Thursday 22 October 2009

Fräulein Von Unwerth







"It matters not
what she clothes she drapes
what moods she flashes
which words she unbuttons
it matters only that my breathe
forgets its jaunty pace
and the rest of me loses control" fashionandfables


What makes a woman sexy is the question Ellen Von Unweth's zooms in on in her new photobook Fraulein, a collection of images of contemporary female stars from Monica Bellucci to Kate Moss and Natalie Portman.

Be it walking up a flight of stairs in seductive lingerie or unwinding in a clear bath with a smoking cigar, all women are photographed in provocative poses, which makes the title of the book "Fräulein" literally translated to "little woman" quite ironic.

A little playful irony is something the talented photographer has used very well over the span of her 15-year career where she has worked for the likes of Vanity Fair, Vogue and Trace. Through her lens a "Fraulien" is embodied, playful and comfortable with her sensuality, all while being a little playful.

Remember all work and no play......After all she says "Women are not just there to be admired, they are there to be enjoyed" this enjoyment starts with appreciation of self.

Only 1500 copies of the book will be published worldwide, which is a shame, but then at approximately US$700 per copy, don't think i was going to be purchasing one. I will be checking out the eponymous exhibition at the Michael Hoppen Gallery in London which runs from October 12 to November 15.

All images from www.ftape.com

Wednesday 14 October 2009

"Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker"



"Bring me all of your dreams,
You dreamer,
Bring me all your
Heart melodies
That I may wrap them
In a blue cloud-cloth
Away from the too-rough fingers
Of the world."
The Dream Keeper, by Langston Hughes

The art of dressing is one of many dimensions. Especially if it is for an occassion. We look in the mirror, button up a shirt, straighten out a smile, tame our stray hairs, take a deep breathe and walk away. Only to come back to the same reflection to pout our lips, sway ever so slightly to the right, second guess decisions, bring on addictions, go for second, third or maybe even a fourth glance. Eventually, we are pleased; we have perfected a look; created a dream, all of course for the purpose of one day holding one that keeps longer.

And the very ridiculously beautiful Chanel Iman captures that perfectly in this shot. it's gorgeous. Oh to dream. to dream

Sunday 11 October 2009

What Style Means To Me

I often cringe whenever I dust off old pictures of myself in unflattering outfits. Like the summer I ventured out in MC hammer-like trousers, a shoulder-padded blouse and a pair of hideous white flats. In my defense I was only 10 and my mother really should have barricaded the doors. But I would be lying if I said my fashion faux pas moments ended there. Let’s see, we had the over-sized blazers and baggy pants that did nothing for my petite frame at 14; the obsession with tie-dyed skirts paired with white t-shirts around 16… which on hindsight were the perfect attire for a commune …. And between you and me, I have many more skeletons in my “fashionable” past.

This is why I take great comfort in knowing that at the end of the day fashion and style are two entirely different things. Style, to me, is a little like falling madly in love, while being fashionable is more of an infatuation, albeit with a deadly handsome man who encourages shopping sprees for Balmain jackets, Alexander Wang dresses and a range of items you really can’t afford and will probably only wear for a season.

Much like falling in love, before one can even begin to develop a sense of style an element of self awareness is necessary. In this case, this means understanding your body, personality, mood swings and comfort zones. For me this equates to no high-waisted jeans, leaving skin-tight one piece outfits for Halloween, saying yes to denim, draping, layers, pretty little dresses and jersey, but a definite no to all black ensembles; colour is everything to me!

I find that most women we have crowned style icons over the years, from Audrey Hepburn to Madonna and Chloe Sevigny, have embodied this sense of awareness. As Miss Hepburn once said on the subject of style: “you have to look at yourself objectively. Analyze yourself like an instrument. You have to be absolutely frank with yourself. Face your handicaps, don’t try to hide them. Instead, develop something else.” And a woman of her words she was. As a tall gamine, she shunned popular sexy designs of her time in favour of clean lines and simple staples such as Capri pants, turtlenecks and nipped-in the waist dresses and worked with designer Herbert Givenchy, who catered for her slender frame.
Fast-forward to modern times and style icons like Chloe Sevigny follow the same principle. Whether she is relaxing at a music festival in denim shorts and killer boots or attending an award ceremony in a quirky dress paired with cute flats, her style, although not championed by everyone, is individual, fun, whimsical and charming; she knows what works for her and isn’t afraid to follow her instincts.

Some might think this condemns one to a life of monotony, but on the contrary. I believe it simply means your identity seeps through every outfit you choose. Sure Monday morning might break to find you inspired to be a sixties’ flower child, and by all means travel back in time, but style to me merely implies that you can be inspired by a trend while remaining true to yourself.

Self-awareness might form the basis of great style but it’s nothing without butterflies; after all what’s a great love affair without romance. Knowing what works best for you only goes as far, having style I find means you must have the ability to have fun with your clothes, be excited by them, from the concept and the tailoring down to the detailing and colour.
When I was a child one of my favourite outfits was a yellow dress I nicknamed my “Cinderella gown”. Looking back there wasn’t that much to it at all, but I loved it mainly because whenever I slipped it on I felt special; like the queen of the ball. Exuding that excitement, not necessarily in a brash manner, is an inherent part of style. It is more heartbreaking to see a perfectly dressed woman looking horribly uncomfortable in her skin than to be privy to a fashion faux pas where the woman seems to radiate ease.

Yet, like with every love affair style most not be fearful of experimenting to keep the passion burning and should leave enough room for growth. Even though personally comfort is the basis of my style: I have a penchant for draped dresses- in another life my wardrobe would be filled with Costelleo Tagliapietra creations. And I hardly ever buy dresses without pockets and prefer silks and jersey. But as I have grown older the range of what I now deem as comfortable has expanded. I can wear a fitted dress and not spend the whole night fretting and fidgeting.
Madonna, I believe best epitomizes this. From her beginnings as a young entertainer, accessorizing with laces, cone bras and diamante cross to her more demure spiritual look in the early 90s, she embraces change and is always adventurous: “I’ve been popular and unpopular, successful & unsuccessful, loved & loathed, and I know how meaningless it all is. Therefore, I feel free to take whatever risks I want.”

I think regardless of what one’s style is, it should emit an element of ease and fun, like a lasting love affair, because after all it’s an extension of who you are, or rather who wish to be at that moment.

Kinder Aggugini's Mayfair

Snapshot of Kinder Aggugini's pop-up store

I love the concept of pop-up stores. When executed correctly, as they are by nature fleeting, they can soar to great heights leaving conventions and practicalities dedicating the foundation of a permanent store well behind. In other words they are just crazy fun!
So, i am super looking forward to checking out Kinder Aggugini's pop-up store housed in the basement in Mayfair's Mount Street. It opened about 3 weeks ago but i haven't had time to check it out yet. But hopefully i will this week. The store is has a Dickensian-style feel to it and brings together a range of the creative designer's signature pieces from past seasons and one-off garments from the current season. Alongside garments are photographs, paintings and a range of vintage Chanel jewelry from a generous private collector. Excited!

"L’amour c’est être stupide ensemble"

"When the day is done
our past will roar in our creased ears
lift our furrowed brows
and remind us
that we once were a sight" ©fashion and fables




Avedon

Balenciaga



Gainsbourg & Birkin.


Chanel
Hepburn

Ever dusted out your parents old albums to be met by snapshots of them in Afros, sky-high wedges or flared jeans, wearing hopeful grins, commemorating a milestone, or simply succumbing to a laughing fit ? Now imagine your parents were super cool artists, famous performers, elusive writers, beautiful models or bad-ass photographers and you've got the feel of "The Impossibly Cool" blog.

This blog is one of my new obsession. And what seals the deal are the pretty cool quotes spread across the site . Par example, the title of this blog is "Love is being stupid together", uttered by the insatiable poet Paul Valéry. I love it! C'est tres cool.

Images Courtesy of Impossible cool

Roland Mouret






I fell for Mr Mouret long before i dreamt of owning one of his designs. In fact, it wouldn't be all together incorrect to say i love his designs because of his personality. If there was ever a designer who embodied his creations, it would be him. What seems like a life time ago, he came to speak to us at London College of Fashion and i couldn't get over how funny and articulate he was, and of course the French accent...mais qui, need to get over my thing for french men.
Forget that the fact i didn't know what the hell his designs looked like, i just wanted to be in his presence 24-7.

He is so charming, in an easy and natural way. it's ridiculous just ask anyone who has interviewed him.
He designs with the female form in mind. In his spring 2010 collection is aesthetic is less super-fitting (which i love, if i was curvy i would live in body-con dresses but yah alas), love his pallete and i can't get over the jewellery! love it. want it!

Crystal Renn: Hungry: A Young Model’s Story of Appetite, Ambition and the Ultimate Embrace of Curves






Fashion is heavy with tales of beautiful girls chasing after a dangerously thin physique with hopes of a famous modeling career. Unfortunately, most of the time many are lucky to leave with their health intact.
We have heard these stories, pointed the blame at the girls, the industry, their mothers, other bitchy models, the designers, the evil journalists.
mon dieu , there is a lot of finger pointing!

Undoubtedly, the industry and our contemporary culture bears a lot of the responsibility. But there are other factors, and i believe this is why i like Crystal Renn's book; it looks at the problem as a whole!

Once upon a "normal-sized" model with a dangerous eating disorder, Crystal is now earning a ridiculous amount of money as a plus-size model. She published the book "Hungry: A Young Model’s Story of Appetite, Ambition and the Ultimate Embrace of Curves" a few weeks ago.

In the autobiography she details her rise to fame from a curvy 14-year-old discovered in Clinton, Mississippi to a much skinny girl on a diet of sugar-free gum and peanut butter, killing time between shoots with by exercising 8 hours a day.

Can't believe there is a gym in this world that allows someone to exercise for 8 hours straight? So sad

She points to the industry standards for much of the pressure , but she also mentions that her family life was not ideal. And i think that's what i appreciate. the fashion industry is not the healthiest of environments, i know this better than most people.
But i think this problem of girls starving themselves goes a lot further than wanting to fit into size zero outfits; fashion might add to the flames, but it didn't start the fire.
Either way, Crystal is beautiful and smart! She realized one day that enough was enough and started eating , got herself a new modelling agency and kicked ass!
At 5ft 9in. her vital statistics are 38-31-42.
Would love to have her over for dinner. We can have brownies for dessert!

Friday 9 October 2009

London's Big Apple.


© WYWH in Newburgh Quarter

© WYWH in Newburgh Quarter

London is being generous this Autumn. Rather than have us poor fashionistas cough up the money for a flight to New York, this October, she is playing host to around 30 independent shops from New York's Lower East Side.
Don't worry this isn't a dream, I pinched myself this morning several times to make sure! The action centers around Carnaby Street's Newburgh Quarter, which will see pop-up stores from over 30 brands including Wendy Mink Jewellery, Earnest Sewn, In God We Trust and Hairy Mary's Vintage.
Wait, that's not all! What's New York without parties?! I dunno, a melancholic Woody Allen movie:)? Sure enough Newburgh Quarter will host a series of free events throughout October to celebrate. I am already thinking of excuses to get out of previous commitments :)! Definitely going to the Halloween party! wohooo. Autumn in New York is definitely a sight!

Check out Wishyouwerehere for more information!
Images

Model Crush: Gwen Loos





Just in case the question entered your mind, the answer is NO! Nationalism is definitely not at the root of this crush. Gwen is just so adorable, so she happens to be Dutch..... coincidences happen all the time you know! Also, i think she is stalking me, she is in everything i read nowadays: Vanessa Bruno's runway par example. Hope she makes it super big.
i Like her.

images courtesy of style.com and http://www.wwmodels.nl

Sunday 4 October 2009

Going Dutch: Viktor & Rolf Spring/Summer 2010

"My wallflowers withered
at the sight of my dress
oh, what a dress
i think my head is spinning" ⓒfashion and fables








Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren zijn gewoon zo geweldig en een beetje anders...!
Come on, i have to slip in some Dutch when talking about one of the Netherlands' greatest fashionable designers. Creative as always, the adorable duo showed their spring/summer 2010 collection in Paris.
I see a couple of ideas for a crazy couture shoot!