May I see some i-D?

So, Congratulations to Chanel Iman(shot by Kayt Jones) for snagging the May cover of i-D Magazine; this is yet another sign that Ms. Iman has career longevity and versatility ahead of her (if we needed another one!). i-D has been a constant source of creative inspiration for me for years now, although I am finding more and more lately that all my long-time holy grails have been looking duller than I remember. I haven’t picked up the full May 2009 issue yet, but here’s an editorial preview (in case you, too, require a preview before shelling out $10 for a fashion mag)…

…I really didn’t want to be the one to bring it up, but this cover look (Above) does nothing for me. I think the steely, sparkly eye and glossy brick lip look heavy on a young face.

(Above Left) There’s some real ingenuity in this Alana Zimmer editorial, shot by Vanina Sorrenti, in which multiple images are layered per page in a disorienting, ethereal collage. (Above Right) Anna Selezneva, shot here by Richard Bush, has a strong, at times masculine look which acts as a contrast with the kimonos/kimono-inspired clothes here.

(Above Left) I want to see the rest of this edit with Natasa Vojnovic by David Hughes; I first remember seeing her in the F/W 2003 Valentino campaign and wondering if she was a transvestite (it was just those shots in particular! I will try to find them large enough to post). (Above Right) Paul Wetherell’s pics of Marina Peres are classic stark/brooding. Groundbreaking? No. Pretty? Of course.

(Above) In my opinion, the real outlier in the May issue is Catherine McNeil shot by David Benjamin Sherry. I couldn’t do the whole ten-picture spread justice in one photo, so I just picked this one for the funny paper eyes…but it’s really quite a beautiful and serious editorial.

The issue also contains a great interview with Emma Balfour (with a few snaps by Will Davidson), as well as the innumerable treasures i-D provides that random scans will never do justice.

So…are you going to pick this one up? What do you think? Any long-time i-D readers want to weigh in on past issues (2-3+ years ago) versus those more recent?

(Images: FashinKid90, Luxx, and Northern Star via thefashionspot)