TheBaronOfFratton

So, during my tenure killing off threads, having people bail on arguments, not getting answers to queries, and losing stars - I have finally managed to get to that magical 1000th post and procure another pretty little blue box! I hope some of you have enjoyed my posts, as I've enjoyed yours - and for those of you who don't know me... Well... Hello, this is me> and (although most of you won't know the references), pictorially, this is what else I've been doing for those 'PiP free' 1000... And, best wishes to those of you I haven't crossed paths with yet: :lullaby: <_< :brows: I think that was just about everything... !

Beautiful, at Lacoste...

Thank you for that spirited defence Reeyo, Joe and Red!!! And thank you too for the explanation, Q and PinkCouture... But I'm just about to hit that magical 1000 mark and it's a bit of a slap in the face after all those exhausting posts that I've toiled over... What would you people have me do?

Hello, I was just wondering - can the 'Ratings' system (the stars under our names) go down as well as up? I only ask because, until this week I was the very proud owner of 5 stars; but logging on yesterday I noticed I've gone down to 4... Forgive the preciousness please, but why has this happened and just who would do such a terrible thing??? Yours bewilderedly...

HOORAY! Good to see Lais is at NYFW. On the Alice McCall catwalk: And some candids out on the street:

Thank you for the comprehensive list, Layla - it's true he dabbles more in this now than in photography. But, for a shining moment back there, his images were very much in mode... Here's a little light blasphemy:

Sorry it's a bit, uh, big - but I didn't want to lose that dramatic impact(!): http://img240.imageshack.us/img240/366/typeswooddn5.jpg I'm pretty sure this album cover simply refers to different fauna that can be found. It's all in the taste buds...

^I hope so Mr Horde! And I'm certainly not begrudging anyone's career choices here. I can see it makes perfect sense in the long, and short, term in regards to both fame and fortune. Selfishly I'm just thinking about us in the non-US market here who may find ourselves bereft of Doutzen... Doesn't VS instigate some sort of exclusivity clause in their contracts? Will we see her again? But then Bellazon is here for such things, no? ^Did you actually read my post? Apologies if you weren't referring to me, but I'm the only one who has posted anything resembling criticism since your last entry? I was simply posting to remind people about the similar arc (thus far) of Karolina Kurkova's career in comparison. As I quite clearly stated - I was only concerned about seeing Doutzen outside of the US (this is a global forum), and that I wished her well and respected her choices. I fail to see how any of that can be construed as "Hate"? Then again I would be hard pressed to refer to her as my "idol" either. I merely think she is a very attractive woman who seems to be equally as sweet - and I would just like to carry on seeing more of her work with a variety of employers. Besides, I've tended to find those "real fans" the kind of people who would have their idol's face tattoed across their torso, have a tentative grip on reality, and sit in their own faeces...

Without wishing to rain on anyone's parade (and with all due respect to michelabella too - who makes the excellent point about Gisele) but Karolina Kurkova did do all of the above and people may well be regarding her as a 'cautionary tale' in reference to Doutzen! Kurkova did campaigns for many major labels (including Versace, Valentino, and Chanel) and did the catwalks of Paris, Milan and New York. She landed the cover of US Vogue in 2001 - whereupon Anna Wintour (no less) called her the "next supermodel". Cut to 2005 and she had all but disappeared from catwalk shows and anything outside the mighty VS umbrella. Obviously she hasn't done badly fiscally out of the deal - and she probably has a higher profile through being an 'Angel' than a model - but maybe people think she never achieved her full potential, and is 'High-Fashion's' loss? You don't necessarily have to do the shows, but you need to be seen in the campaigns - and she isn't... VS is an American brand with the majority of stores only in the US, and therefore don't advertise in the same global way - so the rest of us don't see her so much. And it is a loss (though completely her choice) - and maybe she could have been that "next supermodel"? I too doubt we shall see Doutzen with a bra on her head (although you never know), but I think people are worried they just won't see her at all saving the VSFS and the catalogues - which although have their plus points( ) can be a little limiting creatively... I wish her well, but just hope I get to see her on the billboards and in the magazines of South America and Europe too.

LaChapelle does Gisele (various photoshoots):

Death By Hamburger (2001) For the art world, the celebrated glamour photographer David LaChapelle (b. 1969) is a guilty pleasure. His sex-soaked color photos of celebrities and fashion models are just too high-key. Nothing is held back. The lily is not only gilded, but drenched in rhinestones, draped in haute couture and surrounded by the most exotic props imaginable. It's about time. Minimalism is, like, so 40 years ago. In addition to his photographs, the Los Angeles-based LaChapelle has made many music videos for performers ranging from Elton John to Gwen Stefani. He's published half a dozen photo books, most recently Artists & Prostitutes 1985-2005, a 688-page collection from Taschen that retails at an impressive $2,500. (Mary Barone for artnet)

I thought I was "back to the subject" - these lists are what everyone else has been posting and debating for the last 9 pages. Don't you like my list?

On a very different tack - These are from the Zang Toi catwalk show, at NYFW, Autumn/Winter 2008. Classy:

^Ah, finally - the full David Burton shoot!!! Many thanks, tinkerbelle. And, I know it's been said before, but she sure does look like Cameron Diaz in the second picture (in the pink bikini top)...

Photography by Marcelo Krasilcic from 2007, "Get Set Go". It's something a little different, as opposed to Lais being simply 'beautiful'. I hope you'll forgive the attempted stitch job on the last one...

Love the Beer Goggles!

Don't know where this is from, or who it's by - but if you're a fan of Susan and/or a fan of bikes then this one's for you:

Photography by KT Auleta for Dazed+Confused:

Photography by Derek Henderson (and with credit to rox yr sox at tfs):