Shameless? Harper’s Bazaar Puts Twilight Stars On Cover

by Ruthie Friedlander | 12:53 pm, November 4th, 2009

» 3 comments

harperscover When rumors surfaced that editor-in-chief Glenda Bailey was putting Janet Jackson on the cover of the October issue of Harper’s Bazaar following the tragic death of her brother, many wondered whether the magazine had finally sold out. After 100 plus years of putting the epitome of chic on it’s cover, it seemed as though the glossy was giving in, selling itself short, and ultimately, without much disguise, doing what they knew would sell.

When the October issue came to light, surprisingly, all seemed to be at peace. Jackson graced the cover like so many of Harper’s Bazaar’s past cover girls have: chic, elegant, impeccably styled. Donning an exquisitely draped Donna Karan dress in one photo, with Jackson-eque leather fingerless gloves, and a Ryan Wilde felt hat in another, the shoot and interview played homage to Jackson, her brother, and to the magazine’s ability to glamorize a celebrity frequently found on the few pages of the tabloids for fashion mishaps.

But with Kristin Stewart and Robert Pattinson, stars of teeny bopper favorite Twilight and the wildly anticipated New Moon were announced as next month’s cover stars, all bets seem off. The newsstand cover, Gucci dress or not, looks more like a high school yearbook photo for the “Cutest Couple” superlative than an high fashion shot.

The spread features two redeeming shots: one featuring Stewart and Pattinson on a motorcycle, her in a sequin Alexander Wang dress, him in Dior Homme, and the other featuring the two against a column, Stewart in a belted Versace gown and this season’s token YSL pumps.

But all the McQueen and Prada in the world could not keep Stewart from sporting her usual “uncomfortable in my own skin” appearance and Pattinson’s “most popular guy in high school” aura. You can dress them up in couture, but this alone does not make them Bazaar cover worthy.

Donna Karan, Harper's Bazaar, Kristin Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Twilight

http://www.facebook.com/people/Chris-Jones/1384303476 Chris Jones

At least it wasn’t Obama on the cover.
sophieclaireelise

———- Forwarded message ———-
From:
Date: Wed, Nov 4, 2009 at 1:37 PM
Subject: Harpers bazaar
To: conti.sophie@gmail.com

It’s the recession.. mags are feeling unprecedented pressure to please and preserve their current advertisers ( all the while, forced to take on the advertising bucks of less than desirable labels ) and subsequently are forced to integrate their shitey-ous collections in otherwise innovative photo shoot and editorial stories. Inorder to balance the slew of anne klien, calvin klein and all the other over branded and commercialized kliens, editors must bring in readers with culturally relevant material and play heavily with commodity. Is it not absolutely hysterical to pair a mass market crowd pleaser like kristen stewart with a Yohji Yamamoto gown? Is Nicolas Ghesquiere even aware of robert pattinson’s existence? Probably not. Think of this cover as a giant satire. Harpers strikes an equilibrium to gain readership while still upkeeping their funky fresh spreads. Vetoing the Vogue attitude and Elle’s kitschyness; Harpers notes the humor in a plummeting economy. We are all forced to make concessions in these tough times; Harpers accentuates this culturally relevant notion, not covering it over with plane jane, under-whelming gentrified crap we see time and time again.
kristianna

I wish Pattinson’s publicists would stop shoving him down everyone’s throats. I might be in the minority, but there are still a few people left who don’t go to bed dreaming about staring into his beady eyes.Also, the cover looks like it was photographed in 1992.

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