Did IMG Buy Their Way Into W’s June Issue?

by Megan Baldwin | 12:34 pm, May 19th, 2010

UPDATE: CondeNast has asked that we remove the photos from this post, which we have done. Right now, they’re still up at Models.com, so check them out there.

EARLIER: You know what they say, one person’s financial misfortune and editorial shake-up is another’s advertising opportunity. And when we spied an early taste of W‘s IMG model-heavy June issue, we couldn’t help but think some behind the scenes maneuvering hath given birth to a peach backdrop and a very deliberate casting job.

Of course, it’s no secret that the Conde Nast title has been in deep for some time (read: it’s a sinking ship) and is in the midst of a serious transition — so perhaps it was just easier to hand the reigns over to the experts at IMG (no stranger to shake-ups in their own right), keep the styling minimal and have photographer Craig McDean take care of the rest. Because come on, you can’t really go wrong with Erin, Liya, Karolina and Co. decked out from head-to-feathered toe in all manner of fall’s plumage.

But for a magazine that has previously been known for its edgy styling and high fashion bend, this seems a little too peachy-perfect. Almost Vogue-like. Actually, it seems to us like IMG really made use of the photo-op, tapping no less than 14 of their top girls for some face time right before the lead up to the Fall 2010 campaign casting season. Nothing like planting a seed, right?

Via Models.com

Craig Dean IMG IMG models Stefano Tonchi stefano tonchi w magazine W June issue W Magazine w magazine img models