the power of red

photo by jean-baptiste mondino

I don't know why, but I am always drawn to a red wall....perhaps, I watch too many pedro almodóvar and wong kar-wai films. I just love this color and I feel like it is total visual stimuli for the eyes. I was recently looking through some images from the january 1998 issue of vogue paris and this pic really caught my eye! I so love the way supermodel alek wek's dark skin contrasts with that red dress and wall. such a stunning, vibrant, and inspiring photograph!

os gemeos style

laroux filjian

this past weekend, I attended the miss you art exhibition by the brazilian duo os gemeos at the prism gallery in los angeles with a very stylish friend named laroux. the show featured whimsical imagery and imaginative large-scale installations as well as spectacular wall murals. I was really captivated by the way the color red was featured in the exhibit and I even liked the way it looked on the walls...it felt very much like a scene out of wong kar-wai's film 2046....it was so bright and luminous in that space so naturally I felt inspired to snap some photos. I really like this pic I took of laroux... I think her overall style looks a bit prada fall/winter 2005...love the silhouette of her black dress and that tiny red detail it goes so perfectly with that background. plus, I think the extra added element of her red lipstick completes this photo. I don't know if she planned her outfit to coordinate with the show, but her look worked on so many levels. its always fun when spontaneous fashion-photo moments like this occur. laroux, was by far, the best dressed at the art opening...glad I got to photograph it!

the morning after

tilda swinton in a post oscars haze

trailblazer

sarah jessica parker in calvin klein

with the academy awards this weekend, I started to think about some of my favorite past oscar dresses. to be completely honest, I generally don't agree with most fashion critics and their choices. I like red-carpet fashion that is risky, daring, but above all elegant. one dress that comes to mind is this calvin klein mini-dress seen on sarah jessica parker at the oscars in 2001. I remember she presented an award that evening and I love that she wore something short and refined. it was quite a risky choice, but I admire that she decided on something minimal with a cut-out sleeve, instead of some decadent princess dress that we see every year on the red carpet. this 2001 season was actually one of my personal favorite calvin klein collections. klein designed some amazing looks including body-skimming asymmetric silk jersey dresses with playful cutouts, much like this one seen on SJP. on the runway, this dress was actually paired with tough ankle boots and I like how sarah jessica parker made this cut-out dress all her own with some chic black heels and an added diamond bracelet...I don't know about you, but I seriously would love to see more individuality like this on the red carpet. generally, I find this type of personal style much more exciting and most importantly inspiring!

cut-out chic!

photo by steven meisel

looking at that amazing calvin klein dress on sarah jessica parker got me thinking about the art of cut-out dresses. why is it that so many new york designers know how to perfect this look? some designers that come to mind are norma kamali, narciso rodriguez, calvin klein (of course), and donna karan! I think she might be the ultimate master of the cut-out dress and yes, I do believe she even started the cold-shoulder dress...which is basically a cut-out dress that fits to your body, yet is draped to reveal your shoulders, back, and neck. it really is meant to accentuate the good body parts, not the bad. I think donna karan really understands women and all their flaws. she knows that covering up and revealing certain areas is much better than showing off everything. I recently found this image of a donna karan dress in US vogue and I just love the sleekness of it..very elegant, yet polished, at the same time and it certainly flatters her body in all the right places....what woman doesn't want to follow that donna karan way of dressing? I know for sure this is a dress that I would love to be seen in!

the dress of the season

anthony vaccarello spring/summer 2012

this has to be one of the best cut-out dresses for spring. lately, I have been feeling like this anthony vaccarello dress has been getting a lot of publicity...in case it looks familiar gywneth paltrow is seen wearing this dress on the cover of the current march issue of harper's bazaar and it looks quite amazing on her...if I might add. I really like this dress and even marked it as one of my favorite looks for spring/summer 2012 back in september. I like the direction vaccarello is going in..he seems to have a distinct eye designing clothes that are both sporty and sexy...he reminds me a bit of norma kamali in his design approach, I think she too makes clothes that fit in that sporty-chic category!

personally, I love the idea of an asymmetrical cut-out body-baring black dress...I think this is a look that will always remain in-style. the asymmetrical concept looked so chic in the 70's, 80's, 90's and of course, today! I know this vaccarello black jersey gown is extremely hard to wear and you technically need to have a supermodel body like karlie kloss to wear it...but I think there is something very appealing about this particular dress. its no wonder why it is seen in so many fashion magazines this season. vaccarello definetly has a strong vision I am excited to see more from him!

more of mucha

i now have another reason to visit prague. a major influence in my life has been the artist Alfons Mucha. now i have discovered that Mucha's granddaughter has opened a boutique filled with jewelry, glass, and accessories based on her grandfathers famous artwork. i especially love that the store is decorated authentically in Muchas famous art nouveau style.

the real mcqueen

alexander mcqueen spring/summer 2001

last week, it was brought to my attention that this month marks the two year anniversary of the untimely death of fashion designer alexander mcqueen. yes, his label still goes on with designer sarah burton, but I will always feel nostalgic for many of his past collections. it is so difficult to pick a favorite season, because each one is special in its own unique way, but if I had to pick a favorite look it would be this amazing jigsaw puzzle creation from his spring/summer 2001 collection. As a lover of jigsaw puzzles, I am just in awe of the imagination and thought that went into this puzzle ensemble! I have thought many times about actually trying to copy this look with one of my very own jigsaw puzzles. I am so thinking in the future this will definitely be a puzzle project for me to actually put together and wear! I truly believe that only alexander mcqueen could come up with something so innovative, shocking, and yet so beautiful at the same time! how did he come up with this extraordinary puzzle look?

whatever that answer may be, I will always continue to be inspired by him! recently, I came across a quote by alexander mcqueen in which he stated “for me, what I do is an artistic expression which is channeled through me. fashion is just the medium"....need I say more, his designs will never be forgotten!

puzzled

my egon schiele jigsaw puzzle

speaking of puzzles, I mentioned in january about a jigsaw puzzle I was in the process of putting together. indeed, I finally finished it! I actually finished it a couple of weeks ago, but for some reason I haven't shared it with our readers. I am quite pleased with the end result and I must thank my dear friend kellina for sending me this lovely gift! egon schiele is one of my favorite artists and I have always been obsessed with this 1917 painting entitled the artist's wife. on a side note, I try to do one jigsaw puzzle a year usually 1000 pieces or more, just because I feel it is beneficial for my brain and it teaches me the importance of patience...especially in today's fast world! perhaps, it may sound strange, but I love the noise of puzzle pieces when they snap together, especially when you get to that very last piece. at any rate, I hope you like this schiele puzzle as much as I do. now, the hard part is glueing it and deciding what kind of frame...I am thinking black, naturally!

remembering lillian

photo by lillian bassman (1951)

I was so sad to hear the news that fashion photographer lillian bassman passed away a couple of days ago. I grew up admiring her photography especially those years in which she worked for harper's bazaar magazine back in the 1950's and 60's. I think what I appreciated most about bassman and her photography was that she liked to experiment with new techniques and also how she treated fashion in such a bold and graphic manner. her photo style was so dreamlike, but yet so innovative, at the same time...love her contrasts between light and dark, as seen in this photo of a woman in her corset for a warner’s lingerie advertisement. its quite interesting how modern and futuristic this photo looks. its hard to believe this is from 1951! bassman once said of her photographic style, “I wanted to present women in the way I felt about them … feminine, serene and elegant." I couldn't agree more with this quote...bassman not only changed fashion and photography, but also in the way we see women...she will never be forgotten!

under the influence

photo by nick knight

just a month ago, I was thinking about what an impact lillian bassman has had upon many fashion photographers...one that comes to mind is photographer nick knight. interestingly, just a couple of weeks ago I was looking through the january issue of W magazine and stumbled upon an amazing editorial entitled jazz in the space age. I don't know if nick knight was influenced by bassman, but I definitely see something in this photo that is very her. perhaps, its the stark contrast between light and dark. whatever it may be, I love the futuristic, yet elegant quality of this image....total hauteur space age glam! am not sure if others will agree with me on this, but I can certainly see a connection between the two photographers.....

saying I love you....

photo by philip riches

what better way to celebrate valentine's day than with a viktor & rolf I love you dress! I always think about this dress on february 14th....forget a card saying I love you, I would much rather wear the words in a dress-form. personally, I will never forget this fall/winter 2005 season. I admire the concept of this stunning collection which was inspired by the idea of why not go to work in your bed? often in my mind, I have thought this same question and I love the way viktor & rolf executed the looks from that season. who could forget that famous bed-dress with pillow, as well as those charmeuse boudoir sheets wrapped into evening dresses and of course those duvet coats? only viktor & rolf could get away with these looks... love their imaginations and the way they play with fantasy. I don't know about you, but I would so love to wear this dress to work on a day like today...very comfy-chic!

everything old is new again.....

balenciaga bride (1967)

it appears that everything old is new again....well, at least, in terms of the house of balenciaga. I have always been intrigued by this silk gazar one seam wedding gown with matching hat ever since I saw it in the september 2005 issue of vogue. I remember I was reading an interview with nicolas ghesquière and in that article he talked about going through the cristóbal balenciaga archives and being very much influenced by this wedding dress from 1967. for so many years, I wanted this hat and have been searching for something similar and I so appreciate that ghesquière designed a modern version for spring. it really is quite cool when my fashion wishes, come true. when looking at this photo, I just love how futuristic this whole ensemble looks from top to bottom and to be honest I find it a bit astonishing that this dress is from 1967...cristóbal balenciaga was truly so ahead of his time!

visor-esque hats!

photo by emma summerton

I love that nicolas ghesquière is constantly reminiscing through the balenciaga archives to design something completely modern. as of now, I am so in awe of the current spring/summer 2012 collection. I don't know how ghesquière is able to perfectly blend street- ready looks with classic silhouettes, but it really does work on some strange, yet, beautiful level. out of all the looks from the show, I am presently obsessed with those visor-esque hats! I know they have a mullet quality, but I think they are totally sci-fi chic! somehow, I think this look can totally work on the right person and yes, I am on a wait list for one.... I can't wait to try this hat on! on a side note, I truly feel that cristóbal balenciaga would have highly approved of this collection!

balenciaga effect

carven haute couture fall/winter 2006

I find it fascinating to see what an influence cristóbal balenciaga has had upon many designers, not just nicolas ghesquière. I think cristóbal balenciaga's title as the architect of haute couture remains very true. he clearly, has inspired many classic couturiers such as yves saint laurent, oscar de la renta, hubert de givenchy, and even modern day designers like giambattista valli, as well....just think of his amazing spring/summer 2006 collection.....so many beautiful balenciaga inspired details. recently, I stumbled upon the house of carven, I have never heard of this label before, but I was quite pleased to discover this parisian based line, which is now in the hands of designer guillaume henry. I so love his design aesthetic....especially the look of this black hat....its oversized and completely elegant! I don't know why, but this hat looks so balenciaga to me. I love the dramatic, yet, incognito-chic quality of it. I am not sure if henry was inspired by the balenciaga bride from 1967, but I can definitely see a cristóbal balenciaga influence.

man of talent

drawing by cristhian barron

perhaps, this drawing may look a bit familiar..... a couple of months ago I posted a photo of this drawing that our dear friend cristhian took of myself. I absolutely loved the photo and I was so pleased to see that he turned it into a lovely color drawing. I can't tell which I like better....both are so beautiful in their own unique ways. cristhian is both a talented photographer and artist. if you are a fan of this drawing I highly suggest you check out his art page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cristhian-Barrons-Art-Page/119424818159652. his range as an artist is quite spectacular...he captures such depth and feeling with his artwork and he is very much influenced by film, fashion, dance, and overall human emotion. he is definitely a talent to watch....head over to his page and have a look for yourself!

stéphane rolland

stéphane rolland fall/winter couture 2012

I am currently very much inspired by fashion designer stéphane rolland. I don't know where I have been, but his work is quite magnificent. he is a true artist and I feel like his designs are more like sculptures than actual dresses. today, I was thinking to myself, why aren't more of today's actresses wearing his clothes on the red carpet? I am hoping more stylists take note of his work. out of all the looks from his fall/winter 2012 couture show this white kimono knit wedding dress with samurai sleeves totally left me speechless. from what I have read, this gown required 10 seamstresses to make and took three weeks to construct! plus, if you look closely at the details it is actually made out of rope punctuated with tiny-crystals...what a work of art! I am usually not a huge fan of most wedding gowns, but I think I found the perfect dress I would like to get married in...now, I just have to work on finding that perfect man!

shaggy chic!

photo by bruce weber

somehow, when I was observing all the details of that spectacular stéphane rolland knit gown I automatically thought of balenciaga's fall/winter 2002 collection, particularly those unforgettable shaggy ivory coats. the look is so perfect this time of year...it's total warm, fuzzy, chic! I remember trying this coat on in barney's new york back in the fall of 2002 and falling in love with it. wearing this shaggy jacket was quite an experience...I must admit it does scream for attention, but in a good cutting-edge way....it definitely is a statement jacket and the woman who wears it most certainly needs to have a lot of confidence! personally, not buying this coat was one of my biggest fashion regrets and I still think about it to this day. its interesting how 10 years later this look just gets better with time. it certainly is a coat that combines three of my favorite qualities... fashion, function, and art!

soft sculpture

image courtesy of l'express.fr

I am always searching for looks that resemble anything remotely similar to balenciaga's fall/winter 2002 collection...what is it about that season that always lingers in my mind? recently, I stumbled upon this image of a girl on the street looking so stunning in this ethereal white dress. I so love the draping of her dress it has such a madame grès quality to it, but, to be honest, I think what I love best about this ensemble is her shaggy-short, ivory coat. the coat has such a soft sculpture quality to it and I don't know why, but when I look at this jacket I automatically think of balenciaga's fall 2002 collection. I don't know if I will ever find a 2002 balenciaga ivory shaggy coat, I will keep my fingers crossed on that one, but, in the meantime, I like seeing looks inspired by that season. I definitely think this outfit seems a bit reminiscent of that collection....perhaps, you can see it, too!

miss shaped

photo by steven meisel

its february and you know what that means its black history month! thought it would be appropriate to celebrate it sisters in black style with a gorgeously unique black shape! I recently was looking through an interesting editorial entitled miss shaped from the vogue italia october 2007 issue and came across this pic of supermodel magdalena frackowiak in this black jacket! I am not sure who made it, but I love the sleeping bag quality of it! I guess you could almost say it almost looks like a bed mattress, but a chic one, nonetheless. I would so love to wear this in the day and take a nap in it. at any rate, february is definitely the perfect month to showcase beautiful black silhouettes...but then again, don't we do that every month?

cool in comme des garçons

image courtesy of joannalovesfashion

I love it when I receive emails that inspire me...yesterday, a dear friend of mine sent me a pic of this comme des garçons black jacket. the message attached to the photo was thought of you when I saw this and I must say she totally got it right..... this is exactly the type of silhouette I am currently going for. I love the bubble-ness of the jacket and how it almost looks like a cocoon. its like an überchic sleeping bag! the best part about this jacket is how casual it looks..I believe this woman is at the charles de gaulle airport in paris....I can only imagine how comfortable she must have felt in this coat during her flight! personally, I think the styling is quite perfect with that black beanie hat and those black prada boots! definitely, a suiting jacket shape for the month of february!