editorial: SESSILEE LOPEZ AND NAOMI CAMPBELL FOR VOGUE ITALIA

Steven Meisel has a sense of humor and every so often it emerges on the pages of Vogue Italia : the December issue is a parody of Twitter, and is filled with fun little moments : from Sessilee Lopez taking a cigarette break to Naomi Campbell kicking back poolside, the whole story is priceless.

cover: RIHANNA | VOGUE ITALIA x STEVEN KLEIN

editorial: SUPERMODELS FOR VOGUE ITALIA

Eva Herzigova, Christy Turlington, Helena Christensen and Naomi Campbell are shot by legendary photographer Mario Sorrenti for Vogue Italia's "Supermodels" series. The beautiful portraits are simple and sensational.

ARLENIS SOSA PENA COVERS GERMAN VOGUE

Model Arlenis Sosa Pena looks fantastic in Lanvin on her solo cover of Vogue's German edition. She is featured inside in a spread called "Magic Black"also photographed by Alexi Lubomirski.

MEN'S RUNWAYS IN MILAN STILL WHITE AS HELL

On the day we inaugurate our first African American president, this is ironic: In Milan, not a single black, Asian, or Latino model walked the runways of Jil Sander, Missoni, Burberry, Bottega Veneta, Gianfranco Ferré, Roberto Cavalli, or Prada. The Emporio Armani and Versace shows notably included black models. Gucci designer Frida Giannini said she is "always looking for black models, or even Chinese or whatever, for the shows,” but agencies always send her the same crop of white guys. Her show featured an entirely white cast. But an owner of New York modeling agency Red (our fav) said he sent over several black models he thought would do well (they didn't). The New York Times reports:

“Maybe they think it’s too obvious” to feature an ethnically inclusive runway casting in the week of Barack Obama’s inauguration, Franca Sozzani, the Vogue Italia editor, said of designers. “It has nothing to do with a racist attitude,” the editor insisted ...

Not only are the whitewashed runways ironic in light of the inauguration, but this is the same country that gave us the historic all-black Italian Vogue just months ago.

ARE RUNWAYS BECOMING LESS WHITE???

Marcus Lloyd, Arlenis Pena, and Ty Ogunkoya at 3.1 Phillip Lim

Runways are becoming more diverse, but not by much. Modeling agent Bethann Hardison told the New York Times, "The business was dry as a desert for a decade, and now you have Thom Browne, who makes clothes for skinny white boys, putting a very dark-skinned black boy in a show. That says a lot." However, George Brown, who owns modeling agency Red NYC, said, "We’re still stuck in tokenism. I thought this season, with [the all-black] Italian Vogue, we would see a more dramatic uptick. It didn’t bear fruit.” The Shophound has been tracking diversity quotients for each show, which seem to support Brown's sentiments. Minorities in Reem Acra's show, for example, included just two Asians and zero black models; minorities in Chris Han's show included two Asians and one black model.

TYRA CELEBRATES THE 'VOGUE ITALIA'

It was a pose off today on West 26th street in New York! Tyra Banks held court with the girls of the past and present during a taping of her talk show. Scheduled to air Sept. 11, the episode celebrates Vogue Italia’s All-Black Issue - the first issue of any major international fashion publication featuring black models and content throughout.

Legends like Veronica Webb, Beverly Johnson and Pat Cleveland joined newbies Chanel Iman, Selita Ebanks and Noemie Lenoir for the festivities, where they posed for pictures. The beautiful bunch commemorated the historic event by holding up black balloons that they later realeased during a NYC street party.

IS VOGUE ITALIA STILL A FAN OF BLACK MODELS???

The August 2008 issue of Vogue Paris is dedicated to the legacy of Yves Saint Laurent, and likewise, the editors at Vogue Italia had their own August 2008 YSL tribute in mind. The follow up to the hugely successful July All-Black Issue, features Karen Elson, Linda Evangelista, Guinevere van Seenus, and Iris Strubegger in a 'funereal' Steven Meisel cover story aptly titled Silent. In one picture, a huge headstone features the name "Black," strangely implying that "black is dead." I wonder if the message was purposeful? A strange choice to follow up the celebratory nature of July's issue, especially considering that there are no black models in this editorial . . .

VOGUE ITALIA IN HIGH DEMAND

While tech heads on Friday lined up at the Apple store to buy the new iPhone 3G, fashionistas hurried to newsstands across New York City to get their hands on the all-black July issue of Italian Vogue. All copies sold out everywhere in a matter of hours. Condé Nast prepped accordingly for the increased consumer curiosity surrounding the groundbreaking issue and will print another 10,000 copies to meet the demand.

IT'S FINALLY HERE!!!!!

On my lunch break I rushed all the way across town to get my copy. There were two left - Sesilee's cover and Liya's - I got them both. I was delighted to get them for $20 a piece, becuase I'd heard rumors that they we're retailing for $40. Three words- Sheer Visual Perfection. It's amazing, the beauty and life that Steven Meisel was able to extract from them. So much that you almost feel you are seeing these women for the very first time.

Do we think it will cause for change? Probably not, however it sparked valuable conversation about the lack of diversity on the runway today and forced certain issues to be brought to light. It's sure to go down in fashion history.

LANCOME GETS A NEW LOOK IN ARLENIS SOSA

Arlenis Sosa is taking the fashion industry by storm. A newcomer, she is fresh off the heels of her appearances in both Italian and US Vogue, has already had major bookings, such as the Christian Dior Resort '09 show and was said to have garnered a lot of attention at this year's Costume Gala at the Met. Now she has landed a lucrative Lancome contract. Did we mention she has only been working as model, for four months? She is simply amazing.

The 19-year-old Dominican beauty will make history by being the second women of color to be featured in a Lancome campaign, with supermodel Liya Kebede preceding her.

JAY-Z DOES L'UOMO VOGUE

Italian Vogue is taking yet another step in speaking to the current 'blackout' tag that has been placed on the fashion industry. This time by calling upon none other than Jay-Z for their July/August L'Uomo Vogue cover. Inside he touches on everything from his movitation for success and his multi-dimesnsional love of music.

VOGUE ITALIA \ ALL BLACK EDITION. toccara jones preview

It's been confirmed, Toccara has ten pages. And she looks fabulous!!! I'm not even a fan, but this I can't deny. Steven Meisel is a genuis.

'VOGUE ITALIA' IMAGES REVEALED

OK, so I get into the office this morning and sitting in my inbox, titled "Open Immediately" were some of the images from Naomi Campbell and Sesilee Lopez's spreads for Vogue Italia's all-black issue. You know I'm going crazy over here.

Now for Sesilee:

OMG, I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy.