photos: h&m, imdb,fairybreadandsalt.tumblr.com,baletnica-i-balet
sobota, 26 lutego 2011
Channeling my inner swan
I've already posted two texts on the influence the ballet trend had on the fashion industry and showbusiness. Apparently, it had an influence on me as well, since I've just bought a georgeous dress from h&m By Night collection that looks like ballerina meets Dirty Dancing. The dress in its structure, especially in the corset part, resembles the ones worn by the ballerinas, but it also has a little bit of the Dirty-Dancing's-final-dress feel to me. Unfortunatelly, the pictures don't do the dress enough justice, but until I make my own pics, these must suffice (I have the off-white one). Now, all I need is feathers ;)
photos: h&m, imdb,fairybreadandsalt.tumblr.com,baletnica-i-balet
photos: h&m, imdb,fairybreadandsalt.tumblr.com,baletnica-i-balet
niedziela, 13 lutego 2011
Black Swan continues its conquest
Not so long ago, I wrote about Black Swan's magnificent influence on the world of fashion. Apparently, this lake hasn't dried yet and it seems to have endless inspirational possibilities.
You might appreciate it in Rihanna's new Reb'l Fleur perfume ad.
sobota, 29 stycznia 2011
DARK SWANS RULE THIS SPRING IN THE FASHION LAKE
As you all know I'm a literature freak, so let me say a few words about similarities between Aronofsky's latest film and my favourite novel and then I'll move on to fashion ;)
I've recently watched Black Swan and got swept away by its beauty. Since the movie brought the ballerina trend into fashion, I would like to offer my own review of this masterpiece.
May I begin with admitting that I've first seen Swan Lake in primary school and I've loved it ever since. It is a beautiful yet dark story of love. I was dancing a little myself back then so how could I not fall in love with it? With the story, the music or the tutus?
LITERATURE
However, Aronofsky's movie awakened in my head association between this ballet and my favourite piece of writing - Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Though the stories are different, somehow they seem alike to me as they both are gloomy and represent the struggle between two female characters, or, as I see it, the struggle between two inner selves. These two characters are always the nice and innocent girl and the uninhibited and impetuous other. The "other" is here the key word. In Jane Eyre we have the reticent title character and the passionate and mad Bertha, whereas in Black Swan there is Nina (Natalie Portman), the embodiment of the white swan, and Lily (Mila Kunis) - the black swan, or actually the dark doppelganger she stands for.
Just as I believe that Bertha represents Jane's other, her aggressive self - an oulet to her repressed anger, I perceive Lily (or Nina's idea of Lily) as the independent self of Nina, the self that wants to break free, and in the end ***SPOILER ALERT!!!***, through the role of the black swan, reaches its independence. This interpretation is then supported by the ultimate revelation: Nina kills Lily but in the end we finally learn that she has actually killed herself. The moment when Nina puts on the black swan's costume she becomes united with her dark, hidden self - the self that rebels against the repressed sexuality and the overbearing mother. When that happens, she becomes herself, she sees - her words - perfection. Yet, as the white swan and the black swan cannot coexist, she has to die.
FASHION
Coming back to the lighter aspects of the movie - the costumes were designed by Kate and Laura Mulleavy, better known as Rodarte, who were recommended by Natalie Portman herself. The outfits they created were beautiful, yet simple, perfectly fitting Portman's svelte body. The most amazing was however, the black swan's costume that, at some point began to melt into Nina's body, becoming its part, overtaking her - just as her character was overtaken by the black swan's.
Designs by Rodarte for "Black Swan"
Unfortunatelly as Rodarte sisters weren't members of the Costume Design Guid while doing the costumes and didn't negotiated to be given the front credit in the movie, they missed the Academy Awards nomination and someone else took credit for their work.
As I said at the beginning, since the fashion industry loves beauty and the movie is nothing but beautiful, it had had a huge influence on the latest trends long before its was released. The spring 2011 collection is full of flat ballerinas, tutus and tulle dresses, light fabrics and nude colors.
Chloe shows the most obvious inspiration with ballerina outfits - its full of light, flowing clothes and flats in different shades of beige.
Chloe Spring collection 2011 (ready-to-wear)
We may trace such influence also in other spring 2011 collections. Chanel woman channels her inner swan as we see her dressed in outfits adorned with feathers, which are almost a rip-off from the black swan costume that at some point covers Nina's body with feathers turning her arms into wings.
Chanel collection 2011 (ready-to-wear)
Marchesa collection presents inspiration with tutus, but also shows a dress that unites the black and the white swan, allowing their coexistence. Swan/ballet inspirations can also be noticed in collections by Ungaro or Valentino.
Marchesa spring 2011, Ungaro spring 2011
If you like the trend but cannot afford the top-shelf designers you will surely find a great deal of tutus, tulles or flats in h&m, Zara, Topshop or River Island. And as this season even perfumes wear tutus (Victor an Rolf's Flowerbomb Tulle Edition) the trend seems like a must. Ask Kanye.
Lanvin for h&m, Flowerbomb Tulle Edition by Viktor and Rolf, flats by Bloch
Here, enjoy the Black Swan trailer and Kanye West's video for Runaway featuring ballerinas (this is a video lenght but you may find also a 34-minute long film he made for the video):
photos from style.com
I've recently watched Black Swan and got swept away by its beauty. Since the movie brought the ballerina trend into fashion, I would like to offer my own review of this masterpiece.
May I begin with admitting that I've first seen Swan Lake in primary school and I've loved it ever since. It is a beautiful yet dark story of love. I was dancing a little myself back then so how could I not fall in love with it? With the story, the music or the tutus?
LITERATURE
However, Aronofsky's movie awakened in my head association between this ballet and my favourite piece of writing - Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Though the stories are different, somehow they seem alike to me as they both are gloomy and represent the struggle between two female characters, or, as I see it, the struggle between two inner selves. These two characters are always the nice and innocent girl and the uninhibited and impetuous other. The "other" is here the key word. In Jane Eyre we have the reticent title character and the passionate and mad Bertha, whereas in Black Swan there is Nina (Natalie Portman), the embodiment of the white swan, and Lily (Mila Kunis) - the black swan, or actually the dark doppelganger she stands for.
Just as I believe that Bertha represents Jane's other, her aggressive self - an oulet to her repressed anger, I perceive Lily (or Nina's idea of Lily) as the independent self of Nina, the self that wants to break free, and in the end ***SPOILER ALERT!!!***, through the role of the black swan, reaches its independence. This interpretation is then supported by the ultimate revelation: Nina kills Lily but in the end we finally learn that she has actually killed herself. The moment when Nina puts on the black swan's costume she becomes united with her dark, hidden self - the self that rebels against the repressed sexuality and the overbearing mother. When that happens, she becomes herself, she sees - her words - perfection. Yet, as the white swan and the black swan cannot coexist, she has to die.
FASHION
Coming back to the lighter aspects of the movie - the costumes were designed by Kate and Laura Mulleavy, better known as Rodarte, who were recommended by Natalie Portman herself. The outfits they created were beautiful, yet simple, perfectly fitting Portman's svelte body. The most amazing was however, the black swan's costume that, at some point began to melt into Nina's body, becoming its part, overtaking her - just as her character was overtaken by the black swan's.
Designs by Rodarte for "Black Swan"
Unfortunatelly as Rodarte sisters weren't members of the Costume Design Guid while doing the costumes and didn't negotiated to be given the front credit in the movie, they missed the Academy Awards nomination and someone else took credit for their work.
As I said at the beginning, since the fashion industry loves beauty and the movie is nothing but beautiful, it had had a huge influence on the latest trends long before its was released. The spring 2011 collection is full of flat ballerinas, tutus and tulle dresses, light fabrics and nude colors.
Chloe shows the most obvious inspiration with ballerina outfits - its full of light, flowing clothes and flats in different shades of beige.
Chloe Spring collection 2011 (ready-to-wear)
We may trace such influence also in other spring 2011 collections. Chanel woman channels her inner swan as we see her dressed in outfits adorned with feathers, which are almost a rip-off from the black swan costume that at some point covers Nina's body with feathers turning her arms into wings.
Chanel collection 2011 (ready-to-wear)
Marchesa collection presents inspiration with tutus, but also shows a dress that unites the black and the white swan, allowing their coexistence. Swan/ballet inspirations can also be noticed in collections by Ungaro or Valentino.
Marchesa spring 2011, Ungaro spring 2011
If you like the trend but cannot afford the top-shelf designers you will surely find a great deal of tutus, tulles or flats in h&m, Zara, Topshop or River Island. And as this season even perfumes wear tutus (Victor an Rolf's Flowerbomb Tulle Edition) the trend seems like a must. Ask Kanye.
Lanvin for h&m, Flowerbomb Tulle Edition by Viktor and Rolf, flats by Bloch
Here, enjoy the Black Swan trailer and Kanye West's video for Runaway featuring ballerinas (this is a video lenght but you may find also a 34-minute long film he made for the video):
photos from style.com
poniedziałek, 24 stycznia 2011
JAPAN NOW
Jeszcze do 6 lutego potrwa pierwsza w Europie wystawa prezentująca prace japońskich projektantów z ostatnich trzydziestu lat. „Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion” odbywa się w Barbican Art Centre w Londynie, a jej kuratorem jest Akiko Fukai – dyrektor słynnego Kyoto Costume Institute, który posiada w swojej kolekcji ponad 11 tysięcy ubiorów od XVIII w. do czasów współczesnych.
Wystawa skupi się na trzech pionierach japońskiej mody awangardowej: Rei Kawakubo (znana z projektów dla Commes de Garcons), Issey Miyake oraz Yohji Yamamoto. Kate Bush, dyrektor galerii sztuki Barbican opowiada jak w latach 80tych dokonali oni rewolucji modowej zmieniając zachodnioeuropejską sylwetkę: „Wyszukane techniki szycia i bogactwo związane z tradycją powojenną zostały skontrastowane z monochromatyczną pletą barw i nowymi elementami takimi jak dziury, rozdarcia i postrzępienia”. Ich projekty cechuje wyjątkowa prostota i minimalizm, ale też odnajdywanie piękna w czymś niedoskonałym. Stąd określenie Wabi-Sabi (w dosłownym tłumaczeniu piękno niedoskonałości), istotny element estetyki japonskiej.
Ekspozycja licząca ponad sto ubiorów mieści się na dwóch poziomach. W dolnej części galerii znajdują się trzy sekcje: In Praise of Shadows, Flatness oraz Tradition and Innovation and Cool Japan. Natomiast w górnej części prezentowane są prace między innymi wspomnianych już Rei Kawakubo, Yohji Yamamoto i Issey Miyake, ale również Junya Watanabe czy Jun Takahashi.
Ciekawostką jest możliwość zobaczenia unikatowego wywiadu z Rei Kawakubo. Czasu zostało już niewiele, a warto skorzystać z tej wyjątkowej szansy zobaczenia okazów z Kyoto Costume Institute i udać się do Londynu.
piątek, 15 października 2010
ALL THINGS GOSSIP - fashion in "Gossip Girl"
Anyone, who at least once watched "Gossip Girl" immediately falls for the chic style of the main characters. Each of them, apart from having its own features and traits, has its own specific and customized look. I would like to shortly discuss their style- starting and finishing with my two favorite characters that constantly remind me of Vicomte de Valmont and the Marquise de Merteuil from "Dangerous Liaisons".
Oh, Chuck Bass. Though he can be a true basstard, at times he's an old-fashioned perfect gentleman. Chuck (Ed Westwick) represents the old-Hollywood glamour, resembling Clark Gable or Cary Grant not only in his choice of attire (though in Parisian episodes in season 4 he looks more like James Dean). No matter how twisted he can be, you've got to love his style (and the awareness of what are his beloved's favorite movies, sweets or even stockings).
Nate Archibald's style (Chace Crawford) is nothing but the Upper East side sporty classic: polo shirts, shirts, tailored jackets, occasionally ties. Need I add 'boring'?
Dan Humphrey's look (Penn Badgley) carries an air of an intellectual dandy, but in a refined way (maybe not so refined in season 1). Recently he shows a preference for plaid shirts, vests and skinny black pants.
left: Nate Archibald (Chace Crawford); right: Dan Humphrey (Penn Badgley)
Now let's move to the girls. Jenny Humphrey went from the Upper-East-side wannabe in season 1 to the punk, cocaine chic style with lots of black, leather and smoky-eyes overdose in season 3. Despite the fact that Little J's style resembles the one of Taylor Momsen, the actress that plays her, she looks rather uncomfortable in it.
Vanessa Abrams' look (Jessica Szohr) is Brooklyn-rooted, artistic one. She wears a lot of color, mostly brown, purple, navy blue and orange. What completes her bohemian look are the accessories that fit in perfectly - long earrings, lots of necklaces worn at once, multiple bangles.
Serena Van der Woodsen (Blake Lively) is somewhat "spoiled chic". She is always chic but with a hint of imperfection that reflects her spontaneity and open-mindedness. The look is sultry and frivolous meet casual. She looks just as great in skinny jeans paired with high boots as in a goddess-like gown. Her obvious inspiration is Kate Moss. Both of them seem to love vintage accessories.
The style I adore the most is, however, the one of Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester). She always wears chic, top-shelf outfits, often very conservative yet, on the other hand, very bold, and so unique not many could pull it off. Despite her preference for the traditional, preppy look Blair spices up her style with pops of color, lace tights or stockings. Let's not forget her signature headband.
Blair's high school style:
Blair's college outfits:
Blair is a huge fan of Audrey Hepburn movies and at times the actress and her characters were a literal inspiration for Waldorf's wardrobe.
What I would like to draw Your attention to are the looks Blair sported in the final episodes of season 2 and season 3. Spot the difference?
I guess Eric Daman, the GG stylist, wanted to provide a frame of refference for the series as well as for Blair and Chuck's relationship. Yet, though on both pictures Blair wears a coat of the same color and shoes of the same color (even has the same flowers), on the second picture we may observe how much her style has progressed and matured.
xoxo ;)
Oh, Chuck Bass. Though he can be a true basstard, at times he's an old-fashioned perfect gentleman. Chuck (Ed Westwick) represents the old-Hollywood glamour, resembling Clark Gable or Cary Grant not only in his choice of attire (though in Parisian episodes in season 4 he looks more like James Dean). No matter how twisted he can be, you've got to love his style (and the awareness of what are his beloved's favorite movies, sweets or even stockings).
Nate Archibald's style (Chace Crawford) is nothing but the Upper East side sporty classic: polo shirts, shirts, tailored jackets, occasionally ties. Need I add 'boring'?
Dan Humphrey's look (Penn Badgley) carries an air of an intellectual dandy, but in a refined way (maybe not so refined in season 1). Recently he shows a preference for plaid shirts, vests and skinny black pants.
left: Nate Archibald (Chace Crawford); right: Dan Humphrey (Penn Badgley)
Now let's move to the girls. Jenny Humphrey went from the Upper-East-side wannabe in season 1 to the punk, cocaine chic style with lots of black, leather and smoky-eyes overdose in season 3. Despite the fact that Little J's style resembles the one of Taylor Momsen, the actress that plays her, she looks rather uncomfortable in it.
Vanessa Abrams' look (Jessica Szohr) is Brooklyn-rooted, artistic one. She wears a lot of color, mostly brown, purple, navy blue and orange. What completes her bohemian look are the accessories that fit in perfectly - long earrings, lots of necklaces worn at once, multiple bangles.
Serena Van der Woodsen (Blake Lively) is somewhat "spoiled chic". She is always chic but with a hint of imperfection that reflects her spontaneity and open-mindedness. The look is sultry and frivolous meet casual. She looks just as great in skinny jeans paired with high boots as in a goddess-like gown. Her obvious inspiration is Kate Moss. Both of them seem to love vintage accessories.
The style I adore the most is, however, the one of Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester). She always wears chic, top-shelf outfits, often very conservative yet, on the other hand, very bold, and so unique not many could pull it off. Despite her preference for the traditional, preppy look Blair spices up her style with pops of color, lace tights or stockings. Let's not forget her signature headband.
Blair's high school style:
Blair's college outfits:
Blair is a huge fan of Audrey Hepburn movies and at times the actress and her characters were a literal inspiration for Waldorf's wardrobe.
What I would like to draw Your attention to are the looks Blair sported in the final episodes of season 2 and season 3. Spot the difference?
I guess Eric Daman, the GG stylist, wanted to provide a frame of refference for the series as well as for Blair and Chuck's relationship. Yet, though on both pictures Blair wears a coat of the same color and shoes of the same color (even has the same flowers), on the second picture we may observe how much her style has progressed and matured.
xoxo ;)
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