We’ve read a lot about self-taught blogger photographers. A good eye and an even better camera can work wonders for anyone seeking to fill their online publishing ventures with original photographic material. Scott ‘The Sartorialist’ Schuman, Tommy ‘Jak & Jil’ Ton and Todd ‘The Selby’ Selby three great cases in point. But multitasking mainstream fashion editors or journalists? Not quite so common (and as frockwriter can attest, we’re not that welcome in the blogosphere. Something to do with the sentiment that we’ve somehow cheated our way to a profile that the ‘grassroots’ blogging crew have had to build from scratch). Sydneysiders would know the name Prue Lewington from her weekend fashion musings in The Sunday Telegraph. But who knew that she could also take a decent photo? Also self-taught, Lewington has been shooting in her spare time for the past three years and her work has been published in The Sunday Telegraph and elle.com. Tonight her first exhibition opens at the Kit & Kaboodle Stairwell Gallery in Sydney's Kings Cross.
To be fair to Lewington, she brings more international chops to the Australian fashion reporting table than most - including journalists and bloggers.
She interned in the fashion department at US Harpers Bazaar before moving on to assist New York superstylist Patricia Field on Sex And The City. She then worked as an editorial manager at Nylon magazine, a Sunday stylist at The New York Post and finally, as the style editor of The New York Daily News.
Here is a selection of images from Lewington’s website, taken in Sydney, New York and Argentina, some of which will be offered for sale tonight at the Stairwell Gallery. In addition to two of her hitherto unseen portraits: British model Jacquetta Wheeler (above) and a rather forlorn-looking Elle Halliwell (second from the bottom).
Snapped in an abandoned café, flanked by a solitary, empty bottle of vino, Lewington's Sunday Telegraph fashion colleague stares off into the distance – perhaps contemplating the uncertain future of print.
Whatever happened to Olivia O’Driscoll? In 2008, at age 17, she emerged as one of New Zealand’s most promising modelling newcomers. Repped internationally by IMG, she walked in four Paris haute couture shows in July that year, before flying to to Milan on an exclusive option for the Spring/Summer 2009 Prada and Miu Miu shows. While those gigs never eventuated, she nevertheless shot editorial for French Elle, German Vogue, Japanese RUSSH, Wallpaper, AnOther Magazine, US Teen Vogue and Italy’s Amica. Only to suddenly drop out of the business, sparking various rumours. In spite of the fact that New Zealand has the second-highest rate of teenage pregnancies in the developed world, a pregnancy was not among these whispers. But a baby daughter, Hara Lea O’Driscoll, arrived a day after O'Driscoll's 20th birthday in December 2010. Now as a single mum, with new management back home in Auckland (Red Eleven/MHI) and Sydney (Chadwick) - and as “Liv” O’Driscoll, as she prefers to be known these days - she is attempting a comeback. She joins models Jourdan Dunn, Arizona Muse, Natalia Vodianova and Australia’s Cassi van den Dungen, all of whom took time out under the age of 20 to have children. Herewith an exclusive preview of some new test shots by Australian photographer Thom Kerr.
photography: thom kerr styling: james dykes makeup: stacy lee ghin hair: lauren mccowan fashion: alex perry shot at kingsize studios, auckland
Just another day at the office for Terry Richardson, photographed here during what appears to be a Diesel photoshoot. Below is the original photo as it appeared on Diesel Mexico’s Twitter feed several hours ago (NSFW). The male models are all wearing Diesel underwear, while the controversial American photographer has dropped both his trousers and boxer shorts. Although his hand is covering his privates, Richardson's pubic hair is clearly visible. It’s not entirely clear what the shoot is for or how old the photo is, but Richardson and Diesel have a longstanding commercial relationship, which embraces several Diesel advertising campaigns (including at least one Diesel Intimate campaign), the publication of a book of Richardson’s photographs of Hong Kong and even a clothing collaboration.
It's probably a safe bet that all of these models are over the age of 18. Richardson has previously stated on his website that he will only work with 18+ models, thereby reducing his risk of exposure to any claims of child pornography and exploitation.
But assuming that he knew this behind-the-scenes Diesel shot was due to be published, what exactly is the point Richardson is trying to make here? That, when it comes to the now fairly widespread claims of his inappropriate workplace behaviour with regard to women, which include numerous allegations that he has exposed himself on set and engaged in sexually predatory behaviour – with Rie Rasmussen and Jamie Peck going on the record last year - he’s an equal opportunity offender?
Update 1/12: According to one of the commenters on Fashionista's pickup of this story, this shot of Richardson with male models is from the Hong Kong Terry Richardson book, which was published by Diesel earlier this year. The book showcases a series of images taken by Richardson in Hong Kong in 2007.
Sydney-based freelance fashion journo Mitchell Oakley-Smith isn’t one for resting on his laurels. Already the author of one coffee table book through Thames & Hudson Australia – Fashion: Australian and New Zealand designers – T&H Australia has just released a second collection of his designer vignettes, Interiors: Australian and New Zealand designers. And he’s just signed a third contract, this time with the Thames & Hudson mothership in London for another, slightly more complex tome that is due for release in late 2013 and is to be co-authored with Australian art curator and writer Alison Kubler. All under the age of 25. But that’s not all. Behold a preview of the first cover of a new menswear magazine called Manuscript, Oakley-Smith’s first effort as a publisher, which is out on Friday. Lensed by London-based Australian Paul Scala at the Lanvin headquarters in Paris, it stars Lanvin’s menswear director Lucas Ossendrijver, an extensive profile of whom features inside the issue.
The quarterly menswear-focussed art, culture and design title is being produced by Oakley-Smith and his fashion director fiancé Jolyon Mason, with art direction by Nic Adamovich. Available through bookstores, galleries, fashion boutiques and select newsagents, as well as online via manuscriptdaily.com, issue one also includes profiles of British actor Jack Derges, Australian actor Oliver Ackland and artists Olaf Breuning and Lionel Bawden.
The fashion spreads, shot by Jordan Graham, Liz Ham, Adrian Mesko and Bowen Arico, with styling also by James Dykes and Sonny Groo, feature the models Jeremy Dufour, Jack Vanderhart, Jordan Coulter and twins Jordan and Zac Stenmark. The latter co-star in the ‘City to Surf’ fashion editorial, below, which was shot by Graham and styled by Mason, with grooming by Max May.
A collective of Australians who have worked their way to the top of the New York fashion industry, AINYFF assists young Australians gain experience and contacts in New York. Oakley-Smith was AINYFF's 2011 runnerup. Check the AINYFF site for this year's finalists, with the 2012 winners announced in Sydney on December 19th with Calvin Klein's Malcolm Carfrae, Harpers Bazaar'sLaura Brown, Ford Model's Doll Wright and Condé Nast Asia Pacific's Nancy Pilcher all due to be in attendance.
all images: supplied exclusively to frockwriter by manuscript
Candy, the world’s “first transversal style magazine”, frocked up model Luke Worrall and actor James Franco as women for the covers of its first and second issues. For its just-launched third issue, Candy has transformed actor Chloe Sevigny into a drag king – and in fact, in character as photographer Terry Richardson, with his trademark flannel shirt, glasses, sideburns and thumbs up. Having shot both the Worrall and Franco covers, presumably Richardson shot this one as well. Sevigny has more than a passing interest in the subject of transsexuality. She earned an Academy Award nomination as Lana Tisdel, the girlfriend of murdered transgender man Brandon Teena, in Kimberley Pierce’s 1999 film Boy’s Don’t Cry. She voiced the role of Andy Warhol’s male-to-female superstar Candy Darling in James Rasin’s 2010 documentary Beautiful Darling. And she recently shot a British television series called Hit & Miss, in which she plays a transgender Irish assassin. She also has some commonality with the controversial Richardson. Sevigny is in a minority of mainstream actors to have engaged in an unsimulated sex act in a film – Vincent Gallo’s 2003 Brown Bunny, in which she performed fellatio on co-star Gallo. Richardson has pushed the boundaries of pornography like no other in fashion - coming under fire for the alleged exploitation and degradation of some of his models in the process - and his personal work features a high volume of imagery of himself engaging in unsimulated sexual acts. Sevigny copped a lot of flak herself over Brown Bunny. So, lots to chat about during the cover shoot.
We might not have seen Amanda Ware at any Milan Fashion Week shows this week, but she booked a solid showlist at this month's New York and London Fashion Weeks. And the Australia's Next Top Model Cycle 6 winner is about to score her second cover in four months of The Australian's luxury magazine Wish - alongside Jordan Coulter, another rising local star. Here is an exclusive preview of the October Wish cover and accompanying editorial which showcases brands including Burberry, Prada and Louis Vuitton. Lensed by Pierre Toussaint, with styling by Ken Thompson. On newsstands October 7th.
all images: supplied exclusively to frockwriter by wish magazine photographer: pierre toussaint stylist: ken thompson
Now we know the name Katie Grand probably means diddly squat to the average Australian punter and, notably, the hordes of shoppers that Westfield is no doubt hoping will invade its gleaming new Pitt Street Mall development tonight for Vogue Australia's Fashion's Night Out festivities. But since frockwriter believes we left the punters behind when we were blogging for smh.com.au and news.com.au and we now have a hardcore fashion audience that knows its shit, we thought our readers would get a chuckle out of this first look at a new magazine that the world's largest listed shopping mall developer is handing out tonight in Sydney. Behold the cover of the first issue of the Westfield magazine, 100,000 copies of which have been published for Westfield by, amusingly, Vogue rival, ACP Custom Media.
According to a release, the 12-page issue is inspired by the concept of "love", with the heart graphic alluding to Westfield Sydney's marketing tagline, "the heart of the city". It was lensed by Australian fashion snapper Georges Antoni and showcases the work of 16 Australian designers and chefs. Here is another shot from the issue, below.
No mention of the recent cover of Condé Nast UK's new Katie Grand-edited fashion and style bible LOVE, shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott and which featured Kate Moss and transgender model Lea T locking lips (see bottom):
Another day, another tabloid scandal involving controversial fashion images of an underage model. On Friday The New York Post broke the news that American Hailey Clauson has commenced proceedings in the New York federal court against American photographer Jason Lee Parry and three US retailers, including the US streetwear chain Urban Outfitters, over the sale of merchandise featuring sexually provocative images of Clauson that were shot by Parry when Clauson was 15. Clauson, who turned 16 in March this year - and last December, told New York magazine that she still sleeps with her baby blanket - is seeking US$28million in damages. Court papers claim that although Clauson’s representation at the time, New York’s Ford Models, obtained an assurance from Parry that the images would not be published, the shots were subsequently published in Germany’s Qvest magazine and several of the images later appeared on T-shirts and other merchandise, all without Clauson’s consent. The court papers allege that “She is posed in a blatantly salacious manner with her legs spread, without a bra, revealing portions of her breasts. The image of Teen in a spread eagle position making her crotch area the focal point of the image may portray a child in a sexually suggestive manner and may be in violation of one or more federal and/or state laws”. But are we talking about the louche image, above, of Clauson with her legs spread? No. Below is the image in question in the New York federal court case, which also references another Parry shot in which Clauson is holding a six-pack of beer.
The shot at the very top of this post was taken by a photographer by the name of Kava Gorna when Clauson was just 14.
In a since deleted post on her own blog from January last year – which is still nevertheless cached on Google – Clauson herself published a selection of images from the same Gorna portfolio, stating that they were taken during the summer of 2009 for Blast magazine. It’s not clear whether this specific shot was also published in Blast, but it does appear on Gorna's website.
Also deleted from Clauson’s blog: some behind-the-scenes images of the Parry shoot.
Although Parry told The New York Post the images "got stole from me", the Styleite blog has since reported that Mitra Khayyam, the owner of the company which made the T-shirt, Blood Is the New Black, has denied this, alleging that the images had been “delivered to us … with the sole purpose of producing tee shirts and marketing them to our network of stores worldwide.” Khayyam also claims that neither she, nor Urban Outfitters, had been aware at the time that Parry did not have a release for the images or that Clauson was underage.
"- The model’s father was present for a majority of the shoot. He was shown photos while on set and sanctioned them long before they were published. - Ford modeling agency assigned the model for Jason Lee Parry’s shoot. Ford approved the fashion story featured in Qvest magazine to be published. The photo in question was featured in the model’s portfolio on Ford’s site. All correspondence is documented in emails approving the shoot. - A total of seven people were on set during the entire duration of the shoot, including three female stylists, and a female videographer. The upmost care was given to ensure the model was provided privacy while changing wardrobes and that absolutely no nudity of any kind was visible. -There was absolutely no breasts or genitalia visible in the image in question. There is less skin observable in the image than could be seen in any contemporary bathing suit photo. - Unbeknownst to Jason Lee Parry the image in question was selected by the t-shirt brand. He was also unaware of retail distribution of the t-shirt". -After the photos were released the model proudly posted the images in question to her personal site.
Jason Lee Parry’s creative vision for the fashion photos in question is about a rebellious teenage girl hanging out at her father's motorcycle shop. The story captures the American working class, motorcycle culture, and highlights the designer clothing featured on the model. The model is perched on the back of a vintage motorcycle. She is sitting in a position she determined would be comfortable and relevant to the photo. She is seated in relaxed casual manner, a tough motorcycle mechanic’s daughter. It is not to be perceived in any way as overtly sexual.
Jason Lee Parry is professional photographer in every aspect of his work. His edgy contemporary photography captivates the culture he photographs and defines his generation. His photography has been featured in countless international publications and online sources. Fans, friends, and family of Jason Lee Parry’s high fashion photography eagerly await closure of these defaming allegations and lawsuit".
Evidently there are a number of facts in dispute in this case.
But some evidence seems incontrovertible: that at 15, Clauson posed in a sexually suggestive manner for Parry. Just as at 14, she posed in an equally sexually suggestive manner for Gorna.
In fact it is not at all difficult to find a number of other examples of underage Clausen photographed in sexually provocative poses: for the Wildfox Couture campaign, for various editorials and also what appear to be test shots taken when she was 14, as published on The Fashion Spot website in early 2009.
Here is a selection (photo gallery best viewed on the blog):
Just a reminder that Clauson is no consenting adult. She is a minor.
If underage models continue to appear in these kinds of photoshoots , it is solely because adults have enabled them. The buck stops with them. Not just photographers, stylists and editors but model agents and yes, parents. Any model under the age of 16 is supposed to be chaperoned on work assignments.
If Clauson’s parents don’t like their daughter posing in “sexually suggestive” positions, then why have they allowed her to do so, over and over again, for two years?
Scouted during an open casting call in LA in 2008, Clauson’s rise has been meteoric, in spite of her age. More than one model under the age of 16 has found herself unable to work during the Paris show season, for example, due to stricter regulations in France.
At 15, Clauson nevertheless walked in 14 shows in her first international show season, Spring/Summer 2011, in September/October 2010. These included blue chip names such as Calvin Klein, Gucci, Versace and in Paris, Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Christian Dior, Miu Miu and Lanvin. She then added the Gucci and DSquared2 SS11 advertising campaigns to her CV, propelling her virtually overnight into the models.com Top 50 Women rankings (at #45). She has also been photographed for W, Elle, Numéro and the Chinese, Russian, French and Italian editions of Vogue.
Since the Jason Lee Parry shoot, Clauson has changed agencies twice in New York, moving from Ford to Marilyn and then earlier this year, to Next Model Management.
On the occasion of her groundbreaking recent cover of Vogue Italia, alongside two other plus-sized models, we mentioned that Australia’s Robyn Lawley had another high fashion coup up her sleeve, just shot in Australia with Max Doyle. Frockwriter can reveal that that shoot is in fact a 10-page designer fashion editorial called 'Belle Curve' in the September edition of Vogue Australia, which is out on August 3rd. Subscriber copies landed today (thanks to our tipster who emailed the shots in). The editorial is accompanied by a double-page interview with Lawley. According to Kirstie Clements' editor's letter, this is the first time in Vogue Australia's 52-year history that the magazine has shot a plus-sized model for a fashion editorial. Hot on the heels of Lawley’s Vogue Italia cover and herElle France cover in April, 2011 is turning out to be a banner year for Lawley, Bonner and the plus size-specialist modelling industry.
Clements continues in her editor's letter:
“This is the first time Vogue Australia has shot a larger model and of course now that we have done it, I ask myself why we didn’t do it sooner. But that’s because Robyn is especially gorgeous. I went to the shoot to meet her and was transfixed by her beauty and poise. She is a truly super duper model. When a plus size model first turns up to the studio, she may be an anomaly to a team normally used to working with size 6’s, but once photographer Max Doyle started shooting Robyn, we quickly readjusted our preconceived notions of beauty. She doesn’t actually look plus size to me at all now. I said to a colleague on set later that day, “And men like curves don’t they?” He looked at me like I was an idiot. “Yes Kirsty, we certainly do” was his laconic reply. It’s an interesting conversation – the world of high fashion and fuller-figured women. One that needs to be continued”.
According to Lawley's Australian agent, Chelsea Bonner, the director of plus size-specialist agency Bella Model Management, the Vogue Australia editorial is an even sweeter victory than the Vogue Italia cover.
“The amazing thing about the VogueAustralia shoot is that they actually dressed her - went out and found these beautiful designer garments to wear” Bonner told frockwriter. “Which just proves the point that there is clothing available for plus size models to wear in high fashion, it just takes a little bit of extra effort to find them. Vogue Australia went to that effort and the results are incredible”.
Of the rollercoaster media ride that ensued in the wake of the Italian cover, Bonner adds, “It went viral worldwide, has been commented on in I don’t know how many hundreds of magazines, blog sites and newspapers. And it reflects, I think, definitely the shift in consumers. Women want to see more realistic-sized models in magazines. They’re screaming for it. The response that we had from Italian Vogue was absolutely out of control. But my personal opinion is that Australian Vogue has blown Italian Vogue out of the water because of the fact that it is a true fashion editorial - rather than having curvy girls in lingerie, like they normally do. It’s not just having a token plus size model. It’s a true fashion editorial”.
photographer: max doyle fashion editor: meg gray fashion assistant: megha kapoor makeup: justine purdue hair: renya xydis
