Twenty Ten

Ah, the first post of 2010! And what makes it even better is that it isn't even mine! Instead, Susie rings in the new year with a reply to a reader's e-mail...

Susie discusses the reader's reference to 'class', uh-ooooh:

'Class' - I'm always baffled as to what this actually means.  'Show some class', 'She's wearing a classy outfit'.  Is it a reference to the aristocracy?  Are we talking feudal-peasant class systems?  Are we bringing in Karl Marx into the convo?  So supposedly in all other areas of life, we don't talk about distinctions of class as an unspoken rule of social ettiquette, but as soon as we're talking about a skirt or a top, suddenly the echelons of society come crashing down on us?  A confusing one for me... 

Props to Susie for really nailing how I more or less feel about fashion, style, and the personality that may be expressed or hidden. Please read the post in its entirety.

[image from Style Bubble]

scott & GARANCE

Hello! No, I haven't really been away from the computer, therefore I have absolutely no excuse for my lack of bloggage. Currently I'm "stuck" in Red Deer for the holidays and cannot wait until I arrive back in Calgary come early January. It's almost as if central Alberta is sucking the will to live right from under my fingernails.

Don't get me wrong, I am glad to have visited with friends and family, and I am happy that I could spend Christmas with my immediate family, but I can only handle so much. In fact, I'm sure 24 hours (or less) would have been perfectly sufficient. Does anyone else understand what I'm going through??

I did end up receiving quite a few dollars worth of mall gift certificates, that of which I plan to purchase a camera with.. and of course which will lead to blogging with my very own photos!!! At that point I'm sure you'll all stop coming by..

SEGUE!!

Scott Schuman (the Sartorialist) and Garance Doré. I did NOT realize that he is vertically.. er... challenged. I commend Garance for sticking with her heels. Can you imagine Scott standing next to a model? Word on the Fashion Spot is that he is an overcompensating (the size of his camera - apparently he likes to go the "point and click" route anyway.. I'm not sure I understand) douche bag. Of course the majority of all this is simply speculation, and I feel as if I am playing a role in spreading rumors. Oh dear.

New years plans, anyone?

[image from fashionista.com]

Model Photographers

Inez van Lamsweerde (nude for the ads and airbrushed red apparently) and Vinoodh Matadin for men's Lanvin Spring/Summer 2010. I love the concept of a photographer/model swap. Can't wait to see the full-blown campaign come February!

UPDATE 12-18-2010:

Wow. Did not really expect this.. Still love it, but not exactly "comfortable" right now. And damn, Inez owns a rockin' body!

Let's Get to Werq!

Vman Winter 2009. Sometimes I wonder about Vman. What kind of a magazine is it? Isn't it supposed to be an alternative men's fashion/lifestyle magazine? The majority of issues I pick up of Vman are extreeeeeeemely homoerotic (even too racy for OUT!) - but, hey, I'm not complaining!

Woooooah. I'll admit it, totally swoon worthy. My god, Garrett Neff is definitely.. well, mind blowing. I saw him earlier this year at All Points West in NJ and he was looking quite spectacular.

Corey Bond. I think that about covers it. Now to lift my jaw up off the floor.

Was this successful in making me want to hit the gym hard? Well, maybe not the gym... (ewwww.. I know, I just wrote that!)

Also worth checking out is the Most Wanted project for the mag, and luckily it's available online. Portraits of young heartthrobs like Chace Crawford and Zac Efron by Richard Phillips with witty captions by Michael K.

When tweens witness Zac Efron flip his hair in high-definition, they instantly lose their virginity just like that.

Vous avez l'amour

This is so adorable. I love the whole old school/vintage vibe goin' on. J'adore Florence et la Machine!

Canadiana

Just this morning I stumbled across a recent American Eagle fashion show.. and admittedly, I actually watched the majority of it. The shame! But they certainly shell out the money for decent models!

Luckily, the show wasn't a complete waste of my time. One of my favorite male models, Canadian Ryan Taylor, was walking in the show. I definitely squealed. Hailing from Burlingon, Ontario, he's been modeling since his mid-teens and is only 19 now. After taking a year off, I am so happy that he's back!

You MUST click to get a larger view! I really don't think I have to explain why I like this guy. Benetton F/W 2009 Campaign.

Thom Browne S/S 2010.

Why does he have to be so adorable?

Double D

All I want is everything. Seriously. I recently rediscovered Damir Doma's fantastic nomadic draping whilst having a gander at some online shopping websites. Damir, born in 1981, and of Croatian descent, has worked with Jil Sander creative director, Raf Simons. Raf has obviously passed down a bit of his own quirky aesthetic to Damir, which I find extremely intriguing, especially in menswear. Damir shows in Paris :)

Earlier in the year I purchased a pair of creme over-sized wool shorts from the past Spring/Summer collection. The construction is to die for (made in Belgium), and they're insanely comfortable, but I find it hard to pair them with anything at the moment. Maybe I should just revamp my closet to focus on them?! Haaaaaaa... wishing.

And now, a taste of Damir Doma's Fall/Winter 2009/2010 collection:

 

Jeeeeessssaaaazz, this is good stuff. It's safe to say I love and would wear almost everything in this collection (minus the boots). Mmmmm knotted scarves, sheer silk, and draped everything! Delicious. Chicest-hobo-nomad boy ever!

[images from wwd]

French Undies

Quintessentially Parisian! Mes oui!

Lingerieeeeee! Sonia Rykiel poised to release her house's H&M lingerie capsule collection December 5. Frankly, I doubt if any of the Calgary locations will be receiving anything remotely Rykiel, not that I'm into the whole wearing female underwear thing (hehe?). Just being able to see it (or touch it.. eeek!) in person would be super amazing.

Vive la sexy panties!

And as if Rykiel wasn't fabulous enough, she is also producing another capsule collection of the prêt-à-porter variety. Below is a little clip of the production going into the show. The collection is slated to show December 1 at ze Grand Palais, broadcasted online on the H&M website. SONIA RYKIEL POUR H&M! Duh duh duuuh!

Mushrooms, Rykiel? I wouldn't expect anything less.

Made in Canada

Dean and Dan Caten of Dsquared² recently interviewed on Q. I think that this is one of the better interviews that I have seen the brothers give. Is it odd that I can't help but picture oompa loompas every time they speak? That, or someone who's downed one too many helium balloons? Regardless, these guys are adorable.

Dsquared² Spring/Summer 2010 - Plastic-wrapped camping couture!

[image from style.com]

Stars Flock to Holts (.. kind of)

The new flagship Holts store in Calgary had an opening gala this past week and I'm quite surprised as to the number of celebrities that turned out. Maybe this happens all the time, but I didn't know Calgary was capable of attracting relatively well-known movie-TV stars, unless they are "required" to work on location outside the city somewhere.

It's Heather Marks, "gratuitously" flown in by MODE! Dress by Rita Liefhebber.

Kristen Bell wearing a Jenni Kayne dress. Apparently she had never been to Calgary before. I'm sure she's *ahem* excited. Look at me, just putting my city down. No, Calgary isn't a bad place to live, it's just that there are other places to live out there that aren't Calgary :) Maybe one day we'll actually get to see Kristen's face on Gossip Girl. Would the show end after that??

Christina Hendricks of Mad Men in a dress by David Szeto. I love her and her feroscha locks! I think I've really come down with a thing for red heads. Mad Men is definitely one of my favorite shows right now and she is absolutely flawless in it!

Elisha Cuthbert, Caryn Lerner (who I believe is still the president of Holts?), and Jessalyn Gilsig. Elisha was wearing a Miu Miu jacket and a Gucci dress. I have absolutely no idea what Caryn was wearing. Jessalyn was wearing a Gucci dress.

If it isn't obvious, since I wasn't present at this little shindig, I procured most of my information from the Calgary Herald, as well as all of of the photos.

Maybe next time Holts will invite me? Too bad that I'm banned for two years :)

We Feel Fine

So intricate. Who's saying what, when they're saying it, and even what the weather was like outside when they said it. Plus it's pretty. Check it out!

My Fairy Godmother

I finally was able to see The September Issue today and I must say that I absolutely adore it. I could care less about Anna. Grace Coddington, who is now old enough to be my grandmother, made the film what it is for me. I think it would be brilliant to have Grace as grandparent! We could go out on photo excursions and then come home to talk about cats! On a different note, it seems as though I have a thing for red heads lately... and my god, does Grace ever have hair!

Grace started modeling in her young teens and later became an editor after a car accident caused her to require plastic surgery. She now holds the position of Creative Director at American Vogue. Her position allows her to have somewhat of a free reign over the styling and concepts of shoots, which are always impeccable. The only person she really seems to answer to is of course, Anna Wintour. They appear to have a loving relationship *cough*.

Vogue's 2008 Age Issue (August) [shot by Steven Meisel]. Grace's quirky style was picked to portray the style of women in their sixties. It was only fitting to have another fellow red head, Karen Elson, essentially play Grace. God, I love that concept.

Slighty eccentric, but more of a dreamer, Grace can see beyond the realm of marketable fashion. Somehow she has the uncanny ability to envision things in a magical way that so many of us have left behind in our childhood.

Girl of My Dreams

Just procured issue #9 of Lula! So excited! I was a Lula virgin until today. Sad, I know.

Issue #9 happens to be the red head, ginger, carrot top issue, guest edited by Karen Elson. I cannot believe how great this is! Not being a red head myself I sometimes wonder what it would be like to be the owner of some crimson locks. All of the gals in this issue sure make it look fabulous!

This issue also boasts interviews with YSL's Stefano Pilati and Anna Sui. I really cannot get over just how cute this thing is. Eeek!

Sequin Nips!

I feel so horrible for Esteban Cortazar, who I think is adorable, as he was recently ousted from the house of Emanuel Ungaro. In his place we now have a pair of "creative advisers," one of them being Lindsay Lohan. Oooh dear. I needn't say much more. The other is Estrella Archs, who if you noticed, seems to use the same shapes from her Spring/Summer 2009 line in her line for Ungaro for Spring/Summer 2010. Lets compare Spring/Summer Ungaro lines shall we?

Esteban Cortazar for Emanuel Ungaro Spring/Summer 2009

Lindsay Lohan & Estrella Archs for Emanuel Ungaro Spring/Summer 2010

So what do you think? Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, however, please take into account that Valentines day falls in the winter time, so wtf is going on with this color palette?! Since viewing the rest of the Spring/Summer 2010 collection I've been really wondering if Ms. Lohan actually wears sequin heart nipple covers. HOPE SO!

Apparently Esteban was fired after he refused to work with Lindsay. Maybe there's some dignity in that? I think it's disgusting how this fashion world is so dependent on the financial world. It's no mystery that this Lohan thing was brought about to spice up the brand's image in order to gain more sales. Regardless, Ungaro is receiving more attention than ever, and is there really a difference between the good and the bad kind of publicity? I'm really not sure anymore. All I know is that I'm dreading the next collection!

[images from style.com]

Crazy in Love

My god, thank you so much, Atony Hegarty, for this delicious cover. I know you've all heard the original, but the Atony and the Johnsons version takes it entirely in the opposite direction.. and also completely subtracts Jay-Z! I'm OK with that!

I'm sure Atony has a ghetto-fabulous booty too.

Anthony and the Johnsons - Crazy in Love (live)

Hermione Totally Buys Her Broom Fair Trade

Emma Watson + Burberry Creative Director, Christopher Bailey

Burberry's baby spice, Emma Watson! She has a spring/summer capsule collection on its way this February 2010 for British fair trade clothing label, People Tree. Looks like simple separates and bright colors. Kinda cute. At least Emma has turned the overdone celebrity "designer" route into something a tad more meaningful. Most of the time I find celebrity clothing lines to be god awful hideous, and even if this one is, at least it's socially responsible. Win, win, plus she goes to Brown and isn't addicted to coke like everyone else we know.. yet.

Gays Are Wizards

If you have not been watching any of Bryan Safi's That's Gay, you are sooooo beyond gay. Episodes range from media portrayals of gay marriage, to coming out, to well... Brüno. There's also something attractive about Safi's uber sarcastic wit. Maybe that's why I keep watching? 

Field Day

Daria in Vogue Nippon's December 2009 issue. Photographed by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin. In my opinion, Daria is timeless. Just when you've almost forgotten her she thrusts herself into a magazine sitting on your lap.. but not in that kind of dirty thrusting way, although this shoot does suggest some tumbling around in a field. Either way these shots are flawless!

Cheap Mondays on Tuesdays

Denim crave! Instead of catching up on some Fine Arts readings today I decided to head over to a local mall to purchase a pair of jeans. I'm horrible.

Guilty, they are sooo last season, but that don't mean no thaaaang. "Tight ice wash" happens to be my third pair of Cheap Monday jeans in the same cut/style. When I find a cut/style that I like, I tend to stick with it and just find variations of the washes. I'm definitely more than happy with these.

And since I was referring to washes I thought it would be cute of me to provide a song by a related name.

Washed Out - Phone Call

My friend, Pamela and I both decided that we don't really have a particular "style" or look. And if we do, it changes daily. Maybe our style is exactly that. Sometimes I get all caught up in dressing a particular way. I also feel like I should act in a certain manner depending on my outfit. Indie, grunge, hipster, prep, the list truly goes on forever. At that point I actually feel like I'm losing my sense of self. As of late, I've been trying to figure out what makes me, me. You might say that I've come to a half-assed conclusion: I am who I am.. and I should really start acting more like me.

Mandles

[photo from Jak & Jil]

Behold! The Men's Givenchy Spring/Summer 2010 gold studded gladiator sandal spectacularness! Cigarette butt not included. My heart swoons.