MODEL CITIZENS: ANN + KIRBY KENNY

I first caught wind of these two bewitchingly beautiful twin models on the first of March three months ago, when esteemed blogger and casting director Douglas Perett of COACD posted two polaroids (pictured above and below) of Ann and Kirby Kenny @ DNA in New York. Twenty-four days later, Perett posted his  "Top Ten Faces of Fall/Winter 2010" piece, and sure enough, there were the Kenny twins at number one. Indubitably, you can count on the highly reputable Douglas Perett to select the best, and it is nothing short of evident that these two are headed straight to the top. 

I figured that much when an image of the Kenny sisters filled my screen while visiting the Hedi Slimane Fashion Diary. Now we all know the stature of Hedi Slimane, the photography mastermind behind the Dior Homme line, who has shot the likes of Kate Moss, Lindsay Lohan, Courtney Love, Robert Pattinson, and plenty of others. Not to mention his countless contributions to distinguished magazines such as Dazed, Another, V Magazine, and multiple Vogues.

It is with that knowledge that I am rather certain of the fate that the two darling Kenny girls have awaiting them. With their piercing blue, alien-like eyes and porcelain doll features, it is quite clear-cut why these two have caught the eye of someone such as Hedi Slimane. I expect it's only a matter of time before these two are gracing covers and campaigns from coast to coast.

Check out Hedi's shots below.

THE DIARY OF HEDI SLIMANE

Creator of the line, and simultaneously, world of Dior Homme, Hedi Slimane is one of those shooting stars; a fleeting moment of inspiration to all glassy-eyed onlookers. Whether you have seen his brilliant ocular spectacles in high-fashion magazines such as Vogue and Vanity Fair, or ogled the sophisticate design of the menswear line for Christian Dior, then surely you have experienced the visionary gift wrapped and delivered by Slimane himself.

His work behind the seams has earned the Tunisian-French fashion designer the well-suited title by the CFDA of International Designer of the Year in New York, 2002. But much to my dismay, many haven't had the pleasure of discovering Hedi's proficiency with the camera. His pattern of rockeresque-styled shots for Courtney Love, Lindsay Lohan, Kate Moss, and Amy Winehouse have led him to the creation of his publication Stage, a collection of rock photography that brilliantly puts his work in lights.

But alas, how lucky I have been today to have stumbled upon the virtuoso's online photographic journal, The Diary of Hedi Slimane, a photomontage that gives us an overflowingly inspirational view through the lens of Slimane. Now I can share with you the chance to bat an eye behind the lens here, and experience the wonderful world of the multitalented Hedi Slimane.

Je voudrais présenter,
Hedi Slimane.

MODEL CITIZEN: ANNA SELEZNEVA

Famous for her steel-gray eyes and high cheekbones, eighteen-year-old Russian model Anna Selezneva is a porcelain-perfect face on the rise. After signing with Parisian model management Silent in 2007, Selezneva made her big debut in October 2007 at the spring fashion shows for Celine, Akris, and Dries Van Noten. Within a month, the Moscow-born beauty graced the cover of Italian Vogue Gioiello, peeking out from under a royal blue summer hat with her entrancing gaze. Already, Anna was making her mark in the industry.

After one year, Selezneva was already strutting down the runway for big names like Lanvin, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, and Valentino Couture. She was opening for Balmain and Albereta Ferretti and closing for Yves St. Laurent and the Valentino Couture shows in Milan and Paris, an extraordinary honor for a runway model. Barely a year after being signed, this radiantly refined was already rocking the covers of British Vogue, Russian Vogue, and French Vogue as well as signing a fragrance contract for Vera Wang’s Look, photographed by one of the industry’s finest, Steven Meisel. Why, even just two months ago she was even selected to replace of Suvi Koponen as the face of Calvin Klein Collection! While it takes many models years to reach the heights of the top model ranks, Anna Selezneva gracefully glided her way to the top within a mere two years.

Whether in Vuitton or Vogue, catwalks or covers, keep one long-lashed, steel-gray eye out for the alluringly delicate face of Anna Selezneva.

All shots by Hedi Slimane.