If there are any designers who carry their own designs much better than their clients, it must be Georgina Chapman. Consistently and completely flawless. She is the absolute best representative for her line – her natural flawlessness is downright inspirational. One half of eveningwear label Marchesa, Chapman is a beautiful woman who helps other women look beautiful — not interesting or provocative or edgy, just beautiful.
The daughter of a coffee magnate, Chapman grew up in the London suburb of Richmond and studied costume design at the Wimbledon School of Art and then fashion at Chelsea College of Art and Design. After working as a actress and a model, she joined her Chelsea classmate, Keren Criag, to found the Marchese label. The company was named after Marchesa Luisa Casati, the belle-epoque Italian aristocrat known for walking the streets of Venice naked beneath her furs, with her pair of pet cheetahs on diamond leashes. “She lived such a fantastic life… She literally saw herself as a living work of art.” Chapman declared at an interview with Harper’s Bazaar. To some extent, Georgina seems to be the same way. She is a very beautiful woman, astonishingly so. Her face is very nearly perfect. What I love about her is that she isn’t afraid to be ladylike. It’s much ‘cooler’ at the moment to be undone but she works glamour in a way that is just so modern. She always manages to take complex pieces and make them seem simple and effortless.
– PL
Since we are on the subject, I decide to share some of my favorite quotes from him. They are hilarious. I like the fact that he is bold, harsh and sometimes very un-PC.
“We have no budget, we do what we want and throwing money out the window brings money back in through the front door. The bottom line is that I don’t deal with the bottom line. The luxury in my life is I never have to think about it.” (On Recession)
“In the whole world, there is nowhere I can go. Everybody has a camera, and it is flash-flash-flash, and I am a puppet, a marionette, Mickey at Disneyland for children to play with. In Japan, they touch me. I have Japanese women pinch my ass, so now I must say, ‘You can have the photo, but please don’t touch me.’ You cannot pinch the ass of a man my age!”
“I hated the company of other children. I wanted to be a grownup person, to be taken seriously. I hated the idea of childhood; I thought it was a moment of endless stupidity.”
“In summer I sleep under a white ermine cover and in winter, under sable.” (When asked what he wore in bed)
“I am never happy. Happiness scares me; then I am afraid to be less happy. Happiness is a very dangerous state of mind.”
“You eat meat and wear leather, so shut up. I have no time for this foolishness.” (On Peta)
“The moment you stop and think about your past, the magic starts to fade. Change is the healthiest way to survive.”
“Chanel is an institution, and you have to treat an institution like a whore—and then you get something out of her.”
“Yes, some people say to me you’re too skinny, but never a skinny person says that to me, only people who could lose a few pounds say that.”
“Ugh! With his big smile and gestures, he reminds me of a sales assistant in a Midwest department store – make that on the seventh floor.” (When asked what he thinks of Michael Kors)
“Oh please, how can she be in business with Gucci while posturing in this overly dramatic way? It’s deeply hypocritical of her…Everyone knows Gucci has made zillions of dollars by working with leather.” (On Stella McCartney being animal friendly)
“I have no human feelings”
(frillr)
– PL
Even in an industry full of eccentrics, Karl Lagerfeld is an icon: those omnipresent shades, leather gloves and Edwardian collars, heavily accessorized with chains and enough silver rings to do some serious damage with just a handshake. He is the man who once said at an interview with Elle, ‘It’s too easy to forgive. I love revenge.’ What could be better than an hour and a half of Karl preaching his philosophies?
Therefore, I’ve finally got the chance to watch Rodolphe Marconi’s new documentary Lagerfeld Confidential. The movie is the product of a two-year collaboration between Karl and the director, who shot more than 300 hours of footage of the designer at work and play and touted the film as a profound peek behind The Kaiser’s sunglasses.
The film turns out to be like a bunch of random Karl footage without any explanation or reflexion. It does show him doing things that regular people do, such as chow down on his version of a TV dinner: a chef-prepared meal served in his hotel room. In another scene, the 69-year-old designer joyfully tries on a gold baseball jacket at a Christian Dior boutique. Despite the sleep pacing and rambling style, there are some fascinating facets and ruthless comments of the designer which are just too good to be missed.
Contrary to popular belief, Karl does not run around Chanel screaming at people and is actually quite genial to his employees. It’s also worth noting that he refuses to travel without a pillow made by his childhood nurse. Who knew The Kaiser had a soft side for cuddling? Karl also discusses openly about his family, which would make a great soap opera. In spite of describing his childhood as perfectly normal, he calls his mother a ‘nasty’ and ‘frivolous’ woman who ‘made slaves of her lovers and husbands’ and ‘never thanked anyone’. When Karl informed his mother that he’s been sexually assaulted by a pair of adults, she replied: ‘It’s your own fault, just look at you!’ Yet, he claims to have adored her and thought ‘other mothers were stupid.’ He also talks about his sister being a lesbian and getting expelled from school for having sex with a teacher. Karl then shares his opinion on social problems such as prostitution. He remarks that prostitution is socially vital because ‘we can’t all afford mistresses… without relief, we’d all become murderers’. When comes to his living spaces, The Kaiser is just as messy as us: a mantelpiece strewn with a dozen iPods and hundreds of chunky silver rings and accessories, drawers are full of his Edwardian collars and piles of books stretch skyward like teetering Towers of Pisa. And the most hilarious quote actually comes from the Chanel bathroom, when the designer put up the sign, ‘Pissing everywhere isn’t very Chanel.’ .
(jak&jil)
– PL
Yes, after a six-week layoff, Gossip Girl is finally back! When I saw the picture of Blair in a Diane von Furstenberg ‘Sophia Loren’ dress ( which is already on my spring wish list), I was thrilled. As a devoted GG fan, actually to be precise a staunch Blair fan, I can’t wait for the clothes and the drama (chuck-Blair-Nate love triangle perhaps?)
As the conservative high society princess, Blair has a classic, preppy and polished style with a wardrobe full of structured blazers, tailored skirts and classy dresses. She is never ashamed of her quintessential upper-east-side stereotype fashion sense. Blair would never step outside with unwashed hair, wear an outfit that didn’t match, or buy anything ‘distressed’ or ‘boho chic’. And she never wears trousers. It’s all about skirts and dresses. Just like the storyline, under the veneer things are always more rocky than the Queen B lets on. Her wardrobe is an outward reflection of her dueling personalities. Thus her fiery side comes out in bright colours. No matter how subdued Blair’s outfit may be, she always incorporates a pop of colour in some way, be it a bright yellow trench coat over a navy dress or red leggings under her school uniform. No one can pull off bright headbands and tights like Blair does.
Here are a few promos from the latest episode ‘The Age of Dissonance’ and the coming episode ‘The Godfather’. I love the black Marchesa dress Blair worn to her senior class play. The black and white Nanette Lepore top and DVF sequin skirt outfit is just classic Blair at her best. The metallic Tibi dress looks adorable with her ruby lipstick. The blue coat Blair’s wearing is again from Nanette Lepore. Love the colour and she looks fierce in it. I can go on but in a word I covet her whole wardrobe.
– PL
Olivia Palermo certainly has come a long way over the past couple of years. She left that whole socialite rank mess behind her, moved out of her parents’ Upper East Side home and is currently starring in the New York Hills spin-off The City alongside Whitney Port. With her uberchic wardrobe and accessorizes, polished make-up and perfectly parted hair, Olivia is the archetypal NYC fashoinsta.
Olivia may be mean (as her ‘controversial personality’ on The City), she knows fashion. She has a refined style that is elegant, chic and timeless. She is a master at blending inexpensive pieces, high-end designer items, and vintage articles to establish her sophisticated style and keeps things interesting by trying several different shapes and lengths, rather than playing it safe in a single silhouette. Her preference for statement-making accessories is also noteworthy.
From the Diane Von Furstenberg Jacket and Yves Saint Laurent Tribute Platform Sandals she worn during DVF F/W 2010 fashion show and the Jenni Kayne blazer and vintage Hermes clutch she sported at the Run Fat boy Run premiere to the vintage diamond necklace and jeans ensemble she wore to the Vanity Fair After Party, the flying socialite managed to pull off a variety of looks.
(thesartorialist,celebrityface)
– PL
When Tommy Ton from JAK&JIL snapped Mélanie Huynh during Pairs Fashion week, I was thrilled. Half Vietnamese Mélanie is one of the dream team Vogue Pairs like Carine Roitfeld, Geraldine Saglio, Ludivine Poiblanc and Emmanuelle Alt. she is a junior editor and assistant to Carine Roitfeld. Unlike Carine’s fierce look which dabbles in extreme proportions, Mélanie’s style is like easy breezy, chic and accessible. She demonstrates a sort of restrained elegance and French-girl aptitude for looking completely comfortable and un-calculated. With Clean lines and dark palette, Mélanie often injects her look with a shot of edge, be it a shiny pattern skirt or mad oversized puffy, and she results in an effortlessly chic look.
What I admire most about Mélanie is that she is the most stylish girl ever with a baby bump. She translated to pregnancy style so well, without losing her personal style yet breaking some of the fashion rules. She often wore structured jackets which helped balance out the tight dresses that show off her belly. It’s a great way to downplay but still accommodate her changing form. She managed to strike a nice balance of being body conscious but also chic. She simply made pregnancy look so easy. Now she has delivered her baby and is back in the fashion scene. I’m eager to see how her style will change based on her new role as a mother.
(style, jak&jil)
– PL
Spotted Anna Dello Russo, Fashion Director at Large & Creative Consultant from Vogue Nippon, at Moschino fashion show in Dolce & Gabbana S/S 09 dress and YSL Trib Two Platform boots. If anyone still keeps the tradition of dressing up for fashion week, it’s Anna. Regularly being shot by fashion photographers such as Scott Schumann from The Sartorialist, Anna is famous for dressing straight in looks from the runway. She’s one of those rare women who have the wardrobe of signature pieces that make people’s heads turn as well as the figure to complete the looks. This might sound incredibly un-PC but Anna seems like an Italian fashion mafia. She is devastatingly chic. There’s something very Carrie Bradshaw about her style. She doesn’t simply wear clothes, she exudes an image and projects ideas.
Praised by fashionistas around the world as the second to the throne (the first obviously being La Carine Roitfeld), Anna loves to wear evening outfits in the sunlight and has a serious weakness in jewelry. She has two apartments, one for her and one for her clothes. She also owns around 4,000 pairs of shoes. You have to admire her passion for fashion and the fact that she’s not afraid to take risks. Despite the recession hitting the fashion industry, Anna is as glamorous and extravagant as ever.
(thesartorialist & altamiranyc)
– PL
Here’s my delayed post on the off-runway scene of London Fashion Week. I just had time to edit all the pictures.
At LFW, the off-runway scene is never to miss. Editors, models, celebrities and even fashion bloggers all came out in force with their individual look that truly embrace the eccentric British style. I was hanging around the Topshop venue with my friend Holly who snapped some of the most famous showgoers at LWF.
We were lucky enough to catch Kate Lanphear in action. The style director at the US Elle is the woman who is held responsible for the stacked bracelet trend. Her love for heavy metal has spawned a cult following of fashionistas all over the world. I wish we had taken a close-up of her bracelets. The spikes on them are frightening yet wonderful.
Daisy Lowe, the official LFW ‘it’ girl and current muse of Vivienne Westwood, was rushing to the Topshop Unique show in a sunshine yellow maxi dress.
Also spotted was Susie Bubble, the girl behind the phenomenal fashion blog Style Bubble. In her trademark kooky look, she described her dress as ‘an awkward length yet pretty.’ 
(Photographed by Holly Luckwell)
– PL
OK, so we all know it, we all love it…
Yes, I’m talking about Slumdog Millionaire. When I saw Freida Pinto at the Oscars (unfortunately not in person) in brilliant blue John Galliano, I got uplifted all over again…
A boy from the slums knows the answer to every question and wins 20 Million Rubies. A great story and a great surprise: produced on a much smaller budget than current blockbusters and hitting the jackpot at international film awards. What fascinates us so much about this movie? Why is it so uplifting?
First of all, it has the charm of a beautiful fairy tale. Jamal grows up in the slums of Mumbai and his life is marked by violent and traumatic experiences. Director Danny Boyle creates very intense images that can be fully felt by the audience. We suffer, we laugh and we love. The film guides us through colourful vivid India showing breathtaking scenes of joy as well as violence. We sprint with kids through jammed streets and alleys, are enchanted by colours, music and costumes and share the pain of the characters in the film.
The movie also promises a reward in life. In case you’ve forgotten, the film opens with: How did Jamal do it? A. He was lucky, B. He knew the answers, C. He cheated, or D. It’s written. It seems to be fate that all his life experiences give the answers to the questions of ‘Who Wants to Be A Millionaire?’ (followed by millions of Indians and seen as a way out of poverty and misery). Jamal’s sufferings and goodness are rewarded. He deserves his prize. It’s fate. It makes us think about justice in life and we hope there will a reward at the end. What will be our prize?
But there’s more to this story. It’s not only about the reward in life… it’s also about living to the full, seeing the beauty of life. It’s a call for us to keep being adventurous, use all our senses and keep the faith. Isn’t that just what we need in the current gloom? Life is a gift. So let’s live our path of life to the full, with its ups and downs, joy and sadness, kindness and cruelty. Because it’s written.
P.S. On a lighter note, FP is apparently set to become the new face of Estee Lauder… – AH
(Getty Images)
(Just Jared)
(indiaeventcalendar.wordpress.com)
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