There’s something so empowering, so refreshing and so compelling about an editorial that chooses to highlight femininity by merely focusing on the ethereal and the lady-like of elements that it instantly gains a dreamlike quality. No more reading between the lines, no need of antagonistic juxtapositions, as delicacy, warmth and lightness work in further carrying a message that once got lost in translation. Joanna Kustra…

Who was the song Umbrella originally intended for? What happens when you retouch classical paintings to meet modern standards of beauty? Would you pay someone to kidnap you for fun? In case you happened to be wondering about any of the above questions, or even if you weren’t, the internet is here to answer them. Plus, places to go and things to see this weekend.…

Some shoots are about styling and creative concepts and storytelling; some are purely about the connection between photographer and model, artist and muse. With Treats! magazine being more inclined towards nudity than perhaps most magazines, those pure portraits are often the kind where the model is stripped bare to her most raw and sensual self. This shoot of model Cisco Tschurtschenthaler, by Treats! regular David…

An unusual take on the side part, and a welcome appearance of the much-adored ’60s mod bob. Two of the covers gracing Muse magazine’s winter 2012 issue.

Those who have never set foot inside Melbourne’s House of Maximon could find themselves dizzyinly disorientated by this shoot: it could just as easily be set in the neon-lit bowels of Tokyo, or of some unearthly underworld, as the gritty laneways of Melbourne. And it’s a perfect backdrop, for a shoot that dives headfirst into all things nocturnal and experimental, for a shoot that mixes…

The word flawless springs to mind upon seeing this cover for the first time. That’s courtesy of Arizona Muse’s unblemished skin, the slicked hair with not a strand out of place, and the sharpness of her dandy-ish androgynous outfit. Vogue Russia kept the background, thankfully, plain white, taking nothing away from Arizona’s boyish charm.

Aside from allaying any girl’s fear that an impressively worked-out body can’t also be distinctively feminine, Collier Schorr’s shoot of Candice Swanepoel offers up the most brilliant of 60s inspired hair and beauty inspiration. A softly waved faux-bob (you may need to go old fashioned with hot rollers for this one) and flicked out eyeliner turn Candice into far more of a vintage screen icon…

City streets and neon lights… The latest issue of FASHIONTREND Magazine hits shelves this Friday, and the city is its muse. The issue’s theme is Metropolis, and the cover story – beautifully photographed by Jo Duck – takes city outfits to city streets.

Named after Gertrude Stein and Alice Tolkas, Gertrude & Alice is a haven for book lovers and foodies alike. A relaxed hybrid of bookstore and cafe, it wins for its ambiance and creativity above all else. Read the full review after the break.

Celebrating 10 years of Alber Elbaz at Lanvin, and what makes the designer so successful – and likeable. One writer takes a look at body shapes through the decades, while another tries to pinpoint the problem with skinny models; and Charlotte Casiraghi makes the move into fashion. After the break are five reads worthy of your weekend.