Vogue Paris Celebrates 90 Years with a Bal Masque

Marking the magazine’s 90th anniversary, the highly anticipated Vogue Paris October 2010 issue was released yesterday just in time for the launch of Paris Fashion Week. A haunting Lara Stone graces the cover wearing only lacy black gloves, a black Victorian choker, and a lacy black mask shielding her eyes, suggesting that the celebration inside will be anything but tame. This first glimpse sets the tone for the following 624 pages, which include over 100 pages of personal letters written by designers and houses in honor of the magazine’s anniversary.

The highlight, though, is “Bal Masque.” Captured by photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott and styled by Editor-in-Chief Carine Roitfeld, the provocative masquerade editorial features Vogue Paris favorites Lara Stone, Crystal Renn, Freja Beha Erichson, and Maricarla Boscono alongside Daphne Groeneveld, in her VP debut, and the very fit Italian ballet dancer Roberto Bolle. Breathtaking pieces by Givenchy, Maison Martin Margiela, Philip Treacy, Altuzarra, Lanvin, Comme des Garcons, and YSL are only accentuated by the dramatic black and white imagery, and the gothic spread is a fitting testament to the creative vision cultivated by Vogue Paris over the past ninety years.

Certainly, with the Vogue Paris 90th Anniversary Costume Ball approaching, it will be intriguing to see the artistic vision portrayed on page brought to life.