Cover Shot Friday

Saskia de Brauw on the cover of Vogue Italia March 2011

image via models.com

Shot by Steven Meisel

One of my favorite covers of recent memory....have yourself a dazzling weekend!

Need.This.Now.

Such a special piece! 

This gorgeous, slightly Grecian skirt is so on-trend for the season with the perfect shade of mint green and a  flash of skin. 

With such a beautiful cut and silhouette, this skirt is best paired with simple, delicate heels such as these.

image via asos

Skirt available here!

On another slightly unrelated note, but something I just had to share - ASOS has announced that they have added French label Zadig and Voltaire to their inventory. 

I am growing to truly adore their site more and more each day!

Fashion in Motion: Ballet as Muse

The love affair between the fashion world and ballet, a grand and torrid one at that, shows no signs of slowing.

Though inextricably connected in some way, shape or form, recent years have shown a marked increase in ballet as muse within the fashion industry. Ballet-inspired editorials have been featured quite regularly in various editions of Vogue and other fashion publications, and ballet dancers themselves have even served as models in such spreads, as well as fashion campaigns.

Back in 2009, Karl Lagerfeld notoriously created a custom tutu made of over 2,500 feathers for Elena Glurjidze, of the English National Ballet. 2010 saw the dancers in Black Swan outfitted in Rodarte creations which surprisingly to some, was not the design duo's first dalliance in ballet costume design. Apparently it will not be the last  either. In 2011, the New York City Ballet production Ocean's Kingdom debuted, featuring costumes designed by Stella McCartney (not to mention a musical score composed by her father, Sir Paul McCartney). 2012 finds none other than Jean-Paul Gaultier , designing the costumes for Ballet Preljocaj's Blanche Neige (or Snow White), currently making it's North American tour debut. Blanche Neige, a dark take on the already sinister fairytale created by Merce Cunningham-trained Frenchman Angelin Preljocaj,  features Gaultier's daring, unabashed aesthetic in the form of non-traditional costuming. Dancers appear barefoot, for the most part, while the wicked Stepmother reportedly dons fetish-inspired wear, including spiked-heel, thigh-high boots and corseted bustiers. Though these are among the most recent collaborations, history has seen many other partnerships between designers and ballet companies, namely Ballet Russe's 1929 production of Apollo (or Apollon Musagete), which featured costumes designed by the one and only Coco Chanel.

 View below for Gaultier's designs for Blanche Neige, and for other images of a fashion's romance with the dance form.

Gaultier's Blanche Neige costumes

  Rodarte's Black Swan costumes     

   

McCartney's Ocean's Kingdom costumes    

         Karl Lagerfeld wth English National Ballet principal Elena Glurjidze

US Vogue editorial featuring model Caroline Trentini

Model (and former dancer) Karlie Kloss for Vogue Germany

Actress Julianne Moore channeling a Degas girl in Harper's Bazaar

Model Kelsey van Mook for Givenchy

Russian ballet students for J Crew

Model Sasha Pivovarova in Vogue China

Ballet Russe dancers in costumes designed by Coco Chanel

Images via washingtonpost/associatedpress/fabsugar/fashionista/nytimes/jcrew/threadbythread/popbee/attheballet

                   

       

Just Because

I absolutely love this Chanel No 5 barrel and from the moment I laid eyes on it, I knew I would not rest until I had one of my very own! 

I love the idea of this as a side table for magazines, etc for a touch of something so unexpected, not to mention this just wreaks of DIY project...the hunt is on!

image via lockerz

Puttin' On The Ritz

Featured in US Vogue April 2012

         Images via Vogue

Click here for more on Tim Walker (also written by me), the British photographer responsible for this wonderfully decadent editorial!

Vogue Netherlands First Look

The very first issue of Vogue Nederland will break this month with Karin Swenk as Editor-In-Chief

 (formerly editor of Dutch Glamour).

Here's a peek at the cover, featuring models Ymre Stiekema, Romee Strijd and Josefien Rodermans outfitted in bright, sunny colors.

This April 2012 Dutch premiere will be the 19th Vogue edition for Conde Nast.

image via vogue.uk

And The Nominees Are...

The nominees were announced yesterday for the 2012 CFDA Awards, otherwise known as the Oscar's of the fashion world for all intents and purposes.

The CFDA, or Council of Fashion Designers of America boasts over 400 leading apparel, accessories and jewelry designers as members and currently seats Diane von Furstenberg and Michael Kors as president and vice president, respectively.

This year's festivities will be held on June 4th at Lincoln Center, and the nominees are as follows:

Womenswear Designer of the Year:

- Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen for The Row
- Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez for Proenza Schouler 
- Marc Jacobs

2011 Winner:  Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez for Proenza Schouler

Menswear Designer of the Year:

- Simon Spurr
- Patrik Ervell
- Billy Reid

2011 Winner: Michael Bastian

Accessory Designer of the Year:

- Alexander Wang
- Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez for Proenza Schouler
- Reed Krakoff

2011 Winner: Alexander Wang

Swarovski Award for Womenswear:

- Joseph Altuzarra
- Chris Peters and Shane Gabier for Creatures of the Wind
- Max Osterweis and Erin Beatty for Suno

2011 Winner: Prabal Gurung

Swarovski Award for Menswear:

- Antonio Azzuolo
- Phillip Lim
- Todd Snyder 

2011 Winner: Robert Geller

Swarovski Award for Accessory Design:

- Irene Neuwirth
- Pamela Love
- Tabitha Simmons

2011 Winner: Eddie Borgo

International Award: Rei Kawakubo for Comme des Garcons

2011 Recipient: Phoebe Philo for Celine

Media Award: Garance Doré  for Garance Dore & Scott Schuman for The Sartorialist

2011 Recipient:

Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award: Tommy Hilfiger

2011 Recipient: Marc Jacobs

Fashion Icon Award: Johnny Depp

2011 Recipient: Lady Gaga

Founders Award: Andrew Rosen of Theory

2011 Recipient: Hal Rubenstein of InStyle Magazine

Congratulations and good luck to all the worthy and talented nominees!

Parisian Perspective

With Paris Fashion Week, the last string of the Fall/Winter 2012 RTW show season having wrapped up last week, Fashion Month as it is called has officially come to an end.

Always finding inspiration from looks not only seen on, but off the runway, I've compiled an extensive collection of my favorite street-style shots from the F/W 2012 Paris FashionWeek below.

Enjoy!

images via motilo/refinery29/styleandthecity/harpersbazaar/jakandjil/vogue/fashionologie/altamira/WWD