WHAT BECOMES A LEGEND MOST?

There are models and then there are icons – the first name only, known to all definers of a generation. Women who rise above the crowd and become something more than just a familiar face. Before we had the irrepressible supermodels of the early 90s there were quite a few stunners worthy of the title. Women like Verushka, Penelope Tree and Twiggy, each of whom broke the conventional mold and turned the industry on its head long before Linda Evangelista could walk let alone strut.

The equally legendary David Bailey, has shot a special portfolio of these venerable faces for Vanity Fair and it goes to show you how some things are timeless. Bailey himself has pulled off quite the feat – staying relevant for nearly fifty years, shooting not just mannequins but rock stars, statesmen and just about anyone else who piqued his interest. There is a reason whole Antonioni films are based (however loosely) on his exploits.

If only VF had pushed the concept just a little further and taken the time to shoot this generation’s exciting models. Kate Moss is included but there are a few more current girls right on the cusp of becoming phenomenons.

SOME WEIRD SIN

There are shoes and then there are personal statements worn as footwear – Prada specializes in the latter. While the F/W collection focused on an almost subversive application of transparency and lace, the corresponding shoes are something altogether different. Though they rely on the same intelligent eroticism that permeates the entire collection they are not typically “sexy” shoes. There is no revealing toe cleavage or towering stiletto but there is carnality. The combination of nearly hidden flesh tone straps and unyielding arched heels calls to mind something sinister without delving into a literal bondage reference. Too many have already conquered that territory and if we can expect one thing from Miuccia Prada it’s unorthodoxy.

Instead of the everyday pump were given shoes with wings and ruffles that curve like blades – little sculptures attached to vamps and heels. These touches are beautiful, whether the shoes lean towards being art deco or abstract. The sheer variety presented has to be marveled at – even the plainer styles have special additions like oddly curved heels or beaded detailing. For anyone in search of a shoe that starts a conversation (or ends it for that matter) there is something to offbeat to be found.

THE COLD SHOULDER

Austerity is a rare quality. There are very few models whose features capture the solemn coldness of the austere and even fewer who can channel such emotion for dramatic effect – Adrian Bosch manages both. Blessed with a penetrating blue stare and the kind of hollow cheekbones Egon Schiele immortalized in gouache, Bosch is a haunting beauty rather than a conventional one. It’s no wonder Hedi Slimane handpicked him to headline a Dior Homme campaign back in S/S 07 – the Bosche look is completely in line with the suave punk minimalism favored by the former designer.

Time has passed since that fateful season and in the interim Adrian has blossomed into something more than another of Hedi’s boys. Gone are the gimmicky bowl haircut and awkward gait – in their place are finesse and the polish that comes with experience. Designers have been clamoring for Mr. Bosch’s chilly poise – he made a clean sweep of the Spring menswear shows and has landed alongside Snejana Onopka (that other icy paragon) in the new Hugo Boss campaign – just goes to show you that a little cool goes a long way.

BLUE STEEL

Blue eyeshadow is the unrivaled harlot of the cosmetics counter – it has a bad reputation and deservedly so. There is something about a wash of indigo across the eyelids that pushes the boundaries of good taste and subsequently calls to mind either drag performers or John Waters protagonists. Not that either role is bad per se – it just takes a certain extroverted flair to pull the look off properly. Not to mention a deft hand and a willingness to just say no. Going overboard is easy with such bold color and too much of a good thing can easily look clownish.

With all the reasons not to experiment with shades of cyan there remains one unwavering factor behind exploring such chancy territory. When done right a pale blue eye can look impossibly cool. Take the impeccable look of Proneza Schouler F/W 08 – a smoky shimmering pale blue paired with a nearly bare face. While not everyone has Dick Page at their beck and call each time they apply their makeup it is simple to add a little rockstar into the mix with a shot of sapphire.

HEROINE CHIC

Pictures are worth a thousand words a pop but sometimes pen, pencil and Adobe Illustrator are just as powerful tools as a stunning model and seasoned photographer. At times a novel illustration can convey the ever evolving mood of fashion even better than even the most painstakingly manipulated photograph. No matter how far artisans like Mert and Marcus push the visual improbability factor there are still boundaries within photography – illustration shatters all such concerns with its commitment to the surreal.

The illusory is a contributing factor in the art of Laura Laine. Her perfectly rendered drawings of otherworldly young women encapsulate the current fashion obsession with all things ethereal. The sleek pictures of Edward Gorey meets Egon Schiele girls with flowing hair and sullen expressions call to mind a slew of the more eclectic catwalkers. Hints of Iekeliene Stange and her ilk can be found in the exaggerated rawboned features of Laine’s heroines.