The Turn of The Seasons

Happy Halloween!

Work the fashionable holiday!
Love, The Rack and The Ram

Lara & LV

Lara Stone to replace Madonna in Louis Vuitton's next Spring ad campaign. The brand is said to be re-configuring their target customer's wants, and thus are replacing the publicity-friendly Madonna with the it-girl-on-a-roll, Lara. Lara will be shot by the same photographer, Steven Meisel, in NYC.

Not sure if I'm tired of her, yet. I still love drawing her large eyes and peek-a-boo teeth.
D

FNO To Return in 2010

“It was only 15 minutes after the event began, and we were getting reports about lines around the block at stores throughout the city. It was wonderful to see people embrace this initiative, and we are thrilled that they wish it to return.” -Anna Wintour

Recent studies show that Fashion's Night Out was a success, with sales up 50% for the evening in NYC. San Francisco's FNO was very cute, filled with AAU faculty, alum, models waltzing around the store in Neiman's merchandise, and guests dressed in evening apparel.

I am happy to hear that it seems to be becoming an annual event. I hope that San Francisco takes more of a part next year, perhaps by getting more stores to sign up, and expanding the festivities to clubs, restaurants, etc. In addition, I hope that San Francisco plans even later shopping hours. (Neiman's ended at ten or eleven, very early for students ready to be out all night!) Even though the event at Neiman's was fun, I must say that I was jealous of all of New York's parties, model/celeb sightings, etc. Yes, I know that SF will never have models like NY does. And yes, perhaps I should just fly out to experience the NY version next year. I just want to see Jessica and Gemma and Ranya.

GOAL FOR YOU, SAN FRANCISCO: For FNO 2010, be as alive as NYC was in 2009!

-D

MObama

 Michelle Obama has wise words regarding the nation’s interest in her ensembles:

"People are always going to have opinions, and people have a right to their opinions, particularly when you’re the First Lady; you’re representing the nation. So I can’t be surprised that people are interested. But I’ve tried to be at peace with the choices that I make first, and then be open to everyone else’s reflection."

The story breaks in Glamour’s December issue, pictured below.

New Mugler Collection?

Thierry Mugler may present a women’s wear collection, the first full one since 2003. Mugler has been reentering the business with his designs for singer Beyonce’s tour.

Ex- Paco Rabanne designer Rosemary Rodriguez is the current creative director, so Mugler’s level of involvement is to be determined.


If all goes well we could be met by Mugler designers next October.

Craving Du Jour

Last night, I left my English class and stopped by Anthropologie. This is usually a bad idea, since the store makes me almost as happy as being in Disneyland. As I entered the store, the normal rush of warm candle scents entered my nose, and I identified which new scents they had lit. Sure enough, they were holiday scented! Giddy as usual, I pranced around the natural wooden tables, sticking my face into the glasses with wax cylinders carrying the lovely scents of warm gingerbread, pine tree, and pumpkin spice.
Next, I walked downstairs into the basement portion. On the landing in between the levels, there was a lovely new display with artist collab Ruffian. Even though the collab includes tops and accessories, my favorite pieces were the CANDLES.

The Ruffian x Anthro candles come in Intermission, Gloria, and my favorite: Dressing Room. Its fragrance notes include raspberry, ylang ylang, bergamot, and cedar. It's a spunky combination between natural and spicy scents, so the scent is original and captivating. I can't get enough, and can't wait to purchase the little beast.
ANTHRO
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Peer Pressure: Green Polish

From emerald to jade, green nails will be every where this season. It began with Chanel's Fall 2009 show where models flashed jade polish on their nails.

Give it a try with one of these:

There is a great one at Urban Outfitters right now, it's like the fourth from the right above. The lacquer stays put. Last night I put on Emerald City by Sally Hansen....

 

 

 

And this morning I wake up to an email from W magazine telling me to go green.

Nighttime Dream State

"Maybe i would become a mermaid... i would live in the swirling blue-green currents, doing exotic underwater dances for the fish, kissed by sea anemones, caressed by seaweed shawls. I would have a dolphin friend. He would have merry eyes and thick flesh of a god. My fingernails would be tiny shells and my skin would be like jade with light shining through it I would never have to come back up." 

-Francesca Lia Block

"...Choose to believe in your own myth
your own glamour
your own spell
a young woman who does this
(even if she is just pretending)
has everything...." 
-Francesca Lia Block
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Like A Midnight Sun

Michaela Kocianova for French Revue Des Modes F/W 2009

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Watch out

I am the only person I know who was not impressed by the Balmain show. Army colors, sequins, and loincloths together can make one uncomfortable. So I was surprised when I saw Sienna Miller wearing a Spring 2010 look:

and loved it. Miss Miller wore the dress to the opening night of her Broadway play After Miss Julie.

Check out the source.

ReachAround

Two things:

- Statistics show that beauty brands with both fragrance and cosmetic lines are more recession proof than brands with just one or the other.

- Burberry announced they will be launching full cosmetics line.

Emma is intrigued...

WWD

Lookie Here!

It's the UK Vogue November issue, starring Georgia May Jagger! Sigh.

She's only 17, but do you think we could convince Purple magazine to center a shoot around her and Lara making out??

Brand: Alex & Chloe

Alex and Chloe is an angular design couple from Paris. They produce a full jewelry and sunglasses line along with men’s and women's tops.
The couple met in 2004 and created their first collection, “Shadow and Light”. Their statement of minimalism and humor quickly gained attention and  were able to branch into other categories to continue their message.
Alex & Chloe take inspiration from high fashion labels such as Viktor & Rolf and Lanvin, as well as personalities like Kate Moss and Bjork.
The brand gained notoriety for their flat, mirrored pendant necklaces and their melted riff on the Chanel logo. Alex & Chloe now have stores in New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Paris.

The evil Chanel logo, called "Coco's Dead":

General hipness:

 

Haute On The Streets

 

 

DJ, can't you play a little harder? 

Yummy poses by Raquel Zimmermann for Vogue Paris Novemeber 2009

D

Good Morning, Everyone

D

Lip Venom

British beauty brand 2 Love My Lips has created a lip gloss that can detect date rape drugs GHB and ketamine. The tester doesn’t work in fruity or milky drinks. Guess it’s just beer tonight.

Paris Loves Barbie

You are met with an eerie silence upon walking into the French Vogue offices. Carine Roitfeld and her staff huddle in the center of the hallway. The girls speak in hushed whispers. Do you dare inch closer? You do. The chicest women in the world are playing with…dolls?

Well, of course. The trend is picking up steam in the most unusual of places. From a Barbie runway show during New York fashion week to the Rodarte sisters’ more arty characters at French boutique Colette, your childhood is back and more fabulous than you remember.

Dolls were once as the sole communicator of fashion. English royalty received figurines from Parisian designers as early as the 14^th century. Fashion was able to span the distance between countries with these figurines. These dolls, sometimes even life size, were a kinesthetic catalogue from which royals could choose dresses for themselves. King Henry IV of France secured his future bride, Marie de Medici, by sending over examples of his countries’ fashions.

These dolls, then called Pandoras, filtered down to the masses and became more plaything than high fashion prototype. Mattel launched the Barbie in 1959 and she became a childhood landmark for generations ever since.

Today dolls are merging art, fashion, and exclusivity once again, and Paris ties into each play date.

Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte designed four spooky playthings to celebrate their tenth collection, Fall/Winter 09. Four characters were created and packaged inside velvet lined coffin boxes. Their macabre look and individual stories (printed on the cover of each coffin) illustrate the haunted influences that contributed to the collection.

The dolls were created especially for the sisters’ art exhibit at Paris’ Colette boutique. A separate collection of yarn dolls wearing runway looks were also for sale. Kate and Laura chose pieces from artists like Miranda July and Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon to be admired and hawked in the limited edition exhibit/store.

Barbie celebrated her 50^th birthday last February will a runway extravaganza during New York Fashion Week. The CFDA coaxed 50 designers to design looks for a runway show. Michael Kors, Bob Mackie, Calvin Klein, and Rachel Roy created perky looks for the plastic icon. Christian Louboutin chose Pantone’s Barbie Pink for the peep-toe shoes that accompanied each look.

Barbie looks from Rag and Bone, Badgley Mischka, and Juicy Couture, Stylefinds.

Louboutin and Mattel partnered up again this month, creating a media frenzy among both fashion freaks and fourth graders. The Parisian will play godfather to the doll this year, designing three Barbies. The collectable figurines come with multiple Louboutin heels and are packaged in the designer’s shoebox.

Barbie will be available for purchase at both BarbieCollector.com and Net-a-porter.com in order to reach both audiences.

Perhaps these markets are not entirely unrelated. Fashion is modeled on ideal bodies, and dolls are shaped similarly. Both involve glamorous fantasy with a resulting questionable influence on female self-esteem.  Whether plastic or real, perfect looking people will always have tongues wagging and blood boiling. Louboutin set off a firestorm with the announcement that he would make Barbie’s ankles even more slender and increase the curvature of her foot. It seems we have gotten used to all of Barbie’s other unnatural, ahem, attributes. An ankle is where the line is drawn! Regarding the controversy, Louboutin told WWD, “it’s just proof that Barbie has real serious fans.”

Five Things I Love About...

Sabine Pieper,

Fine artist & Illustrator

 

 

1. Her effective use of mixed mediums. 

2. Mirrored composition: Striking, textile-like, and eye-catching. More is more!

3. Powerful faces. Femmes with profiles have strong features, like powerful eyes and defined cheekbones.

4. The sketch effect. An authentic style including sketchy marks and raw, pure lines give the work a fresh undertone.

5. Appreciation of color. Sabine clearly knows when and where to use it, and I appreciate that.

Sabine Pieper
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JPG for Tarjey!

Yes,

Target's next Designer Collection is a collab with

John Paul Gaultier

and will hit stores next Spring,

after Rodarte shines this holiday!

Hooooray!

D

Web Watch: Luxirare

Luxirare is a "webzine" updated weekly. The name is a play on Luxury and Rarity. The site aims to create a seamless enviornment, ignoring seasons and encouraging instant feedback.

Despite their wordy manifesto the site has some pretty amazing photoshoots in both fashion and food. Bitches know the way to my heart.

Here's a sampling from a recent shoot titled Mute:

And then a pyramid cake with an image from the film Vampiros Lesbos:

Beat of the Day

The most stomp-worthy song from Boyz Noize's new cd, 

 "Power"

is definitely Jeffer. It has enough variation to last the entire

show and multiple strong beats for quick steppin'. 

And, the most love-making worthy, "Heart Attack".

Step to it, Frida.

  

D

Easy Breezy

Chanel's new cosmetic campaigns will feature model Vanessa Paradis. Paradis, also known as the eternal girlfriend of Johnny Depp, will pout for a new lipstick range.

Georgia May Jagger

Rimmel London has tapped celebuspawn Georgia May Jagger and model Coco Rocha for new advertisements.The British mass makeup brand, who also employ Kate Moss and Lily Cole, will roll out pics in 2010.