dream jacket

mysteriously chic in a leather jacket

okay, so I probably should be thinking about spring fashion, but new york was so cold that I spent the whole time bundled up in my mom's rick owen's jacket, that I could only think of winter fashion, particularly coats. I bought a really nice norma kamali coat while there, that I will one day reveal, but for now this image has been on my mind. I have no idea who designed this leather jacket or who even took this mysteriously chic pic, but I just love that look of that coat. I think the drapery is perfection and I love the way it undulates. her body language and how she is looking away from the camera also adds so much incognito chic to this photo. I kept thinking about this image when I was in new york city. I totally thought to myself that this would have been the most perfect jacket for the city. so now, I ask our readers, if you have any idea who designed this jacket, please let me know. I was thinking either rick owens or haider ackermann....I don't know of any other designers who can design with such detail and cut like this....actually perhaps, maybe gareth pugh. somehow, I think this leather jacket guessing game could go on forever. at any rate, I just think this look is noir chic to the next level and totally something that I would totally wear for the rest of my life. sounds strange too say that, but a look like this never goes out of style!

danish noir chic

on the street in soho

speaking of black leather jackets, while browsing in the adidas store in soho, I happened to notice this girl wearing a really stylish black leather jacket with stretch pants and some gray nike sneakers. she also had an interesting long black dress underneath the jacket, which really added some unique layers to her ensemble. and to top it off she even had a beautifully draped scarf to accessorize the jacket and a lovely topknot, two basic elements that totally made this look standout. coincidentally, my sister and I looked at each other and we both thought she had really nice style. I guess we would categorize her look as noir sporty chic, which is very much the way my sister and I like to dress in our everyday lives, so its no wonder why we were huge fans of her style. it was too difficult to take a sartorial shot of her in the store, so I just decided to go up to her and compliment her on her outfit. she was extremely grateful for my remark, and when I mentioned that she looked very rick owens, she told me that made her day. I guess she is an admirer of his clothes....no surprise at all to discover that. while talking to her, she told me that she is from denmark and that in her country, nobody ever compliments her on her style. I was surprised to hear that, as I think she totally has an eye for layering. after our brief conversation, I asked her if she would pose for my sisters in black blog and she was more than happy too. this was such a pleasant surprise how this all happened, but I feel like that is how style inspiration sometimes occurs. sometimes, you can walk on the street or notice someone in a store and spot someone with a unique and inspiring way of dressing. I know that this was one of favorite sartorial moments when we were in new york city and if its true, that she said nobody compliments her style in denmark, let's hope after this she gets more recognition. she is a perfect example of what sporty noir chic is all about, very sisters in black frocks approved!

new york stories

my sister in her sunnies with cherry blossoms in central park



adding some color into my signature all black sporty chic look, while walking in tribeca



she looks like she could be our sister, but she is just some noir chic stranger, that I noticed in the meatpacking district.....

as promised, here are some of our pics from new york city. the days went so fast, but my sister and I really enjoyed our time on the east coast, as we needed a fun getaway. we did so much walking around manhattan and we never really had any set plans we just kind of wandered and let the day take us. perhaps, the most inspiring moments came when we went to central park. I had so much fun photographing my sister underneath the cherry blossom trees. she blended quite well with nature and I think her olivier peoples sunnies with her bright red lipstick, only enhanced the situation. soho and the meatpacking district were also great for observing style. I found so many noir chic individuals roaming the streets and I even managed to capture this girl with sunnies in a black leather jacket and boots looking away. from a distance, I really liked her style. another interesting thing about my time in new york city is that I was able to incorporate some elements of yellow into my wardrobe. I recently purchased a yellow pleats please bilbao messenger bag and I thought maybe I should try blending it with my ralph lauren scarf and adidas sneakers. surprisingly, I think it worked and I was startled when strangers were complimenting me on my style. I believe one woman's response was how do you make yellow work like that...I was completely grateful for that remark, as I don't usually go for color, so that totally made my day. another amazing part about manhattan is that they have two issey miyake boutiques in the city. for the first time, I visited the store in tribeca and I was blown away by all the clothes and accessories. here I am, trying on the white bilbao bag, but I actually bought a rare green version of this bag. I will unveil it later on my blog, but I must say, it is quite the purse....its more like art than fashion, to me. speaking of purses, for years my sister has been dreaming about owning a goyard purse. it feels like every woman in manhattan carries one of these bags. I had no idea these bags were over $1000, so while walking in chinatown a man approached my sister asking her if she would be interested in a designer handbag and of course my sister asked if he had a goyard bag and his response was, yes! i'm sorry, but I think my sister's new blue goyard tote, looks just as chic as the real one, especially in this sartorial photo I took of her. I love the way it coordinates with her nike sneakers, such a great balance of color and pattern. this just proves that you do not need a lot of money to look good, all you really need to have is style. perhaps, the best part about new york city is that everyone wears black....so naturally, we felt at home. while walking in soho, I happened to notice this girl in a black dramatic skirt and leather jacket leaning against a wall. I don't know why, but it felt very rick owens to me and I just had to snap this moment. I guess it just seemed very sisters in black.....almost like she was waiting for me to photograph her, or maybe it was just being at the right place at the right time. whatever it may be, these were just a few of our stylish moments from our trip, such an inspiring time we both had. there will be more sartorial photos and stories to share, but do enjoy these for now!



a sartorial moment with my sister....blending texture and color with her nike sneakers and goyard tote



finding that perfect pleats please bilbao bag



perhaps, the best part about new york city is that you can always find someone in black....a sartorial moment in soho

demeulemeester moment

photo by my sister

my sister and I just got back from new york city. we usually go in the spring time to celebrate my birthday and this year, like every year, it was full of style and inspiration. of course, we took lots of photos and I will be sharing them on our blog in the days too come, but in the mean time, I thought I would start with this image. if you read my blog last month, you will know that I am very much obsessed with ann demeulemeester's spring/summer 2014 collection, particularly, those black hats. prior to coming to new york, I thought to myself I wonder if I will find it here and what do you know, I did. while walking in the meatpacking district my sister and I wandered into jeffrey and there it was just sitting on a mannequin head, staring at me. immediately, I went straight to it and tried it on. okay, so maybe its a bit dramatic, but to me, that is what fashion and style should be about and who doesn't love to hide behind a hat. I must admit, I struggled with the hat at first, I didn't know it had a tie and I totally needed the jeffrey staff to style me in it, but once they helped me get it in the right position, everything seemed to work. the only issue I had with this hat, is that it is over $1000. its a bit pricey, but that didn't stop me from having my moment. normally, at jeffrey they do not allow photos, but since they knew how much I loved this hat and how matching it was to my style, they allowed me to take some photos in it. this was definitely one of the highlights of our new york city adventure and there will be more stories and pics to come, but for now, I just want to feel nostalgic for this ann demeulemeester moment....very noir chic, indeed!

the outsider

photo by vivian maier

last week, I saw a really interesting documentary entitled finding vivian maier. as of now, I am really inspired by street photography and oddly enough I happened to stumble upon her work a couple of months before actually seeing this documentary, so when I found out that there would be a film about her, I was very much intrigued. in case you are unfamiliar with vivian maier, here are the facts...vivian maier was a mysterious nanny, who secretly took over 100,000 photographs that went hidden in storage lockers and were discovered many decades later. the strange part is that now she is considered among one of the 20th century's greatest photographers. vivian maier never wanted fame or recognition she just wanted to be free on the street and to take interesting photos. the documentary goes into her obscure life and reveals never before seen photographs, films, and interviews with people who thought they knew her. its really amazing too see a story like this and too discover how much talent she had hidden from the world. she was the ultimate outsider artist and I get the feeling that she wanted it that way. I also find it fascinating that now after she is dead she is getting so much recognition. in a way, I think that is what happens to many artists....but I am glad that with this film she is being recognized for her unique street photography and her one of a kind vision. this is actually one of my favorite photos that she took. I love the contrast of that dark background and the way her white dress pops out. it has a very noir chic quality to it mixed in with a marilyn monroe seven year itch 1950's aspect...quite the combination! this image almost even looks staged, making it even more mysterious....for some reason, this photo makes me wonder about the life of this woman and where she is headed too. so much mystique is conveyed with her walking away! of course, this is just one image from her vast body of work, but if you love unique street photography and mysterious self portraiture, another one of vivian maier's best qualities, then you must see this film. I know I left this documentary feeling very much inspired.....always the best feeling to have!

into pop art

photo by my sister

one of the most inspiring moments at the diane von furstenberg journey of a dress exhibit had to be when I came across this andy warhol painting of her. I must admit there was a time when I really loved andy warhol. I thought pop art was the coolest style out there, but as I got older, my eye started to change. perhaps, I became a little bit more sophisticated with my art taste, but don't get me wrong, I still think its fun and visually stimulating to look at. andy warhol was quite good at getting people's attention with bold colors and graphics. for some reason, this warhol painting of diane von furstenberg made me do a double take. I love the color of that background and the way her face pops out with that blue eyeshadow and expression. its really such a beautiful juxtaposition of color and just for fun, I thought it would be interesting, to blend myself into this warhol painting. I made my sister do some test shots and I really like the way this one turned out, especially with our hand movements. I like to call this one, noir chic meets pop art. I didn't really know it would end up being so visually appealing, but I so love it when art blends into fashion. this was definitely a stylish surprise at the exhibit and it totally made me appreciate andy warhol in a way that I haven't felt in awhile....who knew? I love it when unexpected style inspiration turns into art appreciation....this was definitely one of those moments.

warhol mode

photo by steven meisel

oddly enough, the inspiration for my noir chic-pop art photo was loosely inspired by steven meisel's andy warhol's museum editorial from the vogue italia september 1996 issue. I have mentioned this layout many times on sisters in black, but this time I really felt like it came into good use. what's so brilliant about this editorial is the way that model kylie bax somehow blends in so perfectly with all the various andy warhol paintings. everything was styled to perfection and I even like how her make-up corresponds so well with the artwork. its kind of amazing when you study all the details. this was the image I had in mind when I somehow melded myself in with that diane von furstenberg warhol portrait. of course, its not exactly similar, but I think the general feeling that this photo conveys is that art and art fashion are very much closely related. also, that the two can easily fuse together when wearing the right outfit and make-up. if you have never seen this editorial I suggest looking back on it. there is so much thought and effort that went into the styling and I do believe that this is one of steven meisel's greatest. this vogue italia layout has had such an immense style impact on me, that whenever I go to a museum, I always think about re-creating it, especially when surrounded by pop art. I guess that is the way my editorial brain works....its really quite interesting to play with fashion and art, quite the dynamic duo!

getting graphic

photo by my sister

last week, my sister and I attended the diane von furstenberg journey of a dress exhibit at LACMA. as expected there were colorful wrap dresses everywhere, so I thought it would be appropriate for me to dress in black. lately, I am all about interesting contrasts, so I thought in my norma kamali dramatic black circle dress, I could do just that and more. what was so intriguing about the exhibit was that there were signature dvf prints showcased throughout the whole museum...even on the walls and floor. for some reason, I immediately became inspired to do some black on dvf print photos. my sister and I took a lot of pics and I posted practically all of them on my instagram page, but this was my favorite one. I like the distance and the contrast of my black dress paired with that yellow wall design. this is probably the most yellow I have ever been photographed in, but I think it surprisingly works and it definitely has that incognito chic factor. I guess my sunnies add a little something extra to the photo, as well. it really was amazing too see the history of diane von furstenberg's career and too see the evolution of her wrap dresses. she really is an inspiring woman in that she was able to take the basic concept of a wrap dress and transform into something above and beyond. perhaps, the best part of the exhibit, for me, was that I finally got too see what a francesco clemente painting looks like in real life. he painted her a couple of years ago, and I was quite enamored by how it looked in the flesh. magical is the word that comes to mind. at any rate, if you live in los angeles and you love style, art, and diane von furstenberg prints, this is a must see. the exhibit runs through may 1st and I must thank my sister for capturing this eye catching noir chic moment...who would ever think that norma kamali and diane von furstenberg could somehow blend together!

turkish delight

photo by mario sorrenti

interestingly, before attending the diane von furstenberg journey of a dress exhibit I was looking back through the V magazine fall 2012 issue and an eye catching editorial entitled young turks. while I normally, do not respond to so much color and print, there was just something so visually stimulating about the way this layout was styled and photographed, that it somehow, actually inspired me with my norma kamali moment at dvf. I know my version and this image are not exactly similar, but I can actually see some unique correlations between the two and the way they both work with patterns and prints. of course, I was just loosely inspired by this, but I must admit, I love looking at this photo, it is complete eye candy! this editorial was actually shot in istanbul and I love the way that blue mosaic tile contrasts with the model's comme des garçons leopard dress. its an unlikely combination, but I think it works in such a captivating and striking way. this is one of my all-time favorite mario sorrenti images and if you have never seen this editorial I highly suggest looking back on it. I always love it when specific images come to mind when at museum exhibits. this photo really is a beautiful example of how to play with contrasts in fashion and interiors...very inspiring on so many levels!

in orchids

my sister in philip treacy

this past weekend, my sister and I spent some quality time together and what do you know it somehow led us to a little hat shopping at neiman marcus. I haven't been to this store in years, but my sister suggested we just go and browse. I was quite amazed by each section of the store, but I think their hats were the best part. there was so much to look at....dramatic hats for the sun, and of course, fancy headpieces. for some reason, my sister and I seemed to really hit it off with the saleswoman working in the hat section and she let us try on practically everything. she kept showing us some really interesting avant-garde headpieces from various hat designers that felt more like sculpture rather than actual hats and I absolutely loved trying them on. by far, the most memorable part about our neiman marcus experience was when she brought out the philip treacy headdresses. words cannot describe what it was like too see some of his hats in real life. I can't recall if I ever saw some of his hats in london, but too see some of his beautiful headpieces at neiman marcus was quite the visual treat. my favorite part was when my sister tried on this stunning orchid creation by philip treacy. my sister has a great face for hats and I thought this one matched her perfectly. yes, I know its not black, but I think she looked like royalty in this orchid sculpture. as soon as she tried it on I snapped this image of her, it was too gorgeous not too and I love how comfortable and confident she looked in this philip treacy creation. she practically was glowing in this hat and I love seeing her shine like that.....I guess this a perfect example of why every woman needs a fabulous hat in their wardrobe. in case you were wondering, she didn't buy the hat, but I really think she should have. its quite the perfect look for spring....don't you think?

lovely dita

dita von teese

speaking of fabulous orchid headdresses.....I couldn't help but think of this amazing floral look that dita von teese wore to the melbourne cup this past november. I remember showing my sister this look last year and she totally loved it. its funny how a couple of months later, my sister got to try on a similar look. dita too, is also wearing philip treacy and I love the way she looked in those fuchsia-centered orchids. I even like that her blazer is also adorned with orchids. this is a look that not many women can pull off, but she wears it with such grace and elegance. I have always been quite amazed by dita von teese's style. it seems like no matter where she goes she always looks like a 1940's movie star. its obvious that she puts a lot of thought and time into what she wears and I find that kind of admirable since we live in an age where most people don't really care about getting dressed up in their daily lives, anymore. I have seen dita von teese a couple of times in real life and I must say she really lives up to her image. one time, I saw her leaving burke williams spa dressed in a form fitted giambattista valli dress and I was totally impressed by how polished and put together she was, just for the daytime. it totally brought a smile to my face, as I think its very important too look your best everyday and not just for fancy occasions. I think there is a lot to be learned from dita von teese....she defintely knows the rules about style and looking elegant. at any rate, this was one of my favorite looks on her and I totally had this image in mind when I saw my sister in that philip treacy orchid headpiece....both are equally as stunning!