Vogue Japan: Kiss of the Matador

I don't think I've ever seen such a Dolce & Gabbana/Anna Dello Russo infused editorial than this particular shoot for Vogue Japan. I mean really, Dello Russo may have well stared in the photos herself such is her signature, extravagant styling present in the pictures which completely mirrors what she wears on a daily basis. First of all, there's a lot of Dolce and for those of you who follow the editor in chief of Vogue Japan on Instagram you'll know that 90% of her wardrobe is Dolce & Gabbana. The model, Bianca Balti, even looks a little like her - long, tanned limbs, layers of accessories, confident poses and an ability to wear anything well. Balti is also a firm favourite of Stefano Gabbana.

I love these photos, mainly because I love Dello Russo and her sense of style, and also because it's quite fun in an eccentric kind of way. Photographer Giampaulo Sgura perfectly captures the glamour of a matador and the display of showmanship crucial for the bull ring. The set is pretty cool too, with bull horns, an old oak door, sacks of wheat stacked around and an old bench all set against a plan white back drop. I would say this matador is more of a Mexican bull fighter, especially with the use of black hats and embellished jackets. There are other fashion pieces apart from Dolce. Brands such as Prada, Moschino, Yohji Yamamoto, Blumarine, Emilio Pucci and Tom Ford are all featured but there's no denying that the real star of the show is Dolce & Gabbana.

And the cover...

Vogue Japan: If I were a Rich Girl

The month of March wouldn't be complete if I didn't fan girl over a Giampaulo Sgura shoot. The photographer, and regular Vogue Japan contributor, is in my humble opinion one of the most talented photographers working in fashion industry right now. His stunning editorials which are often styled by another hero of mine Anna Dello Russo, are captivating, enchanting, beautiful and never fail to portray a sumptuous narrative. 

I came across this particular shoot titled 'All the Rich Girls can Have' by chance while scrolling through Pinterest. This editorial is a few years old from the October 2012 issue of Vogue Japan, styled by Dello Russo and starring Dutch model Ymre Stiekema as a very glamorous Marie Antoinette. The looks are incredible, with pieces by Prada, Oscar de la Renta, Dolce and Gabbana, Balmain and Alberta Ferreti to name just a few, while the huge candy floss wigs placed on Ymre's head recall the decadent regency style of late1700s. I love the elaborate settings in no other than the Palace of Versailles, stylish angles and fun, lady like feel of the whole shoot which Sgura captures beautifully. Take a look at the stunning photographs below and be transported back in time to a period of wealth, prosperity and of course, rich girls...

The World According to Anna dello Russo

Anna Dello Russo might just be one of my favourite people ever. No other word can describe her love of fashion other than the highly overused and slightly pretentious term of 'fashionista'. Some may say that word was invented just for Anna. Or we can call her a 'fashion maniac' - as Helmut Newton once famously said! She has become a street style star in her own right, with fashion bloggers such as The Sartorialist and Tommy Ton going absolutely nuts for this Italian whirlwind of fun. There are no other editors like her. She is in my opinion: fashion.

For those of you who don't know who Anna dello Russo is, there is no doubt you've seen pictures of her before. She is the one who turns heads at every fashion show and creates such a mad scrum of eager photographers awaiting her arrival, some may wonder why even watch a fashion show when you've got the likes of Anna. Let's just say, she is like the Lady Gaga of the fashion industry. She does have a job besides all this fun and laughter, as editor in chief of Vogue Japan, a position she has held for almost 10 years. She is as well a self proclaimed collector of clothes, collecting couture and ready-to-wear for 20 years, and has amassed a huge social media following on Instagram and Twitter - she has a million followers on the former and 175,000 on the latter.

Fabulous in Fendi

Yet Anna wasn’t always this mad fashionista who lived and died for clothes. Born in Bari, southern Italy, on April 16th 1962, Anna dello Russo grew up like any normal Italian child, with plenty of sun, good Mediterranean food and a loving family. It was when she got to the age of 12 that she realized a love of fashion, especially getting dressed up. She once recalled a conversation she had with her father in regard to her unique way of styling an outfit. "My father said, 'Where do you go with this umbrella? It's not raining!' (I come from the South of Italy.) I told him, 'I'm going to school!' And he said, 'With your umbrella?' I answered, 'Yes! This is part of the look."

After she finished her MA in Italian Literature and Art History, she went on to spend 18 years at Vogue Italia as fashion editor, and then editor of L'Uomo Vogue from 2000-2006. She went on to the respected role she holds now, as editor of Vogue Japan or Vogue Nippon, yet still has her base in Italy. Anna even has two apartments in Milan, one for her and one just for her wardrobe - that is how immense it is! What I love about Anna is that she is so different to all the other prim and proper editors who you rarely see crack a smile. Could you imagine Anna Wintour wearing head to toe Fendi playing up to the cameras outside a Dior show? Or Emmanuelle Alt laughing and giggling her way into fashion after parties? No way! But Anna doesn't care and literally lives to have a good time, wherever she is.

I have regularly featured editorials from Vogue Japan on this blog, which highlight Anna's talent as a successful stylist. This woman knows how to dress, and this eccentric, beautiful way of dressing is conveyed in the shoots she styles for the magazine. She is above all a stylist, not so much a journalist, and would rather touch and feel the clothes (and probably wear them!) rather than write about them. She has tried her hand at designing too. In 2012, she released an accessories collection for H&M, which sold out extremely quickly.
So who are Anna's go to designers? Well she loves her Italian brands of course, and serves as muse to Dolce and Gabbana whom she's often seen hanging out with - check her Instagram feed. Fendi fur coats, Prada shoes, Tom Ford dresses and Versace jewellery would serve as a classic 'Anna' outfit. She has fun with her clothes, with clashing prints, layers of accessories, loads of colours and super high heels. Of course, her slim, long legs and tanned frame helps to make any outfit look amazing on her. Not bad for a 52 year old. I loved the Moschino red and yellow McDonalds dress she wore from their autumn/winter 2014 collection as well as that amazing patchwork Fendi coat she wore to Paris Fashion Week.

I'm not going to lie, there’s a part of me that wishes I was in Anna's shoes - and who wouldn't want to play dress up every day of the week (or sometimes even 3 times a day, she once revealed.) To finish off in Anna’s own words, 'I don't want to be cool. I want to be fashion.'

Out and about at Paris/Milan Fashion Weeks, wearing Prada, D&G, Versace and Philip Tracey

All Dolce and Gabbana...

From Moschino, Balenciaga and Fendi, Anna will wear it all.

Vogue Japan: Sacred Tribes of Mont Cervin

Set in the mystic mountains of Matterhorn in Switzerland, the enchanting 'Scared Tribes of Mont Cervin' photo-shoot is absolutely stunning. I thought it appropriate to feature this particular editorial shoot as it fits in nicely with Christmas, with the vast winery landscapes, luxurious fur coats and warm layers of clothing. And of course, it is styled by my favourite fashion editor, Anna Dello Russo for the October 2015 issue of Vogue Japan, shot by Giampaulo Sgura.

Anna Selezneva features in the shoot along with Noma Han, decked out in an array of designers including Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Tom Ford, Dsquared2, Celine and Proenza Schouler. I love the styling, especially all the sumptuous layers of coats, dresses and stacks of jewellery. Dello Russo is definitely a maximalist and so the more drama the better. She always brings an element of cool to her editorials, like with the classic mirrored aviator sunglasses and jaunty bowler hats. There are action shots of Anna skiing and strolling along the snow decked Mont Cervin with Noma, not to mention the majestic German Shepherd who pops up in a couple of photos. There is a very clear tribal feel to the clothes, hence the title, with a sense of boho chic running throughout. You can imagine a jet set, ski resort fashion enthusiast jumping headfirst into these clothes with absolute ease.

With the Vogue Japan shoots, they always tell a story. Mont Cervin Palace is a luxurious hotel located in the midst of the Alps, in Zermatt. Surrounded by beautiful snow topped mountains, this resort was the perfect location for such a show stopping photo-shoot and makes you feel as though you are really there in the wilderness, wrapped in a Louis Vuitton white sheepskin coat. It's fair to say the partnership of Dello Russo and Sgura shows no signs of slowing down, especially when they keep on producing such visually stunning editorials. Take a trip through with Anna and Noma below...

'I'll be at the Beach' - Vogue Japan

Last month I featured two fashion editorials from Vogue Japan on the blog and you all loved it. Both shot by acclaimed photographer Giampaulo Sgura, it featured a very serene and beautiful Caroline Trentini styled by the one and only, Anna dello Russo. 'Caroline's Symphony' was taken from the October 2015 issue of Vogue Japan, while 'Once Upon a Time in Siciliy' was from a couple of years ago, yet is just as beautiful. If you want to check it out later you can find both photoshoots on theFASHIONbox, as they are fantastic examples of the way Dello Russo is able to capture a specific mood and feeling through her atmospheric photo shoots.

So carrying on from last month, here is my favourite fashion spread for the month, styled once again by Anna Dello Russo and photographed by Giampaulo Sgura - they do make a good team! I was drawn to this amazing, cultural editorial while scrolling through the gorgeous images on Sgura's website, just because of the vibrant use of colour, wonderful styling and the sky was just so blue, reminding me of a summer long gone. It cheered me up on a dark, gloomy autumnal day in London and transported me to the colourful shores of Salvador, Brazil, where the shoot was originally shot, featuring in Vogue Japan May 2013, titled 'I'll be at the Beach.' I seem to have an obsession with Vogue Japan shoots!

Supermodel Magdelena Frackowiak is the star of the shoot, which centres around her on the beach, funnily enough, posing alongside wooden huts, cafe bars,strolling along the promenade past a derelict church and sheltering under large palm trees. In one lovely photograph, Magdelena is pictured with oranges on her head, sandwiched by gorgous twins Suzana & Suzane Massena, all wearing print dresses and flat gladiator sandals. The clothes, which feature a lot of Dolce and Gabbana dresses and jewellery, are bright and captivating, with lots of layers of chunky accessories, including bags, aviator sunglasses, scarves, belts and large sombrero hats. I love that when you look at a really well done fashion shoot, you feel as though you are transported to the place where the photos are taken. In this partciular editorial shoot, you can almost smell the salty sea and coconuts on the beach as well as feel the blazing sun on your back in sunny Salvador.

It must have taken at least a couple of days to finish such an in depth shoot, and I can imagine countless photographs taken by Sgura in the process. Everything from the lighting to the setting, the incredible styling to the models is perfect in this photoshoot and makes me want to jump on a place and head to a tropical paradise, and then I too can say, 'I'll be at the beach.'

Once Upon a Time in Sicily...

Last week I posted a beautiful photo-shoot I found from Vogue Japan, titled 'Caroline's Symphony.' And here is yet another fabulous editorial shoot, by the same photographer, amazing Giampaulo Sgura and acclaimed fashion stylist, Anna Dello Russo. In special homage to Italy and designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, this photo-shoot from Vogue Japan October 2012, could literally be an ad campaign for the brand such is the the equisite pieces and vintage, monochrome feel surrounding it. In fact, Sgura usually shoots the Dolce and Gabbana campaigns so the ambiance of this shoot and overall feel, is very much captured in full by the clever photographer.

Merging Dolce and Gabbana and Anna Dello Russo is just a match made in fashion heaven. Not only are they both Italian but they understand completely how to tell a story though clothes and this shoot has everything you could imagine from a romantic story on the island of Sicily. From the references to the black lace and tailored way of dressing, to the religious symbols of the church and the modest veil and the sexy stance of the men convey a sense of Mafioso pride and Sicilian heritage. Even the title of the shoot, 'Once Upon a Time in Sicily' draws you into a story from the very beginning. I love the image of the model standing on the balcony while the men in black suits gaze up at her, a little like the Pope looking out across St Peter's Square. Most of the clothes are Dolce and Gabbana, with Dello Russo paying respect to their limited couture line, 'Alta Moda' and choosing supermodels such as Othilia Simon, Anna Maria Nemetz and Kate King, who is a face of the D&G make up line.

Now that I have truly discovered Japan Vogue, it is fast becoming one of my favourite magazines ever. Unfortunately I can't read Japanese but just looking at the incredible photo-shoots and admiring the styling of the fabulous fashion editor, Dello Russo, is enough for me! Bellissimo!