Dolce & Gabbana Spring 2011

Credit: Vogue.com

I can’t believe that I forgot to post up Dolce & Gabbana.  This time the boys went for an almost all white collection.  It may be white (and possibly for a wedding) and it may be spring, but Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana still keep it tailored.  Paying for tribute to Sicilian trailoring (this time Sicilian white lace), they craft a beautiful glamorous collection that updates their fall collection into spring.  There is plenty of white Sicilian lace with flowery silks and light tweed.  What I love about Dolce & Gabbana is that they give me girly dressing without making it cute.  It’s sophisticated, well-tailored, feminine, romantic, and exquisitely decorated.  That bejeweled rhinestone work is astonishing.

Domenico and Stefano give me sensuality with romantic flair.  It is their trademark.  And is precisely what differentiates them from other Italian designers’ versions of sexy.  Dolce & Gabbana does not overtly drip with sex appeal like Gucci/Versace/Roberto Cavalli; nor does it wittily flirt with femininity like Prada does.  What they do do is exquisitely crafted clothes that are elegant and utterly feminine.   Their lingerie would enchant both men and women alike.  Dolce & Gabbana gives as they described last season “romance with great sex.”

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Nails of the Month: Birds of Flight

I thought I’d do something summery for this nice weather we’ve been having.  And it’s the first day of university! :) Remember that gorgeous turquoise color I had posted up a while back?  I decided to paint white flying birds this time.  Cute right?  They were really hard to curve right using my right hand (I’m left-handed); I kept making the curve to fat hahaha.  If you want to try them yourself (since they’re not terribly difficult), have a steady flat surface at hand and buy a thin long brush (or pick up a bottle of nail art).

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Entwine

Credit: DirtyDurty.com

Katharina by Amanda de Simone for The Dirty Durty Diary September 2010 Issue 1

Gorgeous.  The Dirty Durty Diary is a fascinating new publication.  It posts a new diary entry every day for the month; this happens to be the inaugural entry.  While I’ve never heard of either photographer or model, both are gorgeous.  I love the effect to the images with the hazy double imaging.  Moreover, the styling is hot: deconstructed with romantic flair.  I like the unusual shape to the clothes as well.  The messy hair is a great touch.  I look forward to seeing what The Dirty Durty Diary will show me next.

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Bal masqué

Credit: Fashion Gone Rogue

Lara Stone, Freja Beha Erichsen & Mariacarla Boscono by Mert & Marcus for Vogue Paris October 2010

God J’adore Carine Roitfeld.  She does such a wonderful job helming Vogue Paris. Her editorials are amazing with excellent cutting edge styling.  Masks are not original; they were an age-old form of art for the aristocratic elite throwing parties.  Moreover, fashion has taken a hold of them with creative license.  However, trust Carine to make beautiful masks hardcore.  The styling and beautiful is strong, slightly off-putting, and so very French.  An excellent editorial to include in Vogue Paris‘s 90th Anniversary Issue.  I love the avante-garde theatrics of this.  Mert & Marcus are the perfect choice to shoot this as well.  They have had a long standing relationship with Vogue Paris.  Brava Carine.

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Doutzen Kroes by Alex Cayley

Credit: Fashion Gone Rogue

Doutzen Kroes by Alex Cayley for Elle France September 2010

Doutzen is oh so very pretty.  Give the girl a beauty campaign already; she most definitely has the face and skin for it.  This editorial appears to have two different tones: one is more softly romantic and certainly more natural while the other sensually glamorous but seeming more airbrushed.  While fashion is entitled to an avante garde fantasy, I like seeing women in beauty shoots.  Not airbrushed inhuman perfection.  But Doutzen is just lovely.  No need for the touching up.

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Inspiration – Europe Edition

Credit: Vogue.com

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Emilio Pucci Spring 2011

Credit: Vogue.com

Well Pucci certainly doesn’t pretend to be what it isn’t.  Peter Dundas turns up the sexiness (this is Italy after all) in his latest collection for Emilio Pucci.  Big on prints, big on skin, and big on ruffles.  Considering it’s history, this is decidedly a very Pucci collection; no one quite does sexiness like the Italians.  Dundas gives me saucy cut-outs, neat lace-ups, and gothic crosses.   How could I not love it?

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Jil Sander Spring 2011

Credit: Vogue.com

In anyone could make the case for bright neon elegance, it is Raf Simons.  The Jil Sander Creative Director was despairing over today’s overly tacky, entirely expectant red carpet dressing.  Not to mention the obsession with short and tight.  So he gives us radical elegance with a tulip long skirt in bright salmon, couture-style, flooring-grazing dresses in tangerine and rich cream.  The floor-grazing skirts and dresses carried high drama that would please any haute couture connoisseur.  Moreover, when Raf does deign to go short, it is still exuding refined grace.

Raf designs wonderful highly conceptual shapes for women.  I always equivocate him to a master artist sculpting his creations.  His form of volume has this lovely weight to it that does not overwhelm the person wearing it.  The jackets are easy yet structured; they float nicely around the body with intended movements.  Even that rain jacket elegant flutters behind the model as she walks.  And those eye-boggling trousers?  They are divine.  Even in black, one can easily see the quality of them.  They nicely shape the leg without overly conforming to it.  No one quite does minimalist like Jil Sander.  They absolutely own it in the industry.

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MaxMara Spring 2011

Credit: Vogue.com

Milan is making such a lovely lovely case for structured brights and bare backs.  MaxMara is like fun dressing for grown-ups.  The brights colors are young and fresh but in classic silhouettes with subtle baring of skin.  I love the easiness about the clothes, and that while the clothes are structured, they are not stiff.  There’s a nice shape to everything, especially the jackets.  The peacoat is transformed with metallic satin and a slightly belled shape.  I normally quite detest yellow, but I can’t help but like these happy offerings.  This yellow is warm and so very spring.  MaxMara has added so much more to their normal presentation of classics and expertly-crafted coats.

But the best thing about this collection?  Those tiny exposed cross-stitching seams on the dresses.  They are a touch of genius that elevate those minimalist dresses.

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Emily DiDonato by Sølve Sundsbø

Credit: Fashion Gone Rogue

Emily DiDonato by Sølve Sundsbø for Numéro #117

God this is hot.  Now this is more I like it!  Numéro always has such gorgeous creative editorials; this one is no different.  It’s seems lately that Emily DiDonato has been everywhere, and that’s not a bad thing.  Sølve Sundsbø certainly does his thing.  This is precisely what I was talking about in terms of avante-garde editorials that seem fantastical without leaving me with plastic robots for models.  Everything is sleek without going overboard, there’s an otherworldly element to it, and the lighting is spectacular.  Emily is pitch perfect sensually; I love how she caresses the water.  Not to mention, the metallic styling is amazing.  Especially those shoes.  The spikes! God.  I would not be surprised if Alexander McQueen had made those, but they’re probably Nicholas Kirkwood (the man makes gorgeous shoes).  This is edgy without expense to glamour and luxury.

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