A Swiss Story

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

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. 

A Pilgrim's Thanksgiving

With leaves falling, the smell of cinnamon in the air and the taste of pumpkin on your tongue, you know that Thanksgiving is here. With this holiday comes images of Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving dinner in the new world.

Edwardian Elegance

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

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

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

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.

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

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

 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

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

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 

Modern Day Marie Antoinette

"The beauty of her heavenly face, that expressed benevolence and goodness, and whose features were so regular and delicate, the loveliness of her figure, neck, and arms, the exquisite freshness of her complexion – all was enchanting." 

Anchors Away

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

"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

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

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

"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

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

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

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.