The day before my birthday, Karl Lagerfeld gave me a gift. It’s called Cruise 2010/2011.

View the magic here.

How thoughtful of him! To open with an adorable band playing a sweet melody, who created a breeze that traveled from St. Tropez to Atlanta so I could taste the sunny delight of the French town. To capture the lazy smiling-sun atmosphere, KL shipped the models in on speedboats by the handful and had them saunter in their flowing florals in a runway set-up by the seaside. There’s no better way to ring in this stifling summer other than the dresses and ruffles that Lagerfeld offered up.

This collection’s vibrant color palette ranged from desert-sand gold to rosy pink, with dashes of chocolatey brown. The stark whites stood out brilliantly in contrast to the nudes and neutrals used in other looks. A group of black-on-white dresses stayed true to the classic Chanel minimalism. A few looks offset their lumberjack-esque check pattern with a feminine silhouette, and I can easily envision the caftan pieces breezing down a walkway in Marrakech. More so, the white blazer on Freja Beha Erichsen is another re-creation of the favorite statement piece.

For day, a couple of shirtdresses are the perfect look for a picnic date, or to stroll through exotic outdoor markets. For a night on the town, the collection offers a few sparkly black numbers, and even a man’s oversized robe for the morning after.

As for accessories, who doesn’t love the solid black Chanel cuff? Or chunky, layered necklaces? The simple sandals are also a welcome break from the daily power-heels-to-match-power-outfit cycle that the Chanel woman endures. How nice to trade in thick tweeds for swaying silks!

I also loved Karolina Kurkova in her Pat Cleveland-esque twirl down the runway. If it wasn’t for it’s strong sense of eighties glam [which off-puts the ‘easy, breezy, beautiful’ atmosphere of the collection] the song “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” could have been a theme of the message Lagerfeld channeled: The Chanel woman on vacation doesn’t take a break from style. The finale of Georgia May Jagger hopping on a motorbike reminds us that Karl’s girl is not afraid to get down and have risky fun. (Also made clear by the sheer, peek-a-boo romper shown earlier.)

The show was perfect as a look into a complete, vacation wardrobe, with looks for every occasion. Why the only thing that was missing was me. But it’s forgiven, I’m sure my invite just got lost in the mail. Or maybe KL realized that I’d be taking AP exams that week and so thoughtfully channeled my loves into the collection. Either way, this resort show just added another reason to my long list of “Why I Love Chanel.” Merci, Lagerfeld, merci.

-xoxo Mo

Inspiration...

It's raining,
It's pouring
School is pretty boring
I go to bed
and in my head
are fantasies worth adoring...

It's storming pretty hard in my town, so hard there's much flooding, and people are dead/dying, luckily no one I know is hurt. Earlier today, as I watched twigs drift down the lane from my driveway my mind drifted to fashion week. If I could be THE editor, getting to sit front row at each exclusive presentation of collections, what would I wear? Who would I sit next to? How would I live? So in this dull state that only comes at this time of the school year, I needed something to remind me of what I'm working hard for...

Miroslava Duma (Ryder, this is for you :)

My favorite thing about this Russian fashion editor is her stylish mix of downtown hipster and uptown high fashion-ista, and she's not afraid to take risks and play with proportions. She also seems pretty sweet in this blog from Altamira. I've noticed she wears the latest trends without looking like an obsessed style slave, and she wears them really well for her petite frame. I wouldn't mind sitting next to her at a YSL show.










For more of her style, check out dresslikemira.blogspot.com

Olivia Palermo
I know, so typical, but you gotta admit, this girl knows how to put a look together. I've heard her character was seriously misrepresented on "The City", but I don't doubt she might be a bit catty, but I guess I'll discern that if/when I meet her.
Also, look at her apartment in New York's Gramercy neighborhood, pretty aspirational. La Couturier, still up for raiding her closet? ;)








Randomness (via The Sartorialist)

I have no idea who this young man is, but he looks like he'd make a good partner in couture-crime.

A real glamorous eccentric, Hamish Bowles, may be my future colleague when I one day work for Conde Nast. Don't you just love the "Hehehe, these are dad jeans" expression on his face? Go Hamish go!

Lauren Santo Domingo, another future co-Voguette

My other two partners-in-crime, who would just've come for having Starbucks/ Caribou Coffee (yum!) with me over what shows we've loved so far.
____

A caramel Macchiato from Starbucks, which always smells like happiness

A white chocolate mocha from Caribou Coffee, my favorite!

Rachel Zoe, the fairy godmother. Her style and personality, plus expertise, are pretty admirable.

But, take a look in the mirror, my fellow fabulous bloggers, because I'm pretty sure I'll see you at the tents, also.

The park (Madison Square, which looks quite circular to me-oh wait, now I see it) I'll strut through on my way home from a busy, beautiful day. A lot of fantasizing, but I think one needs a little whimsy while working as a nice escape, no? It's all aspirational...
-xoxo Mo

~~~~~~~~Journal 9/16/08~~~~~~~~~

(Those are the lucky girls)
Okay, so I just finished watching the latest episode of Model.Live on vogue.tv. And I don't know what to say...it was really good, but something's wrong with me right now...

Yesterday when I was walking down to my house from the bus stop (I was returning from VOX), it was maybe 8:30, dark outside. It was a two mile walk...or maybe something like that, I could be exaggerating. I was walking, and I realized that
X-thousand miles away a model was walking a runway in London (it's fashion week!). The footsteps I took, she took too. The breaths I took, she took too...but I was merely trying to get home to finish my homework, and she was getting paid, possibly more famous in the industry...
(this is some girl at an Allegra Hicks show, I don't know what season nor who she is but i love the dress)


Instantly I fixed my posture, and re-positioned my bag as if it were an Hermes Birkin, and lengthened my already-graceful stride. As I walked up and down the hilly sidewalk, I knew she (the unknown model in london right now, my competition) wasn't putting as much effort into her catwalk as I was in mine. Thank God I'm in shape because most people would've been huffing and puffing..but I was just strutting and strutting.
I created my own wind...something she couldn't...the designer she was walking for was probably trained in couture so she would have been wearing a chignon, no wind in her hair. I kept my saunter, I wonder what the people driving by me thought, no they weren't cars, they were flashbulbs, capturing my first show. I stole a page from Chanel Iman's (I heart her too!) book and winked at Anna Wintour. She slid her shades to the bridge of her nose and winked at me too. Something, she never does...that means she likes me...she winked...oh wait darn! It was just a mailbox, and incredibly shiny at that. I could see my house now, that means its almost the end of the runway. I got closer and closer to my front porch...closer and closer to the end of the platform. I stopped in front of the door, I stopped at the end and posed for 3 seconds. I turned the doorknob, I turned around with absolutely no difficulty and strutted back. I walked up to my room-my mom told me I had to do the dishes, I was backstage again-everyone told me how good I was out there. In both, realities I looked at my mirror and smiled...this time next year...I'll do just that...and it won't be just a fantasy...



(I hope!)

Oops I did it again

Once again, less than ten seconds. I daydreamed again instead of paying attention...can you see that I have a problem? Whatever...I guess....so this is my actual submission (the one I like)

Teen Vogue Contest

Today, I entered the the Teen Vogue Snapshot Contest. Again. It's only my second, but it happened completely on accident. You see, I hated my first because of the background, so I took another picture with this gorgeous background (its my profile pic, it sucks that it couldn't be bigger). I wanted to get another entry, so I was going to do the tell-a-friend thing and receive one. Well, me being a daydreamer, my mind was on something completely different and I went on auto-pilot as I entered. When the thank-you for entering page came up...I realized, darn* . I did it again. This is it...
Vote for me! Or comment or something, whatever, I just want that photo shoot, maybe it'll help me get into this addictive, bad-for-you, wonderful industry that I can't stop fantasizing about.

*words have been changed to protect my integrity(and to help me stop cursing)