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.
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.
Vogue Turkey, July 2011
Photographer: Sebastian Faena
Models: Dree Hemingway, Jon Kortajarena
Why we love it: A vivid, retro scrapbook of an insanely good-looking couple’s romantic island getaway—what’s not to love?
W, August 2011
Photographer: Tim Walker
Models: Tilda Swinton
Why we love it: Sure, we generally worship the ground that Tilda Swinton walks on, but this editorial is noteworthy because it takes her strange otherworldly presence to the next level.
Vogue Paris, February 2011
Photographer: Mario Sorrenti
Models: Daphne, Daria, Freja, Joan, Lara, Natasha, Sasha, Saskia
Why we love it: The saturated colors, super-sized props, the best of Spring 2011 ready-to-wear, and some really stellar casting. Plus, it was Carine’s last hurrah!
Vogue Italia, March 2011
Photographer: Steven Meisel
Models: Julia Saner, Milou van Groesen, Saskia de Brauw
Why we love it: Mixing ornate scenery with ultra-modern fashion, Vogue Italia creates a perfect mix of serious and fun. And there are pom-pom headpieces.
Vogue, May 2011
Photographer: Bruce Weber
Models: Natalia Vodianova
Why we love it: Natalia Vodianova has a pillow fight at Chateau Marmont with Chloë Moretz, Elle Fanning, and Hailee Steinfeld, and that’s only one of the photos.
Vogue, September 2011
Photographer: Alex Prager
Models: Anja Rubik
Why we love it: Photographer Alex Prager always creates a Hitchcockian mood of suspense, which is why this Vogue editorial featuring the blonde Anja Rubik is cinematic perfection.
Numéro #124
Photographer: Greg Kadel
Models: Daphne Groeneveld
Why we love it: The beauty looks, the accessories, the styling, the neon colors—each element is crazier than the next. This should definitely be a contender for the funkiest fashion editorial of all time.
T Magazine Travel, Fall 2011
Photographer: Angelo Pennetta
Models: Lara Stone
Why we love it: As if we didn’t love Lara enough, now we get to see where she and her impossibly perfect proportions came from! Her parents are adorable.
Self Service, Fall 2011
Photographer: Alasdair McLellan
Models: Arizona Muse, Daphne Groeneveld
Why we love it: Arizona and Daphne may have been among the most used models of 2011, but this editorial shows them in a new light – as the coolest mod-girls in the countryside.
Oyster, Fall 2011
Photographer: Will Davidson
Models: Lindsey Wixson
Why we love it: It’s always a delight to see Lindsey come alive when she gets back to her small-town roots.
LOVE, Fall 2011
Photographer: Boo George
Models: Alessandra Ambrosio, Hannah Noble, Kate King
Why we love it: In 2011, a lot of people attempted to master the masculine-meets-feminine look, but this is the closest it came to perfection.
Wonderland, December 2011
Photographer: Elena Rendina
Models: Charlotte Free
Why we love it: The mixed prints, the psychedelic backdrop, and the model’s signature pink hair work together in perfect harmony.
