Posts with tag steven meisel

Once again, an issue of Vanity Fair has a sexy little scandal hanging over its head. This time it involves five-time Oscar nominated actress Kate Winslet and her racy Steven Meisel spread.

Photographer Steven Meisel is somewhat of a fashion anomaly. In fact, you could call him the Charlie Angel of the industry. Unlike his equally respected peers, Meisel is hardly ever snapped out-n-about in public and has published only one book compiled of his work: Sex, starring a very naked Madonna and other 90s icons.

But, it appears, Mr. Meisel has had a change of heart. Well, sort of. All those with cash to spare and feigning for a piece of high art by the famed photographer can now purchase a puzzle constructed of an image from Meisel's famous Vogue patterns story. Only 1,000 sets have been made and they cost $750 each.

[via Models]

The media has been abuzz about the July issue of Italian Vogue which will feature over 150 pages dedicated exclusively to black models and stories about successful black entertainers and performers. Famed photographer Steven Meisel -- you may remember him from his Naked Madonna days -- was selected by Vogue Italia editor Franca Sozzani to shoot the issue.

The issue will feature new faces like Jourdan Dunn alongside famed beauties like Tyra Banks, Naomi Campbell and Alek Wek. Sozzani says she was inspired by Barrack Obama's historic presidential campaign. Her intention was to spark conversations about race, and to demonstrate that there is more to beauty than blond, blue eyed Russian models.

As we've repeatedly documented on this site, their is a clear lack of diversity in the fashion industry. All of the runways, editorials, advertisements, and fashion covers have been completely white-washed for the past eight years now.

It's gotten so bad that former model agency owner Bethann Hardison -- who use to rep supermodels Tyson Beckford and Naomi Campbell -- had to convene two summits to discuss the refusal of some of fashion's most powerful to embrace black beauty. CFDA president Diane Von Furstenberg even sent out a letter prior to fashion week urging designers to incorporate models of all ethnicities onto their catwalks.

However, after the fall '08 fashion season concluded, the runways were as bland as ever.

But just when we thought all was lost, it seems as though somebody has finally gain some semblance of a conscience.