Wonderwall

Since I've been coming across so many awesome editorials lately (and yet, a lot of underwhelming ones) I couldn't help but post another today. I came across this one by aimlessly skimming the "Party Lines" section of NewYorkMagazine.com through photos and quotes of guests from the Museo Del Barrio Gala. I found the following photo/quote by guest Grace Coddington:

Sooo naturally, I found the editorial which, it turns out is from the December 2003 Vogue issue, and none to my surprise is absolutely amazing and impressive, if only in terms of the amount of talent captured in (Nicholas Ghesquiere, John Galiano, Olivier Theyskens, Viktor and Rolf, Marc Jacobs, and many more, and of course Natalia) and behind (the great Annie Leibovitz) the scenes of each page. It's also amazing to think of a time when Natalia Vodianova wasn't famous enough to grace a cover, considering her almost household-name status.  Honestly, I don't think it needs much more of an introduction than that, so here it is. Enjoy! (oh and click on the photos to enlarge)

Natalia  Vodianova

Tom Ford

Nicholas Ghesquiere

John Galiano

Olvier Theyskens

Marc Jacobs

Karl Lagerfeld

John Paul Gaultier

Viktor and Rolf

Donatella Versace

Ease-y Breezy

Hey guys, so I started my "editorial of the week" segment quite some time ago now... But no worries, I'm back on track and this post is the re-start of "editorial of the week".


I found this editorial shot by Craig McDean for Vogue Italia (naturally) while searching the FashionGoneRogue site months ago and was attracted initially by the pieces (almost all of which I would have no problem warmly accepting into my wardrobe... Celine, Michael Kors, Balenciaga, Miu Miu) which were styled in I suppose my favorite way, that sort of casual, unassuming, un-styled manner. Which perhaps I often respond well to because it translates a bit easier (or at least for the more conservative of us) into real-life dressing.


Also, the feel of the shoot: very simple in terms of accessories and make-up, yet the mussed hair, slightly greased bare arms and legs, and the slouchily sexy poses give it a really interesting look. I also love the seventies feel in terms of the furniture and the platform mules with little white socks. Oh, and it doesn't hurt that it features one of my favorite faces, Hanne Gaby Odiele.

Too cool.

 

I found this awesome picture of Linda Evangelista over on Anywho from what I discovered was a lookbook for Gianni Versace's SS 1994 collection. It may sound cliche, but I love the tone in this shot, as well as the rest from the lookbook, and how it's "so 90's". These photos are a great example of how the 90's were a time for fashion when all the big models were known by name, and had distinct, unique, personalities, that were always shown through their work, no matter what the designer, editorial or campaign. Linda looks so natural and beautiful, and I think it's a great contrast for the sexiness and overt chicness of Versace's clothes. I love her arm under the leather skirt! So quirky and almost slightly inappropriate. And can we talk about the giant safety-pins on the skirt? Too cool.

Some more photos from the lookbook I found.

 

Never a dull moment...

I was just paying my weekly visit to the lovely Hanneli's blog when I saw that she posted the just released video campaign for for Prada's SS11 collection. I've explained before how I feel about fashion videos and how I feel most of them are sort of hit-or-miss, but given the awesomely quirky styling and equally fun print ads for this collection, we could only assume that a video campaign would be just as great! What impresses me the most, is Miuccia Prada's ability to constantly change inspirations, styles, and aesthetics each season, while somehow keeping the core of the Prada woman (whatever you may describe that as) consistent. Whether I love every piece of every collection each season or not, I have always thought and will continue to think, that Miuccia can do no wrong!


The song is Mirando by Ratatat, and Steven Miesel shot the print ads but I am not sure who did the video. As usual, enjoy!





Edit: My good friend the lovely Dani D left a comment on this post pointing out how you can definitely see the references to Josephine Baker not only in the hair and makeup (obviously) but in the model's wildly freeform dancing. I then stumbled on this video of Miss Baker's amaaaaazing moves.

Joy to the World.

 Hello friends and readers (although I think you're pretty much one in the same)! First things first, I'd like to (in true Meredith fashion) say I'm sorry for the lack of posts over the past two months. I guess I just wasn't feeling it, but I have been keeping a long list of potential post topics so that I'd be ready when the time was right. Well now the time is right, and I have some lovely videos, music, fashion (not to mention a new header I created!) and lots of other things I'm dying to share with you.


So let's get started. The video posted below is a short fashion film created by Jae Song and Claire Carre for fantastically over-the-top fashion/costume designer Christian Joy. Most of you may be familiar with Miss Joy's work with Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman Karen O, for what seems like the larger part of Karen' career. Although Christian Joy's design aesthetic may be far, far away from my own, I can definitely respect and admire her use of kaleidoscopic colors and patterns of the 70's (perfectly demonstrated in this video), as well as her nod to the anti-fashion and DIY style of the 80's and 90's. She's a designer and artist who had/has most certainly found her niche and continues to show her point of view, regardless of trends or seasons.

some of Karen O's costumes over the years.
all images: www.christianjoy.us

We all know how much technology has been changing all aspects of fashion, from digital printing on textiles and e-shopping, to live on-line streaming of high-profile collections during Fashion Week. With many designers in the past year opting for video presentations over, or at least as a supplement to the typical runway show, I have found myself more often disappointed than impressed by them. I think that fashion film is a great way for a designer to have complete control over the feeling and mood they wish to convey with a collection, much more than they do with a typical runway show. It also gives designers who may not have the chance or means to be a part of Fashion Week a way to showcase their work, in a medium which may have a greater reach and impact on potential customers than photos from the runway. However, it seems that some designers wanted to get on the digital bandwagon and whip out a fashion film of their own, but lacked the clear vision, or something... I'm not sure what, to make the film an asset to their collection.


Phew! All of that being said, Christian Joy's video impressed me instantly. The hair, makeup, models, and overall styling are all spot on, and the director/producers did an amazing job at making the film look as if it cam straight out of the 70's (which was to the definite benefit of the clothes). Most importantly, the piece is short and sweet, and leaves you wanting to see more of the collection. The focus is always on the clothes and the feeling the clothes create. Okay I'll stop gushing now and let you watch it already! Enjoy.



I couldn't help but post some more images from Christian's website... be inspired!

 

 editorial for Christian Joy shot by ioulex.

all images: www.christianjoy.us

"I eat doughnuts man, I eat doughnuts!"

It seemed like only a matter of time before (one of my all time favorite designers/inspirations) Ms. Stella McCartney took her name from the household, the gym, to the playroom. Having done two collections for Gap Kids and Baby Gap last year (I couldn't resist posting some photos from the SS2010 lookbook below) her own Stella McCartney Kids collection (clothing for ages 0-12) will finally be available Nov. 3rd and Vogue.com just posted pics of looks of yellow-wellie-clad darlings donning all the looks on their site. (I've posted a few of my favorites below)

  
As I have already mentioned, I have been inspired and influenced, and to be honest, somewhat enamored with Stella since I first realized I wanted to be a designer myself. It still surprises me when I hear people say (very naively) that she is only successful because of her name and her money (she's Paul McCartney's daughter). Initially? Perhaps. Perhaps she may not have had the money, the contacts, or the resources to put on a runway show when she first started out. However, she took the opportunities she was given (i.e. Creative Director at Chloe from '97-'01) and almost immediately made a name for herself as one of the most loved and respected womenswear designers today. What is particularly impressive about Stella is that time and time again, she presents a collection that could literally be worn right off the runway. She knows exactly what women want to look and feel like, yet somehow manages to create pieces that are at once modern yet look like they exist without a time period, trend, or any sort of context.


Taking what she has done for Adidas as an example, it's clear that Stella isn't simply expanding her market simply for the sake of doing so (like some other designers/celebrities out there who seem obsessed with splattering their name everywhere) she has waited an ample amount of time, and being that she has three children of her own, I'm sure childrenswear seemed like the next natural move. Her easy, not overly-designed, modern and always slightly quirky aesthetic translates so perfectly to children's clothing and the result is just spot on. The clothes are playful but smart, rather than tacky or too doll-like (as I think kids clothes can often be). The pops of color and cool graphics/patterns also keep them young, but the carefully placed details remind you that it is also, carefully designed.


I guess what intrigues me most about this collection and the shift towards more "designer" childrenswear is how drastically different the look is from when I was even a kid (that's only 20 years ago). It really makes me wish I was even half as cool-looking as these kids, or at least had clothing half as cool, when I was that young. Oh, and the little video on the homepage of the Stella McCartney Kids website features an adorable bunch of dancing finger-painting kids running around to a song repeating the words "I eat doughnuts man, I eat doughnuts!". Could you get any cooler than that?

Images from the SS10 Gap Kids collection. (I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't wear
every one of these pieces if they came in my size. Yup, even the striped onesie)

  All Stella Kids images from Vouge.co.uk.

All Stella for Gap images from nitrolicous.com

Model Behaviour

The young and beautiful faces featured in the video "Marc's Models" shot by (the awesome) Chadwick Tyler for AnOther Magazine may now seem a bit like old news, especially in the fashion world where things (and people) go "in" and "out" of style before we can even decide what is in fact "in" or "out". But I promise you'll be as intrigued as I was by the lovely likes of the models chosen by Marc Jacobs for this year (I don't know exactly when this video is from, but a friend had sent it to me earlier this year, probably around the time of the Fall2010 shows?) in this little video which acts sort of like a silent character study for the often otherwise anonymous designer-clad boys and girls.




The site also offers an interesting word about Marc Jacobs' model choices throughout the years and how the young men and women lucky enough to grace Marc's catwalk are almost always the ones to become the "it" kids of the seasons to come. Also mentioned is the personality and individuality of the models featured in the 2:00 minute film and how it is precisely this that Jacobs looks for when making choices for his runway shows, saying "They wear the clothes, the clothes don't wear them" (also my own personal design philosophy), and even adding that each model only wears one look per show, a look that is tailored and styled for that model specifically.

I got to thinking about how rare it is to see models in motion, and I think that is why I love this video so much. Besides the catwalk (which most of us only see in photo form afterward) or perhaps highly styled and directed "fashion videos" or commercials, we never get the chance to see a model's movements, personalities, changing facial expressions. Not to mention, included are three of my favorite models as of late, other-worldly pale beauty Hanne Gaby Odiele and doll-faced pouty-mouthed newcomer Lindsey Wixson, and of course striking tomboy Freja Beha Erichsen.


Watch "Marc's Models" (I wish I could have embedded this video, but it didn't work!)

Any-who?

A few months ago, I started following a great Scandinavian fashion blog called Anywho. Created and run by three (adorable) twenty-somethings, Ingrid, Elise, and Stephanie, it has the perfect combination of streetstyle photographs (often of the great outfits that the girls themselves wear), photos and info about new designers, as well as great shots behind and on the scenes of fashion shows. AND the posts are written in Swedish AND English! I have always had a soft spot for Swedish fashion because of its (in my opinion) more daring, quirky, and overall modern point of view. The collections always seem less trend-driven, and although I wouldn't call them "timeless" (because of the connotation that word usually has) I do feel that the clothes always look like they were simply the product of their creator, as if they can't be placed in a certain time or place.

So I check the blog pretty much daily now, (another thing I love about it, there are new posts almost every day) and I was surprised and pleased to see a video (a Vimeo video!) of backstage footage from Copenhagen Fashion week. First and foremost, the video is shot b-e-a-u-tifully. And the music and editing make it such a pleasure to watch, while providing you with wonderful backstage and runway footage of the collections and brief interviews with the lovely down-to-earth and inspiring designers. My favorite designers featured in the video would have to be Minimarket (check out the AMAZING shoes), Stine Goya (adorning the heads of models with floral wreaths? slightly distracting, yet it somehow works), and Henrik Vibskov. Fashion and film lovers alike, you will enjoy this I promise.




And here's an interview with the Anywho girls (the sound is kind of bad)!