W

• In January, W will announce someone the winner of a new annual award to identify the next great fashion photographer. Six contenders (and photogs to watch): Eric Madigan Heck, Boo George, Kacper Kasprzyk, Karim Sadli, Zoe Ghertner, and Benjamin Lennox are featured here.

• Diane Von Furstenberg on the ’70s: “It was between the pill and AIDS, and everyone enjoyed an amazing amount of freedom and exploration in so many ways–artistically, emotionally.”

• For those of us closer to the Elisabeth Von Thurn und Taxis generation than the Gloria Von Thurn und Taxis one, let this feature on the ’80s icon inform you of some of her shenanigans. Examples include going on tour with Prince, owning 27 cars, announcing on German television that Africa’s AIDS epidemic stemmed from the fact that “blacks like to copulate,” and spending millions on birthday parties, like a three-day celebration for her husband featuring a cake decorated with 60 Marzipan penises. Poppers were handed out as favors. She’s since mellowed.

• Is Brian Atwood starting a men’s line? “I’m working on a men’s collection. I only have two pairs of shoes, and it would be nice to have some more.”

• Christian Louboutin used to be an actor: “Funnily enough, I acted in several films in my 20s. Indie, experimental, gay liberation…I hated it.”

• In Gio’s Journal, we see Giovanna Battaglia travel to the most glamorous corners of the world, drink vodka-infused tea and wear a bikini made out of crochet kitchen mitts.

• Did you know there are these things called “extra men” or “walkers,” who are usually gay and accompany fashionable society women to events? Often, they were journalists, photographers or fashion designers. And today? “Prabal Gurung walks Elettra Wiedmann, Jason Wu walks Olivia Chantecaille, and the Proenza Scouler boys walk the Traina girls.” Interesting.

• Inspired by this past season’s many fashion week feuds, W chronicles the many fashion scandals of its 40 year history, like Jackie O selling her designer duds on consignment and Suzy Menkes getting hit in the head with a piece of falling ceiling at a 1991 Michael Kors show.

• There are some behind the scenes shots from Nicole Kidman’s and Zac Efron’s forthcoming flick The Paperboy. Efron looks very manly.

• Anna Piaggi’s final magazine shoot: The late style icon appears on the first page of a portfolio called “The Originals.” She was photographed for it by Tim Walker one month before she passed away. She wears all her own clothing and her signature colorful hair and makeup. Also in this portfolio: Lynn Yaeger, Michelle Harper, Amanda and Tallula Harlech, the Brant Brothers, Lady Birgit Lee, Anna Dello Russo, Vika Gasinskaya, Annabelle Neilson and Catherine Baba.