branching out

photo by inez van lamsweerde and vinoodh matadin

thank you to my fellow sister in black...I couldn't help but be inspired by that tree-branch banister. there's something so organically stylish about the lines and curves of branches on a tree.

tree house

first i posted an iron bed shaped like a tree, now i have a banister to match.

junya joy

photo by steven meisel

was just thinking about these rainbow bright cocktail dresses by junya watanabe from fall 2000. I've always been intrigued by this collection. from what I have read, watanabe handstitched hundreds of layers of sheer nylon and organza together and then sheared the dresses with the help of a computer....the look is very edward scissorhands meets paul poiret. I love that junya watanabe combined cyberage technique with traditional crafstmanship...very fashion forward.

tip toe thru the tulips

tulips growing in the wild in ojai. now they live with me in captivity.

watch out

photo by david cairns

will a timeless watch ever go out of style?....not in my closet. one of the best fashion investments I have ever made is a watch. personally, I think it is the ultimate accessory. it adds a little something extra to define an outfit.....just take it from jackie onassis on how to wear a watch....total perfection.

carolyn cool

photo by bruce weber

I don't know how I feel about vanity fair magazine these days...whatever happened to the interesting editorials they use to do on mysterious individuals like carolyn bessette kennedy? I always find myself looking back to those stunning pictures of her taken by bruce weber for vanity fair's september 1999 issue, which I still have to this day. I particular love this photo of carolyn....with her dazzling blonde hair and her dog friday, by her side.

a man and his dog

umberto d. (1952)

looking at carolyn bessette kennedy with her dog friday reminded me of vittorio de sica's classic neorealist film umberto d. the story tells of a lonely old man named umberto domenico ferrari who is desperately trying to keep his apartment on a small state pension, but whose landlady is trying to get him out to fit her social lifestyle. he tries to find the money but is unwilling to beg to his richer friends, and cannot be helped by his only true friends, a pregnant maid and his dog, flike....on a personal note, I always think about this film whenever I find myself complaining about my own meaningless day to day struggles. perhaps, that is the importance of italian neorealism...it makes you evaluate your own life. while watching this film many ideas come to my mind. it makes you think about getting older and the struggles of humanity. sometimes, it takes only one dog or cat to help us get through our own difficulties in life....I always think of this film as a form of cinema-therapy.

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erin o'connor




ana claudia michels




maggie rizer

lately, I have been inspired by the talent of françois nars. not only is he an amazing make-up artist, but he is a brilliant photographer and stylist. he combines all three gifts in the book makeup your mind, which came out back in 2002. the book features these women and more in 63 stunning before and after pictures. all of the models were shot sans makeup for the before pictures, showing their bare faces with all their imperfections and idiosyncrasies. their transformations in the after pictures go from bare and elegant to fun and outrageous. with superb,yet simple photographs and detailed instructional guides, makeup your mind shows how makeup can minimize flaws and enhance the beauty potential for every woman. I personally, love this book for the wide range of faces that go from the classically pretty to unique faces full of character....visually stimulating to look through. photos by françois nars

fiona

it has been 11 years since fiona apple's when the pawn album came out and I still to this day don't quite understand the long album title, almost like a form of trivia...such a mysterious title to go with a brilliant album from start to finish. when the pawn hits the conflicts he thinks like a king what he knows throws the blows when he goes to the fight and he'll win the whole thing 'fore he enters the ring there's no body to batter when your mind is your might so when you go solo, you hold your own hand and remember that depth is the greatest of heights and if you know where you stand, then you know where to land and if you fall it won't matter, cuz you'll know that you're right

SL style

this picture reminds me of our dad. him and lily cole appreciate the classics

walking on a dream

olivier theyskens for rochas spring/summer 2006

this is what I call going green....I always think of this particular dress this time of year, such airy elegance.

a total monet

claude monet. water lilies, 1906

I always think of claude monet's water lilies when I look at olivier theyskens for rochas spring/summer 2006 collection. perhaps, it has something to do with the green color palette. in my head, I've always thought that the two display such a softness and elegance with a touch of melancholy air through their creations.

the making of a rochas

photo by annie leibovitz

when I look at this photograph I think to myself why isn't olivier theyskens designing clothes?....I've always admired his sophistication and intellect when it comes to designing clothes, particularly his work for rochas. I especially love the way he designs a languid silhouette with a strong waistline. his design process at rochas was all about ignoring trends and finding a singular and essential style. I wonder if people in the fashion world miss his work as much as I do?

looking like a schiele

egon schiele. self portrait with chinese lantern plant. 1912

It has been awhile since I last posted an egon schiele painting, but I felt this one was appropriate for today, since it is adrien brody's birthday. to me it seems like adrien brody's features are almost like an egon schiele painting. perhaps, it's his long angular face, those haunted eyes and his cornet nose that all seem to resemble a schiele. I've always felt that adrien brody would have been a perfect model and subject for egon schiele.

sexy-ugly

photo by annie leibovitz

nobody does sexy-ugly quite like adrien brody. I applaud him for working that big nose and establishing a keen sense of style. while, many people fear a big nose I think it adds character. I've always admired people like anjelica huston, sofia coppola, liam neeson, and adrien brody for never fixing their noses. I think it is the imperfections that make people more interesting.

an adrien sandwich

sisters in black frocks with adrien brody

yes, this really did happen... but the one thing I regret not asking adrien brody was 'who designed that stylish leather jacket?' I've always thought that a chic black leather jacket is a definite must have piece in a man's closet. I'm sure adrien brody would agree.

black birthday

the celebration has been going on for a while now, so its alright that i'm officially an hour and a half early. happy birthday to my fellow sister in black frocks!

happiness in a little box

look at this gorgeous treat my sister spoiled me with this weekend. if you ever wanna know what $75.00 fake eyelashes look like here it is! not only will they be worn on my eyes with pride, but at the moment they are decoration in my bedroom.

malcolm mclaren 1946-2010

"My fondest memory of Malcolm, and I loved the guy, was his birthday gift to me when I turned 21 - he got me a hooker and some heroin." -steve jones

pale power

photo by juergen teller

lately, I have been feeling like the world has become tanorexic....when will people understand that you don't need to have a fake bake to be beautiful?

goddess gong li

the hand (eros 2004)

I recently watched eros which is anthology of three short films directed by three different filmmakers. while I didn't care for two of the short films the one that I admired was wong kar-wai's the hand. this one stays in my head, particularly because of actress gong li. she plays miss hua, a high living prostitute in the 1960s, who forms a relationship with a shy tailor who has been sent by his boss to design her clothes. I was amazed by how beautiful gong li looked in some of the most gorgeous dresses ever photographed on film. from the hair, make-up, to those spare and elegant silhouettes it is no wonder that miuccia prada marks gong li in the hand as one of her style inspirations for her fall/winter 2005 collection.

what I see

prada spring/summer 2008

the power of prada lies in the details....I always feel that if you look up close at a prada creation it could almost be like a scene from a wong kar-wai film. at least through my eyes, it feels that way.

film to fashion

la mariée était en noir (1968)

I always find myself looking back to prada's fall/winter 2005 collection, particulary those structured, yet feminine dress shapes from that season. one of many influences for that collection was jeanne moreau in francois truffaut's the bride wore black. I love how miuccia prada captured moreau's composure in that severe black dress and modernized her own version....I so appreciate it when designers take inspiration from classic films.


photo by mario testino

the littlest things

los abrazos rotos (2009)

it is quite difficult to describe what I admire most about director pedro almodóvar, but I always seem to fall in love with moments like this.....

san francisco treat

we took a weekend getaway to san francisco. here's some of the highlights

le pom pom

why do i love the pom pom? sonia rykiel

nagi noda

this week i learned about the life and death of milliner nagi noda. sadly this was the first i had ever heard of her. if her hats are not art then i don't know what is.

bird's eye view

the perfect hat for springtime....only linda evangelista could get away with birds on her head.

feathered

alexander mcqueen spring/summer 2001 (lacollectionneuse)

springtime is so alexander mcqueen. the one thing I will always remember about his work is the way he incorporated nature into his collections. there are many stand-out collections that come to mind, but one I cannot forget is his spring 2001 collection...I always think of this look, which featured a huge feathered creation with stuffed eagles suspended over the model's head. a beautiful homage to the beauty of birds and alfred hitchcock.