VOGUE: The Women of Nine

Judi Dench, Marion Cotillard, Kate Hudson, Fergie, Nicole Kidman, Penélope Cruz, and Sophia Loren, at London's Shepperton Studios, photographed by Annie Leibovitz for Vogue, Nov 2009.

Here's a peek at Vogue's November cover story featuring the uber-talented and exquisitely beautiful women on Nine!

"One by one, six of the seven leading ladies in Guido's life appear through a doorway high up in the rafters and slink down the stairs, positioning themselves languorously around the set. First, to the grand orchestral music of the "Overture Delle Donne," the singer Fergie, who plays Saraghina, a prostitute, appears in a gray, corseted frock, all cleavage and russet hair, her eyes kohled into a smudgy, sexy mess. She is followed by Kate Hudson, perky as ever, in a white fringed sixties minidress and go-go boots, her blonde tresses teased into tumbling curls. The outfit perfectly suits her character, Stephanie, a Vogue journalist. Next, Judi Dench, playing costume designer Lily, appears clad in black and smoking a cigarette.

Then comes a saucy Penélope Cruz, as Guido's mistress, Carla, in a polka-dot cocktail dress that gives her the silhouette of a fifties pinup. Nicole Kidman follows, striking a powerful pose in a nude-colored strapless, sparkling gown as movie star Claudia, Guido's inspiration and obsession. Finally, an astoundingly well-preserved Sophia Loren, playing Guido's mother, makes her entrance, leaning over the balcony and shooting a stern but loving look toward Guido far below. (Marion Cotillard, who plays Guido's long-suffering wife, Luisa, is not in this scene.)

"You could call it an iconfest," I scribble in my notes. Then, rather unimaginatively, I add "razzle-dazzle-pizzazz musical great antidote to misery-gloom-doom of credit crunch" before, thankfully for the reader, I am diverted by the whisper "Ciao! Plume!" from behind me. I turn to see a vision of toffee-colored Loro Piana cashmere before me—Mr. Valentino and his partner, Giancarlo Giammetti.

"We're here to see Sophia," explains Giammetti. "She said to me, 'It's the best movie I've ever done.' " Mr. Valentino adds, "She said, 'It's the most expensive movie I've ever done.' " From the rear, producer Harvey Weinstein, dressed in a white shirt and black pants, booms, "Judi Dench said to me, 'I have to make Ten and Eleven!' " Just then, Pedro Almodóvar walks by, plus entourage, in search of Penélope Cruz's dressing room. I scrawl "icon overload" on my legal pad.

Nicole turns to Kate, who has covered her costume with a white terry robe. Her feet are now clad in a pair of UGG boots. "Kate should be on Broadway," says Nicole. "She should be the lead." Kate's eyes sparkle with excitement when she talks about her number "Cinema Italiano," which was written especially for her by Yeston. "I spent most of my childhood singing and dancing and just never had the chance to do it professionally. So when I got the chance to work with Rob, I was so excited, I was out of my mind."Hudson tells me that rehearsals felt like "being at summer camp," although she adds, "I don't think there is any actress who looks forward to missing those days with her kids. But at the same time there is no one who wants to stop acting." Nicole admits, "I had no desire to work after I had my daughter, but to lure me back, this movie was the only way."

In the makeup studio, I meet Peter Swords King, Oscar-winning hair and makeup designer, who has a team of 28 working with him. The walls are covered in inspirational black-and-white photos of sixties stars like Monica Vitti, Brigitte Bardot, and Julie Christie. "Those girls always looked like they just got out of bed—in a good way," says Peter, confiding that authentic bedroom hair is achieved by running your fingers through your hair instead of brushing it, after you curl it. "I was completely inspired by the Italian New Wave-film look—Sophia Loren and Claudia Cardinale." As for the makeup, think false eyelashes, eyeliner, and pancake foundation. "There's something incredibly sexy about the dark eyes and the pale lips," says Marshall. "That era worshipped the beauty of women."

~ excerpted from the feature article written by Plum Sykes, Vogue

Read more about the movie, the women, the actresses, beauty, wardrode and more in Vogue's November issue on stands now.