Catch A Fire: August 2009

BOOK – LICKSHOT by Ben Watts (releases on Wednesday):

Ben Watts is a NYC-based photographer (and the brother of Naomi Watts) who shoots various ad campaigns and editorials for magazines such as Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair and Elle.

Back in 2004, I was strolling past a bookshop in Philly when I noticed a book in the window – Big Up by Ben Watts. I had seen a review on this book in a magazine and had been looking for it everywhere. That night, as I leafed through every page, I was mesmerized. Big Up started as Ben Watt’s personal scrapbook and grew from there; turning into a photographic diary with photos of everything from rap stars to wrestlers to kids on the street, with a few celebrities thrown in for good measure.

So, imagine how excited I was last week when I found out he is releasing a follow-up, Lickshot. Lickshot is, once again, a sort of scrapbook/travel diary, full of his rough and realistic photographs and Polaroids together with scribbled notes about each subject. This time around, we have biker gangs mixed with supermodels mixed with sunbathers mixed with actors/musicians (including the late Heath Ledger, Bruce Springstreen, Rachel Weisz, etc). I have pre-ordered Lickshot and have started flicking through Big Up again, getting myself ready.

MOVIE – THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE, a film by RJ Cutler (out now in NYC, September 11th elsewhere):

More than anything else right now, I am dying to see The September Issue. If you have even a glimpse of an interest in fashion, I am sure you feel the same. After watching the trailer several times over the past few months, then watching Anna Wintour on Letterman last week, my interest was sufficiently piqued.

Since I couldn’t make it into NYC this weekend, I decided to satiate my curiosity and headed to The September Issue website where I was greeted with the following lines:

Anna Wintour, the legendary editor-in-chief of Vogue magazine for twenty years, is the most powerful and polarizing figure in fashion. With unprecedented access, filmmaker RJ Cutler’s new film The September Issue does for fashion what he did for politics in The War Room, taking the viewer inside a world they only think they know.

The September Issue chronicles the making of the September 2007 issue of Vogue magazine. The issued was the single largest issue of a magazine ever published, weighing in at close to five pounds. Recounting how the issue is made, the film shows clips of their European travels and their time at Fashion Week, goes behind the scenes on editorial shoots (and reshoots), forays into Vogue staff meetings and more. It’s definitely going to be worth a viewing!

TV – RACHEL ZOE PROJECT (premiered last Monday August 24th, shows every Monday on Bravo TV):

The second season of the Rachel Zoe Project began last week and let’s just say.. I died. Following Rachel Zoe and her team (the attitude-friendly Taylor Jacobsen and the ever-sweet Brad Goreski) as they style some of Hollywood’s biggest stars for award shows like the Golden Globes and the Oscars, the Rachel Zoe project gives you a behind the scenes look at the life of a celebrity stylist.

From being bold enough to email Karl Lagerfield and suggest he change a Chanel design just for Cameron Diaz, to being unable to find the Golden Globe pick for Eva Mendes, this is seriously good viewing for fashion lovers.

Watching her deal with Taylor and Brad’s hi-jinks is almost as good as watching her work. Now that Taylor and Brad get along again (see Season 1 for the beginnings of their love-hate relationship), they are serious partners in crime and act like “brats” when Rachel asks them to move their desks upstairs.

The final reason you should tune in? Rachel’s catchphrases. From “I die” to “This is bananas,” she makes me seriously want to come up with a catchphrase of my own.

PS. If you haven’t already, sign up for The Zoe Report, Rachel’s daily newsletter.

RELATED POSTS:

1. Catch A Fire: September 2009
2. Catch A Fire: November 2009
3. Catch A Fire: December 2009
4. Catch A Fire: January 2010
5. Catch A Fire: February 2010