It’s only the 6th of January and there are two absolutely brilliant pieces of creative that I wanted to highlight. First of all, the covers for Lady Gaga’s rather genius curated issue for V Magazine featuring the timelessly brilliant concept of Karl Lagerfeld shooting Hedi Slimane and Hedi Slimane shooting Karl Lagerfeld. Essentially, two of fashions biggest creative / design stars going tete-a-tete. It’s beautiful.

The other covers feature Alexander McQueen and Isabella Blow posthumously edited, but originally photographed by Steven Klein. An incredible tribute. Finally, the star of the show herself – Gaga as a solo shot and even more provoking Gaga alongside Daphne Guinness.

Words on the issue, from Gaga herself:

“These are people who have kept me and protected me over the years, because they’ve wanted me to survive…that’s part of the message of this issue: we have to carry each other through the decades and take care of one another and honor each other’s work…I am saying thank you to all these people for everything they’ve given to me…I want to make sure the world knows who they are…it’s a guard of people…I call them my Fashion Guard!”

To experience the covers in full and the remaining unveils, head over to vmagazine.com

Secondly, the only health and fitness brand to truly embrace the use of high profile fashion photography is Equinox. With their last campaign photographed by Rankin, the luxury gym brand has now enlisted an even darker approach with Steven Klein at the helm of creative. The campaign is titled “Commit To Something” and is also styled by Mel Ottenberg featuring some incredible characters including Lydia Hearst.

On a third point, I really wanted to nod to and give my (albeit) brief opinion on the polarising images of Jaden Smith. Yes it is a bold and rather “late” move for Louis Vuitton, and the press it has generated is understandably polarising, but let’s please remember that the fact that a luxury brand is continuing down this path is not purely down to media agenda hijacking, but furthering equality in a genderless space that still needs a lot of work – so really it is never too late.

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Dressed in SS15 Saint Laurent and photographed by Hedi Slimane, here’s actor Ansel Elgort (Fault in Our Stars, Divergent) for HERO 12. HERO as a brand is on the tipping point of mainstream success – launching sister publication HEROINE, showcasing Hedi’s work through billboard advertising in London and consistently delivering the finest menswear editorials. HERO 12 is available to preorder now.

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In what can only be described as the most perfect magazine cover that ELLE has delivered to date, here is Angelina Jolie photographed by Saint Laurent Paris Creative Director Hedi Slimane on the June cover. The feature itself showcases 16 images and will be featured in 20 editions of ELLE around the world. The era of Maleficent promo could not be any more flawless.

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Consistency is key and HERO magazine has once again partnered with Hedi Slimane to shoot the cover of the latest issue! This time featuring actor Bill Skarsgård. The magazine hits shelves today and features contributions from Kim Jones, Kris Van Assche and Nicola Formichetti.

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After watching this, there is no justifiable reason why Hedi Slimane has not locked onto Sebastian Bartz yet. He is literally the perfect Saint Laurent muse. I say that in the broadest sense, because obviously Sebastian has been wearing Ada + Nik and even Ada Zanditon fitting perfectly with his super masculinized androgyny. There is literally no artist out there like Sebastian – this awesomely beautiful heterosexual androgynous man…who plays guitar and has the essence of a true rock icon.

Either way, here is the self-directed video for Suicide Girlfriend. The track is actually a cover of legendary Georgian artist Dada Dadiani. Sebastian told me that he the track for the first time in Dada’s London studio while he was working on his debut album and fell in love with it instantly. “To me, the track embodies the feeling of total war and the need for change during a time when so many nations around the world are forced to grab a machine gun and fight for the future while elitists don’t really care about the state”.

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Directed by Paul Franco and Emmanuel Giraud in a very distinctly Hedi Slimane style, comes Paris 2014 – a film from Saint Laurent Paris first premiered on Purple TV featuring Hedi’s current male muse Sylvester Henricksen Ulv with Anja Konstantinova. The dark content touches on youth and sexual exploration through minimalist narration bringing to life the signature Saint Laurent Paris aesthetic and world. The film is styled by Andrej Skok with hair by Jonathan Dadoun and makeup by Vichika Yorn.

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The video is good, there’s ass, boots, vintage cars, tattoos and it feels like a Saint Laurent Paris campaign exploded into video form.

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More photos under the cut.

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YSL and music have been inextricably linked and the new Saint Laurent Music Project – shot by Hedi Slimane, of course, showcases the much debated AW3-14 riot girl, grunge inspired collection with some of rock music’s ultimate poster boys and girls.

Here is Courtney Love, Marilyn Manson, Kim Gordon and Ariel Pink for Saint Laurent Paris SS13 (as officially premiered on Dazed Digital). The campaign is just the icing on the cake of what, in my eyes, is the perfect post post-modernist statement collection.

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