Why Did Annie Leibovitz Drop Out Of The Kanye-Kim Wedding?
It turns out that, behind the wedding of the year, a fashionable feud was brewing.
Annie Leibovitz, the photographer who shot Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s now-infamous US Vogue cover and editorial, was supposed to be their wedding photographer too.
However, Kanye has now revealed that she dropped out – at the last minute. And theories are flying as to why.
Kanye himself – who was furious – said in an interview in Cannes that he thought she was “scared of celebrity”, and that he and Kim spend four days of their honeymoon making their wedding pictures “look like Annie Leibovitz” without her help.
But the answer may not be so simple.
Leibovitz is as notorious for her high-end photography as her financial troubles. She was in debt for US$24 million only a few years ago.
And she’s still embroiled in confusing money issues – selling one New York home for $28.5 million, only to pick up another Greenwich apartment, just last month, for $11 million.
So it’s entirely possible that the problem wasn’t terror at all, but an argument over fees. After all, Leibovitz is Anna Wintour’s go-to girl for Vogue editorials.
Or maybe it was because of the backlash for the Kanye shoot – which was slammed as cheesy, over-edited, and so heavily photoshopped that Kim and Kanye weren’t even reflected in a mirror (above).
Perhaps Anne feels that one dose of the Kanye-Kim circus is enough?
Image: Anne Leibovitz
Jude Law’s Son Walks For DKNY
It seems looks run in Jude Law’s family.
His eldest son with Sadie Frost, Rafferty, has just kick-started his modelling career, walking for DKNY at London Mens Fashion Week.
It’s the latest in a rash of younger siblings and offspring who’ve landed major fashion campaigns. After Alicia Keys’ tiny son Egypt walked for Ralph Lauren and Kate’s little sister Lottie Moss was signed to Storm Models, 2014 has been the year of the model family.
The most famous, however, is Kendall Jenner, who’s just landed a campaign for Givenchy, whose lead designer Ricardo Tisci is sister Kim Kardashian’s best mate.
17-year-old Rafferty isn’t new to the posing game: he’s done a shoot for US Vogue and has been with exclusive agents Select Models for a year.
Plus he’s dating a fashion princess: Cora Corre, granddaughter of the venerable Vivienne Westwood.
We always knew fashion was nepotistic – but at least Rafferty looks like he can carry it off.
Image: Rafferty for DKNY.
Anna Wintour: ‘The Fashion At The Tony Awards Was A Disaster’
Anna Wintour has come down hard on theatre’s night of nights, and on red carpet dressing in general.
At an audience for aspiring designers in London, she had a lot of advice to impart – including the fact that catwalk shows are overrated – but her biggest criticism was reserved for stars at awards shows.
“I was just recently at the Tony Awards in New York, and, God, they need your help,” she said. “Let me tell you, it was a disaster.”
The problem? Lack of individuality – and a corporate culture on the red carpet.
“The red carpet, in the United States, has become too much of a business,” Wintour said. “It’s a fact that celebrities are paid to wear everything, and to me that sometimes comes across as very manufactured and not individual.”
The idea of other people controlling a star’s red carpet looks isn’t new – in fact, it goes back to the Golden Age of Hollywood.
Back then, however, it was the studios who had final say on how their leading ladies and men dressed, designing all their clothes for them. Even Grace Kelly’s wedding gown was created and sewn for her by a studio designer.
Now it’s stylists and designers dictating the look, but the problem for Anna Wintour is the same: cookie-cutter styles that take no risks. “How many mermaid fishtail strapless sequins do we see?” she moaned.
It’s also, Wintour declared, down to a rabid fear of criticism – that has probably been amplified since fashion blogs became a worldwide phenomenon.
“They have all these teams of people telling them what to do, what to wear, how to do their hair, make-up. And they’re so scared of being criticised,” she said, “whereas, you know, what’s wrong with looking different?”
We wonder if stylists for the next big red carpet were listening in?
Image: Anna Wintour at the 2014 Tonys, courtesy Zimbio.
Sneak Peek: Zimmerman Light Riot Resort 2015
Want a look at what starlets will be wearing to summer premieres next year?
Now you’ve got it – with the Zimmerman Resort Ready-to-Wear lookbook. And while the shoes are questionable – toeless white fringed booties? – the web-like, delicate clothes are delightful.
The key looks? Lingerie-inspired swimwear, lattice-worked dresses, criss-cross straps and incredible lacework.
What really works: the tiered dresses. We can see Emma Stone, Zoe Saldana or Keira Knightley working the amazing peek-a-boo architecture, which manages to look delicate without being unravelled.
What’s a little riskier: giant culottes and shapeless bronze shifts. But put them on a Cate Blanchett or Tilda Swinton and they could carry them off.
What do you think of the Zimmerman Light Riot collection?
Images: Zimmerman Resort 2015.