Lady Gaga shot by Nick Knight
All the blogs and the Facebooks and the Twitters and the hashtags #bornthiswayfriday are all a buzzing today with the release of the cover to Lady Gaga’s long awaited Born this Way. Since she debuted a small portion of the title track at the VMAs in December her fans have been desperate for more information about the song and the album.
But we’re here to talk about Nick Knight, the famed British fashion photographer. Having already shot for the world’s top designers, Alexander McQueen, Calvin Klein, Christian Dior, Levi Strauss, Yohji Yamamoto. Yves Saint Laurent it only seems natural that he’d turn his lens toward Gaga. Knight’s image is sure to be one of the most viewed photograph of the decade. He recently published a midcareer retrospective of his work, from 1990 to the present day, called Nick Knight. Looking through the pages of his book you can see many similarities with the way he has captured Gaga and the transition of his work over the past twenty years.
Our Favor!te Things 2010: Detmar Blow
Favor!te Film (all time): Fellini’s La Dolca Vita 
Favor!te Album (all time): Roxy Music
Favor!te Book (all time): The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald 
Favor!te Work of Art: The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even (The Large Glass), by Marcel Duchamp
Favor!te Designer: Alexander McQueen
Favor!te TV show: Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations
Favor!te Blog/Website: Mara Castilho.co.uk
Favor!te You Tube Video: Fla & Flu by Los Super Elegantes
What are you most excited about for 2011?Watching my son Sasha Blow, now aged 2 years 4 months grow up
Who do you most want to smooch on New Year’s Eve? Mara Castilho
What do you want the most as a holiday gift? Books on Ernest Hemingway
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Detmar Blow is the author of Blow by Blow.
Our Favor!te Things 2010: Rachel Shukert
Favor!te Film: I loved The King’s Speech. It’s like My Fair Lady, but with
the English Royal Family and the impending Nazi threat, and when I saw it
I thought finally! Someone’s made a movie for a focus group of only me.
It’s like proof that the Secret works.
Favor!te Album: I purposefully stopped paying attention to new music
when I moved to New York in 1998, like how kids from Bible Belt move here
and give up God. I will say that my personal listenership of the original
cast recording of A Little Night Music was +27%, while that of the original
cast recording of Candide went -43%.
Favor!te Book: I don’t know how to be diplomatic about this one. At least
it wasn’t my own. That would be SO tacky.
Favor!te Designer: Alexander McQueen, right? That’s the only logical
answer. He didn’t stick around for most of 2010, sadly.
Favor!te TV show: Peep Show. I’m just obsessed with that show. It’s my
favorite of all time, even though it doesn’t air in America and it messes
up my computer whenever I try to stream it. And I like Mad Men, being as
how I am a New York media type that belongs to a certain socio-economic
bracket, although I’m pleased to say that my unhealthy overidentification
with Betty Draper has lessened considerably this year. And I have kind
of a love hate relationship with all the Real Housewives shows, in that I
love them, but I hate the fact that they mean there will probably never be a
remake of Dynasty now, because this is just so much cheaper.
Favor!te Twitterer: My friend Ben Rimalower, (@benrimalower) and his
quixotic dream of making #pattilupone a trending topic on Twitter.
Favor!te You Tube Video: I was a pretty big sucker for that little boy who
cried when he couldn’t be a Single Lady. But then my friend Evan sent
me this trailer for this movie called “Christmas With a Capital C” which is
about some big city slickster elitist who wants to take Christmas away from
the hard-working folk of Trapper Falls, Alaska. It’s sweet when Gentiles try
to make movies. It reminds me of Count Bessie, the piano-playing chicken
from that episode of The Golden Girls.
What are you most excited about for 2011? Maybe I’ll finally figure out
what this lump at the back of my neck is!
Who do you most want to smooch on New Year’s Eve? The lovely Ben.
And after that, the lovely Alec Baldwin.
What do you want the most as a holiday gift? I have been looking
everywhere for a pair of black pull-on riding boots with a tan cuff, like
the kind you wear fox-hunting. I have been looking for these boots for
probably like four years. This year I found this amazing pair at Fratelli
Rossetti, and then I got spooked by the price and didn’t buy them, which
was probably a good decision from a financial standpoint, but has left me
an emotional wreck. So if anyone comes across them in a size 7.5, you
heard it here. I also want peace on Earth and a really nice lemon zester.
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Rachel Shukert is the author of Everything Is Going to Be Great. You can visit her website and follow her on Twitter.
The (Mc)Queen Continues to Reign
While you might have had the chance to look over the exquisite clothes in Alexander McQueen’s final collection for Fall 2010–did you get a close-up of his accessories? As Nitrolicious points out, the shoes and bags in this collection are utterly breathtaking and prove once-again that the late designer was truly a genius. (Read a tribute to the designer by YIL’s Carrie).
Looking at the photos below, it’s hard to pick a favorite, but the wing-embroidered platform sandal below might be it for me:
These are also equally amazing:
What about you? Which accessories are your favorite???
Reserved for the Most Daring Fashionistas
You either love them or you hate them, but either way, you have to admit they’re pretty fierce: Christian Siriano for Payless runway shoes have finally landed in stores and online. Three designs are available and while they may not be your style, it’s pretty cool that you can own the exact heels from the Project Runway alum’s Spring 2010 runway show for only $79.99. They look like Alexander McQueen’s towering claw heels from his Spring 2010 collection:
(for which YourItList’s Joseph has already expressed profound love), so you can make them your personal tribute to the late designer. Check out the three designs below and buy them (if you dare!) at Payless.com.
Cut It Out Ankle Cuff Pump ($79.99)
All Done Up Mary Jane Pump ($79.99)
To the Point Printed Platform Pump ($79.99)
Long Live McQueen
The world lost an incredible talent yesterday, when Lee Alexander McQueen died.
Alexander McQueen was a true visionary and his talent captured a spirit rarely seen. Like a poet, he wove patterns and fabrics to create music. Like a musician, he played with length, fit and edges to create, well, poetry. I was – and will always be – a big fan. He had style, 
wit, attitude. A post-punk f-you British attitude.
My first McQueen purchase were these incredibly ridiculous Skull shoes that I bought on the eve of Sebastian Horsley’s London book party in Fall of 2007. I remember walking into the incredible Bond Street store and knowing I’d walk out with something. I didn’t exactly just walk out, mind you. I walked out a full 5 inches taller.
McQueen was an artist. And like all true artists, he didn’t bend and was true to his vision of what fashion is, was and could be. He pushed it. Skulls became fashionable, shoes unwearable.
That’s the thing with art. There’s a mark left. An intangible impression.
I’ll miss you Lee Alexander McQueen. We all will.
Life in plastic …
… she’s fantastic.
Wonderful news from the land of Gaga. As you’ve very likely heard from Perez or eleswhere, Gaga now has a Barbie-esque doll designed by Beijing designer Veik
. The dolls showcase her most fabulous wardrobe choices. Though, I don’t see how you’d decide which of her creations to pick as I support just about anything that she decides to wear … or not wear.
The Heels!
Happily for me, the McQueen heels that I can’t get enough of (the ones that make an appearance in the best music video ever) are also part of this precious tiny collection. (Full set of images here.)
Sadly, for now, these lovely likenesses won’t be sold anywhere. Probably for the best as I’d spend entirely too much time playing with them, staging countless weddings with my Zac doll 
In other Gaga-news, the National Enquirer is reporting that she poured a glass of water on a drunk man’s head after he allegedly verbally attacked both Lady Gaga and American Idol sensation Adam Lambert.
don’t fuck with the Gaga.
cause all i see are stilettos…
i guess i never got the memo. miley cirus anyone? no?
ok. busy day, but i must take a moment to reflect on these heels that i noticed while watching the Alexander McQueen show from Nick Knight‘s rather wonderful ShowStudio. they are life changing. life changing mostly because 99.9% of would-be wearers will tumble to their death. totally worth it.
Alexander McQueen Heels
i’m pretty jealous of anyone who could pull these off. my friend Justin Tranter could. he has had countless 6-inch heels made just for him by Stuart Weitzman, so these seem just his speed. Justin was on Chelsea Lately recently showing off his heels.
i really want to see these shoes in person and then wear them around my apartment with my thigh-high american apparel socks. i’ll charge admission.
seriously
no joke
the thigh highs at work …
