ever a sceptic

Hands up I'll admit I'm not the most opened minded of people when it comes to the idea of celebrities crossing the barriers outside of their own domains. They're good at what they do for one reason or another, so can't they be happy excelling in their specialised areas without developing wandering fancies of trying their hand at something mildly related yet farther afield? It seems to me the outcome of these ventures is never wholly successful; the potential might be there but more often than not the end results seem to fall short of the mark...

This week we have a model turned actress and a singer turned designer: Agnyess Deyn is filming a role in Clash of The Titans and Madonna is creating a fashion line.

Fair enough so Madonna paved the way for fashion in the 80's and the once major style icon has since turned her hand extremely effectively at a number of things. This list just happens to assimilate to fanatically religious dominatrix yoga enhusiastic hippy mother of the adopted many....


She is working alongside her teenage daughter Lourdes in designing a clothing collection for young people. And it's going to be called... you guessed it... MATERIAL GIRL.

You can read the whole article here if you like.

According to Madonna the main concept and development of ideas can be attributed to Lourdes, Madonna herself acts merely as the catalyst in making the whole thing materialise (pun intended?) but yet she doesn't fully surrender credit to her daughter, indicating that Lourde's interest comes from Madonna nurturing her in a creative environment by encouraging her interactions with Madonna's friends who include Stella McCartney and Jean Paul Gaultier, and from bringing her on tour and allowing her to help out backstage.

The collection is to be an affordable junior's fashion line and will debut in Macy's this autumn. Products including jeans, shoes, fingerless gloves, necklaces and other accessories will range from $12 to no more than $40.

Lourdes (aka Lola) is said to take her inspiration from European fashion, especially the style of English and French boys; music; dancing; and of course, Madonna's own personal wardrobe... Perhaps I'm wrong in perceiving this as a clever publicity stunt, maybe the kid knows clothes, who knows? and I'll admit it if I'm wrong but for now I shall remain adamant in my skepticism... What do you think?

tee hee hee

am i so immature that these made me laugh? maybe, but still ... ha ha *points and giggles

Alba D'urbano

one of those...

one of those days where I get a resurgence of creativity and drive. That little thing that happened just happened to inspire me, it was exactly what I needed

one of those songs that say everything i feel



one of those editorial shoots where I lust after every last stitch. Mario Testino shoot in March Vogue, it's so beautiful... as it says of itself "Pirouette into summer with frothy ruffles, flounces and lace in powder-puff pastels as designers push for all-out prettiness" I want to dress like this all the day long for all of the days

ooh look it's the Versace shoes I wrote about in an earlier post ^^^^^^^^^

Today, it is Monday

It's Monday and a total Bumday. The equation of partying since Wednesday plus brand new pyjamas equals not a hope of getting out of bed. When you add on another factor of my realising I have not two but FOUR projects deadlines in the next fortnight it means my bed is the best hideout ever; because if I can't see my desk then I can pretend it doesn't exist... at least until tomorrow...

He's a cool, young, New York fashion designer and yes he's probably most famous for dressing Michelle Obama for Barack Obama's inauguration. But Jason Wu started out designing clothes for dolls and his current collaboration with TSE cashmere company looks not so much like a life size version range of dolls clothing, but like what I imagine the wardrobe of a well-groomed art student with a penchant for burgundy wine and lengthy discussions about architecture and would look like, (not to be too specific...)

From a foundation of big basic t-shirts and pom pom hats are fine knits and the featuring of fur, silk and suede. Tweed overcoats and cashmere crewneck sweaters. An almost neutral colour range, bright red lipstick, and ankle boots., fine knits. Wu has created what I would call an exceptional look of youthful sophistication.



Also, if anybody is going to Japan anytime soon and would be interested in having a stowaway accompany them then please be sure and let me know: I fit all the critera. Fact.

Because... Comme des Garcons has opened a Trading Musuem in Tokyo. Not so much a museum filled with dusty old historic artifacts that are interesting in a somewhat education manner but a space wherein displays have a trading emphasis yet those who come to view are actually unable to purchase any of the collections. A shop where you are forbidden to shop. How excellent is that?!! Okay it might be a bummer if you were actually looking for new clothes, but think how many times have you wanted to go into a designer store but been too afraid because of that feeling of knowing the shop assistants know you can't actually afford anything in there, not even a single sock... and now that can never happen!

Shona Heath

Vogue October 2009. The beginning of the end (of my sanity).


Clothing from teatowels and mopheads: In theory, quite an interesting idea... In reality, a giant pain in the behind.


College coursework a.k.a the bane of my life... Maybe I'd make a better dropout?

what you wear

underwear as outerwear? check. i like. Compare it to the ballet, adding frills to the ordinary to make something extraordinary, cos when it's done well it's done really well. So no don't just put your bra on over your tshirt no no i think this only works if you're a skinny minny high fashion model whose flimsy non-underwired bras are for a more decorative purpose rather than having an immediate practical function anyway. Think along the lines of Jean Paul Gaultier, think of brasseries and girdles, or the newly acquired word in my vocabulary: "corselette", think of silk, think nudes and pastels. You don't have to look like you forgot to put your clothes on before you left the house in the morning; subtle nods towards the trend in an outfit are nothing strange to us, such as lace panelling and hook-and-eye clasps they've just now become a main feature. and i like.

marc jacobs

bottega veneta

Topshop

Okay so I'm the coldest person you're ever likely to meet and that said, I'm not ready to part with my thermals just yet (March is meant to be spring but it's still freezing?!) but some day soon... And so looking forward to the summer time and wearing underwear as day wear I think certain swimwear should be adopted as casual wear aswell... like these We Are Handsome swimming togs, their picture prints are so cool and the lion one sort of reminds me of the alligator tops Christopher Kane did for Topshop


Did anybody happen to see Off the Rails on RTE1 this week? I hadn't seen it in years, but the landlord finally got around to fixing the television that broke in October and I now have a Sky+ HD box (which isn't actually all it's cracked up to be, I never knew there could be so many channels and so little to watch!) But this Wednesday I watched Brendan Courtney in action. what? WHAT? what is that man doing?? He had to help a 36 year old mother of four make over her wardrobe.
This woman said she never has any time for herself as she's always looking after the children and the house and she also doens't like how she's so skinny because her lack of curves makes her feel unfeminine. So how did he decide to style her? In a shoulder-padded white blazer, a loose floaty chemise, denim hotpants, transparent patterened tights, and really high high-heeled silver boots. WHAT?!
The problems with this are
1) any item of white clothing + children = Disaster.
2) she wanted to accentuate her waist and curves instead of hiding it all under a shapeless top.
3) denim hotpants on a 36 year old in her position make her look like she's wearing something from her young daughter's wardrobe. Or mutton dressed as lamb, if you will.
4) So her days are spent between school runs and the supermarket which certainl doesn't mean she should be confined to wearing Echo shoes, but four inch stilettos are a teeny bit impractical...

82nd Academy Awards

Until tomorrow we shalln't be seeing who wore what on the red carpet.

This year the nominees for actresses in a leading role are - Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side; - Helen Mirren in The Last Station; - Carey Mulligan in An Education; - Gabourey Sidibe in Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire; - Meryl Streep in Julie & Julia.
And nominations for those in a supporting role are - Penelope Cruz in Nine; - Vera Farmiga in Up in the Air; - Maggie Gyllenhaal in Crazy Heart; - Anna Kendrick in Up in the Air; - Mo'Nique in Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire.

So before all the glossy magazines are published and the gossip and bitching begins, I'd like to think of the Oscars with a romantic view based on the true glamour and beauty of old Hollywood style. Where the elegance and grace of women was founded on an air of mystery. We didn't know the details of their private lives, their relationship affairs, exercise regime, diet, sexual activities... They had a seduction that came from what we didn't know...

Audrey Hepburn & Julie Andrews 1965

Audrey Hepburn 1954
























Jo Van Fleet & Jack Lemmon 1954 Claire Trevor and Humphrey Bogart 1952























images from gettyimages.com


Also, I am in dire need of a haircut. Can anyone recommend a hairdressers in Dublin that needs models for training classes? My fringe has been swept to the side for weeks as it's long enough to reach my nostrils and the has-been-bob is now little more than a blob... I've been wrapping silk scarves into bows to try and hide the state of it but having seen the super cool wigs in Manish Arora's Fall 2010 collection I'm beginning to consider taking headwear on board fulltime

But no, seriously, recommendations PLEASE!!!

too sweet

Sugary shades of candy floss... I can't wear them but if I could eat them I'm sure my dentist would be seeing an awful lot of me...


Baby blues like fresh spring skies; pale yellows like fluffy Easter chicks; pastel pinks; peppermints; lilacs; lavanders; sweet shop colours on a pretty palette.

At Burberry Prorsum there were surprises from Christopher Bailey where the classic trench coat has been transformed with shoulder and texture details and the whole collection is wonderfully twisted and draped


And lucky for us, Lipsy have some very serious imiations available


Versace seems to have reverted somewhat to Donatella's love of sex-on-legs dresses, but it's the shoes I'm lusting after:


Oh yes, also Versace have the perfect sunglasses. Perfect to wear with all the lovely candy floss colours or even so perfect as to be worn in the miserable rain with sensible shoes and dreary clothes under a big black coat, who cares?! who cares that we'll never get a summer worth speaking of where the endless sunshine would be a totally substantiated excuse for buying something otherwise considered a worthwhile purchase only by those more-money-than-sense folk?

...............................................................................................................................

I also did some work experience over the weekend as a dresser at a Toni and Guy show, which was pretty cool to say the least. The clothes had come from London with the Toni and Guy team and taking directions from the art director and the creative director I was in charge of seeing twelve models were looked after. The show included on-stage demonstrations, a section of looks from London fashion week and one where the clothes were by Irish designer Joanne Hynes.


The three dresses above are Giles Deacon, and the girls below are wearing Joanne Hynes