Sunday, May 29, 2011

models untouched...


Raquel Zimmerman



Natalia Vodianova



Saskia de Brauw


 
Kim Noorda



Maryna Linchuk


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Luisa Bianchin


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Jessica Clarke

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Katrina Hoering


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Edita V


Imogen Newton


Photographer Scott Trindle snapped a host of top models without the benefit of hair, make-up or photoshop to celebrate the launch of Viva Models in the UK...

Friday, May 27, 2011

Yen Magazine...





Loving these "pastel" pictures from Yen Magazine.  The hair tint is fab, if I were younger and didn't have black hair I'd definately be wanting a hint of pink! 

Thursday, May 26, 2011

A Beautiful Fall...

I am thoroughly enjoying this Autumn in Melbourne. The leaves on some of the trees are stunningly beautiful and are coloured like jewels, some of them are green like Emeralds, others are red like Rubies and others are amber, like Amber! 

I often walk around in "cloud cuckoo land" randomly spotting some of nature's little inspiration's, but for me it all relates back to fashion. So much so, that I bought a red jacket the other day. I really felt the need for something bright (which is unusual as I mostly wear black or grey!)  I'm sure it must have been the ruby red leaves that inspired me!








Wednesday, May 25, 2011

A little history of Coco...

chanel
I thought I'd offer a little bio of Gabrielle Chanel.  Whether you admire her or not, she was hugely influencial in the fashion industry.  
Chanel was born in 1883 in the small town of Saumur. 
At age 12 she was put into an orphanage run by nuns, it was here that she learned to sew, and at age 18 she left the orphanage and took up work for a local tailor. 
She later turned to millinery, and this led to her opening a hat shop financed by her boyfriend Arthur Capel.   In 1914 she opened a dress shop on Rue Cambon, which closed during the First World War.  Reopening as a couture salon in 1919, Chanel quickly became one of the top designers.
She designed clothing for comfort, simplicity and chic appearance with an innovative combination of jersey material and shapes borrowed from men’s clothing.  After her jersey dress caused a sensation, she designed cardigans, yachting pants and beach pyjamas.
In the early 1920’s Chanel established black as a fashionable colour and made the little black dress an indispensable part of any wardrobe.  Chanel introduced one fashion idea after another.  She teamed tweed skirts and sweaters with strings of pearls and transformed the pea jacket and raincoats into fashionable attire.  Another of her contributions to fashion was the idea that fashionable costume jewellery could represent real wealth as surely as jewels. 
Chanel embodied the Garconne style with that of an independent woman who was ready to pursue her own active life.
In 1939, at the beginning of the Second World War, Chanel closed her shops and took up residence at the Hotel Ritz.  In 1945 she moved to Switzerland, eventually returning to Paris in 1954, the year she returned to the fashion world.  Her new collection was not hugely successful in Paris, but it was well received by the Americans, who were to become her most loyal customers.
Chanel died on 10th January 1971 in her private suite at the Hotel Ritz, Paris.




 Since 1983, Chanel has been designed by Karl Lagerfeld.
The building where her apartment is in Paris was bought by Chanel in 1920, and still houses the ground-floor shop, the haute couture workrooms in the attic (where 100 seamstresses still work entirely by hand), and what is now Karl Lagerfeld's study. 


In 2009 a biopic film based on her life titled 'Coco before Chanel' was released. Audrey Tatou was given the lead-role and follows as she goes from orphan to Haute Couture designer.

Audrey Tatou

To this day, Coco Chanel's style aesthetic is still evident.  Let's face it, most of us own probably more than one "little black dress" and how easy is it to spot the classic "tweed suit"?



Chanel CC






Thursday, May 19, 2011

Tale Of A Fairy

Chanel behind the scenes film - Karl Lagerfeld, Freja Beha Erichsen
Karl has worked his magic again, this time in the short film "Tale Of A Fairy".  
This 30 minute Chanel film was written and directed by Karl Lagerfeld for the 2011/12 Cruise collection, see previous post.
The film stars Anna Mouglalis, Chanel ambassadress, Amanda Harlech, Kristen McMenamy, Freja Beha,  among other friends of the House.
“It is a movie about an ill-advised use of money which begins with violence and ends with feeling” Karl Lagerfeld, May 2011.
I'm on a bit of a "Chanel Theme" at the moment.  Watch this space!



 










http://www.chanel.com/

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Chanel Resort 2012

Venue - Hotel Du Cap
What - Chanel Resort 2012
Inspiration - Rita Hayworth & Aly Khan


















Fashion Trance moment coming on...
Oh I can just see myself in the South of France wearing my black swimsuit and pearls, looking glamorous by the pool...and then going out for the evening in my soft flowing white dress... ahh dream on! 

On a serious note though, there were alot more pieces to this collection but I've only shown my particular favourites.  The rest of the collection comprised of similarly cohesive pieces except in pale yellow, cornflower blue and black.

For the full collection visit http://www.style.com/

PS What do you think of Kristen McMenamy's grey rinse!  I spend a fortune covering my grey, as much as I love fashion, I can't stand my grey hairs.  She is probably one of the few that can and would carry it off!

Friday, May 6, 2011

blink, and you'll miss it...

Fashion seems to be moving faster by the day, as soon as something is "in" then it's out again.  We've seen lots of movement in fashion recently, one minute it's "boho" and the next it's "ladylike chic" and then on to the next thing.

We're currently seeing lots of designers draw inspiration from the 70's, I wonder if hair and make up will follow suit?  Will we all be sporting a Farrah Fawcett flick whilst wearing shiny lipgloss and the mascara that makes your eyelashes all spidery!

I went into one of my "fashion trances", these are different to my fairytale trances (which are more about gorgeous long frocks!) and I began thinking...I wonder what will be next?  We all know that designers look to the past for inspiration, so I thought I'd put together a little timeline...

 Which are your favourite decades for fashion?














See what I mean about the eyelashes!























"Fashion fades, style remains the same"  Coco Chanel.