Photographer: Martin Munkacsi

This photo was taken by Martin Munkacsi, an influential photographer in the 1930s/1940s. At the ICP (http://www.icp.org/) there is a collection of his 4,000 glass-plate negatives - it is sort of amazing - including his earlier photojournalism work and his later celebrity shots. He worked closely with Harper's Bazaar and Carmel Snow.

He loved photographing beaches, babes, bathing suits... and umbrellas.


I especially liked this one.

How did I almost miss this?

For those of you who love fashion photography, or the art of photography in general. the Internation Center of Photography is the place to go. The first time I went to the ICP was in my Art in New York course, which was a wonderful experience. I highly recommend visiting! The Dress Codes exhibition runs through January 17th so hurry!

Here is the ICP's Dress Codes exhibition statement:
"The Triennial is ICP's signature exhibition: a global survey of the most exciting and challenging new work in photography and video. The only recurring U.S. exhibition specializing in international contemporary photography and video, the Third Triennial will mark the closing cycle of ICP's 2009 Year of Fashion, a series of projects that critically examine fashion and its relationship to art and other cultural and social phenomena. Through the lens of fashion—in its broadest conception—the Triennial will look at the proliferation of photo- and video-based work exploring the uses of style, image, and personal presentation.

The theme of fashion encompasses a diverse range of practices and ideas, including explorations of identity and affiliation; the production, distribution, and consumption of images and goods; contemporaneity; age; gender; and global industry. The themes of the Triennial express the exuberance, wit, and astute social observation taking place within contemporary image-making. These artists variously explore fashion—whether in everyday dress, haute couture, street fashion, or uniforms—as a celebration of individuality, personal identity, and self-expression, and as cultural, religious, social, and political statement."

Even Vogue loves Chuck Close

Old editorial, but always lovely.

Annie Leibovitz for Vogue 2005

I've always liked Chuck Close's work since my high school art honors class when we had to create our own work in the artist's grid style. The photo triggered me to wondering if there were any Chuck Close exhibitions right now in new york. Unfortunately not right now, but the Whitney Museum is always a good place to see some of his work.

Latest goal: go to the UK & lounge here.

I have this weird phobia of staying in hotels, I just don't like hotels, period. I don't know why or where this all came from, but that is just me!

However, I read up on Hotel Missoni.. yes, the designer brand Missoni.. and the new hotel that just opened in Edinburgh, UK. I would absolutely love to stay in that hotel.

I think the pictures say it all. No more words necessary.

PS. do the upholstery and fabric designs look similar to Missoni's signature look?
(yes.)

Missoni Runway

Growing up in western-Massachusetts farm town for my entire pre-fashion school days, I was not exposed to high fashion, models, photographers, etc. etc. and the constant fashion lifestyle that I am exposed to in NYC on a daily basis. The interest of fashion was always there, however magazines were the extent to my exploration into the fashion world.

Clearly, things have changed.

Living in East Village for the past three months, I have seen more quirky, fashionable and inspirational styles than I have seen my entire time living in NYC for the past 2.5 years. It's crazy.

So, as soon as I open my Nikon SRL on Christmas morning (the only gift I asked for this year.. be proud - my usual Bloomies website markdown stalking did not take place this season), I will be photographing the true new yorker fashion scenes. Can't wait!

The MK and A Obsession

Back in 2004, Costume Institute Gala - love their vintage-inspired frocks!

2009, at the opening of the retailer, Opening Ceremony, in Tokyo

Those who know me know of my crazy obsession with Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen.. for those readers who don't know me.. well I am obsessed with them. They have been fashion icons to me since the days The Adventures of Mary Kate and Ashley and Passport to Paris. So as I was filling in to style.com, I saw an article written specifically on MK&A.

The article was written about the twins influence on fashion/street fashion over the past decade. They popularized the boho/grunge trend, sometimes called the "ashcan" trend. As masters of this look to its finest, they are known to mix vintage clothing (often from What Comes Around Goes Around), high-end designer bags, funky sunglasses (either large bug-eyed frames or John Lennon style) and bold jewelry.

Although some do not take MK&A seriously as fashion icons or even in the fashion world, I think otherwise. Recently, they have been admitted membership to the Council of Fashion Designers of America, which is a high honor within the fashion industry. The success of their fashion lines, Elizabeth and James and The Row, is just another indication of the girls fame beyond their celebrity status.

Personally, I cannot wait to continue to see what Mary Kate and Ashley continue to do in the realm of fashion in future years to come!

Some favorite MK looks:

Mary Kate - Elizabeth & James sequined mini-dress

Mary Kate - Givenchy studded leather jacket,
Louis Vuitton scarf, Balenciaga boots, Chanel purse

what an outfit!...sigh.. this makes me happy

I'm back I promise!

So sorry I haven't written in a while, the amount of schoolwork since Thanksgiving has been a super overload. But now the semester is over and I can get back into the swing of things, especially since I have been sitting in bed sick for the past two days... bored out of my mind! sigh....

So here comes posting after posting of missed fashion knowledge from the past few weeks!

XX

Sneak Peak!

PINK

I just viewed the Victoria Secret holiday runway show pictures from the Private Viewing Party last Thursday night on wwd.com. Above are just a few examples of what was shown, however Dara's twitter posts were right on target with the collection's inspiration. The main VS collection consisted of lingerie inspired by popular children's fairy tales and incorporated corsetted bodices and silky, sheer capes. The runway was transformed into a magical forest set while the Angels marched down the catwalk wearing the infamous angel wings made of feathers and flowers that further set the mood. The opening of the PINK collection turned the runway upside down with pops of playful bright colors, stripes, polka dots and sparkles, creating a fun and youthful atmosphere. This year's specially-designed VS holiday gift will be a Harlequin Fantasy Bra, covered with over 2,300 diamonds (150 carats total) in various hues of white. It will be sold in the Victoria Secret catalogue for $3,000,000!

Just a reminder...Catch the actual VS fashion show December 1st at 10:00pm EST on CBS.

Lanvin Sparkles for Spring

Here we see a continuation of metallics and sequins for spring in Lanvin's S/S '10 collection.

PS. Loving the gold jumper on the first model.

The Art of Fashion

Is fashion a form of art? This short film explains that yes, it can be (although I didn't need to watch it to be convinced.) "Fashion can qualify as art when it is done at the highest level" says artist, Tom Sachs. I personally have always thought of fashion as a form of art and that is probably why I ended up studying it at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Some view fashion as materialistic and a way out of the real world, however I disagree. In fact, in my college-acceptance essay, I wrote how as an art student, fashion has always influenced me; it is a way of expressing yourself to the world - just as artists express themselves through their paintings, drawings, sculpture, etc. The thought process that goes into making a garment, from textile printing up to the silhouette design, is intensive and requires a creative and business-saavy mind in order to be successful. Now, I am not in total defense like Meryl Streep was in The Devil Wears Prada when Anne Hathaway doubts fashion by laughing at the lengthy discussion the fashion editors have of which color sweater to use in the upcoming photo shoot. However, I do think that fashion is part of our culture, just as Sunday night football, Oprah's book list and Rachel Ray's 30 Minute Meals are; all these things may not be the most important part of our lives, but they add interest and fun to each of our days.  Therefore, I agree with Tom Sachs - Fashion is art, but when done right. What do you think?

Tim Burton at MOMA

http://www.moma.org/

On November 22, a special Tim Burton exhibit will be displayed at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York City. Tim Burton, born in 1958, is an influential artist/animator, writer and TV/film creator/producer of Pop Surrealism. Since childhood he has always stuck to his own style of art, refusing to conform to the "correct way to product art" that was taught in the classroom. His creations are abstract, imaginative and unique - they are whimsical and conceptual, designed to mimic the dreamy thoughts of a child's mind. A few favorite films of mine are Beetlejuice (1988) and The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993). Burton's most recent work, Alice in Wonderland, a 3-D spectacular, will come out in theaters March of 2010. The MOMA exhibit will display a collection of Burton's early to present day work, including over 700 pieces. Photographs, sketches, writings, puppetry, costumes, storyboards and short films will be shown; many of these works are being exhibited to the public for the first time. The Tim Burton exhibition will be on display through April 26, 2010. For a sneak peak, check out: www.moma.org/timburton

Back to the clog?

While browsing through Style.com, I noticed there was a lot of emphasis on the mule clog for Spring 2010. I don't know how I feel about the approaching trend (if it even makes it to be a trend!) The clunky, oversized  and very uncomfortable clog brings me back to my days of elementary school in the 90's. And with that in mind, thoughts of "why did I ever wear that" repeat over and over continuously in my head. With the memories of my early fashionable mistakes flying through my mind, I do not think I will be participating in the bringing back of the mule clog.

VS Fashion Show Preview

My good friend, Dara, an intern at Teen Vogue, had the opportunity to attend the Victoria Secret Collection Live Viewing Party tonight! From what I have gathered from her live blogs and tweeting, the collection, called "Magic Journey," has a story-book, enchanted sort of feel to it. Chanel Iman opened the show with a  lacey-blue one-piece, as the other Angels wore fairy-tale inspired looks. But the magical journey doesn't stop there... As Dara says, "The PINK collection is booming with color and sparkles!" Check out Dara's full twitter postings at: http://twitter.com/Teen_Vogue. Make sure to tune into the actual VS Fashion Show that is set to air December 1st at 10:00pm EST on CBS.

Photo: victoriasecret.com

Loving Balmain

I am absolutely obsessed with the jacket line I saw in the Balmain Spring '10 collection. I love the grunge-y look combined with the military style medallion detailing that was focused on. The emphasized shoulder style was done on all of the jackets and is a definite yes. These style jackets and blazers are an absolute must-have!

I plan to replicate the look as a DIY project with an inexpensive boyfriend blazer and some military-inspired trims, buttons and pins from Mood - I'll share when it is finished.

Photos from Style.com

Style Rookie: ironic, no?

Lately, there have been whispers that many fashion companies are forced to scale back on the purchase of forecasting services due to the current recession. Rumor has it that employees are instead looking toward the blog scene are a great resource to analyze how consumers are styling/wearing their own fashions. This story proves it true:

 Thirteen year old, Tavi Gevinson, the blog writer/editor of "STYLE ROOKIE," was sought out by Rodarte designers Kate and Laura Mulleavy. After reading Tavi's fashion forward blogs filled with her critical thoughts and interesting eye for fashion, they contacted Tavi immediately. Both Kate and Laura Mulleavy agreed that "Tavi defines Rodarte for Target," and have decided to include Tavi into their Rodarte for Target line promotion that will be launched mid-december. Tavi has already appeared in Teen Vogue and landed the cover of fashion editorial, POP. She has sat front row at NYC Fashion Week and is already personally learning the fashion ropes from these two Rodarte designers. Above is a picture of Tavi wearing part of the Rodarte for Target collection; talk about one lucky thirteen year old, right?
             To follow Tavi's blog, go to: http://tavi-thenewgirlintown.blogspot.com/

Shimmering Shoes

Since springtime, we have seen the androgynous menswear trend grow stronger and stronger. This fall, men's oxford-inspired shoes are everywhere. Leather, patent and suede are the popular choices spotted among the NYC streets, but my favorite are the metallic styles. I was awe-ing at the Bloomingdale's online shoe selection and came across the shoes posted above - I loved all of them! Luckily, I scoped out a pair of my own from Urban Outfitters for a small portion of the Bloomies price (who doesn't love the UO sale section?)

Sonia Rykeil and H&M Collaboration

H&M doesn't just have Jimmy Choo on their mind this winter. Sonia Rykeil has recently signed a deal to design a lingerie line that will be sold in over 2,000 H&M stores around the world. The collection will also appear in selected Sonia Rykeil boutiques (which makes me feel even better about the collection's outcome!) The line will be launched in-store December 5th and from what I have previewed, it will be good!

H&M has also hired Sonia Rykeil to help with their latest 5-year project, ALL FOR CHILDREN, a charity fund to improve the living conditions of children the children in the Salem and Dharmapuri districts in Tamil Nadu, on the southern tip of India. As one of largest cotton-growing areas of the world, the community is known for their unethical treatment of child labor. H&M hopes to raise money to aid children with better education, nutritional care and to create a more ethical treatment of children in the work environment. Sonia Rykeil was hired to design an organic cotton printed bag to be sold in H&M stores (beginning December 5th), in which 30% of the profits will fund the ALL FOR CHILDREN project. All total profits from the AFC fund will be donated to UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund. So do your part and feel better about shopping - it's for a good cause!
                     
            For more information go to: http://www.hm.com/allforchildren

H&M Designer Update: Jimmy Choo

Have you seen the Jimmy Choo for H&M collection? Sadly, I was not impressed! The collection consisted of mainly party seasonal-wear. According to their winter press update, Target pushed for "Maximiz[ing] the party look" as their fashion direction this winter; it looks like they teamed up with Jimmy Choo to promote this direction. I was in H&M yesterday and noticed that the Jimmy Choo line was mainly all black with very little color variety. The fabrics were the about quality of H&M's regular collection and was selling from $50-$200, more or less. In my opinion the collection looked like something I could buy at H&M regularly. However, the handbags designed for H&M were definitely the success of the line - a variety of slouchy leather hobos and boxy patterned clutches. I looked for the JC shoe collection, but was not able to find them in-store; however, the collection I viewed online will prove to be a definite hit - think strappy stillettos with intricate hardware detailing, great going-out-on the town heels. I think that Jimmy Choo did a much better job sticking to their fashion accessory specialty, rather than their branch into the fashion garment world. (*Note: However, I truely believe that H&M had a strong influence on the JC clothing collection due to their proposed fashion direction and and the obvious need to keep to the H&M retail pricing.) The Jimmy Choo line was released in H&M stores November 14th, so there is plenty of time to go take a look yourself (and hopefully find something you like)! Also, you can check out: http://www.hm.com/us/#/jimmychoo/ to view the collection online.

Rodarte for Target

Pencil-in "Target" into your planners for December 20th: Target's Go International line is featuring Rodarte this winter. The collection of 55 items, ranging from knee-high socks to leopard printed jackets will be sold from December 20th - mid-February. With a sneak preview of the collection, I saw a lot of sequins and lace, with a mix of vintage-inspired frocks and '80s rocker details (an interesting combination!) Stay tuned in and I will update as soon as the collection is released mid-December.

Ethnic Inspired

Start rummaging deep in your closet... it's time to pull out all those must-have fashion souveniers you've accumulated over years of vacationing to Mexico and traveling Europe that you never ended up wearing once back at home. Get ready.. because ethnic prints are in! We saw an introduction into ethnic prints last spring, with many editorial spreads displaying the "world expeditions" theme, strongly focusing on cultural diversity in fashion around the world. This ethnic approach is sure to sell, as we have also seen ethnics this fall, with the bohemian and russian cultural prints transitioning into winter knit-wear (for both womenswear and girlswear). This spring, designers are continuing the trend into accessories, particularly shoes. Balenciaga, Christian Louboutin and Givenchy all designed printed shoes which emulated South American textile patterns. In my opinion, its the perfect pick to spice up last year's conservative sun dress, or a great way to safely mix and match stripes and florals without looking overdone.

Discovering David Beahm Design

So after I wrote my last post, I decided to check out other events that David Beahm has done. His work is amazing! He is a great spacial designer to look at to get inspiration from. You can see his work on his website: http://www.davidbeahm.com/. He does a lot of Weddings and Corporate events (clients including: Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Sex & The City, Cartier, Cristofle, Museum of Modern Art, Morgan Library, NYC Ballet, NYC Opera, etc. etc. just to name a FEW). I posted a favorite space that he designed for Modern Bride Magazine above- simple, modern but cute.

Garden Glory!

I am reporting back on the "Secret Garden" Louis Vuitton event at Saks on Tuesday. The event turned out to be quite a garden glory, with everything from the event decor to the guests. Expert venue designer, David Beahm, was hired to transform the LV boutique into a mystical forest party. Life-size trees, entangled tree vines, floor coverings of moss, wooden display tables, piles of mum flowers and grass-covered walls were all intricately used to set the mood. Golden accents were seen in the paneled garden latice and metallic arm chairs for guests to rest in. The entire scene was specifically designed to incoporate the LV collection into the set. The event was successful on every level - with appearances by Serena Williams, Vogue publisher - Tom Florio, and Vanity Fair executive fashion editor - Alexis Bryan Morgan, and an army of editors and models.

Check out: http://www.bizbash.com/newyork/content/editorial/17086_a_forest_of_flora_marks_launch_of_louis_vuittons_saks_boutique.php
for a full description and an amazing slide show of the event!

Exploring the Secret Garden

WWD.com

Tip toe your way into Saks Fifth Avenue on Tuesday evening for a magical garden party; the opening of the new Louis Vuitton boutique. Maggie Gyllenhaal will be co-hosting the celebration of the boutique's opening. The brand will also be celebrating its first launch of the RTW collection in stores and the Cruise 2010 collection's worldwide debut in this location. Fashion awe-ing and celebrity-scoping at its finest.

L'amour de la mode

Welcome fashionistas!
I decided to open this blog as a way of sharing my thoughts and opinions of fashion with others who enjoy it just as much as I do. I plan to write a broad range of topics including: current fashion (shows, designers, trends, etc.), fashion history, bios of fashion designers and culture. As a fashion student, I am always learning interesting fashion topics and news that I will most definitely be posting about! Stay tuned in.. my posts may take some time to get started, but they will be coming soon!