hat inspired

photo by mario testino

this past weekend, I found myself looking through my vogue archives and came across the june 2005 issue....I particularly liked the editorials dedicated to the look and style of seville, spain. while browsing through the magazine, I couldn't help but be inspired by this photo of salma hayek. I love the shape of her black seville style hat contrasted with her white ensemble. with a little styling help from my sister, I thought we could achieve a similar look, but still make it a style all our own.

the bolero

we were feeling inspired by hats this weekend and played dress up.

ending on a sweet note

thanksgiving and our fathers birthday fell at the same time. we multi celebrated with my homemade persimmon bread, apple tart, and my dads favorite carrot cake. vegan decadence!

black friday

photo by sofia sanchez & mauro mongiello

I think I found the perfect dress for black friday....I love the way charlotte rampling looks in this long and sleek silk-black jersey dress...there is something so chic about the look of a figure-skimming dress that covers up in all the right places....which I think is a look that works so well on women. charlotte rampling definetly shows that a woman can be stunning and sophisticated at any age.

petite in black

photos by hedi slimane

some extra black shapes for black friday...I am still inspired by the october issue of vogue paris particularly this editorial with violette who is eleven years old and daughter of model-designer inès de la fressange...violette proves that tweens as well as adults can look understated and elegant in black...I don't know about you, but I think violette is way mature beyond her years. I hope she is helping other girls her age on how to dress appropriately.

time for a turtleneck

photo by gilles bensimon

I do love those turtlenecks and the composition of this shot.....so bergman-esque.

interiors

sisters in black....no wonder why I like this film...beautifully shot by cinematographer gordon willis



the matriarch in black...such a stark contrast between her wardrobe and the beige interiors of her apartment



renata (diane keaton) a successful poet has all the talent but wants to find inner peace....



joey (mary beth hurt) strives to have all the creative talent like her sister renata, but does not....I first saw this film in 2000 and this line still to this day plays in my brain... 'poor Joey, she has all the anguish and anxiety of the artistic personality without any of the talent.’....I think we all feel this way sometimes....I know I do.



eve (geraldine page) can't accept the fact that her husband wants to remarry...she is obsessed with herself and her interiors of her apartment. on a style note..I love her cone-shaped chignon and her monochrome wardrobe...she has such a 70's understated sense of style.


muted tones, beige walls, and wooden floors... a perfect example of 70s minimal interior design...

interiors (1978)

images courtesy of brightwallinadarkroom

for some odd reason, I always think about woody allen's film interiors on thanksgiving day....perhaps, it has something to do with the cold atmosphere of the film or just the fact that it deals with all the struggles that families go through. thanksgiving to me is really about being together with your family and enjoying the time you spend together, no matter how dysfunctional...and as I get older I am starting to realize that nobody comes from a flawless family....I saw this film at a young age, and it left such an impact on my life to help me understand that nobody is perfect. woody allen's interiors talks about about the interiors of its characters, but also about the architectural interiors of their environment....it is very much like an ingmar bergman film, but done in a woody allen sensibility. each character is socially disconnected from the world around them, as well as emotionally disconnected from themselves and from one another. style wise, the film is really all about minimalism...from the clothes, to the interior design...everything is very understated with beige, black and grey tones...there is so much hidden and subtle style in each scene, that I so appreciate...I can't really explain why, but I always like to watch this film around thanksgiving....it really goes with the season.

ingmar's interiors

photos by stephen shore

in november 2009, W magazine featured a really interesting editorial into the personal space of swedish director ingmar bergman who happened to be woody allen's main inspiration for his 1978 film interiors. so many scenes from interiors are so reminscent of bergman's house. bergman lived on the swedish island of fårö and this was the place where he wrote all his scripts and filmed several of his movies. for bergman, fårö was more than just a home, but a haven for his creative wellspring and a central character in many of his films....I can't help but be reminded of his film persona (1966)-such similiarites. I love the simplicity of his house...there is such a winter feeling with the misty widows, the white and wooden decor, and his natural surroundings....now, I can totally see why allen felt inspired by bergman....interiors very much echoes bergman in style.

kitchen fantasy

just like everybody else this time a year, i am spending a lot of time in my kitchen. i am proud of the meals i have cooked in my mighty but mini kitchen, but i have to admit if i was cooking in the kitchen above, my dinners might taste just a bit better!

weekend sketch

hat study

photo by bruce weber

while in montréal a couple of months ago, I purchased a hat quite similar to the one kate moss is wearing in this photo. I love this hat because it is so versatile. the look can go from equestrienne, spanish style, to even a little coco chanel. I always say the key to looking good in a hat has to do with the styling of it. personally, I really admire the styling of kate moss in this hat...it is almost perfect....with just a simple black turtleneck matched with a pair of hoop earrings...I don't know about you, but this really is the kind of look I am going for.

hats by hermès

hermès spring/summer 2011

I love it when it get really inspired and amazed by a collection. that is how I felt about jean-paul gaultier's last collection for hermès spring/summer 2011. the collection was all about ultra-high-waisted pants, body harnesses, jodhpur shorts, stunning suede jackets, and leather skirts...but what I really loved most about this collection were those sleek spanish style hats.

hat options

adding a twist with a scarf....


or keeping it simple with a sleek braid....

I couldn't help but admire the details for hermès spring/summer 2011 collection. I particularly liked those chic hats paired together with those stunning braided hairstyles....very equestrienne! this gives me such inspiration for some ideas with my own hat, which is quite similiar to this style...this sounds like an interesting hair and hat project for my sister and I to work on...I am curious to know what she thinks about these two looks as inspiration...

pump it up!

photo by steven meisel

such a classic prada look from fall/winter 1996...I still to this day love this blend of those violet stockings paired with those exaggerated brown leather mary janes...this is what miuccia prada does best....accessorize!

the comfort zone

I really don't know what exactly to call this look....it is almost like a blanket, sweater, and poncho with a little bit of a missoni pattern all rolled into one....this has to be the perfect ensemble for those days where you don't want to get out of bed.

gone picking

a victorian style hat

the age of innocence (1993)

I am always on the search for a new kind of hat...I love being eccentric and pairing a vintage hat look with something practical, like my gym clothes. I recently re-watched martin scorsese's the age of innocence and fell in love with this victorian style hat as seen on actress winona ryder. I am currently into a bonnet and brim look....it is actually a very charming and simple look. yes, this hat might look old-fashioned, but I always feel that with a little styling you can make any hat modern...hopefully, I will find one like this in my near future.

bold in balenciaga

photo by david sims

I remember seeing this balenciaga look in practically every fashion magazine back in 2006...I must say that I never get tired of looking at it. there is something so unique and innovative about the shape and silhouette of this collection. I still to this day love a lot of the looks from this season....who could forget those riding hats, paired with tweed bell-curved coats and short lampshade skirts, and of course, those unreal platform boots....this collection will always be a classic.

agnès in balenciaga

mademoiselle agnès

I always find it necessary to have a sense of humor...especially when it comes to fashion. I feel there is always a designer, model, or muse to make fun of. there's something really atypical and eccentric about the way fashion journalist mademoiselle agnès talks about fashion...she has a style all her own and I love how she make fun of just about anyone in the industry.... I really love this moment of her in a fall 2006 balenciaga ensemble from her girl on the run series. it is so refreshing to see someone wear such a high-fashion look, and not take themselves so seriously in it....I feel that her spontaneity and unique sense of fashion make her a definite icon of style.

time change

ascenseur pour l'échafaud (1958)

I don't know why but I really hate it when it gets dark so early...I prefer the summertime, when it gets darker later and it is warmer outside. now, I feel like the day goes too fast and nothing gets accomplished. perhaps, I am being a little overly dramatic or just having a jeanne moreau moment from elevator to the gallows....I assume it is probably normal to feel this way this time of year.

nails did

galliano's greatest

photo by craig mcdean

I don't care what fashion critics say I think john galliano's 1999 backward tuxedo for christian dior is quite brilliant. I love the idea of taking something as simple as a suit, and wearing it backwards. it brings new life, to such a traditional look. this is really what fashion should be all about...I hope with time, people will learn to appreciate this genius galliano creation....at any rate, I would gladly walk backwards in this suit.

suit with tie

diane keaton

I have always admired the personal style of actress diane keaton...she really is a true orginal. I don't really know of anyone who can get away with a lot of the looks that she wears, which puts her in her own fashion category. my personal favorite diane keaton ensemble is this suit with tie....it is a look that is a little bit annie hall meets ralph lauren, but still very diane keaton. I have always found this look fearless and very inspiring. it takes alot of confidence to wear a suit with tie...but she does it so well.

the other lisa marie

in high school i was quite intrigued by lisa marie smith, especially when she had her purple hair. i spent many hours drawing her back then. she hasn't been painted in the greatest light lately, so lets all remember "goth" lisa marie.

in a 3-D fashion

photos by steven meisel

nowadays, it seems like so many films are in 3-D...I don't know if it is me, but I think this 3-D thing is getting a little played out. I am started to believe that fashion editorials should be 3 dimensional rather than movies. currently, I am still quite taken with vogue italia's september issue entitled vision of feminity with supermodel miranda kerr. this is the first ever three dimensional layout and I love the 3-D glasses that come with the magazine. in an age, where the fashion magazine is not as important as it use to be, this italian vogue issue reinvents itself and goes against the strict standards of printed paper....this is definetly the right direction where fashion magazines need to be headed in the future. sometimes, I fear that fashion magazines will be obsolete soon, which would be hell for me because I love to touch and look through magazines. bravo to vogue italia for thinking about a new vision for their magazine and for understanding that there are still people out there who want to get out of the house, head to a newsstand and buy a fashion magazine...especially one that pushes boundaries.