David Sims

Photography inspires us, offering a different perspective on the world or a particular subject and even triggering emotion in the best cases. Take for example the photographs of David Sims, the depth and feeling he captures in his shots makes him a favorite of Emmanuelle Alt. This British fashion photographer is her trusted go-to source for Vogue Paris in addition to his work for many other prominent fashion magazines. After looking at a number of his photographs, you begin to recognize Sims' style. He captures movement with a modern, effortless cool, epitomizing the vibe that Emmanuelle expresses both personally and editorially.

While known primarily for his dynamic fashion images, Sims also produced a limited edition for Visionaire which offers a rare view of his personal work heretofore unseen. The photographs in Visionaire No. 40: Roses highlight the darkness and beauty of the rose, magnifying each detail and resulting in a moving and memorable body of work; the adage “A picture is worth a thousand words” could not be more accurate.

It is likely we will see more of Sims' work now with Emmanuelle at the helm of Vogue Paris, I look forward to more greatness from this dynamic duo of sartorial excellence. View the editorials "Androgyne" and "Girl Meets Boy" in the gallery for examples of their past work together. The images below collecting Sims' work are from Self Service Magazine No. 34. Grazie to Gala for these images!

Photograph of David Sims courtesy of trendland.net. Vogue Paris editorial images © 2010 Condé Nast. All Rights Reserved. David Sims images courtesy of selfservicemagazine.com

Diptyque Figuier Candle

Emmanuelle Alt says that her favorite scent is her own but she also enjoys the fragrance of the Diptyque Figuier Candle. The fresh and fruity warmth of fig trees in the sunlight fills the air when this intriguing candle is lighted. The Diptyque line of scented candles is produced in France, the creation of three friends, Desmond Knox-Leet, Christiane Gautrot, and Yves Coueslant, who met at the École des Beaux Arts in Paris. The candles are remarkable for the quality as well as the scent: the wax is custom blended from natural vegetable ingredients and paraffin to provide the perfect base for the heady aroma of figs. The wax is then distributed carefully to ensure that the candle burns evenly, lasting 50 to 60 hours on average. Each cotton, lead-free wick is positioned in the glass and hand trimmed. Woody, earthy, pleasant in any season, the Diptyque Figuier Candle denotes the very essence of Emmanuelle.

Diptyque Figuier Candle image courtesy of diptyqueparis.com.
 Fig illustrations via art.com and stardough.blogspot.com.

Jim Goldberg

When asked to name her favorite book, Emmanuelle Alt chose Raised by Wolves by Jim Goldberg, a heartwrenching work that captures the real lives of homeless teenagers on the streets of Los Angeles and San Francisco. Published by Scalo in 1997, Raised by Wolves uses photos, film stills, handwritten documents, and found materials to tell the stark and unflinching story of adolescent runaways and the culture surrounding them. Goldberg spent six years interviewing and photographing teens, parents, teachers, social workers, and police to compose this moving picture of life on the streets. The author allows his subjects to express their feelings about themselves, providing an authentic and poignant perspective on the suffering of the homeless and giving his work an enormous amount of power. As Goldberg notes, "I have the great privilege of being both witness and storyteller. Intimacy, trust and intuition guide my work."  The title of the book is taken from a lyric by one of his subjects, Tweeky Dave: "Born a wicked child / raised by wolves / A screamin kamakazi / I never will crash." View this video for a glimpse of the interior pages of Raised by Wolves. Thank you, Emmanuelle, for calling my attention to this important work.

Raised by Wolves images courtesy of wirtzgallery.com and class.uidaho.edu

Home

What is Emmanuelle Alt's favorite escape? Her home. Emmanuelle loves her job at Vogue Paris but at the end of her day she is always happy to leave the office to enjoy her peaceful home. As Emmanuelle told Elle Decor in 1997, "'My days are full of people and commotion. Home is a place I escape to. It's where I seek comfort, relaxation and tranquility. I love what I do. It's all the things I loved as a little girl — playing with dolls, dressing up, making up, but I purposely found an apartment in a quiet, conventional neighbourhood. I don't want to run into people I know every time I walk out the door. My privacy is important — I need time off to refuel and focus on inspiration, rather than doing the networking of the 80s.'... Emmanuelle's home reflects her own style and creativity. All her furniture and objects are from the Paris flea markets she combs with her partner on weekends. As with her vision of her work, she doesn't see a 'total look' in her flat — inspirational books and images are as much part of the decor as her eclectic and original collection of objects and furniture... Her sitting room is full of photography books and things like the lava lamp on the mantelpiece which she picks up from flea markets. The 50s sideboard is a flea market find... The low table is an industrial pallet... The star light came from Morocco... Emmanuelle explains her unique look: 'I don't want to dress like everyone else, nor be surrounded by the same objects as everyone else. I think people should find their own style. They are too much like sheep!'"

Photographs of Emmanuelle Alt's home © 1997 Hachette Filipacchi Media, U.S., Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Topshop

Emmanuelle Alt typically combines haute couture with high street and declares that Topshop is her favorite stop for her signature rock 'n' roll jeans: "My jeans are Topshop — I love Topshop. When I go to London my first thing to do is I put my stuff in the hotel and I run to Topshop — they have the best jeans!" See for yourself in this exclusive interview that she conducted with Hilary Alexander of The Daily Telegraph, you must watch it simply for the cute way that Emmanuelle pronounces Topshop, très adorable. Also be sure to check out Inside-Out, the official Topshop blog for more fashion fun.

Emmanuelle Alt film still © 2011 Telegraph Media Group Limited. All Rights Reserved.