Whatever Wednesday: Lagerfield, Missy Rayder, Stacy Lomann and more...

Karl Lagerfield

I've mentioned before that I am not a huge fan of some of the things that come out of Lagerfield's mouth, but there is no denying the man is talented.  The European House of Photography in Paris is currently hosting an exhibition of his photography. "Karl Lagerfeld, parcours de travail" is being billed as the largest exhibit ever of his work: over 300 of his shots are being shown.  More information on the exhibit, which runs through October 31st, can be found here.  I'd love to see this in person.

     

Growing Blogger Influence

There is a nice piece on the ever-growing influence of fashion bloggers in Reuters today.  Reporter Michelle Nichols focuses on New York Fashion Week and the significant increase in online media coverage resulting from the changing blogosphere. 

Colleen Sherin, Saks Fifth Avenue fashion market director, is quoted in the piece: 

“We do pay attention to it … It’s important to be aware of what they are blogging about and what’s inspiring them.  Some of the things we might have been seeing on the street are perhaps now brought to us by the Internet.”

Check out the rest here.

Off the Runway

Except for this post about Tom Ford's new collection, I have stayed away from New York fashion Week coverage on my blog.  There is so much great coverage out there already, I don't feel the need to rehash here.  I AM going to post two quick tidbits, though.  

1. I can't stop staring at this Vera Wang dress.  LOVE the color and LOVE the design.  Gorgeous.
   
   
2. The Huffington Post published this great video interview with designer Stacy Lomann.  She discusses her new line and how she used crowdfunding to raise her funds and get it off the ground.
   
   
   

Guess the Mystery Model

Can you tell who the latest model for trendy Italian clothing line Fornarina is?  Truthfully, I found her quite unrecognizable!

Finally, a couple of doses of inspiration

I am still on my boot kick from the guest post yesterday.  Boots... I love boots.  Missy Rayder for Beyman:

Photoshoot Details:

Beymen Fall 2010/2011 Campaign

Photographer: Koray Birand
Stylist: Murat Turkili

Images courtesy of:  Fashion Gone Rogue, fashionising, The Daily Mail UK and The Associated Press

Chloe Sevigny (NSFW) for Purple Fashion FW 2010

I don't get it.

Nothing about this shot is attractive to me.  OK, so Chloe Sevigny is naked.  She has a veil covering her head and she has on some killer thigh high boots. 

Don't get me wrong - I am all about celebrating the beauty of the female form.  And Chloe is striking.

But I just don't understand this.  To me, the shot screams S&M and female oppression all at the same time.  Why?  Shock value? 

Discuss.

Photoshoot Details:

Purple Fashion Magazine, Fall/Winter 2010

Photographer: Terry Richardson

Outtakes: Christina Hendricks for London Fog

The people behind London Fog recently shared these exclusive outtake photos of Christina Hendricks from her London Fog shoot.  The photos were posted on their facebook page - here's to hoping for more!

I never get tired of her...

All images courtesy of London Fog

Daily Inspiration: Raquel Zimmerman

There is something so wrong, yet so right, about this shot.

Photoshoot Details:

Vogue Nippon, October 2010

Photographer: Mario Sorrenti

Daily Dose of Inspiration: Coco Rocha for Elle UK

I didn't think I'd like Coco Rocha as a blonde... but what's not to like?  Love the vintage sex kitten appeal of this shot!

Photoshoot Details:

Elle UK, October 2010

Photographer: David Vasiljevic

Daily Dose of Inspiration: Jacquelyn Jablonski

Love this shot, although I am not sure how I feel about the Elvira-ish streak in her hair.

Photoshoot Details:

Telegraph magazine, August 2010

Photographer: Catherine Servel

Daily Dose of Inspiration: Diana Dondoe

I love the fact they chose to shoot this image in black and white instead of color.

Photoshoot Details:

Elle Romania, September 2010

Photographer: Sylvie Malfray

Daily Dose of Inspiration: Coco Rocha

My love for all things Brian Atwood grows.  Check out the killer heels Coco is rocking in this shot!  The rest of the outfit isn't too bad either.  Great styling...

Photoshoot Details:

Vogue Mexico, September 2010
Photographer: Tesh

The Corset: The Sexiest of Sexy Shapewear

When I was growing up my mother used to horrify me with tales of the evil girdle and longline bras.  Yes, a woman wearing these would have a lovely shape, but she'd also be extremely uncomfortable after a few hours.  Especially the longline bras with their corset-like boning.  

A few times she actually tried to get me to wear something girdle-like, and I protested and ran away.  No way would she ever get me in any type of shapewear!

Fast forward to today when I am the proud owner of more than one pair of SPANX.  I love my SPANX - dresses look so much better on me with my SPANX.  Sexy.  Sleek. Ok, so maybe all shapewear isn't evil.
 

Now, we all know I am a huge fan of "Mad Men" style.  Every time I see Joan Holloway Harris on my television I find myself coveting her dresses.  To streamline and authenticate her look, costume designer Janie Bryant outfits her in the girdles and longline bras of the decade.  Christina described these bras to Esquire magazine: 

"It's like what's in a corset — it has these long strips of plastic or metal that keep everything [pauses], you know. Oh, yeah — it's super comfortable. And then the authentic stockings, with the garters, and then a slip and then our dress. From my girdle and my garters last night, I have two bruises on the top of my legs. From being in it for seventeen hours. Women did that."

No thank you!  I'd rather wear my SPANX - or one of today's corsets.

Corsets date back to the middle ages (and likely even ancient times) but gained popularity in the 1800s and during the Victorian Age.  During the Victorian Age they were worn because of the belief that females were so fragile and frail they needed some sort of stay to hold them up.  This resulted in women of all ages, even girls as young as 3 or 4, being tightlaced. The corsets were often laced so tightly that they damaged and/or rearranged internal organs, so that by the time these girls reached their teens they couldn't sit or stand without the aid of a reinforced corset.  


At the same time, the tight-lacing also resulted in difficulty breathing, which led to frequent fainting spells.  Some historians even believe that the "fainting couch" was manufactured as a direct result of this phenomena.

I bet Betty Draper doesn't know the history behind her fainting couch.

In addition to providing a 20-inch waist, a tightly-laced corset also meant a women was virtuous.  The tighter a corset, the longer it would take to get her out of her clothes.  Moving out of the Victorian Age, the focus moved to shape: the corset was able to provide the highly coveted hourglass figure.  Different incarnations of the corset have remained popular through the years for this reason.


According to Wikipedia, "shortly after the start of World War I in 1917, the U.S. War Industries Board  asked women to stop buying corsets to free up metal for war production. This step liberated some 28,000 tons of metal, enough to build two battleships.[1] The corset, which had been made using steel stays since the 1860s, further declined in popularity as women took to brassieres and girdles which also used less steel in their construction."

However, some form of the corset has remained popular since then. 

 

Photographers adore their sensuality (beware, some nudity ahead).

Mainbocher Corset. Photograph by Horst P. Horst, 1939. 

Black Corset. Photograph by Horst P. Horst, date unknown

Photograph from Ellen Von Unwerth's 'Revenge' Series

Photograph from Ellen Von Unwerth's 'Revenge' Series

Photograph from Ellen Von Unwerth's 'Revenge' Series

Photograph by Jeanloup Sieff

And some people - like Christina Hendricks - are just born to wear one.

Christina Hendricks for GQ UK

Hendricks for GQ UK

Hendricks for NY Magazine

All images from Google Images unless otherwise noted.

Daily Dose of Inspiration: Tallyta

I really, really REALLY love this Wolford bodysuit.  Really.

And the Chanel cardigan isn't too bad either!

Photoshoot Details:

Capital File Magazine, 2010 Fall Fashion Issue

Photographer: Jonathan Pushnik

Daily Dose of Inspiration: Abbey Clancy

I just love the composition of this shot:

Photoshoot Details:

LOVE Magazine, September 2010

Photographer: Alasdair McLellan

Daily Dose of Inspiration: Sophie Holmes

I want to wear this to work.  Tomorrow.  Or the first day of Fall.  Whichever comes first.

Photoshoot Details:

Koton 2010, Fall Ad Campaign

Photograher: Koray Birand

Delphine Chanéac: scene-stealer extraordinaire

Have you seen SPLICE?  The film was released in June of this year, and I finally got around to watching it this weekend.  Technically a sci-fi horror movie, it has made some waves because of its original approach in dealing with the subject of gene splicing - and the cautionary message it delivers.  The caliber of its lead actors also sets it apart from most sci-fi films: Oscar-winner Adrian Brody and Canadian actress/filmmaker Sarah Polley star.  

The plot sounds simple: two geneticists (Brody and Polley) create a human/animal hybrid named Dren.  Not all goes well and the film focuses on the repercussions of their actions.  

I would argue that the real star of the film is French actress Delphine Chanéac who plays Dren.  Chanéac steals every scene she is in.  As Dren she is feral yet childlike.  Savage yet tender. Graceful yet predatory.  Animalistic yet human. She's been in the industry since she was 15, but this is her first major Hollywood role.  It's what most would call her "breakthrough performance."

Yet it isn't simply her performance that is magnetic - her beauty is stunning.  Chanéac's natural beauty helps make Dren a character that is absolutely unforgettable.  Here she is, both as Dren, and as herself:

       
   

Beautiful, isn't she?

All images courtesy of Google images.