Here are some photos that were taken at Pravda Studios for the Mario catalog back in 2006.

Lara Stone by Steven Meisel for Louis Vuitton Spring 2010.

This week’s Hot or Not: Some risqué fashion ads that somehow made their way into the media…

Joanna Krupa poses nude with a crucifex for PETA ad.

D&G’s new commercial is either about a menage-en-trois or watches.

Two model’s strip down (literally) while people watch in XOXO’s store display in NYC…

My verdict: NOT

Maybe I’m becoming a prude, but this is too much sexiness going on in just one week. Are these companies in these desperate times? There is a way to be sexy, while being classy.

What do you think?

the collaboration of Jimmy Choo with H&M has
finally seen the public eye and we take the chance
and pray for them to come our country (Greece)!
Here they are THE shoes:



So Sex & the City

And THE over the knee boot (a must have for the season)

One of the bags -is it bad if i didn't quit like
the rest of them?-
And the Ad Campain



check the prices!
The whole collection here .
(photos via fashionising.com)

i love this.

i’m sensitive to dove (yes, i break out in rash) but i love what they did here.

beauty is beauty when it’s all about who you are and who He made you to be

“whenever i don’t have to wear make-up, it’s a good day.” – cameron diaz

Let’s face it. Celebrities sell products. And that’s why the fashion and beauty world use celebrities. Because they’re beautiful and we want to be like them…They know that. They’re smart like that. So here are the “Top 10 Celebrity Fashion and Beauty Spokesmodels”. It was going to be just celebrity fashion spokesmodels, but then I started thinking of some that are in the beauty industry and this is a beauty and fashion blog anyway.

1. Nicole Kidman for Chanel

Who can forget those Chanel commercials?

2. Britney Spears for Candie’s at Kohl’s

Not only did her album, Circus, help launch her “come back” but so did these ads…

3. Christina Aguilera for Skechers

And “Xtina” helped sex up the sneaker.

4. Ashlee Simpson for Candie’s

Not only did her black hair made her stand apart from her famous older sister, Jessica Simpson, but so did her hot Candie’s ads.

5. Britney Spears for Skechers

When she was fresh and new on the scene, everybody wanted her, even Skechers.

6. Natalie Portman for Chanel

She said her “good girl” image for this ad.

7. Charlize Theron for Christian Dior

Charlize brought her sexuality to the already sexy Christian Dior ads…

8. Gwyneth Paltrow for Estée Lauder

And Gwyneth brought her natural beauty to a beauty line that already promoted natural beauty.

9. Catherine Zeta Jones for Elizabeth Arden

Her unique yet glamorous looks were perfect for the Elizabeth Arden line.

10. Ashlee Simpson for Victoria’s Secret Pink

She shocked everyone yet again with her new look (and nose) while promoting Victoria’s Secert newest line.

Hilary Duff teamed up with DKNY  to create a new

rock - chic line under the name Femme.

The collection consists of jeans, jackets,

leggings and many more.

The pieces are beautiful and easy to put on.

The Ad campain

The whole collection available here.

My favourite, the white t-shirt with

the printed chains and the silver leggings

Love how they add up with the woolen black scarf.

Circuses and circus girls have always been a part of our culture. Who knew that a fun, family festival would become such a big trend in fashion and music today? Especially with the circus girl. The circus girl is whimsical and unique. She pairs odd-matching colors with knee-high stockings, bows, and ruffles. She looks innocent but could probably breathe fire if she wanted to. Circus girls can either do acrobatics, be an assistant to a magician, ride on a unicorn, or become the ringleader. Even if you don’t know how to perform, you can strike up your own look!

Underwater circus girls…

Acrobatic circus girls…

Cirque du Soleil performer…

Pop singers Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Pink made the circus trend hot.

Taylor Momsen of Gossip Girl fame looking “circus chic” in Nylon magazine.

Image Source: Google Images

Your Look for Less from The Fashion Guru:

(All from Forever 21.)

Giraffe Tank, $15.80

Jester Lace Bubble Dress, $22.80

Black and White Bow Tie Dress, $27.80

Lace Hem Dotted Dress, $24.80

Vest Dress, $24.80

Polka Stripes Shift, $24.80

Lace Colorblock Dress, $24.80

Lily Allen is officially the face of  Chanel
Coco Cocoon handbags.

Photos taken by the magnificant Karl Lagerfeld.


The inspiration of the photoshoot?

Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Love the b/w pictures and the styling

but not so fond of the bags...

          Versace is recognized throughout the world as one of the most popular luxury fashion houses.  In fact, it just might be the most recognized name in the industry.  Its success has largely hinged on savvy marketing and advertising to help grow name recognition (Thomas, 2007).  The two ads presented above, like several other luxury brand campaigns, effectively play on the concepts of both “old luxury” and “new luxury” to maximize brand appeal.  For example, the first ad shows elegantly-dressed classic blonde beauties dripping in jewels and surrounded by old-world opulence.  Their icy stares and confident postures seem to suggest that these women are superior in every way – they represent the ultimate ideal of wealth, status, beauty and taste. 

          The second ad presents a very different view of luxury.  Here, Versace is shown not only as an opulent status symbol but as an attention-grabbing mark of sexuality and desirability.  In this ad, Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen (who seems to be a very popular choice for high fashion brands) poses much more casually while still conveying the same confidence as the previous Versace ice queens.  However, instead of an extravagant evening gown, she wears a sexy ice-blue mini dress, which she promptly sheds to reveal the bright blue Versace shoes.   Thus, the ad suggests that Versace can be used by younger, new luxury consumers to convey sex appeal and a more bold personality.  Together, these Versace ads cover a wide spectrum of female luxury buyers who might have different views of the value of luxury clothing.

Ad sources:

Testino, M. (Photographer). (2009).  Versace Spring/Summer 2009.  Milan, Italy: Gianni Versace S.p.A.  Retrieved May 1, 2009 from http://www.thatschic.net/2008/01/ss08-campaign-ads.html

Versace, D. (Creative Director). (2002). Versace.  Milan, Italy: Gianni Versace S.p.A.  Retrieved May 1, 2009 from http://traumwerk.stanford.edu:3455/michaelshanks/1238

Actually, I’ll start with the cacti problem. I suppose it’s just the one cactus, but ‘Cacti Problem’ sounds cooler (also, it could be the name of a band…). Anyway, I can’t seem to get this silly cactus to stand up straight or keep its limbs/branches intact and not falling off. It’s growing quite well, but the arms keep falling off, unable to support themselves. I just transplanted it to a bigger pot, though, so hopefully that’ll help.

Alrighty, moving on to the Read World.

News first, the topmost of that being the G-20 summit in London today. The PM announced that they’ve allotted about $1 trillion in worldwide stimulus packages, “But the funds he announced are well short of a direct injection of stimulus into the world’s economic bloodstream — the result of a continuing division between continental Europe and much of the rest of the world over whether to act now or wait see how current spending measures take effect.” NYT.

Ok, group picture, everyone!

(Gordon Brown – PM – talks to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil).
…and now a fun one! Haha.

Hmm, next up: those wacky French are up to it again, executive-kidnapping and 24-hour-hostage-detaining and… pizza-ordering? Sure, why not. But seriously: unions in France have taken to keeping their top execs locked up in the buildings for about 24 hours (against their – the execs’ – wills, of course). However, it’s ok because – as Stewart, Jon pointed out – “For every 24 hours in the office, they get 6 months of vacation.” (Either Colbert or Jon, I can’t remember…) At any rate, they were protesting over reconstruction of Catepillar’s French company. From the Times: “

The company executives, including Nicolas Polutnik, the chief executive of Caterpillar France, were subjected to a night of pounding revolutionary rock music and shouted threats, said Eric Amstutz, a spokesman in Geneva for Caterpillar’s European operations. “It was a rough situation,” Mr. Amstutz said.

The workers let one executive leave because he was sick, and they allowed security guards to deliver pizza. But the remaining four, disoriented and unable to sleep because of harassment, including threatening calls to their cellphones, endured 24 hours of confinement. Their ordeal ended only after President Nicolas Sarkozy promised Wednesday morning in a radio interview that he would meet with union members and “save the site.””

Sounds really rough. Haha. But hey, it gets the point across. (Full article here).

More protests, this time in London: against globalization (and the G-20 summit meeting). They didn’t employ traditional protest tactics; for the most part, they seemed to stick to a “hey, let’s get our pictures taken and attract attention to our cause!” sort of thing. Just how did they accomplish this?

Dressing up as a hot pink Darth Vader and Jesus in a police helmet. And you can’t protest without a symbolic “not ‘just resting’” canary.

(See the pictures & article here).

Another protest, anti-capitalism: this one employed a large Monopoly board.

AFP.

Et enfin, ex-governor of Illinois has (finally!) been indicted and, if found guilty, will be fined $4 million… and faces over 300 years in prison. Good luck with that one, Blagojevich. (By the way, he claims he’s innocent and “the victim of a political witch hunt”. Suuure. It had nothing whatsoever to do with your attempts to sell Obama’s senate seat or any of the other 15-odd charges…)

“A federal grand jury indicted the 52-year-old Democrat on 16 felony counts, including racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud, extortion conspiracy, attempted extortion and making false statements to federal agents.
Blagojevich, who claims he did nothing wrong and is a victim of a political witch-hunt, has promised to fight the charges in court and has a book contract to tell his side.
He faces more than 300 years in prison if convicted and at least $4 million (2.7 million pound) in fines, plus restitution, according to the indictment.
Blagojevich was in his second term when the state legislature kicked him out of office nine weeks ago, after his arrest in December.
He was accused of seeking cash, campaign contributions and jobs for himself and others in exchange for state appointments, state business, legislation and pension fund investments.
Among those actions were attempts to leverage his authority to appoint a U.S. senator to take over Obama’s seat after his election as president in November, U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said.” - NYT

That’ll be an uphill battle and an interesting book…

Ok, fashion time, starting out in a good way with these amazing Chanel grater booties:

Via JAK&JIL.

Adeline Rapon rocks tee + shorts + black tights, a favourite spring look of mine… (and hey, she’s 5′4″, same as me! Woo!)

Love that tee too. And the shoes.

I love this photo from Easy Fashion (en Paris):

TopShop opened in New York today. Here’s a video.

I think I just died and went to heaven. Please take me there.

And for the (fashionable) bf: TopMan.

But damn it, Crocs got a loan extension. Stupid Union Bank of California. (WWD)

Between designing and… everything else, Chloe Sevigny’s acted in a short film. Here.

Need a Special Occasion dress or just something designer? Rent it at Wear Today Gone Tomorrow. Genius.

Bravo TV has a new show… The Fashion Show. Yep, it looks as though Project Runway is officially done. Here.

Cool TopShop ad:

Love her shoes. From Lookbook.

Hair!

Vest!

O_O !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Almost too Olsen for me.

Love the vest + tights (yay no pants!)

pants.

bon nuit  

~ r

Firstly, happy Day After St. Patrick’s day! Yes, I was lazy yesterday and didn’t post – but only because I ran 8 miles (! although we stopped for ice cream at mile 4) and had family celebrations to attend to.
And hey, I started this, but didn’t finish it, so it’ll be another day delayed. Although I’ll just post it later… so there’s no point in typing this.  Oh well. (Bedtime).

And hey, it’s Thursday! My stupid quad is messed up after only a few weeks of running. Blech. OK, time to finish this silly post.

Secondly, the E-word (economy!).

Yesterday on the way to school, I was listening to NPR’s Marketplace (6:51-6:59, every day. No music for me!  ) and heard a report about a recent survey done, asking if people thought the economy was doing badly. Surprise, surprise, 97% replied that yes, it was bad.

I have to wonder about the 3% who said it wasn’t. I figure they’re either the super-rich and self-centered, the super-rich and ignorant, or the ignorant in general. (Maybe 1% from each category, or some unfortunate combination of all? Who knows.)

Next: The AIG $160 million bonuses scandal. Funny quote related to that (from the Daily Show, some random guy):

“Those guys should get the Nobel Peace Prize for EVIL.” I was laughing so hard. Another funny Daily Show quote…

Jon (to Ian McShane of NBC’s new ‘KINGS’ program): “So I rather like the idea, the US with a monarch… we’ve come quite close in the past.”

Ian: “Yes, the difference is I’m articulate.’ OOOoooooohhh! Haha. Even after he’s gone (thank god), Bush is still getting hit. Good.

Back to the economy. Yes, we all know that AIG is responsible for innumberable amounts of taxpayers’ money, and at first glance we think – espeically after receiving some $180 billion in government stimulus money – that $160 million in bonuses is ridiculous and outrageous and amazing self-centered of those AIG bastards.
But wait!
Most people don’t realize that the people who are still at AIG aren’t the criminal weasels that stole all the money, but are in fact ridiculously hardworking, honest people who are trying to straighten out the whole thing. The bonuses are for them because they’re working themselves out of a job, practically.

In good economy news (weird, right?):

“The chief executive, Edward M. Liddy, made the announcement during his testimony on Wednesday afternoon before a Congressional committee investigating the problems at the insurance giant.

“I have asked the employees of A.I.G. Financial Products to step up and do the right thing,” Mr. Liddy told lawmakers. “Specifically, I have asked those who received retention payments of $100,000 or more to return at least half of those payments.”

The A.I.G. chief said that some recipients had already offered to give up all of their bonuses, and he added later that he expected to get most of the money back.” [NYT].     So yeah. Hopefully it’ll work.

Ok, enough of that: moving on to fashion. Yay.

Valentino’s movie, ‘The Last Emperor’, hit theatres in the US yesterday. Eeeeep! While he’s officially out of fashion (although some rumors have been circulating about his contributing to the Valentino Fall 2009 line, as well as possibly designing for opera), it’s still satisfying to see him around. He’ll never – perish the thought! – be forgotten.

[Fashionologie]

Next on the agenda is Marc’s engagement… awwwww! They’re headed down to Martone’s native San Paolo to meet the ‘rents.

Marc Jacobs & Lorenzo Martone [Fabsugar.com]
Again, awwwwwwww!

Rodarte’s “first” ad campaign is out:

Ah, the diamond cut-out leggings. Mmm.
But wait! Rodarte’s had another campaign before this…

This ad ran in the Fall issue of Anthem magazine… So yeah. Just saying. [Fashionista]

Yes, we all know Jil Sander is going to lend a helping hand (so to speak) at Uniqlo.

Liya Kebede is the first model to have an exclusive in the J. Crew catalogue. Hmm.

More at FashionWeekDaily.com

Check out these amazing boots. Mmm. From Easy Fashion – something about a bomb alert. Always fun.

From AltaMira NYC. Love that scarf & bag.

And just because:
Leighton Meester’s Reebok ads. A bit random, doncha think? I mean, when have you seen her not wear heels? (This coming from me, who keeps track of celebs like she keeps track of, say, her coat which she left in the band room yesterday or her cell phone she left at home the day before). But still, I don’t think it matches her style/aesthetic/reputation. You be the judge. (Sounds like a reality TV show – You Be The Judge. Agh. Reality TV pretty much irritates the socks off me. It’s all so overdone, overacted – even though it’s reality tv – and, above all, catty. Take: ANTM, Running in Heels, American Idol, umm… I’m running out of reality shows… even those home makeover shows can get catty. i.e.: “Oh my gawwwd, that designer lady is sooo pushy and SUCH a b*&(@!’”, etc. I don’t know if it’s just me, but it seems like the quality of TV has really degraded over time. Although if you love all things British – particularly satirical, sarcastic comedies involving one ever-drunk Irishman who hates his book shop and his “barely humanoid, milk-fed gimp” shop assistant, Manny, equally, and puts up with his friend Fran. It’s hilarious. Sadly, it died in 2006 and there were only 18 episodes ever made. *sigh*. All good things must come to an end, I suppose. Anyway.)

(Oh, that show is called Black Books, which I only just realised I forgot to put in that whole little rant. Ok, back to fashiony things.)

Where was I? Oh yes, Leighton and her (infamous?) Reebok ad.

via Fabsugar.com.

One of the top models this season, Anja Rubik, seems capable of pulling off anything – this goes from $20,000 dresses to…
a jeweled skeleton hand?

Also via Fabsugar, which has had some cool RSS feeds popping up. Agh, I have over 300 to check up on when I got back from my run… I admit I skimmed.

Haha, this is so long. Maybe you need a break.

*cheesy-60’s-organ-music-filled- INTERMISSION, Holy Grail-style*

Roight, that’s enough of that. Entirely too much silliness. (If you haven’t watched Monty Python, you haven’t lived. See immediately:

Airplane Pilots (in the How To Irritate People episode). Oh wait, why don’t I just stick it in here? Lovely thing, the internet.

The Spanish Inquisition

Cheese Shop

Exploding Penguin

Ah, Monty Python. (Haha, I definitely typed ‘Pythong’ the first time. Skill.)

Well, this is dragging out a bit. Pardon-moi pendant je mange le diner. Yum.

*another Monty Python-style INTERMISSION*

Yumm, pasta is good. OK, I’ll wrap this up pretty soon. But first, some cool plant architecture:

Cubist flowers at the New York Botanical Garden, courtesy of TheMoment.

…and a bit of controversial (so what else is new?) Lady Gaga style. But this time, it’s not for indecency:

“The pop sensation Lady GaGa may have just started her “Fame Ball” tour, but we’ve already got a case of fashion plagiarism on our hands. We’ve known about her penchant for wearing big-shouldered blazers with no pants — à la Maison Martin Margiela — but this latest bubbly ensemble is nearly identical to a Hussein Chalayan number from a few years back. Check out GaGa’s outfit and then take a look at the original from Chalayan’s Spring 2007 runway show. Maybe she banks on the fact that her fan base doesn’t keep up with fashion the way we do. But if GaGa, who says she takes her fashion cues from nobody but herself, is going to wax poetic about being an “artist” in a sea of pop drones, we couldn’t help but burst her bubble.”  - TheMoment

Hmm, can I scrounge up anything else?

I’m sure I could, but I’ve got history and AmLit to do, so… ciao!

~ r

I’m a firm believer in expressing oneself through fashion and, admittedly, I frequently indulge in expensive clothing and accessories.

I’m also passionate about photography and appreciate that nudity can be artistic.

However, I am often disheartened by fashion advertising.

Today while flipping through last Sunday’s The New York Times Style Magazine (because my hellish schedule doesn’t permit me to read it on Sunday, or even blog as much as I’d like), I noticed a Cesare Paciotti ad. I thought it was a bit gratuitously oversexed for a shoe ad, but didn’t take it too seriously. I then Googled Paciotti just to look at his latest collection.

Some of Paciotti’s ads are the most misogynistic I’ve ever seen. Don’t get me wrong, his shoes are gorgeous, but his manner of selling them is upsetting to say the least.

My observation is that nearly every photo containing a woman shows her nude, in a vulnerable or highly sexual position and the shoe or purse being advertised is understated or hardly noticeable.

However, almost every photo containing a man shows him fully clothed, sitting with his legs crossed and the shoes in plain sight.

Don’t believe me? See for yourself.

Who would have thought… Couture + Lego?  Lanvin, that’s who.  Check out their new ad campaign inspired by Lego and Pacman made by Hartland Villa, a French Production Agency.

It’s sure to please the couturier in all of us.  Throw in a commodore64 or a Sega system, and they’ll win the hearts of 80’s babies all around the world!

Oh yes, this former Baywatch tart babe is still getting work, and great work at that!  Check out her new campaign with the divine Vivienne Westwood and her partner Andreas Kronthaler.  The unusually perfect match sure don’t disappoint!  These ladies know how to stir the pot and have fun doing it.

2009 Vivienne Westwood Campaign

2009 Vivienne Westwood Campaign

           A quick review of some of Hermes’ past ad campaigns reveals that the company tries to evoke a similar mood and theme throughout many of its print ads.  In particular, many ads use strange, vast landscapes highlighted by exotic animals like elephants, wild ponies and water buffalo.  Hermes’ richly colored fine apparel, scarves and handbags visibly contrast with these rugged environments, and seem to bring culture and refinement to stark areas of the world.  In the most recent campaign, a mountainous wintry landscape and oxen contrast with the red and golden hues of Hermes’ new line.  In one scene, an ox is weighed down by a large load of bright orange Hermes luggage, because apparently wealthy people need to travel with the best that money can buy even on mountain treks.  This suggestion is repeated in the following ads, where we see an impeccably-dressed man leading another weighed-down ox through the mountainous terrain, and a laundry line of Hermes’ scarves hung like flags to symbolize the superiority and refinement of these fashionable travelers to the rest of the world.  Although these ads are visually quite stunning, the suggestion that wealthy people travel in this manner is absolutely ridiculous.

Ad source:

Valli, E. (Photographer). (2008). An Indian winter [Ad campaign].  Paris: The Hermes Group.  Retrieved May 2, 2009 from http://www.hautfashion.com/fashion-ads/herm-s-fallwinter-200809-ad-campaign