We take a trip down memory lane with Editor-in-Chief Kenneth Goh as he tells us what are some of his favourite covers and why they left such a lasting impression on him.
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“Stefanie was never one to risk fashion looks and personas outside of her girl-next-door goodness. This was one of the first covers she did where I transformed her into a modern day Factory Girl with false lashes, lots of eyeliner and a Dior sweater that I pulled off her shoulder. With her perfect pout and come-to-bed eyes, this was the first time Stefanie ever looked so sexy for the camera!”
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“This was the first of three covers I shot with Cindy over the years. I flew to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and shot her at the iconic Carcosa hotel. She was so professional and immediately made a connection with me when I directed how the hair, makeup and spirit of the shoot should be. We played with huge orchid blooms and she loved the subtle erotic references and modern Asian vibe. One of the pictures was even picked for a global Omega campaign!”
“I flew to Tokyo to shoot Janet right after meeting her at the Dior show in Paris. I was introduced by her close friend and makeup artist, Fran Cooper. Fran spoke about the great fashion direction I did with Cindy Crawford and Janet was keen to try a whole new look. We shot this cover on a chilly night on the rooftop of TOD’S building in Omotesando. Janet mentioned she likes strawberries so we trawled through Tokyo looking for the best strawberries money could buy!”
“Eva insisted that I helped her pose and loved the whole 1920s flapper concept we created for her. Dressed entirely in Louis Vuitton, Eva was feisty and friendly. She instantly loved the character of the 20s dancer Josephine Baker and fell into the role for the shoot. Terribly petite, I practically had to sew her into the samples!”
“Gan, the photographer and I flew up to Hong Kong to photograph Aaron. When he walked into the studio, we were told not to make eye contact or chat to him before his hair and makeup. They spent two hours in glam and when he emerged, his face was perfect, hair freshly cut, and gave great energy to the shoot. A very fast mover and natural in front of the camera, he even clung to the back of a fence for gan to catch his Lean muscular form. He stayed there for a good 20 minutes!”
“ We shot Christy Turlington — my all time favourite supermodel — in the freezing cold winter of New York. She was so warm and lovely, and so friendly. We turned her into a dancer as the set was in a former dance studio, and she still had the poise and grace. For the cover shot, we cut this Derek Lam dress to show a slit for her legs and I loaded up bangles bought from a roadside stall in Jaipur on her toned tanned arms.”
“We shot Tyra when she came down for the finale of the first season of Asia’s Next Top Model when I was the resident judge. She was jet lagged but still looked incredible in front of the camera. Recognising she’s not sample size, she could assess our rack of clothes in a flash and told us what would work with her body and what couldn’t. We wanted something dramatic for the cover so we turned a bone corset into a headpiece with lots of wire and a million pins!”
“We shot the handsome Henry Golding in a gym in Kuala Lumpur and I wanted him to portray many different characters and personas. The cover was an Italian rogue, decked out in Dolce Gabbana. Inside we dressed him like a modern day superhero with neon fashion and wet his body under the shower. We even oiled his body and dressed him shirtless in a pair of dungarees to portray a greasy mechanic hard at work in a workshop.”