steven klein

>> Stefano Tonchi's W revamp involves a new italic logo; a new tagline — "it’s not just women’s fashion, but the world of style and, more exactly, our five Ws: the who, the what, the where, the when and the why in the world of style"; and a new direction — "It’s more about fashion in the context of contemporary culture."

The September 2010 issue, which gives a first look at Tonchi's front to back W makeover, features up-and-coming actresses Kat Dennings (Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, Kenneth Branagh's upcoming Thor), Jessica Chastain (Terrence Malick's upcoming The Tree of Life), Yaya DaCosta (The Kids Are All Right, Tron: Legacy), Greta Gerwig (Greenberg), Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World), Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone, the upcoming X-Men: First Class), Emma Roberts, and Zoe Kravitz in three triple-page foldout covers, which according to Tonchi the magazine has never done before, photographed by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin. The main cover headline reads "Great Expectations" because Tonchi "wanted to have some self-irony, because there are so many expectations about what this W will be," and Lynn Hirschberg's name is listed on the cover because Tonchi "want[s] to put writers’ names on the cover. The content — the writers — are going to have a strong place in the magazine."

What's inside? »

>> The One Clothing Item That Eludes Daphne Guinness —Daphne Guinness was suffering from a foot wound over the weekend at a Calvin Klein-sponsored AIDS benefit held at Steven Klein's house in Bridgehampton, but that didn't stop her from wearing ten-inch platform heels (although she did eventually rest her feet by standing on the side of the shoes). Dramatic as her wardrobe may be, Guinness admitted that there is at least one hole in its extensive confines: "I like to experiment with different fabrics and see what happens. There's one fabric I've been looking for for five years. It's like an LCD screen, but it's supple. You'd be able to play the movie 'Sunset Boulevard' on your T-shirt. The military has the first option on it. I keep asking them, 'Can't you just give me a little bit?'" [WSJ]

>> Steven Klein has done some video work in the past for Madonna, but directing "Alejandro" for Lady Gaga was his first proper music video. So how did it come about?  He told MTV via email: "I went to see her show in NYC, and it felt like performance art in the '90s. And I had not seen anything like that in a while. Lady Gaga approached me about doing this particular song, and in the past, I have passed on such offers, but this time I felt [a] narrative drive you could make interesting, and we both aligned on the vision for the film."

The video, since debuting two days ago, has elicited plenty of the expected buzz — not all of it positive. When asked about his influences, Klein explains: "I was not thinking in terms [of influences.] I saw it more as a combination of cinema and theater. [It is] about a woman's desire to resurrect a dead love and who can not face the brutality of her present situation. The pain of living without your true love."

Klein speaks to the controversy »

>> The full Steven Klein-directed Lady Gaga "Alejandro" video is out, complete with more of his favorite bowl cuts than you'd ever want to see, plus some Madonna-sourced elements (see: the sawed-off gun bra) and men dancing in heels.

The full video! »

>> The full Lady Gaga "Alejandro" video directed by Steven Klein won't debut until next Monday, June 7, but last night, Gaga unveiled a preview clip during her appearance on Larry King Live. She described the black-and-white video, in which she sports a pantsuit and a bowl cut, as a "celebration of my love and appreciation for the gay community, my admiration of their bravery and their love for one another, their courage and their relationships — it's something I have yet to nail on the head with a man."

The video! »

>> Yesterday came news that Lady Gaga, who has worked together with Philip Treacy on several of her headpieces, has applied for an internship with the milliner — although a spokesperson for Treacy said nothing definite had been confirmed yet. And today, a first look at another fashion collaboration: the first still from Gaga's upcoming "Alejandro" video, directed by Steven Klein, has appeared.

Gaga recently spoke to Extra about working with Klein, but she wasn't too forthcoming, calling it “a beautiful video” but adding that, “like all my videos, I really don’t know what it will look like until it’s finished.”

She continued: “[Steven] is a great friend of mine, and I love him so much and have so much respect for him. We’ve been so excited to collaborate . . . and tell a story of my music through his lens.”

>> Dolce & Gabbana Shooting Campaigns Right Now in New York; Madonna Back for Fall 2010? —Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce are currently in Manhattan, and according to their PR, they are photographing the Fall 2010 men's campaign at Mulberry Street Bar in NoLita right now.  No word on the women's campaign, but Madonna may be back — Dolce and Gabbana are also reportedly working with Steven Klein on shooting the pop star for a Dolce & Gabbana commercial in the same neighborhood. [@jimshi809, @PeterDavisNYC]

>> Marion Cotillard Back for Third Round as Lady Dior —Marion Cotillard has embodied Lady Noir on the Eiffel Tower and Lady Rouge on the Brooklyn Bridge for Christian Dior, and now she's back as Lady Blue in Shanghai, with the Oriental Pearl Tower prominently placed in the background of the new Steven Klein-lensed ads. The third edition of the four-chapter series features a 12-minute film directed by David Lynch that was shot in Shanghai last December and will debut on Ladydior.com May 15, the same day John Galliano shows Dior’s Cruise 2011 collection in Shanghai. “In the David Lynch film, Marion is reciting a poem that he wrote, and was inspired by the Pearl Tower itself,” Galliano explained. “The words and building fuse in the picture he paints on-screen. Shanghai is such a vibrant and inspiring city.” [WWD]

The print campaign images for John Galliano's latest installment of his Lady Dior saga are out. In the third of a four-part series, Marion Cotillard stars in the Steven Klein-lensed photographs with Shanghai's futuristic skyscrapers in the distance. Titled "Lady Blue," the still images will be followed by a David Lynch-directed film to be released online on May 15.

The short film will depict Cotillard in a mysterious entanglement with secret agents, highlighting Shanghai's Oriental Pearl Tower in the background, much like the Brooklyn Bridge and the Eiffel Tower were used in the first two episodes. Galliano said of the 12-minute film: “Marion is reciting a poem that [David Lynch] wrote, and was inspired by the Pearl Tower itself. The words and building fuse in the picture he paints on-screen. Shanghai is such a vibrant and inspiring city.” Also on May 15, Galliano will present his cruise collection for Christian Dior in Shanghai.