NEW BELLE & SEB

Love this band. Love this song. Enjoy!

SUNDAY SHOWCASE FOR YOUR SATURDAY

Check out photographer Alex Prager's Sunday Showcase, which debuted back in April. I only just found this series and find her work's drama and saturation pretty appealing. See more here.

RUNAWAY

Kanye West just debuted his first short film, Runaway, this past Saturday. I watched it first thing Sunday AM and was in awe of the cinematography. The colors are beautiful, the music insane. I've always been a big Kanye fan, because despite his personal missteps, he always delivers awesome beats. He's a risk-taker...I mean, which other rapper out there has ballerinas dancing around? The absolutely stunning Selita Ebanks plays Kanye's alter-ego/lover the Phoenix. The costume she wears throughout is a piece custom-designed by Philip Lim and Martin Izquierdo. This is just the trailer, so go here to see the full 34 minute film.

ANNA - IN THE FLESH

Love love this video interview with Anna Dello Russo (fashion editor of Vogue Nippon, featured in an earlier post wearing the most amazing Balenciaga dress and heels). She is a self-proclaimed fashion freak and this video is proof of that. Hilarious & charming!

Video courtesy of the UK Telegraph

This is a little piece of wisdom my mother shared years ago, when I was being teased for my all-purple outfit by the mean girl at school. Yes, I wore a purple turtleneck, purple jumper, purple tights and purple socks. These days, I need to follow this one more closely, but it does actually work like a charm. Be nice and good things will come your way!

Image courtesy of DesignisMine

A LITTLE BOOTIE FOR YOUR HUMP DAY

This is one pair of bad ass buckle-crazy boots. From Marc by Marc Jacobs. I'm obsessed.


Photo courtesy of Net-a-porter.com

BABY I'M YOURS

Really sweet video from Breakbot, comprised of two thousand hand painted watercolors. This DJ is also a CG artist and producer, thus the sick style.

Model Edita Vilkeviciute, shot by Camilla Akrans for the October edition of Numero. Don't these make you want to throw on some fur and run around Paris?

STELLAAAAA!

The new Wes Andersen and Roman Coppola spot for Stella Artois. Light & bubbly, just like Stella. How awesome would it be to work on something like this? Someday, Eileen. Someday.

SWEATER WEATHER

Stella McCartney

 Jean Paul Gaultier

Prada

Brrrrrr....it's been a cold couple days in San Francisco, which makes me want cozy sweaters, boots and warm coats. Growing up in Iowa, I lived in cable-knit sweaters. Here in SF, the weather is so freakishly odd (freezing in July, super warm at times in January), I'm starting to try different combinations of outfits that embrace the mild chilly breeze. I'm thinking wool or leather shorts, with thick tights, boots and a chunky knit sweater. I'll let you know how it works out. Also-check out the drop-dead gorgeous Lara Stone in September's Vogue. This breathtaking spread was edited by the talented Grace Coddington. Not sure where the other shot is from...but I love her wild, curly hair and minimal makeup. 

SCULPTED REALITY

I recently stumbled across Kate McDowell's enchanting work and wanted to share a few of my favorites. In her words below, she explains her inspiration and process. For me, there is a lovely, yet sad reality apparent in each and every piece. Visit her site for a full portfolio.

"In my work this romantic ideal of union with the natural world conflicts with our contemporary impact on the environment.  These pieces are in part responses to environmental stressors including climate change, toxic pollution, and gm crops.  They also borrow from myth, art history, figures of speech and other cultural touchstones.  In some pieces aspects of the human figure stand-in for ourselves and act out sometimes harrowing, sometimes humorous transformations which illustrate our current relationship with the natural world.  In others, animals take on anthropomorphic qualities when they are given safety equipment to attempt to protect them from man-made environmental threats.  In each case the union between man and nature is shown to be one of friction and discomfort with the disturbing implication that we too are vulnerable to being victimized by our destructive practices.

I hand sculpt each piece out of porcelain, often building a solid form and then hollowing it out.  Smaller forms are built petal by petal, branch by branch and allow me the chance to get immersed in close study of the structure of a blossom or a bee.  I chose porcelain for its luminous and ghostly qualities as well as its strength and ability to show fine texture.  It highlights both the impermanence and fragility of natural forms in a dying ecosystem, while paradoxically, being a material that can last for thousands of years and is historically associated with high status and value.  I see each piece as a captured and preserved specimen, a painstaking record of endangered natural forms and a commentary on our own culpability." - Kate McDowell

MARINA & THE DIAMONDS

This chick is a hit in the UK and my guess is she will be here, too. She writes her music and definitely has a certain something going on. Plus, she actually has a strong voice, which is rare with pop musicians these days. Check it out. 

EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT IT

Had to show you these three lovely nail colors from Chanel. Everyone has been talking about them for months and I've tried to resist buying one...because they're expensive! They're just too beautiful, though. I'm feeling the Khaki Brun. It's lougley. That's a mix of lovely and ugly...you get me?

3 REASONS WHY...

I love the house of YSL!!! Strong, simple looks that are feminine, chic and restrained. The tailoring is always impeccable. The styling of this show is very cool, too. I mean, only truly cool girls can get away with that hair/lip combination. It's got a certain vampire look...which works for me because I'm currently beyond obsessed with True Blood!

On another note, I've been meh about blogging lately. It's almost as if going through all the shows from New York, London, Milan and Paris took it all out of me. Just needed a little fashion breather, if you will. Overall, the Paris shows were particularly inspiring and I'm excited to show you some of my favorites.