the philo way

photo by david sims

what is it about fashion designer phoebe philo?...she really is the epitome of cool. I have always admired her approach to design and style ever since she was creative director for chloé and of course now, with her role as head designer for céline. I am loving the way she has transformed the house of céline...its so minimal, yet so cutting edge, at the same time. I don't know how she does it, but I am so inspired by her design aesthetic and her creative process. last week, I was looking through some of my fashion magazines and stumbled upon a really interesting article about phoebe philo from the september 2011 issue of W magazine.

in the article, we get to go inside the brain of philo and how she finds inspiration. I was so surprised to learn that she doesn't use mood boards, but instead mood books, which are simply random and spontaneous images that don't really have any correlation. she also opens up about how influenced she is by street culture, androgyny, and the idea of rebellion....she includes such great images to show all that. there was one quote in that article that I very much admired...they asked her to describe the céline woman and her own sense of style.

"the céline woman is not look at me...I want to walk around london with no one taking any notice of me at all, but with this very nice sense that my clothes are the best possible make, that they fit my body and my comfort zone."

I so agree with what philo has said....I too believe in the same fashion philosophy! what I admire so much about philo is that her collections represent her, and she represents the clothes....I think this photo actually says it all...love the way she is incognito chic in her turtleneck. I guess you could say she truly represents the ultimate céline woman!

chic in céline

céline fall/winter 2010

I love collections that get stronger as they get older and I think phoebe philo's second collection for céline definitely fits in that category. out of all the looks from her fall/winter 2010 collection this turtleneck jacket will always be my favorite. I love the way this jacket looks... it has a very military quality with that navy blue color, but totally streamlined and chic at the same time. this is definitely the look I am currently going for this winter. philo has such a gift for designing such modern, cool, yet innovative outerwear. what I also like so much about philo's design aesthetic is that she incorporates her own sense of style into the clothes she makes. when I look back at this particular season I can certainly see a little philo in each girl as she walks down the runway.

I feel bad about my neck

photo by elena seibert

I know I shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but I love the front cover of nora ephron's 2006 book entitled I feel bad about my neck. can't help but admire the way she works that black turtleneck. in case you forgot, vanity fair actually named her as one of its best dressed women back in 2010 and the magazine asked her what her favorite item of clothing was and her response was "my black turtleneck chanel sweater."...love her answer!

if you are a fan of nora ephron's films like sleepless in seattle and julie and julia I highly recommend reading this book. ephron takes a very candid and comical look at women and what they have to go through as they get older... she speaks so frankly about all the uncomfortable dilemmas women experience in life...like having a saggy neck at a certain age and hiding it with a turtleneck...I think that is why I like this cover so much because there is a sense of humor to it..mixed in with some style. I really like how she incorporates that sleek black turtleneck with how she feels. what I appreciate so much about ephron's writing style is that she is able to take not so pleasant issues and turn them into something funny and unexpectedly moving. this is definitely one of those books that I like to go back and re-read...plus, she knows a thing a two about fashion and looking good at any age...much to be learned from this woman!

california song

this past saturday we finally went to see the hedi slimane exhibit called "california song." this name went perfectly with our saturday afternoon. living in los angeles we drive so much, that its easy to pass things by. for example i had no idea that there was a museum of contemporary art inside of the pacific design center, even though i have passed by it millions of times. after the museum we ended up at the west hollywood public library, and once again this was the first time we visited this super stylish library. slimane's exhibit must be telling me that i must explore my city better!

it's our blogiversary!!!!

photo by steven meisel

today, is our 3 year blogiversary...its amazing how fast time goes by. I remember back in 2009, when my sister mentioned to me about starting a blog I had my doubts. I remember thinking to myself is this something we could really do together? and, also what if we run out of topics?....well, I am pleased to say that we had none of these issues. it really feels that as time goes by our ideas keep growing. I must thank my sister for coming up with the idea of sisters in black and for continuously inspiring me. we also must thank our parents, friends, and our dear followers who actually understand us and all the things we like to talk about whether it be fashion, film, art, or, style related. when choosing a photo to celebrate our joyous day I thought this steven meisel image from vogue italia august 2008 seemed appropriate....it really is a perfect image to represent our love of black. meisel is someone we are always very much influenced by...the way he takes ideas from life, film, pop culture and incorporates them into his photography is so brilliant and we can't help but be constantly captivated by his work ....on that note, thank you steven meisel for enriching our lives with style! and of course, thank you to all our dear readers....we promise much more fashion-fun and creativity....sisters in black style in 2012!!!!

a little inspiration

this past weekend i went out with a few friends for some salsa dancing. this would have been the perfect opportunity to wear a flowy skirt , and some dancing heels, but it just didn't match my mood. our blog buddy, pret a porter p posted a video called "the client", which showed a day in the life of Carine Roitfeld. After watching the video i understood even more the influence that carine has over fashion. i was suddenly feeling the urge to wear a pencil skirt, with a sleek barely closed button down, a sexy gold pendant necklace, and a great jacket draped over my shoulders. the picture above was my look for the night very much inspired by carine.

teen queen

photo by annie leibovitz

to all our readers, do check out my latest article featured on http://www.iwanttobeacoppola.com/. in this review, I take an in-depth look at the magnificent september 2006 issue of US vogue magazine featuring kirsten dunst as marie antoinette as created by sofia coppola. I will also go into detail and discuss that amazing editorial entitled teen queen, which was styled by the one and only grace coddington. this alexander mcqueen taffeta and chiffon ball gown shown on kirsten dunst is just one of the gowns featured in the article.....if you love a brilliant blend of film, fashion, and style done with a sofia coppola sensibility then you must have a read!

boldly striped

debra messing in ralph lauren

with the golden globes this weekend, I started to think about some of my favorite golden globe red carpet looks. to be completely honest, I forget most of the dresses that I see, but a few in particular stay in my mind. I think if I had to pick my favorite red carpet globe fashion moment I would have to say debra messing in this ralph lauren spaghetti strap striped black and white halter gown from 2001. this is one of my favorite ralph lauren collections, and I think debra messing looks so elegant in these stripes. it really is such a hard look to pull off, but she does it with such grace. its simple, but yet still a bit unconventional, at the same time. normally, I think we are use to seeing stripes done in a casual manner, but this really changes the concept! who would ever think stripes would work so well on a red carpet? I don't know how people still feel about this ralph lauren dress, but I think its a total classic! would love too see more of this type of glamour on the red carpet.....please take note of this!

sweater dressing

photo by cédric buchet

I love a sweater dress this time of year....definitely a look that will keep you warm, but most importantly chic! I recently came across this image of a striped sweater dress and I must say I think this look totally works. I think the reason why I approve of this striped sweater dress is that it reminds me a bit of ralph lauren's spring/summer 2001 collection....what an unforgettable season! this dress in particular is quite elegant, fresh, and completely streamlined. what I also like about this dress is how athletic, yet graceful it looks....the way I prefer to wear stripes! personally, I hate too see stripes when they are done in an overly trendy type of style....I am sure you know what I am talking about! after doing a little research, I discovered that this striped sweater dress was actually designed by tommy hilfiger and not ralph lauren. at any rate, if there is one thing to be learned from this photo...its that you can be both sporty and stylish in stripes!

striped alaïa

christy turlington in azzedine alaïa

speaking of striped dresses....this probably has to be one of my favorite azzedine alaïa looks from the 90's. I think supermodel chirsty turlington looks so stunning in that vertical striped dress...such a difficult look to wear, but I love that silhouette and the shape it takes on her body. I don't know how azzedine alaïa creates this type of glamour, but I love it! I remember my sister bought this issue of elle magazine back in 1992 and I vividly remember skimming through the pages and opening up the magazine to this photo. I also remember reading a really interesting article about the designer in this particular issue. I had never heard of alaïa before and after learning about him I became so intrigued with his approach to design....very rare too see a designer who makes clothes on his own timetable and who also devotes his time to private clients. I don't know about you, but I would love to take a visit to the azzedine alaïa headquarters and watch him at work. its funny how 20 years later after reading that elle magazine article I am still obsessed the way he designs clothes.

browsing

lately i'm expanding my attempts with at home beauty. added to my resume is eyebrow shaping. my fellow sister in black who is extremely picky about who touches her eyebrows has decided to let me be her own personal eyebrow lady. so far she has been happy with my work. i truly love every aspect of making people look their most beautiful. i always keep brooke shields full eyebrow look in mind for my sister. this look is a classic and will always be in style.

monroe in black

photo by bert stern (1962)

last week, I was looking through my vogue paris october 2010 issue and came across this bert stern photograph of marilyn monroe. recently, I have been admiring stern's photography. this pic was actually taken shortly before her death in 1962 for US vogue. stern snapped such great images of monroe and I love how he captured such a sad, beautiful, yet dark side to her that I don't think many people have seen of the iconic star. I think she looks so elegant in that black christian dior gown....especially love that open-back! personally, I think I prefer her in this black dior than that white halter dress from the seven year itch! I know its iconic, but I think every woman looks graceful in a black dress! for some reason, I bet she is thinking to herself...black really is my color!

modern version

dree hemingway in a recreation of marilyn monroe’s dior gown

I love too see a beautifully cut black dress with a striking silhouette...I think this dress fits exactly in that category! I found this pic a couple of days and I must admit I cannot stop looking at it. the shape was inspired by marilyn monroe' s black christian dior dress see on her in that photo taken by photographer bert stern in 1962. model dree hemingway looks absolutely stunning...an amazing recreation! I can't decide which one I like better monroe's or hemingway's? either way, I love a long-dramatic black dress in the winter...perfect this time of year!

a galliano veil

photo by roxanne lowitt

I am not really sure how the fashion world feels about john galliano these days, but I must say, I don't think I can ever hate him as a fashion designer. his early collections in the 90's will always be embedded in my brain. personally, his spring/summer 1995 collection will always be my ultimate favorite galliano! the silhouettes and dress shapes from that season were quite spectacular, but I think what I loved so much about that particular collection were those elegant hats paired with those dramatic veils! this was the first time, I realized that a veil can be both striking and chic....which is definitely the way I like to dress! this photo in particular of kate moss backstage at the galliano show that season is a look I like to reference when I wear my veil.... I swear this pic gets better with age...truly inspiring! has a veil ever looked so good?

puzzled in my veil

photo by orly shuber

I recently purchased my first hat with veil and I must say it is one of the best fashion investments I have ever made....I love the feeling of hiding behind a veil....a very old-fashioned look that I feel needs to be worn more often in our modern-day world. also, let's be honest a veil is really the perfect option for those bad skin days! on a side note, recently, my friend orly and I decided to take some photos inspired by this hat and my love for puzzle pieces...yes, those are puzzle pieces on my face. I am currently in the process of putting an 1000 piece egon schele jigsaw puzzle together and we thought it would be great to incorporate puzzle pieces somehow in some pics. we had a lot of fun taking these photos...its always great to collaborate with people who understand these type of unique fashion concepts. it felt a bit avant-garde, which is always cool! somehow, I think the late isabella blow would appreciate this photo!

beneath the veil

inglourious basterds (2009)

there is something quite elegant about seeing a beautiful veil on film. who could forget mélanie laurent in quentin tarantino's 2009 film inglourious basterds? I really thought she brought so much to this film.... especially through her sense of style. her costumes really add a little something extra to her performance. I particularly like this scene in the film when she is seen putting on her veil. this probably has to be one of the best veil moments ever on screen. costume designer anna sheppard designed the wardrobe for the movie and I love how the looks have a very 1940's feeling, but yet they still feel very modern and of today! this is not your typical 1940s film, which makes it a bit more interesting. I really appreciate how the costumes are highly stylized, not so historically accurate, but yet flamboyant at the same time...I don't know why, but I am always intrigued by the female characters in quentin tarantino's films. he always has such strong female characters with amazing fashion tastes...much like mélanie laurent in this film.

dutch beauty

a sister in black

recently, I snapped this pic of my sister when she modeled for our dear friend cristhian....I was just playing with her camera and decidedly to randomly take this pic of her. I think her hat, jewelry, and make-up look so exquisite...plus, I love the added element of that book and apple in her hand. there is something about this photo that reminds me so much of a johannes vermeer painting....can u see it? perhaps, that is why I like it. at any rate, this is definitely a look that my sister needs to wearing in 2012. the look is both classic and timeless....love how she very much resembles a classic dutch painting.

classic mcgrath

photo by steven meisel

I think there is something strangely similar about that previous photo of my sister and this amazing dutch master inspired-beauty photo of supermodel coco rocha. I had this image in mind when I candidly photographed her....perhaps its the apple? at any rate, in case you were wondering, the make-up was done by beauty master pat mcgrath. what I appreciate so much about pat mcgrath is that her make-up style ranges from classically pretty to completely outrageous....she has quite the extraordinary imagination and I love what she brings to the pages of vogue magazine. I like this photo because it has a johannes vermeer quality to it. the eyeliner is so dramatic, yet her skin and lips remain pale and minimal. plus, that louis vuitton white button-down shirt and that black beret give it such a classical feeling making it appear just like a painting. this is a truly stunning photo. I don't know about you, but I so love to see pat mcgrath and steven meisel collaborate together....yet another dynamic duo!