Guy Bourdin

Fresh Faced

What is the next step in 'no make-up' make-up look? Well, I guess it would be no make-up at all; at least this is what the creative team responsible for the latest Resort campaign at Celine thinks. The close up at Daria Werbowy's face reveals the all naturelle look without a gram of make-up and very little (if any) interference of Photoshop. The french fashion house is known for its simplistic approach, however this photo feels more like a nod towards embracing once's natural beauty and comment on the obsession with the body image.     

Top catwalk stories of SS15

IN THE LAND OF FRINGE AND TESLE

Fringing was more then welcomed on the S/S 15 catwalks. Designers seemed to embrace it in full and presented it in various lengths and density. Usually placed where the trimming should initially be; it adorned the hems and cuffs of various garments, however in some cases (Thakoon for example) fringing was scattered along the surface of the frocks creating a playful effect.

PATCHWORK STORY

Although it appeared to only by incorporated by the maverick fashion houses (Prada or Martin Maison Margiela), the 'patchwork story' is my favorite emerging trend. Wildly eclectic and slightly of balance; those could be the words to describe it. Each garment seemed to have a tale of its own, and brought into mind the make and mend effect. Taking into the account the growing popularity of recycle and do it yourself trend, I like to think that it has a strong chances during upcoming high street S/S 15 season.

IN THE NET

Fully embraced by House of Balenciaga, net like textures seemed to be the next step in a S/S favorite sheer effect. Moving away from sensual into more high-tech feel, models paraded the variety of crochet, laser cut or even chain mail like fabrics and finishes. Sometimes they came embroidered (Valentino), sometimes they were used to link other fabrics together (Chloe). On occasion they were featured on its own but often were paired up with figure hugging under layers.

WATER COLORED

The key print during most recent Chanel show, watercolor is destined to stardom. It creates a great mood for a romantic summer and hopefully it will find its way into the high street stores. Washed down and stained effect was not the only, but definitely one of the key prints during the latest fashion week season. Large and bold it was used in a variety of pieces from jackets and accessories to flowy chiffon dresses.

In the mood for 60's

The 60's vibe has manifested itself strongly during the 2014 catwalk season. Many designers have showcased the nostalgia towards this bold era, where Beatles were the music that everybody was listening to and hems of the skirts were rising higher and higher. It was a time of a so called youth revolution and radical changes in beauty trends and fashion. New trend has emerged for an easy to wear and easy to obtain clothing, which has sparkled the rise of the high street fashion. It is not surprising then, that most of the modern retailers have decided to capture this mood in their current collections.

MICRO HEM

Mary Quant would be proud! We should be very glad that the weather holds pretty well in here, because the micro hem is present everywhere. This seasons skirts and dresses tend to come checked, printed or made out of synthetic leather, they are finished with zips, fur trimmings or are simply quilted.

PRINT STORY

60's were times were word 'synthetic' came out of its hiding and took a fashion world by storm. Vibrant, man made colors and big bold print were symbolizing the playful attitude. This approach is also present on the high street today. 'Geometric print meets the flower power', could be a topic of the current print story. All over and over the top print adorns dresses, tops , shorts and trousers.

FURY FURY

What is a coat without its' fur? A/W 14 outerwear comes in different lengths and forms; cropped jackets, short coats or sleeves blazers seem to be dominating store rails at the moment. It seems however that the fur effect or at least a fur finish is a must this season. Trimmings appear on the cuffs or around the neck lines and can imitate the sheep skin or lama. The fur should be preferably in natural hues or sporting an animal print.

HIGH NECK SOCIETY 

Warm and snug; turtle neck is a perfect finish for every mods' outfit. It is a great match for a mini skirt or an ankle length trousers. At the current moment most of the high street retailers have a vast selection of high neck jumpers. They are rather simple and come in basic colors (look great combined with psychedelic prints). The styles vary; from chunky and over-sized to ribbed and tight fitting, turtle necks can be as long as the tunic or be a belly button short.   

FW favorite

Would I, could I or should I...?

This is one of those situations that I never really have considered coming true. Last weekend I was doing some shopping in the local area, and so it happens that I have decided to have a little browse in the local Topshop. Even though I do not regard myself to be a regular customer, I like to pop in from time to time, mainly to catch up with current 'it' styles and trends. I was carefully examining the goods displayed in the accessories area, when lo and behold I have come across a collection of scrunchies! By saying that I do not mean two or three singled out scrunchies hanging at the bottom of the rack, I mean: the whole variety of all sizes, textures and colors, which were placed in the full customer's view. Baffled for a moment I have carefully examined few of them: I guess, to allow my sense of touch to catch up with the idea that what I see is actually true. The infamous 'scrunchie conversation' between Carrie Bradshaw and Berger (Sex and a City fans, know what I am referring to) came to my mind, and in a moment of clarity I have placed piece of fabric back to its original place. 

I thought to myself: I understand that 90's trends are back and all,  I can tolerate most of them, event the tattoo choker, but this? This is just way too much.

It has taken me good few days to digest the idea that the impossible just have happened and scrunchie has found its way out of the fashion grave.

Trends are a tricky thing as we all know it, and have a mysterious ability of converting our tastes and likes. Today, writing this post I am not so sure any more about my 'total' rejection of this ultimate 90's accessory. At the end of the  day, Carrie was only a fictional character, not some ultimate fashion guru, right? And on the plus side, those scrunchies do not seem that bad when incorporated into a messy bun. They do look kind of cute in fact, especially those with sequins all over them, like sparkles or tiny stars or... Damn you fashion!    

Velwyn Yossy

I have woken up unusually early this morning, and being unable to go back to sleep, I have decided to check out couple of my favorite art web pages, in the search of something that would be able to capture the mood of current days. As we all know, summer is officially over (at least here) and it seems like there is no chance of it coming back any time soon. So yes, it is miserable and it is raining: third day in the row in a matter of fact, and I find myself fantasizing about our electric heater when I come back home from work. It is this time of the year when we all start digging through the forgotten parts of our closets in a search of something snug and waterproof, and in our time off we look for a comfort in a worm cup of tea, some scented candles and a blanket. This is a kind of a feel that I get looking at Velwyn Yossy's work, which is kind of funny taking into account the very graphic nature of her illustrations. Maybe it is the softens of the curves or the stroke of the paint bush, but there is definitely something cozy and serene about her style.      

D. LaChapelle

       

I have come across this work of David LaChaplelle only yesterday, and I was immediately swept away. This photo shoot was made in 1995 and features, barely twenty year old, back then Leonardo DiCaprio. The intensity of color, and odd setting create the surreal and unsteady feeling: like the scene pulled out from some wired movie, which plot is just about to unfold. In a way this scenery reminds me a bit of 'Romeo and Juliet' (1996), and captures the young, sensual and very over the top vibe of the 90s.

90's Fairy tale

Does anybody still remember the 90's indie glam? Musicians like Bjork, Madonna, Gwen Stefani, infamous Courtney Love (not too sure what is Kurt Cobain doing on this mood board; I guess I just liked the image), seemed to especially embrace this style, making it their signature look at that time. 

The modern take on recreating this 90's vibe, would have to include: a serious splash of color (pastel or psychedelic), something metallic, a bit of fury or fluffy texture, serious amounts of beads as well as rhinestones. Over the top print, funky make up and flowers are also welcome.

The above combination includes: jacket, bag and sun glasses (River Island), dress (Zara), jewellery and shoes (Asos).

The Ballet, the Muse

Short movie about Sylvie Guillem.

Bolero staring Sylvie Guillem.

Today I would like to write a few words about inspirational Sylvie Guillem. This french ballerina, became famous because of her amazing technique, astonishingly long legs but most of all her stubbornness in persuading her own vision of modern dance. She was not afraid to challenge the traditional ballet routine and to this day is considered as one of the most experiment driven ballerina in the world. What I truly admire about Sylvie is her both physical and emotional strength. She can easily be called a 'self made woman', because of her total devotion to dance and incredible regime of daily exercise and  drive to perfect the craft. It is truly bewildering that her strict and in the way humble way of life is a making stone of the most glamorous art performances that exist. One of my favorite is 'Bolero'; where she is dancing part usually reserved for the male performers (guess, I have already mentioned her being a rules barker), she is a vision of an absolute perfection and her androgynous look channels a mysterious force, reserved for those who make history. Sylvie Guillem defines what the real icons are made out of; courage, hard work and plenty of passion.

Ballet inspiration

    

What goes inside the Ballet shoe.

    

Anatomy of Tutu.

Valentino at NYC Ballet.

Menswear 2015 (Favorites)

 

 

 

Phillip Lim

 

 

 

Dries Van Noten

 

 

 

Louis Vuitton