More details are emerging about the Naomi Watts advertisements for Thierry Mugler Angel, from the New York, rather than French, end of the business:

Naomi Watts was the inspired choice for Thierry Mugler, over and above her beauty and her star image. Displaying a modern touch, the actress projects a personality that blends sensuality, voluptuousness and evanescence to evoke the many facets of Angel. A blond fragility, a natural tenderness, an emotional seductiveness …
   Rather appropriately, it was in Los Angeles, city of the angels, and in the Hollywood Center studios, that the commercial was shot, following a scenario by Thierry Mugler and directed by director Bill Condon (Dreamgirls). A Hollywood fairy-tale surrounded by a profusion of Angel stars.
   To immortalize this mythical moment, Thierry Mugler called on photographer Ali Mahdavi to produce the advertising visuals of his Hollywood dream. A worldwide campaign, glamorous and magical, will begin in October 2008.

Actress Naomi Watts is the new face of the Thierry Mugler Angel fragrance, it was announced ahead of her début at the Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
   The company says that Watts is ‘A true embodiment of the fragrance itself and all it represents’. The campaign breaks in October in the US and features Watts.
   On May 5, Watts, dressed in vintage Thierry Mugler, makes her début at the gala, representing ‘a selection of the unique works of art created by Mugler himself.’

Gisèle Bündchen, whose face promotes products from Disney to Nivea and Aquascutum, is the world’s top-earning model, according to Forbes.
   The magazine’s latest table of what it calls the top 15—there are actually 16 models—puts Bündchen’s earnings over the last 12 months at US$35 million, more than double that of Heidi Klum, in second place at US$14 million.
   It said that Bündchen’s US$5 million Victoria’s Secret contract, which ended in December 2007, was included in the totals. But even without it, she still comes up top, thanks to the value of some 20 contracts.
   Klum was helped by her television ventures and campaigns for Diet Coke, Jordache, Mouawad, Volkswagen and Schwarzkopf.
   In third place was Kate Moss (US$7·5 million), followed by Adriana Lima (US$7 million) and Doutzen Krœs ($6 million).
   Krœs managed to get into the top five after scoring a Victoria’s Secret contract on top of her Calvin Klein and L’Oréal deals.
   In sixth place was Karolina Kurkova (US$5 million), with Natalia Vodianova (US$4·8 million), Carolyn Murphy (US$4·5 million), Daria Werbowy (US$3·8 million) and Miranda Kerr (US$3·5 million) rounding out the top 10.
   Isabeli Fontana (US$3 million) appears on the list for the first time at number 11; Gemma Ward (US$3 million), the second Australian on the list, ties for 11th; and Selita Ebanks (US$2·7 million) is 13th.
   Valentina Zelyaeva (US$2·3 million), Estée Lauder face Hilary Rhoda (US$2 million) and Liya Kebede (US$1·5 million) take positions 14 to 16.

Our editor-at-large Summer Rayne Oakes has been named the fourth best dressed person by the Sustainable Style Foundation, up from fifth last year. Congratulations! Number one by ’09!

For those who felt that 13 Mbyte for the free 52 pp. Lucire PDF supplement was too much, we have now created a 72 dpi version at 6 Mbyte. The original theory was that if there are people downloading music and movies, then 13 Mbyte might not be too much—but we recognize not everyone has access to swift broadband lines. So the 6 Mbyte PDF is designed for those with slightly slower internet speeds, and we’ve put it up again at Rapidshare. Click here for the supplement to get a taste of Lucire.

There are only 8,000 each for him and for her of the Diesel Fuel for Life Special Edition bottles, launched December 2007—and if you search, you may still be able to find some at ‘exclusive sales outlets’. We had to mention it since we think this is the coolest looking bottle for the first part of ’08.

   Meanwhile, photographer Matthew Plummer went along to the Little Brother show in Wellington, New Zealand and took some catwalk shots—we really loved these since they aren’t your ordinary “photographers’ pit” stuff. Some of Matthew’s work will be in the next print edition of Lucire.
   Speaking of the next print edition, Elyse Glickman has an interview with very hip, celeb-favourite LA label Hale Bob—and it was interesting to note that there has been African inspiration there. It’s evident in one of the collection photographs: embellished, raw and stylish. This pic probably won’t run due to space reasons, so here’s a chance to enjoy it now.

    Finally, in terms of happenings for our team, hop over to the beauty pages: our Mari Johnson has been to the Qua Bottle Lounge in downtown Austin, Texas—read about her experiences here.

Online today: a preview of the H&M summer 2008 range (left), which the company says is inspired by hot, exotic locations such as India and Africa.
   This is clearly in the Zeitgeist: the same week we receive Peter Alexander’s latest catalogue (below), which has an African-inspired collection. There’s something about Africa this summer, so let’s hope that translates into awareness of the continent’s issues that we, as a planet, can help with.
  Speaking of exoticism, we do have our special on Katherine Mansfield, the famous New Zealand author—and possibly its ‘first fashionista’, online, for those who missed it earlier this month. The exhibition of her property—including her clothing, perfume bottles and jewellery—is still on in Wellington, and we highly recommend a visit to understand the New Zealand fashion character.

I’ve heard from Brad at Peace Love Life, who has been doing T-shirts to help worthy causes around the world.
   The latest range: to help raise money for various areas, in collaboration with Invisible Children (working in Uganda) and Sisters of Rwanda.
   In Brad’s words, ‘I believe these are our most fashionable, yet most powerful products yet. We really want to make an impact on the world with these shirts.’ I believe so, too.

As promised, some better photos from last Saturday’s cruise with the Miss Universe New Zealand 2008 contestants from my Voigtländer Bessamatic, which shows that a 49-year-old camera can get some darned good results.

Samantha Powell (who would go on to win Miss New Zealand 2008, but Miss Horowhenua at this stage), Rebecca Connor (Miss Wellington, sponsored by the Establishment Bar), Rhonda Grant (sponsored by TR Designs, Palmerston North) and Kylie Anderson (sponsored by C. R. Johnson Ltd., and second runner-up to Miss New Zealand 2006).

A 35 mm film version of the photograph from the cellphone, but with a slightly narrower field. Rebecca Connor (Miss Wellington), Hannah Matthews (runner-up, Miss Universe New Zealand 2008, sponsored by Masport), Samantha Powell (Miss Universe New Zealand 2008), Kylie Warfield (chaperone, and Miss New Zealand Asia–Pacific 2005), and Sylvia Laurenson (sponsored by Bettjemans for 2008, and 2007’s runner-up).

My scanner has gone kaput and I’m now three weeks in the process of getting it fixed. You know—ordering a part, having it arrive, finding it’s totally wrong (as in: the part does not even exist inside this model of scanner), and now, having a really annoying moiré effect on photographs that do not have a dot screen!
   I’m less than impressed as I have some lovely photographs from my judging of Miss Universe New Zealand 2008 that I wouldn’t mind posting. Girls: don’t worry—the embarrassing ones won’t wind up anywhere on the ’net, though I may email them to you directly.
   These are off one of those newfangled cellphones. The good 35 mm ones will have to wait.

Miss Wellington, Rebecca Connor, sponsored by the Establishment Bar, on the launch to Waiheke. Rebecca was in the top five and, from what I can tell, a crowd favourite.

Samantha Powell, Miss Horowhenua, who later won the title of Miss Universe New Zealand 2008. She seems to have a natural beauty. I don’t think I’d be revealing too much about the judging if I were to say she gave a fine interview on the first night (Thursday).

Some of the top-placed contestants are here in a very leggy shot: Rebecca Connor, Hannah Matthews (runner-up, sponsored by Masport), Samantha Powell are present from left to right. From right to left are Lauren Kyle (Miss Auckland), and Sylvia Laurenson (sponsored by Bettjemans), runner-up in 2007, re-entering (Sylvia came in the top five this year). That leaves Kylie Warfield third from right—not a contestant, but one of the chaperones and assistants, who could have easily come in a top position herself in this competition. (She was Miss New Zealand Asia-Pacific 2005.)

The wake from the launch out to Waiheke.

The girls do not starve themselves, as you can see—yep, that’s cream on the top of that glass being delivered to Miss Wanganui, Michelle Kleinsmith. And it’s one of two such glasses heading to this table.