This is one of Steven Klein’s photos for Madonna’s upcoming Dolce & Gabbana campaign. While I normally champion just about everything she does, there are moments when I simply can’t get behind her. (Her collaboration with Gap, the second part of her Louis Vuitton ads, the shoddy efforts she put into every Greatest Hits album after The Immaculate Collection… to name but a few.) Of this preview pic (and the others I’ve seen, which show her doing mundane things like washing dishes, peeling fruit, and eating spaghetti with her bare hands) I’m a bit on the fence.

I went to Matt, my main go-to-guy when it comes to all things Madonna, and he seemed to be embracing them, so I’m giving them another chance, but my initial gut reaction was one of disappointment. I guess I was expecting some sort of ultra-glamourous scene when Dolce & Gabbana were involved. I get the concept here of turning that on its head, I’m just not sure I like it as much as I’ve liked previous work she’s done (like her first Versace campaign). I also feel like we’ve seen her do this sort of juxtaposition before – as in feeding the chickens in a dress and heels, or standing before a dirty Argentinean industrial site in formal white gloves and gown.

I will reserve final judgment until I see the ad campaign when it hits magazines. Until then, I remain unimpressed.

This is a pair of Christian Audigier sneakers that I purchased a year ago. I was a fan at the time, but that was before Mr. Audigier (a.k.a. Ed Hardy) allowed that Jon Gosselin character to hitch a ride. Now I’m not so sure. Ed Hardy crap is everywhere and hence has lost much of its allure for me. The one thing that may get these back on my feet is the fact that Madonna is supposedly teaming up with Audigier for a fashion line in the near future. (Which in my humble opinion is a huge step down from her usual perch… but I guess it still beats the Gap.)