WTF #1

I've been posting things I like and also interesting and stuff. We all know about the Alexander McQueen shoes from his Spring 2010 collection, the Armadillo shoes. I personally ADORE them and they're a piece of art and if I were a woman I'll be dying to have them.

We saw Lady Gaga wearing them on her "Bad Romance" video, also with a matching dress from McQueen. Then, Daphne Guinness wore them for a red carpet and she looked awesome as always.

And now we have another one: Kelis, wearing the Armadillo shoes. But... WTF!? Something went completely wrong with this "styling". Some artists can pull off the avant garde look and the absurd pieces, but... This pictures left me speechless. I can't even believe they're real. Seem like a joke.

#1 That spiky head band = FAIL!

#2 The frac (I mean, they're cool but it depends on how you wear them)

#3 That f**king latex jumpsuit + THE camel toe! This got to a point where is OFFENSIVE and vulgar! FAIL!

#4 The "pony tail" or braids looks like if she ripped off from a horse!

#5 Those faaaake and absurd eye lashes + the color = FAIL

#6 The chain that goes from both ears to the septum... I don't even know what to say.

Ok, so we have 6 or more things. Mix them. And put them all together on Kelis' body! (not that I don't like her). But you see this and all you can think is: WTF!

I know avant garde and "weird" and extreme calls press attention and also from fans (look at Lady Caca)... but respect yourself! Do NOT dress as a clown and I think this is a look that not everyone is able to pull off. It's a matter of attitude and also of knowing what looks good on you and what doesn't.

Just my thoughts...

You judge and comment!

Chanel Haute Couture Spring 2010

So it's time for a little couture update. All of the shows were last week in Paris and as far as I have seen, there were good, as most of the times, but unfortunately we miss one of the star from couture: Christian Lacroix. It was always thrilling to see what he would do for his next show and it's quite a shame that he's not around anymore. Hopefully he'll get things straight and get a buyer and start showing his amazing creations sometime...

Chanel presented on January 26th a collection different from what we are used to see. There were no black, no navy, no gold buttons. As Sarah Mower said "it was a mix of romanticism, space age, and incredible eye-tricking handwork—as hard to fix in one place as the mercury that seemed to be running through the seams. The clothes ranged from shorts suits to shifts, from frothy, cocooning bubbles to liquid to gas. In some places, the embroideries looked like smashed glass or molten metal (...)"

Karl Lagerfeld has given Chanel (in the past six seasons) a new look, experimenting with new color, leaving gold behind and admitting that silver's the new gold. Many people critized this, because they expect from Chanel something that "screams" CHANEL from everywhere you see it, the regular tweed suit and the classic 2.55.

But for me, this collection has a Chanel trademark, not the one that we're used to see, but it has it. It has the materials, the accesories, the rococo heels, the classic/modern look and of course the craftsmanship.

Lagerfeld was acclaimed by the fashion press because "with all the beads, bows and jewels in Paris at your disposal it takes a disciplined designer to use them judiciously".

Clasic Chanel suit but now paired with short and with metallic fabric.

Amazing draping and also the molten metal effect.

Chiffon cut so thin and in so many layers that looks like fur.


An amazing made out 13.000 flowers ♥

La marieé! The cape she's wearing was made with 200 meters of tulle and silk and took 1300 to be made.

Shoes ♥

Momma Hadid

So I found this short video from one of Zaha Hadid's coming projects in Hoxton Square, London. The building is beautiful and its roof has the form of a wave. If you look at the facades they look pretty simple, but has some details that make them unique.

On the video you can also see the interiors of the building, with lots of contrasted materials. Matt/brilliant. Concrete/colors. All the furniture inside is from her design. And of course has a Zaha signature that is the dinamism on the structure.

One more to my list of loved projects made by Momma Hadid! ♥

44 in a land of teenagers

I was reading some stuff online about the next magazine editorials and I found this girl, Kristen McMenamy. She's the usual skinny model, blonde, white skin, long legs, long hair and... SHE'S 44!

Kristen was born in the U.S and she has lived in New York for a while. She used to be a cover girl and a supermodel, specifically between 1985 and 1998. She was known for her unconventional and androgynous look and that made her work for brands like Chanel, Valentino and Versace. She has been photographed by Helmut Newton, Richard Avedon, Steven Meisel, Juergen Teller and Karl Lagerfeld.

She's currently retired, but she made a few photoshoots in the last year, including Lanvin's and Marc Jacobs ad campaign and some fashion editorial. And this year she's back on a new edition of Love.

Lanvin Fall 2009 ad


2009 fashion editorial

Marc Jacobs Fall 2006

And here's some oooooold ads and photoshoot she made back in the 90's. The pictures below are from 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996 and 1997 respectively.

♥

♥

Sonia Rykiel part II

Following the last post from Sonia Rykiel, I though that I should share one of my favorite look from her.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of her brand, some designers created special pieces inspired by her. This famous coat you see above, was designed by Margiela and it has been photographed by all trendy fashion magazines around the globe and I find it unique. Rykiel's hair is almost a trademark and this design is extremely literal and that's the #1 reason to loved it.

Part of the celebration is the launching of a coffee table book: "10 rules of style" in collaboration with elle magazine.

So here are some "rules" from her (also, some of them with a lil' comment from me):

1. know yourself
"what counts is how you look at yourself ~ what you should show and what you should hide. you have to spend time in front of a mirror. very few women pay attention to that."

100% true! Many people live their lifes thinking of what people would think about themselves.

2. use your head
"my style corresponds to the image i have of the left bank woman who pays attention to what's going on in the streets, in politics, in the world. clothing is also something that happens in your head."

Fashion's not the superficial thing many people thinks it is. Is something deeper than just looks, get inspiration from what's happening around the world and cares about it.

3. remember the power of black
"black is a magnificent color ~ it gives you an outline like a pencil stroke."

AMEN!

4. add a little sparkle
"i love accessories ~ bags, shoes, brooches, necklaces. i even like to have a crystal comb or a flower in my hair. if you're wearing a little black dress, a sparkling detail adds a simple and pretty touch."

5. have a fail-safe outfit
"it's important to have an outfit that always works for you ~ one that you know looks good when you are in a rush."

6. learn the art of packing
"i always travel with lots of long jackets, in black, brown, or navy blue, and matching trousers. then i mix and match the jackets and the trousers."

The mix and match is one hell of a key to success!

7. let your feet do the talking
"i love eccentric, quirky shoes with colors and very high heels that are gilded or extravagantly embellished with crystals. a pretty foot underlines a look. it's a way of defining a style."

Shoes are always a key piece in your look, for me. Shoes can reveal LOTS of things from a person.

8. dress for yourself
"of course fashion is important, but i think the way you live counts for more. a woman should be herself and dress according to who she is."

BE YOURSELF! Dress yourself! Act yourself! Everyone's unique, so BE unique! Don't go around copying people's things.

9. seduce with your style
"it's very natural to be sexy, to be seductive ~ it's a way of being. you can do much by paying careful attention to your clothes, by knowing a length or a certain color that suits you."

10. ignore other people's advice
"you shouldn't ask for other people's advice, and certainly not your partner's. it's useless. you need to know yourself ~ that's enough."

Everyone has a list of DOs and DON'Ts. Some of Sonia's are really clever. I think I might have a little crush on her.

Sonia Rykiel pour H&M

So another collaboration for H&M... After many successful collections, like the ones from Stella McCartney, Karl Lagerfeld, Viktor & Rolf and Comme des Garçons, comes a new one from Sonia Rykiel.

Sonia's a fashion designer from France who is known as "the queen of knits" in 1967. Since that time she's creating different kinds of knitwear pieces, experimenting with new kinds of seams, hemlines and other alterations. She's also a fashion writer and she was named one of the most elegant women from the 80's.

Her new collection for H&M which started to be sold in December 2009, called "Sonia Rykiel pour H&M", consisted only by lingerie pieces. And next month, in February, there will be a second collection/collaboration for the swedish retailer which includes only knitwear pieces, her specialty.

Here's a youtube video with the making of the collection which was recorded for H&M. The video gives you an idea of what you could find in the stores after February 20th. On this video you can see the designer herself talking about she likes about this designs for this specific retailer and also a behind the scenes of the photoshoot for the ad campaign featuring a model with her hair styled as Sonia's hair. ♥

She's not on my top listed designers, but I accept that's she's a really good one. She always shows unique and funny pieces on the runway and I think that her own signature. Making comfortable clothes, 100% cotton, very wearable and the same time with a lil' bit of humor on it. The next for pictures are from the lingerie line...

This two pictures from above, show some of the looks for the knitwear collection, which also includes shoes and accesories.

And last but not least, a portrait of Ms. Rykiel. She's gorgeous, always with her biiiig red hair. ♥

Knock offs!

This is going to be a hate entry! Because I'm mad! I hate that designers do knock offs from another designers. It's a little bit sad that with all the creativity that a designer has, he/she starts copying from another famous designer.

It's common to see now a days, especially in small countries like Costa Rica, people copying pieces from foreign designers. I think it's dissapointing when this is done. Taking advantage of people's ignorance and lack of knowledge is not the way to succeed. It's a deception for the customer and also for the designer.

Steve Madden is being sued by Balenciaga and Alexander McQueen for copying too of their must famous and acclaimed shoes. The copy is more than obvious!

left: Alexander McQueen. right: Steve Madden's knock off.

left: Balenciaga. right: Steve Madden's knock off.

Taken inspiration from a designer does NOT mean that you have to do something exactly the same. INSPIRATION NOT KNOCK OFF! Using the colors, the same siluet, the same accesories qualifies for me as a copy.

Originality and creativity are two of the most importants requirements in a designer profile. Make your own statement! Do your own signature pieces! And use inspiration as it should be used!

Christian Dior Couture Spring 2010

Finally the couture shows are being presented in Paris. I like prêt-à-porter a LOT! But couture gives fashion a chance to be more theatrical, dramatic, dreamy, expensive, absurd... In my opnion, couture is where designers don't care that much about creating a piece that's going to be a retail success. Couture is for elite, for just a few customers around the world. Not everyone can spend more than $30.000 in a dress. But there are a few. And besides that, couture shows are a great marketing strategy for houses like Dior o Givenchy, they've been working on their "image" and marketing in a different way as Lacroix did.

So, today's the time for some beautiful gowns from Dior. John Galliano, creative director for this brand, always gives the press and the customer something to talk and wow about!

This season, Galliano did some research in the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum and he got inspired by Charles James' gowns, who also was an inspiration for Christian Dior's new look. The result has an equestrian look including top hats, full riding skirts, veils, gorgeous silhouettes.

As always, Dior's runways are great in all aspects. From clothes to scenery, to hair/make up, and of course that's thanks to the great team that works with Galliano, which includes Pat McGrath (make up artist). All critics loved it after what they called a "fail" from last season.

So here's a pick of my favorites...

And some details from this look...

The color on this picture above is AMAZING! And the heels are kinda sculptured.

This one's my favorite. Simple, with a beautiful draping coming from the back.

And this one, was my favorite gowns from the show.

Dior Homme

Most of the collections for Men Fall 2010 are out by now. There's some awesome collections as always and some not that good.

Dior Homme Fall 2010 show some new trends for men, leaving behind its "all skinny" that was a signature for its designs. I'll be posting some pictures soon.

But now I wanted to show you the last Dior Homme ad campaign for spring 2010 featuring Juan Manuel Arancibia, one of the IT models of the moment. It shows a more relaxed and comfortable look. This photoshot was made by Karl Lagerfeld, whom besides being a great fashion designer he's also a great photographer. He has made many editorial for Vogue, Harper's Bazar, Elle Magazine and also for ad campaigns like Chanel's, Dom Perignon and now Dior Homme.

New Alexander McQueen campaign

It's not a novelty for many people, but the new Alexander McQueen ad campaign is out. Photographed by Nick Knight, featuring Raquel Zimmermann and the most amazing shoes I've seen in a few seasons.

I loooooooove the ad! The photography is perfect. I hate snakes, but after reading about McQueen's inspiration for this collection and also taking a closer look of the patterns created for it I found it beautiful.

The colors, the snakes, the pose, the pattern, the shoes... Everything looks perfect and very accurate with the inspiration behind the Atlantis collection. Hope there's more awesome pics to come!

Red Carpet Whore

Yes, I accept it! I ADORE red carpets! I can't wait for every red carpet to see all the "stars" wearing designer gowns and tuxedos, and of course I like judging their looks.

I specially enjoy watching the Fashion Police from E! They're sooo mean and I know that loving Joan Rivers should be shameful, but anyways, I enjoy my guilty pleasures. What happens with this kind of show, is that personally, I disagreee with what they say. The worst dressed are my best dressed and vice versa.

But it's always fun to watch and to listen what celebrities are wearing and create your own "best & worst dressed" and also criticize from your own point of view.

I have my favorites on the red carpet. To name a few: Björk, Tilda Swinton, Chloe Sevigny, Charlize Theron, Marion Cotillard, etc. Another thing I like is watching what designers are doing for couture or for evening gowns, looking at the materials and colors chosen, the siluets, the accesories. I think you should take from trends what you like and what helps you identify yourself as a designer. Not everything you see on a trend site or in red carpets are "musts" for one's self.

So here's a few photos from the Golden Globes red carpet, with my opinion... everything is relative regarding fashion (and actually most of the things are relative) so I'll judge and you judge by yourself.

HATE IT! I hate the color, the texture of the fabric and also I don't like the transparency of the skirt. It looks cheap. Fail for Sandra Bullock and Bottega Veneta.

Chloe Sevigny always make some unique choices for red carpets (or someone chooses for her), I'm not totally in love with this dress, the ruffles are too big, it's quite romantic and it's from Valentino, I think there are better dresses from him.

Maggie Gyllenhaal always looks amazing and this is not an exception. I love the pale pink and the cuts in the front of the dress. She wearing RM by Roland Mouret.

Marion Cotillard in a Dior dress. Simple, beautiful. The draping and the color is just perfect.

I ADORE this dress! January Jones looks awesome in this Lanvin design. Quite simple and classy, but with a great detail in the shoulder.

WOW! Finally a thumb up for Drew! I used to hate Versace and Atelier Versace, they had a thing with flashy/embellished dressed, but absurd. Girls used to looked like ugly disco balls, but now, something happend, they're designing beautiful dresses and this one is not an exception. The fabric looks so soft and the color is great and I also love the detail on the shoulder and hip.

Another dress that wow-ed me! Marchesa always makes gorgeous dresses. I love seeing white dresses on the red carpet, they contrast in an amazing way. The details and the construction of this dress makes it unique and the shoes ♥. Love platform shoes.

Ugh! Hate it! This is the kind of "disco ball" I was talking about. This a Beyoncé dress. She's too pale and too blond for it.

OMG! Fail! For me it's just a "quinceañera" cliché. I don't care of it's Oscar de la Renta, but I hate it. It's too big, too princess, nah! (b.t.w she's the main actress from Glee)

Christina Hendricks from Mad Men in a Christian Siriano dress. I really like Christian's designs but I think in this case the dress doesn't match the person. Shea already has TOO much volume on her body to add more with those big ruffles.

Sofia Vergara in Carolina Herrera. I really like it! After seeing that hoochie, Christina, I think is relieving to see this dress, simple, with a beautiful drape on the cleavage.

And finally, Nicole Kidman in Nina Ricci. I like the dress, specially for the fabric and the pearls, it reminded me of the 20's and I think most of the times she looks amazing.

So I guess this is my biggest post EVER, but I always watch this red carpets and have lots to say. This is the first time that I'm actually doing it. I tried to choose what I liked most and also what I didn't like.

So we'll see what the next red carpet brings...