The Cycle of Fashion

The phrase has a whole new meaning with this chic road accessory from Gucci.

It comes in delish Gucci brown or the classic red, white and green.

Cara mia.

It spoke to me. Gucci's luxe roadster is the ultimate accessory on the runway of life.

With details like guccissima leather-wrapped handlebars and a buttery satchel attached, you won't want to leave this cara unattended.

It commands attention, no?

You’ll need a valet to park this in the city – not that you’ll ever want to say goodbye – even for a few minutes.

 

Images: Gucci.com.

A Leg Up

Elisa Sednaoui, the 23-year old model made her debut on the Met Ball’s red carpet last year, with the only date that matters – Uncle Karl.

She was then seen making the scene at Chanel’s St. Tropez show last summer and starred in the accompanying fashion film, Remember Now.

It was the signal, the start.

Since then the Egyptian/Italian beauty with a dash of French (living in Paris counts!) – and current New-Yorker, has had a leg in major editorials and campaigns, Giorgio Armani among them.

Elisa Sednaoui at home in New York, as photographed for Harper's Bazaar.

Funny, her legs were the first thing I noticed in that Chanel knit dress in St. Tropez.

I wondered then, if she’d have a leg up on the best legs in the biz – Nadja and Yasmeen. I was reminded of the thought when I saw the photo above.

Nadja Auermann at the Met Ball, 2007. Nadja still may hold the record for the model with the longest legs.

Yasmeen Ghauri's gams were the envy of all women, during her Supermodel heyday.

Uncle Karl had an affection for Yasmeen’s knees, in particular. And when asked then who had the best legs? He answered Nadja.

Is it me, or are you hearing the pitter-patter of a pattern?

Uncle Karl never misses when it comes to muses.

Why walk the catwalk when you can run down the runway?

Images: Elisa courtesy of Harper’s Bazaar Australia; Nadja photo by Larry Busacca, Getty Images North America; Yasmeen wearing Alaïa, in Vogue source.

Fleur de Sell

Even if you can’t go downright designer, you can pick up an accessory or two. They are made to sell.

The excessory to have this season was undoubtedly the hair accoutrement. We saw it all over every recent Red Carpet.

The runways couldn’t run away from this trend, this summer – and given the other Kate’s influence (this time we cannot credit Ms. Moss!) the fascination is sure to stay.

The ones I loved most this season, were from Marc Jacobs. He had leather and fabric blossoms attached to the frizzy ’70s disco dos the models donned.

Carmen Miranda and the City.

Purrrfect for hot, sultry evenings out.

Embrace the wild!

Original images from Vogue.com, modified my moi.

Goth Queen

Goth queens reign supreme – even in Summer.

Princess Snowflake goes dark, but insists on wearing her crown. Also, why be a flaky princess when you can be a goth queen?

If you must wear flip-flops, shouldn’t they be made my Mr. Yamamoto?

Image: Vogue.com.

Within Your Grasp

You can choose to see the dark…

…or you can grab on to the small glimmers of hope…those wonderful, playful moments that equate to joy.

The choice is yours.

And it’s within your grasp.

Tassel or hassle? Mr. Yamamoto's subliminal wisdom wears well.

Image: Vogue.com.

Hot to Trot

So apparently, it’s been cool in London this season.

You can always give off heat.

Plus, you now have a reason to wear stilts and studs in Summer.

Always look at the positive side, my dears.

Like you need an actual reason to wear these?

Image: Burberry.

Kittens and Mules and Stilettos, Oh My!

A new fashion documentary exploring the relationship that women have with their shoes, is in the works.

The well-heeled (surely, yes?) filmmakers set out on a two-year journey to explore the psychological, sociological, historical, cultural and erotic effects that shoes have.

Did you just fall off of your stilettos with all the excitement? I’ll wait…

Interviewees for the doc included collectors – from Dita Von Teese to a real-life Baroness; fashion historians Valerie Steele from the Museum at FIT in New York and Elizabeth Semmelhack from the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto; industry types such as Filipa Fino of American Vogue and Caroline de Fayet from Elle; designers included Christian Louboutin, Manolo Blahnik, Walter Steiger, Pierre Hardy, Bruno Frisoni, Vivienne Westwood and Robert Clergerie; and other everyday shoe addicts. (Guess they didn’t have my number?)

Get a sneak peek via the God Save My Shoes trailer.

And you gentlemen thought it was just your wife/girlfriend/sister/mother/daughter. She is not alone. She has many, many friends. And they have many, many pairs of kitten heels, pumps, stilettos, mules, slides, flats, thongs, boots, booties, sandals, wedges, slingbacks…sorry…where was I…?

No release date as yet – I’ll be on the lookout for it (on tip-toe in my highest heels, of course).

That gives you time to figure out which shoes you will wear to the premiere.

How hard it will be to pick just one pair…

Hot Cover Ups

The streets aren’t the only sources of heat these days.

In the blistering fight for your Tom Ford-shaded eyes, things are hot, hawt, haute on the editorial stands this August.

Which one will you pick up for a poolside peruse?

Freida Pinto by Mert and Marcus on Interview Magazine August 2011.

Claudia Schiffer by Miles Aldridge on Vogue Germany August 2011.

Kate Moss by Mario Testino on British Vogue August 2011.

And of course, there is always Tilda on W Mag.

By the way, Ms. Moss has been busy this summer. If you’ve been living under a rock or busy gazing at the stars, you’ll have missed that she is now a rock-star wife – aka Mrs. Hince – thus the header. I’ll have my take on the festivities + great photos in this space soon-ish – am in slow, summer mode. Forgive? It’s too hot to move so fast.

Images: TFS.

Heatwave-length

It’s hot. Hard to look hawt in this heat, no?

Put on something breezy and whisper thin, something white – and chill out with a few of my favourite heatwave tunes.

A dress is so easy, breezy in this weather - love this Chloe one. One piece + good shoes and you are done.

Wear this Zero + Maria Cornejo number with flats to work. Add a long silver necklace and heels for evening.

Eyelet and laser cutting are both huge this summer. I loved this shirtdress from Adam - much more multi-functional than those eyelet halter dresses that everyone and her sister is wearing, if you have a non-fashion job.

Who says you have to give up your style in the summer? Not Viktor and Rolf.

Y-3 cotton casuals will keep you cool and well, cool.

Oh, how I adore a long skirt. And we've established that crooked things have a warm place in my heart, right? Akris SS11 accurately captures the summer me I'd like to be.

Just because it's hot, doesn't mean you can't be haute. Manish Arora adds just the right amount of colour and embellishment to a t(ease)-shirt and skirt combination.

Bottega does simple, perfectly - but I don't believe in summer booties. I'd keep it clean with a turquoise flat sandal or a pair of minimal strappy heels, in maybe a burst of raspberry? I'd keep the leaf-green bag, too. Nothing like a Bottega satchel!

Oh and the best way to control frizz? Wash the locks in the coolest water you can take, put on industrial-strength Kerastase serum – and a fedora, atop flat-ironed hair.

Or – just let your hair down and set your inner Diana free.

Diana Ross, circa 1966. Do the do!

Need more white inspiration? Check out last year’s SS10 looks in  White-Hot.

Images: Diana, courtesy of Pretty Pictures; all others from Elle.com and Vogue.com.

Bonne Bastille!

Kick up your heels! It’s Bastille Day!

Jean Paul Gaultier does Can-Can for Couture SS11.

Vive la France et vive la mode française!

Image: Style.com.

Haunted, When the Minutes Drag

We know Tilda can turn it out when it comes to editorial shoots. She seems to morph into another being, for every photo.

Each photographer, each outfit is given justice – but she is forever and always, Tilda.

Her latest shoot is with photographer Tim Walker, for the August, 2011 issue of W magazine. I found the images quite haunting.

Avant-garde in Armani.

Hooded in Hermès.

A clothes call with Comme des Garçons.

Incidentally, this CDG half jacket is different from the Margiela version, as it has two sleeves. I also love the longer length. In the next phase of my life, I would like to be a gallerist with these pieces of art as my wardrobe.

Chalk it up to a big star in a big jacket.

A woman of many faces.

Holding her own in breathtaking Haider Ackermann.

A being from another world.

The image above reminds me of the desert shoot by Marcus Ohlsson for Velvet Magazine.

Exceptional styling by Jacob Kjeldgaard for this entire shoot. Here, Tilda wears a combination of Acne, Akris and Hilfiger (!).

Swinton, the sartorial surfer, wearing Chanel.

Yes, that is a Chanel jumpsuit – if you can believe it. It’s from Uncle Karl’s dark and gloomy FW11 collection – more on that as leaf colours start to change.

Sci-fi fan?

Carrie Donovan meets A Clockwork Orange.

A gothic tale, well told.

That Blumarine coat and dress combination has my gothentic self in a Fall dream sequence, complete with fog.

Lost, in faraway lands - and thoughts.

The image above is my favourite – although it’s hard to choose just one. I love the blurred movement of the Gucci chiffon – one of the multiple layers Swinton dons here. I love the pristine crispness of the top part of her form, against the blue grey stillness of the landscape. I love the loden green of the rocks upon which she appears to float.

I love the power and the poetry of a fashion photograph.

All images are photographed by Tim Walker and styled by Jacob Kjeldgaard and are from W magazine, where you can find all wardrobe details and the accompanying cover story.

More Tilda…

Tail-Blazers

Innovation and Viktor and Rolf go hand in glove.

These gentlemen are masters of extending a simple idea beyond our imaginations – like the layered collars from years ago that still make my heart flutter.

They renewed my affection for them this season with this little ensemble.

The ideal capri length - easily worn with flats or heels.

I have always loved black and white in warmer months – it’s my go-to get-up when colour has me in a conundrum. This takes my unwavering affection for capris to a whole new length, by adding a tailed white shirt.

The summer in Capri tuxedo?

It’s the simple things in life that give us the most pleasure, ‘innit?

Images: Vogue.com.

Walking Daggers

These give a whole new meaning to the phrase, killer heels.

Terry De Havilland's dagger boots.

They’d work well with the jewellery from Eina Ahluwalia’s Wedding Vows collection.

Image: Selfridges.com.

Black, White and Read

I still read magazines and always will.

Know why?

Because a good cover can help you recover from a crappy day.

A great cover like this, you remember.

A cover like this, you keep.

Doesn’t hurt that it’s red, black and white.

Tilda Swinton, photographed by Tim Walker for the August, 2011 issue of W Mag.

I have images from the rest of the haunting editorial and will post those later this week. Who says summer is a slow time?

My dears, you should note that this cover also has me flirting with Fall.

I know, I know – it’s 40°C – but all I can think about are coats and jackets…and…

Okay, okay, I’ll wait until at least August to take you there…

[Update July 14: the rest of the editorial is here.]

If the Shoe Fits…

The French house of shoes that is Robert Clergerie was recently purchased by new owners, who naturally, want to redo the place to their taste.

The first thing on the list? Appoint a new Creative Director - namely, Roland Mouret.

A fait accompli – as of last week.

First, a quick history of the label. The House was founded by Robert Clergerie in 1978, who retired in the ’90s and lost the right to use his name when the company was sold. He was able to buy it back in 2004, with help from a few solemates and recently sold 90% of the company to Fung Brands Limited. FBL selected Mouret but Clergerie is said to be thrilled at the choice of someone who knows and loves the brand.

Roland Mouret, photographed by Neil Wilder.

It seems to be a perfect fit. Mouret worked for Monsieur Clergerie early in his career and from my view, has a similar eye.

For example, his interpretation of both positive and negative shapes in his dress patterns, inherently echoes a classic Clergerie clog.

Don’t you agree?

Rachel Weisz is a classic beauty in a classic Mouret silhouette.

Read between the lines: vintage Clergerie clogs.

Mouret will continue to design his own collections, while taking the creative helm of the Clergerie brand. His first collection of shoes and accessories will hit the stores (and streets!) in time for FW12.

Images: Mouret photo by Neil Wilder; Weisz image from JustJared.com; shoe pic from Etsy.