1.25.2009

Reflections of a Wonderul Night


Lovefool - Cardigans Lovefool at school



In VOX's latest issue, I wrote 3 articles. One is like me trying to be the Sartorialist found here
The second was an artist spotlight of Tokio Hotel found here
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And the third was about my first photo shoot in November. It's my favorite. Found here excerpts...

"I have always dreamed of being on a professional photo shoot because of my love for magazine editorials and curiosity to see how they’re put together. So, when Atlanta Magazine partnered with VOX for a high school-themed spread in its current issue, I took advantage of the opportunity. It was a dream come true. Along with me, 26 other VOX writers gave the magazine an insider’s look at what it’s like to be in high school today. In addition to writing, we also got a little taste of the model’s life. We got our makeup professionally done, hair styled and wardrobe readied for the glossy pages."
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A little tap of foundation, a brush of blush and a smooth dab of lipstick later, I was ready for my shoot.

"You know, Alex, she's a fashion girl," one of the assistants told the photographer. He looked at me with an Oh really? expression.
"Who's your favorite designer?" he asked, snapping a test shot of me.
"John Galliano!" I replied, hoping the picture would come out nice. I loved the small talk because it showed me the crew wanted to have fun like I did.
"I realized that everything was near perfect for me when “Lovefool” by The Cardigans came on. It was the song I always pictured playing at my first photo shoot. It was all too surreal. Nervous excitement sent chills down my spine when it hit me that this shoot was indeed real.
Before I knew it, the photographer was clicking away. Tyra always says smile with your eyes. Chanel Iman says turn this way to catch the light. Coco Rocha says to make sure your eyes don’t have shadows. I thought of some of my favorite models’ advice. I combined their words with the photographer’s directions, tried my CoverGirl smile and used my best angles to strike perfect poses.
“Yes, right there, hold it,” Alex said.

At first, I was nervous as he moved closer with the camera, but soon it was as easy as strolling through a park. More and more, I held gaze with the lens and pretended it was my best friend. Closer and closer the camera came, the lights flashed, and I twisted, turned, smiled and did what I’d watched great models like Jessica Stam and Sasha Pivovarova do.

I observed that the photographer was nothing like photographers are portrayed in the movies (like I hoped). There was none of that, "Yes, yes, you're fierce! You're a tiger! You're a lion — roar, darling, roar!" like we see in "America's Next Top Model," which paints a limited picture of the modeling world. Alex was straightforward but fun. Though I could see his serious passion for photography when I noticed his focus with the camera, I also walked away feeling like he wanted us to enjoy the shoot. Every couple of seconds on the set, we'd all burst out into laughter because the photographer made a joke or did a funny movement to make us VOXers feel comfortable. He wanted the perfect shot, and hopefully, we gave it to him.

Taking part in this photo shoot gave me a peek into modeling and the fast-paced fashion editorial world. The wonderful thrill I felt from the crew’s vibrant energy and flashing lights and from being in front of the lens made the experience an unforgettable one that I’d happily go through again."
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I can't even find the final photo online, lol
The actual article I wrote for Atlanta Magazine is here

This was my outfit, from my closet

A black suit blazer, a blue ruffled blouse with sliver stripes, a silver belt and a pair of black boots

Some random behind the scenes pics...



the empty set


Doing that shoot was probably one of the best moments of my life...
A very satisfied girl...

1.20.2009

Who Will Michelle Obama Wear? Isabel Toledo!

Going back to a recent post, Who Will Michelle Obama Wear? the question's been answered:

"First lady Michelle Obama wowed the crowds in a sparkly yellow-gold sheath dress with a matching coat by Isabel Toledo. Always the practical shopper, she topped her outfit with olive-green gloves from J.Crew and green shoes. First daughters Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, strutted their fashion feet in colorful pink and blue coats, also from J. Crew."
-Lili Lidaga of Yahoo News in article "Obama inauguration: Hits and misses"

I'm not going to lie, I honestly couldn't figure out who she was wearing. At first glance from my classroom's crappy TV, I thought it was something from Prada's Fall 2008 collection Because the patterns on the dress reminded me of the guipure lace used by Miuccia Prada. After a closer look, I realized that it couldn't be, the guipure lace had larger accents on it. I'm still practicing my designer recognition (I obviously need to-lol)
From Collages


I'm ready for this "change". I haven't quite caught Obama-Fever like most people I know, but needless to say, I was happy for the family. Barack's dream came true (and the dreams of many others. We were there to witness it. I just pray that with all that he has on his plate (two wars, a free-falling economy, this environmental disaster), President Obama is able to do what he's promised, so we don't all look like fools. I pray that he's wise in making decision's. I pray he's not killed in the process. But most of all, I pray that everything turns out for the better.
In his speech, he said something that worried me.
"...the next generation must lower its sights." He said something before that but that's what got to me. Honestly, at the rate of this economy, who's going to be worried about fashion, my beloved fashion? A lot of designers are canceling their shows and after-parties...

But then he said something that made me happy. "All deserve the chance to pursue their {measure?} of happiness..." Which we do. Fashion can't die or take a break, it runs society ( the second one)...
I pray that the hopeless feelings I experienced earlier don't turn out to be correct. Like I said before, I'm ready for a change.

Anyhoo, sorry for the rant, but what do you think of Michelle's choice? Is it just me, or will she look gorgeous in almost anything Oscar de la Renta? (I get that feeling; that she's an Oscar type of woman)

1.18.2009

Look of the Day: Channeling Alexander

(click on the images for larger view)


As seen here on Lookbook

I like this look because she's wearing all simple, basic pieces and I think that's a quintessential definition of style. It's something I'd do.

Her inspiration: Alexander Wang Fall 2008, the collection itself inspired by Wang's muse, the off-duty model.

Some clips:

(the second to the right is the outfit she was remaking) I liked the show because of the bold statement of the exposed zipper (1st and second outfits), the color palette throughout the collection and the use of menswear as womenswear. It also had a very torn, worn out "deconstructed chic" feel to it, no? Very fitting for America's current economy.... (i.e. the Recessionista)


The designer and Erin Wasson of RVCA (she's a designer and I think a model too) she styled this show.

some more Model Off Duty looks:
This I found on ShopBop


This-I don't remember where it's from but I like it

1.17.2009

Addicted.




Miss Dior Couture


I love this site because of how it compiles some really cool features of the fashion industry into one fabulous collage. You should check it out

1.15.2009

Look(s) of The Day

Outfit(s) I'd wear in a heartbeat, because I truly love them, very my style. Gosh, my legs would look twice as long as they are (and I'm pretty tall for my age). Also I love the pop of color (red which I'm obsessed with right now)and the dark leg wear. Perfection.


As seen here on Lookbook



As seen here on Lookbook

1.13.2009

: ) I Did This For Class : What (or Who) Will Michelle Obama Wear?

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(Christian Lacroix...That coat is gorgeous)

As America prepares to inaugurate a new president that stands for change later this month, international fashion designers ranging from Marc Jacobs to Christian Lacroix prepare sketches of what they hope his fashion-conscious wife will wear to the inauguration. WWD, Women’s Wear Daily which is fashion’s biggest newspaper, reports that they contacted various big names like Diane Von Furstenberg about this subject who readily sent back illustrations of their ideas. Not only did they sketch looks for her, but for her daughters Malia and Sasha.

They can be found here

Fashion designers were excited about this election because the last chic First Lady was Jacqueline Kennedy in 1969. Almost 40 years later, fashion-philes were overjoyed to see couture return to the campaign through Michelle Obama.

Considering that the First Lady-Elect usually opted for lesser-known and cheaper brands like J. Crew and young designers like Thakoon during her husband’s race; the question really is “who will she wear” on his most important night? She saved her biggest name, Narciso Rodriguez, for election night and with legendary designers like Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel ready to make a dress for her, will she go for a grand label to fit her new, grand position or go for a younger,newer brand like Zac Posen to celebrate her new position?

1.06.2009

In Memorial of Ruslana Korshunova



I wish I'd have known about her while she was alive because she most likely would've been one of my favorite models. Honestly, she deserved the title of Russian
Rapunzel because of her enchantingly-gorgeous face.
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I wrote about her in VOX:
(These are Excerpts from my October 2008 article : When the Blues Won't Go Away, the whole thing can be found here)

Does Beautiful Girl = Beautiful Life?
This past June, 20-year-old Russian supermodel Ruslana Korshunova jumped to her death from her ninth-floor Manhattan apartment. She’d been known as “the Russian Rapunzel” for her long and flowing hair. Hearing about Ruslana’s suicide confused me because she was a barely-out-of-her-teens, beautiful model with a successful career. She had appeared on two Vogue covers, an Elle cover, and in highly coveted print ads for Marc Jacobs, DKNY and Marithe & Francois Girbaud. She had a life that many young girls dream of, I wondered why she would end it.

Korshunova’s death just didn’t make sense to me. As an aspiring model who looked up to Korshunova and other models like her, her sudden death inspired me to learn more about her life and explore the topics of suicide and depression, especially among young people.

A friend of hers told the New York Daily News that before her death, Korshunova had just returned from modeling in Paris, and she’d appeared to be on top of the world. Other news reports say no one saw Korshunova’s death coming — maybe because the signs of suicide are not always obvious.

Excerpts from Korshunova’s blog revealed that she was lonely, heartbroken and depressed. Her most desperate message, which she posted on March 20, read: “I’m so lost. Will I ever find myself?” Apparently Korshunova had confessed to her life coach, Vladislav Novgorodstev, how she really felt about life.

“I saw her and heard her stories, stories that no one else has heard,” Novgorodstev told the New York Daily News. “The most important thing about her and her internal world was that she was lonely. There was no one who was really dear to her, except for her mother.”

The CDC reports that among young people ages 15 to 24 years old, there is one suicide for every 100-200 attempts. One of Korshunova’s friends, who remained anonymous, told the Daily News, “She tried suicide five times in different ways. She’s tried it since she was 15, 16 years old. It was a loneliness that no one understood.” Though police and the medical examiner ruled Korshunova’s death a suicide, her mother and friends insist she would never have taken her own life (there is an ongoing investigation).

The New York Times reports that Korshunova’s death has led to “some reflection in an industry long seen as superficial,” especially in caring for newer models that might face loneliness in big cities.
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Because I was so touched by her story (and because I'm fascinated with death itself and love this song)I put together a little video

You can find it here on youtube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hawulNkUgMI&feature=channel_page

From Movies


READ THIS FIRST!
This video isn't meant to offend anyone, nor do I own any of the pictures used, nor the song. I found them on the internet and i edited the photos with Picasa.

This video is what happened when i was bored and wondering about the late supermodel Ruslana Korshunova's suicide. Please pay attention to the pictures and try to figure out the story, : )

Enjoy, and try to get a message out of it...

-XOXO Mo

1.01.2009

Vogue into the New Year, a little Reflection

During my daily read of Fashionista I came across a certain post which led to this:
After reading Cathy Horyn's, The New Yprk Times Fashion Critic, blog-article, "What's Wrong with Vogue?" I felt relieved that I wasn't the only who felt that way. I love VOGUE, and I look up to Anna Wintour as much as (maybe even more) any fashion-obsessed teen. But the truth is, though we love our celebrities (or love to hate) I think it's time we got back to putting models on the cover.
Recently I've been doing something about Vogue also.
This is the very first issue:
September 1916
Photobucket


And September 2016 is coming up faster than you think. (BTW: HAPPY 2009!)

What will they do for that issue?

A) a massive collage of all their issues
B) a group photo of all their current (at that time, of course) editors
C)* put a legendary model on the cover with (gasp) no headlines? just the timeless, effortlessly "en vogue" five letter heading V-O-G-U-E
D)** put a total at-that-time it-girl on the cover, and carry on as usual with a little celebration


Right now, je ne sais pas (French for 'I don't know', very random but I'm trying to remember as much French from school as I can) what they will do but I hope it lives up to the standard that Vogue created for itself as THE number 1 fashion magazine in the world.

Until then, I'll just keep flipping through those socialite-filled articles...

xoxo Mo





* probably won't happen
** goodness I hope it doesn't happen, unless it's like me or something : )