Photo France has published several photos left out from the next Swarovski campaign with Laetitia Casta. The advertising agency, Publicis Etoile, has decided that those ads are "too european", a new euphemism for "too sexy". Swarovski is a jeweler specialised in crystal, with ugly necklesses, hand bags etc, 13,000 people work for the label all over the world. Laetitia Casta has an exclusive contract with them, including sponsoring their events. The campaign itself will be up for Christmas. The campaign budget was $2.5 million, about 10% of it will go to Laetitia.
I've scanned 5 pics. Photo has two more that I didn't bother to scan because Laetitia looks too fat. I found the campaign quite ugly, but then, so are the products. It was photographed by Marino Parisotto Vay, really not my cup of espresso. It is the fourth campaign of Laetitia for Swaovski, but the precedent had much better photographers. I think it's the first shooting of Laetitia since she gave birth (the galeries Lafayette campaign was shot long before).
Here are the pics:
1 - a double-spread with Laetitia opening her legs (a must these days), but not looking her best.
2 - the pic above, larger version, clearly a winner.
3 - a smaller scan, quite provocative for a very conservative label.
4 - a b/w ad, I don't like it, it's suppose to be suggestive, but it suggests the photographer has no imagination at all.
5 - another b/w, this one much better, Laetitia looks great, but this lesbian atmosphere is cleary faked. The transparency of the dress works, if you see what I mean.

Fortune has just publishes its annual list of America's 40 richest under 40. Sadly there's no fashion people on the list. In fact, the only woman rich enough to make it is Julia Roberts, age 34, wealth $134 million. Number 1 is Michael Dell , age 37, with $16.49 billions.
But the list doesn't include youngsters whose wealth is inherited. So lads, keep in mind Aerin and Jane Lauder, 32 and 29, grand daughters of Estee Lauder: the magazine believes these charming young ladies are worth $299 million each.