Cartier... No, Not The Bracelet, I Mean Willy

Image from Marquis De Lannes

Image from
Schon Magazine #11

  So every once in a while, I come across a model that really speaks to me, Linda, Naadja, Karlie, even Daphne Groenveld, but this one really does it! I love his work.Rarely is this ever in reference to a guy male model. I think the problem is I don't want to sound like I am mooning over a boy, especially a celebrity. I am a man of a certain age, and having posters of "hot guys" is not my style. With Willy Cartier I am willing to do it. Yes, yes, yes, I think he is definitely attractive, his features are both extremely masculine, and soft at the same time, showing his versatility as a model. He plays the "rough trade" card just as believably as the "androgynous" role.

Image from Givenchy

  In Givenchy's campaign he is the girly boy going in for the kiss on another guy, and in the show for spring, he is a hustler ready to kick some ass! This season's couture shows saw him as the big bad wolf at Gaultiers couture collection. He volunteers with unprivileged youth, and in behind the scenes videos, he is a goofy, funny guy out for a laugh! It's true, there may be a big ol' crush involved, but the point of this story is Willy as a model. See for yourself on this Tumblr dedicated to him!

These Girls Wanna Be On Top!

Tanisha, 25 years old, ANTM Hopeful!

  Tomorrow morning at 8am, Fashion Careers College will be hosting the San Diego America's Next Top Model Casting Event! Seeing as I am a student at FCC, and live 1 block away, I figured I would head on down at 12:30am, and see what was going on with the already forming lines. There were 3 girls waiting already, one girl was asleep, so I passed on her, and met up with the sophisticated, and sweet Tanisha, with her million dollar smile, and adorable mom waiting in the car with her! Tanisha is 25, and got her second place spot in line at 10 pm! That's ten hours before the event even starts! She says she has wanted to model forever, and she feels she was "born to do it"! Her favorite girl of the moment is my favorite too, Karlie Kloss, and the similarities don't end there. Her favorite designer is Alexander McQueen! This girl really knows her stuff! She says her dream gig would be a contract at Elite Model Management, and to be on the cover of Elle, followed by a "high Fashion contract at Chanel or Gucci". Let's all give her some positive thoughts and hope she does well tomorrow morning!

Jasmine, 18 years old, ANTM Hopeful

  Next I met with the super sweet, and so friendly Jasmine! The 18 year old, lined up at 11pm securing her third place spot in the line-up. Jasmine says, "It's been my dream since I was little to model." In fact she shared that when she was younger her mom had to hide the cameras in their house, because when she would develop the film, the pictures would ALL be modeling shots of the pretty little girl! Her modeling idol is Naomi Campbell, and when asked who her favorite designer is, she says she "prefers to shop at smaller independent boutiques where I can find things that no one else will have!" Her goal if she wins would be to be on the cover of "17 Magazine", she has dreamed of it forever! I seriously admire these girls for their dream chasing stamina! They are going to be in their cars for 10 hours waiting for the chance to prove themselves against the hundreds of girls that will be showing up tomorrow! Good luck ladies!

The Tears They Came.

  Last week, I was fortunate enough to get to NYC for the Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty Exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Can I assume that if you are reading my blog, you all know who Alexander McQueen is? OK, I will also assume that you are aware of the deep feelings, and admiration I have for the man, and his visions. This was a high point of my year!
  The pieces selected for the show were McQueen classics. Pieces I had grownup staring into magazines at. Some pieces induced chills before his death, such as the black feathered dress from Fall 2009, or the Samurai football player from his chess collection in Spring 2005, they were both there! And his years at Givenchy were really well represented, as someone who is old enough to remember his work at Givenchy, seeing the pieces up close was stunning.

  Also awe inspiring was the Plato's Atlantis collection. His final full collection, which until seeing it live I was unimpressed with. What never came across in photo's and editorials was the fact that a lot of the fabrics were woven jacquard's, not printed, as I previously thought. It was amazing! I hated leaving, even now, writing this post I have chills.


  There was a point when I was watching the 3D hologram video of Kate Moss spiraling around in a glass pyramid, where I literally cried, and looked to my friend, who isn't as passionate about fashion as I am, and guess what, he was crying too! If you end up in NYC before the 7th of August, this is a MUST MUST MUST see... I seriously would have regretted missing this show forever. I just wish I had been brave enough to have gotten my own images!





Images from Style.com, and annewilliamson.com

Some Of My Favorite Things!

Pajama Pants at
D&G

  I have obviously been following the men's shows in Milan for the last week or so, but have been insanely busy... Photo Shoot, School, Work, School, and Work... Anyway, there have been some amazing shows this week, with some really great pieces that I am gonna want to rock come next spring, if not this weekend in NYC! Such as silky Pajama Pants! My favorite version of the luxe louche look came from D&G... Yes, D&G! I know, not usually my favorites, but this men's showing was so laid back, and had a couple trends I want to jump all over! Mainly the printed silk pants! Paired with a denim shirt, or matching silk shirt, they appear to be warm weather ready! I am heading to China Town Sunday in the daytime to find me a pair in NY!

Men's Wear Darling of the moment, Umit Benan, has had a really great season, after wowing with his own label, Trussardi picked him up as their menswear designer. At his namesake he did a total tribute to 1980's Cerruti, full of the glam billowing trousers. I preferred the shorts version! The sort suit is a look that I am so ready to start rocking, and this incarnation is gorgeous! I am all about structure, but would be willing to go flowy for this exit!




At Burberry, Christopher Bailey showed a really amazing craft fair of a collection. What at first seemed to be printed sweaters, upon closer examination, were sweaters with plastic bits attached in an almost fir isle pattern! But more important were the SHOES!! They were an amazing confection of nerdy chic styling, mixing classic fringed loafers, and cork bottoms they are easily going to take over where the Prada creeper left off!! I WANT them BAD!

Ok, so by now you all know, I love me some contrasting colors! The more random the combination the better... Well, at Roberto Cavalli, they showed vivid suits, and then mixed and matched flawlessly! The purple printed trousers, and royal blue striped blazer paired together were perfection. It showed how to match mis-matched colors, and my new favorite sartorial mash up, print mixing! The subtlety of the stripes in the jacket was a great combo with the geometric pattern in the trousers! We should all take a lesson in matching(?) patterns! The whole collection was so slick and Italian, it blew the Gucci man out of the water!


At Dolce & Gabbana's signature line, there were a ton of cool pieceses that stood out in a show of techno ,mesh, and sheer jumpsuits, but I have to say, the ONE piece I would definitely wear were the sheer overlaid shorts! They showed it with everything from a tank top, to bare chest, but, no questions asked, I prefer the way they paired it with a dress shirt, going a mature, and dressier route would be the choice I would go with.

  The fabric and styling at Jil Sander were spot on in an example of Raf Simons minimalist  aesthetic. It was very 90's retro, and a little too modern for me, but the python utilitarian tote would easily integrate into my accessory wardrobe! The color? the rusty orange version please! I think that papers for work/school, and the fact that they were shown with almost exclusively shorts, well how Me is that!?
  More shows are coming up, so stay tuned for my Paris Menswear faves!

All Photo's Courtesy of Style.com/

fash·ion /ˈfaSHən/

Me Working!

  :the latest and most admired style in clothes and cosmetics and behavior

  I have kind of explained my emotional connection with fashion, and the relevance it took at a really early age. Now as I have grown up with it as my sole interest in life, I am faced with the question of why. I feel like those of you who have known me for a number of years, have seen many different Me's. There has been Gothic Ian, Raver Ian, Glam Ian, Prep Ian, and who even knows what some of those incarnations could be categorized as.

  From an early age, I wanted nothing more than to be accepted. I wanted to be liked by the cool kids. Very rarely did that work out, for any length of time anyway. But as I tried, I would find ways of making them think I was one of them for a while, and I discovered that clothing was a great way to do it. It was a costume for me. If I wanted to hang out with the Gothic Kids, I would find outfits that were dark and flowy, if I was going to a rave with some Club Kids, I could easily do my makeup, and have stacks made. The only things I really ever had in common with MOST of these people were my clothes. 

  As I grew, and experienced all of these aspects of life, I took from each group the music, the garments, and accessories, the ideals, and mostly the people, that made me comfortable, happy, or dance, or laugh, and helped to create this person I am now! I equate each of theses era's with the costume I wore for each of them. In tights, and Doc Martin Boots, or Blinged out crosses, and gold tooth caps I went there, and did it full throttle.

  I know this sounds mostly like a sad story, but now, as an adult who can identify the number of holes a pair of Doc's has from a distance, or whether someones bell bottoms are vintage or replica's (there was a DeeLight phase in there somewhere...), and tell you in 1 heartbeat whether your Chanel bag is rel, or faux, I am only comfortable with just being me, and the people that I still have in my life from each of the era's know me for who I am, and have been. Just Me. 

Balenciaga and Spain!

Photo from AlainTruong.canalblog.com

  There was a point on Tuesday afternoon, staring into the Lesage embroidery of the Balenciaga Couture dress at the De Young's exhibit, that I nearly cried. I mean it, my eyes welled up with tears. I wasn't brave enough to dare take pics, but I admire (and thank) those that were. The docents were following people around, and were particularly vicious, I did get to do a couple sketches, but the shots do not do the amazing collection justice.

Photo from
AlainTroung.canalblog.com

  The selection they had covered the couturiers career, spanning from the late 30's to the end of the 60's. There were amazing embroidered, and corseted cocktail dresses, to his later geometric trapeze designs. It really was an almost spiritual moment for me! Some of my favorites were the lime charmeuse trapeze dress, with the bow on the front, and the flared cocktail dress in the middle of the selection in the photo to the left.

Photo from Threadmagazine.com

  The selection at the right was particularly inclusive. If you look closely, the styles vary from the green silk gazaar bubble dress, to a selection of earlier evening wear. the back of the pink piece was so beautiful it was one of the many teary eyed moments i encountered that day! It had a stand away collar, that went down into a deep V in the back, and a bow in the middle of it! So gorgeous!
  I feel so privileged to have gotten to see this show! Events like these remind me of what I love about fashion, seeing these garments were absolutely like looking into art!  I want to thank my patient friends who saw it with me... then waited for a half an hour in front of the museum for me! I had a really amazing vacation, and cannot wait for NYC! If McQueen is 1/4 as beautiful of an experience I know I will be in tears!

So, I Have Been So Consumed With The McQueen Exhibit...

Pieces From The Balenciaga Exhibit at the De Young

  I am leaving on June 25th to NYC, to see the McQueen: Savage Beauty, exhibit... Oh, yeah, some friends are in NYC too, but the trip was pretty much determined when the news broke that there would be an exhibit at the Met. That being said, I have been super neglectful of the Balenciaga And Spain exhibit at the De Young in San Francisco. I am nearly as excited to see that, as I am for the Met's show. I leave Wednesday night for SF, and get to see this show as well!
  This exhibit focuses on the designs of Cristobal Balenciaga, and the influence he took from his native Spain.The show is broken up into six areas of influence, Spanish Art, Regional Dress, The Spanish Court, Religious Life and Ceremony, the Bullfight, and Dance! I imagine with Pieces from The Costume Institute at the Met, and some awesome selections from Hamish Bowles (who is the guest curator), this exhibit will definitely be a can't miss, and really educational! If the set up is close to the set up of the YSL exhibit I saw at this venue, I will be feet, if not inches away from some of the most inventive, and well constructed clothing in history!

I Love... Jewelry That Says Something Bold!

Mine! I Adore This Necklace, And People Freak Out
Every Time I Wear It!

  Clothing should be simple... That is the mantra of most of the worlds great designers... The reason we are still bombarded by people who, when asked, reply "Coco Chanel" is their favorite designer, is the fact that she got women of her era out of corset, and gave them clean simple sports wear... So, while Coco Chanel's company has taken a decidedly more ostentatious route, the basis for their ready to wear remains the little Black Dress, but even Coco herself loved a great statement accessory.

Lanvin $2250
at Net-a-porter.com

  I am in love with a huge bauble, for a man or a woman. In "The Devil Wears Prada", Nigel is seen a few times rocking a huge nugget of stone on his fingers, and the best selling necklaces at high fashion companies are the large scale, editorial ready, armor like pieces, ask Alber Elbaz at Lanvin. His H&M collection pieces were among the first items to sell out... I fortunately got my ands on the pearl, and crystal flower one for my best friends Christmas present (she is a very lucky Girl...). Regular Lanvin pieces are fantastic, and can be purchased at Net-A-Porter, but at $2250, can be a little pricey, but without breaking the bank, or waiting for hard to come by collaborations, there are statement pieces out there. I found my favorite piece at a discount/$5.99 store.

Tinley Road Necklace
$18.99 at Piperlime

  If you search "Statement Necklaces" on Google, suggestions for everything from Etsy to Anthropology comes up, but Piperlime.com seemed to be a good bet! with prices starting from $14, they have a great selection. I will say though there were a lot of satin bib selections. Stay away from those... Even the high end ones started looking cheap really quickly!
  From jeans, and a T-shirt, to the classic LBD, a great necklace really can turn a look from Snores to cheers! Have fun!

Vogue Italia, Get Ready For Emily Soto!

  I have recently had the great privilege of working with Emily Soto, a local San Diego Photographer... I met Emily in November at a large event I coordinated. She was working the "Step and Repeat", and almost immediately I emailed seeing if she ever needed a stylist. It took a while, we both have had a LOT going on, but finally last month, we set up a shoot. It was one of the best experiences I have had in SD.
  Emily studied Hospitality, and tourism management at Western Carolina University, and after getting her BA, moved into fashion, and communications. After feeling no creative outlet she discovered her love of photography, and her husband Vic, who is also a super talented photographer.
  All that is great for her resume, but what stuck me as amazing, aside from her brilliant lighting techniques that add an almost cartoon like beauty to the shots, is her willingness to collaborate! She doesn't just want a stylist there to put outfits together, she lets them direct some of the shoot as well!
  "I love conceptualizing shoots, developing creative teams, and seeing the results." Fortunately for me, she has included me in that creative team a couple times! I look forward to our next shoot, and sharing the proof of her talent with you! What is your goal, I asked her, "So many goals, but I have to say my dream is to shoot an editorial for Vogue Italia." Emily, keep it up! You are on your way, and I am excited to be along for the ride!

All Images From Emily Soto

EmilySoto.com