pretty different

fashion trend: shorts and how to wear them

noreply@blogger.com (Veronika) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 01:37:00 +0000

Kate Moss

It hasn't been a cold winter, at least not on the East Coast. Since many 2012 Spring/Summer collections feature shorts, the time has come to put together an outfit and start wearing those shorts. Kate Moss is the non plus ultra shorts wearer so let's see what we can do without freezing due to lack of James, the chauffeur standing by in case it snows or rains or whatever.

To make shorts work in the cooler months, we are going to need opaque tights, boots, a sweater and a pea coat. (Never ever wear a coat with shorts - not a good look. The proportions are all wrong if the jacket or coat covers the shorts. You want to show what you're wearing)

Abercrombie and Fitch Angie $54

H&M $50

Steven Madden $190

Burberry $795

Diesel $50

Alexander McQueen $2890

MuiMui $1400

American Apparel $14

Of course there are cheaper alternatives to Burberry and Alexander McQueen: you can find great jackets at H&M, Topshop, even LLBean has some cool pea coats. Urban Outfitters offers faux fur vests for under $300. If you decide to go for black tights, the bag can certainly have some color. Otherwise, stick with taupe, clay or ivory.

When Spring does arrive: lose the scarf, trade the wool for a tailored blazer or a Lisbeth Salander inspired leather jacket and wear any cool t-shirt underneath. Perfect.

heels are sexy, flats are too

noreply@blogger.com (Veronika) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:20:00 +0000

Don't get me wrong; heels do make your legs look divine and certain events require the elegance beautiful shoes provide. But if you don't have the the three P's (posture, poise and practice), the sexyback isn't going to work. The monkey-on-stilts gait I've seen tittering about to get into the Gansevoort Rooftop bar gave me blisters and a backache just by watching.

If you're a creature of comfort but feel compelled to wear heels because they make your legs look longer and everybody says you should, forget about it. Always wear what you feel comfortable in. That is an element of true fashion.

a poet of the 21st century: Wislawa Szymborska

noreply@blogger.com (Veronika) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 02:48:00 +0000

Modern poetry is like a funeral parlor: usually quite depressing which is why I am not a huge fan of modern "lets show how existentially challenged we are" poetry.

Somehow, iambic pentameters, rhyming couplets, alliterations and Petrarchan sonnets feel more appropriate when men swept capes off their shoulders onto a muddy patch for a lady to tip toe across in the finest calfskin shoes; minstrels strummed love ballads on a lute and ladies-in-waiting washed in rose petals. Or however they washed.

When Wislawa Szymborska won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1996, a collection of her poems landed under the Christmas tree. Out of courtesy, I read it. She wrote about politics and war and the depressing state of small-minded people but somehow her language was different; even playful. She died today, age 88. She lived most of her life in Kraków, Poland. I think she was quite remarkable, her poetry subtle, deep and hauntingly beautiful. Using simple everyday objects and detailed observations, Ms. Szymborska reflected on grand topics in a simple way.

excerpt from Dinosaur Skeleton

venus in fur, masochism and Monique Lhuiller

noreply@blogger.com (Veronika) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:39:00 +0000

The gown attracted my attention as did the face of Hugh Dancy, who starred in the non-chick flickish movie "The Jane Austen Book Club" (highly recommended), as I passed by a showcase for the Broadway play "Venus in Fur" on 47th and 7th.

Nina Arianda, wearing Monique Lhuiller combined with a Lanvin beaded top in this Vogue editorial, stars alongside Hugh Dancy in a "story of a fierce and funny psychosexual power struggle between an actress and her director", as John Lahr of "The New Yorker" wrote in his review from November 2011. While she is not going to be wearing the dress, the play and its cast sound stellar and Ms. Arianda has been getting rave reviews.

Equally fascinating is the story behind the play: adapted from Austrian author Leopold Sacher-Masoch's 1870's novel of the same name, Masoch was the 'poet of masochism' and another Austrian, psychiatrist Richard Freiherr von Krafft-Ebing, coined the term "masochism" based on his findings after extensive research on Sacher-Masoch. "Venus in Fur" is his only novel translated into English. Apparently, Leopold loved women in fur*. He died in an insane asylum so I don't know what that says about fur fetishes. Whatever. Like the poster says: the two stars look quite smashing.

*women in fur: (a bit of language trivia) in German, there is a quote "Sie hat Haare auf den Zaehnen" which literally means "she has hair on her teeth" meaning she's fierce and dominating. Interesting. I bet it is somehow connected to Herr Leopold and his love of furry women.

mad for menswear: cloaked and moody

noreply@blogger.com (Veronika) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 02:32:00 +0000

DOLCE & GABBANA 2013

"We're giving you the lowdown on the menswear shown at Milan Fashion Week where after-dark dressing, velvet and gilded glamour were key trends. Back in Paris, Japanese designers conquered the runway. Then we head to the Geneva watch fair where the most exciting looks included a 'poetic' watch and a diamond encrusted panther. Finally, which ten-year-old is set to be the new face of Versace?"

s'il vous plaît - enjoy the show. Mad for Menswear. A 12-minute segment on the latest trends.

Source: France24 is kind of like CNN except en français and way better. Okay, there is also an English-speaking version. Since Fashion is part of French culture, they cover a lot of fashion.

My favorite: Dolce & Gabbana's 2013 Fall/Winter show on their website is wonderfully fabulous. Just listening to the music takes you back to Downton Abbey Italian style. Very nice.

about "pretty different"

gelato and dresses: a final thought: Project Runway Episode 4

noreply@blogger.com (Veronika) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 06:44:00 +0000

Christian Dior Haute Couture 2011

Project Runway is one of my favorite reality TV shows. It's a great showcase for talented people doing something, using their creativity, using their skills, partaking in a traditional centuries-old respected craft. Superfluous backstage drama is kept to a minimum. Yes, it can be entertaining but ultimately, the drama should come from the creations. For the most part, this is the case on Project Runway.

Taking all the limitations the contestants face into consideration (time limits, limited funds and the constraints of the challenges themselves), often one still gets the impression the designers forget what design is: translating dreams and visions into clothes. The gelato challenge presented itself as the ultimate opportunity.

Christian Dior's haute couture dream of a gown is the epitome of pure fantasy. And if translating an ice cream flavor into a dress isn't a dream challenge, I don't know what is. It seems some of the contestants are too wrapped up in their personalized construction of flamboyancy and eccentric behavior at the expense of their craft. The honing of their inner celebrity appears to be getting in the way of truly unforgettable creations. And I'm not talking about re-inventing the entire industry, I just mean being a bit more fanciful.

more on Project Runway All Stars recap Episode 4

about "pretty different"

homemade gelato: April: Project Runway All Stars Episode 4

noreply@blogger.com (Veronika) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 05:28:00 +0000

Poor April was voted off. Her dress looked half-finished. I think she is a cool chick and am definitely rooting for her success in the fashion industry. Too bad she didn't stick with her original sketch of a blueberry gelato-inspired design (not that it looked any better but it looked finished) but instead went with a dress that looked like the victim of road kill. The belt didn't do it any favors either. Plus why did she use black tulle over the blue? Oh dear.

Good luck April.

more recaps on Project Runway All Stars Episode 4

homemade gelato: Austin, Kara, Mondo: Project Runway All Stars Episode 4

noreply@blogger.com (Veronika) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 05:16:00 +0000

Austin's take on Vanilla Madagascar gelato

Austin is pissing me off because he did such a fantastic job on episode two, which he won. Pure Hollywood glamor. Last week, when he tried something different for Miss Piggy, the result was woeful. This week, with the vanilla madagascar swatch in hand, he went into default mode: the one-sided style. I love Austin because his "On the Road with Austin and Santino" show is funny and sweet. I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. A chiffon dress with a cheap looking brown leather clutch and strappy sandals was definitely a doubtful combination.

The last All Star to choose her ice cream flavor was Kara: chocolate and cayenne pepper. Sadly, Kara couldn't see the forest for the trees and went for a very odd ruffle thing. The model looked pregnant - all the judges agreed on that - because the flounces started from below the bosom. If she had made them longer and used the colors to ruffle around the hem, the dress would have been wearable. On the other hand, Kara might have opened her eyes and seen the host, Andrea Lindvall, who was actually wearing a fantastic dress in chocolate brown. Oh well. She still made it to the next episode.

Mondo went kaftan-esque and did an interesting take on cantaloupe gelato. If I had to choose between Michael's pink moo moo and Mondo's, I would have definitely gone with the melon kafka. Diane Von Furstenberg was thrilled.

more recaps on Project Runway All Stars Episode 4

Mondo's melon

Chocolate and Cayenne Pepper: Kara

homemade gelato: Kenley, Anthony, Rami: Project Runway All Stars

noreply@blogger.com (Veronika) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 04:29:00 +0000

Kenley's gelato challenge design

Kenley, the self-described cute, flirty designer, has cornered the market on, well, "cute and flirty." Think Zooey Deschanel so kind of annoying. Kenley should pour some of the annoyance into her designs to make them something other than average. There has to be a different take on "I'm 1950's retro"other than bows and collars. Her gelato was passion fruit. Nothing passionate about the dress. She could have at the very least used softer, flowing fabric.

Rami, who has done some nice work in the past, wasn't inspired by his kiwi gelato. Despite his thoughts on his design as the model walked the runway ("she looks like a rich, beautiful girl"), Rami took "kiwi" too literally. Polka dots? Really? I admit it's hard finding the right accessories for a green outfit. Black shoes are okay if the belt would have been in green (a sash made out of the polka dot fabric) and a clutch in pink for a splash of color would have made this gelato dress somewhat more appetizing.

In retrospect, Anthony's green tea melt wasn't awful. From the front it looks okay. The silhouette isn't flattering though because he has this whole panel thing going i.e. the wearer looks fat. Styling is sleek and simple, which I like.

more recaps on Project Runway All Stars Episode 4

Anthony's green tea design

Rami's kiwi dress

homemade gelato: Jerell got the spirit: Project Runway All Stars

noreply@blogger.com (Veronika) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 03:51:00 +0000

fruits of the forest: Jerell

We don't hear much about Jerell but I think he did a decent job on this challenge. His gelato flavor was "fruits of the forest." To his credit, he knew what fruits you find in the forest: berries: blueberries, boysenberries, raspberries, wild strawberries. Jerell has a bit too much of the Xena, Warrior Princess thing going which could have been amended if he had lost the leather straps and clunky earrings but still, the cut of the dress and the fabric was flowing and sexy, in keeping with the spirit of fruity gelato.

Some berry red strappy sandals and less head gear would have made Jerell's creation pretty decent.

more on Project Runway All Stars Episode 4

Mui Mui Sandals

homemade gelato: Mila got it right: Project Runway All Stars

noreply@blogger.com (Veronika) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 02:53:00 +0000

One designer from the "gelato challenge create a dress as delicious looking as the flavor you chose" who got it right:

Mila's design Episode 4

Mila: her flavor was milk and cherries. Her dress looked quite yummy. Guest supermodel judge really liked the dress but Diana Von Furstenberg was the Queen bee in this panel and Mila just scraped by into the next round. I think the dress was pretty fabulous.

Except for the belt: awful. And the shoes: color too heavy and style too chunky. I would have gone for a dark red belt and shoes the color of an waffle cone, similar to the colors and shoes shown in the Bottega Veneta Spring/Summer show.

more recaps of Project Runway All Stars Episode 4

Bottega Veneta SS2012

homemade gelato: Project Runway Episode 4

noreply@blogger.com (Veronika) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 02:16:00 +0000

winning dress: grapefruit gelato

Episode 4 of "Project Runway All Stars" was themed around ice cream or "gelato" as those in the know, world-weary travelers and the 'I'm so fabulous I just can't be bothered' fashionistas call it. Despite the promising theme, the 'make a dress as delicious looking as gelato tastes' was the most boring challenge so far and the results reflected it with utter ho hum. With only six hours to sketch, buy fabric and execute, we got predictable designs and some were poorly constructed.

Diane Von Furstenberg was guest judge along with super model Miranda Kerr. She gets to wear the winning design. Question is: where? I bet she will not venture onto any red carpet with that moo moo. And for some reason I can't comprehend (I think Diane Van Furstenberg got the last vote), Michael with his 'drapes on a model' dress won the challenge for the second week in a row. His gelato flavor was grapefruit.

Plus points: he finished it.
Minus points: the dress looks like a silk kimono with cleavage. Not delicious looking and lacks anything you'd associate with a grapefruit. (no tang nor juiciness in this limp rag)

Christian Siriano SS 2012

I totally understand the limitations the designers had, however, I think Michael could have come up with something simpler yet more reflective of grapefruit gelato, like a combination of colors Christian Siriano used in his Spring/Summer 2012 used. I'm not talking about copying but as A.O. Scott once said: "The absorption of influence is the sign of true originality." My advice to all the designers: absorb a bit more.

more on Project Runway All Stars episode 4

pretty in pink: Why Gordana's dress was best

noreply@blogger.com (Veronika) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:42:00 +0000

Gordana's design

A brief recap of last week's episode before tonight's "Project Runway All Stars": first of all, Gordana's dress was one of the nicest dresses, wearable for pretty much every figure and therefore wearable for "fashion's dream client": a pig. Disappointed she had to go. Secondly, whoever said the zipper was a "nice detail" on Miss Piggy challenge winner Michael's dress was delusional. (I think it might have been Georgina Chapman, that very bland creature who is too busy thinking highly of herself to pay attention to what is being paraded on the runway.)

winning dress

The worst dress of the night was the boy all New York City Ballet dancers appear to be modeling their look after: Austin. For entertainment's sake, I'm glad he wasn't kicked off but his creation looked like a sausage skin turned inside out. If a skinny girl looks bad in the dress, you know the design is perfect for moms seeking the next inappropriate outfit for their 5-year-olds in "toddlers and tiaras."

Austin's dress for Miss Piggy

the black dress and independence: all about "Breakfast at Tiffany's"

noreply@blogger.com (Veronika) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 22:09:00 +0000

In the 50's good girls wore color. Bad girls wore black.

"Breakfast at Tiffany's" by Truman Capote has to be one of the most sparkling, brilliant, layered pieces of 'bad' girl literature ever. As iconic as the movie is, do not miss out on the irreverent sophistication that is "Breakfast at Tiffany's": the book. Books and adaptations of books into screenplays are two different mediums and especially in this case, even though the movie is fabulous, the book is even better.

If put to music, Capote's words would be a mix of Mozart and Etta James. Voilà. An excerpt from "Breakfast"and Fred's (the narrator in the book) first impression of one of Holly's friends:

"Presently one of these became prominent. He was a middle-aged child that had never shed its baby fat, though some gifted tailor had almost succeeded in camouflaging his plump and spankable bottom. There wasn't a suspicion of bone in his body; his face, a zero filled in with pretty miniature features, had an unused, a virginal quality: it was as if he'd been born, then expanded, his skin remaining unlined as a blown-up ballon, and his mouth, though ready for squalls and tantrums, a spoiled sweet puckering."

Doesn't Philip Seymour Hoffmann comes to mind? Or Truman Capote himself? Which is interesting as the former played Capote in one of the two biopics that came out in 2006 and 2007.

The perfect book to read in tandem with "Breakfast at Tiffany's" is Sam Wasson's "Fifth Avenue, 5AM." It tells the story of the making of the movie and the icon: the screenwriters involved, how "Moon River" came into being, the whole styling situation about Audrey Hepburn-as-Holly wardrobe, the writing of the book, Truman Capote's darling-of-the-socialites life as inspiration for the book, how long he took to write the book, reflection on Audrey Hepburn's personal and professional life - these threads flowing neatly together to underscore the book's theme: womens' changing image in the 1960's: less Doris Day, more Holly Golightly.

The first three-quarters of the book is I-don't-want-to-put-this-down reading but lags somewhat toward the end. Not of much consequence as the fun parts are in those first three quarters anyway.

"Breakfast at Tiffany's is the champagne, "Fifth Avenue, 5AM" the salty peanuts: perfect weekend fare.

Image taken off Vie Couture, a fashion blog, stating how the little black dress created by Givenchy for Ms. Hepburn was sold at an auction at Christies in 2006 for over $800,000. (wonder who is wearing it now)

about this blog

last minute presents that make you look good

noreply@blogger.com (Veronika) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 17:21:00 +0000

So, it's a week before Christmas and presents still need to be bought for the people who give you Chia pets, key chains and stuff with polyester. You can do better. Here's a list of awesome gifts that make you look good and make the recipient feel totally special.

treehugger.com

1. Books: don't buy off Amazon. Support your local independent bookstore like Barnes & Noble (yes, I know B&N isn't indie, but it almost feels like it) Go into a bookstore and pick a book off the shelf. Any book. But make sure it has a classy cover. No romance novels. Homer's Iliad and Odyssey are good choices - these are stories everybody should read, some say they have read and most people haven't even looked at. "Remember that movie with Brad Pitt, when he had long blond hair, and sandals paired with a short leather skirt? This is the book to the movie," you can say with a self-deprecating smile/shrug.

If you choose off the New York Times besteller list: Look up the blurbs so you can extoll its virtues or look up a plot summery and memorize a few good key sentences by heart. Makes you look smart because a) recipient thinks you sit hours in a bookstore and/or you follow the New York Times book review and b) you are assuming the recipient is intelligent enough to appreciate the written word. Perfect. No gift certificates. Buy a book.

2. Calendars: Yes, we all have our calendars on electronic devices but looking at a lovely black and white still of Paris or Vienna will warm anybody's heart. So get one of those calendars you hang on a wall - preferably of a city - (inspiration to travel if you want the recipient to leave the country in the near future) or, as an alternative, a selection of paintings by an artist. The latter demonstrates your keen sense of the finer things in life i.e. the desperation of being an artist. I recommend a calendar with nude sketches of Egon Schiele. This shows you have artistic edge and are not a prude.

3. Scents: yes really. Perfume bottles are lovely. The thing is, the recipient has to open the bottle to smell it hence they'll have to keep it. Warning: if you get any scent named after a celebrity, your gift is going to get thrown in the trash. Any self-respecting member of the intelligensia is not going to be caught dead with a bottle of Beckham's delight or Christina Aquilera's whateveritscalled perfume. Christina may sing nicely but her and JLo's perfumes are crap. Stick with the pedigreed entities of designerdom: Chanel, Gucci, Marc Jacobs, Burberry, Yves Saint Laurent. Prada is nice too. The Prada "Candy" ad is totally sexy.

4. Knit a scarf: sorry. It's too late. Unless you can spend the next 7 days knitting non-stop, forget it. But if you want to get a head start for next year, go for it. You know how long it takes to knit a scarf? Weeks. So give it to someone you really like.

5. Bake: anything. Cakes. Cupcakes. Pies. Cookies. Made-from-scratch shows you care. Or that you just want the recipient to get fat. Be that as it may - the "taking the time and making the effort" will prevail. Even if the baked goods don't look tempting, put it in a nice box. Wrapping is everything.

6. Homemade Jams: This is actually the perfect gift for the Vegan friend in your life because it shows you are environmentally conscious, organically friendly and are demonstrating a sufficient amount of vegan solidarity. All you need is a nice glass jar, a label and a person who has decent handwriting. This may be difficult to find since nobody can write worth shit anymore. Worst case, print them out using Papyrus font. For the actual jam all you need is fruit, sugar, a pot and a wooden ladle. Just put all the leftover fruit you have in a blender. Do remove all the brown bits. If the brown moldy bits make up more than 50% of your fruit supply, you're going to have to go out and buy some fresher fruit.

7. For the atheist friend: The Bible because there's plenty of sex, lies and weird shit going on. For your Christian Friend: 'god is not Great' by Christopher Hitchens. Maybe smart argumentation will snap them out of their "Jesus Saves" delusions.

8. Whatever you buy, don't forget the ribbons, bows and jolly wrapping paper. No matter what's inside, it's all about the packaging.

9. Before you buy crap for somebody you don't even like, donate to a charity in the name of the person you don't like. Start a trend. The Red Cross and Doctors without Borders are pretty awesome.

Happy Holidays.

winter: holiday skin

noreply@blogger.com (Veronika) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 23:20:00 +0000

Four things nice and easy things to do for your skin in the winter, that cost nothing and are long-term more effective than regular visits to a spa (seriously):

1. do keep drinking water. Even though you don't noticeably sweat, you still sweat. The air is much drier in the winter both inside and out so hydrate from the inside.

2. Do your skin a favor and take one day per week off from showering. I'm not suggesting a Steve-Jobs-lets-not-shower-for-weeks inducing your boss to put you on solitary nightshifts. But one day a week lets the natural oils your skin produces stay on and protect on your skin.

Shower abstinence in the summer is not such a great idea because, well, it's hot and sticky and showers are refreshing. But winter is the ideal season to give your skin a holiday from water and suds (which, depending on the quality of your tap water, dries out your skin to varying degrees). I prefer weekends since skipping the wake-me-up effect on a weekday morning (when it's still dark outside) will not get me going..at all.

3. When you do shower, exercise your skin with a contrast shower: Begin with warm water. When you've done all the suds/soap/shower gel thing and have rinsed it all off, turn on the cold water and shower for two minutes cold, then warm again, then cold again. Always end with a cold shower.

How to do it best: If you have a shower hose, start with the right foot, moving the nozzle up the right leg to the hip, then left leg, then right arm (hand first), left arm, finishing with the torso, neck and face. Last by not least, run the stream of cold water over the right sole of your foot (from heel to toes), then the left to finish off. I forget why but I learned that once at a spa I went to. It's great. Exercises the skin (elasticity!), gets the circulation going and totally helps the immune system. Colds will be a thing of the past. True story.

4. Take a day off using deodorant. You have sweat glands in your armpits for a reason: to expel toxins. If you stop them up with anti-perspirants all the time, those toxins stay inside the body. I'm no scientist but common sense (and some articles) leads me to believe excessive use of anti-perspirants is related to breast cancer. I totally get the angst sweat high-stress situation activates the sweat glands hence one needs deodorant - but give it a rest on the weekend. And try to go for deodorant as opposed to anti-perspirant. Better.

Make the above part of your normal routine and you will definitely notice an improvement in skin elasticity, hydration and overall skin health.

D&G: "The One" Perfume ad with Miss Scarlett

noreply@blogger.com (Veronika) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 21:15:00 +0000

Christmas is coming and perfume is the one gift people buy if they can't think of anything else to buy. I mean, definitely preferable to socks. Having said that, your scent is very personal so really if someone wants to buy you a scent or if you buy one for someone, you have to know that person quite intimately or you have to say to a potential scent giver: I want this perfume. And since there are so many, which one to buy?

My friend and I went to Sephora in search of scents. After two test squirts each, we couldn't tell the difference between Burberry, Tom Ford and a Russian brothel. That's where the ads come in - you like an ad - you go test the perfume. At least that's how the advertisers hope it will work. Here's the latest Dolce & Gabbana ad with Scarlett 'Sophia Loren' Johannson. Is it only me or is her acting kind of terrible?

winter: drink

noreply@blogger.com (Veronika) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 14:11:00 +0000

During the winter, when it's cold and gray and your movements are limited due to coats, scarves, gloves, tights, hats, bags, whatever; it's annoying if you always have to go to the bathroom. That happens when you drink a lot of water - as we all know we should - to stay luscious and beautiful (well, at least that's what we are told, so I'll go along with it) Drinking the 2-3 liters in the summer is way easier simply because the on/off process is faster with no danger of your gloves and/or scarf falling into the toilet.

I totally struggle to get in at least one liter between November and April. However one solution that is do-able: carrying a small bottle around and taking small sips throughout the day, refilling with tap water (we really need to stop using so many plastic bottles). Ingenious I know. But sadly, there is no other way. I try and get in the larger helpings in the morning and right before bed (to avoid the food vampire awakening at 3AM)

Bottoms up.

sensual: the touch of lingerie - an ad

noreply@blogger.com (Veronika) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 22:50:00 +0000

Palmers is the Victoria's Secret of Austria. They've often used controversial print ads. Recently, a TV ad has been added to their hall of fame. This is one of them. Quite interesting. The title: touch sensuality.

The model is a little too skinny and the shoes (although I suppose high heels would be weirder still) and outfit at the end a bit odd, but the glasses are fabulous. Very Holly Golightly.

about this blog

slippers: Christian Louboutin

noreply@blogger.com (Veronika) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 11:48:00 +0000

In honor of Christian Louboutin's new book, luxury fashion website Net-A-Porter created an animated short fairy tale of a young boy who wanted to make fabulous slippers for all the beautiful women.

glamorous: Hollywood Portraits made in France

noreply@blogger.com (Veronika) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 22:20:00 +0000

Marlene Dietrich, Jean Gabin, Edith Piaf, Maurice Chevalier, Josephine Baker, Coco Chanel - these are some of the celebrities who were photographed at Studio Harcourt in Paris. Famous for black and white studio portraits of the rich and famous up until the 1960's, the Studio Harcourt's eponymous style, founded in 1934 by two publishing tycoons and a photographer, was inspired by French cinematographer Henri Alekan (when asked what a cinematographer's job was: "to obtain psychological reactions out of mere technical means") and translated mysticism to still portraits.

How did they do it: Small light sources against a dark background, the eyes, nose and mouth are always in focus, the rest of the face is soft. In the early days this was achieved by using a silk stocking on the lens (legend has it only a Dior stocking would do) using a cigarette to burn holes in the appropriate places. Although the cameras are digital now, the results remain consistent, the intimate atmosphere the photographer creates with his 'sujet' essential in capturing the empyrean; the visage alight as if it were the light source.

The studio has since re-opened and continues to take black and white portraits of celebrities and those who can afford the circa €1600 two-hour sitting. If you are on a smaller budget and happen to be in Paris, visit one of the original Studio Harcourt photo booths.

One photo booth is at the Franck and Fils Shop, 80 rue Passy, 75016 Paris. Cost: €10. The store is worth a visit in and of itself - combining a mash up of fashion to buy and art. The site is cool - worth checking out.

Studio Harcourt on Facebook and Twitter too. Pretty fabulous.

lush history: Goethe!

noreply@blogger.com (Veronika) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 12:31:00 +0000

"It is love that holds the world together from the inside." Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

What Shakespeare is to the national pride of the English, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is to the Germans. The only difference is the whole world knows about Shakespeare while not so many beyond German-speaking countries are familiar with Goethe although I suppose his break-out beyond German speakers work was "The Sorrows of the Young Werther", kind of a pre-extentialistism oeuvre in the Romantic period, inducing young men everywhere (those who could read of course) to moan, weep and be generally melancholy about love and life. This film deals with the period in Goethe's life when he wasn't too lucky in love. (It didn't stop him from moving on to become an all-around universal talent - a German Leonardo Da Vinci of sorts - more than enough adventures for a sequel.)

"Young Goethe in Love" is the let-everybody-know-what-this-movie-is-about English translation of the originally titled "Goethe!" film. Directed by Philip Stoelzl, the film's tapestry is dense and merrily chaotic, immersing us in 1772 with lots of lovely little details spread thickly across the canvas. The actors are all pleasing to the eye and romp through the 18th century with gusto. If one uses a fashion analogy - it's kind of like a merger between Christian Lacroix and Jill Sander - opulent and classically streamlined at the same time. Somewhat reserved in spirit in parts, the physicality of living in the 18th is best described using Proust (he was describing a madelaine): "an exquisite pleasure invaded my senses." Absolutely. I will go with that.

The director comes from theater and opera doing costume and production design, later broadening his scope to music videos (Garbage "The World is not enough", Madonna "American Pie" the bigger names he worked with) He is a very intense guy - he was one of the close contenders for an ad I was producing a few years ago. Very well prepared and extensive technical knowledge of special effects. I always liked his work and champion his efforts.

Worth a Saturday or Sunday afternoon on a cold autumn day. Playing at theaters in German with English subtitles in New York and Los Angeles.

movie trailer of "Young Goethe in Love"

interactive ballet: Repetto

noreply@blogger.com (Veronika) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 20:10:00 +0000

Repetto not only makes ballerinas Kate Moss wears. Repetto is a well-known French manufacturer of all things dance - from leotards, tights, ballet slippers and pointe shoes to the essential flats aka ballerinas every girl has to have. The Repetto boutique on Rue de la Paix, near the Paris Opera House (home to one of the best ballet companies in the world) installed an interactive window display this past February. It's pretty cool. Here's a "how they did it" video. (Oh, how we love the internet otherwise we would have missed this bit of awesome)

about this blog

The Coffee Pot and other doggie news

noreply@blogger.com (Veronika) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:12:00 +0000

There are two dogs sniffing each other's butts outside the perch I'm occupying inside a coffee hangout called "The Coffee Pot". In general, New York City seems to be a very dog-loving society. Although not specifically linked to NYC, I caught a reality TV show called "Doggie Moms" when I woke up during my nighttime naps sometime between 1AM and 5AM. No, nothing sexual about the show only sartorial. A doggie mom apparently spends more money on doggie dresses than most people do for their own attire.

More news on the excessive care for your pet front: watching the ever fascinating spin of daytime TV will eventually stop on the show cycle devoted to all things canine including but not limited to recipes for self-baked doggie biscuits. Yes, really.

Yes. New Yorkers love their dogs. When one of the most powerful people in journalism, Jill Abramson, executive editor of the New York Times, writes a doggie diary, you know any excess is salon suitable.

inspiration: Eleanor Roosevelt

noreply@blogger.com (Veronika) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:00:00 +0000

Eleanor Roosevelt

Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was born this day 127 years ago (1884) in New York City. During the first press conference she gave as First Lady and wife of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1933, she invited only female reporters.

Eleanor Roosevelt continued to hold weekly women-only press conferences throughout her husband's presidency. The early 1930's marked the height of the Great Depression: women were dissuaded from taking jobs, some states even passing laws against hiring women. I can't even imagine what it must have been like working as a journalist in a man's world. They did and Mrs. Roosevelt championed them. Very cool.