H&M offers a kiss for a cause with their latest campaign for Fashion Against Aids. Directed by Dan Martensen and featuring a cast of model couples, the ad is cool, romantic and offers a look at the most important thing there is – love. Of course H&M isn’t just offering lip service – 25% of the purchase price of all Fashion Against Aids items goes towards AIDS Prevention. MDC caught up with the campaign’s casting directors Daniel Peddle & Drew Dasent at Daniel Peddle Casting to find out more about the ad and the process behind the scenes.

MDC: What was the most enjoyable aspect of casting this campaign?

Daniel and Drew: Working with Jenny Friedberg at Creative Chaos on such a positive campaign and meeting such amazingly diverse real couples in love.

MDC: Fashion has always been such a huge support in the fight against AIDS. What other charities or initiatives have caught your eye?

Daniel and Drew: Doctors Without Borders does incredible work, Operation Smile is another favorite of ours which is enjoying a boost from supporters in fashion like Lydia Hearst and J. Lindeberg. We also are big fans of the work of God’s Love We Deliver.

MDC: What do you hope that people will take away after viewing this campaign?

Daniel and Drew: That we really are all the same and love has no boundaries.

For full campaign credits, click here.

Kel and Miles

Taylor and Mackenzie

Adam and Karolina B

Loammi and Mitch

Sedene and Austin

India and Brettony

Oscar and Alana

Exit Magazine never fails to present an edgy and inventive take on the traditional fashion mag. Blending killer clothes, sleek styling and elegant art direction into one package their latest issue is filled with exciting content from the likes of Aitken Jolly, Benny Horne, Dan Martensen and more. With Sam Ranger taking the reigns as fashion director, the magazine looks stronger than ever but don’t take our word for it. Have a look at the gorgeous preview images.

Theres Alexandersson by Aitken Jolly

Lisanne de Jong by Emma Tempest

Kendra Spears by Benny Horne

Danielle Zinaich by Dan Martensen

Querelle Jansen by Mel Bles

Intermission Magazine never fails to excite us with its engaging mix of fashionable editorials and profiles of the industry’s cutting edge talent that makes for the perfect merger of style and substance. The latest issue features contributions from the likes of Mario Sorrenti, Karim Sadli and Mark Pillai as well as interviews with Peter Philips, Bob Recine, Christophe Lemaire, Ezra Petronio, Geraldine Saglio, Alex Wiederin. Not to mention outstanding fashion content with models Guinevere Van Seenus, Anouck Lepere and Tao Okamoto: take a peek at our little preview of issue 4 and be sure to pick up your copy!

Guinevere Van Seenus by John Scarisbrick Styling by Daniel Magnussen

Anouck Lepere by John Scarisbrick

Tao Okamoto by Patrik Sehlstedt

Photography by Greg Harris Styling by  Tony Irvine Hair by  Anthony Turner Makeup by Yadim

Recine by Mario Sorrenti

Christophe Lemaire by Mark Pillai

Geraldine Saglio by Karim Sadli

If you missed Naty Chabanenko in the atmospheric Cushnie et Ochs S/S 11 campaign by rising young photographer Hugh Lippe/styled by Nicole Vitagliano, see more here.

A fascinating story on Annie Leibovitz‘s position in the “art world”. (via A Photo Editor)

Also from APE, Peter Lindbergh and Harper’s Bazaar wins a photography award.

One of our favorite people, JD Ferguson, backstage and party photographer extraordinaire hangs with supermodel friends for Paper Magazine. Get him a TV spot, stat!

Top Belgium makeup artist, Inge Grognard who has worked with Dries Van Noten and Martin Margiela, is out with a gorgeous new book.

If you’re in LA, check out Dossier Magazine’s photography exhibit with Dan Martensen, David Armstrong, Cass Bird and more; curated by Skye Parrott and Alec Friedman.

Photographer Ranjit Grewal passed away suddenly from a heart attack, this Friday will be the memorial for him at Industria. We extend our condolences to his loved ones on the loss of a vibrant young man.

Check out Jeremy Kost‘s show opening Nov 4th until Dec 30th in New York.

The next Visionaire: Fairy Tale presented by Inez & Vinoodh is a “mini library of individually bound children’s books by contemporary artists and photographers”. With John Baldessari, Bjork and Viktor & Rolf contributing, it is sure to be another keeper.

Solange Knowles at the kickoff event this past weekend.

Dossier Magazine always combines fashion and art in a compelling way and HOMECOMING, their new pop up for fashion week  takes things to a whole other level. Transforming a Nolita storefront into a hub for creative events – concerts, lectures, screenings, plus more and enlisting photog Dan Martensen to shoot portraits of NYC’s tastemakers is a novel idea and offering everyone the chance to have their picture taken by Dan in an old fashioned portrait studio, makes it all even better. To check it out for yourself be sure to stop by 267 Elizabeth St between now and Wednesday the 15th.

The young men of the season’s liveliest party have been revealed. We recognize Thomas Hoefnagels, Sebastian Lund, former MOTW Vincent Dienst and Andrea Petri for D&G S/S 10 by Mario Testino. Readers, help us out with the 5th young man. (image courtesy of IMM Bruxelles).

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Modeling:
Lily Cole talks about the making of Dr. Parnassus.

I did a quick interview about the modeling industry for my friend, photographer Lara Rossignol. Lara is a true professional, having shot everyone from Johnny Depp and Liv Tyler to Jermaine Dupre.

She is not the Jersey Shore, that’s for sure! Model Jacquelyn Jablonski‘s on The NY Times Nifty 50.

Made in Brazil said it first.. Arthur Sales would be major… and here’s the first of much to come.

Fashion and photography:
Venetia Scott is one of our favorite stylists out there.. here is a fantastic interview she did with Ponystep. What an insight into her world.

Douglas Perrett‘s malendar (male calendar) is really too cute with some of the top up and coming straight male photographers, including Sebastian Kim and Dan Martensen. Buy it here.

Tsk, tsk.. just more tsk from us for Ms. Lindsay Lohan about her straight out copying of up and coming designer Jen Kao and her dress for Lindsay’s new line, especially as Lindsay was photographed wearing Jen’s dress a month ago. As my little girl would say: Not Nice!

Miscellaneous:
And in case you haven’t heard… Lady Gaga is the new creative director of Polaroid. If she can’t get our beloved Polaroid into the modern era, we don’t know who can.

In the NY Times’ story about MDC’s special preview of V’s size issue, one of the funniest comments was this person who called Karl Lagerfeld a “vacuous, vapid, old parvenu”.

Caroline Ribeiro‘s exotic good looks made her a favorite of every designer from Tom Ford to Valentino. The quintessential 90s girl is back this month between the pages of Wonderland looking stunning. Ribeiro delves into her dark side while Dan Martenson photographs her in smoky black and white. The cigar and cowboy hat picture might be a bit much but Caroline proves that she’s still got it.