I’m not completely sure why I love this shot so much. It’s just so delicate and beautiful. There’s no denying that there’s been a lot of hype about hats with the rise of the Royal Wedding, but now that it’s over I’m still coveting them. This photo inspires a refinement and poise that isn’t too stuffy. The beige satin underlay and frilly white bloomers with the crisp creamy white dress is a little angelic but terribly sexy. I desperately want to know what she’s looking at, and what’s more important is – I want that turban-ish pom pom of a hat.
Archive for the ‘Design & Décor’ Category
Shots I Love: Moment of Inspiration
Friday, May 6th, 2011Pick of the Week: 02.05.11
Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011
Steuben – Crystal Piggy Bank; $1,900, Vivre.com
I’m a fan of saving, so long as it doesn’t keep me from enjoying some good food, booze and miscellaneous shopping and entertainment activities. Perhaps when I’m making the kind of bank that I can drop $1,900 on a piggy bank I won’t be in need of a piggy bank as stately as this one. Perhaps I should stick to bank accounts and pink ones, but I can’t help but adore this one. It’s a beautiful sort of grown up keepsake that I’d probably fill with coins from different countries to add a little intrigue.
Pick Three: Alexander McQueen
Saturday, April 30th, 2011
The Alexander McQueen label is the talk of the fashion town, be it because of the Royal Wedding or the Met exhibit and Vogue Gala to follow. The McQueen label is famed for its ability to always make a dramatic statement, and while Kate Middleton Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge’s dress was the antithesis of that image, everyone is still raving about the fairytale princess gown Sarah Burton created.
#1 |
Embroidered Fin Mini-Dress; Ordinarily this would be a plain shift dress, but the beauty is in the detail. I love the cut at the end of the shoulder, the lace is polished and a tad bit princessy but the shoulder slits and mini skirting give it a sexy edge. Available at AlexanderMcQueen.com for $5,925.00. |
#2 |
Britannia Studded Clutch; I feel like uttering “God save the Queen”, or something like it; this clutch is an ode to Britannia with the quintessential McQueen skull. The original red, white and blue, accented by a few gold studs is a definite statement piece. Available at Zappos.com for $1,950.00. |
#3 |
Sculpted Resin and Leather Sandals; The leaf details on these shoes are intensely ethereal. I feel like they’re the perfect pair of heels for a nymph or a fairy – they’re defiantly fantastical. They’re works of art and I’m definitely coveting them deeply. Available at Net-a-Porter.com for $3,495.00. |
Fashion Sensory V
Wednesday, April 27th, 2011
The Art: There’s this song by Corrine Bailey Rae called Paper Dolls that I’m positively in love with. It’s the kind of song that makes you want to stop in the middle of the street and start dancing. With Corinne’s melodic, raspy vocal talent this song isn’t just a good listen, it’s also a bit inspiring. No one ever expects much from a paper doll, they’re beautiful faces and bodies but nothing else -- as this is the story of the retro toy some of us used to play with, such is the tale of the song. While it may be true that ‘nobody told me I could be something’ -- that surely doesn’t mean I won’t be something. (check out the video below)
The Pieces: Paper dolls were popular in the sixties and this Tea Cup Fifties Dress with its divine floral print and corseted bodice -- Mad Men -- paper doll chic is alive and well. Adding a little contrast for a kick, the paper like texture of this Suno Tie Front Jacket is the perfect sort of literal take on the paper clothing that would have been attached to a paper dolls frame. I need not say anything else but the fact that I love these SUGAR Apricot Patent Mary Jane Platforms, they’re a classic silhouette in an amazing on-trend apricot hue.
Pick of the Week: 25.04.11
Monday, April 25th, 2011
Raven Kauffman – Aurora Clutch with Labradorite; $2,290.00, Vivre.com
The forest green feathered backdrop and the 18 karat gold plated brass patterned overlay come together to embody this delicate complexity that is awe inducing. It’s an undeniable work of art, with its grille of swallow birds, soft feathers and labradorite, it’s elements are a bit paradoxical. I can’t help but love this piece, and whether or not the price is a tad bit outrageous, who can really put a price on art?
Fashion Sensory IV
Wednesday, April 13th, 2011
The Art: I’m obsessed with mixed media artwork, primarily the ones that mix artistic strokes with real photography. This Nikki Farquharson graphic is my idea of insanely cool. It’s a bonafide color explosion, from the grass beneath her heels straight through her torso to what should be her head. The euphoric bursts of color are wild and untamed, giving me the inspiration to throw an insane amount of color together in one ensemble and feel completely justified about it.
The Piece(s): I’ve been in love with this top for a while, because I can’t walk away from neon green no matter how hard I may try to be a little more ‘civilized.’ The lace makes this leather laser cut lace top from Christopher Kane delicate and it could be called demure if the color wasn’t so outrageously flamboyant. The average skinny jean has gotten terribly boring, but these Rag & Bone low-rise cropped skinny jeans are the exact opposite. This pair of pants picks up perfectly on my favorite shade of blue in the Nikki Farquharson mixed media piece. The finishing touch isn’t any less bright a shade than the rest of these pieces or the colors in the painting. These Cara Accessories, aptly named mixed media bangles have a mix of orange, yellow, gold and brown that pulls on neutrals and matching shades bringing them together in an earthy and kismet way.
Obsession Feeding: Andy Warhol for Incase
Friday, April 8th, 2011
For those who don’t know, I’m obsessed with Andy Warhol. I tote around a small duffel bag in army green shades of the Flowers painting everytime I travel against all reason when a roll-a-board bag would be so much simpler (not to mention less strenuous). These Andy Warhol for Incase cases are making me wish I owned an iPhone or that they made them for BlackBerry’s. Anything the Andy Warhol foundation lends their namesakes’ craft to is usually a must-have for me. Never fear, I’m certifiably #TeamBlackBerry, but an iPad may be in my near future and one of these would be the perfect accompaniment.
Creative Corner: Kesh
Wednesday, April 6th, 2011
Designer, artist, photographer, whatever it is you want to call Kesh she’s crazy cool. From working with Vogue to trying her hand at creating her own line, the girl’s got skills and her photography, illustration, and digital art hybrids are beyond inspiring. The British born dynamic artist has taken has relocated to LA so with a little help from some California sunshine, more of her innovative work is about to take root in American soil. I’d love to wear a piece made from a print this jetsetting cool girl created. She’s got a knack for creating artwork that reminds me of M.I.A., her style is the kind of crazy you can’t help but love and her tumblr photo blog is a mecca of fashion and culture inspiration.
If cool needed a definition, she’d be it.
I Want to Feel Like: Lauryn Hill
Sunday, April 3rd, 2011
I’ve been toying with the idea of styling my hair with dreadlocks like Lauryn Hill for a really long time. I haven’t gone through with it because I’m chicken and my family isn’t very supportive. They weren’t supportive when I cut it off either, but something about the persona of Lauryn Hill makes me want to try it. A venerable style icon in the world of R&B, Lauryn Hill set the stage for both music and style for today’s artists. Janelle Monae has been named as her predecessor of sorts, but I’m hesitant to say that anyone can compare to this empress of cool. Her music has spoken to generations and from afros to locks and leopard print to black, she’s this driving force that has the potential to overpower the soul. I suppose marrying into the closest thing to Jamaican royalty, the Marley family, Lauryn Hill holds a sacred place in the hearts and minds of anyone who’s ever took heed to the lyrics of any track on ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’. Lauryn always looks amazing in a halter, and she’s never been shy about prints, a piece like this Missoni vertical striped jumpsuit is a must-have when channeling her style. I love wire necklaces and this one is almost an exact replica of a necklace Lauryn has been photographed wearing time and time again. The cover art for The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is legitimate art as far as I’m concerned, and this acrylic painting from Artie Barksdale elevates it to another level. Lauryn loves her leopard, and while I’m not sure I could pull off a leopard print coat like her I most certainly could rock this cross body vintage-esque leopard print bag.
Fashion Sensory II
Wednesday, March 30th, 2011
The Art: I love the color composition of this image from Nuvoledimusica. Green is my favorite color and the shading goes all over the map, from pastel to emerald and so many facets in between. I picture this shot being taken in a rural European area, the piece is called ‘Missing Green’, but with all the green in this picture I think the name is an ode to all of the green we’re missing in our everyday lives. I want to print it, frame it, and hang it on a wall that extracts one of the many shades of green. I wish I could take pictures like this, and I wish my surroundings were this rich in color.
The Piece(s): After staring at this image for a while I couldn’t help but want to pull out my favorite colors from it and play with putting them together. I absolutely adore emerald green and this tie waist blouse is a little bit vintage with a carefree air that I’d treasure almost as much as real emeralds. I think only Phillip Lim could pull off constructing these fringe pocketed safari shorts, and they resemble the almost golden beige tone of the walls in Missing Green that melds so well with the green. The thing that’s really great about this Pippa Small textured leaf and green tourmaline necklace is that it captures the humble aura of the image. The green tourmaline is as rough as the golden stones and the golden leaf is as natural as the lush green shrubs in the necklace and image respectively.
