beauté l'extase

photo by my sister

when labor day weekend comes around....the only clothes that I can seem to think of are towel turbans, sunnies, and one piece bathing suits. of course, catching up with my favorite fashion magazines also plays an important part, as well. for fun, I decided to style this look together. its really nothing all that spectacular, but just the way I like to look when lounging by the pool in the summer time. in case you were wondering, I am wearing a simple towel turban, oliver peoples sunnies, and my form fitting one piece black bathing suit. I think what makes this photo interesting is the way I used the june/july issue of vogue paris as an accessory. this was one of my favorite covers and issues of the summer. the cover was photographed by inez and vinoodh and features model natasha poly in a summer chic aquatic layout styled by emmanuelle alt. its a beautiful tropical editorial featuring summer fashion and I love the way color was used within the pages, especially the red and blue tones. I don't know why, but I tend to only really like vogue paris in the summer months. for some reason, their summer layouts are just more inspiring than in other seasons. maybe, it has something to do with the season....perhaps, more color, style, and of course, the right team of stylists and photographers. whatever it may be, I just thought it would be appropriate to show my love for this issue by incorporating this cover into my quintessential incognito chic summer look. I never take myself seriously when it comes to style and photo shoots and I think the whole point of fashion is to have fun and to take style inspiration from wherever that may be. for me, I always seem to find it in some kind of magazine editorial. if you missed this vogue paris issue entitled beauté l'extase do yourself a favor and check it out! it is by far, one of the most visually stimulating of the summer season, so glad I took the time this summer to capture my love for this brilliant issue.

totally turban

photo by camilla akrans

the inspiration for my towel turban vogue paris moment actually came from the vogue italia july 2012 issue. this is one of my favorite towel turban moments of all time and for two years now, I have kept this camilla akrans photo of model toni garrn, on my computer desktop. I don't know why, I love this image so much, but I do. I tend to study it, when I am in need of turban inspiration. I think it has something to do with the composition, perspective, and the way she is covering her head like that, to show off that exquisitely wrapped towel turban. plus, I love the way her bathing suit is styled with that sweater and jewelry. its not your typical turban bathing suit image, which makes it so standout. whether she is having heat stroke, or just resting and relaxing in style....I somehow can't seem to figure it out, but I just think she looks so italian chic and I even think those background lines contribute to its beauty. the layout was styled by ludivine poiblanc, who works not only for vogue italia, but also for interview magazine, and I love the one of a kind vision she brings into each editorial. for some reason, I can always tell when she styles something, she has a very distinct look that is very present in everything she does. this towel turban moment has a darker side to it, which is probably why I gravitate towards this photo. its amazing how much innovation you can find style wise, with a summer turban. at any rate, i'm not going to say, that I tried to copy this photo exactly, but I was very loosely influenced by this image for my vogue paris summer magazine moment. in case you may have forgot about this camilla akrans layout from the vogue italia july 2012 issue, I suggest you reminisce back, especially if you like a little summer noir chic with your turban!

a summer moment

photo by my sister

summertime always brings about new ideas with my personal style. for the most part, I pretty much dress the same with my usual uniform of big hats and black sunnies. occasionally, from time to time I like to jazz things up. my sister has this oversized black hat with stripes and for some reason, I thought it kind of worked with my style. I normally stick with solid colors when it comes to hats, but this one somehow complemented me. I have no bias against stripes...I mean I actually love the look, but it has to be done in the right way. just think of ralph lauren spring 2001 and prada spring 2011 these two collections incorporate stripes in such a elegant and subdued manner. I have studied these two collections in great detail, to know that if I wear stripes, it has to be done in a minimal type of way. at any rate, last month, my sister and I spent the day at the four seasons spa and stumbled upon this vibrant yellow wall in a cabana area. I believe it was near the pool and for some reason it caught our attention. we immediately thought that with her striped hat and my fake lisa marie fernandez bathing suit we should do something visually appealing. black and yellow are two colors that I never really associate with myself, but in this moment, I think it worked. too me, this moment felt like a prada spring 2011 ad and perhaps, it even reminded me of beyonce's striped look from her countdown video, back in 2011. that was actually a very underrated video, and I think her look is very prada 2011 inspired. on a side note, do check out that video, if you have forgot about it....I love the visual style and the way fashion is incorporated. personally, this was one of my favorite photo and style moments of the summer and I love how with just a vibrant yellow background and my sister's striped hat....my look can somehow change. I guess it doesn't take much to change one's style, just the right background and the perfect pose. I like to think of this as golden noir chic with some extra added stripes. a special thanks to my sister for letting me borrow her hat and for capturing this eye catching image.

making connections

painting by alex katz

with every photo I take there is always an inspiration. immediately, when my sister took this photo I thought of american figurative painter, alex katz, particularly, this painting. I am not sure if there is a name for this one, but I remember seeing this, last year at the museum of modern art in new york city and since then it is one of those images that I think of when I put on an oversized black hat. its a perfect blend of art and fashion and I love the way that hat drapes over her face, especially with those sunnies. they even kind of remind me of my oliver peoples pair, for some strange reason. I think last year, I may have posted a similar painting by alex katz on sisters in black, but this is the one that somehow came to mind when my sister snapped that photo of me. perhaps, you can see the uncanny connection, as well. there is always that debate of whether art influences fashion and too me, I think they both relate to each other. my sister's photo of me in her oversized striped hat and this alex katz painting, just might make you see that distinct style connection. personally, I think its all relative and I can certainly see a link between these two. I always enjoy making visual connections, like this....its what I love I doing, in my free time!

miyake mosaic

photo by my sister

so I thought I was done with showing off my new issey miyake green bilbao bag, but I think I am just beginning. out of nowhere, I have come up with a whole pleats please photo series and while I didn't plan any of it....I find it interesting how unexpectedly stylish this photo and fashion project has become. a couple of weeks ago, my sister and I were in downtown los angeles. this was a part of los angeles, that I have never been too before and I don't know why, but I suddenly found myself inspired by all the street art that I encountered. it almost felt like walking around brooklyn, rather than LA, which is something I would never say, but I love making new discoveries in a city that I was born and raised in. I guess sometimes, we feel we have to travel the world to find inspiration, but sometimes it can be closer than we think. while walking the streets, I found some eye catching street art that I thought would go so perfect with my green bilbao bag, so naturally I made my sister photograph, while I art directed. my outfit was pretty minimal that day. I recently bought a sleek black dress from h&m for $17 and accessorized it with my favorite calvin klein watch and oliver peoples sunnies. the bilbao bag, is really the main attraction, in this photo. randomly, my sister and I walked into a quiet street, most likely an artist community, with some striking mosaic work, that I knew would be so perfect for some photos. it almost looked mayan, with a moroccan vibe. I like the idea of contrasting colors and patterns. the tile work was pretty impressive, so naturally I thought that the standout tile work and the detail of my green bag would complement each other. in the end, this photo really took no time to take and I love it when unexpected style inspiration like this, happens. I will call it my miyake mosaic moment.....a perfect title don't you think? there will definitely be more to come in this series, but for now, this feels like definite eye candy! a special thanks to my sister for capturing this moment, she always makes my visions, a reality!

the perfect blend

photo by mario sorrenti

with every photo project I come up with, there is always an editorial in mind. naturally, while walking through that isolated street in downtown los angeles, with that remarkable mosaic work, I totally had this image in mind, from mario sorrenti's young turks editorial from the v magazine fall 2012 issue. the layout was shot in istanbul, turkey and I think it may be one of my favorite mario sorrenti editorials, for many reasons. I love how it shows the mysterious beauty of this country and I love the way stylist jane how blended all that fabulous fall fashion into something so visually stimulating. I have actually shared some images from this layout before, but this is the one, I had flashing through my head, when I had my sister photograph me. yes, I know there is no real correlation between the two, but I love the way fashion and wall design somehow go together in such a unique manner. in case you were wondering her coat is by maison martin margiela and I think the way this image is photographed and styled is quite amazing. how mario sorrenti was able to capture such an interesting angle is pretty impressive and I love the way all that color and texture "pops" right at the viewer. while I normally am more fond of incognito chic type photography, I love it when I find myself inspired by color, pattern, and interesting interiors. I have never been to istanbul before, but whenever I see an interesting editorial in a fashion or travel magazine shot in turkey, I find myself so visually taken and transported by the architecture and design of this enigmatic country. one day I will have to go visit, but for now this editorial, is the one that I always like referencing when I find myself around remarkable mosaic art. personally, I think its a very underrated mario sorrenti layout, but perhaps, one of his bests!

easy breezy

lanvin spring/summer 2008

for some reason, all this week, I have been looking back at alber elbaz's spring/summer 2008 collection. I think the completion of my 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle of lord frederick leighton's the flaming june has a lot to do with it. first of all, if you just look at her dress and all that delicate drapery I think it automatically makes you think of lanvin spring 2008. I can see fashion designer alber elbaz being very much inspired by this painting with this collection, particularly with the flowy dresses of this season. this is my favorite frock from the collection. yes, I know its not black, but I love the way he captured fluidity, practicality, color, and a unique kind of simplicity with this dress. supermodel lily donaldson looks exquisite in this gown, almost like she is walking on air. it also has a madame grès aesthetic to it, but done in a very modern way. surprisingly, I think this dress is made out of polyester, but I still think this dress looks extremely comfortable. the phrase that comes to mind when watching this dress move is easy breezy! personally, I think it totally exudes those qualities. its been such a long time since I last looked back on this collection, but I must say I think it is one of alber elbaz's best collections for lanvin. I am always a fan of loose grecian inspired dressing and this season was all that and more. I searched quite a bit too find out if alber elbaz was inspired by lord frederick leighton's the flaming june for this collection, but I didn't see anything written about it. I like too believe that he was and perhaps, you can see that style connection, as well. at any rate, if you forgot about this lanvin season, I suggest you look back on it....its a perfect collection to reminisce back on, especially this time of year when its humid outside and all you want too wear is something loose, kaftan-esque and a little easy breezy!

the flaming june

my latest jigsaw puzzle

every 8 months I try to make the time and effort to put a jigsaw puzzle together. its not always easy with my work schedule, but I love the process of assembling one...especially when its 1000 pieces or more. I love that it teaches me patience and I think it also works different parts of my brain, that I normally do not use. on a side note, I hate too sound snobby, but I like glamorous looking puzzles. just give me a fabulous one with a pretty looking girl dressed in something dramatic and I promise it will get done. that is exactly how I felt when I saw this puzzle of lord frederick leighton's the flaming june. this is one of my favorite oil paintings and for some reason, I just thought it would make for such a great jigsaw puzzle. I love all the expression and of course that stunning drapery of her orange dress. its no surprise that US vogue magazine even took inspiration from this painting for their december 2013 issue with jessica chastain on the cover. its probably one of the few covers I have liked from US vogue in a while, but I think it so much better when the magazine takes inspiration from classical art. I know that is where I would look for inspiration if I was running high fashion magazine. at any rate, I love that this painting blends both fashion and art and that is probably the main reason why I really wanted to put this one together. for some reason, I had an easy time with this one. in the end, I love the way it turned out. she's beautiful, alluring, and so sleep chic in her orange dress. I will try and put another jigsaw puzzle together later in the year, but for now I will enjoy this summer one and perhaps maybe even do a photo project inspired by the flaming june....will keep you posted!

summer pose

photo by camilla akrans

okay, so I know she is not exactly the flaming june.....but I saw this image of model natasha poly before I put my 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle together and somehow it inspired me. I love the way her orange dress drapes against the background and of course that brilliant body language she is giving to the camera. I am not sure who designed this dress, maybe hermès or lanvin, whoever it is, I just love the way it looks on her. in fact, whenever it gets really hot in the summer I feel like doing the same.....it must be a summer heat-chic kind of thing. for some reason, this reminds me of a modern day flaming june. maybe you can see some kind of style and art connection between the two. whatever the correlation may be.....I think this is a stunning aerial image and I love it when photographer camilla akrans captures moments like this. she always takes such striking photographs from a distance. lately, I have been admiring her work, particularly from numéro magazine and this one was the main motivation behind me assembling the flaming june together......its funny how fashion inspiration can lead to jigsaw puzzle inspiration, an interesting connection, indeed!

back to black

at the museum of contemporary art

last week, I went to the museum of contemporary art with my friend dr. chris donaghue. what I appreciate most about his personal style is that his wardrobe pretty much consists of all black and dark tones. occasionally, he will wear other colors, but when we hang out, he primarily goes with a noir chic type of look. I don't really feature that many men on sisters in black, just because I am not always inspired by many men I know, in my everyday life, but when I hang out with chris, I make an exception. I featured him last year on my blog, with a tattoo/steven meisel vogue italia december 2007 inspired photo shoot that we collaborated on at the LA county museum of art. for some reason, we work well together in museums and this was another noir chic moment that totally inspired me. we walked into a very spacious room with black and white framed photos hanging on the wall and for some reason I noticed the way his silhouette contrasted with that white background and I just thought it would make for an interesting photo. I love photographing dr. chris from all angles, but I find the back of him the most interesting. he has a very distinct pose and I love the way his body blended with this eye catching setting. this moment felt very cinematic to me, almost like a scene out of woody allen's 1979 film manhattan and even reminded me of something photographer marianna mørkøre would take. I am very much inspired by bodies in space especially when it has this kind of visual effect. I like to think of it as incognito chic from a distance. at any rate, I always love hanging out with dr. chris. he always inspires me with his sharp sense of style and of course his radical way of thinking. this was certainly a memorable moment at the museum and I so appreciate it when my friends can serve as unexpected style inspiration, thanks again to dr. chris donaghue, he will always be an honorary brother in black!

amohr

photo by marianna mørkøre

oddly enough, a couple of days before going to the museum of contemporary art I discovered a photographer and filmmaker named marianna mørkøre. she mostly works in black and white and I love the way she captures figures in space. this is just one of many images that totally caught my eye. the photo is entitled amohr and for some reason I kept thinking about this image when I was at the museum. it probably had something to do with chris wearing all black and I felt like maybe I could photograph something similar. yes, I know both images have completely different settings, but I think there is something so corresponding about their forms. its always intriguing to play with dark silhouettes especially when the setting is the opposite color. personally, I love everything about this image....especially the drapery of her black veil dress, her body language, and of course that snowy setting. it very much reminds me of a scene from lykke li's brilliant I follow rivers video, from 2011. perhaps, you can see that dark style connection. at any rate, I love it when something so mysteriously alluring can serve as photo inspiration. this was definitely an unexpected visual surprise and I so look forward too seeing more of marianna mørkøre's photography....she certainly takes noir chic to a whole new level!