send it off in a letter to yourself

viskningar och rop (1972)

why do hand-written letters look so good on film?....lately, I have been noticing that in a lot of my favorite films there always seems to be a letter of some sort. there is something very unique and personal about penmanship on screen....it is almost like an art if you take a closer look at it. perhaps, it has something to do with the calligraphy and the way it looks on a blank page....almost like a black ink sketch with words. sometimes, it is the little things like a sentimental letter with interesting penmanship that can make a movie that much more profound.

cut it out

the perfect pair of stretch pants. simple, yet something unique about it. so chic with a pair of great shoes with the cut out showing. photo by le vestiare de jeanne

bright star

i saw the movie Bright Star last week. it was sensual, heartwarming, as well as heartbreaking. yet, it was also relatable, because of fanny's great passion for fashion design, and creating handmade gifts. jane campion knows how to make a chick flick with substance.

table for one

hussein chalayan fall/winter collection 2000

this may sound strange, but I've always secretly wanted to step inside a table, lift it up, transform into a wooden skirt, and then perhaps wear this look to IKEA....I can't believe that this famous hussein chalayan table skirt is now 10 years old and yet, somehow it still looks so ahead of its time...a perfect innovative blend of magic, fashion, and architecture.

original art for sale

just to let you guys know, i have a few original pieces of art on display and for sale at blue velvet salon in studio city. http://bluevelvethairsalon.com/

gearing up

the countdown is on for "Somewhere". doesn't this photo take you back?

a red background

photo by juergen teller

I love a good contrast, especially when it is simple like this....my personal favorite is pairing a simple black dress with a bright red background....I always feel that some of the most interesting photos come from using the background as the accessory....this is a style that my sis and I both love utilizing whenever we take photos.

seeing red

opening night (1977)

I am a bit obsessed with the color red...I don't necessarily wear it that often, but I love how it looks on film. I think this photo is the perfect example of why red looks so amazing on screen. I love gena rowlands' style in this photo....her facial expression, her positioning, her hair, and those red nails...they all seem to correspond so well with that vibrant red background. I think in the future, if I ever have a nervous breakdown like miss rowlands I want to use this look as my inspiration...total psycho-chic.

interiors

cries and whispers (1972)

lately, I have been thinking a lot about the color red. I think it has something to do with my parents who are redecorating. one of their rooms they designed has red walls...which reminded me of ingmar bergman's film cries and whispers. they have never seen this film, but somehow I think they would be inspired by the interiors. in the film, the house looks so remarkable with those richly saturated red walls surrounded by red upholstery and furnishings. I think what I love most about the film is the way the three sisters are dressed-primarily, in white gowns...such a beautiful contrast from those red interiors...it is no wonder why this film served as inspiration for giambattista valli's fall/winter 2008 collection.


...dramatic red walls with white curtains


...makes me think of olivier theyskens collection for rochas fall/winter 2005


...and yes, a striking red floor with a simple white gown...my kind of style.

pop art as make-up

photo by steven meisel

it is so interesting to see how an andy warhol painting could be used as inspiration for a make-up creation...I love how the colors of the painting correspond to her own make-up....a brilliant combination of art and beauty. perhaps, I should go to art museums more often.

the headband

when it gets a little warm outside I always like the look of a sleek black headband...whether you feel sporty or fancy it is the perfect accessory for any ensemble.

I am love

there's nothing I love more than a film that has style with substance...it is so difficult these days to find a film that has these two qualities, together. I was completely amazed by the beauty of I am love starring tilda swinton. I think part of what I like most about the film is the jil sander wardrobe. I can't seem to forget those stylish fashion moments of seeing tilda swinton walking around italy all dressed up in jil sander...the clothes definetly add a certain element to her character. not only the clothes, but the film itself, is done with so much style, subtly, and passion....it is a true italian family drama and while on the surface there is so much beauty and luxury, underneath the surface it is both complex and scandalous....a total visual experience.




lo sono l'amore (2010)

the look of emma recchi

a red dress from jil sander fall/winter 2009


a gray dress from jil sander fall/winter 2008 but done in red for the film.

these two jil sander dresses served as inspiration for designer raf simmons when designing the look for tilda swinton's character emma recchi in the film lo sono l'amore ... there is such an artistry to the work of raf simmons. his design sense is very subtle much like the look and feel of this film...a perfect combination between the two.

so in love

lo sono l'amore (2010)

It wasn't just the fashion and the story that I found so appealing about I am love, but it was also the cinematography. every image seems to contribute to the feel of the film. there are moments when even a memory cannot be put into focus. director luca guadagnino makes the viewer so aware of everything through various little cutaways and extreme closeups. I love how he pays so much attention to tiny details like nature. I am not very familiar with this director's work, but I feel like now I want to know more about his approach and style to making films.

prada power

photo by glen luchford

I think one of my favorite collaborations was fashion designer miuccia prada and photographer glen luchford. I always liked the cinematic quality he brought to her campaigns. they almost don't read like fashion ads, but more like moments in film. I never seem to forget this prada-luchford ad from fall/winter 1997. I've always wondered about the women in prada ads...yes, they love their clothes, but the prada woman always seems to be a little elusive, dark, and mysterious. I think that is part of the reason why people are so attracted to the look of prada.

cide sui

the virgin suicides (1999)

dying as an art?....there is something about prada's fall/winter 1997 campaign that reminds me so much of this scene from sofia coppola's the virgin suicides. I think it has to do with the muted colors, the silhouette of lux's hand, and the way that cigarette melts into her hand.... I know it is a strange comparision, but I've always thought that sofia coppola was inspired by glen luchford's work for prada 1997 when she was making this film.

blue orchid

blue orchid (2005)

I've always thought that director floria sigismondi's video for the white stripes song blue orchid was a bit underrated. I particularly liked the look and style of model karen elson. her dress, that red hair, and those shoes....how does she walk in those heels? I always think about how the video closes....it ends with a horse, its hooves raised in the air, about to stomp on elson, but just before the hooves land on her, the video quickly goes black, ending....this may sound odd, but sometimes I have dreams like that.

match made in heaven

although i've always heard the theory of people looking like their pets, i have been noticing it more and more. rose and her late boston terrier certainly fit the mold.

the hologram

photo by steven meisel

there was a time in the 90's when everyone was obsessed with dolce & gabbana...I always liked their sleek suits, corsets with butterflies, and the way they used animal prints, like leopard without being tawdry....who could forget when everyone was wearing these hologram dresses?.... even madonna wore a hologram jacket by dolce & gabbana on her ray of light album cover from 1998. personally, the hologram look has never been my sort of style, but I do have to say with the right amount of lighting these dresses can look so vibrant and radiant in photos.

three colors

bleu (1993)


blanc (1994)


rouge (1994)

today, is bastille day, which reminded me of of krzysztof kieslowski's series of three interrelated movies individually titled blue, white, and red, all together known as the three colors trilogy. the directly skillfully named the movies in the trilogy after the three colors in the french flag. the film takes from the french revolution ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity and matches these three colors as themes for each of the movies. while, these films may sound political, they are the complete opposite, dealing with different personal struggles from three different women. I particularly liked bleu.... the theme of this film is liberty. The story starts with a car crash that seriously injures a woman and kills her husband and their five-year-old daughter. The woman, played by juliette binoche, recovers physically, and she must decide how to deal with her grief and get on with her life....almost like a type of liberty she never asked for. I'm always drawn to movies like this that have unique stories with interesting images, and that try to understand the human condition. there's something about foreign films, especially from france, that like to focus on painful personal dilemmas, which can be very relatable. after all, nothing in life is perfect, and it is sometimes reassuring to see these types of characters on screen. personally, I wish in america we could follow this model more often and make more movies about character development, rather than blowing things up and making money.

finding inspiration

photo by nathaniel goldberg

this week I happened to browse through an old harper's bazaar magazine from november 2001. it is quite fun going down memory lane and looking through my old magazine archives. one of the editorials that caught my eye was one entitled frida kahlo, which was a tribute to her unique bohemian style. I love how they transformed model maria carla boscono into her...layouts like this are always inspiring.....

viva la frida

couldn't help but be inspired by frida. with the help of fresh flowers, handmade jewelry, ethnic style dresses,and a little hair and makeup. enjoy!

fashionably frida

photo by lola alvarez bravo (1944)

there is so much I admire about artist frida kahlo...she always seem to be a rebel from the start. I do love her work as a painter, but I think what I admire most is her unique sense of style. I don't know anyone who could work a monobrow, mustache and confrontational gaze quite like her. it is no wonder why she served as inspiration for couturier elsa schiaparelli and was embraced by artists marchel duchamp and pablo picasso...there are some key looks that I've always been inspired by....starting with her long skirts, frilled aprons, chains of gold coins, and of course, her gold tooth with a rose diamond that she wore on special occasions. here in this photo, I love the shape of her black tehuana dress...a classic, simple silhouette. a look that she will always be remembered for. its nice to know that frida liked wearing black frocks.

once you go black you don't go back.....

photo by steven meisel

If there is one question I have been asked my whole life is "why do you always wear black?" I think that has to be one of the worst sentences in the english language....it almost sounds like I have committed a felony. I never really like to give an answer, because some people just don't understand. sometimes, I wish I could just show people this vogue photo of models linda evangelista and kristen mcmenamy as my answer. I grew up admiring this photo as a child and I believe it is one of the reasons why I love wearing black so much....

sisters in black frocks

mary-kate and ashley olsen

I have to admit it took me awhile to understand mary-kate and ashley olsen. I think it all started to change when I saw the evolution of their fashion line the row and when I stumbled upon their book influence in the bookstore. one of the things I really liked about this book is they didn't make the book so much about themselves. yes, there are lots of photos of them and they do interview each other, but the book is primarily about designers and artists who have influenced them. I was quite impressed by their choices ranging from artist peter beard, supermodel lauren hutton, to photographer peter lindbergh, just to name a few. I personally loved the fashion sketches by nicolas ghesquière and the polaroids by eddie vedder....they really have a stylish range of inspirations. through reading this book I started to appreciate mary-kate and ashley...its nice to see a book that ask questions to other artists about work ethic, inspiration, and personal philosophies. these are many topics I have always been intrigued by and have always wondered if others feel the same...hats off to mary-kate and ashley for answering these questions and for understanding the importance of finding inspiration. personally, I don't know what my life would be like if I didn't have any inspirations.....

interpretating a look

photo by ellen von unwerth

I'm no nadja auermann, but I couldn't help but be inspired by her look in this photo...I'm always looking at editorials to find inspiration especially when it comes to how to style a hat. I love the simplicity of nadja auermann's black dress paired with an oversized hat with veil. it is the perfect balance between the two....my own version involves a sculptured veil hat paired with an asymmetrical black blouse. I'm not one to imitate exactly what I see in photos, but I love using my freedom and creativity to interpret a fashion look to my own sense of style.


photo by my sister

wicked game

photo by herb ritts (1991)

remember the days when music videos were sexy without being vulgar?...I've always loved the mystery of chris isaak's wicked game video. I never forget übermodel helena christensen frolicking and rolling on the beach with chris isaak. her eyes, those chic black chipped nails, and while she was topless and isaak was shirtless I loved how director herb ritts used clever camera angles to hide any actual nudity. yes, this video was racy, but it was done in a way that was tasteful. nowadays, it is difficult to find a music video quite like this....we seem to be an era of too much exposure and little mystery. perhaps, I am old-fashioned, but I prefer the herb ritts way to making a music video.