Cheat-Sheet: March Mags
You could spend an entire Saturday holed up with this month's marquee fashion mags, but we know you're too busy watching Jersey Shore marathons for that nonsense. And in the interest of keeping you apprised of the print world, we've compiled the Cliff's Notes to March's biggest fashion pubs. As always, we live to serve.
Harper's Bazaar
Cover girl: Kate Moss, looking like a Mary Kay saleswoman with her baby-pink lipstick and flowing, Dallas-blonde mane.
The good stuff: Fluffy trend pieces (which we love) on wearing sequins in the daytime and the explosion of mini-skirts. There's also a cute piece on why being nice is so cool by Mrs. Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, and a solid profile on Katie Couric ("I always worry after I've done my makeup that I'm gonna look like What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" quipped the newswoman).
The fashion: An old-school straight-forward fashion piece on Spring looks starring Estonian supermodel Carmen Kass, and boy-girl photo editorial with a Bonnie & Clyde theme that looks, well, amateurish (crap lighting and weird compositions abound).
Requisite WTF piece: A two-pager on model Poppy Delevigne's wholly un-groundbreaking style.
VOGUE
Cover girl: Tina Fey, looking suitably wind-blown and glowy (but refreshingly real), wearing a crinkly blue Prada organza halter top.
The good stuff: The profile on Fey is jam-packed with her sharp, gal-friendly humor ("If women were only dressing for men, there would be nothing but Victoria's Secret. There would be no Dior.") There's also a touching article on Irving Penn by former protegee Phyllis Posnik, and a brutally honest personal essay by former W editor Jessica Kerwin Jenkins, who gave up Manhattan for the wilds of Maine — but not without worrying if she'd lose her cool, her cred and her career.
The fashion: A Grace Coddington-styled fashion shoot shot by David Sims that sees model Daria Werbowy dressed like Tarzan's better half — her limbs emblazoned with big faux tribal tats. There's also a photo-heavy love letter to "influential" models and fashion personnel, incuding Vanessa Traina, Chanel Iman and (surprise, surprise) Vogue contributing editor Lauren Santo Domingo.
Requisite WTF piece: A photo collage of statement shoes taken by Jak & Jill's Tommy Ton...which feels about a year behind sked.
GQ
Cover boy: Kobe Bryant — who's gotta be feeling pretty good about the Tiger Woods scandal — clad in a slick grey Dolce & Gabanna suit.
The good stuff: A explanation of Balman-ia for guys ("Women climb over one another to pony up $1,500 for [Decarnin's] t-shirts"); a primer on indie colognes (Le Labo and ELdo, among them); and a beautifully photographed pictorial on hot new mens' brands Billy Reid, Burkman Bros, Richard Chai, Unis and L.A.'s own Caulfield Preparatory.
The fashion: A bland shoot on leather jackets with actor Topher Grace (pawing a half-dressed model) and a cool Ben Watts-shot fashion spread on suits starring Pierce Brosnan — who's still a hundred times more smoking than half the models in the issue.
Requisite WTF content: A profile by rock nostalgist Chuck Klosterman on Pavement singer Stephen Malkmus, which really just reads like an opportunity Klosterman created to have lunch with one of his college-radio heroes.
W
Cover girl: A de-clawed Megan Fox, looking wan (that stripper makeup really adds something) in a Giorgio Armani silk jacket.
The good stuff: An informative check-in with socialite-turned-fashion-mogel Tory Burch, who's rolling out dozens of new stores this year, and a great piece by West Coast editor Kevin West on Brit biz guy Nick Jones, who's brought his members-only Soho House to our fair Hollywood (it's clear that West wonders if L.A. is the appropriate place for it — as do we).
The fashion: A gorgeous, darkly romantic fashion shoot from stylist Camilla Nickerson and photog Mario Sorrenti detailing the resurgence of lingerie in non-boudoir fashion. And a kicky black-and-white fashion fantasy with a Swinging London theme, styled by Alex White and shot by Mert Atlas and Marcus Piggott — featuring lots of hot models kissing.
Requisite WTF content: A 28-page fashion story and Bridget Foley-penned article on former Givenchy model and Avedon muse China Machado. As interesting as her story is (she was the first non-Caucasian model to be photographed for the major U.S. fashion magazines), it doesn't even come close to warranting 28 pages of coverage.