it's so VINTAGE

It's been a long day but I will say this...I'm obsessed with vintage clothes or at least trying to find the right ones. I got my pompadour just right today and the right suit would have pulled off my look immaculately. It's a work in process and just like the right pieces, it takes the right eye and more than enough 'free' time. I'm hopeful though (along with my desire for big, unruly hair) and I'm more than sure this look will keep coming back for more of the limelight.



Posh Vintage

  

Chie Mihara



Balenciaga Vintage Clutch





it's all in my HEAD...

This weekend I watched a few films but the one that kept my attention was Nine (2009), directed by critically acclaimed director Rob Marshall. It's a cabaret styled muscial, film and play all rolled into one - with each component deliberately aware of its extension into the other. Simply enough, the film starts off with Guido Contini (Daniel Day-Lewis) losing his mojo, his creativity and his passion for an upcoming film that he must direct in a matter of days. Not only has Contini not written a script for what could become his unraveling disaster, he must also contend with the whims of his wife Luisa (Marion Cotillard), his mistress (Penelope Cruz), his mother (Sophia Loren) and a host of reporters who all remember him more for his 'flops' rather than for his masterpieces.

What I like most about Nine is Marshall's camera work. Instead of getting lost on the beautiful and talented cast, the camera takes its viewers inside the smoldering world of Guido Contini. Contini's brain is the mise-en-scene the majority of the time. It's filled with passion, emotion and childhood nuisances. There are definitely some grey areas, but eventually each reveals a muse who explains why Contini has lost his way through a mixture of camera angles, lighting effects and flashbacks.  

Nine is all about redemption in the end. Facing divorce and the biggest failure of his career, Contini is forced to retreat from Life as it comes crashing in on all sides. All of this came too late for my taste and it all seemed rushed and out of sync. The seductive dancing seemed to occupy the majority of the film. But maybe, just maybe, that's how a man's brain really works. Either way, I understand the complexities of Contini, not only as a human being but as a haunted soul as well. Nine gets 4 stars from me. It's definitely worth watching.

HINDSIGHT is 20/20

Lorna Simpson and daughter Zora



I've admired Lorna Simpson since I was introduced to her work in one of my Art classes during undergrad at Clayton State University. Simpson's work instinctively breaks down the anatomy of the black female body (in my examples), labeling each section with a purpose or a reason for existence; similar to the way in which slave owners categorized their slaves for property appraisals. It's a practice that still digs its claws in to the 21st century. Simpson will always be relevant because she questions the necessity of labels by using them to define who we are. If that's not a stroke of genius, then I don't know what is...

ALL the world's a stage...

I was unpacking some boxes this morning and came across a few DVDs that I'd never watched before. One of them was The Reader (2008). Years ago, I read the book by Bernhard Schlink so it's comes as no amazement to me that I'd tossed the DVD in a box with countless other things that didn't quite seem important at the time. I'm not a big fan of watching films after I've read the books. Somehow the two never really seem to compliment each other but this wasn't one of those times. Directer Stephen Daldry nailed the emotion and passion written by Schlink and I, for one, was captivated.

Set is post-WWII Germany, The Reader begins with the taboo love affair of an older woman and her younger lover who abruptly part ways and are reunited years later during a trial for Nazi war crimes. My admiration of Kate Winslet (Hanna Schmitz) grows each time I watch her star in a film. It's not the dialogue this time, it's just her sheer will to express herself that stands out. Add to that the soundtrack by Nico Muhly, its stirring and oftentimes hypnotic rhythm carried the film to heights that only a young broken heart could ever dream of (mine especially). I was smitten...and that's putting it mildly.

I'm a hopeless romantic so The Reader is a keeper this time. I'm sure it won't go back into that box of unnecessary collectibles. It's a visual reminder that love, forbidden or otherwise, often stands the test of time. It is, after all, the story that we all dream of.

FIERCE!



Alexander McQueen    


I love to wear black from head to toe and I haven't been able to get away from it for years. Just glancing through the Fall/Winter collection from Alexander McQueen makes me want to add a few touches of gold to my Winter wardrobe. Gold it is!



Alexander McQueen Angel Faith Boot



Alexander McQueen Studs Leather Jacket



Alexander McQueen Flesh Lace Pump



Alexander McQueen Flesh Lace Knuckle Box Clutch



 Alexander McQueen

From PARIS with love

Sophie Griotto - Londongirl


Right now I'm heavy into illustration so it wasn't unusual for me to almost lose my breath when I came upon the work of French artist, Sophie Griotto. In my head, I could see her work framed on my walls, covering my designer purses, adorning the tshirts that I wear daily. Yes, discovering her work was just that intoxicating. Sophie Griotto is every artist's dream come true because she puts every ounce of who she is into her work. The streets of Europe are there. The strong sense of femininity is there. Her individuality is there. And of course, fashion is there. There is no denying that Griotto loves what she does...it shows.



Paris



Urban Girl



My Beach

Sophie Griotto

a girl's BEST friend

Tiffany Bezet rings stacked (Priced from $3,900)

If, in my wildest of dreams, I were stranded on a deserted island and the Fashion Fairy smiled on me, I'd only ask for one thing: a Tiffany Bezet Yellow Diamond Ring. In fact, I'd ask for a few of them. Since the days of Marilyn Monroe and her unforgettable film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), diamonds have remained at the top of every fashionable girl's wish list. And it's no wonder why: they're timeless, amazingly beautiful and they sparkle at any given angle. With all of that pizazz, what fashionista wouldn't want a glowing spotlight on her every available finger? This season, I'll tightly close my eyes and wish with all of my might for a brand new yellow diamond accessory...even if it's not from Tiffany's...


Elsa Peretti Diamonds by the Yard (Priced from $2,800)



Double Border Ring and Pendant (Priced from $6,000)



Tiffany Yellow Diamond bracelets (Price on Request)