Friday, February 26, 2010

Current (Much Older Man) Crush: Peter Capaldi

Born in 1958 and an Aries to boot, Peter Capaldi is one accomplished man. Starting out his career in primary school doing puppet shows, he has gone on to win numerous awards both for his acting and for his film writing/films. Hi career is so full of amazingness, I cannot hope to recount it accurately here. And seriously. That's what Wikipedia is for anyway. Check him out here.

Pictured here at this week's BAFTAs, I adore his polka dot bowtie, his slightly mussed-up hair (suggesting another awards night is just par for the course for him) and bemused expression. Adorable.

If your life does not feel right, create something better.

Something's brewing.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Introducing... ADR


Anna Dello Russo - Fashion Director at Large for Vogue Nippon and darling of street style photographers, particularly the much loved The Sartorialist, Scott Schuman.

Fast Facts:
1. Anna Dello Russo is the Fashion Director at Large and Creative Consultant at Vogue Nippon.
2. Dello Russo was born in 1962.
3. She holds a Bachelors degree in Italian Literature and Art History.
4. While in Milan she studied under Gianfranco Ferrè at the Domus Academy.
5. She has over 4000 pairs of shoes.
6. She worked at Italian Vogue for 18 Years before leaving to work freelance.
7. She admits to being dyslexic.
8. When in Paris she stays at the Hotel Ritz in the same room.
9. Dello Russo takes a Japanese breakfast in the morning (Salmon, miso soup, eggs, and coffee).
10. She plays consultant to various designers and fashion houses but never reveals her clients.

In her own words: I enjoy working with the Japanese as we have a very similar approach: I am a fashion scientist. I haven't missed out on a single fashion week in twenty years and I watch every single show, relevant or not so relevant. I have this methodical, scientific approach and so do the Japanese so I would like to stay there for the time being.

Femme Fatale

Below are some shots of Victoria Beckham's 1940s, femme fatale-inspired Autumn/Winter 2010 collection, previewed at last week's New York Fashion Week. Yes... I'm a little late on this, sorry peops. This is VB's 4th collection and I think we can all agree that since the heady - and disastrous - days of her first denim collection, she has come a long way. Some Irish fashion designer had a snarly bitch session about her - nothing to do with her designs, rather the fact she is a celebrity and thus shouldn't attempt the design thing - but given her collections routinely sell out these days - in spite of a still hanging-about GFC, such comments are a tad sour grapes-ish.



While there isn't any "art" to this collection - think, for example, a Galliano or more locally Romance Was Born - it is infinitely wearable and stylish. The image she sells - whether it be on the runway or in the way she dresses herself - is consisent: uncomplicated, polished and stylish. Could you ask for anything more in the morning when your alarm is blaring and you can't think what to wear?

The key appeal I see in her clothes is the fact that you do not require a huge necklace (although there is space on her block colours for such jewels) etc to "make" the outfit. Fussing with accessories is simply not required in the VB world - a statement bag, sunglasses and gorgeous shoes are all that's required to pull off her clothing which, when you're in a rush but don't want to compromise on your look, is what's going to appeal to your clientele on an ongoing basis. She's a clever business lady is Victoria.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Guest Editor: NY Mag

Why? Because it's one of my favourites, that's why!

Casting Agent James Scully Can Open a Magazine and Tell You Which Models Are Taking Drugs or Throwing Up

For yet another season, just before Fashion Week, the CFDA held a panel discussion on the body image in the fashion industry at Milk Studios last night. Entitled "The Beauty of Health: Resizing the Sample Size," speakers included Zac Posen, casting agent James Scully, and model Doutzen Kroes. Apparently those rail-thin models that will be taking the runway tomorrow don’t just scare us, they scare designers, editors, casting agents, and fellow models. Panelists agreed that the trend of prepubescent, skeletal models needs to change, but said it’s going to take a collective effort by the entire fashion industry to do it.

"I can open up any magazine or go to any show and tell you what girls are taking Adderall, how many girls are taking Vicodin, how many girls are throwing up — girls are really resorting to dangerous things," Scully said.

"I will applaud Anna Wintour and this forum, because it changed how I passed — it made me ask girls' ages," Scully continued. "You know, there are times when I will have to book a Karlie Kloss because she’s exceptional, but what makes me sad is the disloyalty in this agency and the way these girls are discarded as though they're meat. To me, for Karlie Kloss, what is to say what happened to Gemma Ward, what happened to Hilary Rhoda will not happen to her? We all love her today, but when she grows breasts and she turns 18 are we all going to turn on her?" Posen added, "I think we created a droid-like mold and … fashion editors or stylists or now even buyers are trained to look at that and say I can’t see continuity unless I see the same droid-like skeleton on the runway."

Scully is also troubled by the ages of the top runway girls. "It will never happen, but I would love to see a minimum age of 18, and even that’s not old enough for some of these girls, because it’s hard, and I just think it’s a lot for some of these girls to psychologically deal with.” He continued, “It’s really sad to look at a room of 16-year-old girls who watch Lara Stone walk into a room and they all look at her and say, 'That’s who I want to be,' and Lara Stone looks at them and says, 'I feel terrible about myself.'"


Doutzen Kroes made a decision to take her career in a different direction because she didn't want to starve herself. "I probably fit the sample size once, when I was eleven or twelve. It became a problem — I was always told lots of times that I should lose weight. It was a thing, ‘You look great, but you should probably lose a few pounds,'" Kroes explained. "That kept going on until I was about 22, and when I was like, ‘This is crazy,’ because I would look in the mirror and I like the way I look." So Kroes met with her agents: "What we called now a so-called 'ass meeting,' because I have one, I have one. It was there, and you know I could maybe get rid of it, I had a choice, not eat maybe for weeks."

Unlike many models, Kroes had the luxury to choose which direction she wanted to take her career. "I think this is what a lot of girls don’t have now — they have to go back to poor countries if they don’t fit the sample sizes and I hope that after what I’ve done, I’ve chosen that I want to have a healthy lifestyle with the body that I have and work around it and I hope there will be more opportunity for girls to have a choice like that," she added. In fact, she credits food to her success. "When you don’t eat, you get grumpy, you don’t feel good. So how can you have joy in what you’re doing? And I have that joy and I think that’s what clients see and that’s why I work for two huge global brands. They like working with me, and it’s because I’m eating! There are naturally skinny girls, but not all of them and I’m not one of them."

God how I used to love Gemma Ward...

Friday, February 19, 2010

Happy Friday: Dancing In the Street

Yes! Hurrah! It's Friday at last! This weekend I'll be attending Good Vibrations. I absolutely cannot wait to see Salt'n'Pepa, Basement Jaxx, Busta Rhyme, Naughty By Nature, Gossip and The Killers. Sadly, Brandon Flowers' (lead singer of The Killers) mother passed away of cancer last week. Although they cancelled their appearances down south, The Killers will still be headlining tomorrow. Such sad news... I for one could not live without my mama.

Daughters of Rock

Release your inner rock child with pumps, flats, booties and slouch boots inspired by the hottest trendsetters of ‘now’. Each shoe is designed to represent the individual fashion styles and personalities from the daughters of the biggest rock gods known to mankind.

From the luxurious lives of these rocking rich and famous, to their 24/7 partying ways, flittering though Twitter accounts globally. These young ‘now’ girls party in elite hot spots, just like the Peep Toe Girl.

She is high fashion, aware of her own unique style and not afraid to release her inhibitions and rock out. But the Peep Toe girl still holds a pure, youthful naivety. Her music keeps her grounded or throws her into the unknown, the deepest and darkest of thoughts.

The Peep Toe girl is fun, rebellious and cool, she's the monster stirring in all of us.


Clearly, I did not write any of that. Daughters of Rock is PeepToe Shoes' Autumn collection... While I dread the onset of shorter days and closed-in shoes, Peeptoe's latest daughter-of-a-rock-star girl collection makes the gradual progression of the seasons to winter somewhat bearable. I am also glad that the animal print thing is going to hang around a little longer: it means the leopard print trench I bought on a mad whim in New York can be worn without fear of being dubbed a cougar. (Actually, the trench is very similar to the one pictured below).


I'm most enamoured by the over-the-knee boot which is happily sticking around for another winter, and also happy about the continued long-life of the booty (4th season and counting). Not sure of it in white, however...

I'm not going to lie, I adore Peeptoe Shoes. In fact, I'm wearing a pair right this second. However my allegiances may be forced to change. Prices have skyrocketed of late. I understand the quality of the product is very high, however the designs are blatant copies of other designers' work. So why are we paying a premium for un-original product? When we are still in the midst of a GFC? It's not fair! *stamp foot*

Is it because HQ thinks the brand has cemented itself with customers and they expect our loyalty to continue irrespective of an extra $100 or so? Here in Brisvegas, however, some of us may not have a choice - a number of retailers here who ordinarily stock them are turning their backs on PeepToe due to their ever-increasing prices. These retailers fear that we are not prepared to pay so high a price, which I think is fair. Shoes that would ordinarily have gone for $180 this summer went to $240. I invoked the principles of retail karma for the pair I bought this summer (fluorescent orange closed back peep toe, absolute favourite for summer by far): if it's in my size come sale time, it shall be mine. And so it was. However, I refused to pay full price. And this makes retailers sad/angry - and in retaliation they stop stocking the product and find a cheaper version of basically the same thing. *sad consumer face*

There was a time when Midas was the highest priced shoe before veering into the true designer shoe category. PeepToe has certainly taken that mantle of late, and I'll be interested to see how it takes in centres other than Sydney (where there are dedicated PeepToe Shoes outlets). If retailers stop stocking the brand, and given my fear of purchasing shoes online, I can't help but wonder: what now, for my feet?

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

If This Is Fat

Hand me a cupcake. This woman is sssssmokin'!

Christina Henricks in the latest NY Mag.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Penny For Your Thoughts

Click here for the latest Penny article. I once waited 8 weeks. Eight weeks! When was the last time you took it slow? It's very, very hard in this sexed-up day and age...



Also - would like some quick thoughts on whether you believe it's possible to get back with an ex. Yay or nay? Why/why not? Thanks peops! xo

Kids

Can be very, very eff-ing weird.

This stabbing story is occupying us here in Oz right at the minute. Today's post is brought to you by the letters W, T and F.

Too Cool for School

Agyness Deyn is doing a Gwyneth and setting up her own lifestye website with her BFF about "stuff we think is rad." The site is meant to be Naag.com, but a quick surf and it looks like dodgy-brothers solicitors incorporated...

Spot The Sartorialist in the background...

Winter Blue

How amazing is this jacket, spotted on the streets of New York during Fashion Week? Talk about a breathmint amongst all those black, grey and camel coloured jackets we generally trot out in the winter time. Fab.

Speaking of New York, Ally Kay emailed from her hot spot in NYC (yes, very jealous!) to report that the coconut water craze has landed there. She spotted a truck spruiking the goodness on the street the other day.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Jazz Hands

Congrats to the wonderful Phuong, who got a ring on it this weekend. !!! Glorious! xo

Friday, February 12, 2010

Ubiquity

The black jacket and the shoulder pads is this season's latest must-have. And if you don't like it now, trust me: it will grow on you! That's what always happens with trends like these. Ubiquity breeds love.

Although I must say I was glad that Kirstie Clements in one of her recent editor's letters made a very pointed slam at those Australian designers (Camilla+Marc) who blatantly ripped this Balenciaga trend and tried to make it their own. Way too obvious, people! Cue, Sportsgirl et al are expected to copy. And nor do stores like these, unlike Camilla+Marc, have runway shows supposedly featuring their uniqueness and creativity. Derivative = dull.


This week I lost my absolute favourite, best-fit black jacket in the back of a cab. I have been monstrously distracted by a variety of things of late, and this absentmindedness thing is starting to really get to me. My mother has at various stages of my life referred to me as scatty, but this is ridiculous. Scatty is one thing, not caring for one's precious possessions is another entirely (and yes, I'm sorry if this is terribly shallow, but certain items of clothing are precious - due not only to the cost factor, but how it makes me feel when I slip it on). So I've seen one at Cue that is - not surprisingly - basically identical to the one pictured. After trying on loads of jackets to replace my old favourite, I must say that the quality and slipperiness of lining makes such a difference in the wearing experience. Cue realises this. Their lining is mad beautiful.

Mustard


I will never never never get tired of cool blondes, womanly shapes and red lips.

Happy Friday: Tiger Valentine

Ooooh the delicious irony that Valentine's Day also falls on the first day of the Year of the Tiger in the Chinese calendar. As in, Tiger Woods and romance (if you can call it that - he was certainly a lethario).

McQueen

Son of a taxi driver, youngest kid in 6, world renowned fashion rebel/creative star/icon. Alexander McQueen has died, reportedly of suicide, at the far too young age of 40.

McQueen was discovered by iconic and eccentric UK stylist Isabella Blow in the 90s after leaving school at 16 to apprentice with two of the most revered tailors in England, Anderson & Sheppard and then Gieves & Hawkes.

After completing his Masters at Central St. Martins design college - where Blow discovered him and purchased his entire thesis collection (delivered, apparently, in garbage bags) - McQueen rapidly cemented himself as a controversial, highly talented, obsessive fashion prodigy. Despite being awarded the British Young Designer of the Year 4 times, and enjoying remarkable success both at Givenchy where he designed for 5 yrs (turning the label - known primarily for elegant black dresses - on its head) before taking on his own, eponymous label which he later sold to the Gucci Group, McQueen was plagued with emotional fickleness and a troubled personal life.

From one of his collections for Givenchy. McQueen riled French fashion press claiming that the original designer for Givency's work was "redundant".

McQueen was devastated by the death first of Blow, in 2007, who commit suicide following news of an ovarian cancer diagnosis, and later by his mother's death on February 2 this year.

From McQueen's Blow tribute collection.

McQueen was frequently controversial, his renegade instinct developing early on, when he stitched an anti-royalist imprecation - "I am a cunt” - into the sleeve lining of a suit sewn for the Prince of Wales. He also referenced the ravaging of Scotland by England by showing brutalized women in a collection called “Highland Rape.” Other runway shows featured shipwrecks, human chess games, models styled as mental patients and holograms (including the infinity runway created for his Spring 2010 show).


McQueen famously stated that “When you see a woman wearing McQueen, there’s a certain hardness to the clothes that makes her look powerful… It kind of fends people off. You have to have a lot of balls to talk to a woman wearing my clothes.”
RIP.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Coconut Water - The Latest Trend?

Last night I played a sweaty game of tennis at the Tennyson Tennis Centre. It is damn impressive, although I find the blue courts a little distracting. As I chugged down a blue Powerade after the game (I lost - but I suppose boys really are supposed to win in a game that contains a fair element of firepower), I thought about my teeth. You know all those family groups who are saying "don't eat/drink/touch that because it will (a) rot your teeth!; (b) disintegrate your stomach lining!; (c) make you fat!; (d)give you ADD!; (e) all of the above - in increasingly hysterical tones.

So after some random googling, not sure of exactly what I was looking for, I learnt that PepsiCo has announced their latest product offering, Naked Coconut Water. The only ingredient is coconut water.


According to the sales guff: This 100% coconut water is all-natural, fat free, cholesterol free and gluten free. Naked Coconut Water contains no added sugars or preservatives. At 60 calories per package, and high in potassium, calcium and magnesium, Naked Coconut Water is being marketed towards health conscious and sporty customers.

The company goes on to bleat that ‘Naked Coconut Water helps power up your day with a refreshing beverage that helps you regain the electrolytes life takes out. Naked Coconut Water is a good source of potassium and low sodium so it is heart healthy too.’

As we continue with our consumer obsession with 'superfoods' - goji berries, quinoa, green tea, blueberries etc - this may be just the next must-have health fix. (Madonna is also apparently on board, having invested quite a sum of cash in a company selling this stuff).

Would you drink it? It sounds a lot less teeth-rotting than blue powerade... But does it cure hangovers?

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Tradition



Poh's Kitchen premieres on the ABC tonight... Exciting! Look how much giggly charisma she has! Sadly... I'll be out. Thank God for ABC iView!

Guest Editor: The Sartorialist

(I'm sure he won't mind...)

This was posted on The Sartorialist website. It is most swoon-worthy. I know a few guys in my life who I would most certainly categorise as gentlemen with that eye for detail that is not applied to themselves, but to others - be it their lover, friend, child or colleague.

A Graceful Man, A Gentleman
One of the things I mentioned yesterday, was the "manner" of a person. "Manner" or "grace" is not something that you can learn from a book. Unfortunately, it is something you just have to be or to develop.

A great scene of modern grace on '30 Rock' the other day:

Liz and Jack went out to dinner at a very chic restaurant. As they sat down at the table, Jack immediately moved the candle from the center of the setting to the side of the table. Liz looked at him kinda funny, not understanding why he did that but, not really caring either. Later, however, when Liz reached across the table to steal some of Jack's food (as she always does), she realized he moved the candle so her sleeve wouldn't catch fire when she reached across the table. Jack's manner and grace were so attuned to her as a friend, that he knew her moves before she did. That tiny gesture ended up becoming the pivotal moment of the episode and changed the course of their business relationship.


I'm telling you guys again, women notice the small stuff. They notice the gentleness/gentlemenliness more than if you use the right fork at dinner. I'm a very lucky man, Garance notices every little kindness I offer her, she doesn't miss a thing. Knowing that makes it so much more rewarding to do even more little things for her. I'll be honest, my biggest obsession in life right now is not better shoes, more suits or a bigger career but, to simply be a more graceful man for my graceful woman.

So women, in the spirit of grace, manner and Valentine's Day, take a moment and share with us men some of the little kindnesses that your man has done for you that made your heart flutter. Us men might learn something and you might gain an even more graceful man, a gentleman.

Editor's Note: For my gay readers, I can only write this as I know it, a man loving a woman. Don't let this keep you from joining the conversation. If you have tiny acts of kindness from a boyfriend to a boyfriend, or girlfriend to a girlfriend, please share with us!

Grace is Grace.
It doesn't matter who you're lovin', it's how you're lovin'!

*********

I adore that he picked up the immense grace of Jack on 30 Rock. God, I just love that character! I forwarded the article on to one of my friends who I believe is one of these men. I think he was rather chuffed.

So Happy Valentine's Day to all the gentlemen out there. You are appreciated - and noticed! xo

Let's hear it for the boys.