W magazine is renowned for its avant-garde fashion stories, those elaborate confections of magic and mystery that have inspired and captivated readers for more than twenty years. Never afraid to take risks and certainly not one to cater to commercial tastes, W has forged a unique path in the crowded world of fashion magazines with its lengthy and imaginative stories. This volume collects more than ten of the most remarkable of these stories from the past two decades, each in its entirety, including never-before-seen outtakes and concept-development material such as sketches, polaroid's, inspiration boards provided by the photographers and stylists.

Each story was the centerpiece of the issue it appeared in and each rides the razor's edge between outrageously provocative and enchanting, from the bizarre (Steven Klein's "One for the Ages") to the alien (Tim Walker's "Planet Tilda") and whimsical (Paolo Roversi's "Carnevale"). These and other stories by Klein, Walker and Roversi, as well as Steven Meisel, Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott and Alex Prager, are featured. Subjects such as Tilda Swinton, Kate Moss, Madonna and Amber Valeta make their appearance on the stage. As a creative outlet, many photographers now create short films while on set to accompany their still images; a DVD of selected films shot by Meisel, Walker and Klein is packaged inside the book.