sweet dreams

my selected dream photo

this past july, franca sozzani, the editor-in-chief of vogue italia held a photo contest all based upon the concept of dream. immediately, I was drawn to this theme mostly because I find myself living in my own dream world. sometimes, I wonder what planet I am living on and why I find such ordinary moments so intriguing. I know there are other people out there who feel the same, but its something I never really have conversations about, I just like to capture the moment and do my thing. at any rate, franca sozzani was not very specific with what she was looking for, but I knew she was looking for a magical moment, a detail, or just something that the photographer finds inspiring. of course, for fun, I entered the contest, and for some reason, one of my photographs was selected. this past february, I found myself wandering around little toyko in downtown los angeles and happened to notice a teenage couple. they seemed so in love and I just thought I would spontaneously, catch this moment of them, from behind. it was a very sunny day and I remember the way their shadows touched the ground. personally, I thought it was an endearing moment and decided to photograph it. I have an obsession with shadows and when I find some that are eye catching it really makes my day. I did a lot of editing with this photo to get that noir chic feeling, but I am glad franca sozzani was able too see the beauty and simplicity of this moment. words can't also express how exciting it is to be 1 of 20 images selected and perhaps the best part is that our photos are part of an exhibition at the illy store in milan and florence, which runs 'til january of 2016. our images are displayed on the wall and are also printed on postcards, which are all at the illy store. the whole thing is a bit overwhelming, but I feel so honored to be featured among these amazing photographers. last week, a dear friend of mine, sent me this photo of the illy store in milan and I was so touched by his kind words and his beautiful photo. he is an amazing photographer himself, and a complete visionary, so for him to share this with me, really meant a lot. when I think about how this all happened it still is over my head, but I feel so grateful. I must thank vogue italia, franca sozzani, and of course all the people, who support me and my creative endeavors.


photo by antonio spacca

purple diary

photo by brad elterman

the other night, I attended the art opening for the urs fischer show at the gagosian gallery. most of the time, when I attend these events I don't really expect much. I just like to look at the art, put on a nice dress, and observe style, that is if I see anything worth while. of course, I like to take photos with the art, but most of the time, I am with my camera phone snapping photos of what I may find interesting and could be a source of style inspiration. I must admit that even though I attend these art events, I don't find that I fit into them, as I am not an actress, singer, and I don't really think of myself as a photographer. I just like to think of myself as a curator of style, in my free time. I have no idea if that makes sense, but I just think I am being me. I like to be elusive and to remain a mystery, if I can. at any rate, at the gagosian gallery, I met brad elterman, who is a los angeles photographer, who works for purple diary and he asked to take my photo. he told me that I look way more new york than los angeles, which made me laugh. we chatted for a bit and he snapped this image of me. I told him I wanted to leave my sunglasses on and he agreed that I should. he said it would be very chic that way, but in my head I was thinking I better just keep it noir chic as that is all I know how to do. I was very surprised the next day too see my photo featured on the site, and what it all means, I don't know and I won't let it get to my head, but I guess andy warhol was right when he said in the future everybody will be famous for 15 minutes....I guess now is my moment!

here is the link:
http://purple.fr/diary/urs-fischer-fountains-opening-at-gagosian-gallery-los-angeles/

cupshe

photo by danny feser

last week, I did the unimaginable I bought myself a bikini. I don't want to hate on bikinis, but I have always been a one piece swimsuit kind of girl. I just feel more comfortable covering up and I always think you reveal more by showing less. at any rate, my sister informed about a company called cupshe, which is an international online retailer of fashion and beauty. I think they are most known for their bikinis because they are actually quite chic and very affordable. when I say affordable, please believe me.....I bought this one for just $15. I figured at this price it must be ill fitted, but I was totally wrong. in fact, it fits like a glove and I love the way this bikini plays with lines. I actually think the back is the best part, so that is why I wanted to emphasis that section. I actually wore it on the beach, this past labor day and I was quite pleased by how comfortable and chic it was. this is my first time wearing a bikini on the beach and it totally exceeded my expectations. of course, I wanted to do a noir chic inspired moment to mark the occasion and I think this pretty much captures the beauty of the bikini, but also the magic and mystery of a little quiet time on the beach. plus, I love the harshness of my shadow...that to me is the highlight of this photo. yes, I know that's a little strange too say, but I love a good silhouette. if for some reason, you are thinking about purchasing a bikini or any kind of bathing suit, I highly suggest checking out the cupshe website. as I always say cheap, yet chic, never goes out of style!

back to the beach

photo by I wish I knew

for about a month now, I have been obsessing over this image of a random girl on the beach, in a dramatic dress. I have searched high and low to try and find out who photographed this, but I have no idea. personally, I think this looks very peter lindbergh, maybe even a little patrick demarchelier for harper's bazaar back in the 90's, but I can't seem to figure it out. at any rate, whoever photographed it, must be super proud of this, because I think its a marvelous image. I just love the body language and the way her dress just melts into the beach. its almost like ocean waves and I think I just love the feeling that this photo evokes. at any rate, I very much had this image in mind, when I was on the beach this past labor day. I knew I wanted to capture something with my back and the lines of my bikini in the same way that this dress does, with her crossing lines. yes, I know they are not very similar, but I think there is a connecting noir chic allure, that both of these photos have. I don't think I will ever find out who the photographer is, on this image, but I really don't care, I just love finding inspiring pics like this, that force me to go out and take on my own photo projects. too me, that is what matters most!

the towel turban

photo by my sister

when summer starts to wind down and labor day approaches I somehow think about one of my all-time favorite looks, the towel turban. last year, I did a whole story on towel turbans and its funny how I still am very much inspired by this look. yes, we all put one on when we get out of the shower, but I have always felt there is something so chic about twisting one up. in fact, the bigger the towel turban....the better! at any rate, earlier this summer, I thought about glamming up my towel turban with my manolo blahniks, oliver peoples sunnies, and a copy of the may issue of vogue paris. its interesting what ideas you can come up with while lounging by the pool, especially when there are clean towels by your side. there really wasn't much plan with this, but I just felt like it had something very fresh and summery about it and I love the relaxed, nothing can go wrong feeling, that a towel turban has, when you put one on. I must thank my sister for capturing the moment and I love that pop of yellow in the background and how it somehow corresponds with that issue of vogue paris. I believe the accessories certainly add a little something extra to my towel turban. if you have never done this look, I highly suggest trying it and if you have not seen mario testino's towel photos series, definitely have a look. its nice to know that I am not the only one who finds this look, the highest of chic.

the white way

thierry mugler spring/summer 2015

for some reason the phrase no white after labor day got me thinking about my favorite suit of the season. what those words actually mean, makes no sense to me, as I would gladly wear a suit like this, all year round, that is if I actually owned one. in case you don't know this is from the thierry mugler spring/summer 2015 collection. even though fashion critics didn't care too much for this season, I certainly did and I love the sporty vibe that david koma is bringing to the label. yes, I know its a whole new direction for the label, but sometimes change can be a good thing. a couple of months ago, I featured a sleek cut-out black dress with a bond-girl sensibility, that was one of my favorites. it reminded me of something donna karan or even tom ford would design, so that is probably why I found it so appealing. at any rate, let's get back to this suit. what I admire about it, is that it looks like a ysl le smoking suit with that skinny pant and blazer, but what makes it so modern, is that white body suit with cut outs, underneath. this is sleek minimalism at its finest and I love the whole futuristic aspect that this ensemble creates. I don't know about you, but I would so would wear this all year, no matter the season. sometimes, its good to go against the rules and not follow ridiculous phrases like no white after labor day, especially when you have a cutting-edge thierry mugler suit, like this!