fantastic in feathers

photo by craig mcdean

its that time of year when I feel like wearing a bold and dramatic black coat....it really is quite appropriate for this time of year. over the holiday weekend, I was looking through my magazine archives and came across the october 2002 issue of US vogue. this was such a great issue and what I love most about this particular magazine is the editorial entitled the life fantastic. a truly stunning layout featuring supermodel maggie rizer in various looks from the paris couture fall 2002 season. one look that caught my eye was this christian dior haute couture black feathered coat. I so love the shape of this coat and how enormous it appears...there is something very old-hollywood about it that I so admire. this is exactly the look I am feeling this winter....over the top and glamorous! on a side note, I so miss seeing maggie rizer in the pages of vogue. she definitely looks so fabulous in those feathers!

black friday chic!

photo by steven meisel

hooray for black friday! this is a very special day for all of us who love to wear black. on that note, us sisters in black thought it would be appropriate to celebrate the day with some unique black shapes on some very stylish women. recently, I came across this image of grace coddington in a book entitled the stylist: the interpreters of fashion and was so in awe of this look. I believe it was from a vogue italia editorial back in 1992. I so love the way this black-wrap shape looks on miss coddington. the silhouette is so loose and mysterious...plus, I love the added element of that white cat popping out beneath her dress. a total grace coddington signature....who wouldn't want to wrap themselves up in this?...this is definitely my ideal ensemble for black friday!

patti in black

photo by annie leibovitz

yet another great look for black friday...I stumbled upon this photo of patti smith in an old book of mine entitled visionaire's fashion 2000 and fell in love with this black off the shoulder dress by ann demeulemeester. I so admire the work and vision of fashion designer ann demeulemeester. her clothes are very meticulous, severe, and experimental at the same time. most importantly, I like that her clothes appear as if they are falling off. she has a very nonchalant approach to fashion that I find so relatable. I could easily spend the day wearing this black dress!

dynamic duo

pina bausch and yohji yamamoto

there was something very unique and special about the relationship between fashion designer yohji yamamoto and choreographer pina bausch. last year, I discovered that they were not only good friends, but collaborators, as well. if you look at a lot of her dance productions you can definitely see a huge yamamoto influence in her work. just look at her dramatic dance piece entitled orphée et eurydice and you will see it....I am always referencing this particular piece of choreography for my own look when I want to wear something black, dark, and edgy. at any rate, I love this pic of bausch and yamamoto...I am not sure what exactly he is draping on her, but I so want to wear this black shape out and sleep in it, as well!

the perfect family?

I don't know why, but on thanksgiving I think about this thought-provoking editorial from the july 2005 issue of W magazine....perhaps, it is has something to do with the so-called idea of the perfect american family? the layout features brad pitt and angelina jolie and their five sons in an impeccable modernist house in palm springs, california during the 1960's. what I find so intriguing about this editorial is that on the surface everything looks perfect...but as you glance through these photos you suddenly start too see that this family is on the verge of a collapse.....

I remember this editorial being so controversial in 2005, partly because brad pitt came up with this concept and his own marriage at the time was coming to an end. plus, we didn't know if pitt and jolie were actually a couple.....leaving these pictures open to all sorts of interpretations. what is so great about this portfolio is that it appears more like a film than a fashion editorial....I so love the artful compositions, the hidden subtext, and the overall cinematic quality of these shots. photographer steven klein does such a brilliant job at capturing an all-american family living alienated lives in a total neo-paradise....hats off to steven klein for depicting family disfunction with a little style. the proper way to celebrate thanksgiving!














photos by steven klein

makeup artist gina brooke

my sister and i went specially to barney's this afternoon so we could meet one of our favorite makeup artists gina brooke. we have blogged on her and her inspiring art previously in our blog. hourglass is slowly taking over for the void of shu uemura. i will trust any line that gina is associated with. plus i got educated on illuminator, and lash laquer. gina was so sweet and lovely, and loves to wear black as much as we do! i only regret forgetting to ask gina how she got her start in makeup?

stirrup

photo by greg kadel

I love black stirrup pants all time of the year, but I think they look especially chic in the winter. this past week, I was looking through my magazine archives and came across the harper's bazaar november 2001 issue...one of my personal favorite issues. one editorial, in particular, caught my eye entitled luxe for less. I so remember looking at this layout 10 years ago and feeling so inspired by a lot of the looks featured. I was quite taken by this image, I so love the way shalom harlow looks in these super slim black stirrup pants. the composition of this shot is perfect and I love her expression on her face. plus, I like the added elements of that trench coat, red hat, paired with those super high-heels. its so minimal, yet edgy at the same time. its interesting how in 2011 I am still taking inspiration from this outfit....I love fashion editorials that get better with time....this is one of those!

hakaan stretch pants

hakaan fall/winter 2011

by far, one of my favorite fall/winter 2011 collections this season has to be hakaan. I would definitely put him in that haider ackermann and rick owens category. his style is a little bit goth, but totally chic at the same time. I don't know if fashion insiders are talking about him, but I admire what he is doing. this has to be one of my favorite runway looks for this season. I so love those sleek black stretch pants paired with that mannish blazer. the look is a perfect balance of feminine and masculine. plus, I love the added element of her red lips. personally, I really love it when designers feature black stretch pants simply because that is basically my everyday look. I always find it exciting and inspiring when designers feature looks that are easy to emulate. on that note, I am so feeling this stretch pant look with matching blazer....all I can say is hooray for hakaan! can't wait too see more of his work in the future!

stretch pants for men

image courtesy of the sartorialist

like every style blogger I love to browse through the sartorialist website....I like to think of it as a fashion version of national geographic magazine. I feel like I can always find an image that inspires me with my own approach to dressing. a couple of days ago, I came across this image of a man in his black stretch pants. perhaps, he is leaving or maybe going to the gym...that is kind of what I like about this photo you are not really sure about where he is going. at any rate, I must admit I think black stretch pants on a man can actually work. of course, it is not for every man, but I think in a gym setting the look is quite suiting and lately I have been liking when men wear stretch pants with a pair of black shorts over....I guess you could say it is a bit effeminate, but I think even a manly guy can get away with this look. it really is all about the styling!!!!

I must admit that part of what I love about going to the gym is observing sporty style on both men and women. it really is interesting too see how people like to dress when they work out and of course how they translate the look when they leave the gym. the concept may sound strange, but I believe carine roitfeld really executed this type of style perfectly in her november 2004 vogue paris sportswear issue. I keep that issue on my desk at all times for constant inspiration. sporty chic is definitely the way I like to dress for both day and night. on a side note, I really hope the sartorialist features more sporty-street gym pics like this...it really is such a trend that I think both men and women can easily relate to.

slip and slide

i recently watched the movie "fall" and it made me think back to the mtv awards when courtney love took amanda de cadenet and dressed in matching antique slip dresses. i think this was also around the time that my love for vintage shopping started . to this day i feel a slip is completely appropriate when worn with style. plus whenever i visit a specialty vintage store i still like to browse the slip section with this look in mind.

charlotte forever

photo by steven meisel

I so want that black cape charlotte gainsbourg is wearing in this vogue italia october 2000 editorial....it really is quite perfect for this winter! on a side note, to all our readers, please check out my latest vogue paris review on http://www.iwanttobearoitfeld.com/ I forgot to mention this last week, when it was first published, but charlotte gainsbourg was the guest editor that month in january of 2008 and I take an-depth look into that iconic issue. my review is filled with style analysis and lots of unique charlotte gainsbourg images. if you are a fan of her personal style, or you admire her as an actress, and as a musician I highly suggest you take a look....either way, you should be reading I want to be roitfeld, anyway.

cape-coat

photo by inez van lamsweerde and vinoodh matadin

I try to keep an open mind with fashion, but I still can't believe this cape is by tommy hilfiger! for some reason, I get more of a ralph lauren type of vibe with this look. perhaps, it has to do with the styling....the black beret, the tights, and those high-heels. it just seems very lauren to me...now, I am thinking I should be paying more attention to tommy hilfiger. I never thought I would say that, but I just love looking at this photo from the vogue paris august 2011 issue. lara stone looks so sophisticated and sleek. this is definitely a coat-look that I would surely like to emulate for the current winter season....so über winter-chic!

absolutely alaïa

carine roitfeld

nobody can wear a winter coat quite like carine roitfeld. I always like to look at random photos of her in warm coats when it starts to get colder....she just knows how to do this look impeccably. earlier this year, I discovered this photo of her in an azzedine alaïa black coat. she wore this back in 2007, but for some reason I never saw her in this at the time. I think the shape and silhouette is quite perfect. plus, I like the stitching, the fur details, and how she paired this coat with black tights and high-heeled boots....I am always amazed by the craft and quality that goes into an azzedine alaïa creation...I like to think of alaïa as a sculptor more than just a fashion designer. at any rate, this is really the perfect example of how to wear a winter coat!

coat sketch

an illustration from my sketchbook

I was so inspired by carine roitfeld's azzedine alaïa coat that I decided to draw my own....currently, I am really into an oversized collar look...I so love the idea of hiding behind a large collar there is something very incognito-chic about that, plus I like the balance of a cinched waist. I think the juxtaposition of the two makes for an interesting type of shape....I don't know about you, but this is definitely the type of coat I would like to be sporting this winter.

frost french

i just finished reading sadie frost's autobiography and it got me thinking about her past fashion line frost french. i remember only hearing of this line from "fashion television". the clothes were not anything special but the show was a spectacle. all the cool english girls attended the shows, and it got a lot of press. thats why we have to pay homage to jeanne beker (host of fashion television), because we american girls would never know such lines of clothing even existed.

french twist with a kitty

i haven't done a pencil drawing in so long. sometimes its good to keep it simple.

pearl jam 20

if you love a good rock documentary as much as i do, then check out cameron crowes latest "pearl jam 20". I'm a bit embarrassed to say how many times i've watched it, but i just had to share it with my sister this weekend. plus every time i watch i catch something new.

she looks good in leather

emmanuelle alt

it has taking me awhile to adjust to emmanuelle alt as editor-in-chief of vogue paris...but I am slowly getting there. I guess things started to change with the august 2011 issue with lara stone on the cover. this was by far, one of my favorite magazine covers of the year! such a beautiful homage to los angeles. nonetheless, I still admire emmanuelle alt's own personal style...especially the way in which she wears leather pants. this photo is a perfect example of how to wear leather...the blazer and sandals are perfection and the perfect complement to those pants! I think we all know that emmanuelle alt has the longest legs, so naturally leather pants are quite suiting for her. I think what is so cool about her look is that she has a very nonchalant rock n'roll attitude with her sense of style...her approach to dressing is a bit uniform, but I like that she knows what works for her figure. when I start to think about it, I see a lot of her style incorporated into the pages of vogue paris, now...its interesting how that happens...I believe when carine roitfeld was editor-in-chief we saw the same, too!

gucci leather

photo by steven meisel

I love flashing back to gucci when tom ford was creative director....I get so nostalgic for that time in fashion, ford could do no wrong. I use to love watching his runway shows on fashion file with his eloquent commentary about what inspired him for a collection. he also created some of the best gucci ads ever, that I still love looking at. he really thought about every aspect of design, which is what I admire most about him as a designer. personally, I will always love his fall/winter 1999 collection particularly these sleek rock n'roll style leather pants. I remember wanting these pants so bad....the cut is perfect and I so love that bell bottom flare at the bottom. I don't even mind the embroidery, I think it actually works in a gucci sort of decadent way. at any rate, whenever I think about looking cool in leather, this US vogue july 1999 image comes to mind! a very iconic gucci-chic look!

the morrison

jim morrison

when thinking about leather pants I always think of jim morrison from the doors....I truly believe that jim morrison was a total trendsetter in making leather pants proper rock n'roll stage attire....some might disagree and say elvis, but I think morrison took it to another level. he made it much more rock n' roll and less motorcycle, which I think at the time had not been done before. there is so much about jim morrison's personal style that I admire....he really had a signature look with his wavy cool hair, a white silky button down shirt, his leather pants, and of course that cool western style belt he always wore with his leather pants.

I must admit that growing up my dad use to always listen the doors. I still have vivid memories of my dad dropping me off at school in the morning in his 1984 mercedes convertible and light my fire would be on in the background. and yes, while most dad's wore business suits to work my dad wore a black bad-ass leather jacket to work. I always remember him talking to me about how cool jim morrison looked in his leather pants with that western belt....perhaps, I must thank my dad for exposing me to morrison's style at such a young age and for teaching me that you can never go wrong in leather....whether in nice leather pants or a sleek leather jacket.

irreverent

a page from irreverent

yesterday, I picked up a copy of carine roitfeld's new book entitled irreverent and I must say this isn't just a book, but a full on fashion experience...I feel so proud to have gotten my hands on it, since there are only a limited amount of copies available.

I just love looking through each and every page...I must admit that even the pages feel magnificent! carine roitfeld puts together such a stunning collection of photos from her own personal life as well as many of her greatest vogue paris editorials. its not only just the images that are dazzling, but its her attitude, nonchalance, her sense of fantasy, and the way she can incorporate her own experiences and feelings onto the clothes....all that is showcased in this book. if a picture is worth a thousand words, than irreverent is worth about 1000 times as much. I am so pleased to welcome this rare gem of a book into my fashion archives!

the skin I live in

la piel que habito (2011)

there is nothing I love more than a uniquely stylish pedro almodóvar film. I get very excited too see the words, EL DESEO presenta UN FILM DE ALMODÓVAR. this past weekend, I saw his latest film-a psychological thriller entitled the skin I live in and I must say I am still in awe. yes, there is a puzzle-like plot, like in all his films, but what I loved most about it is the visual style. the movie is a decadent feast for the eyes. there is so much intricate set design as well as eye-catching paintings that adorn the walls. the film also features beautiful costumes designed by paco delgado with help from jean-paul gaultier. I am so loving this bodysuit actress elena anaya wears in the film....she also wears a black one in the film, too. I could not find a photo of it, but she looks quite chic wearing a gaultier black bodysuit and practicing yoga.

it is hard to express what I want to say, but literally, there is so much subtle style on every surface of this film...how does almodóvar do it? he has such a strange ability to make writing on a wall even look so chic! at any rate, I must say the film features amazing visuals, strong performances and a plot that’s terrifying and thought-provoking, at the same time....what a visionary he is and I truly believe that is the reason why we all love almodóvar!

more skin

la piel que habito (2011)

there are so many interesting visuals featured in the skin I live in. It really is too difficult to narrow it down to just a couple of shots. this image in particular was one of my favorites. there is something very helmut newton about this moment from the film. I can definitely see his photography being an influence on him...especially the scenes featured in the operating room. lately, I have been thinking that in many of his films there always seems to be a medical or surgical motif....just think of talk to her and all about my mother...those two films also feature obscurely stylish medical moments. perhaps, it sounds weird to say, but I love the way those surgery lines are drawn onto her body. only pedro almodóvar could possibly take something as unattractive as plastic surgery and turn it into something so chic....

a bourdin

photo by guy bourdin

I was quite pleased to see so much artwork featured in la piel que habito. in the film, pedro almodóvar references artist and sculptor louise bourgeois who was known as the spiderwoman . he also thanks her in the credits for personal inspiration and for the character of vera played by elena anaya. not only does he pay homage to bourgeois, but he also features a unique reproduction of titian's venus d'urbino into the film. those were the two most obvious references, but I felt while watching the film that possibly almodóvar was inspired by guy bourdin. this photo in particular kept re-appearing in my head. I don't know if this was an influence for him, but I can definitely a strange connection between bourdin and this film.