Olivia's Beauty

Most people will know Baz Luhrmann's 1996 version of Shakespeare's timeless tragedy Romeo and Juliet but a far more beautiful version was made by the great Italian film maker Franco Zeffirelli in 1968. The film starred beautiful actress Olivia Hussey and young hunk Leonard Whiting as a love-struck teenagers and left teens for a decade or so afterward, as somewhat love-struck themselves. We came across this image of Hussey from the film whilst searching for something else and were reminded of just what an incredible face she had.

Black 12 - Michael Schwartz to shoot Alana Zimmer for Black 12 cover

This weekend in New York, incumbent Black cover snapper Michael Schwartz is at it again with New York editor and make-up artist Valery Gherman and stylist Elizabeth Sulcer to shoot Alana Zimmer for the cover of Black 12. The Ontario, Canada native is something of a runway stalwart and has covers and editorials for the likes of V Magazine, Numero, Italian Vogue, 25 Cent, Numero Korea and French while her most recent campaign was Sonia Rykiel SS10. We love her strong, yet beguiling classical beauty. The crew will also shoot an editorial of Alana for our fashion section.

Who Dares Wins

Kia ora, apologies for the lack of posting in the past couple of weeks. We've just come off the back of an extensive shoot schedule for Black 12 - the largest New Zealand fashion component we have yet had in Black - and on top of that we've had computer meltdowns and the attendant new computer transfers to deal with this week. But that's all behind us now.

This week, some great news from the wonderful Impossible Project. Despite some technical and logisitical hurdles The Impossible Project launched the first of its instant films at an event in New York City on March 22 - attended by Black New York editor Valery Gherman. Several packages of the new film - described as offering "a new, broad range of possibilities, fresh characteristics and results" - are currently winging their way to Black photographers in New York, Sydney and Auckland for inclusion in a combined photographic feature in Black 12. This first film; PX 100 and PX 600 Silver Shade is nicknamed First Flush (after a type of premium tea with a rich and fresh aroma, picked in March) and is a black & white film - colour films are being lined up for distribution later in the year, up to 10 different films by the year's end. Each of the photographers contributing to our feature will also contribute one shot each to be included in The Impossible Collection, a gallery of work featuring Impossible films that will be housed in the Musee de l'Elysee in Luasanne.

Even better news for instant film fans is that the film is now available to anyone, online here at The Impossible Project shop. It will be available from selected dealers globally thereafter.

Black and Kingsize Studios are planning an exhibition of these works in May.

Black 12 - Rupert Tapper shoots Annabella

You've seen her on one of the lovely new covers for No 9, and you'll see her in Black 12 and a host of other magazines in the months to come because ex-pat New Zealander Anabella Barber is, in model agency parlance, "hot!" Sydney-based photographer Rupert Tapper and Black's contributing Australian fashion editor Paul Bui have teamed up with hair wizard Jenny Kim and make-up artist Diana Dusting to capture the moods of Anabella, undoubtedly one to watch.

Wellington Model Call - Workshop/BMW

Becky @ Vanity Walk in the Workshop Ponsonby store opening show, Nov 2009

We are currently casting for Wellington models for an upcoming fashion show we are producing for Workshop/Helen Cherry and BMW. We are working with the existing Wellington agencies but we require at least 24 models so Black fashion director Rachael Churchward will conduct an open casting in Wellington on Sunday March 28. If you, or someone you know, is suited to the Workshop and Helen Cherry brands as a model then we are taking expressions of interest. Please email grant@blackmag.co.nz with a photo of your face and a full length photo as well as providing your contact phone number/email and your sizes if possible.

Here is the criteria:

Women: 16 - 25, at least 5 ft 8.5 inches and over, size 8 - 10

Men: 16-25, 6ft to 6ft 2 inches, 31-32 inch waist.

The show date is Wednesday, April 14, you will be paid, and you would need to be available from 2pm until 9pm that day. Successful applicants will be provided with the times and address of the casting. We look forward to hearing from you...

Black 12; On set Beautiful Youth Day 3

Greg finals on Tas wearing Stolen Girlfriends Club and Cybele

Sakura standing by wearing Cybele

Emiliene hair finals, wearing Stolen Girlfriends Club

Ariel wearing Glassons beret, Juliette Hogan

Above: Greg and Jannine at work with Mary wearing Alice Howard.

Below: Black Fashion Director Rachael Churchward

having a thoughtful moment.

Russ Flatt shooting at Kakamatua

Same crew; photographer Russ Flatt, fashion editor Rachael Churchward, hair editor Greg Murrell and make-up artist Margo Regan, different location and models. Kakamatua is a pretty Pohutakawa-laden harbour bay just short of Huia on Auckland's Manukau Harbour where the tide goes out a long way, and comes in very fast. It's also a handy 20 minute walk to our chosen location from the carpark so Greg Murrell and myself now have extra long gorilla arms from carrying flash unit batteries, but it was well worth the walk. Jannine @ Ryder was hair assistant. Models today were Tas and Ariel @ August, Sakura @ 62 Models and Mary and Emiliene @ Visage.

Black 12; On set Beautiful Youth Day 2

Greg Murrell adjusting the hair piece attached to Frankie's brushed-up 'fro

Sabine in make-up

David; model, and temporary photo assist

Attaching (and removing) hair pieces is harder than it looks

Hair pieces, sequins and a little more fluoro sparkled in the bush at Waiatarau yesterday for the second day of shooting our Beautiful Youth story for Black 12. Photographer Russ Flatt and fashion director Rachael Churchward teamed closely with hair editor Greg Murrell and make-up artist Margo Regan to continue themes and stories over the two days of the weekend and across eleven models. Models for Sunday were Sabine @ August, David @ 62 Models, Michael @ Vanity Walk and Frankie @ Visage. Here's a few close-up images of hair and make-up. Day 3 this Wednesday at an obscure and slightly-difficult-to-get-to-beach...

Black 12: On set - Beautiful Youth Day 1

Rebekah & Rhianon @ August and Becky @ Vanity Walk

wearing Cerys Dallaway dresses and Karen Walker hats

Greg Murrell's finishing touches on Rebekah's hair

Margo Regan applies the brush to Rhianon

Margo draws a lip line on Becky

The trusty KW Resene Burnished Orange-painted

Converse with tights by Federation

Russ shooting Rhianon wearing Cerys Dallaway

Yesterday we shot the first day of our extended Russ Flatt/Rachael Churchward collaboration this issue: Beautiful Youth. Here's a few pics of the day although I missed the first flight of shooting as I was in town picking up the Habitual Fix for lunch but managed to capture some images of this, the second story of the day. Greg Murrell on hair, Margo Regan, make-up and Maxy assisted photographically. Models for the day were: Rhianon, Tyla and Rebekah @ August Models, Hannah @ 62 Models, Becky @ Vanity Walk and Chanelle and Alice @ Visage. Day two today, so will post some images later...

A NZ Fashion bible?

Blacklog readers, both local and international, will be interested to hear of a forthcoming book by Te Papa Press and Random House. Simply titled New Zealand Design the book is a panoptic overview of New Zealand fashion design by Angela Lassig (Senior Curator, History, at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa) with an introduction by Peter Shand (Head of Department at M.I.T and Senior Lecturer at the University of Auckland.) Both have had a long-term interest in, and involvement with, New Zealand fashion; Lassig as a curator of numerous fashion exhibitions at Te Papa, and Shand as curator of fashion shows/exhibitions at the Auckland War Memorial Museum.

It looks to be a serious resource as well as an historical document with a group of twenty five designers interviewed and profiled, and over 500 pictures, some of which are sure to be well worth seeing again.

The book goes on sale April 2010 and will retail for NZ $150 rrp.