Crystalline Chanel

The Chanel Autumn Winter 2012 presents itself like a civilization from a medieval fantasy world where the icy winter is eternal and beautiful in a dark way. With a sparkling crystal palace that can compete with the Louis Vuitton 2012 Fall runway show's locomotive, Chanel's inspires adoration from me. Karl Lagerfeld capitalized on his collection's prime elements of crystals, minerals & sparkles by implementing it on every piece of the collection. The general materials/fabric of the shoes look raw but not unrefined to complement the crystals that appear to be freshly extracted from a mystical cavern. That grants the shoes a more edgy look but the femininity is still retained with the perspex heel shaped in the likeness of a cluster of protruding crystals. 

All photos are courtesy of fashionising.com

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Cotton Candy Mules From Louis Vuitton

The Louis Vuitton Spring Summer 2012 Pale Wonderland.  

Plenty of prettiness and showmanship was displayed by the Louis Vuitton camp in a runway show with a fairy-tale flavor. A kind of fairy-tale that involves a pure white carousel with white prancing horses bearing innocent dolls and set in the cooling streets of Paris. This magical collection, just like Prada's Spring Summer 2012 collection, had strong hints of the 1950s era.

The shoe designs were extremely feminine and dainty but yet avoids being too girly girl.

The delicate color palette of candy pinks, yellow and pale blue highlighted with icy whites and silver were perfect for the season. It's sweet but light like cotton candy. The details of the shoes (buttons, white highlights, etc) were intricate and clean but again remained light. 

The mule isn't a favorite design of mine but I have to make an exception for these were executed elegantly. Most mule designs came across to me as being sloppy looking because of the way it tends to make women walk. That is rather strange, seeing as the mule is suppose to be excessive luxury for the mule implies that a person who owns one, normally means they have the luxury of owning other shoes. Maybe it was toe caps that elevate the Louis Vuitton mule to make an otherwise lazy slipper to classy shoe with a tad bit of cuteness it in.

“It was like a big fashion wedding cake with all those clean, pale colours,” Alexandra Schulman

Photos are courtesy of thesartorialist.com, style.com & lvmh.com
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Natalia Vodianova & Michael Fassbender For Vogue

The sight of Michael Fassbender suited up and snuffing the life out of nazis in the movie X-Men First Class was an absolute re-ignition of my fascination with the 60s. I was immensely pleased with the movie even before it got to the middle of the plot, just because of the styling of the outfits and setting of the movie. While I do believe a worthwhile movie has a compelling good story-line and stunning visuals,  I always feel that a movie is still first and foremost a visual treat. So, if the story-line is going to be less than impressive then it has to at least be intriguing to the eye. Fortunately for me, the X-Men First Class had both!

I think that Michael Fassbender does add to the visual treat of the movie as he does have a suave but yet has an intense aura underneath. It only seems natural that it is applied into this editorial and resulting with a theatrical quality to it. The outfits worn by the exquisite Natalia Vodianova befits a futuristic utopian that does bear contemplation of the 1920s which is something I seem to favor of recent - the imagined future of the generations before. On the point of shoes though, there seem to be features of boots with form extensions that are simple but are amazing. Pay extra attention to the Balenciaga and Givenchy boots. 


Modern Times by Craig McDean

for

Vogue US

All photos are courtesy of fashionising.com
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Louis Vuitton's Eccentric Traveller

 

 As of now, there are two fashion houses that have really impressed me with their presentations of their respective fall collection. One is Chanel and the other Louis Vuitton. The latter has always struck me as a more retail designer brand because of their blatant use of the brand logo at every opportunity they get and as a result never regarded Louis Vuitton as exciting. But, ever since the their earlier 50s retro themed collection, I understood why they stood as one of the most successful in the industry.

Now, the Louis Vuitton 2012 A/W collection.

The hiss of steam in the night of Paris, followed by the entry of a locomotive and the accompanying porter of the aristocratic woman set the mood for the Louis Vuitton's magical fall collection. I can sense the 1910s era in the collection, so the shoe collection has a very vintage but luxurious feel to them. Louis Vuitton's shoes radiate an eccentric but a colorful ladylike aura with the use of ostrich leather, horse hair, jeweled buttons and huge platforms. I must admire how the addition of the perspex heels have not taken away the vintage magical feel from the collection but rather has complemented it. My favorite designs are the black brogue cum loafer, the orange brogue and the horse hair brogue.

All photos are courtesy of fashionising.com
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Martin Solveig, Dragonette & Jean Paul Gaultier Song

Martin Solveig's music is ideal for a funky day and the videos are always interesting to watch because of he's always in it as a comical character. Released back in 2009, this video has Martin Solveig chasing and dancing with Martina Sorbara of Dragonette in Jean-Paul Gaultier's store in Vivienne, Paris. Chic clothing and a catchy beat all in this music video titled "Boys & Girls". I never realized Jean-Paul Gaultier was in the music video until recently! Blur much.

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Colorful Shoes On The Street

 The street fashion photographer's job seems like a dream occupation but only when is so if in the ideal setting where there are actual stylish objects/subject to capture on camera - not likely to happen where I am unfortunately. This is best displayed by Scott Schuman (The Sartorialist) and Tommy Ton (Jak&Jil) who are 2 photographers that are the most popular among their peers. Also, 2 of whom I constantly stalk for their portfolios of street action on their websites to gain inspiration.

Nothing beats seeing real shoes in action. A shoe on its own no matter how stupendous the design will never have its beauty fully realized without the presence of the wearer. The choice of outfit and the bearing/gait of the wearer can change the perception of the shoe. It is also through these real life photos, one can possibly gauge a shoe's true wearable value. 

I was in the mood for pastel & neon colors. But along the way, opted to include anything with colors that pop.  

 

 

Photos are courtesy of thesartorialist.com & jakandjil.com

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Chanel Has Keira Leather-ly

I was re-editing my posts on leather jackets and decided to re-post this video separately.

It's a 2011 Chanel advertisement for the Coco Mademoiselle perfume starring a mysterious Keira Knightely being dare-devilish on her motorbike, then frolicking with a photographer and finally rides into the sunset. Just watch it, its a visual treat.

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That Shoe Is For Dinner, Man

The man's loafer is a shoe that isn't well understood in my part of the region. It's always associated with the sloppy or the 'fuzzy uncle' when especially it is the simple classic design. But I can't blame for the stigma that has stuck itself on the loafer because the available designs for the common masses isn't very inspiring either. 

Many aren't aware that a chic pair of loafers represents effortless elegance. But much like the rest of the men's fashion, it was left to neglect. The essence of the loafer is very much like the man's suit, where the cutting and the fit is the essential factor. Fortunately, now there are attempts of various brands and designers to refresh the look of the loafer with added adornments and colors but while I'd fancy some of them, I still feel that the spirit of the loafer is one that has to be more indifferent.

J.M Weston collaborates with Maison Kitsune to create The New Yorker. 

Elegance with a touch of nonchalance. The main inspiration of the shoe is the black dinner suit.

black tie (redirected from dinner suit)

n

1.  Semi-formal evening wear typically for men, usually requiring a tuxedo. 

In this shoe, French shoemaker, J.M. Weston forgoes their traditional Goodyear stitching in its loafers for the Blake stitching. This gives a more flexible and relaxed shoe. Usage of materials included combining smooth, almost glazed calfskin and grainy black calfskin whose sheen recalls the caviar-like grain of shagreen. 

Much like the suit, it's all about achieving that natural elegance and to complete it, the loafer is completely dyed in black - inside & outside.

All photos are courtesy of kitsune.fr

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The Yves of Metal

Gold, silver, chrome or bronze.

The metallic palette if applied properly always adds a touch of class to a pair of shoes. An upgrade in perception I'd call it. The glint of that shiny metal is something I favor in shoes. However, it shouldn't overwhelm the design of the shoes instead just enough to imbue that flavor of glamor.

Enter the Yves Saint Laurent Spring/Summer 2012 runway. 

Personally, I didn't find the YSL A/W 2012 as visually exciting as the YSL S/S 2012 - shoe wise that is. The shoes for the collection were armored in gold plated metals. Under the 'armor' were clean and classic designs, giving its golden armor a greater emphasis.  Among the more simple/tame designs, there are designs that presents themselves more like a mace but where there should be the spikes of death, there are diamonds of opulence. 

A collection suited for the modern warrior princess.
 

All photos are courtesy of vogue.com.uk

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Cut & Paste The 60s Groupie

I have an imagined nostalgia towards the 60s. 

Imagined nostalgia because that's the only thing an individual born way after that decade can do. In this imagined nostalgia, is content curated through available means like pictorial books depicting the lifestyle of the 60s, second hand experiences from the parents, retro movies, etc. So yes, I may have a theatrical view of it but leave it be! 

The retro groupie. 

Now, cue in four smartly dressed blokes from Liverpool singing "Can't Buy Me Love" to a legion of screaming fans who are craving for just a look from one of their idols. That is the exact emotion this editorials intends to channel through model, Tati Cotliar. And she delivers it well by posing in modern designer pieces alongside the retro photos of other screaming music fans. The black & white setting of the editorial allows the focus to be on the details of the outfit and also on the emotions portrayed by Tati Cotliar. But most importantly, it gives a real stillness or suspension of time within the photos. 

Baby It's You by Benny Horne

for

Oyster Magazine

All photos are courtesy of oystermag.com

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