Happy Winter!

Photography by Robert Erdmann, fashion editor Katie Felstead, hair

Lyndell Mansfield, make-up Kirsten Piggott, model Kaja @ Profile London

Kia ora. The first day of winter proper has arrived in Auckland today, it's nice to get the woolies out. We've been having a little down time but we're back now and working on Issue 13. Like every issue we hope to make it the best yet, and thirteen is an interesting number that is conjoined with the colour black. There will be new editorial directions and we're also planning to change the way we publish Blacklog. We're going to return to the core reason we started the blog; to post stories about fashion, art, music that we like and to provide

some sort of visual diary behind the scenes at Black Magazine. Thus we are going to move to a weekly journal style main post interspersed with posts that are more in the moment, or on the day. Thanks to all of our contributors on Issue 12, here's a selection of spreads from the issue, with credits.

Photography by Michael Schwartz, fashion editor Tasha Cain,

hair Martin Christopher Harper, make-up Caroline Deli-Tesch,

model Sharon van der Pas @ IMG NYC

Photography by Robert Erdmann, fashion editor Kimi O'Neill,

hair Kerry Warn, make-up Kirsten Piggott, model Ellie Goulding

Photography by Craig Owen, fashion editor Rachael Churchward,

hair & make-up Amber D, model Alex @ 62 Models

Photography by Michael Schwartz, fashion editor Elizabeth Sulcer, hair

Tuan Anh Tran, make-up Valery Gherman, model Alana Zimmer @ Ford NYC

Photography by Stephen Tilley, fashion editor Rachael Churchward,

hair & grooming by Stefan Knight, model Josh @ August Models

Photography by Russ Flatt, fashion editor Rachael Churchward,

hair Greg Murrell, make-up Margo Regan, model David @ 62 Models

Photography by Rupert Tapper, fashion editor Paul Bui, hair Jenny Kim,

make-up Diane Dusting, model Annabella Barber @ Priscillas

Photography by Marissa Findlay, fashion editor Rachael Churchward,

hair & make-up Shirley Simpson, model Olga @ 62 Models

Black 12 Covers

Gidday cobbers, had a slight technical glitch between camera and comp today but have it sorted so will post some more RAFW malarkey later tonight. We loved Stolen's last night...off to Friedrich Gray shortly.

In the meantime, here are the two Black 12 covers promised a few days back....

Black 12 - Paul Empson shoots Masha Novoselova in Paris

Can't wait to catch up with Paul Empson this week. Here, he shoots Masha Novoselova, styling by the inimitable June Nakamoto, hair by Romina Maneti, make-up by Tina Roivainen.

Black 12 - Michael Schwartz shoots Alana in New York

Here's our cover girl Alana Zimmer shot by Michael Schwartz, styled by Elizabeth Sulcer, make-up by Valery Gherman and hair by Tuan Anh Tran.

Black 12 - Michael Schwartz shoots Sharon in L.A

Well we're happy to say that Black 12 is now at the premises of our esteemed printer McCollams in Auckland's Mairangi Bay. It's nice to smell the ink again. Sorry we haven't blogged a lot lately, we simply haven't had the time. The mag will be on sale around Auckland next weekend and nationwide the following Monday. Next week, we are going to Rosemount Australian Fashion Week as guests of Mac Cosmetics. There are some great designers showing over the ditch so we'll blog as often as possible. In the meantime, here's a few spreads from the issue, we'll post a cover on the weekend.

This image is from a spread by New York photographer Michael Schwartz. Shot in L.A, in a park at night with model Sharon Van der Pas. It features styling by Tasha Cain, hair by Martin-Christopher Harper and make-up by Carolina Deli-Tesch.

Black 12 - Russ Flatt and Rachael Churchward 20 pager

We go to print next week with Black 12, and we're quietly excited about it. It's a solid issue with a certain amount of fierceness in the fashion, H&M and modelling and in many places is bravely, proudly, black & white. Not this shoot though, the biggest we have yet run in Black at 20 pages and a sunburst of colour all round. Photographer Russ Flatt, Black fashion director Rachael Churchward, hair editor Greg Murrell and make-up artist Margo Regan shot a selection of New Zealand's newest, freshest models over three days in Auckland's Waitakere region. The beautiful youth of Aotearoa... We will pop up a cover and a couple of other images next week.

Black 12 - Michael Schwartz to shoot Alana Zimmer for Black 12 cover

This weekend in New York, incumbent Black cover snapper Michael Schwartz is at it again with New York editor and make-up artist Valery Gherman and stylist Elizabeth Sulcer to shoot Alana Zimmer for the cover of Black 12. The Ontario, Canada native is something of a runway stalwart and has covers and editorials for the likes of V Magazine, Numero, Italian Vogue, 25 Cent, Numero Korea and French while her most recent campaign was Sonia Rykiel SS10. We love her strong, yet beguiling classical beauty. The crew will also shoot an editorial of Alana for our fashion section.

Black 12 - Rupert Tapper shoots Annabella

You've seen her on one of the lovely new covers for No 9, and you'll see her in Black 12 and a host of other magazines in the months to come because ex-pat New Zealander Anabella Barber is, in model agency parlance, "hot!" Sydney-based photographer Rupert Tapper and Black's contributing Australian fashion editor Paul Bui have teamed up with hair wizard Jenny Kim and make-up artist Diana Dusting to capture the moods of Anabella, undoubtedly one to watch.

Black 12; On set Beautiful Youth Day 3

Greg finals on Tas wearing Stolen Girlfriends Club and Cybele

Sakura standing by wearing Cybele

Emiliene hair finals, wearing Stolen Girlfriends Club

Ariel wearing Glassons beret, Juliette Hogan

Above: Greg and Jannine at work with Mary wearing Alice Howard.

Below: Black Fashion Director Rachael Churchward

having a thoughtful moment.

Russ Flatt shooting at Kakamatua

Same crew; photographer Russ Flatt, fashion editor Rachael Churchward, hair editor Greg Murrell and make-up artist Margo Regan, different location and models. Kakamatua is a pretty Pohutakawa-laden harbour bay just short of Huia on Auckland's Manukau Harbour where the tide goes out a long way, and comes in very fast. It's also a handy 20 minute walk to our chosen location from the carpark so Greg Murrell and myself now have extra long gorilla arms from carrying flash unit batteries, but it was well worth the walk. Jannine @ Ryder was hair assistant. Models today were Tas and Ariel @ August, Sakura @ 62 Models and Mary and Emiliene @ Visage.

Black 12: On set - Beautiful Youth Day 1

Rebekah & Rhianon @ August and Becky @ Vanity Walk

wearing Cerys Dallaway dresses and Karen Walker hats

Greg Murrell's finishing touches on Rebekah's hair

Margo Regan applies the brush to Rhianon

Margo draws a lip line on Becky

The trusty KW Resene Burnished Orange-painted

Converse with tights by Federation

Russ shooting Rhianon wearing Cerys Dallaway

Yesterday we shot the first day of our extended Russ Flatt/Rachael Churchward collaboration this issue: Beautiful Youth. Here's a few pics of the day although I missed the first flight of shooting as I was in town picking up the Habitual Fix for lunch but managed to capture some images of this, the second story of the day. Greg Murrell on hair, Margo Regan, make-up and Maxy assisted photographically. Models for the day were: Rhianon, Tyla and Rebekah @ August Models, Hannah @ 62 Models, Becky @ Vanity Walk and Chanelle and Alice @ Visage. Day two today, so will post some images later...

Sneaky Squizz - Black 12 - 1

Robert Erdmann is no stranger to shooting stars. Nor is Australian hair master Kerry Warn who was name-checked in the last issue of Black by Sam McKnight as a hair-dressing legend that had helped to create a path for sessions stylists world-wide. So when the pair got together with stylist Kimi O'Neill (Paloma Faith, Issue 11) and make-up artist Georgina Graham to shoot rising British pop star Ellie Goulding (above), the sparks flew on a shoot that looks so perfectly then, as now...

Ellie Ellie!

Ellie Goulding is being touted as "the one to watch" in British music this year. At the beginning of January she topped the BBC's Sound Of 2010 influential annual music list; previously topped by Florence and the Machine, La Roux, Duffy and the Ting Tings among others. She works closely with producer du jour Starsmith and you may know her angelic vocals from Passion Pit's Sleepyhead, also remixed by Starsmith. Tonight in London Robert Erdmann will once again team with super stylist Kimi O'Neill to shoot Ellie for issue 12 of Black. The shoot and interview will appear in a feature that includes Daisy Coburn of Daisy Dares You - another on the BBC's list for 2010.

Daisy A Day

Anna Wintour decided some time ago that the future for Vogue was in the marrying of traditional fashion publishing ethos with the ever-encroaching commercial colossus of celebrity culture. Stars were in. Stars on the cover for Anna. Here at Black we're probably more interested in musicians - and the place where fashion and music meet, than celebrities per se - so we are looking to build on the Paloma Faith shoot by Robert Erdmann, Kimi O'Neill et al last issue of Black by featuring rising stars in a fashion shoot commissioned by Black on an ongoing basis. Robert is on his way to shoot Daisy Coburn aka Daisy Dares You (above) for Black Issue 12 in London this weekend. She's been ear-marked by the BBC as a rising star for 2010 and if the styling in her video (below) is anything to go by she's a consummate pop star and a stylish girl. Stylist Zoe James will once again work with Robert on the weekend.

Black 12: Masha and more

Issue 12 of Black Magazine is well under way with a number of shoots in production or completed and the editorial template well advanced. In Sydney, two of Australia's finest fashion stylists, David Bonney and Paul Bui will each be contributing to Black for the first time. In London Robert Erdmann has completed his first shoot for 12, this one a cutting-edge beauty shoot with Katie Felstead, Kirsten Piggott and Lyndall Mansfield. In Paris Paul Empson, June Nakamoto and crew have just shot Masha Novoselova (above) for Issue 12. Masha appeared in a single shot in Black 9 as a model in Karen Walker's New York Fashion Week show of that season. She is well established, is known for her "lips and body" and in recent times has amassed a plethora of commercial editorial and campaigns but she was perfectly in synch with Paul's requirement for this editorial. Paul casually described the shoot as "off the hook" and given the quality of our Paris team's past three shoots that's saying something...