in “NY, London, Paris. Not LA.” Are we supposed to care? And most of all, are Hermès customers supposed to care? If this was Forever 21, Alexander Wang, or even Burberry (who is so desperately trying to be hip), I could understand, but Hermès? No. Please NO.

Dear Hermès,

I love you, and almost everything you do. But please don’t lower ourself by turning into one of the many brands who use boring, silly “It-girl” actresses, DJ’s or socialites as representatives of your brand. You are above that. Go back to being classic, exclusive, and elite. We love you that way.

Yours truly,

Alexandra

These photos of the Moschino hotel in Milan make me long for a holiday. Actually, the mere sight of a beach or suitcase makes me long for a holiday and unfortunately due to house shopping this summer I will have to settle for the fact that my 5 days in Arizona WAS my only summer holiday. Anyway, the Maison Moschino hotel is in Milan, and used to be a railway station. I love the different themes running through the rooms. Let’s go to Milan!

Colette in Paris.

I got the Colette August newsletter into my inbox last week, and it reminded me of how much I miss shopping in Paris. Colette is an uber-cool lifestyle and fashion store in Paris, one of the first stores to embrace the “lifestyle store” concept. The upstairs has incredible, fashion-forward clothing, displayed on mannequins (no hangers or rails.) The ground floor has jewelry, books, beauty, CD’s, and whatever else is cool at that moment (Cartier rings, mini spy cameras, diving masks, diamond skull jewelry, weird zines, motorcycle helmets, giant coffee table books, anything.) And the basement is a water bar with a menu of over 50 different types of water, and the best hot chocolate ever.

No hangers, all the clothes are on mannequins.

During Paris Fashion Week, Colette is full of international fashionistas trying to find the “next cool thing.” It is actually a bit scary, and best visited off-peak or you risk ending up lining up outside the store amongst asymmetrical haircuts and giant sunglasses waiting to get inside.

The ground floor at Colette.

Anyway, here are some of the awesome Colette shoes we are missing out on…

Isabel Toledo’s Payless collection. There are some pieces that will be exclusive to Colette, and Isabel and Reuben Toledo will be in the shop on the 16th of August to customize your shoes. Can they come to Vancouver after? (And by the way, why isn’t Gravity Pope, Vancouver’s best shoe retailer with the world’s worst visual merchandising, doing stuff like this?)

The Havaianas limited edition Pinel & Pinel crocodile leather flip flop. There are only 24 pairs being made. For my Milan and London readers, you can also get these at 10 Corso Como and Dover Street Market (the two stores, that along with Colette, make up the three most amazing style stores in the world.)

The joint 50 year anniversary of Hello Kitty and Dr. Martens collaboration boots. I’ve written about Doc Martens a lot lately, and I am feeling I need to wear my old ones (red 8 hole boots) and perhaps invest in a second pair. Not sure I’d go for Hello Kitty ones, but these are very cool nonetheless.

I love Marni shoes. In a world full of super high, ultra thin stilettos and precariously delicate footwear, you can always trust Marni to design shoes that you can truly clomp around in, whilst looking good. Marni is in the camp of Dries Van Noten, Chie Mihara, and Finsk when it comes to footwear: shoes that look fabulous but that can be worn longer than the home-taxi-party-taxi-home shoes. I have always coveted Marni shoes, but last time I tried to buy a pair, they didn’t have my size. I’d be happy to take a few pairs from this Fall 2010 collection.

Images from Tooklookbook.