best in black

photo by my sister

I have waited long enough and since its black friday I am happy to finally showcase this amazing coat by masaki matsuka. you could say its fashion, but to me it feels like a piece of art and I love how you can wear it super fancy or sporty chic. I like to go both ways in it, but dressing sporty is more my style, these days. because the photo is in black and white I don't know if you can see all the details, but if you zoom in you can see how it bunches in on the sleeves, almost looking like a couture michelin man....if that makes any sense. it also has a very high collar so you can definitely hide your face in it, which is one of the main rules in being noir chic. this photo was taken on the beach in newport, rhode island and I so enjoyed wandering around the sea there, in this coat. I don't know if its the most proper look for the beach, but I love how comfy-chic this coat is and I like how my sister really captured the beauty of the ocean, sky, along with this coat. I guess its one thing to look at the coat, but to wear it is like wearing a bed. I guess you need to put it on, to get what I am saying. at any rate, I must thank masaki matsuka, I bought two amazing dresses from them this year, and now this coat. how I found this store is a complete surprise, but every piece is so special. to find fashion like this is so rare, but it makes me feel good that I have some amazing investment pieces that I will be wearing for years to come. if you haven't checked out this line, please do....so cozy and unique!

well-suited

noir chic on the street

this past weekend I was walking on the street and happened to notice a very stylish lady in a black suit walking next to me. at first I felt a little self-conscious going up to her because she was walking arm to arm with a younger man and I didn't want to bother her, but after a little thought....my head said "life is short" just go up to her and say you like what she is wearing. so with that in mind, I did just that. I think she was flattered and surprised and perhaps the only thing bizarre about the situation was that she didn't speak any english. the man she was walking with, was her grandson and he was able to translate what I was saying to her. with our translation, I was able to find out that she is from belgium. I really couldn't find out any details about the suit but she was kind enough to pose for me. what I love about her suit is how sleek it is and I really admire the way she accessorizes with her gloves, clutch, sunnies, and the details of her shoes. I love finding women of a certain age who still enjoy looking chic. she gives me hope for when I get older to still keep wearing black and to continue being noir chic. I'm a little bummed that I didn't get this woman's name, but she really was just the style inspiration I have been looking for. its amazing what you can find on the street when you least expect. thank you to this woman....she is the epitome of noir chic.

rizzoli published...now what?

the girlgaze cover

wow its been a good solid month and I still haven't gotten over the fact that a couple of my photographs are featured in the new girlgaze book published by rizzoli. how this has all happened is still a big surprise to me and I am so grateful and honored to be featured in a book alongside other amazing female photographers like inez van lamsweerde and lynsey addario. I know I should feel ecstatic about being in this book, but its made me question myself and how hard it is to be consistently creative all the time. I struggle with this constantly....like I want to keep doing creative projects, but I also want it to feel special and unique, not just doing something for the sake of doing something. whether photography, music, or film, I think its all the same really and as I get older it feels like I only want to take part in photo projects that I am passionate about. even though photography is not my main career these past couple of years it has become such an important outlet for me. the process of creating a scene or just finding a moment that passes me in my everyday life is just something I really enjoy doing. I don't know if I can easily describe this in words, but there is a fulfillment that comes when doing this. I must say being published in this beautiful book is icing on the cake, but now I wonder what will happen next. perhaps, I shouldn't worry about it or feel pressure and just keep doing what I am doing, but now I can see where I feel like I want to take something to the next level. I am not sure when that will happen, but I do love challenging myself. I guess that is the best part about being published...is the need to push yourself in a new direction. I will keep my readers posted when something exciting again happens, but till then do check out this book its available in stores and on amazon.


my photograph towel turban and cat featured in girlgaze

rated red

photo by my sister

when thinking about 2017, I must say this has been the year where I have been quite adventurous with color. don't get me wrong there is no way I am ever going to stop wearing black, but I am proud of myself for taking some fashion risks with some loud colors. it mostly involved one green norma kamali dress, and two red dresses.....one from ruti and the other from rachel pally, but I think my favorite red dress this year has to be this one. the designer is masaki matsuka, recently, I showcased a square pattern dress by her, which I wear a lot, and I have yet to share an interesting bubble jacket that I purchased at this store, but this red one really is quite spectacular. the material is very similar to the fabric issey miyake uses, so the dress has a very stretchy, yet comfortable feel to it. what I also like about this dress is how that turtleneck drapes so perfectly. this is a dress you can be casual or super fancy with. I like to wear it somewhere in between the two. recently, my sister took this photo of me in some random shoe store and I think it shows how beautifully it drapes. you also get too see both sides of the dress. never in a million years would I think this would be the year, that I would invest in three red dresses, but I think the third one, was the charm. I don't think there will ever be a sisters in red frocks, but I love jazzing up my wardrobe with something new and vibrant like this dress. it feels that easy to wear that its almost like wearing one of my black dresses....now how many red dresses can you say that about?

garden glow

photo by my sister

I have been a bit behind with sharing events that have been going on this past summer, but I am trying to catch up now. last month, I went to lotusland, which is beautiful botanical garden located in montecito, near santa barbara. lotusland is actually the house of opera singer madame ganna walska, who owned the property as a private residence from 1941 until her death in 1984. the house then became open to the public in 1993 and I must say I was so enchanted and inspired by all the gardens in this estate. it was my sister's idea to go and visit lotusland so I thought what kind of dress should I wear for this occasion..... yes, I normally would say just a black dress, but for this garden I thought I should wear something with a vibrant color to go with the look and feel of lotusland. so with that in mind, I thought about my chartreuse asymmetrical dress from BCBG that I bought in their outlet store back in 2014. I really haven't worn this in awhile, so I thought why not wear it. I think together in that garden there is certain glow to it that corresponds, so well. and to make it different from the last time I wore this dress I added this vintage hat that I bought in an antique store somewhere in new mexico. its an interesting hat, in that it doesn't cover the whole face, but just part of it. for some reason, I thought together it might look appropriate. so with that in mind, while wandering in the garden my sister took this sartorial shot of me. I wasn't actually posing for her she just randomly took this pic and I think it captures the essence of that dress and how lovely that garden was to walk around in. I highly suggest visited lotusland if you are in southern california. this was definitely one of the highlights of my summer and I love when I get to wear some of my favorite old dresses in my closet and make them new again. I guess that is the beauty of fashion.

the parasol project

ivana zannini

even though photography is just a pastime of mine...I feel it is something that is very much a part of my everyday life. I don't know if I plan so much with my ideas, as I think its more about finding moments and just creating something beautiful and interesting. case in point, this summer I was asked to style and shoot something unique using various parasols. I have featured these lily lark parasols before on sisters in black frocks but this time I decided not to model and have some of my friends wear them for me. I was surprised by how much I did with them this summer and I very much enjoyed the process of trying to work with them, even though at times I felt a little clueless. parasols can be tricky with how to hold them and finding the perfect amount of light and shadow to go with. out of all the ones I took this summer, I think this may be my favorite, just because it feels very natural, but yet still very polished and sleek. I had my friend ivana model it for me and she styled the parasol with a form fitting black dress with heels. her dress very much reminded me of 90s herve leger, perhaps because in how it shapes to her figure. I think her body language also says so much and I love how she is looking off to the side in her sunnies. I guess you could say this image has a very sister's in black frocks kind of ambiance about it. however you want to interpret it, I must thank ivana for incorporating her own sense of style, with that parasol....so noir chic to the next level.

ladylike

photo by mario testino

the inspiration for my photo of ivana with her parasol came loosely from this gisele image by mario testino from a 2009 issue of vanity fair magazine. I know its not a 100 percent a copy of it, but I like the idea that this image evokes. its very sexy, yet ladylike, but still very noir chic. its exactly what I wanted to create with my photo. I guess what they both have in common though is that they are both standing on rooftops. there is something about a rooftop with a view of sky scraper buildings, that just adds a little something extra. whatever it is, I love the helmut newton quality of this photo, that mario testino was embodying....it some how very much inspired me with my parasol photograph...interesting how it all correlates.

for our fans

ivana & myself

recently, my friend ivana bought these decadent chinese fans and suggested to me that we do something extravagant with them. naturally, I said yes and since ivana and I met through the late franca sozzani we thought we should do a tribute to her. after all, franca sozzani not only loved style, but she loved fashion with a sense of humor. so with that in mind we decided to put on our best black dresses and stand by her hollywood pool with these beautiful fans. ivana and I had some helmut newton images in mind, so we tried to take on the persona of the types of women you see in his photographs. basically, we wanted to be sexy california noir chic, but still not take ourselves too seriously. I think franca was all about that with vogue italia and that is one thing that I try to keep in mind when I do photo projects. ivana and I have talked so much about the death of franca sozzani and how it has affected us. we both can recall certain issues of vogue italia during her era that we will never forget and what a style impact they have had upon our lives. I am not sure if we will ever forget that she is no longer living, but her sharp taste for fashion and photography will always be a major source of inspiration for us both. so on that note, we dedicate this to her.

graphic design

photo by danny feser

yes, I have been a bit behind with sharing all my latest fashion finds, but even with all that I have been discovering these past couple of months....I think this may be my favorite dress of the summer. I didn't go searching for this dress, but when I saw it I new there was just something special about it. it was a month ago, that I walked into a store called masaki matsuka. I didn't really know much about this designer and from doing a quick glance throughout the store I thought maybe it was trying to copy issey miyake. only because masaki matsuka uses that same pleats please material that issey miyake uses. I tried on a couple of black dresses, but this one in particular caught my attention. I was immediately entranced by that square pattern and the overall shape of the dress. what's also interesting about this dress is that it bounces as you walk. it definitely has a certain flow to it that is very comfy-chic. I don't know why but I am so drawn to outfits that have those two qualities. at any rate, I decided to style something interesting with this dress by finding a corresponding staircase that complimented the pattern of my dress. this was a very simple photo to take I just basically had the graphic design of the dress and staircase do the work. one a side note, if you have never seen masaki matsuka I highly suggest taking a look, especially if you love that japanese pleats please way of dressing....a lot of interesting gems from this designer!

lady in red

photo by my sister

I have really been embracing color in the past couple of months and while I still feel most comfortable in black I am slowly starting to add a little bit of color to my wardrobe. I think it all started with that green norma kamali dress and now it seems to be this red dress I found at a sample sale for rachel pally. I wasn't really looking for anything that day, but I tried this dress on and fell in love with it. I think it had something to do with how the dress draped and flowed as I walked. I also really love the shoulder portion, as well. I remember reading something donna karan said, which was always reveal a shoulder. apparently, its a part of a woman's body no matter what size she is, that always looks good. I never really thought much about this much, until I got this dress and I think I am started to believe her now. last month, I wore this dress to the renaissance fair and my sister snapped this pic of me. of course I wanted to do a dramatic pose and you can really see how the back drapes and the detail of the shoulder portion. this has become one of my favorite dresses of the year and I was so happy to wear it that day, especially because I got my hair braided. I don't know why, but I think a hair braid adds a little something to every dress, including a red one.

feel the flow

photo by michael avedon

I love red when it is done right and I am constantly looking at red dresses to take inspiration from. interestingly, before I bought my red rachel pally dress I was looking at this photo from harpers bazaar taken from the cartier store on fifth avenue in new york city. I don't know why I was so drawn to this photo, but I love the way her red dress looks as if it is flying with her. it has such a beautiful flow and I love the idea of walking up some dramatic steps in a red dress with diamonds....feels so cinematic! for some reason, this image popped up in my head when I had my sister photograph my red dress from the back. I know there really is no comparison, but I think this dress definitely had some effect upon me. I wish I knew who designed this....either way, its just stunning to look at.

going green

photo by my sister

yes, you are seeing correctly that is me in a green dress. I actually bought this about a month ago and wore it recently on my birthday to celebrate, in a flower field. I don't know why, but I originally saw this dress in black, but thought in green, it actually looked more interesting. I am actually surprised that I am saying this, but it is the truth and I am all for a little bit of color, especially, if it feels appropriate to my mood. the dress is actually asymmetrical and is designed by norma kamali. I have many dresses by her, but this is my first green one. its made out of jersey silk and feels so incredibly soft against my skin. whether fancy or casual this dress can go both ways. I didn't know the day I wore this dress, that it would blend so well with these ranunculus, but it surprisingly did, and I love how my dress flows into those flowers. I must thank my sister for capturing this moment and I feel so proud of myself for going with the green dress rather than the black version. I think this version just feels rather appropriate for spring. I have another surprising new dress in another color to share soon, but for now I am all about going green.

quality over quantity

in a tutu dress

I hate too say this, but lately I feel as if I am in a creative slump. yes, I have thoughts for photo projects, but for some reason, it just feels as if ideas are not flowing like they did last year. perhaps, its normal to feel this way I mean can one possibly be creative all the time? that is something that I have been thinking a lot about recently. rather than feeling hopeless, I am thinking now its all about quality over quantity. ideally, I would like to share more on sister's in black frocks, but if I am not feeling inspired, than I cannot share. I don't even know if its just myself that I am disappointed with, but lately fashion magazines have been rather boring as well and I rarely ever see street style that I am inspired by. I hate that I am even writing about this, but I feel that I would like to keep my style blog as honest as I can.

despite all my complaining, I still have been doing projects whether interesting or not, in my free time, and the one that I feel that I want to share is this tutu image that I took of my friend coleman on a rainy sunday. lately, I have been admiring the shape and silhouettes of tutus. they just look so chic on ballerinas, so I decided to go to a ballet dance store to buy one. I didn't really plan this moment with her, but I thought with her long and lean figure this tutu would accentuate her body and also that street. I think its a very lonely and dark photo, but also very thought provoking as I am wondering what she is thinking. either way, this is one of the few images that I took this year, that I feel proud of. I know there will be more to come, but be patient with me, as I only want to create images that I feel passionate about....not just for the sake of sharing. hope that makes sense!

that tutu

photo by patrick demarchelier

so I must say part of my reason for buying a tutu had to do with this photo from harper's bazaar magazine circa 1994. I still have this issue and from time to time I like to look through it. I love this era of patrick demarchelier and the whole editorial is done so flawlessly in black and white. this tutu dress on supermodel nadja auermann was designed by john galliano in what I believe was his best time in fashion. I must say that I am not a fan of the princess look, but I think this tutu dress looks very ballet and how could you not love all those voluminous layers of that skirt. I definitely took some loose inspiration from this photo when I had my friend coleman wear my tutu on the street. I know there is not an exact connection, but that is how inspiration works. on a side note, if you haven't seen this layout I highly suggest looking back on it. I miss this era in fashion and how good the photography was back then....those were the days!

something old, something new

photo by my sister

I'm slowly learning how to mix and match pieces from my wardrobe. I think some people are born with that personal style gift, but for me, I feel, its not something that comes so easily. normally, I just like one statement piece, usually in a dark color, so I don't have to think too much about what I am wearing. about two years ago, I bought this dkny skirt with fitted waist, but I kind of struggled with finding the perfect top. I didn't know if a turtleneck would be good, or maybe if a crop top could work....so I kind of put this skirt in the back of my closet, until I could think of an option. so with that in mind, a couple of weeks ago, I randomly found a sleek black turtleneck tank top for twenty dollars. originally, I thought maybe I would want to wear this turtleneck tank in my dance class with some baggy black pants, but when I pieced it together with this dkny skirt I knew it was just what the skirt needed. so with that pairing, I decided to wear this look to an art space and I think it went quite well together, considering I have pitchforks aimed right at me. either way, I think you can fully see how refined this turtleneck tank top is and how it blends so well with that skirt silhouette. I have no idea if I will attempt more mix and matching with my wardrobe, but this felt like the start of something new with my way of dressing. personally, I think its always important to mix things up in your wardrobe, that's where the excitement lies and I think it can also bring a new life to clothes, you haven't worn in awhile.

tangier days

such a stellar look with that black headband...



lovely use of print with shadow...

a couple of weeks ago, I was standing in line at the supermarket and opened up the spring issue of porter magazine and found myself completely mesmerized by an editorial entitled tangier days. I don't know why I was so captivated by this one, but it really caught my attention. to be honest, I am so bored by many fashion magazines and to find something that I am inspired by seems so rare, nowadays. at any rate, porter magazine has given me hope. I have always been intrigued by the beauty and mystery of morocco, so its really not so shocking that I would be drawn to the incognito chic-ness of these images. the layout is photographed by vincent van de wijngaard and features model vanessa axente roaming through the city of tangier in such ethereal, yet refined looking ensembles. I am very much drawn to that black headband that she is wearing throughout the layout. its such a polished look and I think it goes with the feel of tangier. what I also like most about this editorial is that it reads like scenes from a film. I like editorials to look cinematic and this does that and so much more. when clothes and the art direction tell a story it really does so much for the imagination, at least for mine, it does. if you haven't seen this layout do check it out, its styled and photographed to perfection. hats off to porter magazine for inspiring me with this one, I love it when that unexpectedly happens.


such movement in this photo with the drapery of her outfit contrasted with that sky...



my favorite image in the editorial because it feels like a street capture and I love the florals on her dress and that head scarf...

under the sun

lauren rosen

I have been kind of obsessed with all of the fabric I have been finding lately. I have been using it with still lifes and with my friends. the project before this, I made my friend coleman look like a sicilian widow and with this beach photo I wanted to do just the opposite. my dear friend lauren and I decided to head to the beach to create something dramatic with tons of shadows. since lauren looks amazing in all of my norma kamali ensembles I had her wear my asymmetrical one piece bathing suit by the designer. I know its hard too see the details of the bathing suit, but there is a mesh cut out portion on the stomach, that is quite sexy-chic. what's great about the beach in the winter time is that not that many people are on it, so its like you get the whole beach to yourself. I had lauren just wave the fabric around and I told her to try and get it under the sun. she did just that and I like this moment, I caught of her. its very simple and all we really see is her silhouette. to me, that says a lot and I just like how minimal, yet dramatic this feels. also, the way that fabric sways beneath the sun is really quite beautiful. we didn't plan too much this day, but I like it when something ethereal like this happens. perhaps, I was thinking of some of the photos herb ritts use to take in the 90's and how he used chiffon fabric. whatever it was, it felt dark, mysterious, and magical.....just the way I like it!

fabric flow

photo by alexi lubomirski

okay, so while I had images of herb ritts photography in my mind I was also thinking about this image, as well. I have had this pic saved on my computer desktop for some time so I think subconsciously this was the motivation for me to get some black chiffon fabric. I really love how liya kebede looks with that fabric and how she is holding it above her head and the corresponding shadow behind her. I believe this photo was taken in the mojave desert and I know in the desert, you can do such amazing work with silhouettes. even though lauren looks nothing like this picture, this was the inspiration for our beach photograph. I was very loosely influenced by this, but I think you can tell in a strange way. if you've never seen this layout, definitely check it out. the whole editorial is very minimal noir-chic with tons of mysterious shadows. I highly recommend looking through it, if you love that type of look and style.

year eight

veil and heels

today, marks eight years of sisters in black frocks. I must thank all our readers, friends, and family who have supported me throughout the years and have taken part in all my crazy photo projects that I just like to do in my free time. its funny when I think about the start of this blog and how my sister and I use to share photos of images we liked. now, it has completely changed where it is just me with my camera asking my friends to wear outfits that I find inspiring and having them model and create a story with me. I guess that is what having a style blog is all about...it becomes some sort of evolution and you just go with what you believe in. I must admit that I don't write as much as I use to and that is only because I have a lot of other things I do, but I still love having a place to turn to when I feel inspired as that is what sisters in black frocks is really all about. I have been involved in a lot of projects in the last couple of months, that I still need to share, but I thought today I would celebrate with this photo. about a month ago, I wandered into a fabric store and found a black piece of chiffon fabric and thought it would be so interesting to use as a veil and with that I asked my dear friend coleman to model for me. I brought my black sky high manolo blahniks heels and after dance class we found an empty room with a black chair and I asked her to lounge on it....and just like that this happened. I like to think of her as a very noir chic italian widow. I just think her body language says it all. I must give a special thanks to coleman for being such a great muse to me in the past year. we have created so much and I don't know if people even like what we do, but we don't really care because its all about expressing ourselves and creating our own unique world. for anyone who does anything creative I think they understand that philosophy. at any rate, thanks again to all our readers and for taking interest into sisters in black frocks.....more exciting photo and style projects to come in the year....stay tuned!

taking notice

in norma kamali

I have been really fortunate this past year to photograph and style with some amazing friends, who want to take part in my visions. I don't necessarily know why I like taking photos and putting together looks, but it has become such a fun and interesting thing to do in my free time. each friend I have has a different look and style, so I like to go with what I feel goes with them. case in point, my dear friend lauren is an amazing dancer and has the perfect figure to wear norma kamali. in 2016, we collaborated on an on-going photo series of her wearing some of my favorite norma kamali ensembles that I picked up in her new york city boutique, in the past couple of years. I don't know why, but with norma kamali's clothes I felt very inspired to photograph lauren in alley ways with eye catching street art. I thought for some reason it would make norma kamali's clothes stand out, since they are such statement pieces. I guess you could even say that I turned lauren into another version of me, just because if you look through sister's in black frocks you can very much see that I just like a bold black dress and hiding behind a pair of sunglasses. however you want to classify it, I still think lauren embodied something all her own. I think its a combination of a very strong independent woman, who still loves clothes and just wants to look chic in black. with all that said, last week norma kamali took notice of my various collaborations with lauren and featured them in a lovely montage on her instagram page. why she did that I don't know, but I am completely honored. I am not one to go crazy over many designers, but when one that you admire takes notice of your work it really does feel so special. I know that when I am in new york city, her store is the first I hit, and I just like her sporty chic aesthetic, so I think with just that I was able to translate her clothes into my own story. I don't really plan much with my photo projects, but I love when I have a simple concept and just go out with my camera and create something. I must thank norma kamali for the lovely feature and to lauren for being such a breath of fresh air to work with.....its really amazing how all that could happen!