montreal part un

montreal part deux

jeanne beker

did you guys miss us? according to the stats, yes you did! we really love our dedicated followers from here in LA to australia, france, korea, and so many more exotic places. you guys come back day after day. we do this blog because we love it, and it's nice to know people appreciate it. we took a week and a few days off and went to montreal. we had a great time. its a great city, and so fashionable. beautiful jackets, capes, and neck warmers everywhere. also this is a city where wearing black is not a sin. also as a nostalgic treat we got to enjoy fashion television with jeanne beker every morning. my sister and i grew up on this show. i fully believe we know so much about fashion, designers, and models because of jeanne beker. as soon as "obsession" from animotion plays i go back to a saturday morning in 1994. in my mind jeanne is more than a canadian sensation, she is a fashion icon.

visualize

designer haider ackermann






photos by erik madigan heck

lately, I have really been into resort collections...sometimes, I like a casual approach to fashion. the one resort that caught my eye was this haider ackermann spring/summer 2011 collection. I liked that ackermann featured looks for both women and men...this is his first time doing menswear...which is long overdue, since haider ackermann himself, has a great sense of style. the theme of the collection was a little bit samurai meets arabian adventure. this was by far my favorite look of his collection... I fell in love with these languidly draped palazzo pants paired with a layered silk tank-top....so much delicate detail.... on a side note, this month my sis and I have been really into full frontal fashion on sundance channel particularly their series the day before....I was thinking for next year, loïc prigent should go behind the seams of haider ackermann...he has to be one of the most mysterious, yet intellectual designers working in fashion today. there is something really special about a lot of these designers from belgium...it seems like creativity is everywhere in antwerp. personally, I would love to see what goes on inside haider ackermann's mind...hopefully, sundance channel will read this and next year he will be featured in their series...I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

like a sculpture

photo by johan sandberg

this is what I call form and shape....I can't help but love the structure of this dress...it is actually quite the perfect look for those bad skin days or when you just want to be a little undercover.

between the sheets

this is what I love so much about bed sheets....you can create a shape of any kind...I always like to do this with the blankets on my bed....this photo makes me think of fashion designer madame grès. I wonder if she ever attempted neoclassical draping with bed sheets back in her day?

a sheet shape

the english patient (1996)

I can't help but be inspired by anthony minghella's film the english patient, particularly this scene...there is something so ethereal about the silhouette of this white blanket sheet contrasted against the sahara desert that makes me want to start draping some fabric.

lighten up

there is only one woman who makes me question my hair color and that is gisele. i never ever had a desire for light hair, till i saw hers. i'll wait till the grey hairs come in more and more to worry about hair dye, but for now she gives me hair envy.

behind the seams

photo by james bort

i've been watching lots of fashion show documentaries this month, and there seems to be one thing they all have in common, the real stars of the show. the designer is the visionary, but it seems the backstage is where the real craftsmanship lies. rarely do i see the designer sew, its the backstage seamstresses with the high pressure, and lack of sleep. i dedicate this entry to the unknown talents.

the art of a hat

milliner philip treacy at work






photos by kevin davies

there is something so unique and special about a philip treacy hat....one might say that his hats are like functional forms of sculpture. whatever you call it, his work definetly captures a mood and tells a story all its own...I have never tried on one of his creations, but I assume the experience is almost like assuming a new persona.

the bride wore black?

photo by inez van lamsweerde and vinoodh matadin

I can't help but be inspired by the look of stefano pilati's fall/winter 2010 collection for yves saint laurent....from the hat, gloves, to that cape...this is such a look for some drawings in my sketchbook and very much the way I want to look this season....stylishly incognito. I don't know what his main influence was for this collection, but personally I think he was inspired by jeanne moreau in françois truffaut's the bride wore black....whatever it is, I fully support an interesting black shape.

designer/model

catherine maladrino


georgina chapman

we've all heard of the actress/model, but now it looks as though fashion designers have even more pressure on the job. they have to compete with the beauty of catherine, and georgina. remember when they only had to be talented at making clothes?

hair-cut

carine roitfeld

I am cutting my hair in a couple of days. I always like to look at some photos for ideas. I am thinking of a carine roifeld inspired cut......can't really go wrong with this simple style.

roitfeld-styled

photos by mario testino

I will never forget carine roitfeld's first issue of vogue paris as editor in chief...who could forget february 2001? she really took the magazine to the next level, not only as an editor, but as a stylist. this issue, in particular, was all about kate moss, balenciaga, tom ford and yves saint laurent....all these stylemakers defined 2001. I love the way kate moss looks in this layout...especially her hair...you can definetly see carine roitfeld's influence and vision. I remember when I first saw these pics I knew I had to cut off my long hair and change it to something shorter and sassier....this is what I love so much about vogue paris....interesting fashion, hair, make-up and above all style that anyone can emulate.....perhaps, that is what makes carine roitfeld so influential in the world of fashion.

an abundance of apples

dogville (2003)

this scene from lars von trier's film dogville reminds me so much of my sister...lately, I have been noticing a plentiful amount of apples in her apartment and I admire the way she has created some delicious and one of a kind desserts with her husband's extra apples from ojai....I don't know how she always thinks of these things....compliments to the vegan dessert chef!

apple ginger spice cake

we still have plenty of apples left, with more blooming, so i'm still using them in every way possible. this spicy vegan cake has a sweet lemon cream cheese frosting.

a new york state of mind

björk

today is september 11th...I don't think anyone will ever forget what happened on this tragic day. I must admit that I have always been fascinated by look and style of the world trade center... it is always interesting to look at photos where you can see the twin towers, much like this one....this is by far one of my favorite björk moments. I love the way she looks here, from her facial expression, to her multi-bun hairstyle, to the way she contrasts with that new york city background, particularly the world trade center.

let's take manhattan!

manhattan (1979)

on a day like today, I can't help but think about the look, style, and culture of new york city. one film that comes to mind is woody allen's manhattan. I have always loved the collaboration between woody allen and his cinematographer gordon willis. I never forget the opening sequence of this film.... the hudson ferry, the trash on the sidewalks, people not paying attention to eachother, construction workers fixing the street, and of course, george gershwin's rhapsody in blue playing in the background.... gordon willis had such an eye for photographing extremely dark conditions as one can tell by the look and feel of NYC in this film. many times new york is glamorized on screen, but in manhattan you see it as it is....I have always loved movies where new york city plays a character and I think this film is a perfect example of that.

suit yourself

photos by peter lindbergh

when thinking about new york city style I always think of a sleek suit. as a teenager, I was obsessed with this VOGUE editorial from august 1997. I remember experiencing such a fashion epiphany when I saw this and I knew from that moment on that I needed to have a suit in my closet. I love the way supermodel shalom harlow looks in all three of these suits...so long and linear. she blends in so beautifully with the streets of NYC. I know this editorial is from the 90's, but I am still to this day inspired by these looks. this editorial really embodies the woman I want to be...sharp, stylish, and professional. I must admit, that every time I go to new york city and walk through the streets...I am always thinking of this layout hoping to find shalom harlow in these suits or at least women dressed similiar.