Performance Lust : Madonna's 'Vogue' for MTV

Probably one of the most successful songs ever from a soundtrack album, "Vogue" is from Lust Icon Madonna's I'm Breathless album which is music from and inspired by the movie "Dick Tracy". However, the background on the song doesn't seem to be inspired by the film at all.

Lyrically, Madonna was inspired by vogue dancer and choreographers Jose and Luis Xtravaganza from the Harlem "House Ball" community, the origin of the dance Vogue. They introduced "Vogueing" to her at the New York City club "Sound Factory". Prior to the singles release of the song, Vogue was only performed in bars and disco of New York City in the underground gay scene. Madonna made it mainstream.

One would venture to guess that Madonna did find inspiration from "Vogue" from the movie based on the role call of old Hollywood glamour about midway through the song. The music video also depicts the material girl in a style similar to her character in the film, "Breathless Mahoney".

The success of "Vogue" not only boosted sales of the I'm Breathless soundtrack, it also generated massive publicity for the movie "Dick Tracy".

In 1990, Madonna once again made headlines on MTV at the Video Music Awards. She performed "Vogue" with several dancers in 18th-Century French costume a la Marie Antionette. Her costume was actually originally worn by Michelle Pfeiffer in the film, "Dangerous Liaisons". During the performance, Madonna and her dancers did more than flash undergarments. She not only pushed the faces of two male dancers into her breasts, she actually had one of them fondle her breasts on stage.

Lust with your eyes below. Prance over to LuSylist to get the look!

Video Lust : Madonna's 'Express Yourself'

"Express Yourself" is Lust Icon Madonna's second single from the Like A Prayer album. The queen of reinvention flips the script on us. The opening lines of the song take us in the complete opposite direction of "Material Girl" in which she sings, "you don't need diamond rings or eighteen karat gold".

In fact, the main inspiration behind "Express Yourself" is female empowerment, urging women never to "go for second-best" and to put their love "to the test". We all dig the guy with satin sheets, but what happens when you're not in his bed?

Madonna tells Rolling Stone, "the ultimate thing behind the song is that if you don't express yourself, if you don't say what you want, then you're not going to get it. And in effect you are chained down by your inability to say what you feel or go after what you want. No matter how in control you think are about sexuality in a relationship there is always the power struggle...always a certain amount of compromise. Of being beholden, if you love them. You do it because you choose to. No one put the chain around this neck but me. I wrote 'Express Yourself' to tell women around the world that pick and choose the best for yourself, before that chain around your neck, kills you instead. Its my take on how man can express what they want, the same prerogative should be there for a woman too."

The video is set in a dark and busy metropolis where muscular men work in the steam and rain. Madonna appears as a lonely but strong figure of beauty and grace in double-breasted suits, silk nightgowns, nude corsets, and nothing at all. One analysis explains that Madonna is shown in a seductive manner and chained to her bed not to portray women in an empowering position, but rather to emphasize the fact that women can be in control because of their sexual prowess.

Lust with your eyes below and put your style to the test at LuStylist.

Video Lust : Madonna's 'Material Girl'

The Lust List doesn't find comfort in all the beautiful Model Lust's we frequently celebrate, the Lust List lives in a material world.

"Material Girl" was the second single from Lust Icon Madonna's second album, Like A Virgin. The lyrics identify with materialism, with Madonna asking for a rich and affluent life, rather than romance and relationships. Contemporary and old critics have frequently noted "Material Girl" and "Like a Virgin" as the songs that made Madonna an icon.

The "Material Girl" video pays homage to one of Madonna's icons, Marilyn Monroe, and her performance of the song "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" from the 1953 film "Gentleman Prefer Blondes". In fact, it was this video that caused Madonna to beign to accept and utilize herself being compared to Monroe. However, she established a safe distance from those comparisons. Madonna explains, "Well, my favorite scene in all of Monroe's movies is when she does that dance sequence for 'Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend'. And when it came time to do the video for the song, I said, I can just redo that whole scene and it will be perfect...Marilyn was made into something not human in a way, and I can relate to that. Her sexuality was something everyone was obsessed with and that I can relate to. And there were certain things about her vulnerability that I'm curious about and attracted to."

Madonna dances and sings the song, while she is showered with cash, expensive jewellery and furs, and is carried men over stairs perfecting sex kitten pouts while batting her lashes. Lust with your eyes below and shop the material world with LuStylist.

Performance Lust : Madonna's 'Like A Virgin' for MTV

The Lust List is going through the wilderness to celebrate Lust Icon Madonna's birthday! I've been touched many times by the Queen of Pop, starting with the performance that put her on the map.

Madonna performed "Like A Virgin', the first single from her second album, at the 1984 MTV Music Video Awards. She began atop a giant wedding cake dressed in a wedding dress with her now infamous "Boy Toy" belt buckle adorned in pearls and a tulle veil. It wasn't long before she had her fill of cake, and was rolling around and humping the stage. Which at the time was pretty controversial [one of the many reasons I love her].

To this day, the performance is noted as one of the most iconic and biggest performances in MTV's history. Madonna has commented that she was actually terrified of the whole experience. She recalled, "I remember my manager Freddy shouting to me, 'Oh my God! What were you doing? You were wearing a wedding dress. Oh my God! You were rolling around on the floor!' It was the bravest, most blatant sexual thing I had ever done on television."

Lust with your eyes below and walk down the aisle with LuStylist to get the virginal look.

Pure Lust : Ryan Gosling

There were a couple of faints and some heavy breathing from both myself and a fellow luster while watching "Crazy, Stupid, Love". Why? Ryan Gosling.

I've never been a fan of "the Notebook", but, that was the old Gosling. The new Gosling is ripped, suave, and hilarious in his newest film. He plays a smooth-talking ladies man who helps a recently seperated Steve Carell find his long lost bachelor self.

Gosling began his career at the young age of 12 starring as a "Mouseketeer" in Disney's "Mickey Mouse Club". Yep, right alongside Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Justin Timberlake. He did some modest projects after that [remember "Goosebumps"?] until landing his first serious role in 2001's controversial drama "the Believer". Seriousness payed off and earned the actor the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. He described it as "the film that kind of gift-wrapped for me the career that I have now. I suddenly found myself at Sundance, where people were asking me about my craft. So I had to pretend I had one."

A few more films followed and then "the Notebook" hit theaters making both Gosling and his co-star Rachel McAdams household names. The film has become a romantic cult classic and the chemistry on screen followed off screen. He and McAdams became an on again, off again couple for years to follow.

Now, Gosling is single and living in New York with his dog George. Films following "the Notebook", have brought him nominations for an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Broadcast Film Critics Association Award, and a Golden Globes Award. He has two wins for "Half Nelson" [Best Actor at the Spirits Award] and "Lars and the Real Girl" [a Satellite Award]. He is currently working on several projects and I can't wait to see him alongside Bradley Cooper in the bank heist film "the Place Beyond the Pines". Not bad for a high school dropout.

The LuStylist has done two features for Golsing. I noticed his workout as a popular search on Google, so decided to style my fellow lusters as either "Gym Gosling" or "Gucci Gosling" from "Crazy, Stupid, Love". Take your pick! 

Riccardo Tisci for 'Watch the Throne'

The much anticipated album, "Watch the Throne", from Kanye West and Jay-Z has officially landed on iTunes and in stores. Music lovers are already praising the album and anticipating a tour to support the record which features Beyoncé, Otis Redding, Frank Ocean, and Mr. Hudson.

Fashion followers have been given a hip-hop treat as well. Riccardo Tisci of Givenchy was enlisted for the artwork for the first single, "H.A.M.", and continued with the entire albums artwork. The "Creative Director" for "Watch the Throne" designed the album cover, interior artwork, and disc artwork. Taking a nod from the rottweiler themed AW11 menswear show, both West and Jay-Z have beastly self portraits [Jay-Z's pictured above].

A statement from the fashion house: "the artwork’s bold colours and angular lines are symbols of masculinity for two of the most iconic rap figures of our time. Riccardo Tisci naturally incorporates references to his long time signature codes, from meticulously engineered prints to blurred religious images, the strength of these visuals being to bring his Couture techniques and vision to image printing.” 

Details 'Coast Guards'

Details magazine celebrates lustable fall coats with a clever spin. They took all the best goods and threw them on soaking surfers in wetsuits for their "Coast Guards" spread. Who's ready to take up surfing?

Check the photos here and pick up the lastest issue today!