Oil & Water

Images:"Oil & Water" by Vogue Italia

The fashion world may be choking up oil but I'm sure Vogue sales are coming up gold.

September's Vogue Italia features darkly provocative photos entitled, "Water & Oil" by famed photographer Steven Meisel. The controversial 24-page spread was inspired by the BP oil spill disaster on the Gulf Coast and features model Kristen McMenamy washed-up on a beach, coughing up oil and wearing oil-soaked black feathered outfits.

New York Magazine called it, "beautiful and revolting, eye-catching and alienating."

Refinery29 was angered by, "the glamorization of disaster for the sake of fashion."

And Styleite insisted, "if this isn't art, we don't know what is."

Editor-in Chief at Vogue Italia, Franca Sozzani called the spread, "Only visual. We gave a message but in a visual way just to take more care about nature."

I think it makes for a fascinating ethical debate. And I love the fact that the seaweed-style necklace featured in the shoot is made from recycled inner tubes sourced from the Gulf Coast by eco-designer Kathleen Nowak Tucci of My Sister's Art.

If you care to help clean up, donate directly to United Way, National Wildlife Federation, or volunteer.