Here’s more evidence that Tom Ford’s guest edited holiday issue of French Vogue lives up to all the hype: An eight-page spread of Crystal Renn as a Jocelyn Wildenstein-esque plastic surgery addict, shot by Tom Ford and styled by Carine Roitfeld.

We got word in advance that Ford would take on plastic surgery in his issue of French Vogue, but the resulting editorial, featuring the unstoppable Crystal Renn, is more dynamic (and at times grotesque) than we could have imagined.

Despite the fact that Renn is an amazing model whose star is on the rise, she’s outspoken about size in the fashion industry (having gone from a size zero when she was battling anorexia to plus size), and her size tends to make headlines over her modeling. Most recently, folks were buzzing about her latest editorial in Harper’s Bazaar, and wondering if she was still “plus size.” (She’s an 8, sometimes a 10, her agent told us). But this spread, titled “La Panthere Ose” (or, according to my rusty french, “The Panther Dares”–so perhaps panthers are cougars in France?), should put the focus squarely on Renn’s modeling ability and the story it tells about plastic surgery.

And if it looks like Renn has been enhanced in the editorial it’s because she has been. A cast was made of her face so she could be fitted with prosthetic cheeks and lips. While some models might cringe at having to alter their appearance a la Heidi Montag, Renn relished the gig.

“What I enjoy most about my job is the opportunity to express myself, often doing this by becoming a sort of character on the shoots that I do, and every time I work with Carine I feel the character approach is emphasized,” Renn told us. “When they were taking the cast of my face, fitting me for prosthetic cheeks and lips, I remember thinking this is why I do my job, for moments like this. After the shoot I took that very mask and asked Tom to sign it, it sits in my living room as we speak.”

Not a bad souvenir.

Check out the full spread. It’s amazing.

Read more →