Model, Moguls and Muppets Unite for Harper's Bazaar Shoot

I have to be honest, since I'm slightly obsessed with model Sessilee Lopez at the moment, I saw absolutely nothing wrong with these photos from the September issue of Harper's Bazaar. Until I spoke with my younger sister, Zeba Blay. This astute young photographer was kind enough to point out how absolutely simple this shoot was -- and I don't mean the good kind.

The multi-page spread features a smiling Lopez posing with legendary designers like Diane Von Furstenberg, Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera and Derek Lam. Making awkward cameos in each pic are Elmo, Oscar the Grouch and Abby Cadabby. While I appreciate the styling and the pairing of a young model with established designers, at what point during the editorial meeting did it become clever, brilliant -- or at the very least, okay -- to incorporate folks from Sesame Street into the mix? True, the show is celebrating it's 40th anniversary this year, is that justification enough for you? I can almost understand what the creative powers at Harper's might have been going for: a lighthearted combination of couture and cartoon. But alas, like oil and water, some things just don't mix.