This Too Shall Pass

Freja Beha Erichson is such a dreamboat model.. here she is modelling for the Chanel Spring/Summer 2010 Ad Campaign
She has something like 16 tattoos... my favourite is one on her upper arm that says - This too shall pass
Im not usually a fan of Chanel clothing (muli-coloured tweed jacket anyone? I know its a classic, but Im sick of it. Although, ill probably fall in love with it in a couple of seasons). I do like the beige/black colour combination, the little black ankle boots and the Gaucho hats... and also that Chanel brought in tattoos for this season (even if theyre just temporary)

All images taken from http://nitrolicious.com/

Nos Salades

Everything looks better in French
I went to Quebec once (to a place near the borders of Upstate New York and Canada) and we had to drive straight for fear of having to read the incomprehensible signs for directions

Beck & Charlotte

Beck and Charlotte Gainsbourg do surrealism in Heaven Can Wait, directed by Kevin Schofield
You can watch this video over and over again and pick up on new and strange happenings

Wrapped with Love

The art and technique of wrapping trees is a very old tradition from Japan - where the sakura trees needed to be protected from the harsh winters and heavy snow

The above installations were made by environmental artists Christo (he studied fine arts) and Jeanne-Claude (she studied Latin and Philosophy). In 1997-1998 they wrapped 162 trees with polyester fabric and rope in the Fondation and Beyeler and Berower Park, Riehen, Switzerland

The most beautiful effect of the wrapped trees is that the wind and light moves the translucent fabric into all sorts of shapes and colours.. they look like giant lanterns with veins of life

I like the idea that something so large and apparently self sufficient, can still be protected and loved from creatures so much smaller 

All images taken from http://www.christojeanneclaude.net/wt.shtml

Pack Gangs

Cute model boys in groups
I love the oversized woolen jumper look... and boys in boots

Images taken from http://jakandjil.com

Nouvelle Vague

LE PHILOSOPHE ET LE CINEASTE ONT EN COMMUM UNE CERTIANE MANIERE D’ETRE, UNE CERTAINE VUE DU MONDE, QUI EST CELLE D’UNE GENERATION.

      - JEAN-LUC GODARD

(The vision of the philosopher and the director is the same, and that is the vision of a generation)

This is from one of Jean-Luc Godards later French new-wave films, Masculin Feminin, by far my favourite of his (next to A bout de souffle perhaps)

I first came across this quote when I studied philosophy and film.. so it seemed rather appropriate that the vision of the two had some similarity (Godard often cites existential and Marxist philosophy and political ideals in his work.. as well as an avid knowledge of film history).  

Hair Life

Im starting to believe that hair can completely make an outfit (I want to say, make or break an outfit, but lets be honest, who looks at someone looking lovely and says - if only their hair wasn't teased)
I wish I had hair that could be let out with ease - its just too curly! But yusss for those who have beautiful hair

Top image taken from http://julia.blogg.se / second image Anna Karina (muse for life) / third image unknown

Paint It Black

My favourite type of outfit, is an all black one
A lot of people feel like its an easy way out - theres not all that much to think about, coordination wise... but its all about texture and layering and extreme accents (oversized frills, layers of length, combinations of silk, leather, wool, linen, patterned stockings). These girls have all done it perfectly.
Part of our New Zealand identity is black, which ironically infers that we have no cultural identity.. but then Melbourne does it to, and it looks great.
As a general rule, I feel that not everything should be black (especially bags, shoes and jewellary), actually bags in black just look indecisive, coloured jewellary is fun and with shoes you can just go wild. Also, taking care of black garments with regard to lint and fading and creasing is key

First image from Lookbook http://lookbook.nu/ / second image by Rad Hourani http://radhourani.com/ / third image taken from The Sartorialist / fourth image from Jak and Jil Blog

Puppets

I love the colour of the little puppets!
K, the faded colour hair dye as been and gone.. I think its time for face colour
Im a fan of coloured cheeks and eyes (mainly cheekbones )... we did it once with purple and gold powders and I felt like a forest dwelling fairy in sheepskin

Images taken from http://yespleasemademoiselle.blogspot.com/

Canvas

Ive always loved fabric, textures, different grains. My grandmother had always worked with natural fibres as a seamstress.. silks, linen, cotton, wool. So naturally, I became a fabric snob when it came to making my own clothes. I like beige/cream canvas because it reminds me of making tuiles (the first sample made from a pattern), in this sense, its like a blank canvas.. the ghost of what the garment will become, the potential of a 2D object (the tuile is made to check if the pattern is the right fit). I made my first tailored jacket out of cream cotton drill and liked it so much I just wore it (fashion school, anything goes)    

Images unknown sources

The Khaki Jacket

I like the khaki jacket return. It reminds me of wearing an older brothers army parka jacket... oversized, long, embellished with flags and emblems.. with black leather boots. So anarchy.

Images Marc Jacobs / Tara Sevav / The Sartorialist

Skeleton + Ball of String

This was a picture I drew while procrastinating study one night..
It ended up on my little sisters arm

Bless.

Grid Life

I quite liked this piece by German artist Charline von Heyl at the Museum of Modern Art, New York
Untitled, 2003
Cut and pasted printed paper and ink on fifteen pieces of paper
I especially like how stalker-like this photo is.. I guess they didn't move for a while as I took the photo

The Camel Coat

The camel coat and the khaki jacket... Fall musthaves, ahahahaa

So glad mine was $3 from a Newtown opshop (mind you, I reshaped the shoulders and got it drycleaned)

Images taken from http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/ / Karen Walker jacket http://www.karenwalker.com/

Model Love

This just looks like the most fun way to start a party

Image taken from http://yespleasemademoiselle.blogspot.com/

The Bright and Shining Light of Irreverence

This is work by Richard Saja from Historically Inaccurate school (of decorative arts)
The collection is called The Bright and Shining Light of Irreverence and was his first solo exhibition and included the installation - The Salon of Love and Horror
It showcased at the Kalkin house (a house/apartment made from old iron crates - amazing) at the Shelburne museum in Vermont


Of the Five prints he says - A set of five prints based upon a suite of silhouettes in a bedroom of the Brick House located on the shores of Lake Champlain. The interiors are actual rooms from the Brick House, two of them from the doll's house.


I went  to see his work when it first exhibited in June last year - and loved nearly every piece.. which I shall include at some point. I especially loved the little slogans on the bottom of the images, although they appear rather irrelevant.. they seem to tell a little story, a very sweet story


Ps. Im not going to lie - the last one creeps me out a tad 


All images taken from http://historically-inaccurate.blogspot.com/

All things leather

I have to say I think ill always like leather.. soft leather, in black, especially leather jackets, leather accents (as above pockets) and  leather on boys
No matter how many seasons it goes through, it always triumphs through.. its like denim.. will never leave our fashion hearts.

I particularly like the cut of the first of the first leather jacket - clean simple lines with no collar and a draped lapel
The studded jacket on the young man makes me wish I was wearing it over a little dress with platform heels, running across the road at 3am in New York (to catch a taxi? Not sure, just something dramatic)
The Ellery jacket is nice for its simplicity - clean leather lines were all the rage a couple of seasons back (I like the zips and hardwear though - way more traintracks like)
The Celine dress with black leather pockets on a black wool dress with gold cuffs is simply brilliant (this came from a crazy theatrical collection, which ill put more up of)
The belts are cute because she has amazing golden hair
And the bottom image is just the perfect leather and wool jacket - enough said

Images - Freja Beha from jakandjil.com / Hedi Slimane / Ellery jacket / Celine dress / leather belts on Tara Vasev / Leather and wool jacket from jakandjil.com/