I’m beyond excited to put the shine on an incredible, talented, fascinating friend of mine! To make a long story short, it was about two years ago that one of my best friends from Berlin turned me onto A Day To Remember‘s “If It Means A Lot To You.” Heard the song, loved it. I always enjoy hearing covers so I paid attention to the videos in the side bar on YouTube and noticed this black & white video of a girl covering it. FYI, 99.9% of the music I love is girl-sung so I clicked that first video and was absolutely blown away! It was Jes’ cover. 🙂 The rest is history!
Since then, she’s turned me onto some of my favourite music on the planet, including my favourite band of all time, Tegan & Sara. The first time I heard T&S was on Jes’ Facebook page. There was a video link to “The Con” that I could not get over. Also, “Call It Off” which remains my favourite T&S song of all time. Jes is also responsible for my infatuation with Alison Sudol and A Fine Frenzy. Her dancing to “Electric Twist” is probably one of the most fabulous things on Earth. Most recently? OH LAND, who is miraculous. Needless to say, Jes is the best damn jukebox I’ve ever come across.
What I love most about Jes’ music is she sings soul-to-mouth direct, no filter. If it’s a cover, she makes it her own. If it’s an original, we’re gripped with curiosity as to why she wrote what she did. I like to think that the best way to get to know an artist is to absorb what they create. With Jes’ music, we can hear and admire all we want but if we REALLY listen — just listen — we have the pleasure of learning so much. I consider myself among the fortunate who have gotten to know Jes before she’s all ultra famous with tons of records and tours and tear-sheets and editorials and whatever else she feels like conquering. :p
She was also a huge inspiration and muse over the past two years that I’ve worked on my novel. Ohhhh, how I wish I could elaborate for all of you but at this stage of the game, it’s best I say little else. Jes knows what I mean, though! So that’s well enough. 😀
A native Canadian, Jes is a model, a musician and writer for her university paper, The Gazette (at Western). She’s also ultra radiant, cupcake-sweet & blindingly bright. How fortunate are we to have a friend like this in our lives? Oh, she’s also Vegan! Sooooooooooo~
~I decided to shoot a spread of 100% Vegan yummies for this special occasion! (I’ll fill in the recipes later. If I typed those out, I’d never get this posted! So stay tuned!)
Asparagus soup with Crispy Fried Wontons & Caramelized Shallots, Celery Leaf & Sea Salt Garnish
Garlic Hummus Tostadas with Lettuce & Radicchio Chiffonade, Black Olive Rounds, Diced Tomato & Lemon Zest. Served w/ Tomato Slices & Lemon Wedge
Spread shots!
Banana Cupcakes with Lemon-Banana Glaze, Sifted Powdered Sugar & Sweet Banana Chips Garnish (Made these with an awesome fruity organic Olive Oil!!!)
Peanut Butter & Banana Chia Pudding made with plain soy milk, garnished with Grapefruit Zest & Agave Nectar
Jes doesn’t drink so I made a yummy virgin refreshment! This is Hibiscus Tea sweetened with Agave Nectar & Freshly Squeezed Grapefruit Juice, Sprinkled with Grapefruit Zest. Perfect tartness!
Dessert spread!
Lookie! Lilies! ;p (Get it, Jes? hehe!)
Also, I took the liberty of commissioning my artist friend, Virginia Hilton, to put together some Jes-inspired portraits:
This world is full of amazing people; among them, those that leave an impact on others. Jes, you’ve had a profound impact on me — often, without you knowing it — and I appreciate the quality of you more than you know. Many thanks for the dazzling ride your life has been thus far and to many, many more decades to come! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SUGAR! CHEERS!
Keep up with everything Jes is doing at these links:
This post is a long time coming. I feel bad for not having it up for 1) Taylor Swift‘s Birthday (Dec. 13th) 2) Christmas (Dec. 24-25th) 3) New Year (Dec. 31st-Jan. 1st). BUT! Let me just say, these holidays were celebrations to shame all celebrations previous! When I say I partied, I can’t even TELL YOU the celebratory levels reached here. One of my favourite people on the PLANET does not turn 21 without a legendary bash. Take that as you will but, rest assured, no expense or inhibition was spared. 😀
I’ll skip the gory swinging-from-chandeliers & hanging-out-windows details and get to:
MY TAYLOR SWIFT CHRISTMAS TREE!
You can tell by the date on the first video, things were INTENDED for timely posting but well. . . :p ~Better late than never! Now, this tree was insanely fun to shop and compose. It’s a standard inexpensive pink artificial tree (Wal-Mart! ♥), decorated in pink faux roses, tulle & organza (casual wrap & hand-sewn organza fans), authentic Ostrich & mixed feathers, solid white & pink lights as well as dancing white LED & purple rose lights. AND OF COURSE! a SINGING TAYLOR SWIFT DOLL adorned in feathers & feathered-Angel wings I attached to her myself ON TOP! It does NOT get more fabulous than Taylor Swift singing her heart out atop your Christmas Tree. I love this whole setup so much, I may NEVER take it down!
Taylor was an easy choice for a holiday theme. Anyone who knows me (even for less than five minutes) knows I absolutely worship her! She’s so authentic and inspiring. For me, Taylor embodies the idea that dreams really do come true. So she brought my little dream-tree to life. 🙂
The styling in this Lady Dior short by the amazing John Cameron Mitchell helped inspire my tree’s crown. The feathers, the glam of it all. Yeah.
And, now, for some of my Christmas presents!
I love this bear. :p She’s wearing a sweet “T-Party” t-shirt!
Pretty sure I inhaled that signature for a solid hour when it arrived. The Taylor Swift store on her official website had a 24 (or was it 48?) hour promotion. Buy “Speak Now” packaged w/ the holiday album and receive Taylor’s autograph! Hand-signed, no copies or anything. Like I WOULDN’T jump through hoops for that? It was a no-brainer. Instant order!
Via another web-promotion, picked up her “Speak Now” vinyl.
The Love Love Love! hat. 😀 A necessity, you betcha.
Group Shot!
I’m not done, either! I won’t rest till I have one of everything in her store, (including that guitar!)
So, overall, these were some of the best holidays I’ve ever had. The food was amazing, friends & family were amazing, the Taylor Swift gifts improved the quality of my life!
To wrap it up, HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY, TAYLOR! Thx for everything! 😀 ♥
Oh, and by the way, here’s her new “Back to December” video: (Love!)
Sometimes I think things like this are done on purpose to shorten my life! It’s no secret that I adore Dorothea Barth-Jörgensen but the aura in this spread is like the split millisecond between a match being struck and it actually catching fire. I’m DYING for Doro here! ~I wonder what the character she plays is waiting for. . . or who? 😉
What a fitting collection for Richard Chai’s LOVE line! Devoid of embellishments and sequin and all things flashy, what we see here is the personification of love; nudity of the heart. Everything is so delicate and tranquil. He had me at palazzo pants, let me tell you. I like the idea of incorporating boyfriend blazers and working with layers in a way that, to me, feels like waking up in the morning wrapped and rolled up in mounds of soft sheets. Ever had the best dream you’ve ever had of your boyfriend or girlfriend? And woken up comfortably smiling? That dreaminess is something else I pick up here. ~And I had to lead the gallery with one of the very best in the business, (and a personal favourite), Hanne Gaby Odiele in a sheer top and cobalt blue trousers. Notice the Oxfords throughout have a bit of a sparkle to them, which is as far as he went with runway glitz. From Style.com:
“All the prints, the embellishment, the embroidery, all of those things are still in the collection,” said Chai, speaking at his studio the day before his clothes hit the catwalk. “But what I’m showing on the runway is not that.”
18 year old Brazilian Model Manuela Tessari! (Born Sept 9th, 1991). There’s just something about her. I’ve kept up with her career ever since she broke into the business and she’s just been uphill from the start. What I find intriguing about Manuela is her very classic beauty. I could see her in any era, any dress. Always radiant. And there’s something in her eyes. Joyful, outgoing. In Manu, I see the life of the party. Through her photos, I can hear her laugh. She’s something special, one of the very sweetest girls alive and my favourite Brazilian Model! 🙂
I will be posting more and more of Manu over time. She is another girl I think would be FANTASTIC in films! She has such a timeless presence. And the camera loves her!
My favourite picture of Manu, (from her Facebook). (DON’T SHOOT ME MANU! I Love it! :p)
No one better could have maintained the spirit and aesthetic of Alexander McQueen like Sarah Burton. These pieces are beautiful, lavish, complex & invoke a tossed salad of emotions. I don’t get much of anything cheery, though, (which is probably why this collection didn’t overtake McCartney as my favourite Resort but I digress). But I don’t enjoy speaking about what a collection is NOT. What it IS, is confident. Here, we see Burton has no fear at all. She takes the daunting task she’s been charged with in the wake of McQueen’s suicide and knees it in the balls, especially in pieces like the first posted, red and black chiffon. Such fluidity, such motion. It’s like a cascading waterfall of blood, of passion. The first word that popped into my mind when I saw it was “VICIOUS!” I think that’s a quality we always saw in McQueen’s work and Burton “got it.” She just “got it” and it shows, especially in looks like the last one; a torrentially romantic ball gown that rises from the ashes of a bygone era and commands its place in present day.
I love every single one of these pieces. The tailoring is in another league on its own and the attention to detail invites us to study Burton’s garments as if we were meticulously perusing a museum. These prints tell stories; stories Lee always told us around the campfire of his brilliance.
When Lee passed, I was concerned for the future of the brand. When rumours began that “this person” or “that person” would take over, I was glum. But when Sarah Burton was announced, it just made sense and the proof is in the pudding. I have no doubt Lee’s spirit works alongside Sarah, helping safety-pin and seam fabrics. And I’m sure he’s proud of her, as we all are.
I really can’t get enough of this collection. Aside from adoring every single look, I’m committed to its energy. What I get from this collection is pure glee. It’s just a joyous romp of flora print mini-shift dresses, all-encompassing brightness, lacy lounge-around attitude & oh so much leg! How fabulous is my favourite look? 20th, first pic posted. The sky-printed jacket riding high, the chic collar beneath and those playful shorts. The layers this look creates with prints is so harmonious. The woman who wears this outfit IS wearing Spring itself.
Of all the collections in Resort season, I think this one best encompassed Spring. It reminds me of champagne and sunshine.
And I can’t even begin to describe the whimsy of Stella’s Garden Party presentation. Music, models dancing, catering, drinks flowing. . . it’s a celebration of life, of love, of the paradise all around us and enjoying it looking radiant. That’s fashion!
There’s just something about this collection. The first impression I get is very European Holiday; very breezy, carefree. Lots of youth injected into this by Rodolfo Paglialunga. Yet, much is very classic. Audrey Hepburn could have worn looks 11-13 in any romantic comedy of her era. Looks 25 & 26 could be found at any modern garden party. Look 27? My favourite! Grecian Goddess!
How flawless is Frida Gustavsson in this? It was a genius idea to have her wear this collection. She’s cute, spunky, beautiful, chic, sophisticated & alluring all at the same time. Love her hair, too. 🙂
In the 1940’s and 50’s, Dr. Isaac Asimov wrote his Foundation Series that discussed the invention of an Encyclopedia Galactica. It’s a preservation of the entire history of the galaxy, a concept that many science and sci-fi authors have returned to again and again. In Asimov’s work, one reads all about the future he imagined; the future of all things but in a historical perspective. Imagine you could read all about someone in the year 3515 pouring over fashion from 2010. The history of the past as the future. That’s the first thing that hit me upside the head when I saw this collection. (Yes, I’m a sci-fi aficionado. When I was little, I wanted to be an astronaut. But I always sucked at math so, instead, I enjoy writing futuristic stories). :p
Christopher Kane takes classical silhouettes and sartorial aesthetic, (Sirkian “Housewife Dresses,” flared princess skirts, bygone-era biker jackets, babydolls, wide leg Palazzo pants, even Maribou-adorned shoes), and saturates them with cosmic futurism. The Maribou around the ankles quite reminds me of planetary rings; fuzzy Saturn-ring anklets! :p
I find look 23 particularly intriguing. The tucked & tied t-shirt w/ a flared princess skirt. Pink fuzzy Saturn rings around her ankles. I just love it! And the billowy Galactic drapery of look 27, as if she’s wearing two galaxies at once.
I think it’s easy to overprint garments but what Kane did here is far from excessive. I think the techno-vibe of his prints compliment the classical structure of his outfits in a way that’s tricky to do well. I love it all, every look, and would love to see it on the street. Hell, I’d go up and hug a woman out shopping for hot dog buns & Cheerios in this!
This collection is definitely in my top ten of all 2011 Resorts, (Stella McCartney being #1). I need to compile and blog about that list after a bit more thought, but definitely before September!
Chanel! Karl Lagerfeld’s runway designs are always at the front of the line and this HUGE golden lion, (an homage to Coco Chanel’s astrological sign), is one of his most elaborate. I’m so in love with the silhouettes he creates in this collection but doesn’t it seem like his Fall/Winter RtW was more Haute Couture than RtW and his HC is more RtW? Brilliant designs, regardless. I’m particularly privy to the rich red crimson ensembles and who doesn’t love the whole “Belle et la Bête” thing at the end? :p
John Galliano KILLED IT on this runway. The explosions of color, the billowy fabrics; the girls are catwalking flowers ~ and do they ~W E R Q~ those outfits or what?!
I’m on pins & needles for a video of this collection to surface but for now, we can enjoy stills!
Liu Wen, Gwen Loos, Iekliene Stange, Constance Jablonski & Anya Kazakova of Marilyn Agency for Stella McCartney Resort 2011. Photos sourced from Mariln Blog via WWD & Zimbio.
Above shots sourced from Stella McCartney’s Twitter here.
Models dancing & posing at Stella McCartney’s Garden Party Presentation of her 2011 Resort collection. There is pure joy in my heart when I see models dancing! :p All photos sourced from the NECESSARY Tweets of Jim Shi. If you have any interest in fashion, you NEED to follow him. Seriously.
Kate Hudson being interviewed.
Kate Hudson, Stella McCartney & Naomi Watts from behind.
What a fantastic show! Lindsey Wixson (Marilyn) opened and closed. Her first look reminded me of antique China a la Royal Doulton or any variety of classical blue & white porcelain, (Wedgewood, Spode, etc). Her closing look was very delicate-doll with its polka-dot print and bow. Lovely!
Thanks to the fantabulous Luciano Burgos (His Youtube Channel & Twitter) for all his fashion show posts. I can’t fill my collection fast enough!
Moonglow Lounge 