Four things this week of contestable coolness

Frances Bean Cobain photographed by Hedi Slimane and then by Rocky Schenck a couple of weeks later. Primarily shot as private works these have instantly become a talking point and spectacle for the masses. On one hand we see a coming-of-age emergence as a symbol (and product) of Grunge, and on the other a whimsical 1920s inspired vixen- each shoot resting in that undefined meld of fashion photography/celebrity portraiture.

 

Cindy Sherman collaborates with MAC  for a new range of cosmetics which draw on the aesthetics of the transformative self-portraiture within her art practice.  MAC Cosmetics have been known to collaborate with different personalities in order to assign identity around a new product (Dame Edna, Hello Kitty, Lada Gaga to name a few), but how does this translate through Sherman’s art practice and into a commercial realm? Does her ‘anonymity’ ultimately become her identity in somewhat of a contradiction? A commercial appropriation? While on the surface this campaign may appear as a ‘sell out’ it actually runs deeper and is closely linked to her exploration of status, transformation and ‘anti-fashion’. This is also demonstrated in her earlier collaborations with designers Comme des Garçons and Balenciaga.

 

Kate Moss and Jamie Hince’s wedding photos for Vogue September Issue photographed by Mario Testino. Presented in such a way that each image could be pulled straight from a fashion editorial, this questions the staged nature of wedding photography itself..  Though by embracing this idea, drawing on Testino’s style and referencing points in her career it seems like a fairly accurate Model+Rockstar wedding album.

The Labyrinth dream sequence is awesome. Perhaps this could be put down to my love for the whole notion of a ‘dream sequence’ in general, but there is nothing quite like dated, slow-mo, crowd parting, fantastical forbidden attraction featuring David Bowie in too tight tights. A significant number of years and technological advances later, this is still just as awesome.