lg fashion week

So this year I decided to go and volunteer for Lg Fashion Week. I am so excited! I was assigned to work in the fasion environment, whatever that means. But anyways, I am super excited and I just know that it will be an experience that I'll remember.

First day is on Sunday for the late shift. They told us to wear black bottoms and black shoes (well she said try to make them as black as possible) and then they give us an oversized dress shirt that has the company sponsoring the event.... makes me feel a bit like a walking ad whore but I guess they got to get things out somehow and what better way than have dozens of walking billboards...

Oh, and if you get a chance, come and check out some of the shows, or buy a ticket for one of the parties (yup they sell tickets to the parties). I'll let you know how everything goes and maybe even sneak a couple of pics to show what it's like in for the volunteers.

Wish me luck.

victory...

Remember how a few weeks ago I mentioned the crazy awesome website lookbook.nu and how I was finding it impossible to be invited or be accepted to join?

Well... I (and by I, I actually mean Kiley helped me so much, so we) got on. It sounds silly and vain and all sorts of things I'm not, but the idea of the website intrigued me. Someone sitting on their computer, laptop or whatever and judging your style and the way you interpret fashion is crazy, yet at the same time being apart of something that seems so exclusive, feels kind of weird. Can someone please explain that to me, wanting to be apart of something that clearly isn't just.

Not only does lookbook want to be exclusive in who they let in (and who the existing members invite) they also have a set of rules that you have to follow in order to be considered. You have to take your pictures a certain way (full body, from the knees up or from the neck down) and they cannot be photoshopped to hell.

I really do like finally being apart of lookbook and I am thoroughly enjoying the whole idea of commenting and hyping and what have you, but the concept of the site, and when considering it in a broader concept, (or someone who has never heard of the site interprets it) the idea is very superficial and almost seems like a way to create a fashion hierarchy within the site. The creators of lookbook decide who gets let in and whether your picture remains up (if they don't like it or you don't follow their rules you run the risk of having your photo taken down).

Would lookbook have the same appeal if anyone could post pictures of their personal style and hype the looks they liked? Probably not. Yeah sure, it could possibly open up a door for a person that was not previously interested in fashion but at what cost? Would there be people who posted pictures that showed a disinterest in fashion and thought pictures of skimpy-spaghetti-strapped-barely-there dresses paired with plastic platform heels were acceptable outfits to demonstrate great street fashion (well I guess it is street fashion but not the kind that we want). The site, was after all inspired by websites such as The Sartorialist, and if Scott Schuman has standards well then...

The site is about showcasing some sort of fashion sense or even an innovative and interesting way of wearing clothing. But who am I to decide who is trying to be innovative and interesting with their wardrobe.... Wow this is hard to say without sounding like a bitch.... but anyways, I get why they have rules and standards but I just wanted to get it out that it's a bit vain.... can you tell I'm torn.

I guess in the end it's all in good fun and shouldn't be analyzed as anything further than a website based around youth culture and their desire to fit in yet at the same time be different.... a way for people to show the world what they are trying to be.... and finally a spot where you have an opinion in the fashion world, a place where you can see the results of liking an outfit and a place where you have a voice about what you think is 'hot or not'.

the september issue

Well first off, I'm going to say that I was pleasantly surprised to find that this documentary was not at all what I thought it would be. I'm not exactly sure what I thought was going to happen but what did was a nice surprise. I know that it takes a lot of people and a lot of time and effort to put together a magazine but I had no real grasp on the whole idea until watching this film. There are so many more things going into Vogue then the latest trends and shows. It's a story told through clothing, accessories and scenery. It's amazing to watch it all come together and be able to see the final product.

Not to mention that I love the divine Ms. Anna Wintour a little bit more after this. She works so hard and really loves what she does.

As for Grace (yup, Grace Coddington and I are on a first name basis) is amazing in this. She's such a fighter and I love it (and her). Everyone else kind of let's Anna run shiz but not Grace, if she thinks Anna's wrong she lets her know.

I had one question though, why was there not more Andre Leon Talley. I know he's kind of crazy and over the top (which is why people love him) but really, why is he not in it more.

Go out, rent it, buy it, do whatever, but make sure you watch it at some point. It's super good and really gives you insight on all the effort that goes into making this iconic magazine.

the dean and dan show

The two Canadian designers, Dean and Dan, of Dsquared have risen in the crazy world of women's fashion since their debut showing in 2004. They are always doing something new and innovating that manages to capture the eyes of fashion-a-holics and Joe Blow down the street, when they had Rihanna going down the runway, you tell me half the world did not know about it (their marketability is so incredibly amazing to me).

Their recent fall/winter showing was no different than any other, in that it was AMAZING! It was leather, red, fur and fierceness all wrapped up into one. Their clothing is always very edgy and aggressive but somehow they put it all together and are still able to make their line very wearable. Although there were a couple of pieces that I thought to myself, "when the hell would someone wear that?" but with a beautiful design and and great fabric who wouldn't want to wear it (or at least try).

When would this be worn,I don't know but isn't it crazy?

The thigh high (and I mean literally upper thigh length boots.... no exaggeration) were incredible and seemed like something that a stylish dominatrix would wear. They were high and gave the illusion that the models were nine feet tall. While we're on the topic of the heel height, I have to tell you about the heel itself. It was so crazy, it was white and looked like it was a curly/wavy stem. I have no idea how those girls managed to stand, let alone walk in them. I am by no means a "heel" person but for some reason, these heels spoke to me and said, "Venetia, buy me". If I could afford these beauties, I would for sure pick them up.

And the amazing brown fur coat that they paired with the delightfully bright red strapless mid thigh length dress was superb. It was just so big and with an outrageously large collar that you couldn't help but love it. I'm sure Ms. Wintour loved it as well, and not just because it was fur people but also for the great shape and fit.

They also showed THE cutest little black gloves imaginable. They were cropped gloves (I have no other idea about how to describe them) and it looked like there was some sort of little bow on them, cute right?

Check the gloves

O000, and the cropped grey pants that they paired with the sequined bow tie were masculine with a feminine twist all at the same time. Loved it!

If you get a minute check out the show on their website here.

guido's cinema italiano

Nine, the broadway musical that has recently been made into a movie is FANTASTIC! The acting, the singing, the songs and best of all the costumes were right on point with the glamorous lifestyle of Guido Contini (played by the always great Daniel Day Lewis). It's not a wonder why the film was nominated for best costume design in a motion picture.

The film alternates between dialogue in the "real life" and the singing and dancing world where characters are able to express themselves to the audience without the knowledge of other characters. Both worlds show very different costumes ideas but are equally fabulous.

The real world is full of 60's inspired clothing. The suits that Guido wears are great in showing European fashion, from the tailored jacket and slacks that hit just below the ankle with pointy leather shoes, all in black, with a gorgeous (and probably cotton) dress shirt and black tie that hits just above the belt and is a square cut finish. All of which is topped off by one of his many italian-esque hats and a pair of what look to be rayban wayfarers. His character is just oozing with effortless cool and I loved every moment of it.

Then there's the women of guido's life, his mama, his wife Louisa, his mistress Carla and the countless others that he cannot live without.

Marion Cotillard plays Guido's wife and I think she is one of THE best outfitted characters in the film. Her style is simple and tasteful, with her simple black dresses, pinned back hair and her effortlessness of it all are very parisian in style (go figure her character was raised in Paris).

Judi Dench's character plays the costume designer for Guido's films (if you're confused read the synopsis here). The countless outfits that her character makes, range from being extravagant and vegas showgirl like the sequiny feathered number to a long creme colored gown that she designs for Nicole Kidman's character.

Top all of the outfits off with a coffee and a cigarette hanging out of EVERYONE's mouth and you got Europe.

This movie was so good, and I am trying to get everyone I know to watch it. So if there's anyone out there who have not seen it yet, go, check it out. You'll love the "glamorously Latin world that only Guido can portray"

burberry... yes please

I absolutely love men's fashion, the cut of the clothing, the style and the masculinity (and sometimes feminine flair) drive me crazy, in a good way of course. My taste in men's fashion ranges from the clothing over at The Row and Rag & Bone to that of Dior Homme (at it's height with Hedi Slimane), Marc by Marc Jacobs and last but certainly not least there is Burberry.

Christopher Bailey, creative director of the Burberry Prorsum line, never lets a men's fashion lover down. From the coats to the fabulous mid calf lace up boots, the entire collection for the fall/winter 2010 season was fantastic.

Ever since Christopher Bailey's first show for Burberry, he has been praised for his innovation of their signature piece, the trench. He is able to give a modern twist to this classic yet still keep the long standing tradition of great traditional style that Burberry lovers adore. The military inspired greenish knee length coat was gorgeous. The oversized collar and intricate detailing on the buttons were nice added touches to the slim cut jacket. Then there was of course the navy blue double breasted jacket that had the embellishment around the cuffs, I am not really a fan of a lot of shiny additions to men's clothing but this coat is so simple in design that the gold circles spruce up the coat and add a certain je ne sais quoi to it. Bailey kept with similar colors for the many of the jackets and choosing to pair them with the fur lined leather boots gave us a ready to deal with the cold in style feel.

Many of the outfits modeled showed these great slacks...

They seemed perfect for everyday and were just tight enough to create shape and show a great leg line (I hate when pants are so baggy you don't know where a persons butt and legs start and finish). They were done in a great dark grey fabric with a pleat down the front and looked comfortable and moveable. There were also many different styles of jean shirts. I noticed that over the last year jean shirts have been really making a comeback (apart of me misses the good ol' days of jean everything... jean shirts, jean jackets, jean, jean, jean, love it!) and the trend keeps on with this season. There was both a dark wash and lighter wash shown at the show (both buttoned up to the very first button) that made the look very casual and stylish.

And then there were the many belted trenches...

Finally it's time to discuss the boots. They looked great and seem like they can be paired with many different outfits which is always great. They appeared in both black and brown leather and laced up only half way. Yeah I know, mid calf boots that only lace up half way do sound a little too feminine for a man to wear without looking like he's borrowed a pair of his girlfriends shoes (don't get me wrong I love when guys wear women inspired clothing and vice versa for the girls but shoes is where I draw the line for guys). But take a look...

All images are from outside sources

Bailey is able to give them a trench/military vibe that makes them oh-so masculine. It was great the way he made the top part looser as they got closer up to the calf so that pants were able to be tucked in and to showcase them.

Great show, great models and fantastic clothing. What's more to love about the Fall/Winter 2010 Burberry Prorsum show?

the quest

The awesomeness that is the website Lookbook.nu is a great place to showcase your own personal style and see the fabulous style of others all the while being able to comment and "hype" the looks that you like. Unfortunately you can only do one of those things if you are not priveed to being a member. For the people out there reading this in complete confusion: lookbook only allows members to show their outfits and comment (well you can also apparently comment via facebook... but that doesn't mean you are a member).

Hey lookbook let me in! (photo that was obviously on lookbook.nu)

SO you think, well easy, just sign up. No folks, unfortunately that is not how things work in that community. For you to become a member you must a. be invited by a current member or b. apply.

Let me tell you, I applied and still no answer. Is my style not what the people at lookbook want? I'm not sure, but I like to think that fashion is about personal expression and trying new and interesting things with your wardrobe and that's what I'm hoping they think at lookbook as well.

I desperately want to join and become a member. Why you might ask would someone put themselves through the hassle of applying? Well because being able to show my style and comment and hype and stuff on people's outfits seems pretty cool. Letting someone else know that you dig what they're doing is nice and gives you a way to express your opinion. Do we not compliment our friends on their new haircuts or cute new shirt? Well it's the same thing but on a different level.

I guess I could just give up wanting and wait and see what happens with my application. But you see that's not me. Let me put it differently, it's like when someone tells you there is something super cool inside a bag and just as you reach for it the person who told about the super cool thing tells you abruptly that you have to have the password in order to open the bag. Gah it's kind of frustrating, no?

Sorry, that was kind of a pointless explanation.

Needless to say I have set out on a quest to try and find someone who is already a member and somehow convince them to "invite" me because the whole waiting for lookbook to accept me, is slowing killing me... can you tell I just have so much patience (I hope that came across as sarcastic as it sounded in my head. I'm not really known for being the most obvious person with sarcasm).

So, if you or anyone you know is a member let them know about me, maybe they wanna give a girl a hand.