MAY: THE FASHION ISSUE

DEAR FASHION LOVERS:

Just 3 more days until the month of May begins. This month I will be doing several blog entries that will steal your attention, like any Vogue or H.Bazaar fashion issue in the spring! I hope you will enjoy them, please leave plenty comments and I look forward to reading them.


Yours Truly,


L

SLEEPWALKING DOWN THE RUNWAY

If the inspiration behind the Mulleavy sisters Rodarte Fall 2010 line was that of "beautiful sleepwalkers", then after viewing this collection, one would never want to awake this bevy of bedtime beauty. On the runway, each piece arose from a slow sleep, in soothing colours of blushing pink and candle wax white. Models' silhouettes were pillow cased in hand made crochet lace and in subtle chiffon, that quietly collapsed along the waist. Down below, legs kept warm in stylish mid-calf knit socks, which were pulled up behind shoe straps that bandaged over the ankle. Rodarte created nocturnal bliss for women this winter, giving them dream worthy eveningwear to choose from. Skipping over suggestive bodycon pieces, instead, allowing for a woman's body to escape underneath a potpourri of fabric. This collection found a way to sneak "Spring Pretty" into fall, a handsome surprise for which fashion followers will be very thankful for.

IS TOM FORD ON YOUR LIPS?

That's the question that every woman will be asking each other this spring, especially since the launch of Tom Ford's impressive Private Blend Lip Color Collection. A total of 12 creamy palettes to chose from, all there to smoothly cushion your lips in colour. Ford skillfully enhanced each shade of classic red, transforming them into prismatic rich lipsticks. Next he captured the essence of the natural lip, in luke warm tones of beige. Overall, this unforgettable collection simply inspires and proudly reveals perfection on a woman's face, by delicately polishing over her best asset, her smile.

WHAT LIES BENEATH

As we slowly slip each foot inside them, we become relaxed by the cool of the leather insole. The vanity mirror on our wall helps us choose as we play dress up. From its nose, where our toes lay rest, to its back, that seductively elevates us; high heel shoes were the guilty pleasures of a woman's posture. They were leg trimming illusions, with tiny daggers that tap danced on city streets. 4inches tall and unreachable to any "Plain Jane"; 4inches high for the moment a man dared to cross us. The prize of women who walked in them and the envy of women who had to watched them walk away. One had to look no further than a woman's feet to find a sneak peak of the latest "Sex in the City". In any worthy women's wardrobe, you could find a pair of classic pumps, sexy slingbacks and more than a few summer craving sandals just dying to come out. Some hopefully attached with slender straps and bite-sized buckles to compliment. It was a catwalk ready line up that you could hear purring from the shoe rack. High heels shoes were our stylish friends that accompanied us to that dreadful day job or to that lovely dinner by candle lite; they were the excitement we saved for those potentially dull moments. With every "now or never" footstep we bravely took outside the door, we were always reminded of why we do so, each time we look down at our feet.

TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL

FREJA BEHA ERICHSEN

WHEN THEIR SHIFT ENDS

They go shopping



They listen to music



They go out to dinner



They attend fashion parties



They take pictures of us


That lady in the window, glamorously dressed from head to toe. She was more than plastic and wax, she was the only reason we walked into those pricy shopping stores and unashamedly wandered into fitting rooms, then took that tension building final stop over to the "ENTER YOUR PIN PLEASE" cash register. She was more than her stunning frame and slimming figure; behind that glass laid a woman with a fabulous personal style, that any woman could easily borrow for their own closets. Mannequins, the dummies that intelligently spoke to the bodies of women. Sophisticated life-size dolls that we played with. Constantly dressing and undressing them, until what they wore and how they wore it, reflected the wardrobe of our imaginations. A 24 hour display of eye welcoming fashion, made for every anxious little girl that passed by with her mom or every eager teenager out with her friends. But above all, it was an eye begging fantasy for women with handbags, which every mannequin knew secretly, kept tiny rectangle currency inside her purse.

PIECES FOR CONVERSATION

Hats

They are gracious invitations to a woman's face.

They politely bring shade to the eyes and somehow soften the blushing lights above.

She is in no rush. With each footstep, she waltzes with ease, to boast what lies a top her head.

Splendid spectacles they are, that successfully attract the most witty of conversations.

Beneath their brim, they majestically mask a woman's future.

THE FRONT ROW OF FASHION

One might expect the hallways of Vogue's New York City office to be buttoned up in silence and consumed by the restless thoughts of busy editors, but an outcry from the voluptuous voice of Andre Leon Talley permeates them, with fashion proverbs by the ear full. For over 25 years, this North Carolina native and Vogue Editor-At-Large, has enthusiastically advised numerous fashion admirers; acting as a fashion mentor that tends to the creative mental education of designers, fashion writers and celebrities alike. In 2008, he was the reason for the pairing of Jason Wu and First Lady Michelle Obama, where the young designer brilliantly envisioned her inaugural dress, which lead to the joining of creativity with history to accomplish a moment where time stopped to dance with the President for an evening.

"It's not time that matters, it's the

quality of work, the quality of the vision

and the quality of the

dream." -Andre Leon Talley

During every Spring/Summer or Autumn/Winter fashion week, from New York to Milan, there he sat (at the front of course), eye scanning for the very best of a designer's collection, certainly for pieces of which style and trend lovers dreamt of taking home to their wardrobes. Schooled with an uncompromising insight into fashion, one would surely assume he was taught this from keeping company with the likes of Diana Vreeland or perhaps from the many years he spent in Paris; the home of haute couture by day or night. However, the unsuspecting teacher was in fact his grandmother, who he said gave him an understanding of luxury. Andre Leon Talley, the "house wine" of fashion, that stood a statuesque 6 feet 7 inches, with a cheshire cat grin that charmed; he most definitely was a masterful virtuoso that composed in print or in person. He was as sprightly as he was astute and his contributions to this highly coveted genre were countless; all of which could be relived through each issue of American Vogue.