Memo Pad: Aquascutum's Dirty Weekend... Independent Spirit... Christy For Coin...

AQUASCUTUM'S DIRTY WEEKEND: Aquascutum has drafted Gisele Bündchen and Irish actor Jamie Dornan for its latest global ad campaign, which was shot at one of Britain's most notorious stately homes. The cinema-inspired ads were photographed on location at Cliveden, the former home of the Astor family and the famous backdrop to the Profumo Affair — the political and sex scandal that rocked Britain in the early Sixties. Mario Sorrenti snapped the pictures that, appropriately, depict "a weekend of stolen moments, intrigue and trysts," according to Aquascutum president and chief executive Kim Winser. "Gisele and Jamie are the perfect pairing to communicate our creative vision for the new season." During her wicked weekend at Cliveden, Bündchen wears one of five coats from Aquascutum Vintage, a new collection based on vintage Aquascutum designs worn by Hollywood heroines including Audrey Hepburn, Lauren Bacall and Sophia Loren — but presumably not Profumo maiden Christine Keeler. The campaign will break in the August issue of L'Uomo Vogue and later in the September issues of magazines including Tatler, British Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. — Samantha Conti

INDEPENDENT SPIRIT: Gucci has tapped Mert Alas and Marcus Piggot to shoot its first-ever ad campaign solely dedicated to the season's must-have accessory. For fall, it's the Indy bag, a rigid frame style with a strap inspired by the steering wheels of old racing cars, hence its name.

The two, which creative director Frida Giannini selected for their ability to interpret her vision, shot in a studio in London on a set that re-created the asphalt of a racetrack. Sprawled across the track is model Natasha Poly, shielding her eyes from the sun while dressed in a leather-and-fur blouson jacket and clutching a crocodile bag.

"This is not a typical still life campaign," said Giannini. "For me, the Indy bag embodies the core characteristics of the Gucci woman: sensuality and strength. This is why I wanted to create a dynamic setting."

The campaign breaks in August fashion titles worldwide.

Craig McDean will continue to shoot the brand's ready-to-wear campaigns. For fall, he shot on a Cinecittà set, painted in deep hues that complement Giannini's Lee Miller-inspired fall clothes. — Alessandra Ilari

CHRISTY FOR COIN: Supermodels are more into baubles than ever as they keep signing on to appear in fine jewelry ads. David Yurman has Kate Moss, Chopard has Eva Herzigova and now Italian jeweler Roberto Coin has nabbed Christy Turlington Burns. She was photographed for Coin's first celebrity-model-focused ad campaign by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin. The first ad, showing Turlington Burns wearing several gold necklaces in front of a starry night sky, will launch in the September Vogue.

Five percent of the sales of the jewelry shown in the campaign will be donated to YouthAIDS. "I have always tried to collaborate with brands who are effecting change on a larger scale, and I believe that Roberto Coin and YouthAIDS are doing just that. I'm proud to support that," said Turlington Burns in a statement.

The campaign, which features pieces from the Barocco, Fantasia, Cento, Roi Soleil and Appassionata collections, was designed by the New York-based marketing firm Kinney + Kinsella. — Sophia Chabbott

RICH READERS = HAPPY ADVERTISERS: Female readers of fashion and beauty magazines keep getting richer — at least according to the latest Mediamark Research data. W magazine again has proven that its readers can afford the high-priced fashion it purveys, as it has the highest median household income among women readers, at $104,057, according to MRI's report for spring 2007. Yet it may come as a surprise to many that Lucky came in second, with a median income of $87,013. "If you don't have a lot of money, you won't be happy reading this magazine," said Sandy Golinkin, Lucky's vice president and publisher. "We've always said we have more affluent readers than most people expect." A year ago, she said editor in chief Kim France conducted focus groups and learned that readers craved more luxury items. Predictably, this translated into adding higher price points inside the shopping title. "What we do [internal research] pretty closely matches MRI," said Golinkin.

But this hasn't always been the case for other fashion-beauty titles. Nina Lawrence, vice president and publisher of W, said MRI's spring 2007 numbers present an accurate account of who its readers are. MRI reports the median income of the magazine's female readers is up roughly 28 percent over spring 2006.

Among fashion and beauty titles, Harper's Bazaar came in third, with a median household income of $76,873. The Hearst title also experienced the most dramatic growth spurt in terms of household income, with a nearly 33 percent increase over spring 2006. Like Lawrence, Bazaar's senior vice president and publisher, Valerie Salembier, said MRI's new figures closely mirror its internal data. "We've known our readers have a high household income," she said. "It's nice when syndicated [data] matches what we already knew."

As for the rest of the field, In Style's women readers earn a median income of $75,922, Elle is up almost 11 percent to $70,509, Jane's made $69,519 and Vogue's increased approximately 11 percent from last year, to $65,074. Like many of its competitors, Vogue does its own research, and later this year will release the findings from a study that shows a cultural shift taking place, called the "Feminine Model of Influence," said Joseph Giamarese, executive director of marketing. MRI reports that Allure's female base has a median household income of $63,768; Glamour, of $61,327; Marie Claire, of $59,673; Cosmopolitan, of $55,401, and Town & Country was up less than one percent, to $54,406. — Amy Wicks