Clover Canyon Fall 2014

Clover Canyon is known for its prints and for designer Rozae Nichols, the fall 2014 collection certainly didn't stray from his colorful reputation. Flowers, stained glass and plaid all played their part this time around.

When I think of  graphic, hyper colored, brilliantly executed prints designed perfectly to fit every curve and contour of the female body, I think of Mary Katrantzou, Peter Pilotto and Clover Canyon. Seems I just can't get enough of these designers or their aesthetic.

photos from style.com

Rodarte's Star Wars

It's New York Fashion week and Laura and Kate Mulleavy of Rodarte took once again to cinematic inspiration for their Fall 2014 RTW collection, this time around with the film Star Wars.

In 2011, Rodarte presented a stunning collection with inspiration from the Film "Days of Heaven" (you can see my blog post here) symbolized mainly with the film's beautiful art direction focused in the sun-drenched hues of rural vistas. They combined the color story from the film with some prints from Vincent van Gogh and the effect was remarkable.

For  Fall 2014, the Star Wars reference is more of a "hey look everyone, its Star Wars!" than a reference. It doesn't seem that Star Wars was the general theme of this collection in terms of color palette or silhouette - in fact, the huge prints of Luke Skywalker, Yoda, the Deathstar, C-3PO  and the double suns of Tatooine were presented as the last pieces down the runway. I love Star Wars and always enjoy a good reference or pun, but I am left wondering what these pieces held in common with the rest of the collection.

Rodarte Fall 2014 below:

Getty images

Lena Dunham and Hamish Bowles Vogue

Indie darling Lena Dunham of Tiny Furniture and HBO's Girls fame stars as Vogue's cover girl for February 2014. Do I personally think of Ms. Dunham as a beacon of style synonymous with high fashion? No.  But the quirky and affable writer/director/actor does speak for a generation of intellectually angst ridden young women and Vogue certainly didn't take a risk by featuring Lena Dunham on its cover.

What really delighted me most about Dunham's turn in Vogue is its adorable video, "Cover Girl" with Vogue contributing editor Hamish Bowles teaching Dunham how to pose like fashion's most legendary models - in dance. It is charming for me to see Hamish Bowles participate in this as I've only been able to admire him through his witty writing. Let's face it, he'll never get to perform a cute skit with Jimmy Fallon or dance on air with Ellen Degeneres; he's fashion famous, not "famous-famous" (although for me he's as famous as it gets!).

Forget about Madonna- think of this as the real "Vogue-ing".

Click image below for Vogue video:

Hamish Bowles and Lena Dunham in  Vogues "Cover Girl"

... and here's the February Vogue cover:

Kate Moss for McQueen Spring/Summer 2014

The incomparable Kate Moss stars as label Alexander McQueen's Spring/Summer 2014 heroine (or should I say, 'victim'?). The photographs by Steven Klein feature Kate Moss with her creepy doppelganger doll.

The ad campaign, inspired by the film "Peeping Tom" (1960), offers some hauntingly beautiful photographs with a very sinister undertone. The original film tells the story of a voyeur who secretly films a prostitute, follows her into her home where he keeps the film rolling as he murders her. The whole scene is depicted through the lens of his camera's viewfinder; Klein pays homage to this very scene in the McQueen promotional video. You can see the Alexander McQueen video here

Left: Still from "Peeping Tom"; Right: Kate Moss stars in  Klein's ad for McQueen

I admit, I first saw the photos from the campaign and instantly loved them. Now understanding the tribute Klein and the McQueen brand made to this disturbing film, I am left disappointed. Why are there so many fashion editorials and ads featuring women as victims of sexual abuse, violence and specifically in this case, prostitution and murder? Although I don't view these disgusting cliches in the print campaign I am nonetheless dismayed at the sensationalism presented in the fashion video. Some of the best minds and talent in the fashion world collaborated on this project and this is the best idea they came up with to sell clothing and accessories? It all makes we want to scream.

I could go on an epic rant about the perpetual display of women in fashion as the rape-murder-hostage-victim, but frankly I am too tired today. Instead, I am choosing for a brief moment to share the photographs I at first innocently mistook as a loose homage to Bowie in "The Man who fell to Earth"/ Pris from "Blade Runner" vibe that made me smile.

A Fashionable Halloween

Let's face it - we all want to look great on Halloween. So why not take a cue from the world's style-makers and pay homage to some of the most influential people in fashion?

Here is a list of my top ten most fashionable Halloween costume ideas:

1. Linda Evangelista
My favorite model of all time. PERIOD. Why not get into the Linda mood and attend your Halloween party by channeling the icon's many looks and change wigs throughout the evening? You can start out as the super adorable 80s Linda with the voluminous, feathery hair and transition your look with a multitude of wigs from her early 90s cropped coif, then pull out your page boy, your platinum blonde Marilyn Monroe number, your fire-hydrant red pompadour an the classic Linda bob.

2. David Bowie
Obviously. I have dresses as Bowie more times than I can remember. You can pick from so many of Bowie's signature looks; from Ziggy Stardust, the Thin White Duke, the late 90s Earthling to Labrynth.

3. Daphne Guinness
The heiress to the Guinness brewery and fashion muse, Daphne Guinness is a limitless source of inspiration to the world's greatest designers. Take some huge risks and let your inner Goth out to play.

Daphne with Francois Nars and Marc Jaco

 

4. Anna Piaggi
I always admired Anna Piaggi and loved her sense of flair and of course, COLOR. Wouldn't it be great to wear some amazing-crazy-colored wig, an adorably tiny top hat and a spectacular coat? Yes, please!

5. Donatella Versace
Who doesn't want to have fun in a long blonde wig ans wear the most glamorously seductive dress at the party?

6. Karl Lagerfeld
Get yourself an outfit consisting of either black or white shirt, trousers and jacket and add finger-less gloves, a fan, sunglasses and a grey ponytail wig and you're all set to be Lagerfeld. For advanced Halloween fashionistas, don't forget to speak a mile a minute. Even Roberto Cavalli dressed as Lagerfeld a few years ago!

Lagerfeld with Steven Meisel in the 90s

Roberto Cavalli as Lagerfeld

7. ADR
Be-dazzled sunglasses, lots of skin or lots of feathers and fur are Anna Dello Russo's signature looks. Pair any of these with a long honey hued wig and you can feel like ADR for a day.

 

8. Madonna
With so many Gaga and Miley Cyrus costumes being planned this year, why not pay homage to the original Material Girl? With so many looks to choose from you can have fun and be as creative as you want to be.

9. Anna Wintour
Sandy bobbed wig with bangs- check. Sunglasses - check. Chanel Suit-check. This is pretty much all you need to master the Vogue editor's look.

10. Tim Gunn
The former instructor and chair of fashion design at Parsons turned TV host is the epitome of elegant masculinity. Work, work, work! (sorry, I had to)

Hans Feurer: Beautiful Creatures

Vogue Paris recently posted their top 10 favorite photos from the legendary fashion photographer Hans Feurer. I have always admired Feurer's signature aesthetic: the tribal amazonian. There is a sense of an other-worldliness and futurism to these Barbarellas and yet somehow they maintain a consistent natural quality. Feurer's girls are always shot outdoors - almost like National Geographic photographs of majestic creatures, only with Feurer the majesty is held on the gaze of his models. The women possess an animal like sensuality. In is work, Feurer acts as the voyeur; as if capturing these exotic, beautiful creatures in their own habitat.

In a 2012 interview with New York Magazine's The Cut, Feurer discussed the impact his travels through Africa in the late 1960's held on him: "I have memories from when I was young of seeing the light coming through curtains, things like that, but most of all... I had been in extraordinary situations and saw magical moments and I certainly realized how certain light conditions can put a certain spell on a landscape, or an object, or a person." This is truly the essence of Feurer's aesthetic.

Feurer became successful in the 70s as he shot the famous Pirelli Calendar and built a long partnership with Kenzo Takada, often shooting advertisements for the Kenzo brand. I feel it was this collaboration with Kenzo that ultimately guided Feurer's aesthetic; the globally eclectic fabrics and silhouettes combined with futuristic elements exemplified in Kenzo's designs echoes throughout Feurer's career. 

Here are some of my favorite Hans Feurer photographs from throughout the years ...

ad for Bogner Ski, 1980

Feurer's ad for Kenzo, 1985

Iman in Feurer's ad for Kenzo SS 1983

Kenzo, 1985 (Veronica Webb, middle)

Natasha Poly in Feurer's August 2011 Paris Vogue editorial

Karlie Kloss for Hans Freuer March 2012 Paris Vogue

Karlie Kloss for Hans Freuer March 2012 Paris Vogue

Natasha Poly in Feurer's August 2011 Paris Vogue editorial

Alana Zimmer Vogue Turkey March 2011 by Hans Feuer

Alana Zimmer Vogue Turkey March 2011 by Hans Feuer

Hans Feurer

Hans Feurer