Balenciagagagagaga

Oh my - just saw these on style.com.

Holy shit - i like. I'm loving the color usage - Bravo, Mr. Ghesquière!

What's truly sexy (TO ME) is combining masculine and feminine elements in an amazing way...because, come on - anyone can look sexy in a cocktail dress or any old LBD. That dress (photo #2) is begging for a DIY!

xoxx
RS

balmain

knightcat just put up photos of the Balmain s/s 2010.

Very medieval, warrior-princess inspired if you ask me. Loving the subtle richness of the bronzey/gold color.

This outfit is totally me! Except that I'd wear a bra and probably a mesh tank to remain public-appropriate. So glad grunge will be here a bit longer.


xoxx
RS

peacock

I've been wearing these earrings everyday for the past week.


F21: $9

Looks good with my dark hair. It would stand out more if you're blonde, and would look just amazing if you're a redhead.


xoxx
RS

blonde ambition avant-garde

My post below re: Madonna and her Blonde Ambition stage - red lips, platinum hair and dark, contrasting eyebrows reminded me of one of my favorite U.S. Vogue covers.


2007 Sienna Miller....featuring those very same Blonde Ambition featurettes.

Don't you think?

xoxx
RS

Madonna

Madonna is definitely a lasting style icon. I can't think of anyone else who has lasted nearly 3 decades, reinventing themselves each time....successfully (you gotta admit, even if you didn't actually like a certain look, she did manage to pull it off!).


Above is Madonna in some Balmain. Below is also a clip to her latest video featuring that Balmain dress.

Refinery29 has thrown together a Madonna-by-the-decade style reinvention cheat sheet. Check it out here.

My favorite was her conical-bra-blonde-ambition phase where she exclusively wore MAC'S Russian Red lipstick, had dark, dark eyebrows and platinum hair.


Above is Madonna in some Balmain. Below is also a clip to her last video featuring that Balmain dress.



Gimme some bold shoulders!
xoxx
RS

photos: telegraph.co.uk and refinery39

soundtrack+redlips

by 10magazine.

they tout Prada's s/s 2010 show as having the catchiest soundtrack.

Check it out HERE.

photo: fashionisingpictures.net

xoxx
RS

COLORS!

This photo by Garance is making me want to (desperately and quickly) bring back volumes of color into my wardrobe.


For nearly a year now (and especially since I began school again in January), I've been dressing in blacks, whites, grays, midnight blues.....and only punctuating with color - bold red lips, fuchsia lips, a hot pink scarf, a red scarf or the insanely colorful Hermes my boyfriend got me for Xmas a couple of years ago.

The above plan has been doing well for my student budget too - I just accessorize to make it look newish for the everyday.

BUT NOW.......Garance, you're going to make me pull out my credit cards to bring back colors!

Oops. :)

xoxx
RS

GUINNESS

Not the beer (which is also good on occasion but heavy enough to qualify as a liquid meal).....

BUT I'm talking about Daphne Guinness. Here's a photo of here from Purple Diary at Cafe de Flore in Paris.



And...here's a another photo of her with her signature super-blonde hair with black highlights.


She recently collaborated with David LaChappelle. Read all about it here. Here's an excerpt - sounds amazing!:
"Sometimes twenty hour shoots in a day, from the deepest jungle to the volcanic cliffs, moving sets and equipment constantly. Working directly with the elements, the downpours, changing height and distances and moving the equipment has all been a challenge. The results are completely remarkable."

....If you don't know who she is...well, she's been around in the fashion scene for a while. She's a former model who married Mr. Shipping Heir, Niarchos back in the day and has two handsome Niarchos boys now (you know who I mean). She also blogs for Starworksny.

Love a woman with interesting style....who keeps it interesting through the years! Can't teach these things.

xoxx
RS :)

Metal + Black

Finally had time to devour the August2009 British Vogue and absolutely LOVED the Patrick Demarchelier feature on New York/London/Milan/Paris where the spotlight was shone on the classic labels associated with each city.

For example:
Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors - NYC
Stella McCartney, Giles, Nicole Farhi - London
Prada, Moschino, Gucci, Versace - Milan
Chloe, YSL, LV - Paris

This Moschino FW 2009 photo:
Reminded me of a crazy amalgamation of the following:

• Burberry Prorsum spikes and studs
• Ungaro's chained hoodie from FW 2009 (as worn by Rumi of FashionToast)
• Ricardo Tisci's goth-inspired, eversogorgeous Givenchy FW 2008

+

+

Thoughts?

(photos: models.com; fashiontoast.com; blendnewyork)

Minor Characters

One of my favorite books, hands down:

Minor Characters, by JOYCE JOHNSON.

One of the reviews of the book says:

The best memoirs make you feel that you have been hanging around the same apartments, sharing subway benches, drinking bottomless cups of coffee at the same diner with someone.

I concur 100%. I originally read to read about Kerouac, but ended up falling in love with Ms. Johnson instead.

• "I loved the slums, my slums, the sweet slums of Bohemia and beatnikdom, where sunflowers and morning glories would bloom on fire escapes in the summer."
  
  
• "I bought seven-cent bagels and ten-cent half-sour pickles and sat up till dawn in Rappaport's, where they gave you a whole basket of rolls free, drinking coffee with a jazz trombonist from St. Louis and a poet just arrived from Chicago."

I have longed to find a place like that my whole, whole life. I found it in this book.

Enjoy if you read it!

Rain fresh!

My neighborhood in Montreal during a rainshower.

Amsterdam neighborhood after the rain.

So fresh!

A Mixed Neon Clarity is coming back so fresh and so clean.

**Watch this space**

(click on images for larger size to check out details such as color of the concrete, color of the shirt of the bikers. PS: I am not a photographer)

Pause...and play!

I'm back, and never leaving again.

I hope you missed me.

Found these on Inside-Out and really love them! Here is the artist's blog.

A.F. Vandevorst

Browsing the A.F. Vandevorst SS09 collection was one of the highlights of my obnoxiously busy week.

Love the red lips and lingerie-ish-kind-of-inspired outfits. I want, I want.

The FW09 collection they (a hubby-wifey couple) just showed at Paris is so-so...not quite my thing.

Here are some faves from the gorgeous SS09 collection, though!

PS: Anyone know who the white eye-hole leggings are by in this last photo?
(all photos: style.com)

JUMP(suit)ING into spring

I don't know where to start!

I get absolutely delirious looking at all these hot silk and satiny jumpsuits!








I'd say I'd wear about 80% of these babies from the SS09 collections.

I was inspired by the Martin Grant beauty below this past weekend. So I did the middle part, put on the Zara halter jumpsuit I bought a few months ago, and took it out on the town.

I look nervous...but I think it was just an awkward moment of trying to show the outfit while explaining my camera's workings to my drunk friend. Ah well. :)

I also want to point out my lovely friend's acquisition of the weekend - those blue gladiator heels that go so well with the satin number she's wearing.

She also got them in grey from Winners (ladies, that's TJ Maxx for you in the U.S.). She paid a nice $30 for each....while I bought the black patent leather Dolce Vita version of those for $120 (they were 50% off at U&I).

I might go grab the cheapy grey version!

Before I run off, I want to let the world know what's on my birthday wishlist! This Ferragamo baby (or a replica that's almost as pretty)!

Ah, I would just explode with joy!

Adios for now!
xoxx
r

In order: Ungaro, Akris, Jasmine de Milo, Collette Dinnigan, DKNY, Marchesa - all SS09, except DKNY and Marchesa - FW09
all photos: style.com.

A new form of style creativity

are you sure ? - by popbarb on Polyvore.com

Just read about Polyvore.com on Refinery 29. Very interesting concept - basically a place to share all of your inspiration-ish boards online. Throw in some creativity like backgrounds, writing, etc. and voila - another online community!

AMAZING!

Now if only my world was surrounded by all you style fanatics OFFLINE as much as it is online. :)

PS: Thanks for the recent comments and messages! :)

More to come...

Galliano & Dior / old romantics - by popbarb on Polyvore.com

It is not down in any map

...true places never are.
-herman melville

traveling on a jet plane all day today, but wanted to leave you guys with this.


have a lovely monday!
xoxx
r

Crumply, Creasy, Slouchy Chic

I LOVE slouchy tees, oversized tees (boyfriend better watch out!), cardigans, etc., and pairing them with really feminine pieces like pencil skirts, mini skirts and the like.

On a kind of similar note, creasy/crumply leggings from Missoni's FW2009 collection! Looks amazing with the well-fitted, and well-knit top halves of the outfits....how delicious is that oversized cowl neck - oh la la!

Plus, anyone who knows me knows how much I love shorts - any time of year! So when I saw photo #2 below, I had to give them an automatic thumbs up.



In other news, I am currently reworking two pieces of clothing that I had mentioned earlier. Soon to come: the BEFORE and AFTER versions of these.

Also, how many of you are on Twitter? Send me a quick email or comment if you are on it. Would love to know what you think of it. I'm trying to stay away from it....but keep getting tempted to join.

UPDATE:
Also found the silk version of the above from the Lakme Mumbai Fashion Week - Fall 2008 coverage by Style.com. I LIKE!

click for larger version

Bye lovelies!
xoxx
r

photos: style.com

I'm not over you...

I still find myself thinking of this FW2008 Balenciaga number!

There was a picture on Jak and Jil of Vogue Nippon's Anna Dello Russo wearing it, but I can't seem to find it right now...

Once I'm no longer a student, if I'm still not over it (likely), I will try to hunt this one down.

See what your genius does to me, Mr. Ghesquiere?!

photo: style.com

Recession, Luxury and Fashion

This TIMESONLINE.CO.UK article says that the global recession is actually a way to weed out the weak, i.e. only the best will survive, i.e. you better design something really amazing if you want it to be bought in these tough times.

Check it out!: Terence Conrad Says Recession Boosts Design

Also, the recession is apparently making luxe brand salespeople suck up a little to the mere mortals who walk into their stores...perhaps hoping that extra smile will get you to buy the YSL pumps you're kinda sure/kinda unsure about?

Read here: Snooty Service Falls Out of Style

Thoughts, readers?

photo: simplifying.com