SuperCaliFashionistic

You may be well aware by now that I'm an avid fan of Mert and Marcus, but this campaign wasn't up to their usual caliber. Not that anything was obviously missing - the colors blended well, the retouching was perfect (as always), but it lacked the punch that their previous masterpieces possessed. Perhaps there were too many elements for complete coherency, or perhaps the clothes simply weren't as photogenic as they were last year. Either way, there was something indefinably but very tangibly missing. So while this series is far from an eyesore (that crown would have to be given to the Juergen Teller campaigns), I won't be hunting down every last image to preserve for posterity.

Malgosia Bela for Nina Ricci by Inez Van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin

In homage to the season of rebirth, H&M's spring campaign saw a return to simplicity. And with good reason - with the world's highest-paid supermodel as the focal point, what else was needed? No more Sasha Pivovarovas and Edita Vilkeviciutes sprawled across velvet couches with smoky eyeliner and rumpled hair, their long, golden limbs in artful disarray beneath their studded leggings or pleather minis. Gone were their shaggy-haired, tuxedo-clad boyfriends with traces of Patrick Dempsey-esque stubble. Instead, a natural complexion complemented the softness of florals, pastels, and delicate draping. It all looked pretty darn sophisticated for a brand that prices T-shirts at $12, although it certainly helps to have a 5'11" beanpole who photographs well at every angle - I mean, who else could look good in a linoleum-green wallpaper drop-crotch jumpsuit? The rest of the pieces, fortunately, were far more wearable - a ruffled dress, stacked leather bracelets, and a white eyelet crochet vest all held potential. And come summer, those strappy leather espadrilles might come in handy, if only they looked like that in real life (H&M footwear tends to disappoint). All the same, it was a solid campaign for a one-of-a-kind brand that's revolutionized the fast-fashion market.

It's all golden limbs, chiseled cheekbones, and muscled pecs for Gucci. Mert and Marcus work their magic again, and by that I mean they manage to make even the most dubious items look positively glamorous. I mean, a feathered top and harem pants with a crotch at your ankles won't really look good unless you're shot from below with one foot on a table. And a man-necklace with white pants and a tan belt isn't going to work, unless you're Nikola Jovanovic. But the photographers make it look more avant garde than odd (well, not completely). There's also another anomaly in the form of a model who has decided to tan himself while wearing black business pants. There's also some curious photoshopping going on - the model sitting on the glass seems to be missing half of her posterior. Plus, they manage to integrate some interesting things into the background. In one shot, there's the torso of a swimsuit model. In another, everyone's sunning themselves (rather dignifiedly, I might add) in the foreground while she's lowkey posing next to a column in the back. I'm starting to think they just hired an extra model and didn't know what to do with her. Only Gucci could make this work, and they certainly do. In the end, the odd elements don't look odd, they just look "unique." And despite an abundance of miscellaneous elements, it maintains a futuristic clarity, thanks to clean angles, sharp lines, and a curving blue backdrop. What it is, essentially, is a glamorous utopia of 6 foot tall models in designer clothes, and it doesn't get better than that.

The television ad features MDC's top-ranked model accompanied by male super Tyson Ballou (yes, he of the nude D&G ads) for a 30-second short directed by Fabien Baron. The black-and-white imagery includes footage of the jetsetting Stone in cars, planes, and a modern glass house complete with monochromatic bed and ocean view. It's sensual without actually revealing anything - ironic, considering Lara's other works, and Calvin Klein's often risque adverts (including too many banned CK jeans ads to count). It focuses on the striking androgyny of the model's face - and, of course, the classic simplicity of the clothes. The haunting soundtrack meshes perfectly with the impact of the images. It's concise, riveting, and powerful, just like Francisco Costa's designs.

Gucci never fails to impress with its campaigns, and this one is no different. From the gleaming cuffs to the glowing tans to the glossy nails, Mert and Marcus perfectly capture the brand's luxurious, sophisticated, modernistic aesthetic. There's nothing "edgy," about it, yet there's something infinitesimally futuristic in the perfectly calculated poses and seamlessly contrasting angles. It's subtly subtly unconventional without being obnoxiously avant garde, classically beautiful without being predictably boring. In other words, it's perfection. It sells not only gorgeous clothes, but gorgeous people and a gorgeous lifestyle - it makes you want to belong to that high-definition world of silk jumpsuits by the poolside and golden tables as footrests (and chiseled, shirtless male models). And if you can't live in Gucciland, at least you can buy their clothes. Artistic value aside, that is the purpose of a good campaign.

Ah, the glory of the catfight. Of course, it's only glorious when you're dressed in Lanvin. Perhaps it started with Serena and Blair's comical hair-pulling, purse-grabbing, stilleto-stomping scene in Gossip Girl, or maybe Black Swan's runaway success gave designers a new theme to think about this season. Either way, it's quite riveting, if entirely unrealistic. The woman who has apparently anchored herself to the table does so with no more than an artistic caress of her fingers. And obviously, film and television aside, no one really fights in couture gowns and five-inch snakeskin pumps. All the same, complete, glamorous impracticality is what fashion is all about - and Steven Meisel captured that perfectly in his latest campaign with Kinga Rajzak and Iselin Steiro.

Veteran Freja Beha proves she's still fashion's favorite darling with a series of black-and-whites lensed by David Sims. Since they took up the reins at Valentino, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccolini have given the traditional brand with a youthful inflection; the newest campaign incorporated this attitude with a juxtaposition of modern and old-world elements. One half centers on the wispy romanticism of the spring 2011 collection, complementing the vintagey appeal of diaphanous chiffon and cat-eye sunglasses with ornate, baroque-style interiors. The other is distinctively Calvin Klein-esque, shot against a stark backdrop to highlight the swirling curves of a ruffled collar or the clean lines of a studded clutch. Together, the photographs encompass what Valentino is truly about: modern couture that hearkens back to the days of timeless elegance.