My lovely friend Nina sent me a link these wonderful photo/drawings by Nina Chakrabarti. They are from a series of "interventionist doodles" entitled Voodoo Queens. I find them radically haunting; the perfect mix of bizarre and beautiful.
i came across this dress and i think it's wonderfully ingenious. The entire ruffled and ruched creation is made from one large telephone book! it looks immaculate and I bet it would be so much fun to wear- even if you had to be super careful in it. considering how bored i've been recently, i may consider starting one of my own while i'm at home... if i'm successful, i'll post up some pics.
today is a testament to the change that was so necessary and so important to both our future and our history.
I am SO excited for this!!!
sometimes all you need is a reminder that you are human, and not a superhero, to get through the day...
these videos from ill doctrine definitely eased me back into perspective, with a comforting sigh of relief. hopefully they'll have the same effect on you- it's liberating.
sweet dreams.
and so should you. I know I've mentioned her multiple times before- but I can't help but gush about her. The girls got talent- not that factory made stuff but real, raw, soulful talent. It's refreshing and inspiring.
I had to share these videos, of Thien Thu Thien Nhan, with ya'll because they are so overwhelmingly beautiful. The dancers are from the Chinese Disabled Performing Arts Troupe and they are all hearing impaired. I've been trying to find out more about the organization and the dances but have come up with very little. While that is most unfortunate, I think you can still appreciate the beauty of what they have created without knowing anything else.
after drooling over the beautiful fringe delicacies that walked down the runway at Jil Sander's spring 2009 RTW collection, I couldn't help but feel inspired. Obviously, my first instinct was to polyvore it up- I looked for key pieces (mostly fall items) that incorporated this breezy embellishment without looking too costume-y (I would hate to look like I walked out of a bad cowboy movie...). Fall (like any other season) is all about accessories; bold bags, jammin' jewels and everyone's favorite: boots! These key pieces can dress up any outfit, adding that extra oomph factor that looks and feels great. Unleash that inner sophista-funk and style, style, style! We all know you've got it in you.
Levi Strauss & Co. is getting involved in politics and I love it:
"Levi Strauss & Co. is putting its famous pockets behind defeating a ballot initiative that would outlaw same-sex marriage in California.The San Francisco-based jeans maker said it will co-chair with Pacific Gas & Electric a group trying to drum up opposition to Proposition 8 in the business community. Chief Executive Officer John Anderson said the move is consistent with Levi’s long history of supporting civil rights causes."
Source: The Associated Press
"True Faith" - Pop Magazine
I am so sad right now. I just learned that artist, Nagi Noda has passed away. She died on the 7th after complications during surgery related to a car accident that she was in last year. She was 34. To learn more about her life and her work, visit Creativity-Online.
I'm officially back from vacation and as promised, I've brought back some treats to share with you all! While in the city of lights, I made my way over the the Musée des arts décoratifs (Museum of decorative arts) to catch the extraordinary exhibit on Valentino. To be more specific, the exhibit was a retrospective of the designer's 30 influential years as a world renown taste-maker. It was nothing short of an ode to his genius, showcasing 200 of his couture delicacies for me, and all the others around me, to swoon over.
As an avid lover of fashion, it is truly a rare treat to come so close to a couture gown. As Jillian mentioned in a post over at Trendology a little while back, couture is the ultimate in fashion. It harnesses masterful artisanship and unimaginable creativity and talent into breathtaking and show-stopping works of wearable art. Couture is the most exciting facet of fashion because it gives you insight into the personality and character of a designer; like a painting, each gown tells a story, each collection a mood, or state of mind. You can sense a designer's love of whimsy or taste their flair for drama. And what makes couture the most interesting, for me, is the risk factor. In true couture, there is always an element of danger; in their own way, the designer is daring us- introducing a fantastical idea that eventually coaxes us to accept the avant garde into our daily repetoire. Couture functions as a designer's challenge to the status quo of fashion, and when successful, it is an absolute marvel of creativity and workmanship.
So, now that I've gushed about the many wonders of couture, its only fair that I share the pictures that I snapped along the way! I must warn you though- the pictures are not the best... technically, photography was forbidden in the exhibit, so I had to sneak photos (without flash), which resulted in some shaky/blurry images. The exhibit was also very dark, which unfortunately means that some of the smaller details are lost in my photographs but I still think you can grasp the beauty of each gown. I'm actually surprised at the number of photographs I managed to take, especially after having been yelled at by multiple security guards and feigning that I couldn't understand french or english...
The exhibit was arranged somewhat chronologically, but mostly organized by styles and themes throughout his collections. It spanned from the days of his influential Black and White (Jackie Kennedy) collection all the way to his last collection in Spring 2008. I hope you enjoy the photos!
p.s. after taking a look at my photos, it appears as though most of the gowns in the exhibit were black and white- but don't let my b/w heavy images fool you, Valentino has some exquisite and colorful gowns- I just wasn't able to sneak any pictures!
