Prabal Gurung Spring 2012 Campaign

Prabal Gurung's spring ad campaign, released today, is definitely my favorite of the season so far. I love the mix of elegance, edginess and eroticism, something I never managed to get out of the models I worked with in my old job as a fashion editor. I'm not sure if it was hesitance on the part of the photographer, who's typically the one to give a model direction, or the comfort level of the model, but they were rarely willing to throw back their heads in ecstacy.

I gotta say — when done right, it makes clothes look fantastic.

Awesome new hair editorials

How toally freaking rad is this editorial from Vogue Germany? Polish model Magdalena Frackowiak has one of the best heads of hair I've ever seen. Who knows if it's all hers, but it hardly matters. I love shoots like this — why not let hair steal the show? The fashion's cool too (hello, sequin suit), but all the action is clearly happening up top.

Speaking of awesome hair, I'm really digging Chloe Sevigny's new bob in the campaign for Korean brand Tomboy. In fact, I might have to copy it for summer.

How are we feeling about her as a brunette?

Alyson + Jesse

As the former editor-in-chief of three regional bridal magazines, I've seen many of weddings over the years. But never have I been so proud as to run the following story about Alyson and Jesse Newquist — Minnesota Bride's first ever same-sex couple.

I didn't want to make a big deal out of it, because it shouldn't be an exception to the norm, but, well, the United States hasn't exactly gotten to that point yet, and it is a big deal. You might even be wondering what took so long! It all boils down to equality — we only feature the best local weddings in the magazine, regardless of sexual orientation, but hadn't yet seen a same-sex wedding that met our standards. Until now.

Jesse and Alyson's wedding was absolutely gorgeous and full of creative, meaningful details. They even opened their own venue in the process! Check out Matt Burgess' wonderfully written feature on these inspiring newlyweds, with photos by Photogen Inc:

Grunge Bride

This is one of the last fashion editorials I did before leaving Minnesota Bride earlier this month, and it's now one of my favorite stories. Everything just came together, from the styling to the model to the lighting to the overall feel.

My art director, Janet, and I started with the photographer, Lena Lakoma. We knew that we wanted to work with her and knew that it needed to be in-studio. From there, we met with Lena and went back and forth on a concept before deciding on a relaxed grunge theme, inspired by a postcard-sized image Janet had torn from a magazine.

Once we had our concept down we knew we needed a strong model who could carry the story, since it'd be about her attitude just as much as it'd be about the clothes. I suggested Ashlee Walker from Vision, having worked with her before, and we all agreed she'd be perfect. And yep, she was. I'm so glad I got to work with her one last time before she headed to New York this winter.

Next, we needed to find a stylist who could handle the dichotomy of grunge and bridal — two concepts that don't exactly go hand-in-hand. Jahna Peloquin was a natural choice as someone who understands the recent grunge resurrgance and had already proven reliable in handling valuable gowns and accessories. She found really great pieces and had plenty of ideas ready to go.

For hair/makeup, we hired Fatima Olive, who was fantastic. I didn't have to give her hardly any direction at all — I just showed her Janet's sample photo, told her the vibe and she came up with the perfect rocker hair and punchy yet clean makeup.

It was such a great shoot. They rarely go so smoothly! I'm really proud of the way everything turned out and couldn't be happier with letting this be one of the last bridal shoots I organize.

Sun-kissed editorial and Seattle update

I spotted the work of Australian photographer Ali Mitton on Oracle Fox the other day and fell in love. How perfect are these images? She captures that fleeting, free-spirited summer feel so wonderfully — the long, tangled hair, hazy sun and rag-doll postures. The weather is actually like this in Australian right now. Hard to believe. Start planning that vacation.

In other news, I'm in Seattle now! My storage container arrives tomorrow, and I couldn't be more excited to unpack and build my new home. Exploring Capitol Hill, my neighborhood, has been really fun. I have so many boutiques to check out and restaurants to try and yoga studios to hit up and thrift stores to visit — it's overwhelming! My first day of work is on Monday, so I'm diving in headfirst. Wish me luck!