drape me

photo by my sister

a couple of weeks ago, I wandered into urban outfitters and stumbled upon the sale rack. I noticed a bunch of black blouses, so naturally I was interested. most of what I saw was not my style, but one shirt caught my eye. at first I thought it looked like a kaftan, so I had to try it on. its difficult to describe this shirt, but I love how loose it is. I am all about drapery these days and I love clothes that hang onto the body without feeling so tight and constricting. I would almost say there is a madame grès quality to it, perhaps, you can see it in the way it undulates toward the bottom. I have been looking for a shirt like this for awhile and I love how when I least expect it I finally find something that is loosely chic. its such an easy look to wear, too.....it can be both sporty and fancy. I have been doing both ways, but as you can tell in this photo I made it a little more dressy with my manolo blahniks. its quite the perfect combination and I thought paired with my splendid black stretch pants and oliver peoples sunnies, it would be the right balance. I am very much in the moment in this photo and I might even look a bit strange with my mouth open, but I love how you can see the ease and simplicity of this shirt. this is definitely going to be one of my signature outfits and I must say the best part about finding this shirt was that it was only $10. there's no better feeling that finding cheap noir chic.....so glad to have this piece of drapery in my wardrobe!

something in the way

photo by michael avedon

oddly enough, before I found my urban outfitters piece of drapery I had my eye on this ensemble. I actually have no idea who designed this dress. I was thinking maybe its valentino, but I am not so sure. all I know is that I found it on the CR Fashion Book website and I just fell in love with that drapery. it looks as though she is floating on air and I love the way that drapery, looks like waves. the photo was taken by michael avedon, who happens to be the grandson of richard avedon. I have been liking his photography lately and his beautiful contributions to CR Fashion Book. he definitely has a similar visual style to his grandfather that I so appreciate. on a side note, I thought of this photo when my sister photographed me in my urban outfitters shirt. I know there is no comparison between the two, but I wanted to convey a sense of movement with my shirt much like the way michael avedon did in this photo. I have no idea if that makes sense, but I think the key to wearing drapery is to make it look as natural and fluid as possible. I don't know about you, but I could stare at this dress all day, its total drapery to the next level. I just wish I knew who designed it......I guess that is the million dollar question!

black & gold

cate blanchett

with the oscars this sunday, I always like to look back on a dress that perhaps some people may have forgotten or overlooked. there was a time when I use to look forward to the red carpet, but now not so much. yes, its fun too watch, but I rarely ever see a dress, that catches my eye. there are some exceptions though....case in point, remember when cate blanchett showed up to the 2000 academy awards in this indian inspired black dress by jean paul gaultier? this will always be one of my favorite red carpet moments. I don't know if people loved or hated this gown, but I thought she looked radiant in it. I think the cut and silhouette of that black dress looks perfect on her. plus, I love the gold details of her back portion and all that jewelry she is wearing....from the arm cuff, to the bracelets, and rings. the dress is actually quite simple, but I think the accessories really accentuate the dress. cate blanchett also has a beautiful golden glow skin complexion, which goes so well with the overall look. personally, I think what stands out most on a red carpet, is personal style. when someone is chic, comfortable, and cutting edge I will always take notice. this will always be one of my favorite red carpet moments, just because I think it shows how to properly accessorize a black dress, without over doing it. amazing how 15 years later, this ensemble still looks completely modern and wearable. brava to cate blanchett for such a show stopping black frock....this is what red carpet personal style is all about!

flowergirl

my sister in her floral crown

last weekend I went with my sister to her floral arranging class and while I didn't think it would turn into a photo project, somehow it did. how my sister created this floral headdress still puzzles me, but I love how good she is with arranging and wearing flowers. personally, I think this is like art and fashion all rolled into one. luckily, that day I had my new canon rebel camera with me, so she agreed to do some photos. most of the time, my sister does not like to be photographed but she let me style her and art direct. flowers make her excited in a way that I don't think clothes do anymore, so I was glad to collaborate on some pics. this was my favorite image I took, just because I love noir chic moments and with that headpiece I think it totally looks couture, maybe something from a john galliano for dior collection or possibly alexander mcqueen for givenchy. whatever it may be.....I was glad to capture the moment. I know my sister will be creating more floral crowns in the future and I hope to wear one myself. I even asked her to create me a floral crown with black flowers.....fingers crossed that she can find some in that color. at any rate, I know this is not a look for everyone, but with spring just around the corner I think its rather appropriate.

couture limits

photo by mert & marcus

interestingly, I had a photo in mind when I photographed my sister in her handmade floral crown. I totally thought of the vogue paris editorial entitled couture limits featuring kate moss. this was my favorite moment from the layout and I love the way kate moss looks on that chair leaning down in that floral valentino gown. its hard to tell that is her, but I love the blend of incognito and noir chic. plus, the way those flowers pop out of the dress really add something extra. the florals almost look three dimensional and I think this pic is beautifully styled by emmanuelle alt. I must admit I love what maria grazia churi and pier paolo picioli have brought to valentino ever since the original designer retired back in 2007. there is something fresh and edgy to the label, that I find very inspiring. on a side note, I know my image is not replicate of this one, but I love the sense of mystery and how dark and melancholy flowers can be....that dress says it all. I really tried to embody the feeling and ambiance of this photo, when I photographed my sister. I don't know if that even makes sense, but it was a definite source of inspiration for me. if you haven't seen this editorial from the may 2011 issue of vogue paris, certainly check it out. it not only has stunning black and white imagery, but also eye catching moments in vibrant color, as well!

forever plaid

my sister in her plaid cape

it seems like I am finding all my inspiration on the beach these days. last weekend, my sister and I headed to the ocean for a walk and she decided that she would wear her new vintage plaid cape, that she recently bought. the funny thing about my sister is that she will randomly surprise me with something colorful, from time to time. she actually has a whole collection of capes ranging in various colors and patterns. this is by far, her most vibrant one and I love the way that plaid pattern pops out of that red fabric. to be completely honest, I am not the hugest plaid fan, but I have made some exceptions. case in point, the 90's grunge plaid look when marc jacobs was the creative director for perry ellis and also some winter coats that I may have liked from various collections, including alexander mcqueen, but other than that, I find plaid diffcult to wear. I will always go for a darker look, but I like that my sister randomly influenced me with her new plaid cape. as we were walking on the beach, I happened to snap this photo of her, with her plaid cape fluttering along the sand and I so liked how she looked as though she had wings. it is a very angelic moment and I must thank my sister for this winter beach cape look. I am not sure if I will go out and buy a plaid cape just yet, but I love how simple moments in my everyday life, can lead to such style and photo inspiration!

tartan

céline fall/winter 2013

for some reason, my sister in her plaid cape reminded of céline's fall/winter 2013 collection and this tartan coat. I am very selective about how a plaid coat should look, but I love the way this model looks in this ensemble. its very elegant, yet modern and I also appreciate how the coat is paired with those skin tight boot pants. there is an edge factor to this look that only phoebe philo could pull off. she definitely has a way of making clothes work that I sometimes would never even think about combining. perhaps, its a mix of femininity with androgyny that I think can work, if done right. I think tilda swinton is a perfect example of someone who balances those two qualities together, very well. on a side note, all this week I was reminiscing back on this collection and I love the casual chic nonchalance of this season. if you somehow forgot about this fall collection, definitely check it out. this is what my idea of effortless elegance is all about and I admire that phoebe philo totally understands how chic girls want to dress!

the genie jumpsuit

photo by my sister

my latest outfit craze is the genie jumpsuit. I actually bought this at a store in los angeles called hardwear. the store is actually is quite chic and the best part about it is that the prices are fairly reasonable. I don't know if there is buzz about this boutique, but I have bought so many sporty chic ensembles in the past couple of months that I know I will be wearing for years to come.....but let's get back to the genie jumpsuit. when I first tried it on I immediately thought of issey miyake, just because I know he is known for this type of look. very loose, but form fitted and as we all know I love the japanese approach and aesthetic to dressing. at any rate, the outfit was about $40 and last week, I decided to wear it as I went for a walk on the beach. of course, I had a photo shoot in mind and I really like this image that my sister captured of me....very in the moment. I think you can really see the structure and silhouette of this outfit against the beach setting. as for the styling, I just paired the jumpsuit with my turban headband, oliver peoples sunnies, and some flip flops that I took from the burke williams spa (they are very comfortable). I think this is a very noir chic moment on the beach and I think this outfit proves that loose clothes can be just as mysterious and alluring. don't get me wrong, tight form fitted clothes are beautiful, but sometimes its so nice to wear something loose and easy like this genie jumpsuit. I highly suggest investing in one, if you are searching for an outfit that is simple, unique, yet still very comfy-chic. its very hard to find something that has all those qualities, but the genie jumpsuit, certainly does!

deauville

photo by peter lindbergh

for some reason, when my sister photographed me on the beach in my genie jumpsuit I had this image of amber valletta from the vogue italia february 2013 issue, in mind. the whole editorial is glorious and I love that we get too see a very natural looking amber valletta. it appears like she is wearing no make-up and I love that we get too see every line on her face. sometimes, layouts look too airbrushed, but this one is just the opposite. what I also appreciate about this editorial is that the clothes are all in black. there are many beautiful black dresses displayed throughout the layout like alexander wang, miu miu, and givenchy, but my favorite moment is the way amber valletta looks in this dramatic hedi slimane for saint laurent ensemble. I think the drapery is quite lovely too look at and I love the fluidity and structure of that cape dress. I will always look to peter lindbergh for photo inspiration and I so wanted to do something like this when I wore my genie jumpsuit on the beach. I know its not an exact replicate, but I think the idea of this somehow resonated in my head. if you have never seen this layout entitled deauville, defintely check it out. one of my vogue italia all time favorites, and I do love it when peter lindbergh photographs amber valletta. they have something special together and I think you can see that noir chic creative connection throughout this whole editorial!