Tatler’s “Don’t You Know Who I Am?”

Posted on Jul 19, 2011 in Fashion

Doing up models to look like celebrity icons isn’t the most original idea in the world, but for at least half of this editorial for Tatler’s August 2011 issue, photographer Robert Trachtenberg and fashion editor Anna Bromilow got a little creative. Rather than simply slapping on period makeup and wigs, for some of the pictures the model merely held up a picture of the person they’re impersonating. It’s a fun, slightly sarcastic twist on an old standard in fashion editorials. Kind of a shame they didn’t follow through with it on all the pics, lapsing instead into boring old mimicry for the Dietrich, Turner, and Kelly pictures. The ones with Jean Shrimpton, Twiggy, Madonna, and Princess Diana are perfect, though.

Ralph Lauren Fall 2011 Collection

Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2011 Collection

Chanel Fall 2011 Collection

Burberry Prorsum Fall 2011 Collection

Versace Fall 2011 Collection

Prada Fall 2011 Collection

Donna Karan Fall 2011 Collection

Fendi Fall 2011 Collection

Emporio Armani Fall 2011 Collection

[Image Credit: tarsha via thefashionspot.com, elle.com]

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Anonymous

I love the Twiggy picture. And that dress (even if you’d have to be a twiggy to rock it).
Anonymous

Fun editorial with great-looking clothes. I never mind the mimicry bit as long as it has a playful touch, which this does. Very nice!
http://pleasewelcomeyourjudges.com/ Brian @ PWYJudges

LOVE that Twiggy picture. Best in the bunch, followed by Madonna.
- Anonymous
  
  Madonna? Oh! I thought that was Marilyn! Now it makes more sense!
Anonymous

That Twiggy shot is a riot. I agree they should have avoided the mimicry and done all the shots with head images covering the models’ faces. It has a fun cheek quality
MilaXX

I was kinda “meh” until I got to the Prada/Twiggy pic. It’s the only one that both made me smile and had a dress I really liked.
margaret meyers

I love the glistening thighs in the last shot. That is SO Tina Turner sweating it up!
Anonymous

Love, love, LOVE that Chanel outfit – the way the model is wearing it. The way it is featured in the editorial is dull and really ruins it.

–GothamTomato
Victoria Sharoyan

The Princess Diana model could pass for Austin Scarlett!
Anonymous

I thought the model wearing the Versace was headless at first. Now that would be new. And also quite disturbing.
Judy_J

Reminds me of the “Star of the Month” ads on TCM, especially the one with Jean Shrimpton. The Twiggy photo is the best of the bunch.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Jessica-TallGirl-Freeman/1043623567 Jessica TallGirl Freeman

I quite love that Tina’s legs are so magical, not even a model 1/3 of her age can pull off Tina’s legs.
Anonymous

The Grace Kelly picture is boring, as you point out, but that model is working the Donna Karan dress. It looks beauuuuutiful on her.

Ah well, half a charming editorial is better than none!
Anonymous

That Kelly picture looks like a direct reference to Betty Draper in “Meditations in an Emergency.”
Anonymous

That Prada dress looks great upside down; I think I prefer it that way. I seriously covet that tangerine Burberry and I want to be walking in London wearing it.
mellbell

Pardon my ignorance, but which famous dames are portrayed in the Chanel and Versace pages?
- Anonymous
  
  V = Portman
  C = No idea.
  - Anonymous
    
    This reminds me of the commercials on Turner Classic Movies, where actors hide their faces with covers of old-time movie magazines bearing portraits of the great stars. It’s really well done.
    
    I like this layout, it’s rather more entertaining than the usual, and I appreciate the creativity. Although really, do we think Princess Di would have actually worn that getup?
    
    PS: the Chanel celebrities are two: the guy, who is supposed to be Karl Lagerfeld, and the woman, who is supposed to be Coco. At least that’s what I think.
- margaret meyers
  
  Chanel = Karl Lagerfeld and Coco herself. The Versace is Dame Margot Fonteyn. I am guessing the last because she was knighted and she had such a long and prominent career as the leading English prima ballerina.
  - https://profiles.google.com/104791269167429064986 Judy S
    
    I found a picture of Coco Chanel wearing that hat, so I think that’s right.
    
    http://stylefrizz.com/200810/coco-chanel-by-douglas-kirkland-three-weeks-40-photos/
  - mellbell
    
    Thanks. I got the Karl Lagerfeld reference, which threw me, because he and Coco Chanel weren’t contemporaries, but the whole thing is a fantasy, so it works.
  - http://visceralresponse.com Dina dV
    
    I would have thought the Chanel was Audrey Hepburn and I agree that the Versace is probably Natalie Portman.
- Anonymous
  
  The Versace is Fonteyn, not Portman. The clue is the “Nureyev” guy, because he’s in the famous pose he always took at their curtain calls. Nureyev would kneel down, kiss Fonteyn’s hand, and give her a rose or roses. Could’ve gotten better lookalikes, though, because I suspect only afficionados would know this stuff.
  
  But the Chanel is throwing me. It could be Coco, could be Hepburn. Hell, it could be Jackie O, for all I decipher from that shot. The haircut would suggest Coco.
Jessica Rowe

genius!
lilibetp

Who’s the ballerina supposed to be?
- Anonymous
  
  Looks like Margot Fonteyn.
http://www.facebook.com/fiddlecub Kevin VanOrd

The Twiggy picture is adorable.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_AYQCICXEN2CCDBFV5HED4Z2RUA Dee B

Uh…The only one without the picture I could decipher was Tina Turner. Maybe I’m not as old as I thought
http://www.facebook.com/samuel.j.donovan Samuel Joesph Donovan

The Twiggy photo is GENIUS. I’m loving that Prada collection more and more.
Jill Roberts

What is up with that D&G dress again? It looks like it was designed in 1984 by a five year old. Agree with all: the Twiggy picture is phenomenal.
Anonymous

I didnt think the Tina Turner was so bad.
http://www.smallerwords.com 14a

That Twiggy picture is amazing.
http://twitter.com/mollynoodles Molly Harrington

This is phenomenal. It was executed well, and turned out a very interesting take on the fashion editorial. More magazines should do spreads like this! And I agree, the Twiggy one is great.
Anonymous

Oh, that Prada just has just made my head swoon. It’s lovely and so reminds me of the sensational sixties.
Anonymous

That Dolce fabric with the big silver stars is pure gymnastics costume. Nasty stuff.
Lisa

Those are fun! What a cool idea, even though it’s been done before!
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_3AJ237ND3GAHDQJZ4TLCO4WLRA Emily

Love it.
Anonymous

Loved the Prada/Twiggy look. The Fendi/Princess Di was great styling, but I can’t imagine anyone in that dress.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=583505025 Kelley Comfort

How clever! I quite enjoyed this one.
http://www.facebook.com/luli.km Lucia Kmaid

How did they get the Twiggy dress to stay up?
- http://profiles.google.com/trashilove { edi } ilovetrash
  
  photoshop. shot it on her standing up, pasted on her upside down.
Anonymous

I love this layout. So tongue-in-cheek and playful. And succeeds at it.
Lauen newman

The Di model’s body language is spot on.
Anonymous

Love it! A very creative way to mimic icons.
Anonymous

Please forward the tangerine Burberry coat, and the handbag the model is carrying, to me immediately. It’s a FASHION EMERGENCY!
http://profiles.google.com/aislingoconnor Aisling O’Connor

You have to watch this ad from Irish TV for music download service. Uses the same concept with various versions of ‘Tainted Love’. Love it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw1NV6mD5Gw
http://profiles.google.com/sauchih Sau-Chih Feng

I actually like the Tina Turner picture. I can understand that it’s quite lacking compared to the pictures where the models hold up the portrait of the person they’re imitating, because those are definitely quite cheeky and have a lot of wry personality. however, i think the Turner picture is quite beautiful in itself, it has so much charisma to it. I don’t really think that the portrait approach would have worked with someone like Tina Turner.

However, the Grace Kelly one is probably the most boring of them all. beautifully shot, but boring.
Anonymous

Cute, but the model in the Chanel looks like a very sad panda. And the Fendi skirt on “Lady Di” has made me want to take to my bed. So, nice editorial but most of the clothes look fairly poisonous.

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Tatler’s “Don’t You Know Who I Am?”

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