Teal's the real deal

Look at this sumptuous use of teal in one of Stefano Pilati's creations as part of the YSL SS 2012 RTW collection. This outfit truly combines modern beauty with a slick bomber jacket and mini skirt. At the same time, the hint of fuchsia revealed under the jacket and adorning the model's wrists evokes the rich vibrant colors of the Majorelle Garden in Marrakesh, once home to Pierre Berge and the late Yves Saint Laurent. 

Given my admiration for all of YSL's legacy and my absolute need to rid of most things black in my wardrobe and introduce a pop of color, I've decided to incorporate some teal among my clothing, starting with a blazer. Yes my dears, buttoned down shirts and blazers aren't just for bankers. Add a little length and make it a boyfriend shirt--or just claim your banker boyfriend's shirt (trust me it will look so much better on you anyway) and go for a brightly colored blazer with puffed shoulders. This look will rock your working days and your weekends, making you look effortlessly chic. 

blazer: SSEMIENNE (find a similar one here), shirt: Club Monaco, legging pants: Joseph, booties: Alexander McQueen

Legging pants are perfect to "funkify" your look a la 1980s and move away further from the strict corporate uniform. This way, you can still show a little curves while being all buttoned up and dandy looking on top! 

Add in some Alexander McQueen booties to the mix and you're sure to get some attention with those cute little golden skulls hanging on your feet. I must however warn you: the velvety feel of these little jewels is just so luxurious and comfortable that you may never want to take them off...

Not too shabby, eh? With this look, you are sure to be raising some eyebrows, all in a good way though I promise! 

After all, teal IS the real deal. Give it a try, don't be shy! Okay now, bye! 

Fashion meets Art Basel

Sadly, I missed Art Basel yet again this year, but thankfully my fashionista partner in crime Jehdy successfully snapped some super sweet stuff I thought was definitely appropriate to share on the blog. Below, the sketches of some of our most notable fashion designers (among which the late Alexander McQueen and surprisingly, Galliano--perhaps his fate may not be as gloomy as we thought it would be?) lend to admiration and a hint of laughter. 

All photos courtesy of Jehdy

There are certainly a million ways to interpret these depictions. Perhaps it is the anticipation of the launch of the Valentino Garavani Vitrual Museum as well as a rejuvenated collection (among which this season's most wanted studded bags) that caused Valentino a star studded appraisal, and a bittersweet sadness towards McQueen's tragic death at the peak of his career that brought the artist to capture that emotion on canvas. On the other hand, one can deem Dolce&Gabbana as the perfect happy medium, lying in between some of our more sensitive minded figures, as their continuous focus on bombastic colors and prints truly celebrate life. 

Which one is your favorite? I'm still debating between Galliano trying one of his creations and Tom Ford in an LBD and bow-tie (there is no mention of him trying one of his womenswear designs which begs the question: omission or cue?).

Who put the Rad in Plaid?

Plaid: it’s what unites all true hipsters and fashionistas these days. Oh, and it also includes Scots. So who put the Rad in Plaid? See how it all (rebelliously) began...

Tartan, known as plaid in North America,  is a pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colors.Tartan was originally a sort of uniform for distinguishing the many clans in the Highlands and islands of Scotland and can be traced as far back as the middle of the 5th Century to Ireland, where the Scots originated. Although it was then introduced in the form of kilts and not trendy button-downs, plaid symbolized the rebellion against the English so much so that authorities banned it after the Scottish rebellion of 1746.

Plaid was further associated with rebellion in the 20th century and particularly around the women's liberation movement, who reclaimed the plaid shirt in the1960's as a statement against its association with men in the physical labor force. It was also embraced in the grunge scene in the 1990s. Just like skinny jeans in 1980s punk culture, grunge produced a style that challenged what was considered uncool and revamped the plaid shirt all over again while rebelling against the establishment, just like their predecessors.

Today the revival of plaid in fashion is particularly owed to the late Alexander McQueen. For McQueen, tartan—the visual signifier of clanship throughout Scottish history—was a reference to his own Scottish heritage as well as to Scotland's turbulent political history.

Alexander McQueen ensemble, Widows of Culloden collection, AW 2006-2007. Dress of wool tartan, top of nude silk net appliquéd with black lace; underskirt of cream silk tulle. Photo courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  

New York street style, rocking the plaid. Left: red plaid APC poncho coat. Right: plaid pants. Images via Streetpeeper. 

So, have you rebelled yet? It's okay, you're allowed just this one time...in the name of fashion!