year 10

photo by danny feser

I cannot believe it has been ten years of sisters in black frocks. this blog has evolved so much....from commentary on fashion, film, to showcasing my style and photo projects. it is really interesting too see that shift and how all of that has influenced me throughout the years. I know I do not write as much as I use to when I first started the blog, but I feel like I only want too share things with my readers that are inspiring. I feel like because of social media now, we all share the same things especially when it comes to runway and popular culture that maybe I haven't been so keen to voice my opinion on, but I do make certain exceptions when something amazing pops up like a unique piece of clothing or an intriguing film. either way, the main purpose of my blog is to just share things that I find influential. in fact, from the beginning that has always been my main purpose. I love to curate and I have always been very opinionated about how I think certain things should look and this blog has been an amazing place to display all of that. I have no idea what the next ten years will be like, but I will always love having this blog even if no one cares what I have too say. having an outlet for my love of writing and photography and putting it all here feels so good and I am so lucky to have a place like this to manifest it all into.


on a side note, I wanted to show off my new favorite black dress to celebrate our 10 year blogversary. it is actually a flamenco style dress with an asymmetrical sleeve. the dress is by ulla johnson and I fell in love with it the moment I tried it on. I guess I could say it is a bit 80s, but it is still very modern and form fitting. for a couple of months now, I have been driving by a sephora store with a huge striped wall and I thought to myself it would be so perfect to take a photo by there when there are no cars around. so on christmas day, I did just that. I got the parking lot all to myself and just stood tall on that wall. my brother in law snapped this and I think it perfectly shows off just how noir chic that dress really is. I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate ten years of sisters in black frocks than with this dress. I also want to thank my amazing and creative family and to my friends....they know who they are and also to my readers....especially pret-a-porter. thank you for always being so supportive I so appreciate it.

and to all the things that have inspired me and continue to inspire me....please keep happening. it feeds me more than you'll ever know.

between the lines

ashleigh wilson-clarke

I always love doing creative projects that feel like a challenge. last month, I collaborated with a ballerina named ashleigh that I met through my dance photography workshop and we decided to work with a film projector. I have always liked the concept of a film projector, but I wasn't quite sure how to utilize it. together, we both decided on a circular linear background just because we thought it would make for something cinematic. and because there are so many lines going on, we decided that for her outfit, a tan bodysuit would be best. I have no idea what we exactly conceived, but I just liked how free ashleigh was with her body and I just thought if I captured a moment in between that, it would look interesting. I tried to cover her face too with the circular lines to create something dramatic with silhouettes. in the end, this was one of my favorite projects of 2018. I think sometimes when you just go into something not knowing what will happen that will make for something unique and special. ashleigh and I worked with other backgrounds with the film projector, but this one was my favorite because I think with those lines, the mystery of her face, and the way she undulates her body it somehow all blended so perfectly. I must thank ashleigh for this inspiring day and how lucky I was this year to work with some really amazing ballerinas......more to come in 2019.

observe & reflect

photo by my sister

it has become a yearly thing to celebrate black friday here on sisters in black frocks. I must admit I have not been very consistent with writing and posting my photo projects lately. I can't say that I have not been doing anything, but this year I have had some setbacks both creatively and personally. I really enjoy feeling inspired and for some reason this year I didn't feel it so much. I don't want to complain that nothing great happened this year because that actually is not true. I had some really beautiful moments in new mexico and some of my own personal projects, but I felt like it was dramatically less than what it has been in the past, but as I have mentioned before in previous posts its all about quality over quantity and as I get older I really want to create imagery that's both thought provoking, but still enriched with style. personally, as well, I have been dealing with some other internal issues that I think has affected me a little. I know with time I will feel better, but I think we all go through inner battles sometimes where things feel dark and empty. I know with time it will lead to some unique breakthrough, but for now I have to get through some struggles in my head and then manifest it into something dynamic. nonetheless, it hasn't stopped my love for all things noir chic and since its black friday I thought about one of my favorite black dress moments of this year. in august, I went with my sister to new york city. we spent the day at the met museum too see the fashion and the catholic imagination exhibit. it was really magnificent seeing all the alexander mcqueen and dolce & gabbana sicilian widow dresses. I've always loved the connection between religion and fashion, so this was really something too marvel at. at the museum I wore my helmut lang asymmetrical black dress and my sister snapped this pic of me in the egyptian part of the museum. I guess what I love most about this photo is my reflection and my body language. my sister captured it perfectly and I think it sort of reflects the mood I am in now, which is a little bit introspective, yet still noir chic. perhaps, maybe its not just a mood, but forever my look.

best in black

photo by cuneyt akeroglu

I love that feeling I get when I see an editorial that makes me do a double take....with this image I did just that. let's just get right to the details, the dress is by armani and I think it fits her body to perfection. the photo itself, is also very cinematic and I love how she is positioned in front of that tree. the beautiful mirror reflection of her dress adds a little something extra, too. this image comes from the upcoming december issue of vogue russia. I rarely am so taken by fashion photography, but her gown and the composition of this photo is truly amazing and for some reason it reminded me of what my sister took of me at the met museum in august. I always love making connections between my life and what I see in magazines, so this was just a mere coincidence. its funny how art and life work. on a side note, I have noticed for spring 2019 there were some really beautiful black dresses to grace the runways. this armani is just one of them....tom ford, valentino, and max mara all showcased some unique black frocks that sort of made me feel excited for fashion again....I haven't been able too say that in awhile.

the dance photography workshop

ashleigh wilson

I have been quite busy this summer with work, life, travelling, and trying to squeeze in photo projects when I can. I always try to push myself creatively. sometimes, things work out and sometimes they don't. I don't really mind if I fail because as I get older I think its all about testing things out and seeing what happens. for about a year now, I have been eager to photograph ballerinas. I have been fortunate to work with some amazing dancers that I have met through my own dance classes, but I still have been longing for something more. somehow, I stumbled upon an interesting site online called the dance photography workshop. it is run by a beautiful ballerina named ashleigh wilson who gathers photographers from all over the world and we just get together to photograph ballerinas and dancers in interesting locations and spaces. I felt a bit nervous taking part with this group because everyone seemed very professional with their cameras and I didn't really know if I even fit in this group. for the most part, I tried not to focus too much on my level and just do my thing. I can't say I am a professional photographer by any means, but I can certainly find moments with people and that is really my entire aim with anything I photograph. my favorite part of the workshop was when the ballerinas took to the street and we all just snapped away. I did enjoy photographing the ballerinas in the studio, but I felt more comfortable photographing in the street....especially this alley way we found somewhere in silverlake. ashleigh has such grace and elegance and I love how she contrasts with this not so glamorous side street. we really see the tone of her leg muscles and her overall strength. I knew going into this workshop that I didn't want to do cliché ballet photos, I just wanted to capture moments that felt very real and honest.....much like this image! I am going to be doing some more workshops in the future and I very much enjoyed learning from the dancers and the other photographers. at this stage in my life, it just feels really good to try new things and to surround myself with other people who love dance and photographing it as much as I do....so much creation on all levels that I certainly can't get enough of.

the hat of the season

since this is the start of summer I thought I would share what is perhaps my favorite hat of the season. I stumbled upon this hat in a store in the beginning of may and I immediately knew that this was not only a beautiful accessory, but also a piece of art. the hat is designed by jacquemus and I remember seeing it as part of his la bomba spring/summer 2018 collection. when I viewed it on the runway I thought it was such a whimsical hat and also that maybe it was just for show and not available in real life. sometimes, designers do this, but I guess I was wrong. when I tried it on in the store I knew that this hat had to be mine. yes, its oversized and not just a regular style hat, but its designed so delicately and I love how you can angle it, as well. in these two photos you can definitely see how it fits. in the first one, I actually placed a black headband under the hat to give it a more spanish style feeling to it and angled it more to one side. the second photo you can certainly see how much sun protection you can get from not only the front, but also the back. both images were shot by a lake and I just thought I would simply pair it with an asymmetrical dkny bathing suit. I really didn't do much styling with it, but I don't think you really need much with this hat. I must thank my sister for capturing these two moments. this hat has truly inspired me for the past 2 months and I am wearing it as much as I can lately because I think its an accessory that needs to be seen and it certainy is a statement piece. jacquemus is a designer that I have had my eye on for awhile and I am very much admiring his design aesthetic and all these amazing hats he is creating. there is one from his le souk fall 2108 collection that I also can't wait to try on. at any rate, for now this jacquemus hat is the perfect way to celebrate the start of summer. if you aren't familiar with this designer he is definitely one to watch and get inspired by!



photos by my sister

taking it to the streets

photo by ivana profeta

street photography has been something I really enjoy doing in my free time. I guess what I like about it is how unplanned it all is. you can't necessarily predict what is going to happen and that is the reason I find it all so interesting. I must say there are many times when I wander on the street and I find absolutely nothing and then there are other times when many intriguing moments cross my path. as of now, I don't feel like I am having the best of luck, which got me thinking that I should create my own street moments. so with that in mind I decided to collaborate with my friend ivana on a street series, in which we wandered the streets of hollywood blvd looking noir chic. we had a lot of photographers and designers in mind before we started shooting. we thought about helmut newton, 80's thierry mugler, and vivian maier. for this photo, in particular, that ivana took of me, vivian maier was very much the influence. we thought about this photo (below) of the man sleeping in his newsstand and felt that we should do something loosely inspired by this. so, as we were walking we stumbled upon a strip mall and located in the center was a cigarettes and snacks stand. we thought right away there was something cinematic and film noir about it and we also found the guy working there a bit fascinating so we decided to incorporate him in our photo. I told him to just be himself and I tried to be natural, as well. I think in the end it does look like a vivian maier moment, but also very editorial as well. I don't even know if you can see the connection between these two photographs, but I just appreciate how casual and cool this looks. it is fashion, but it also feels like everyday life and that is lately what I feel inspired by, the most. yes, clothes can sometimes be fantasy, but it also should feel realistic, too and I enjoy combining the two. I must thank my friend ivana for capturing this moment and to this man at the cigarette and snacks stand. together, it all magically worked together....who knew that we could somehow create our own kind of street scene?!!!


photo by vivian maier