delicate drapery

photo by annie leibovitz

I always love looking through my magazine archives! sometimes, the most miraculous images show up. last week, I stumbled upon the september 2001 issue of US vogue and found a stunning editorial entitled independents' day. looking back, it was such an fascinating article about certain designers who are choosing to stand alone creatively and commercially with their own design beliefs and individual visions. some of the designers featured were olivier theyskens, raf simon's and dries van noten...just to name a few. its interesting how 12 years later, these three designers are still doing their own thing and continually evolving as time goes by.

the best part of the article was the editorial photographed by annie leibovitz. rick owens was also one of the designers mentioned...no surprise, really! after all, he will always be such an original by the way in which he blends goth and couture together. I especially loved this photo of performance artist kembra pfahler in a rick owens top and ruched jersey skirt. I truly admire the detail of that delicate drapery and how casual, cool, and sophisticated it looks. when I think about rick owens this will always be the image that comes into my mind....a forever classic!

goddess dressing

drapery at the vatican

while in italy, I thought about rick owens a lot, especially while browsing through the halls in the vatican. I came across a really interesting part of the vatican that was dedicated primarily to roman statues. of course, I was completely amazed by all the exquisite drapery especially when I got extremely close to all the statues...the detail was quite impeccable. immediately, I thought of rick owens and his design aesthetic while observing. out of all the photos I took this one reminded me so much of his signature floor-length ruched jersey skirts. who could not see how the two compare? I often hear many people say that fashion is not art, but I disagree completely! just look at the detail of a rick owens skirt and you will see a clear connection between fashion and art. I think this photo proves it all....

oh, ricky!

in my rick owens skirt

I normally do not like re-post photos, but looking back at me in my rick owens ruched jersey skirt seemed a bit necessary. after all, it fits so perfectly with my rick owens drapery inspired theme. this skirt is one of my favorite pieces from my wardrobe. not only is it beautiful to look at, but it is soft, and so easy to wear. yes, it appears fancy but when you style it with a leather jacket and some kitten heels it has this ability to look casually chic, as well. it is also quite versatile making it such an interesting piece to wear. personally, what I appreciate most about this skirt is how all that intricate draping gives it such an amazing silhouette. I could probably write a whole story about wearing this skirt, but I won't bore you with all the details. on a side note, if you have never tried on a rick owens skirt, I say go immediately to maxfield's in los angeles and indulge...it's like heaven in a skirt...thank you rick owens!

tear me into pieces

lady gaga



benicio del toro



johnny depp

polaroid mosaics by maurizio galimberti

the best part about traveling to another country is discovery....I must admit I have been fascinating by artist maurizio galimberti since the late 90's but I have had difficulty in trying to find images as well as biography information about him. luckily, in italy I was able to put all the pieces together. I discovered these images while in capri and I must admit I admire everything about them....the detail, the deconstruction, as well as the mathematic and puzzle aspect. I particularly love these three polaroid mosaic portraits of lady gaga, benicio del toro, and johnny depp. you really get too see a different side of them and I love how inquisitive they all look. I love how simple a polaroid mosaic appears on the surface, but yet how complicated it really is when you dissect each tiny photograph. he is quite the talent....I don't know about you, but I would so love to have my own portrait turned into a polaroid mosaic.

joy-cam glam

polaroids of our mom

I don't think I will ever have the creativity or brilliance of maurizio galimberti, but the one thing we do share in common is a love of polaroid film. I know this photo is a bit out of focus, but I must admit I still like to experiment with my joy-cam polaroid camera from the late 90's. I only have about 10 photos of film left, so I try to be wise with what I photograph. I took these polaroid shots of my mom in her black giambattista valli dress from spring 2006 on my sister's wedding day. I snapped many incognito pics of her trying to mimic a page out of vogue paris. I sadly even attempted to try something maurizio galimberti-esque but that didn't come out too well. either way, these were my three favorite shots. I know the quality isn't great, but I kind of like the mysteriousness of it all...surprisingly, my mom does too, she keeps these three pics in small frames on her work desk!

get thee to a nunnery

photo by cédric buchet

before, I left for italy I needed some photo inspiration and I happened to stumble upon the january 2010 issue of vogue paris and an editorial entitled la tentation du diamant, photographed by cédric buchet and styled by carine roitfeld. perhaps, it is taboo to say, but I love the concept of a good nun gone bad. I so love the sense and humor and liveliness that carine roitfeld brings to her editorials...especially this one. lara stone looks so chic in her habit costume with diamonds and red fingernails. it is quite odd, how this image worked as such a major influence.... I kept seeing nuns all throughout italy and I so had this photo in my mind. love how my magazines archives always seem to work as subconscious inspiration. on a side note, I am pleased too see that CR the magazine has finally hit newsstands. I am quite taken with the first issue and the whole theme of rebirth. it is so nice to see a magazine that it not about clothes or trends but about creativity! I am keeping my fingers crossed that the next issue will deal with nuns and religion...controversial yes, but that is what carine roitfeld does best!

black narcissus

deborah kerr working that white habit...



nuns from a distance....drapery perfection, almost looks like a painting



brilliant art direction blended with a perfectly draped nun's robe....

black narcissus (1947)

black narcissus has to be one of the most stylish films ever about nuns. it is always great when you see a film and somehow find yourself completely amazed and inspired by it...I would definitely put black narcissus in that category. I must give this film credit for opening my eyes too all the hidden beauty of nunnery. I know this is a strange thing to say, but I like to find beauty in the obscure and often overlooked. fashion inspiration is always the best when it comes from the unexpected!

very briefly, the film is a psychological drama about the emotional tensions within a convent of nuns in an isolated himalayan valley starring deborah kerr. the gorgeousness of the film lies within the art direction...I just love how visually stimulating it looks with all the colors and scenery. plus, all the women in the film give amazing performances.

personally, what I love best are those nun costumes. the color, the drapery, and the movement make it all so stylish. I have been called crazy for finding nuns stylish but I think once you watch black narcissus you might see what I am saying. these images really do display all that exquisiteness that I am talking about. I have always felt that black narcissus is more like an oil painting than a film....that is probably why I admire it so much. if you appreciate a nun's dress code do see this movie...somehow, I can see madame grès, rick owens, and haider ackermann all taking inspiration from this film.

sisters in white habits

nuns with backpacks

while in italy, I was completely amazed at all the nuns I kept seeing on the streets. I don't know why, but I find the nuns way more stylish in italy than in the states. the nuns in italy seem to wear a variety of colors and I just love to observe their style and all the drapery of their dresses. I especially love it when they are walking....the movement of their fabric is so eye-catching. I took so many pics of nuns on the go and I almost felt strange for doing it, but I was completely inspired. I am sure madame grès could understand my viewpoint. out of all the photos I snapped this was my favorite. I love these two nuns in their white dresses, matching gray backpacks, and habits. they look so in sync stylistically especially the way in which their fabric moved....as they walked it looked even better. I never saw what they looked like from the front, but I was glad that I got to capture this sartorialist moment...I like to call it black narcissus on the streets of rome!

when in rome

as promised, some photos from our time in italy. first, we started in rome. there was so much too see and do. one of my favorite moments was when we all posed on the scalinata della trinità die monti otherwise known as the spanish steps. I have always admired the look and style of these steps. I think it all started when I saw the film the talented mr. ripley back in 1999. love the individuality we all expressed on the steps and I must say I was quite excited to wear my dramatic red pier 1 imports skirt that I purchased back in the 90's. yes, I said pier 1 imports! perhaps, the sang is true......everything old is new again!






indeed, rome has such beautiful architecture....gorgeous in the day and in the night. my sister snapped these two images. love this moment she captured of a couple kissing at night and of course the iconic trevi fountain....I couldn't help but think of fellini's classic film la dolce vita when I saw it. if only I had a cat and a strapless black dress I would totally re-create that moment!







we stayed in a hotel outside of rome....the view from our balcony was heavenly. loved that pool and I must admit I can't stop thinking about those gorgeous umbrella pine trees. there were so many around the hotel but also around the city as well. the shape and silhouette of those trees are so visually stunning....don't you think?










we spent the day browsing through the vatican...naturally, I wanted to look saintly so I wore my long white caftan dress! I remember browsing through the sistine chapel back in the 90's but I didn't remember much. I was glad I got to see it again. perhaps, all my art history courses paid off in the long run. I particularly loved the all the drapery on many of the sculptures and of course those gorgeous frescos...it truly is amazing to think about all the detail, beauty, and time that it took to create such magnificent pieces of work...so inspired by my time spent there!

stile a capri

after rome, we took a boat to capri...I am still at a loss for words! the scenery was so breathtaking, it almost felt like a dream. our hotel was picturesque, serene, but most importantly quiet, which was exactly what we needed! with gorgeous views of the mediterranean ocean and skies so blue it was almost too good to be true! naturally, lots of photo inspiration occurred.....







our hotel in capri, had a stunning infinity pool with such clear blue water. so of course, my sister and I felt inspired to take some photos. my sister had a beautiful magenta pashmina that she wrapped in her hair as she layed by the pool. I couldn't help but think of the july 2001 issue of vogue italia and a photo by steven meisel. I felt very much inspired by that image when I saw her in that turban. I am so glad I caught this moment. interestingly, on the way to capri, we stopped in sorrento and I bought this beautiful black dramatic hat. I thought it seemed perfect for the pool...I so love the mystery and chicness of my hat and that pristine water it was quite the contrast! my sister took an amazing photo...love how inspired we were by this pool!






nature is everywhere in capri. the island is known for their enormous lemons, endless grape vines, and of course olive trees. what I loved most was seeing such beautiful bougainvillea trees. naturally, I had a photo moment by one while walking in capri. love the way my new black topshop dress blends so well with the capri landscape....









in capri, the weather is very hot and sticky so naturally a caftan is necessary! my sister and I both brought our caftans so we thought we should take some pics blending the two together. our hotel had lots of secret hideaway spots and lounging chairs overlooking nature and ocean which were perfect for photos. we also love that our mom mom participated in some glam shots. she looked so stunning in my sister's magenta rachel pally caftan. by the end of our trip, we felt so rested, relaxed, and most of all fashion inspired. expect more italian-style inspiration to come.

gone, but not forgotten

photo by patrick demarchelier

I know, it has been a couple of weeks! in case you were concerned the sisters in black went on a little family vacation! no, we haven't given up our blog, but it is really hard to be stylish, write, photograph, and blog when one is away from home. at any rate, we are back, so expect a lot of photos and style inspiration. in the meantime, I think this photo from the vogue paris november 2005 issue pretty much sums up our vacay...stay tuned! p.s. am totally inspired by mariacarla boscono's style, lately (she is the one featured in the photo)!

sisters in white frocks

photo by cristhian barron

I don't know how this happened, but I like how unexpectedly chic this turned out. last week, my sister, myself, and our friend cristhian decided to take some photos inspired by a steven meisel vogue italia photo from the august 2012 issue of models in black givenchy posing with chickens. yes, my sister and I had a black inspired givenchy look in mind and some chickens to use as accessories, but randomly we both decided it would be interesting to go in another direction and wear some white dresses. personally, it is a bit odd too see us like this in white, but I like how gloomy it almost looks. somehow, wearing white felt more goth too me than wearing black...perhaps, that is strange too say, but it really felt that way. sometimes, I find the color white a bit haunting. I know people say that about black...but I have always felt it was the other way around....white can certainly appear ghost-like especially when you see two or more people together in such a color!

I must admit, I really like the styling of my sister's dress with her hat, black tank top and the way we are paired arm and arm together. there is something almost country and farm like about this image. either way, we did happen to take some photos with the chickens and in the future I will share....but for now, I think we should embrace this moment as the sisters in white frocks!

suicide style

the virgin suicides (1999)

I don't know why, but looking at that image of my sister and I in our white dresses reminded me of this photo still from sofia coppola's 1999 film the virgin suicides. I have always admired the 70's ethereal style of the lisbon sisters. they were so tragically chic...especially in their white floral dresses. I so love analyzing each sister and their unique dress sense. apparently, I am not the only one who feels this way, just look back at marc jacobs and rodarte's fall/winter 2010 collections and you can very much see a lisbon sister influence. both designers featured such amazing 70's inspired flowy white dresses that look straight out of sofia coppola's film. nancy steiner, the costume designer did such an excellent job in capturing that gloomy, haunting, but yet angelic of the doomed sisters with their costumes. I think when all the sisters go to prom in the film you can really see what a powerful role the clothes play in the film...its interesting how white can sometimes look and feel so sad....certainly, something to think about. love it when I have film to fashion epiphanies!

the white way

leelee sobieski

this probably has to be one of the best white dress moments of 2012. I still can't get over the way actress leelee sobieski looked at the vanity fair tribeca film festival party in this white, simplistic floor-length dress from jil sander's spring 2012 collection. leelee sobieski looked straight off the runway and I love how she carried herself with such ease, poise, and elegance. what I love most about this ensemble is that v-neck collar, the cinched waist, and the drapery of that skirt. I also think leelee sobieski's hairstyle is the perfect finishing touch to that amazing dress. on a side note, I must say that this jil sander creation would make for a beautiful wedding dress. for any confused brides, reading this, do take a closer look at the jil sander spring/summer 2012 collection...I think you will find some major bridal inspiration!