Tilda Swinton, The Woman Who Fell to Earth
This month, timeless alien beauty Tilda Swinton (the polyamorous, gender-defying star best known for starring as the hero/heroine of Orlando, based on the Virginia Woolf novel of the same name) appeared in a photo shoot for W Magazine by Tim Walker inspired by David Bowie’s The Man Who Fell to Earth. In the interview accompanying the shoot, Swinton cites both Bowie and her father as figures who influenced her style. “They are individuals with whom I share the same planetary DNA,” she says. Of her father’s uniforms, Swinton says: “from childhood, I remember more about his black patent, gold livery, scarlet-striped legs, and medal ribbons than I do of my mother’s evening dresses. I would rather be handsome, as he is, for an hour than pretty for a week.”
This is not the first time that Tilda Swinton has appeared in a David Bowie-inspired shoot. Previously, she emulated Ziggy Stardust-era Bowie in a 2009 shoot with Craig McDean.
I don’t know if I’ll ever understand Tilda Swinton being a Roman Polanski apologist, but these photos sure are stunning.
July 13th, 2011 at 6:49 pm
Oh Tilda! My daughter’s middle name is Swinton, for that is how much I adore thee.
July 13th, 2011 at 9:15 pm
agreed. her range is beyond belief.
July 13th, 2011 at 10:18 pm
Guuuhhhhh. *swoons*
July 14th, 2011 at 11:11 am
A wish to the wishmaster: Some day I wish to have a photo shoot with Tilda!
She is just… no real words… a GOD!
July 14th, 2011 at 12:05 pm
These are positively stunning. She continues to amaze me! I realized that I hadn’t watched this Orbital video with her in it, for awhile….. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q25Zx6B5HJA
July 14th, 2011 at 9:42 pm
Amazing well done a beautiful person.
July 14th, 2011 at 10:28 pm
She is from another planet. I was just thinking, “She would be perfect in a movie version of Orlando!” Then I realized, “She WAS in a movie version of Orlando!” Yay.
July 18th, 2011 at 7:25 am
She has the same mesmerizing sexuality as David Bowie. Beautiful shoot, fascinating woman.
July 20th, 2011 at 3:10 am
my boner just exploded… whew!
August 11th, 2011 at 9:48 am
[…] Tilda Swinton plays dress-up as David Bowie playing dress-up as an alien. Impeccably photographed by Tim Walker for the August issue of W magazine. Via Coilhouse. […]
August 11th, 2011 at 10:42 pm
She’s just…well, words fail me. I remember ‘Orlando’.
Also was brilliantly cast as the angel (Gabriel?) in Constantine.
She does the androgyny thing like nobody else…
January 2nd, 2012 at 11:30 am
Simply breathtaking. Tilda is the embodiment of transcendent beauty. To me her ethereal nature is captured in Voltaire’s quote “Love is a canvas furnished by Nature and embroidered by imagination.”
Thanks for sharing.
May 17th, 2012 at 4:59 am
WOW – what a fantastic article. I LOVE TILDA – I have seen I am love twice and I feel like I could watch it again. She is AMAZING.
July 2nd, 2013 at 10:24 am
Tilda Swinton is truly an enigma. I love her approach to acting as well as the privacy she employs when it comes to her personal life.
I believe her unavailability to us through the tabloids or other gossip venues makes her even more intriguing.
She is such an accomplished actress, and despite her unorthodox appearance, lands some really weighty and complex roles.
I loved her as the angel Gabriel in the movie “Constantine.” I really enjoyed looking through the photo collection.
Be well,
Ayanna Nahmias