John Varvatos has selected ZZ Top to be the poster boy of his new fall/winter collection for 2009. The campaign’s photography is done by none other than Danny Clinch, a regular cohort with John Varvatos. The campaign was shot in LA’s Natural History Museum.”There’s some magical mystery, between looking good, going fast and playing loud.” ZZ Top’s frontman Billy Gibbons couldn’t have put it any simpler. You’d think they’d be in Texas. Nevertheless, every girl’s crazy ’bout a sharp dressed man.

pic and info: John Varvatos

In the pic: The Easy Rider motorbike was nothing more than a prop for Chanel’s 2010 pre-spring photoshoot. The bike was inspired by the wheels Marlon Brando rode in The Wild One. The bike will not be brought into commercial production. Somehow, I’m not surprised. It seems quite masculin for Chanel’s broad clientele. BTW: I saw the Chanel flick last night. It was an entertaining bio with the spirit of the age well documented; Coco, a product of her time. Question: with all the stuff Lagerfeld is producing under the Chanel brand (concept cars, coins, films, segways), what time is he a product of? Saddled on the bike: Lara Stone. Looking on we have Karl Lagerfeld, and Italian model Baptiste Giacobini.

Pic after the jump.

YSL creative director Stefano Pilati again presented his men’s collection with a short film, this one shot by French actor/writer/director Samuel Benchetrit and starring Benchetrit’s 11-year-old son, Jules. Jules, who portrays a young 21 Jump Streetesque Johnny Depp finds a key to a room at the Bristol Hotel on the sidewalk, who then enters its corresponding suite. Surprising, he’s in no rush to leave, or ransack the venue. In the process of modeling the clothing of the vacant suite’s tennant (as well as delving through his other personal belongings), he also casually performs the iconic Taxidriver scene in front of the washroom mirror. Our pre-pubescent hero is so cool knowing how to manipulate an iPod, or the ability to absorb the lux-ambience around him that he has to portray a cultured someone who’s at least 10 years older, or whatever fantasy-like reality, or rather persona we project into this character. Furthermore, the sound of opera can and will inspire anyone. Even an 11 year old child who reads and recites a passage from Musset’s Confession of a Child of the Century. Yes, there is a latent and overlapping love story told in the plot’s related imagery. And yes, after seeing the film we now know what era, emotions, culture and philosophy had inspired the new collection’s appeal. It’s a stimulating flick. Tim Blank’s review of the collection here.

Franz Ferdinand is wearing John Varvatos’ threads for SS09. Frontman Alex Kapranos, realizes the photo shoot surrounded by classic Americana in Manhattan scenery.  The retro 1940/70’s inspired campaign was photographed by Danny Clinch.

Video after the jump.

Gareth Pugh’s AW08 collection is realized through Nick Knight’s photography. Knight’s collaborations are the following: Yohji Yamamoto, John Galliano, Alexander McQueen. Ad campaigns: Christian Dior, Lancôme, Swarovski, Levi Strauss, Calvin Klein, Yves Saint Laurent. Glossy editorials: W, British Vogue, Paris Vogue, Dazed & Confused, Another, Another Man, i-D.

For a limited time, until December 7th, his iconic imagery for Insensate will be available as a download in a  1.2m x 1.2m sized poster.

More pics and link after the jump.