Storyboard VI

This storyboard has been in the making for at least over a month so some of these photos are alittle bit older... But they're still awesome so who gives a what?

One of my favorite childhood snacks is now an art medium: Oreo cameos... that's pretty unreal. Think about how tiny they are and the level of detail executed in this Romanesque cameo. You wouldn't want to eat it, or would ya? 

One of the outfits from Zara's Fall Lookbook that I fell absolutely in love with. On one of my last days in London, I went around the city with my mom and made her sift through all the racks to find this coat. 3 Zara stores later... I found it (although not in rust) BUT the downside is: A) I'm not a giraffe aka tall and slim like this model so the coat dwarfed me slightly and B) It doesn't button or close... not very practical for Canadian winters. But it was so pretty. No fair, stupid genetics

One of the classes I'm in is a brilliant adventure into Dutch Baroque art... and here we see Freja (who has been surprisingly absent from these past weeks of fashion shows) in a wonderful Givenchy number and bonnet that does transport me back to the 18th century and a Vermeer painting or two.

Street photgs are taking over the fashion world. Here we have a fun 'twist' on Scott Schuman, the man behind the Sartorialist, in the form of a new website by an admirer: the Sartorialtwist. So fab! Basically the creator of this website takes Scott's images of fashionable people and juxtaposes them with others, to create new and sometimes more interesting outfits. 

Givenchy is taking over the magazines (ok, these are old spreads) as we see here in another feature where Raquel Zimmerman sports a dress by the same collection by Tisci. I'm really into Givenchy lately.

I've been looking for this image of Raquel ever since I watched the September Issue... This photo shoot was one of Grace Coddington's most exquisite visions. This is real Couture shit, guys. 

Having a bit of a Raquel moment today, but this season is one of the first times McQueen has had a magazine campaign if I'm correct. It was amazing to open up the September Issue and have this staring back at me. By the way... McQueen show this week. VERY EXCITED!

Recently the founder of Cirque de Soleil, Guy Laliberte, took a casual trip to space. Yeah, no big deal I'm sure and he took some pretty astounding photographs. This is my favourite shot - it's the coast of the Caspian Sea. Made me want to watch The Day After Tomorrow, which I did.

And lastly, Miss Anja Rubik pulling out all the stops while modelling for Balmain this season. I'll take one of everything please.

And now.... I have to run to class and I'm late. Procrastination at its best.

- Life is good

[Zimmermann, Dear Photograph, Freja, Satrorialtwist, Cameos, McQueen, View of Earth, Anja]

Listening to: 'Galvanize' - Chemical Brothers
Observations: Do I really have to go to weights today? Meh
Craving: A nap, but I'm not going to

The Color of Things

Looking at all these collections for next spring made me realize that I was neglecting the very season we're in right. Fall/ Winter 2011 may have been shown last spring, but it is high time I started to sift through the trends and admit to myself that even though summer doesn't officially end until the 21st of September (which is soon), it was four degrees this morning... the time for sweaters and coats is here. 


Winter brights are a big trend this season, however instead of just a boring post of several colorful looks I wanted to mix it up with a few colorful references I would throw into my show notes if I were a designer.

Just a couple examples of some one-color looks this winter: Gucci, Prada, Akris, Chanel, Gareth Pugh, YSL and Lanvin

 A) I had a pretty glorious childhood. My parents love to read and story time was an essential ritual before bedtime. One of our favorite family stories is The Color of Things by Vivienne Shalom, pictured below.

The story concerns an evil scientific couple who hate color and build a device to drain it from the world. A little girl Jill comes to the world's rescue when she digs up her hidden paint box in the garden and with the help of the neighborhood children they begin to repaint the town. In the end color is all restored and the evil couple is forced underground to hide from the gloriousness of it all. I loved the book because I just wanted to be that little girl going around and painting everything the way I wanted it to be. Can you imagine, literally the world was her canvas.

This is the image that best sums up the story: Jill uncovering her box of treasured colors. The wonder reflected in her glasses is actually pretty moving.

B) I recently sat down with a couple friends and watched the two hour epic that is Pleasantville; the Gary Ross masterpiece about a fictional town depicted on television that suddenly becomes one boy's reality when he and his sister are literally thrown into the story. What happens next is unplanned and amazing. I strongly recommend that you see this film as it is a hysterical, yet surprisingly deep social investigation/ critique.

I'm hoping I don't give too much away, but as events change in the story the black and white television show starts to be shown in color, elements change very slowly... first a girl blows a pink bubblegum bubble, then there is a red rose, a green car and so on until people begin to become 'colorized'. This signifies that they have been 'enlightened', seen beyond their previous scope... and that's all I'm going to give away. Here are some screen shots from the film showing this:

C) As today was the last day of my first week of school and I've sat through all my new Art Histories I decided some investigation into some new artists was due. And I discovered a group of 'colorists' who were part of the Color Field movement, a branch of Abstract Expressionism simply characterized by their uses of large blocks of color. Duh, I guess I should have guessed. Some familiar faces from this group are Joan Miro (whose retrospective I saw at the Tate this summer), Mark Rothko and Morris Louis. However, some new 'guys' I'm interested in are:

Frank Stella, Harran II

Hans Hoffman, The Gate

Ronnie Landfield, Rite of Spring

Finding new art is awesome. Regardless of John Stewart and his 'Dick Jokes for Art History Majors' I love my major.

Haha, youtube it.

Anyway, the whole point of this was to introduce some of the brilliant colors for Fall fashion and without further more ado feast your eyes on some Gucci, Akris, Givenchy, Chanel, Mugler and much more:

- Life is good

[Pleasantville, Screen shots 1, 2 & 3, Color Fields]

Listening to: the Laidback Luke essential mix
Observations: watching two butterflies 'dancing' outside
Craving: I smell cake, so....

And so it begins

Surprisingly my arrival in Canada, getting the swim season started and the first days of school have trumped my interest in my favorite four weeks of the year: New York, London, Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks. Woah... this must mean that the new and improved Shahira is here; the one that does all her readings, is superbly organized, gets amazing grades and goes to every swim practice. 

Anyway, the Spring 2012 shows kicked off on the 9th of September in New York after every fashionista/fashionisto's wet dream that took place the night before: FNO - Fashion's Night Out. This is the third year of the annual charitable event which takes place in over 20 cities in the US and 15 countries across the globe. It is a night in which hundreds of designer boutiques, high street shops and department stores are open after hours to encourage people to shop and all for a good cause. Designers host lavish parties to relieve pent up stress before their shows and the fashion elite come out in the thousands to participate. Seems like a great time, wish I was cool enough to have attended:

Models Natasha Poly and Coco Rocha in Paris and New York respectively

Some of my favorite models Anja Rubik, Natasha and Isabeli Fontana in the Gucci store with French Vogue Editor Emmanuelle Alt (second from the right)

SJP in a brilliant leather sheath by Prabal Gurung (secret dominatrix?) and Karolina Kurkova with Anna Della Russo in New York

The ladies hamming it up with Vogue's Hamish Bowles later

The two heavy hitters: Vogue's Anna Wintour and Grace Coddington. Yes that is DVF on the left

 You don't often see Anna smile, it's wonderful. Signing autographs too... who is this woman?

 My favorite America's Next Top Model judge ALT - editor at large for Vogue

 More Smiling from Anna... you can even see her teeth! What has the world come to?

 Michael Kors with some Radio City Rockettes, pays to be the King 

 Emmanuelle Alt and Peter Dundas in Paris celebrating at the Pucci store

 Alexander Wang with Donald Glover

 Queen of the Blogisphere Tavi Gevinson at Miu Miu

 Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez - the creative minds behind Proenza Schouler

 Om nom nom

 I want to be this cool with I'm her age

Voguing on the subway 

 This makes me want to be there... I love crowds

 Imagine if one of those girls stepped on you, gah

 And finally for a giraffe I know... the Delorean from Back to the Future at the Nike Store in NYC

This is all before the first model even walked down the runway. New York fashion week finished today but here are some of m favorite shows for next spring so far... I'm not done processing yet:

Altuzarra - tropical panels contrasted with black & white on sleek silhouettes

Donna Karan - tribal meets the ultimate in contemporary ladylike dressing

DVF - the name of her game is still prints prints prints and slinky wrap dresses

Marchesa - nudes and pale blue beaded, feathered and fringed gowns for all manner of ethereal occasions

Prabal Gurung - Araki, bondage and bleeding purple Roscharch prints

Proenza Schouler - the second season of the lady... grown up florals and knee length dresses

Rodarte - prom style dresses meets the master of modern art: Van Gogh and his sunflowers

Thakoon - Cowboys and Indians on acid

That's all for now folks... see you soon from London town. Can't wait for the Katrantzou show and Burberry. Night!

~ Images of FNO from NY Fashion Magazine and Fashionolgie. Runway from Style.com as usual

- Life is good

Listening to: The housemates giggling at Justin Timberlake's naked butt on Friends with Benefits

Observations: the view from the creeper window

Craving: my belly not to hurt from so much sushi