Chirstian Dior Fall 2010 Couture

Above: Love this look!

Above: my dream prom dress

Wow! I am totally blown away by this show!! It's absoulutely stunning! John Galliano proves just how inspiring nature can be with this petal inspired collection. It's brimming with exploding imagination and has been met with roaring success.

So what is it that makes this particular show so exciting? Is it the vibrant and exciting colours, which even the backdrop consists of? Or is it the bold blend of materials? The mesh combined with feathers, sequins combined with ruffles, wool and satin, the list is endless. What else? Perhaps Stephen Jones wacky flourists wrap headgear? Or possibly the bold lips and eyes versus the vampire pale complexions?

Whatever the reason, these features combine to create a show that really catches the eye and screams for the well deserved attention. Jessica Alba, who was fortunate enough to be a front rough member smiled "I want to be every flower in Galliano's garden". I couldn't agree more.

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Pat McGrath for Dior

One of the most renowned names in the fashion world is Pat McGrath. She has to be one of the most influential and experienced make-up artist of today. The above pictures are some of the beautiful looks she created for Dior Haute Couture. The above seems to have been inspired by the '30s, with velvet red lips, lucious blonde waves and butterfly eyes. Loving the dainty pastel against the thickly coated lashes.

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McGrath's Numbers;

Each show season she uses:

-42 make-up artists (on her team)

-12 hotel rooms

-55 bags of make-up

-20 bags of reference books and images

-822 pairs of false eyelashes

-42 different eyeliner pencils

-56 bottles of foundation

-18 types of facial and body moisturizer

-21 packages of 100-count make-up wipes

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A lot or what?! Nowadays she alternates her time between shows, editorials and fashion shoots as well as serving as Global Creative/Design Director for Procter & Gamble Beauty (one of the world's largest beauty companies: it owns Cover Girl and Max Factor).

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And what is is that makes McGrath stand out? "I like to use unexpected elements, like metallic accents, to create unigue looks" she says.
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Bricks of Life

A Ray-Ban advert

Clemence Poesy (the girl who plays Fleur in Harry Potter) for French Vogue

Rumi from Fashiontoast

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I was planning on a different post involving more pictures considering I haven't blogged in a few days, but my internet is frustratingly slow, so I resorted to this. For some unthinkable reason, I find brick walls fascinating. It's a perk if brick walls are used as a backdrop for photo shoots. No matter how simple the outfit, the bricked backdrop always brings it to life.
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Fashion (illustration)

Don't you just love the simplicity of these illustrations? They consist purely of line, which varies in width, with a dash of colour here and there. Genius, isn't it? The artist is Garance Dore of www.garancedore.fr/en So simple, yet so effective.

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Collectively

I collected these three photos quite a while ago, and ever since they've been sitting abandoned in a folder. I was sorting through all my pictures, trying to be ruthless, when I discovered these again. The outfits are so chic - look at the tailoring, it's genius-ly slick. And the bold glasses in the top picture; they remind me of a slimmer version of Yves Saint Laurent's. The skirt suit int the second picture reminds me of an adaption of Chanel's classic blazers, with a puff sleeved twist.

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"Fashion is more usually a gentle progression of revisited ideas" - Bruce Oldfield

Black & White

Shot by Peter Lindenbergh

[love this image; the dress, the pose, the elegance]

Classic 'Vogue Pose' demonstrated by Madonna

Vogue 1992

[so effortlessly cool]

Sasha Pivovarova

Mischa Barton

Haven't the faintest idea, but love the statement earrings!

Lindsey Lohan (apparently)

Kasisa Struss

Coco Rocha

Catherine McNeil (above and below)

And finally, the king of cool, Karl Lagerfeld

[LOL]

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You may wonder what any of these shots have in common. The post title kind of gives it away though. For some reason, black and white photo portray so much more for me. I love colour of course, but the lack of it is so much more intriguing, and it forces you to look beyond and into the picture as opposed to having the answer shoved in your face. I guess I find black and white photos more mysterious, they are just more elegant in a modestly subtle way.

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