Everyone was getting excited about the Prada casting, and there were rumours that there were going to be some unusual models in the show. I wouldn’t exactly say the choice of models was unusual, but they did cast Doutzen Kroes, Miranda Kerr, and Lara Stone, who are much more curvaceous than the typical catwalk model, and it shows from the photos. But they work perfectly with the collection, which is very 90s Prada for a real woman, with a real body. The prints, shapes and fabrics are so reminiscent of the 90s collections that made Prada what it is today, and I think it looks fantastic.

I Love…

the pretty dresses made from heavy winter fabrics.

a "Prada" dress, made from a "Prada" printed fabric.

the fact that the coat fabric looks cheap, which is certainly not the case. And the tan and bright blue contrasts throughout the show.

signature Prada knitwear, with a matronly, retro feel.

a very simple dress with an interesting textile design.

Even the shoes were very 90s Prada. I imagine they will be relaunching some kitten heels soon, I can feel those coming back, and Prada was THE brand for kitten heel shoes. I am getting excited about this collection, I have so many coats that will be perfect for the 90s Prada look.

this is so 90s Prada, a retro court shoe.

and their signature super pointy toe with super skinny heel and a flat little bow. In retro colours.

All images from Style.com.

Here’s an example of a fashion video that looks hot without making an attempt at being controversial, philosophical, or pornographic (unlike the YSL video by Bruce Weber that I recently trashed.) It just looks hot, its only 30 seconds long, and it helps that we all love Lara Stone.

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Everyone seems to be getting excited about the upcoming Spring Summer 2010 advertising campaigns. I guess in fashion terms that is something to get excited about, however I rarely get worked up about an advertising campaign unless there is something amazing going on.

I have always been obsessed with these Versace campaigns shot by Steven Meisel. The models are Amber Valleta and Georgina Grenville, and it was for Autumn Winter 2000. I am also very excited that I found the entire series today on this Russian photography site, they are quite large versions, and I like to have a record of great fashion things like this.

This campaign was turned into a small exhibition, and there are a few reasons why it was so well received. The models, although young and beautiful, are styled to look old, which is very unusual in fashion. The way they sit, their hair, makeup, everything, makes them look much older than they are. Also, they are staring straight into the camera, which is a bit eerie. The Beverly Hills mansion where these photos were taken must have been a locations scout’s dream, it is so perfect for the clothing. Someone pointed out to me that in nearly all the photos the models were smoking cigarettes, which were then airbrushed out. Take a look, you can see their fingers are in the right position. If you spend a few seconds looking into each photo, you can appreciate how amazing theses shots are, they are a bit weird, but fabulous. This is definitely my favourite fashion advertising campaign ever.

Here are some of the Spring Summer 2010 campaigns, which will start to come out in the January magazines, and make a full appearance by March. I got all the images from Refinery 29, except the Dolce and Gabbana ones, which were published in Italian Vogue.

Here’s Lara Stone for Louis Vuitton. She is the model of the moment, and has just replaced Madonna, who starred in the campaigns last season. I am looking forward to seeing this in more detail.

Louis Vuitton Spring Summer 2010: Lara Stone shot by Steven Meisel

Everyone was surprised by this Akris campaign with Daphne Guinness. The heiress is known for her amazing, eclectic style and her haute couture collection, and she is loved by so many designers. It was a surprise that she chose to work with Akris, a little-known brand.

Akris Spring Summer 2010: Daphne Guinness shot by Steven Klein

This Gucci ad looks amazing and I want to be next to that swimming pool right now.

Gucci Spring Summer 2010: Natasha Poly and Ryan Kennedy shot by Mert & Marcus

Marc Jacobs’ campaigns, always shot by Juergen Teller, are often slightly unusual. He is the only designer whose campaign involves taking five $1500 handbags, throwing them in the dirt, and then putting Sofia Coppola next to them. So it is no surprise that his next campaign has a model with her foot in a toilet.

Marc Jacobs Spring Summer 2010: Jamie Bouchert shot by Juergen Teller

The Lanvin campaign looks pretty cool, as does everything from the Lanvin label at the moment.

Lanvin Spring Summer 2010: Jamie Bouchert shot by Steven Meisel

I think this Dolce & Gabbana ad, featuring Madonna washing the dishes and doing other very “Italian Mamma” looking things, looks great. I am surprised how many times she can be reinvented.

Dolce & Gabbana Spring Summer 2010: Madonna shot by Steven Meisel

I love the new photos of Lara Stone in the Spring Summer 2010 Eres campaign. Lets start with Eres, one of the beautiful lingerie brands in the world. I have always favored brands that don’t tailor their products to well-endowed women, which is generally the case with Agent Provocateur and other sexy brands. Eres, and several French brands, make product for french women, which usually means smaller cup sizes. Eres makes the most beautiful basics, so amazing you wouldn’t really need any fancy lingerie if you had a wardrobe full of Eres.

Here are some images from the lingerie collection, from the Eres website:

I have never been one to follow the model gossip, it is just not something I am that interested in. I used to know all the top girls when I worked in Paris at Sonia Rykiel, because we used to cast them for our shows. That was the time of the Brazilians, like Gisele, Fernanda, Mariana, and Ana Claudia, Mario Testino was shooting them all oiled and sexy in the sun, and none of them were size zeros. They all looked amazing, tanned, and very healthy. Now with the whole size zero debate going crazy, I suppose Lara Stone definitely stands out. She is a size 4, which is big by model standards. The industry is going crazy for her, Carine Roitfeld dedicated a whole issue of French Vogue to her, but the sad thing is, she is still feeling pressure to get thin. According to Elle UK, she said “I don’t want to be the fat one anymore, so, I have just started doing Pilates every morning, then going to the gym, running, and swimming.”

Some images of Lara Stone on the catwalk from www.style.com

This image has been getting a lot of attention this week, its the cover of the next issue of Love magazine, with Lara Stone, shot by Mert and Marcus. Everyone is saying she has fabulous breasts, and I won’t deny that. The crazy thing is that this is a body that is considered big by model standards. Who wouldn’t dream of having a body like hers?

I bet Helmut Newton would have loved to shoot her. He is my favourite fashion photographer of all time and he is definitely one of the few photographers that can photograph women in the nude but still make them look uncompromising and powerful.

Helmut Newton's Big Nudes

Anyway, I won’t go on about this for much longer, but I do have a few points to make about size zero and obesity, which I will discuss in a post later this month. Meanwhile, here are the Lara Stone for Eres images. She is beautiful and makes their swimwear look fantastic.