why is lydia hearst smiling?

I got the chance to interview Lydia Hearst today. 

It's one of things I enjoy most about working on Genlux. Everyone has a story and it's fun to dig into our cover girl's lives to find out about them. You know, their fears, happy moments, passions, charities, who they're dating (the subject they universally avoid), favorite pizza toppings. Important stuff. 

Lydia's story is pretty deep. Beginning with parents who united through the unfortunate circumstances of a kidnapping, murder, trial, conviction, prison and more. That scene was in 1974, when her mother, Patricia (Patty) Hearst, was held captive by the Symbionese Liberation Army. Initially fueled by Patricia's lineage into the Hearst family fortune, things went awry.

Patty's bodyguard was Bernard Shaw, who she went on to marry. Nobody thought it would last, including her own parents, who, call it spite, gave them a vacuum cleaner for a wedding present. The marriage lasted 34-years, until this past December with the passing of Bernard Shaw. 

Lydia Hearst at the On Rodeo Bistro at the Luxe Hotel Rodeo Drive wearing fashion from Revolve. She's happy and in love with one Kevin Connolly—the man who gave her that Bvlgari bracelet for their one year anniversary. Ring to follow? She wouldn't even tell me what she got him. Can you imagine? A Bentley maybe?  

Fast forward through Lydia's entire life to today and she's upbeat, happy and in love. She found her new love by friending him on Facebook. He sent a message. They met. And the two have been inseparable ever since. If all of life could be so easy.

The boy in her life is Kevin Connolly, better known as "E" from the hit television show Entourage. It was refreshing to hear her talk openly about her love for the guy. I couldn't place him at first but I went online to find his photo. He's the agent that's friends with the boys in the show. Not the older one with the raspy voice who swears all the time. "E" is the one who looks like he just got his driver's license. I was shocked to learn on Wikipedia that he's actually 40. 

Her new show is The Face and its episode airs this week. If it gets picked up, she heads back to New York. When I ask about Naomi Campbell: The Diva. She's quick to defend her colleague, saying, she's a workaholic, hard-working, determined woman. Oh, please. Naomi Campbell and no drama? Clearly they're not understanding the four pillars of good reality tv: drama, fighting, stupidity, and, um, what was the other?

Lydia talked a lot about her charity, Operation Smile. She's been on missions to Cairo and elsewhere around the world, and, If it wasn't for fashion or entertainment, Lydia swears it's life-changing and where she'd spend her time. 

Getting ready for our event next Monday at the Luxe Hotel on Sunset Blvd. It's a bridal affair we're teaming up with wedding expert-extraordinaire Renée Strauss. She's amazing. 

san francisco's elegance at the ferragamo gala

Since we are unsuccessful at having a fashion week in LA, much less, a pro football team. (Fine, since I love my San Francisco 49ers). How about we move New York Fashion Week to San Francisco? Such an elegant and beautiful city full of exquisite, sophisticated women like Vanessa Getty, Katie Traina, and Lauren Remington Platt. On Saturday, Salvatore Ferragamo hosted a gala to benefit the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco at the iconic Legion of Honor. It brought out some of the city's finest. Three of the attendees were Genlux cover girls. Can you pick them?

Samantha Getty at the Salvatore Ferragamo 2014 Mid-Winter gala to benefit the Fine Arts Museums, San Francisco 

Colin Bailey, Marissa Mayer attend the Salvatore Ferragamo 2014 Mid-Winter gala to benefit the Fine Arts Museums, San Francisco 

Dita Von Teese attends the Salvatore Ferragamo 2014 Mid-Winter gala to benefit the Fine Arts Museums, San Francisco

Lauren Remington Platt attends the Salvatore Ferragamo 2014 Mid-Winter gala to benefit the Fine Arts Museums, San Francisco, wearing Salvatore Ferragamo.

Dylan Penn arrives at the Salvatore Ferragamo 2014 Mid-Winter gala to benefit the Fine Arts Museums, San Francisco, wearing Salvatore Ferragamo

Camila Belle arrives at the Salvatore Ferragamo 2014 Mid-Winter gala to benefit the Fine Arts Museums, San Francisco wearing Salvatore Ferragamo

Leigh Lezark arrives at the Salvatore Ferragamo 2014 Mid-Winter gala to benefit the Fine Arts Museums, San Francisco, wearing Salvatore Ferragamo

Kelly Sawyer arrives at the Salvatore Ferragamo 2014 Mid-Winter gala to benefit the Fine Arts Museums, San Francisco

Connie Nielsen arrives at the Salvatore Ferragamo 2014 Mid-Winter gala to benefit the Fine Arts Museums, San Francisco, wearing Salvatore Ferragamo

Lauren Remington Platt at the Salvatore Ferragamo 2014 Mid-Winter gala to benefit the Fine Arts Museums, San Francisco wearing Salvatore Ferragamo

Jessica Hart at the Salvatore Ferragamo 2014 Mid-Winter gala to benefit the Fine Arts Museums, San Francisco wearing Salvatore Ferragamo

Derek Blasberg, Devon Aoki, Kelly Sawyer Jessica Hart at the Salvatore Ferragamo 2014 Mid-Winter gala to benefit the Fine Arts Museums, San Francisco

Marissa Mayer at the Salvatore Ferragamo 2014 Mid-Winter gala to benefit the Fine Arts Museums, San Francisco

Katie Traina at the Salvatore Ferragamo 2014 Mid-Winter gala to benefit the Fine Arts Museums, San Francisco

Vandy Boudreau at the Salvatore Ferragamo 2014 Mid-Winter gala to benefit the Fine Arts Museums, San Francisco wearing Salvatore Ferragamo

Dylan Penn at the Salvatore Ferragamo 2014 Mid-Winter gala to benefit the Fine Arts Museums, San Francisco, wearing Salvatore Ferragamo

Connie Nielsen at the Salvatore Ferragamo 2014 Mid-Winter gala to benefit the Fine Arts Museums, San Francisco, wearing Salvatore Ferragamo

Carolyn Chang at the Salvatore Ferragamo 2014 Mid-Winter gala to benefit the Fine Arts Museums, San Francisco

Dylan Penn at the Salvatore Ferragamo 2014 Mid-Winter gala to benefit the Fine Arts Museums, San Francisco, wearing Salvatore Ferragamo

Carol Bonnie at the Salvatore Ferragamo 2014 Mid-Winter gala to benefit the Fine Arts Museums, San Francisco, wearing Salvatore Ferragamo

Christina Getty  at the Salvatore Ferragamo 2014 Mid-Winter gala to benefit the Fine Arts Museums, San Francisco, wearing Salvatore Ferragamo

Liz Goldwyn at the Salvatore Ferragamo 2014 Mid-Winter gala to benefit the Fine Arts Museums, San Francisco, wearing Salvatore Ferragamo

Trevor Traina, and Vanessa Getty at the Salvatore Ferragamo 2014 Mid-Winter gala to benefit the Fine Arts Museums, San Francisco

Trevor and Alexis Traina arriva at the Salvatore Ferragamo 2014 Mid-Winter gala to benefit the Fine Arts Museums, San Francisco, wearing Salvatore Ferragamo

Christina Getty, (wearing Salvatore Ferragamo)), Vanessa Getty, Balthazar Getty at the Salvatore Ferragamo 2014 Mid-Winter gala to benefit the Fine Arts Museums, San Francisco, wearing Salvatore Ferragamo

okay, which lydia hearst cover you like? version a or b?

I promised I'd share our new cover with you, so here's a sneak peek at Lydia Hearst on our Genlux Spring/Summer 2014 issue.

The photo was taken by Tracey Morris who at this point must hold the record for the most editorials shot for Genlux. She always comes through and has a great team behind her. Camille Clark did the makeup on this one, and, of course, Robert Steinken, did the hair. As for Genlux covers, I think Marc Baptiste holds the record for the most of those.

All photographers have their strengths and weaknesses. For example, Tracey is crazy good at lighting and understanding the technical aspects of creating a perfectly lit photo. I marvel at watching her and Robert Morris light some of the shots. They'll sooner fly a 12-by silk scrim than sacrifice a great shot because of a harsh shadow. On the other hand, Baptiste is maybe half as good as Tracey at lighting but connects better with the models than any photographer on the planet. Then, there's photographer Erik Almas who's specialty may not be about connecting with the models, but knows how to create magic in post and always produces these award-winning, breathtaking photos. Some photographers are better at shooting beauty than fashion, and then, there are some shooters that shoot great fashion but can't shoot beauty. Most will tell you they shoot everything. 

The process of getting a great cover starts with shooting a lot of photos. The nuances from one image to another—that ultimately result in the difference between a good and a great shot—can be captured in those split seconds between the blinks of an eye. That's why you've got to shoot a ton of shots. And who cares? It's only digital. We're not shooting film here folks!

On average we take anywhere between one to two hundred shots of our cover look. From there we go into editing and pick out the top 20 or so. And then the top selects. After going back and forth for about a week poring over the final selects, it comes down to the image that gets the Genlux seal of approval, or, in this case, the UPC seal of commerce.  

There are so many things to consider when creating a cover. First is picking the best shot. The one that has the right emotion. The right lighting. The one that's compositionally strong. The one that showcases the best fashion. The one where our cover girl looks beautiful. The one that engages our reader. Then, I take that image and play with how I want to crop it. The questions become: Do I come in really tight on the face (the Genlux signature cover)? Or do I pull back to show more of the fashion? There have been only a few times that I've gone full length—they were three of my favorite girls: Paris Hilton, Lydia Hearst, and Dita Von Teese. These three covers were so strong as full length photographs, so I decided to break the Genlux mold. 

VERSION A: Here is our signature Genlux cover. Tight to the face. Graphically strong.

So for this cover, I thought I'd get your opinion. Which cropping you like better? I have my favorite, but I want to see what you guys say. When I asked for your opinion about the Katheryn Winnick cover, you really helped me make the right decision. So here are the two covers. One is tight—like we usually do our Genlux covers; and the second is pulled back slightly. Post on our Genlux facebook page. 

VERSION B: Here is a version that shows more fashion. And more or hairstylist Robert Steinken's amazing work. 

we find our modern-day c.z. guest. she's carla sands.

We've been fortunate to shoot in some pretty fancy homes for Genlux. 

Adrian Maloof was sweet enough to let me shoot Jennifer Love-Hewitt in her huge Beverly Park mansion. Right across the street from Adrian, we shot actress Moran Atias at Ken Todd and Lisa Vanderpump's gigantic house. We shot Mexico's ex-president Vicente Fox in Mohamed Hadid's palatial Nimes Road home, and Mohamed also let us shoot Katherine McPhee in his gorgeous super-modern home on Hillcrest, next door to Ringo Starr's house. We photographed Kathy Hilton in her beautiful estate on Copa de Oro. We've shot Barbara Davis at her mega-mansion. And Kathy Ireland in her rustic Santa Barbara digs. We shot Lisa Vanderpump in her new gorgeous home last year. We were lucky enough to shoot our editor, Laura Dunn, in her new home at the top of Coldwater just before construction began. I think she added 10,000 square-feet. (You know...20,000 just isn't enough). And then, just today, we're shooting the beautiful Carla Sands at her fabulous Bel-Air home.

Carla Sands in Oscar de la Renta couture gown. That's photographer Tracey Morris's hand holding the camera in the foreground. Carla is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. And she's rich...And funny. Sickening isn't it? 

As we drive up to the Sands' Bel-Air home, Robert Morris comments on how beautiful the big public park is on the right. Man, how great would it be to live in a city that builds these spectacular sculpture gardens with massive lawns and fountains. Oh, wait...that's not a park, that's the Sands' backyard. 

We drive up to find the home itself is about the size of a small hotel. We also find out it's only about ten years old. I say we revisit it in about 150 years when the stonework becomes a little aged, the ironwork spawns a little patina, and it begins to resemble the Italian villa that I imagine they built it to be. Right now you could drop your salami sandwich anywhere in that house, pick it up, eat it, and you'd be fine. 

Carla is a gem to work with. She's easy going. Humble and gorgeous. She's our modern-day C.Z. Guest. She's pretty production savvy too. She uses photography vernaculars like "shop" for photoshop, and then, when we needed some dramatic height under a long gown, she, herself, suggests using a "half apple" (a small apple box).  Who the heck knows the term half-apple except for us in-the-know-types. Geesh. 

I found a few gems wandering around the backyard. One was this tree. It looks to me like it was two trees that have been grafted together, and now, lovingly twisted into one. I know there's a metaphor in there somewhere.

Some things are just meant to be together. I'm sure these two are bound to be together for another hundred years. 

The other thing I find tucked in the corner of the yard is this gem. An adorable dollhouse. From what I've heard, the Sands won it at a charity event. I'm quite certain they bid a pretty penny for this. It's only about 56-square-feet, but every inch is spectacular. I think I'll come back again tomorrow and setup my office in here. No, I'm serious.

No, this isn't the Sands' house. This crazy beautiful dollhouse has a mini kitchen, fireplace, running water, and electricity. The cabinet work looks like it was made by a master craftsman and the tile work is amazing. I heard they couldn't decide on which one of the dollhouses to order, so naturally, they took both. Or was it three?

Can you believe the construction of this dollhouse. Beveled marble countertop. World-class cabinetry. Leaded glass windows—round nonetheless. Look at the round doorway leading to the mini kitchen. And the tile flooring! Shut up! I guess one thing's for certain—it ain't bad to be the daughter of Fred and Carla Sands.