Ajak and Lais.

Givenchy has spoken yet again and the invigorating casting choices for Fall/Winter 2010 are just as incredibly inspirational as ever for modelwatchers out there. With all the recent talk of more diversity on the runway, to fully see a a show where people of color are included (and not just 1 or 2 looks) makes for a runway that is compelling and powerful and yet somehow so natural and seamless. Givenchy led the week with 17 of their 49 looks on some of the most beautiful faces of color, past and present. The dramatic palette of red, black and white looked stunning on Chanel Iman, Joan Smalls, Rose Cordero, Lakshmi Menon, Liu Wen, Lyndsey Scott and Shu Pei. New faces Ajak, Jiang Xiao Yi, Lais Ribeiro, Ming Xi and Sosheeba Griffiths shined as well as current campaign face Eduardo Calero and Givenchy favorites Paolo Roldan and Jonathan Marquez. The surprise choices for the collection? Top Japanese model of the early 00′s (and newly platinum) Ai Tominaga and 90′s star Ling Tan.

Ming Xi and Paolo Rolden.

Ling and Ai.

(All images from Style.com, for full collection and to see the other faces named, go to Style.com’s gallery for Givenchy)

Every season Thierry LeGoues picks a beautiful set of girls to grace the covers of French Revue de Modes and the beauties on the S/S issue are as lively and unique as the colorful collectable covers.

Tell us, which cover do you like best?

Yulia Vasiltosova

Anna de Rijk and Lyndsey Scott

Jacquelyn Jablonski

Tao Okamoto & Laura Blokhina

Hannah Holman

Coco Rocha & Emily DiDonato

Ranya Mordanova

Josefin Hedstrom & Chanel Iman

Image Credit | Fashion Gone Rogue

There is something about the way Mario Sorrenti creates a picture that just brings out the best in his subjects. In the latest issue of W, Sorrenti takes 18 of the most beautiful models and shoots them looking seductive and sensual: some of the pictures work better than others but he manages to capture the essence of each girl.

Karmen Pedaru

Lyndsey Scott

Jessica Miller

Liu Wen

Pixie Geldof

Anna de Rijk

Edita Vilkeviciute

Liya Kebede

Guinevere Van Seenus

Mirte Maas

Valerija Kelava

Eniko Mihalik

Iselin Steiro

Freja Beha Erichsen

Lara Stone

Sigrid Agren

Natasa Vojnovic

Shalom Harlow

Lanvin Men S/S 10. Inez and Vinoodh by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin

Very few campaigns make an impact in our image and information soaked brains but WWD’s preview of the Lanvin men’s and women’s campaigns have appeared and they are delightful. The energetic Steven Meisel ad of Jamie running down the hallway has already spread like crazy over the blogosphere. Read Alber’s inspiration for the ads, here. The men’s campaign featuring self portraits by the devastatingly handsome Vinoodh Matadin with the lovely Inez van Lamsweerde is an impudent F-U to conservative ads for recessionary times. What we love the most is that, for once, Vinoodh is the target audience for a high end brand like Lanvin, a sophisticated, attractive man of the world…. and one that actually can afford it. Aspirational, indeed.

_____________________________________________________

Lyndsey Scott is this week’s model at W Magazine. Read about how she was discovered on MODELS.com!!

Tom Ford‘s A Single Man gets nominated for 2 Emmy’s (for Julianne Moore and Colin Firth).

Calvin Klein gets Kellan Lutz (say that 3 times fast). Kellan Lutz is the next young actor to watch in the fashion world.

Here’s a memorial to all the magazines that fell this past year.

Fashionisto reviews 2009 for Vogue Hommes Japan, one of our favorite men’s magazines.

Wow. Fashion Copious skewers US Vogue and the old guard. Speaking of new guard, is that Willy Vanderperre‘s first time in American Vogue shooting Lara Stone? Exciting!

One of our favorite casting directors,Daniel Peddle, who works with Phillip Lim and Givenchy, gets interviewed by Style.com.

Top cover model of the decade (hint, it’s not a model).. Jezebel via The Cut.

Photographer Amadeo Turello‘s new book is very sparse and beautiful, endorsed by Prince Albert of Monaco and filled with images of gorgeous women like Carmen dell’Orefice, Dita Von Teese, Fernanda Tavares,Maggie Rizer, Fernanda Tavares and my favorite 90′s models Tatjana Patitz and Carrie Otis. The Erin O’Connor images with the forbidding clouds is stunning and one of my favorites.

London is loyal… Looks like Burberry, Matthew Williamson, Pringle and a few others are staying in London for fashion week instead of heading back to Milan and Paris.

The future of magazines? Not for $800.

Fashionista cracks us up with this note on the recent Givenchy campaign, combining fashion and pop culture in a good way and not in a Lindsay/Ungaro kind of way.

Plus size models are so in.. let’s hope they are here to stay.. Fashionista gives us the scoop.

If you’re going to start a blog about your favorite model, this is how to do it… it’s funny, critical yet insightful and well written. Makes us want to be a model so that someone can do one about us (almost).

Jon Kortarejana in A Single Man, first look by VGL.

Madonna by Steven Klein for Dolce & Gabbana S/S 10, goes back to her and the label’s Mediterranean roots. Read more about the campaign at Swide.com. (Image courtesy of our friends at d Management)

———————————————————-

Naked Isabeli Fontana? You heard right. Made in Brazil has some beautiful pics.

We always knew Helmut Lang was visionary but this Time Magazine article reminds us why. See why the fashion shows as we may know it may soon be gone.

Brazilian boys line up for the shows, check. And if you haven’t voted yet for your hottest Brazilian boy, click here to vote.

Roxanne Lowit: 30 years in fashion, 1 million pictures later.. her backstage book at Dior looks like another must buy for us this holiday season. Read the Times interview with her about Tom Ford spraying Kate Moss backstage.

New, sort of, agency in Chicago.. Jane Stewart who headed Elite for 28 years opens Factor Women.

Nick Knight may just be the hardest working man in fashion right now. He shot 25 people in a row ! Speaking of Nick, he’s at Selfridges today signing copies of his amazing book.. get down there now!

The lovely young American model, R’el Dade interviewed by Ponyryder. Find out where she got her name (hint: think Disney).

m4 models‘s Alexander Wolf (found at Oktoberfest!) has us mesmerized with his unforgettable presence (doesn’t he look like he should be in Twilight?). There are some major players circling as well around this young German man.
—————————————————————-
Modeling Related News:
-The disturbing trend of model deaths: MODELS.com’s Wayne Sterling talks to Frockwriter.

-Thanks to Made in Brazil for this Marlon Teixeira behind the scenes video for American Eagle and putting all 5 Youtube links of the Victoria’s Secret show in one post.

-From Vogue Hommes International cover star (remember the tarantula?) to cancer survivor to successful journalist/filmmaker, former model Jay Bulger reflects on his remarkable journey of the last decade.

-Du Juan has a cosmetics line coming out in China!

-Coco Rocha‘s agent Micki Schneider appears on the Jay Leno show in a skit. It’s pretty funny.

-Karl, Edita, Baptiste and company: in a new film for Chanel.

-It’s the most wonderful time of the year. But only for some people… how wonderful that Q Models’ Dominique helps out underprivileged children in her native Trinidad.

-In Miami on Monday the 7th? Ford Models is scouting down there.

Fashion and photography:

-Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin are now slashes (photographers/models!!) They star in front as well as shoot the campaign for Lanvin Men‘s Spring/Summer 2010.

-Nick Knight will be shooting live from now till December 20th!

-Short history of Christian Lacroix from the height of his success to his current woes, click here.

-Sans Artifice is a big fan of Raul Martinez who just joined American Vogue… and takes a retrospective look at his work. Read MDC’s interview with him from the early 00′s.

-WWD has fabulous pics of Sonia Rykiel’s H&M launch in Paris. We spy Lily Cole and Lindsay Ellingson! Can you spot Lyndsey Scott, Sarah Stephens and Myf Shepherd?

-WWD also has the adorable stamps by Lanvin‘s Alber Elbaz.

-American Vogue needs interns. Do we need to say more than that?

Walking the Victoria’s Secret fashion show is a dream come true for countless models and every year a select few gets the chance to strut their stuff for millions of viewers. The 2009 VS lineup is full of surprises; from the arrival of stunning newcomers, to the return of VS favorites and much more. Our full coverage of all the goings on backstage kicks off later tonight, but here is a little taste to get you ready.

For even more VS check out MDC’s backstage pictures!

The lovely Candice Backstage at The Armory, pic Betty for MDC

Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2009

Alessandra Ambrosio
Miranda Kerr
Maryna Linchuk
Caroline Trentini
Izabel Goulart
Liu Wen
Candice Swanepoel
Abbey Lee Kershaw
Tatiana Kovylina
Selita Ebanks
Erin Heatherton
Anja Rubik
Doutzen Kroes
Chanel Iman
Julia Stegner
Edita Vilkeviciute
Isabeli Fontana
Ana Beatriz Barros
Sessilee Lopez
Marisa Miller
Caroline Winberg
Behati Prinsloo
Eniko Mihalik
Anastasia Kuznetsova
Lyndsey Scott
Lily Aldridge
Dorothea Barth Jorgensen
Elyse Taylor
Shannan Click
Heidi Klum
Rosie Huntington Whiteley
Lindsay Ellingson
Anna Jagodzinska
Aminata Niaria

The American wave has begun! Modeling is an international business – a great girl is just as likely to be from Sao Paulo as she is from St. Petersburg and scouts have always searched far and wide for the next major face. Sometimes though, the best girls are quite literally the ones next door. The American model is experiencing a very timely resurgence and many of this season’s top catwalkers hail from exotic locales like New Jersey, California and Texas.

Given the variety of cultural backgrounds in the states American models represent an especially diverse range of beauty but all are blessed with the same down to earth charm that makes them favorites. Take a look back at some of modeling’s most memorable pitchwomen – Cindy Crawford, Tyra Banks, Carolyn Murphy, Bridget Hall, Hilary Rhoda – the list goes on and on, there is just something unique about the way the right American beauty can connect with an audience. Here are a few of this seasons much buzzed about newcomers whose personality and appeal make them the standouts of the new American wave.

Hannah Holman

With her platinum tresses and icy blue eyes Hannah is the definition of a classic All American beauty (were seeing shades of Kate Bosworth) and fresh off the heels of her Miu Miu campaign she blazed through a selective season – only the best would do. Though she made appearances at nearly every European show worth talking about we couldn’t help but notice her turns at Fendi, Karl Lagerfeld and Chanel – it seems a certain austere German fashion legend has taken note of Hannah’s considerable charms.

Taylor Kraemer

With her winsome look and impressive nearly 6ft height Taylor Kraemer is hard to miss. Blessed with warm brown eyes and beachy blonde hair she made a splash at Calvin Klein and Marc Jacobs. The Cincinnati native has the personality and it factor to make a impact – don’t be surprised if you see her lovely face in a major campaign.

Jacquelyn Jablonski

So many shows, so little time – Top 10 Newcomer Jacquelyn was easily one of the most in demand girls walking this season. With a staggering 58 shows under her belt there was simply no stopping her. Something about Jacquelyn’s languid look resonated with casting directors and designers alike and she is quickly becoming a fan favorite too. The Jersey born beauty is sure to keep the momentum going with appearances in the most significant magazines and campaigns.

R’el Dade

As easily one of the most elegant faces to emerge this season R’el was poised for greatness. Her flawless proportions could be found on the runway of any designer looking for an added touch of class – note her refined presence at Dior and Giorgio Armani as well as a confident stroll down the catwalk for Hermes. The sophisticated Texan teen is also making her mark editorially with stories in Numero and an upcoming slate of work with a few choice photographers.

Lindsey Wixson

What more can be said about the 100% original California girl who snagged the opening slot at Prada and the closing spot at Miu Miu? The lovely Top 10 Newcomer is poised to have a bright future and with such a stellar season Lindsey, will be one of the most watched faces when it comes to campaigns.

Lyndsey Scott

Ever since she was discovered on Models.com and whisked away to a Calvin exclusive Lyndsey hasn’t missed a beat. Coming back stronger than ever this season with impressive showings at Vuitton, Prada and Gucci, her one of a kind look coupled with that ferocious walk have pushed her to the top of the list when it comes to fresh talent.

Keke Lindgard

This Hawaiian beauty’s impeccable season included Lanvin, Celine, Prada and Dolce – first rate bookings any girl but especially for someone so new. With a face that calls to mind the glowing beauty of Angela Lindvall and Bridget Hall Keke’s appeal is evident and sure to crossover into major editorial success.