It happens every year: Our ever-growing pile of fashion magazines inches higher with each passing month, and by the time December rolls around, we can barely sift through the hundreds of stylish images we bookmarked for inspiration. 2011 was no exception, and in a year that celebrated retro supermodels, androgyny, vivid colors, and plenty of experimentation in the beauty department, choosing our favorites was particularly difficult. The best editorials of the year ran the gamut from huge ensemble casts of blue-chip models styled by greats like Katie Grand and Carine Roitfeld, to intimate, one-on-one portraits of our favorite girls like Lindsey Wixson and Daria Werbowy. The acid brights that dominated the spring collections allowed for some pretty trippy trend stories last season, but the fall glossies featured much moodier imagery, with a number of gorgeous spreads in black and white. Here are the editorials from 2011 that will stay tacked up on our walls and fill our inspiration boards well into the new year—and beyond.

• By Alyssa Vingan Klein
  Dec 21, 2011

When Anna Wintour referred to relatively little-known model Arizona Muse in her last February's editor's letter as a "gorgeous, smart, grown-up" and compared her to the likes of modeling giants Linda Evangelista and Natalia Vodianova, we knew the modeling world was in for something big. It's been quite the landmark year for Muse. Top campaigns, extensive runway presence, big covers, and now another feather in her cap -- the number one model in Vogue. Hundreds of models are cast every year in the pages of international editions of Vogue, and when we tallied the results of their work it quickly became obvious who came out on top in 2011. Quantity and quality must be accounted for to make the top 10. Not only must a models' appearances be plentiful, but the quality of those appearances must be stellar as well. This includes factors like only-girl editorials, the caliber of photographers they work with and editions they're in, and their number of overall pages. Arizona's scoresheet was predictably well-rounded. She worked with the best photographers, scored the most solo editorials and graced enough pages to fill an entire August issue all on her own (that's about 220 for those of you keeping track). She started the year with a bang by starring in only-girl editorials for Vogue China, Italia, Paris, UK and US, and that was in just one month! It's an unusual feat for a model to skyrocket to the extent Arizona has since she hit the international scene last year, and while we're thrilled for her success, we wonder if it'll stick. While Muse has the novelty (and sometimes the curse) of it-girl status, it remains to be seen whether she'll be blessed with longevity, the true mark of a great and successful model. We are looking forward to what the new year will bring for her. For now, click through for the rest of the top 10.

• By Dana Kruspe
  Dec 19, 2011

H&M's holiday campaign features Stella Tennant and her daughters Cecily and Jasmine, nine and seven. They're meant to embody the "spirit of togetherness" theme that H&M is pushing for the quickly-approaching holiday season. Of course, it's not the first time model mothers and their kids have worked together in campaigns and editorials. So we decided to round up some of our favorite mother-daughter moments. One of them may surprise you.

• By Leah Chernikoff
  Nov 22, 2010

Most people are content to go to Fashion Week and merely see the clothes. Not so these fashion A-listers. From Anna Dello Russo's crazy swan hat to Anna Wintour's pretty Prada skirt, this week saw models, editors and a socialite or two wearing Spring 2012 looks that had walked the runway mere days (or hours) beforehand. It's true critical reviews can make or break a collection--but so can one well-placed garment on an It Girl or fashion industry superstar. So it's worth noting that Anna Wintour wore a Prada skirt (and that the Spring 2012 collection will no doubt be popping up sometime soon in Vogue)--or that despite getting generally slammed by critics, Dw by Kanye West seems to already have a few big-name fashion fans. Another name to jot down: Anthony Vaccarello, whose designs were favored by many an It girl and model. Vaccarello also won the ANDAM Fashion Award in July--but these recent endorsements have no doubt solidified him as a rising star in the industry. Check out our favorite straight-off-the-runway looks as seen on many fashion notables. While the ladies certainly all look good, we shudder to think what this means for the already crazy pace of fashion design and production.

• By Hayley Phelan
  Oct 6, 2011