Olivier Zahm christened "Smegmacula" by Vanity Fair

purple diary

Long time no Olivier Zahm update. Zahm, the editor of French T&A art magazine PURPLE FASHION magazine has been a regular on this blog, notorious not only for his resemblance to the late Australian lothario Michael Hutchence, but his propensity to post nude photos of himself and endless raunchy - some have suggested exploitative - images of women, interspersed with pics of his primary school age daughter Asia. Well someone has just accorded Zahm an extremely colourful moniker, but it’s not an anonymous hater on an under-the-radar web forum. Contributing editor of Vanity Fair, George Wayne has worked for the high profile US magazine for almost twenty years as, according to his bio notes, "the magazine’s intrepid Q&A correspondent and distinguished cultural arbiter, conducting his trademark, candid interviews with scores of subjects, from actors to politicians, to fellow journalists”. Here is what Wayne had to say about Zahm on the VF Daily blog on the Vanity Fair website on Thursday. Talk about candid:

“There is this smelly-looking Frenchman who swanned onto our social scene a few seasons ago who clearly fancies himself as the cat’s pajamas. He created and currently edits one of those edgy fashion magazines with an astute following. “Smegmacula,” as the G-Spot will refer to him henceforth (think “Smegma” meets “Dracula”), considers himself the hipster-louche playmaker of the Gotham demimonde. When G.W. spots the ubiquitous night crawler out and about, orchestrating a moment inside the scene’s chicest bon-chic-bon genre, one cannot help but wax poetic: “Oh, there’s Smegmacula. Wow—that purple crown of his must be ripe and florid right about now.”

purple diary

Wayne also recently distinguished himself by swallowing a Swarovski crystal during an episode of Kell on Earth, the new reality series of New York fashion publicist Kelly Cutrone.

Perhaps he’s still suffering the aftereffects.

Or perhaps Vanity Fair parent Condé Nast is simply feeling the indie heat in the midst of the media bloodbath.

Where's Abbey Lee? Full frontal and dogging for Terry

purple via modelcouture

We recently talked about the upcoming Fall/Winter 2009 edition of PURPLE FASHION magazine, for which Abbey Lee Kershaw posed nude alongside Magdalena Frackowiak and Eniko Mihalik for photographer Terry Richardson. Editor Olivier Zahm, who has a reputation that is almost as sleazy as Richardson’s, took a sneaky behind-the-scenes studio shot of the girls mid-pose, revealing the cleft of Kershaw’s buttocks. Well Zahm’s sneaky studio shot pales into insignificance when compared with the complete editorial which has now hit the stands. In it, Kershaw is pictured flashing her breasts, pashing mate Catherine McNeil’s former gf Freja Beha Erichsen and simulating 'doggie-style' with Frackowiak. And in one full frontal shot that is more in the line of Penthouse than your average prestige fashion editorial, readers get a very clear look at Kershaw’s genitalia.Warning: NSFW

After PURPLE’s “beauty shoot” video (below) that recently did the rounds with topless Suvi Koponen and Hanne Gaby Odiele engaged in a mock sado maso tryst, complete with harnesses and restraints, you have to wonder has fashion modelling morphed into the new porn - just with better-looking actors? And does that make model agents the new pimps?

In notes accompanying the editorial, Zahm admits that permission was not sought from the respective agencies to shoot the models nude and that he and Richardson "secretly" planned to recreate Helmut Newton's nudes in the editorial.


UPDATE 07/09. Here is an official statement from Kershaw's Sydney-based mother agency, Chic Management:

"CHIC represents many international models and respects the decisions these models make with regards to the campaigns and editorials they undertake in overseas markets. This editorial was booked out of NEXT Management".

purple via modelcouture

Click on the following image to see precisely what the magazine's readers are seeing. Kershaw is on the right-hand side:


purple via the fashion spot

Beauty shoot by Paola Kudacki from Purple Magazine on Vimeo.

Abbey Lee Kershaw disrobes again....for PURPLE

purple diary


Last week frockwriter presented a preview of Abbey Lee Kershaw, together with Catherine McNeil, in a 30-page Greg Kadel shoot for Vogue Australia’s September 2009 edition (and we've lost count of the number of blogs that picked up those shots). Much was made of the fact that Vogue Photoshopped out Kershaw’s and McNeil’s nipple rings from one of Kadel’s semi nude shots, while Kershaw’s body jewellery was left intact in at least one other shot in the spread. Well here is a preview, courtesy Olivier Zahm, of yet another upcoming editorial for which Kershaw (right, above) has disrobed, together with Euro supes Magdalena Frackowiak and Eniko Mihalik – shot by king sleaze Terry Richardson for Zahm’s PURPLE FASHION magazine. Just in case you missed the first teaser shot of the naked trio that editor Zahm provided about 10 days ago on his blog. Yes, he really wants us to know that there are naked women in the issue. This is at least the third recent gig that Kershaw has shot with Richardson, following the 2010 Pirelli calendar and an editorial for Vogue Nippon.

Olivier Zahm still channeling Michael Hutchence - with a little help from Lagerfeld

karl lagerfeld via purple diary

Look, we know some of you can’t get enough of PURPLE FASHION magazine co-counder, editor and all-round fashion perve Olivier Zahm and frankly, who could blame you? The latest Zahm portrait just posted on Purple Diary was, unusually, not taken by Zahm himself – but no less than German fashion maestro Karl Lagerfeld. Earlier this week we joked that we were looking forward to Zahm's insider glimpses of Lagerfeld’s immacutely-arranged arsenal of sex toys. In the interim, Kaiser Karl has stepped up to the kinky sex plate by dropping this little S&M gem in our laps. The caption reads “Olivier Zahm and Lara Stone photographed by Karl Largerfeld for the Maison Michel F/W 2009 catalog. Here is one of the portraits styled and art directed by Laetitia Crahay, the designer of the collection”. In the shot, Dutch supermod Stone looks to be restraining the bearded attention whore by the throat with a leather belt. There seems to be little doubt that Zahm does need restraining but seriously, considering that our very first Zahm post asked if the Michael Hutchence lookalike is well, the new Michael Hutchence, frockwriter is vaguely alarmed at the thought of where this may be heading. And does this by any chance mean Zahm reads our posts?

Members only: Purple people eater Olivier Zahm

olivier zahm self portrait/purple diary

When frockwriter recently asked is Olivier Zahm the new Michael Hutchence?, we did say that we looked forward to his future postings. And fashion’s favourite perv has not disappointed. In fact the more breasts, asses, twats and phalluses that Zahm posts in his three month-old personal photo blog Purple Diary, it is evident that the PURPLE FASHION magazine co-founder and editor is rapidly emerging as The Cobrasnake of the fashion elite. Make that the X-rated version. Warning: NSFW

While Mark ‘The Cobrasnake’ Hunter shoots trashed punters, and trashed wannabe big time models, Zahm appears to have intimate access to the downtime of some of fashion’s biggest names, from Kate Moss to Mischa Barton, Lou Doillon, Marc Jacobs, Karl Lagerfeld and Stefano Pilati.

And the vignettes of their private lives that are being documented by Zahm would probably make some of these players' respective PR departments wince.

These include toilet trysts between Mischa Barton and Lou Doillon, a far more explicit dancefloor dalliance between French scenesters Juliette Dol and Lauren Bastide, sundry gratuitous shots of womens' bottoms and breasts, artist Terence Koh simulating fellatio, evidence of Marc Jacobs’ saucy taste in art and a full frontal shot of Zahm himself, who is apparently never separated from his trademark aviators – even whilst immersed in a Russian bath.


John Currin artwork @ Marc Jacobs' Paris apartment, April 19/purple diary

All of these lewd shots interspersed, strangely enough, in between a plethora of happy snaps of an innocent young child, Asia Zahm, who one assumes could be Zahm’s daughter.

Really looking forward to exclusive previews of Lagerfeld's neatly-arranged arsenal of sex toys and Princess Caroline's nipple ring.




natacha ramsay, paris, april 14/purple diary

Is Olivier Zahm the new Michael Hutchence?

purple diary

Well frockwriter has been musing this very possibility over the course of the past month, as the co-founder and editor of French art/fashion bible PURPLE FASHION magazine has chronicled his, and his high profile fashion cohorts’, FW0910 adventures on the new Purple Diary blog. (One social shot from which, FYI, features Melbourne expat and apparently Stefano Pilati intimate, Louise Neri, the New York-based art critic/Gagosian Gallery director, who interviewed Pilati for the September issue of Interview). The above shot is captioned, “Olivier Zahm forced to wear Milla Jovovich’s Roberto Cavalli dress of at the Principe di Savoia Hotel bar, Milan”. Warning: NSFW


purple diary

First up, there is Zahm's rather uncanny resemblance to the late INXS frontman.

Secondly, as has occurred to frockwriter since July really, with the airing of the first Cobrasnake shots of Oz teenager Tallulah Morton out and about on the Paris party circuit – shots in which Zahm was often seen to be lurking – Zahm does seem to share Hutchence’s playboy penchant for glamorous women. And notably models.

Furthermore, Zahm appears to have more than a passing interest in sexual experimentation.

To wit, a series of shots shared via his blog which were scanned from the 1975 book, Extases (Tchou/Vertigo, Paris), by Ron Raffaelli and Nicole Avril, apparently a gift to Zahm from designer Vincent Darré:


ron raffaelli/nicole avril via purple


Zahm does seem more than a little preoccupied with sex, in his magazine and moreover, his photo diary.


purple fashion magazine via this is the first floor

Here is a photo of Zahm grabbing a woman's ass - a shot he originally proudly displayed at the top of Purple's MySpace page. Although now removed from that page, the shot has since been immortalised elsewhere on the net:


the fashion spot

Just a quick word on one of Zahm's MySpace mates - "Gallermic T Mabuse" - who appears to have even more exotic tastes.

These include a photo of what by anyone's definition would be a naked pre-pubescent child with their legs spread before the camera, as posted to Purple’s MySpace page. Together with the caption:

“Vice may be learnt, even without a teacher”

And apparently left there since May 2008 without so much as a peep from anyone.

Ooh la la, those saucy French.

No idea if Zahm is gifted with any musical talent. But we do look forward to his next postings.

And we'll take one bet that when it comes to young, inexperienced women desperate to get their faces - or asses - in some high profile French fashion editorial, just what you have to do to swing a bit of coverage in PURPLE FASHION magazine.

Tallulah rising - and having an Absolut ball

Tallulah Morton at the Lonchamp party, Paris, July 2/thecobrasnake

Great to see Tallulah Morton doing so well in gay Paree. Just last week frockwriter asked: with four show nods from Jean Paul Gaultier in four months, could she be JPG’s new muse? As these currently-circulating shots from the hugely popular website of high profile party snapper Mark “The Cobrasnake” Hunter demonstrate, Morton has been out on the town toasting her Euro success – with some assistance from compatriot Stephanie “Raking it in” Carta.


Tallulah Morton and Stephanie Carta, Paris. July 6/thecobrasnake

Although at 16 of course, technically Morton doesn’t require an adult chaperone.

She is still, nevertheless, below the legal Australian drinking age.


Cooling off after a Jalouse magazine party. June 28/thecobrasnake

In fact there are are so many shots of Morton currently on Hunter's website - and shots of Morton and Hunter published elsewhere - that some have wondered if there might be a litte romance in the air.

One blog even asks: "Is Tallulah Morton the new Cory Kennedy?"


Tallulah Morton, Olivier Zahm and Stephanie Carta, Lonchamp party, Paris. July 2/thecobrasnake

Over several nights of party pics Morton also looks to be whooping it up with Olivier Zahm.

That’s the fortysomething French publisher of Purple – a hipper-than-hip French fashion mag, in which many up-and-coming models would presumably love to feature.

Judging by his front row status at every show at which I have ever seen Zahm, clearly he is considered to be hugely influential.

And the breadth of Zahm's influence looks to be matched by that of his ego.

On what appears to be Zahm’s MySpace page, he uses a photograph of himself inspecting a woman’s ass at very close range, together with the following quote that he attributes to Helmut Newton:

"You should feel that, under the right conditions, all women would be available."