so bella!

photo by patrick demarchelier

today is our mother's b-day! so accordingly, we thought it would be appropriate to celebrate the day with a beautiful black dress. after all, I think our love of black definitely comes from our mom! I think this year we found a dead-on photo and dress that perfectly represents her sharp sense of style. this is actually from one of my all-time favorite editorial's from harper's bazaar magazine and I remember when I bought this issue back in july of 2003 I immediately showed bella (our mom) this image. she absolutely loved this dress on actress jennifer connelly and she also loved this fall 2003 collection from donna karan. we both tend to talk about this season a lot....certainly one of her all-time best! who could forget those perfectly draped silk black jersey dresses on that runway and the way they were held together by those silver rings? totally unforgettable! this collection was all about power dressing and sex appeal and I believe that our mom totally possesses a lot of those qualities when she gets all dressed up. we really must thank her for being so stylish and for constantly inspiring us with her amazing style! she certainly lives up to her name...wishing bella a very happy b-day from her daughter's in black frocks!

still got it

photo by paola kudacki

is it me or has jane fonda been looking better than ever lately? I can't believe this woman is 74 years old! last week, I happen to catch some photos of her on the red carpet at the 2012 cannes film festival and I just thought to myself how does she do it? I love to see women of a certain age who look as good as this. sometimes, I think in our culture we put too much emphasis and praise on certain younger actresses who really have no sense of style and not so much self confidence, either. I think for the most part that definitely sets a bad example for both younger and older women. I hate how we believe a woman can only be sexy if they are in their 20's. I will always disagree with that concept. I think jane fonda is certainly changing that stereotype. on a side note, I love the way she looked in this pic from the september 2011 issue of harper's bazaar magazine...this is one of those photos that I think really captures both her inner and outer beauty. to be honest, I didn't really care for this stella mccartney dress until I saw jane fonda wearing it in this editorial. she totally worked that silhouette and I just love the risqué character of the sheer inlays combined with the playfulness of those polka dots. this dress has certainly been seen on many actresses and models for the past couple of months, but I must say jane wears it best! she definitely proves that a woman can be sexy in their 70's. brava!

FAN-tastic!

photo of my sister

back in april, when my sister and I went to new york city for my birthday we spent a good couple of hours browsing through the bergdorf goodman department store. it was such an unforgettable fashion experience! each floor featured models wearing beautiful dresses and they pretty much just walked up and down the hallways showing off their gowns. they also carried signs displaying the designers names in case you were curious about who they were wearing. for the most part, it was pretty magnificent and quite inspiring to walk through that store. by far, the best part of our bergdorf experience was this moment I captured of my sister on the 7th floor. there happen to be a section of intricate lace fans and I saw my sister put this one up to her face. I just loved the way the polka dot details looked against her skin and the way it complemented her beautiful red nails. I have never seen a polka dot fan like this before and I so admire the way she models it in this pic...so glamorous! after observing this photo, I am now thinking I need to be sporting one of these for the summer....I think this is a total must have classic look!

polka dot inspired

photo by arthur elgort

personally, I love the idea of wearing polka dots, but I have trouble sometimes incorporating them into my wardrobe. I have a beautiful and rare vintage lanvin polka dot dress from 1967, but that is pretty much the extent of my polka dot style. to be completely honest, it has to be a very special piece for me to wear. usually, with polka dots it has to be a statement dress or perhaps even a key accessory! I don't think I could ever get away with dots from head to toe...for the most part, it sometimes ends up looking like a major fashion disaster. I recently stumbled upon this image of supermodel linda evangelista from vogue paris magazine back in 1989 and I appreciate the way photographer arthur elgort integrated polka dots in this pic. I just love how oversized her polka-dot hat is and the way it covers her whole mid-section. when I start to think about it, this photo is much more interesting with her wearing the hat as a dress rather than as an actual hat. very brilliant when you start to analyze the details of this image. definitely, a photo for thought! I think I might take some polka dot inspiration from this pic!

bougainvilleas in bloom

photo by mario testino

I love the way flowers look in the month of may! usually, this time of the year most flowers look so vibrant and stylish especially bougainvilleas. I don't know why, but I am always so drawn to their color, shape and form. surprisingly, last week, I was looking back at the vogue paris september 2011 issue and stumbled upon a beautiful editorial starring charlotte casiraghi who is the daughter of princess caroline of monaco and is also the face for the current gucci campaign. the entire vogue paris layout was so stunning, but this photo of charlotte casiraghi posing next to these eye-catching bougainvilleas really made a lasting impression in my mind. I just love how natural she looks in her purple ensemble and how she blends so perfectly with those magenta bougainvilleas. it's quite a simple shot, but so rich in saturation and when I look at this image I just think of springtime. interestingly, I have recently discovered some other mario testino images featuring bougainvilleas, as well...I so appreciate the way he incorporates nature in his photos and am so glad to discover that I am not alone in thinking that bougainvilleas make for great photos....thank you mario testino for the lovely photo inspiration!

sporty-chic!

photo by thomas schultz

I love sportswear especially when it is done in a chic manner! I spend a lot of my free time working out, so when I am in a dance or pilates class I am constantly observing the way other people interpret sportswear! its always interesting too see the way both men and women wear gym clothes! I recently stumbled upon this thomas schultz photo from vogue paris back in 2001 and completely fell in love with this image. the styling is brilliant and I love it when carine roitfeld creates this type of sporty-edgy, glamour. she certainly has a way of putting a look together and creating an eye-catching image. with this pic, everything just falls into place quite perfectly. the jacket, the watch, the black stretch pants, and of course those black high-heels! even her body language conveys so much! when I look at this photo I think to myself, she probably just came from the gym, put her tennis shoes away and decided to throw on a pair of heels. personally, I always like the idea of going from day to night and I think carine roitfeld truly depicted that with her styling, here. after carefully examining this look, I think I now want to invest in a sleek pair of stilettos to go with my black stretch pants for the gym! I so love the way vogue paris interprets sportswear...always so inspiring!

stretch-pant sketch

an illustration from my sketchbook

I love to draw black stretch pants...whether fancy or casual! this illustration was loosely inspired by the mario testino vogue paris layout of princess stéphanie of monaco back in january of 2009. she was wearing some really cool form-fitting black christian dior stretch pants paired with some sexy givenchy stiletto heels. her style in that layout was very cutting edge, yet minimal and somehow it completely worked. after studying that testino editorial I felt very motivated to create my own look highly influenced by stéphanie's look. I don't know if this is actually wearable, but I love it when I surprisingly get inspired!

woman of style

norma kamali

there is so much I admire about fashion designer norma kamali. who could forget her iconic sleeping bag coats and of course her garments made from silk parachutes...she totally has taken fashion to a whole new innovative level! what I love most about norma kamali is that she not only designs clothes that are sporty, chic and completely practical, but she truly embodies the type of woman she designs for. if someone were to ask me who some of my style icons are I would definitely say norma kamali...I can't believe this woman is 63 years old! personally, I think she looks better as she gets older. perhaps, it has something to do with her passion for health and fitness...whatever it may be, I so love her sporty-chic approach to style. I think all that is perfectly represented in this photo. I don't think she is even wearing her own label here, but I so like the short black nike stretch pants paired with that tank-top and how she layers it with a black long sleeved top. the look is effortless, sleek, and totally streamlined. norma kamali is such an expert at incorporating versatile multi-use pieces. I so learned that lesson last month when I bought my two piece dress from her NYC store. she truly is an iconic woman of style...thank you norma kamali for inspiring me!

river's tide

photos by jamie bochert

two weekends ago I was skimming through the april issue of interview magazine and stumbled upon this brilliant editorial entitled river's tide and since then I haven't stopped thinking about it. I just love the look of it. perhaps, it reminds me a bit of madonna's frozen video with a touch of lykke li's I follow rivers video blended with the visual style of anthony' minghella's 1996 film the english patient. the layout features model/musician jamie bochert and her husband michael pitt in the moroccan desert. bochert and pitt were both inspired by philippe garrel’s 1972 film la cicatrice intérieure and also turn-of-the-century swiss explorer isabelle eberhardt’s spiritual journey across the north african plains. to be honest, I was not familiar with their photo inspirations, but I love the execution of these pics and the style of these clothes....its quite imaginative in the way they incorporate swaths of sheer layers, fringe, and lace in these photos. the overall effect is very ethereal, dark, and so dreamlike...everything I look for in an editorial. bravo to interview magazine for such a visually stimulating editorial...keep doing interesting fashion layouts like this...so inspiring. I must admit now I feel like going to the middle east and doing some photos similar to this style!

in our shades

photo by my sister

since it is mother day's, we might as well celebrate in style with an homage to ever so elegant and stylish mom! we are always inspired by our mom! no matter what she wears she always looks completely unique and refined...whether day-casual or night-time fancy, she certainly knows what works for her! not many mom's are like that, so we feel completely blessed! last year, my sister snapped this photo of my mom and I lounging in our sunnies in our hotel room in barbados. my mother, just purchased an amazing pair of cat-eyed dior sunnies and I happen to be wearing my prada ones. the moment seemed almost too perfect and of course I made my sister get out her camera and capture this ever so chic moment. I love the way my mom looks...so completely relaxed, stylish, but above all glamorous. she was born for those shades....thank you mom for constantly inspiring us with your amazing sense of style...you will always be our chic mother in black!

incognito chic

photo by mert and marcus piggott

every time, I see a woman hiding behind a big dark pair of sunglasses I think about my mom. last week, I was looking back at the W september 2008 issue and stumbled upon an editorial entitled istanbul. immediately, while looking at these images I was reminded of my mom. nobody can do incognito chic quite like her and she has practically perfected this look down to an art! I actually showed my mom this photo to see what her immediate reaction would be and she loved it just as much as I did. what I appreciate about this pic is how out of focus supermodel lara stones appears and how clear istanbul looks in the background! for some odd reason, my mom tends to follow this type of look and expression especially when we take vacation photos. I don't know how she does it, but I find it so chic! on a side note, this probably has to be one of my all-time favorite mert and marcus photographs....totally out of focus, but so rich in style!

chanel sunnies

chanel spring/summer 2007

I can't quite make up my mind about these chanel sunglasses from spring/summer 2007. there is something about them that I like...perhaps, its the circular shape and of course that tint. I don't know why, but I love to wear sunglasses indoors and with this kind of tint you are able too see clearly, both inside and out. that is actually a key thing I look for when buying a pair of sunglasses! its always important to hide behind a pair of shades no matter if you are in the sun or not. I actually tried these chanel shades on a couple of years ago, and decided to think about them, instead of purchasing them, right away. then of course, miuccia prada designed some amazing oversized baroque black sunglasses from her spring 2011 collection and I knew that those were the ones I was looking for in the long run. either way, I think I am now slowly starting to appreciate these chanel shades. I think it depends on the person who wears it. if I saw someone wearing these and the overall look was too meretricious, then my idea about them would change. it really comes to down to how you style it. personally, I would for sure keep my outfit minimal when wearing these chanel sunnies...its all about bringing attention to one amazing piece! I always try to follow that motto when dressing casual and fancy!

woulda, coulda, prada!

photo by steven meisel

I always find may an exciting month in fashion, only because the metropolitan museum of art in new york city opens up their costume institute and this year will definitely be an interesting one. the exhibition will feature schiaparelli and prada: impossible conversations, which explores the striking similairites between fashion designers elsa schiaparelli and miuccia prada, two italian designers from different eras! what makes this show so unique is that the exhibition will feature simulated video conversations between the two iconic designers and how they explore similar themes in their work. the video is directed by baz luhrmann and I am sure it will be very intriguing!

on a side note, I happened to look through the latest issue of US vogue this week and stumbled upon an article about miuccia prada and elsa schiaparelli entitled talk to her celebrating the launch of this exhibit. the article and photos are both amazing, but what I didn't quite understand is why didn't this steven meisel image of models wearing prada spanning from seasons spring 1996 to fall 2011 make the cover? everything about this photo would be perfect...supermodels, the red background, and of course those eye-catching prada ensembles! looking at this image reminded me of that great US vogue may 2007 cover with models in their gap white t-shirts! probably one of US vogue's greatest covers. it would be great for US vogue to get back to that type of style again, rather than always putting the same celebrities on their covers. personally, I would much rather see this red-prada image as its cover over scarlett johansson, anyday! much more visually stimulating if you ask me.

a connection is made

2046 (2004)

looking at that stunning steven meisel photo of all those models in their spectacular prada ensembles from seasons past, I couldn't help but think of this unforgettable scene from wong kar-wai's sci-fi masterpiece 2046. I know for a fact that miuccia prada, herself, is very much inspired by wong kar-wai so naturally this connection was made. I definitely see certain similarities between the types of women miuccia prada designs for and for many of the female characters represented in wong kar-wai's films. both are ladylike, strong, but still a bit old-fashioned. perhaps, you could even say there is something almost futuristic about these types of women, as well! personally, I think this scene from wong kar-wai's film 2046, displays all of those qualities! just look at that outfit, the hair, the body language, and that beautiful red background...it almost truly reads like a prada campaign. perhaps, I may be over analyzing, but I certainly see echoes of chinese cinema displayed in many of miuccia prada's collections....just look back to the fall 2005 and the spring 2008 collections....perhaps, it will make more sense! either way, there are many distinct connections between prada and wong kar-wai...I don't know if many people can see it...but my eye catches some interesting parallels!

a red moment

photo by a sister in black

I always love it when I have random stylish photo moments like this. in february, I went to the os gemeos art opening at the prism gallery in los angeles and snapped this shot of my friend laroux. she was wearing some really nice high black leather boots and a vintage dress with tiny red details. it is difficult to describe in full detail, but I just loved how everything in that moment blended so perfectly together! there is something really dynamic about a deep red background that just makes everything look better. for some reason, I felt so inspired by that show. I don't know if it was the artwork, the people, or just the vibrant red scenery. either way, it led me to this impromptu snapshot. the end result, felt very much like a scene out of a wong kar-wai film or maybe even a prada campaign...I don't know how that happened, but it made me really happy to capture such a stylish moment!

april showers bring may flowers

photo by mario testino

since it is the first day of may, I thought it would be appropriate to celebrate with some flowers. this past weekend, I was looking back at the september 2011 issue of V magazine and stumbled upon this mario testino image of supermodel carolyn murphy in this floral headdress by celebrity hairstylist oribe. I think carolyn murphy looks stunning in this pic. her make-up, jewelry, and expression on her face all add to the beauty of this photograph! I have to be honest I have always wanted to wear excessive flowers in my hair, too! I think my obsession with this look started when I saw actress fran drescher wearing a floral headdress with a hervé léger gown to the golden globes back in the 90's. it was quite a daring look, but I applaud her for having the audacity to wear it. she looked completely elegant! in my opinion, I think a floral headpiece can be quite fashionable and proper if you know how to wear it....perhaps, this could be a future beauty project for my sister and I too work on. in the meantime, I will use this mario testino pic for inspiration...total flower power-chic!

sander scenery

jil sander fall/winter 2012

speaking of florals...I am still in awe over raf simons last collection for jil sander. how stunning was that floral background? I love too see fashion shows that not only have beautifully tailored clothes, but also standout scenery. this is one of those collections! I don't really get that excited for many designers but when thinking about raf simons I can't help but notice how he has really transformed the jil sander label over the years. he truly took it to a whole other level of style and sophistication. each season, I was just so amazed by how clean, streamlined, and beautifully cut all the clothes were. love the way his clothes were both classic yet innovative at the same time. I think his last collection for the label had to be his best. I so admire all those seamless coats, dresses and was particularly fond of the color palette...such beautiful colors featured like blush pink, coffee, and pale gray! even though I love all the colors, my favorite look from the collection was this black pleather raincoat dress. I just admire how feminine and cutting-edge it looks. plus, I like how it looks paired against that floral arrangement on the runway! apparently, not only does may flower, but so does jil sander. will definitely miss raf simons...a true innovator!