Follow us on instagram!

Resort 2012

Vionnet Resort 2012

my favorites

The evening-wear expert Rodolfo Paglialunga nailed it with his resort 2012 collection. Exquisite mixture of colors and impeccable designs!

Interview with Simon Alcantara

I had the fabulous opportunity to interview the amazing jewelry designer and CFDA award winner

Simon Alcantara 

Sterling Silver 3" Fringe Handwoven Oval Bangle with hinge from the Cosmic Samurai collection.  

Who's Simon Alcantara and what inspired you to become a jewelry designer?

I was a classical ballet dancer and as a teenager still on scholarship at ballet school in NYC I learned how to make earrings from a ballerina friend and I became completely obsessed with taking apart vintage necklaces and making earrings and hair ornaments from the materials.  Then I would sell them to all the ballerinas.

Who's your ideal customer?

A confident woman who does not want to look like everyone else.

What's your work process like? How do you go from inspiration to finished piece?

 It varies, but currently I start with images and words that set up a certain mood that I'm trying to convey. Then I put together a playlist of songs that helps me get into that mood aurally and I listen to it over and over and over!  Then the images of the pieces I want to create start to appear in my minds eye, I'll do a simple sketch so I don't forget it and start to create the pieces when I feel ready.   Ballet training had a huge impact on me and that's why I am extremely visual and aural.

This is my inspiration board for the Joy Collection.  All the images are from my own jewelry as well as  ballerinas that inspired me. Then in the left hand corner is a picture of me water skiing  in upstate NY and another picture at my friend's house in the South of France. 

Biggest achievement:

Learning that I am responsible for my own happiness and everyone else is responsible for their own happiness.  It's like freedom from slavery.

Greatest fashion influence?

My mother.  I grew up around a bunch of women obsessed with fashion and beauty and my mom was the one they all wanted to be like.

What advise would you give to young jewelry designers?

Be true to yourself. When designing don't over think, try not to think at all.  Creativity does not come from the same place that "mind chatter" comes from.  Creativity is your connection to your source.  Mind chatter is your ego.

A phrase you use far more often:

You can't steal my peace. I use it mostly silently of course.

A city: Paris.  I feel the most creative in Paris.

A book: Bushido by Inazo Nitobe.  It's an essay on Samurai ethics.

A quote: "From every mountainside let freedom ring" Marting Luther King Jr.

Anything else you want to share with us?

Flow as much love as you can and be present.  You never know when it's the last time you will see someone, be somewhere, hear or see something so soak up every nano second of it.

 The necklace is from Cosmic Samurai Collection. Featured in Italian Vanity Fair November 2010 and the full credits are:

Photographer, Ian Van De’ Matt: Stylist: Vava Marevicheff Ignatenko.Fox fur vest, Simonetta Ravizza: Necklace, Simon Alcantara (Cosmic Samurai Collection):Top: Dolce and Gabbana .

Website: www.simonalcantara.com

Twitter: @SIMONALCANTARA

Tumblr 

Contact: theteam@simonalcantara.com

Fashion Innovators | NET-A-PORTER.COM

What does it take to be a fashion innovator?

On my desk...

Currently on my desk...

I love collecting fashion books, and I'm always looking for new books to add to my collection! Please leave a comment with your favorite ones!

Thanks,

xo

Illustrations du Jour

Amilka 

An amazingly talented fashion illustrator from Greece

Isn't she amazing?

If you would like to see more of her work please visit her Etsy Shop

Love her Style!

Olivia Palermo

She's absolutely amazing(fashionably speaking) and with a great sense of style

Don't you think?

The Divine Mrs. V

Diana Vreeland

the epitome of a jolie laide 

Diana Vreeland was the twentieth century’s greatest arbiter of style and elegance. As fashion editor at Harpers Bazaar for twenty-five years, Editor in Chief of Vogue and creator and ambassador of fantastic exhibits at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, Diana, with her passion for living, her legendary wit and charm energized the world of style and fashion for over fifty years. Not bad for a woman who had no intention of actually working for a living, ("work? What an interesting idea.")

Diana Vreeland can be described as a wellborn social butterfly that dabbled in the world of fashion, exercising her unique ability to give the fantasy starved American woman whatever it was she wanted to see. Not born into wealth, just socially well connected, Diana was groomed by her mother to be like the women who graced the covers of the fashion magazines she came to manage. 

Born in Paris, the daughter of a Scottish farmer and an American mother, she was raised in a “between the wars” European world. “My parents spent their days having a good time,” Diana has been heard to say, “They never contributed a bloody thing and they and all their friends lived the life of Riley”.

Education for Diana and her younger sister was somewhat erratic. Rather than have Diana fail at an academically minded school, her mother sent her to various ballet schools, the first being the Michael Fokine ballet school, the only school run by an Imperial Master from Russia. “I went to dancing school and I didn’t give a damn about anything else. All I’ve ever cared about since, is movement, rhythm, being in touch and discipline. What Fokine taught. And it’s stood me in good stead all my life—it’s forever. When I discovered dancing, I learned to dream.”

 Diana Vreeland did not actually begin her formal career until sometime in her mid thirties. She was wife to an unwealthy but socially accepted handsome American banker, Reed Vreeland, and mother of two sons. Her early days were spent as part of a milieu that effortlessly blended society and artist in a whirl of activity. She was a friend to Coco Chanel, The Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Daisy Fellowes and Christian Bernard.

Most of these days were spent in designer showrooms being fitted for everything from clothing to hats and gloves.

When Reed moved the family to New York Diana continued living the way she always had until Caramel Snow, the then editor of Harpers Bazaar magazine, approached her. Snow had the uncanny ability to sniff out virgin talent and wanted Diana as Fashion Editor suggesting that she would be paid for what she was already doing.

Diana accepted the position and soon began changing the way fashion was reported to the public. Instead of simply reporting the styles and trends of fashion, Diana began to create, to motivate and popularize, certain objects, attitudes and ideas. She did this with her legendary observations, comments, wit and humour, keeping the American public, especially women, always wanting more. “The bikini is the most important invention since the atom bomb”, was one statement. “Never fear being vulgar, just boring”, was another.

Diana Vreeland had the unique ability to always think “outside the box”. Even the décor of her apartment on Park Avenue was an original. Friends with Billy Baldwin, the famous New York decorator who actually worked with her on the project, Diana said that she wanted her apartment to look like a garden in Hell. Actually it did not look like a garden in hell but it was completely decorated in lacquer reds with scarlet coloured floral wall coverings, memorabilia and books. In the center of her living room was a bright red sofa piled high with an impressive collection of cushions.

In terms of her personal style, Diana loved simple elegant clothing with splashy accessories. Exotic jewelry, hats and wonderful shoes were among her favorite fashion items. “I’d like to have on the most luxurious cashmere sweater; the most luxurious satin pants, very beautiful stockings, very beautiful shoes—marvelous shoes—and whatever would be suitable around the neck.” 

Diana Vreeland was a visionary in the world of style, elegance and fashion. “People who eat white bread have no dreams.” She was known to say. “Without emotion, there is no beauty” and “What sells is hope”. The stories she told and the tales she spun were nothing less than memorable and she is still quoted today. The American public hung on to every word and on one occasion a brave journalist asked her, “Mrs. Vreeland, is that fact or fiction?” After a small pause she replied, “It’s faction”. 

Biography Source: www.canadianinteriordesign.com

Cool Fashion Illustrations

Peggy Wolf

Peggy Wolf was born in Germany where she studied Fashion Design. During her years at the University she found out that drawing and illustrating are a bigger challenge for her than designing clothes.



In 2006 she moved to London, as she felt very inpired by the city, the people and all the designs. Since then she is creating handmade illustrations and photo collages using soft delicate colors and prints with sharp details - including natures beauties - lemons, florals and birds. Her model’s expressions have a high fashion appeal with a feminine color palette that is mix matched perfectly.

For original illustrations, commissioned work and wholesales please contact her at peggywolfdesign [!at] gmail.com

Visit her Esty shop

Little Doodles

Little Doodles

by Kate Wilson

Last weekend while browsing on Twitter for cool people to follow, I came across Kate Wilson,  I have to admit that when I saw her illustrations I fell completely in love with them, it was love at first sight (no kidding).

Little Doodles are the creations of London based illustrator Kate Wilson, 24 year old University of the Arts graduate. 
Kate immerses herself in the illustrative world of her "Little Doodles." Whether it be the clasp of a quirky handbag being sported by a fashionista on the streets to the perfect cupcake in a patisserie window, the little details that often pass people by play the biggest infleunce on Kate's work. 
Having worked for a range of clients including Marc Jacobs, Marie Claire, The Guardian and Links of London, Kate's illustrative subjects are diverse and wide ranging with nature, fashion and the cute and kitsch playing an integral part of her work. 

Source: Littledoodles 

Follow Littldoodles on Twitter

Fresh Talent from Around the World!

The latest batch of designer talent comes from around the world- Canada, USA, South Africa, Australia and Taiwan- WWD

Johan Ku

Hunter Dixon

Odilon

Kaelen

Jane Oh

N PRPA by Samantha Sleeper

Alexander Koutny

Charles Henry

Kal Rieman

Jonathan Simkhai

Iris von Arnim

Source: WWD