The story begins on the countryside of Switzerland, with our heroine travelling the
countryside of Switzerland…from the tops of the snow capped mountains, down to
the depths of the lush green valleys. She continues her trek into the
Netherlands, walking among tulips and windmills before heading to the city
streets of London.

Wooded Wonderland
Fall & Winter Fashion
Sunday, November 27, 2016
As
the leaves of the trees transition from summer to fall, the woods beckon us,
inviting us to hike the trails of the changing landscape. There is a sense of
the unknown as you enter the depths of the forest beneath the towering canopy
of tree branches.
Designer
Alberta Ferretti explored this wooded theme in her Fall 2016 collection.
Dresses and coats feature textures, colors and prints that move through all
aspects of the forest environment.

Edwardian Elegance
Fall & Winter Fashion,
Leading Lady
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
The
early 1900 Edwardian culture was a world of high society ladies in corsets and
lace. It was a time when the ladies were always proper and put together, whether calling on one another for
afternoon tea or sharing secrets at the season’s ball. The rules of society
were begging to be broken, and who better than an orphan girl turned singer,
known on the night club circuit as Coco, to redefine high class chic.
Today,
we recognize black and white as a classically chic color combination. We label
the little black dress (LBD) as synonymous with effortless beauty. Pearls
are the perfect accessory for just about any look and sometimes a hat is just
the needed piece to finish an outfit. But it wasn’t always this way. It took the
foresight and designing genius of Coco Chanel to add these classic elements to
our fashion vocabulary.

Surreal Dreamscape
Art,
Fall & Winter Fashion,
Fashion meets Art
Sunday, October 16, 2016
It
is a world where dreams become reality…where the imagination is given free
reign to explore what is and what could be…such is the world of surrealism.
Artists from the 1920s movement like Salvador Dali allowed the canvas to become the
vehicle to help communicate imagery that would otherwise only exist in their
subconscious.

Blaze at the Ballet
Fall & Winter Fashion
Saturday, August 20, 2016
The
lights are flickering, violins tuning, skirts rustling and laughter tinkling.
The year is 1873 and the city is Paris. It’s a night at the ballet, and
everyone is ready for an unforgettable experience.
Outside,
the Fall breeze is blowing, bringing with it an ominous outcome that theatre
goers are far from expecting.
Not only will the patrons of the ballet get to
enjoy the talents of prima ballerinas like Marie Taglioni, they’ll also experience the blazing
spectacle of a grand building going up in flames.

Lovely in Athleisure
Spring & Summer Fashion
Sunday, August 14, 2016
Adidas by Stella McCartney Fall 2016
Walking through the mall, grocery store or local Target, I can’t help but notice the number of girls and women dressed as if they’re ready for the next Pure Barre class. But as they walk the store aisles sipping their Starbucks, you know as well as I do they are not all about to workout.
Walking through the mall, grocery store or local Target, I can’t help but notice the number of girls and women dressed as if they’re ready for the next Pure Barre class. But as they walk the store aisles sipping their Starbucks, you know as well as I do they are not all about to workout.
No
longer are sports bras, spandex or sweatpants limited to the confines of the
gym. But rather they have become the new normal as a part of the athleisure
trend. We see models sporting the look on the streets of LA and NYC, mixing
leggings and running shoes with crop tops and leather jackets.

Life's A Picnic
Art,
Fashion meets Art,
Spring & Summer Fashion
Sunday, July 17, 2016
Some like to say that life’s a picnic. Picnics call to mind sunshine, blue skies, sweet tea and laughter. Even though there are the unavoidable cloudy seasons of life, why not embrace this sunshine-filled mentality?
"Luncheon on the Grass" by Monet, 1865-66
There are
times when you need a moment to escape the day to day chaos, take a walk in the
park, enjoy lunch with friends or just feel the breeze blowing across your face
as you take in the scenery around you.

Peace, Love and Disco
Leading Lady,
Spring & Summer Fashion
Sunday, July 3, 2016
The
lights were glowing, the music pumping, the laughter flowing and glitter
shimmering all around…this is how we nostalgically imagine the disco era of New
York City. A city of beautiful people with smiles, love and a carefree
attitude. In reality, crime rates were
high and the city was a dangerous place to be. But from that reality, the
beauty of art and fashion flourished in ways we continue to see over 40 years
later.

Cleopatra Mystique
Couture Fashion,
Leading Lady,
Spring & Summer Fashion
Saturday, July 2, 2016
Mystery
shrouds the truth of what really took place in the life of Cleopatra. Rumored
to be a beauty with the power to seduce great men of power, she was known to
have secured strategic liaisons with the
likes of Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. For centuries, artists and writers have tried
to capture her on the canvas and the page, but she remains forever on the
periphery of what we know to be true.

A New Perspective
Art,
Fashion meets Art,
Spring & Summer Fashion
Sunday, June 19, 2016
As
the world left behind the standards of the Victorian era, artists began to
explore new ways of interpreting everything they saw. Straight lines, basic
shapes and forms reduced to geometric planes became prevalent during the early
decades of the 20th century.
Within
the Cubist movement (1907-1914), spearheaded by Pablo Picasso in Paris, artists
no longer accepted objects and subjects at face value, but rather interpreted
them from multiple perspectives in a single moment. They rejected the idea that
art should only represent nature. For instance, instead of painting the curving lines of the human form and objects as they appear like in "Weeping Woman," Picasso used straight-edge shapes to represent the multiple planes that may comprise that moment in time, interpreting the 3D in a 2D form.
"Tableau I," 1921
In
a similar manner, artists like Piet Mondrian furthered the artistic
conversation regarding the use of geometric forms within the De Stijl, or “The Style” movement. This Dutch movement (1917-1931) was embraced by rtists and architects as
they reduced their palette to black, white and primary colors and embraced the
use of vertical and horizontal compositions.
Looking at Ralph Lauren’s spring 2016 collection, the fabrics used on some of the designs seem to blend these two artistic movements. The geometric shapes are juxtaposed on the fabric in ways that mimic the multi-view perspective of Cubist artist.
The color selection and color blocking of the pieces also resembles the treatment of color and shapes of The Style artists.
"Composition II in Red, Blue and Yellow," 1930
Though
this connection between Ralph Lauren’s work and 20th century art may only appear visual, it
also makes me pause to wonder what more these design choices could be saying.
In the same way the artists took time to reflect on how they were viewing the
world around them in the early 20th
century (from 3D life to the 2D planes of their canvases), could this be
something we too need to do in our own era, but in the opposite direction?
The
world is moving at an increasingly fast pace each day with technology reducing our lives to the 2D screens in front of us. Whether viewing and
living our lives through the lens of the computer, smart phone or television,
the real world is forever intertwined with the 2D digital sphere. Just as
artists like Picasso did 100 years ago, we too could gain some value in taking
time to reinterpret the 2D into the 3D. Instead of just experiencing an event
through a screen (via pictures, texts, etc.), perhaps there’s an opportunity
for a 3D experience with conversation, quality time and life lived together.
Runway Photos: Vogue.com

Anchors Away
Spring & Summer Fashion
Sunday, May 29, 2016
As
spring makes way for summer, the season evolves into plenty of sunshine, clear
skies and pops of red, white and blue. The patriotic color scheme seems
synonymous with summer thanks to holidays like Memorial Day and the 4th of July.
As we celebrate Memorial Day weekend, it
seems only appropriate to use the color palette as a point of inspiration and
way to remember those who have served our country.

Rococo Rose
Art
Sunday, May 15, 2016
"Delphinium," 2015
Power, beauty, intrigue, mystery, passion…these are just are few of the subjects addressed in the works of Alexia Sinclair. With historical figures like Queen Elizabeth and the last Czarina of Russia as central characters in her photography, Sinclair uses modern technology to bring their stories to life.

Diamonds in the Desert
Couture Fashion,
Spring & Summer Fashion,
Travel
Saturday, April 30, 2016
If you're anything like me, William and Kate's recent trip to India has you ready to pack your bags for an adventure of your own. Dressed in Elie Saab's spring couture collection, you'd be ready to explore India's vast landscape. From the dunes of the desert to the steps of the Taj Mahal, the designs bring dreams dripping in opulence to life.

Art Deluxe
Art
Saturday, March 26, 2016
A
bit of candy, bouquet of flowers, a dash of perfume. Sounds like the
ingredients for romance doesn’t it? Or better yet, the ingredients for the art
of Clara Hallencreutz.
I
glimpsed some of her pieces that reference Chanel and quickly got drawn into
her world of color, whimsy and surrealism. Her modern pop art inspires
questions and exploration through her presentation and title selection.

The Point of Fashion
Fashion meets Art,
Spring & Summer Fashion
Saturday, March 5, 2016
"The Seine and La Grande Jatte Springtie," 1886 by Seurat
From
afar, the paintings appear like any other, with colorful brush strokes giving
life to forms across the canvas. But
step a little closer, and you quickly realize these are not traditional brush
strokes that spread color with smooth and continuous movements. But rather, the
forms that seemed so realistic and whole from a distance are actually comprised
of thousands of tiny paint dots.
"Eiffel Tower," 1889 by Seurat

Pride and Prejudice and McQueen
Spring & Summer Fashion
Friday, February 12, 2016
Jane
Austen’s classic Pride and Prejudice got a reboot thanks to author Seth
Graham’s Pride
and Prejudice and Zombies.
The book comes to life in the the recently released film.
Elizabeth
Bennett leads the way in the re-telling of the famous story, this time with
quite a repertoire of sword-wielding skills. As zombies roam the hills of the
English countryside, the Bennett sisters must put their fighting skills to the
test while remaining ready to find Mr. Right in the search for a suitable
match.

Gibson Girl Gone Bad
Fall & Winter Fashion
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Gibson Girl meets Edward Scissorhands. A blend of pompadour hair and leather clothing. These were the two images I had
in my mind while looking at the Alexander McQueen fall collection.

Dash of Historic Flair
It’s
the collection that has a touch of Elizabethan accessories, a dash of Baroque
flair and a touch of Rococo romance. The
fall collection for Giles showcased several details reminiscent of these
various time periods.

Winter Rose
Mamma Mia! Mother’s played a central role in the Dolce and Gabbana Fall collection. With childlike embroidery, you could imagine mother’s wearing their child’s art. Although this was a bit chicer than imagining a coloring book page pinned to your dress.


Star Gazing in Couture
Couture Fashion,
Fall & Winter Fashion,
Fashion meets Art
Sunday, January 3, 2016
The Armani Prive Fall 2015 couture show opened with an ode to Elsa Shiaparelli’s shade of shocking pink. The powerful shade never goes unnoticed, and with the color comes a reminder of the designer who made it so popular in the 1930s. Almost 100 years later and the color remains just as stylish.
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