f i t z g e r a l d

l a n v i n x h & m

lanvin for h&m - haute couture:

behind the scenes of the fashion show: (jak and jill)

i love the mix of old and new, think modern pop art with old hollywood styling. sleek lines. high volumes. bold mixed prints. fabulous costume jewelry. mountains of tulle. the ultimate flapper meets harajuku girl. and affordable to boot...what more could you ask for?

joe zee, the cherished creative director of elle shows his favorites of the collection here:

view the entire collection here:

modern elegance

(american artist jeff koons; versailles palace, france) 

faves of the week

(emma watson: gofugyourself) 

(little gio: sartorialist) 

(beppe modenese: sartorialist) 

e c l e c t i c

Giovanna B., (sartorialist)

g r o u n d s

Mel Kadel:

http://melkadel.com/

"grounds"

what would i want? sky.

work of the day: my absolute favorite...

(paul signac: "antibes, the pink cloud" 1916) 

w a r h o l : j a c k i e o

w a r

"the world is run by brutal men and the surest proof is their armies. if they ask you to stand still, you should dance. if they ask you to burn the flag, wave it. if they ask you to murder, re-create. theorem, anti-theorem, corollary, anti-corollary. underline it twice." - let the great world spin by colum mccann

h o m e

“Home is a name, a word, it is a strong one; stronger than magician ever spoke, or spirit ever answered to, in the strongest conjuration.” - charles dickens

i w i s h i w a s

i s r o m a n c e d e a d ?

(doisneau)

“Boys and girls in America have such a sad time together; sophistication demands that they submit to sex immediately without proper preliminary talk. Not courting talk- real straight talk about souls, for life is holy and every moment is precious”  - jack kerouac 

i love this quote. blame it on my experience but i cant help feeling my generation has lost almost much of the true romance. "grinding" has created an outlet where couples can escalate the bases of intimacy in mere minutes, technology has completely altered the progression of wooing, and much of the youth has lost their morals. girls consider that a night out isn't successful unless you hookup...and really, what does that even mean? i may not be ready for the real world of adulthood outside my bubble of college life and youth, but a mature relationship would be nice. 

i yearn for the romance of my grandparents era, the notebook-like stories of young love that lasts forever. am i merely glamorizing past generations? perhaps i know only what the movies show me. nevertheless, i can't even remember the last time i kissed someone sober. how wretched. 

(eisenstaedt)

p r e c i o u s

(satorialist, "on the street...very young madrid, madrid")

l i f e c r i s i s

m o t t o

f o r e v e r y o u n g

"You may think I’m small, but I have a universe inside my mind.”

-Yoko Ono

f u n k

m a r i l y n

everyone knows the famous pictures of marilyn monroe and the connotations that come along with them. the coiffed blonde hair, bright red lips, the form fitting dresses, the flowing pleated skirt, the face punctuated by her mole...we all think of her as a sex symbol, a bold and gorgeous woman proud of her plus size and sexuality, and attach her with president john f kennedy. she was an actress. a seductress. a mistress. she oozed and screamed sex.

the other day, i stumbled upon these photos of her by one of my favorite photographers: henri cartier-bresson. they are part of a series he did following the actors of "misfits" (1962) behind the scenes. in these her hair is longer and she looks more like a jackie type than the stereotypical marilyn. i fell in love with them. it completely changed the way i look at her. i found myself google image stalking her, trying to find more of this woman.

i've always loved and admired marilyn for being herself no matter what, not afraid to be sexy in a time when conservative was not only the norm but the canon, and for openly embracing her voluptuous curves. but a part of me always thought of her as "the other woman" and i couldn't get past it. i am much more of a personal person, and while that could be due to my own immaturity and naivety, part of her made me uneasy. not to mention i'm a sucker for the classic and iconic jackie o look...i'm constantly criticized for my conservative closet. classic chic is my goto, i don't do sexy well.

perhaps it's just the character and this isn't the true marilyn, but i adore her in this look. could this be norma jean baker? maybe i just didn't give her enough credit.

o b s e s s e d .

b e a t

f a s h i o n p h o t o g r a p h y

my most recent obsession is fashion photography blogs. i can't get enough of them. after paris this summer i crave and miss the bold fashion statements, heels during the day, and men who dress well... yet another reason why i am a francophile and not always the biggest fan of my own country. i love the bright photos that i wish i had the camera to replicate and the attention to detail people pass on the street every day without noticing. or maybe you think what they're wearing is nutzo and then you see it in a totally different light and it becomes art. fashion is definitely a powerful form of personal expression if you use it, its interesting to see how people present themselves to the rest of the world, those daring enough to put themselves out there. here are my most visited/faves:

the sartorialist: my go-to option. he finds the most fashionable men i've seen, loving the classic and tailored style while also following fabulous women and random trendsetters on the streets of all major cities in the world.

from fashion shows: 

(chanel) 

(haider ackermann) 

to the varied street styles of cities: 

(savannah, georgia) 

and finally, to the dapper men:

(various...)

garance doré: girlfriend to the creator of the sartorialist, a parisienne whose english translations are always just a tad off, giving the humble fashionista an even more endearing demeanor. available in french or english versions, she does great video synopses of fashion weeks and elegant drawings of the latest trends matched with the usual snapshots of styles:

jak and jil: yet another blog, similar to the sartorialist, but with more of an appreciation for the art of high fashion, more audacious choices, and intricate details: 

(dolce & gabbana spring/summer 2011: finale)

(getting dressed with anna dello russo for vogue paris ball) 

(highlights of men's fashion month: backstage john galliano)

(behind the scenes proenza schouler spring/summer 2011)

go fug yourself: the wittiest and most biting criticism of fashion i have found, these two are hilarious in their analysis of celebrities costumes, get ups, and gowns. a few personal favorites...

for the picture: 

(blake lively, forgiving my qualms with her)

for the comments: 

Fug The Fromage: The Client List (long but worth it)

and finally bill cunningham: the most precious old man writing for newyorktimes in his blog: on the street . he reminds me of the past eras i adore and my own grandfather with his humor and comments: 

"I think fashion is as vital and as interesting today as ever. I know what people with a more formal attitude mean when they say they're horrified by what they see on the street. But fashion is doing its job. It's mirroring exactly our times.

... the difference for me is I don't see the people I photograph. All I see are clothes. I'm only interested in people who look good. I'm looking for the stunners."

bill cunningham