Best Avatars

[Lisa]

A fine find, my boy! An AWESOME find, even! You PRRRRIIIICKKK!!!

[Nathan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfNjjvjH_Z8

[Lisa]

Blocked at work, but I'm assuming it's KITH Sizzler Sisters goodness?

[Nathan]

Indeed!

[Lisa]

So, my new avatar is a picture of probably one of the most iconic fashion magazine covers ever - the fabulous picture of Nadja Auermann on the September 1994 cover of Harper's Bazaar, shot by one of the most famous fashion photogs in the business, Patrick Demarchelier. 14 years later, W Magazine caused quite a little scandal when they did nearly the exact same cover with actress Kate Hudson. Some try to argue it was an homage (which I call bullshit on), but most in the industry say it was a blatant rip-off, and that W Magazine probably never thought that 14 years later, that fashionistas would still remember that cover. Well, people did remember it, and let me just say that if they even think no-talent Kate Hudson could hold a candle to the awesome Ms. Auermann, they were dead wrong.

Here are the two covers side by side:

[Timothy225]

I'm really tired of the word "homage", for the exact reasons Lisa speaks of. While not a complete ripoff (if they went with another color besides blue for Hudson's outfit, say a gold or white, or to be daring, red; or changed the expression or angle of her face slightly, it'd get a pass), it's close enough for most folks to do a double take. Particularly if they're in the industry.

The staff at W should have known better - is there any allusion in the magazine itself, not the reps for W, that this is an homage? That would take some of the heat off it.

[Lisa]

The staff at W should have known better - is there any allusion in the magazine itself, not the reps for W, that this is an homage? That would take some of the heat off it.

Well, yeah, the staff at W claim it was an homage, but only after the backlash started. I mean, that cover fucking rocked - fashion followers still talk about it years later, which is why everyone got so pissed off. The '70s retro thing had started a year or so before, and if you look at fashion photo shoots from the '70s, they were clearly going for that look with Nadja. See, now, the Harper's cover was an homage - it was clearly a tribute to the 70s fashion trends coming back into style in the mid-90s.

I remember buying that issue - I would have purchased it anyway, but yeah, the cover sold it for me. I even saved it for a couple of years, I know that much! Because I remember coming across it in my apartment in Queens, stored away with other special issues of magazines that I saved (Def Leppard finally making the cover of Rolling Stone in April of '92, the last issue of George magazine with JFK Jr. on the cover - the magazine just couldn't survive his death). And when that issue came out, I still lived in Brooklyn - so if I had it in the Queens apartment, that means I not only kept it, but I moved with it. I wonder if I still have it around anywhere? I'll have to see.

[Ed Hocken]

In honor of Martin's hiring into the RCMP. (And yes, we know it's an unarmed civilian position but that's beside the point)

I hereby declare a Johnny Law theme!

[Matt]

I'm in with Jim Goose.

[Ed Hocken]

Say hello to Maximilian "Twitch" Williams.

[Chris Miller]

In.

[Ed Hocken]

YES!

[Nathan]

Chris Wins.

[Lisa]

In honor of Martin's hiring into the RCMP. (And yes, we know it's an unarmed civilian position but that's beside the point)

I hereby declare a Johnny Law theme!

Charlie's Angels on the crime-fighting deck! Congrats, Martin!

[Matt]

changed to Clouseau. Seemed more appropriate, somehow.