Vanity Fair

We've been nostalgic lately, so we're excited to see Vanity Fair's July cover is a young Elizabeth Taylor. Though not yet released, the magazine promises a glimpse of the epic love letters two-time husband Richard Burton wrote from the forthcoming book Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and the Marriage of the Century.

Truthfully, it's easy to forget that Elizabeth Taylor was one-half of the "marriage of the century." We know that her marriages have been many, but throughout the '60s and '70s Taylor and Burton enthralled the press and the public. Vanity Fair calls them the "super-couple who set the standard" for modern celebrities. They lived dramatically and opulently, which actually does sound more like celebrities of last century than this, which reserves adoration for celebrities that appear the most down to earth.

What remains of the romance is Burton's prolific love letters. Vanity Fair calls Burton a "gifted, lyrical, playful writer" and Taylor a captivating muse. I tracked down some of Burton's writing, and below is how he described the 19-year-old Elizabeth he first met.

"She was so extraordinarily beautiful that I nearly laughed out loud. She . . . [was] famine, fire, destruction and plague . . . the only true begetter. Her breasts were apocalyptic, they would topple empires before they withered . . . her body was a miracle of construction. . . . She was unquestionably gorgeous. She was lavish. She was a dark, unyielding largesse. She was, in short, too bloody much."

If his letters are anything like this, then I believe!

Close to 20 years ago, Demi Moore posed pregnant for her then-controversial and now iconic Vanity Fair cover. It's Claudia Schiffer's turn. The supermodel, who is expecting her third child, was photographed by Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld in a similar sexy shot for the June issue of German Vogue. Schiffer explains that she wanted to do the nude shoot because, "It was important to us to show how beautiful it is to be a woman and that you can have a positive attitude towards your body, including when you're expecting."

A host of beautiful models, TV hosts, and pop stars have taken turns showing off their burgeoning bellies and striking copycat poses to the 1991 original, but Demi owns it. The actress is 47, and her daughters are nearly grown, but every time a naked pregnancy cover hits stands, we are reminded of the stunning one that paved the way. Do you think any of the pictures below compare to Demi's maternal in-the-buff debut?

To see the rest of the cover models, read more

The World Cup in South Africa is a month away, and Vanity Fair is getting us excited with some serious shirtless hot guys! Cristiano Ronaldo, who most recently made headlines for his possible romance with Kim Kardashian, joins the Ivory Coast’s Didier Drogba for the manjoyment-filled cover. Cristiano is also the new face, or body, of Armani underwear, so we're pretty used to those fantastic abs. Mr. Didier, who also just landed on the cover of TIME Magazine's influential list issue, is a welcome new face around here — enjoy the eye candy!

There are lots more hot pictures on VF.com, and to check out a behind-the-scenes video starring six-packs galore just read more

Madonna dons an eyepatch and brass knuckles for the May issue of Interview magazine, photographed by Marcus Piggott and Mert Alas.

Nick Knight is rumored to have shot Lady Gaga for the September style issue of Vanity Fair.

Penelope Cruz is replacing Kate Winslet as the face of Lancôme fragrance Trésor, and Diane Kruger will be the new face of Calvin Klein scent, Beauty.

“The reason I quit fashion was that I had had enough of spending my time always being on my knees, making other people look amazing and fabulous."—Thierry Mugler to the New York Times' Eric Wilson.

Helena Christensen bares all for Reebok campaign.

Source: Interview/Marcus Piggott and Mert Alas

>> Is Michael Roberts Gone from Vanity Fair? —Yesterday, WWD posted an item headlined "Michael Roberts Out at Vanity Fair" and beginning "After much speculation, it appears that Michael Roberts is officially on the way out of Vanity Fair." However, the item has since been taken down from both WWD's Twitter and the website. Roberts joined Vanity Fair as fashion and style director from the New Yorker in 2006. [WWD, @jyotika, @LibertyLndnGirl]

>> Christian Louboutin's business grew by the double digits last year, he tells Vanity Fair in a profile from the magazine's May 2010 issue. He sells more than 340,000 pairs of shoes annually, ranging from $495 up to an amount he won't reveal (but a custom-made pair of Louboutins, like one with sole made entirely of rubies, can be priced into the high five figures). In fact, at a dinner soon after the financial crisis, he recalled his reaction to be, "What's 'credit crunch'? Is that a new gym?"

The designer doesn't believe in advertising or marketing and he claims to have never "pushed" celebrities into wearing his shoes on the red carpet. "My goal has never been to make money." Some celebrities receive a discount at his boutiques, but he rarely gives shoes away.

He hates dirty shoes »

In the May issue of Vanity Fair, Christian Louboutin claims his business grew by double digits in 2009 despite his opposition to advertising and marketing. He rarely gives away shoes for free, and only a handful of celebrities receive discounts when shopping in his boutiques.

We're guessing Danielle Steel is one of those lucky customers. Louboutin tells the magazine, "She comes to Paris, and she literally buys everything. Then she flies back to New York, says, ‘I’m a little disappointed — there’s nothing in the store,’ and walks out with 80 pairs. She is super.”

Super, indeed, as Steel reportedly owns over 6,000 paris of red-soled Louboutins.

Left: Danielle Steel with Victoria and Vanessa Traina at the Chanel fall 2010 runway show.

Source: Getty

We're passing out our own awards for the red carpet king and queen, hottest couple, fabulous star over 40, and more! From Zoe Saldana's exquisite purple to Sandra and Jesse's love, we're looking back at our highlights. Watch PopSugar Rush's Oscar Special now!

You've heard about their famous Oscar Party, and now Vanity Fair is going mobile with its Hollywood iPhone App, designed to help your chances in this year's Oscar pool. The free app organizes your picks in all categories, from "Best Picture" to "Best Director." You can create voting pools with groups of friends who have the app. The app also gives background information on all nominees so you can make the best-informed choice and offers easy access to online news about the Oscars and nominees.

If you don't have an iPhone, you can still play along with the Hollywood Facebook App, available on vf.com.

Can't get enough Oscar coverage? Be sure to check out Buzz's Oscar Ballot for a chance to win an amazing prize package.