Sartorialist

"Alessandra" from Milano



Love this outfit. The skinny skinny high heel with the black tights is so sexy and confident. Wish I could dress this way in Hanover, but alas, those shoes would die in 5 minutes of walking. But I like the skirt and leather jacket--maybe I could just wear this outfit with flats (even though those shoes are my favorite part). I like her short hair, too. Basically, like I said, I love this outfit.

And remember how Georgina posted about young men dressing up for work? They should dress like this guy. Retro makes me happy. Oh, and the "playfulness of the purple socks" comment on The Sartorialist reminds me of "The Birdcage".




http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/

Maybe I should start doing video logs of my friends and their styles...would make for some great home movies down the line...?

By the way, some girl just rolled into the Hop on roller skates. WTF is this school becoming.

Peaceful Succession

A moment captured -- what an awesome photo.

[Washington, D.C., January 16. Image via Getty.]

US President Barack Obama (C) walks to the Oval Office alongside former US Presidents Bill Clinton (R) and George W. Bush (L) after speaking about relief efforts following the earthquake in Haiti, during a statement in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC, on January 16, 2010. Obama said the former presidents would lead a fundraising effort for Haiti to aid the Caribbean nation after the devastating January 12 earthquake. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)

Budding Young Photographer

My sister is in a digital photography class and has this photo in her portfolio. I think it's so adorable -- everything is so spot-on, from the boy with the H.Co hoodie (hood up, natch) to the tye-dye tee on the girl.

NYMag "The Cut" Reports: Magazines Nowadays Lack Creative Covers

So true.


(ugly cover that looks like the four actresses were photographed separately and slapped onto an artificial background...)

I'm very tired of seeing actresses on the covers of magazines. I understand the appeal of celebrities to editors because they not only get advertisements (movies to debut, aka Vogue's recent issue with four stars from this Christmas's "Nine") but a pretty face, too. But what about social commentary? What about the experimentation with photography? I feel like every photo spread has some 15 year old in orange lipstick pouting and jumping in the air with some kind of absurdly neon or spikey shoe and a ridiculous hairstyle. But how is this sort of playfulness and whimsy (2009's version of "surreal") relevant? Escapism isn't the right answer because fashion mags have been in this rut for years now, not just during the recession. What happened to the days of Helmut Newton and Irving Penn? Oh wait, they died (sorry to be so insensitive). Are we expected to believe that Mario Testino is a replacement? Or that noted fashion photographer from ANTM? Their work lacks depth, experimentation and mystery. In other words, fashion photography and magazines that claim to be high-end and edgy have, in fact, become stagnant in their own commercialism.


"Le Smoking" by Helmut Newton for Yves Saint Laurent, 1966


"Le Smoking" by Helmut Newton for Yves Saint Laurent, 1966 (version 2)



And now that the economy has plummeted and Conde Nast and other companies have no $$, they will be tempted to sink into the abyss of CoverGirl and Sketchers ads.

Fashion magazines should become more extreme, edgy and controversial if they want to sell. Not endorse Hollywood with boring interviews with Kirsten Dunst for the fiftieth time, or show a stupidly photoshopped picture of Demi Moore. I want to see no-name models pose and let the human body speak for itself without the constructs of communications and business deals shrouding them. But perhaps that's an impossible desire. Who knows.

This isn't to say, though, that NYMag is better than other magazines--it's just of a different breed, so I wouldn't necessarily include it in the same group as W, Elle and Vogue. Oh, and I love French Vogue. Nobody can touch it. Favorite issue=Lara Stone. Great photo spreads.

What do you think?

V Magazine

... does amazing covers. Here's the most recent one with our favorite thinking girl's girlcrush, Natalie Portman.

 

MM via VF

What a handsome couple.

Vanity Fair has written an article about Mad Men with wonderful pictorals. Of course, it was only a matter of time.

I'm not sure if it's because they played with Photoshop a touch too much, but doesn't it look like there's something... off in these photos with Jon Hamm and January Jones' faces? Maybe they just are better captured by video than camera...

Flora Followup

I remembered that I promised to post photos of the flower arrangements from Green Key Ball. Here are two photos of the smaller arrangement. Spring/happiness captured in a 1' x 1' space.

photo by T.Hayashida

I picked out some of the pretty Dartmouth ones:














Photos linked from fellow bloggers (http://acontinuouslean.com/2008/05/19/take-ivy/ and http://thetrad.blogspot.com)

For more photos:

Take Ivy I

Take Ivy II

Take Ivy III

Lust, Caution, Wang

Want to watch this movie ASAP - Wang Lee Hom, Ang Lee, Tang Wei pictured Dec 8, 2007



um...

He reminds me of a Chinese-American Ashton Kutcher, but a million times more talented and significant - he's sold over 15 million records, is very passionate about the environment, and has hugely changed Chinese music. Ashton also does Nikon ads and used to be a model. I don't think Wang Lee Hom was, but clearly he has it in him.

Wow look at that hair... Jared, your mom needs to give you this haircut.

A million little things, six degrees of separation

"A painting revolves slowly high over the stage..."

I just read "Six Degrees of Separation", a play by John Guare and it sounds like a fascinating play to cast. I really want to watch this live, I bet it would be very powerful. I kind of can't wait to hear why Professor Pease has to say about it. I love feeling really engaged in a class. I wish there were someone in my class I could talk to about this play... ironic because this is the biggest class I've ever been in... ahh the perils of a gut class.



It would be SO fun and cerebral to cast a play and direct it and be in it - a serious, profound play. Especially this play, and even more especially the role of Paul. According to Google Images, Will Smith was cast in a movie version as Paul. I don't see that as quite right. He has too much of a soft charm to him, his face is too open and young looking (even now), and the play so emphasizes the character's blackness and black background that I see him cast as a very dark black person.


Reminds me of:Obviously not this level of raw sex and muscularness, but I see Paul as a really beautiful creature with obvious good looks - not kindly good looks like young Will Smith.

Some other castings I found on Google Images:














Ugh this one looks all wrong. Paul, Ouisa, Flan - everything. Not right on any of them. And Ouisa would never wear a dress that made her breasts look like that. And Flan would never, never wear a tackly double-breasted jacked with ugly tie. How about another:

Also all wrong! Maybe I'm thinking of a modern iteration, but Paul would never wear that and Paul and Ouisa ar both too young looking and Ouisa's face is too round and lacks the sharpness of age.

Another:


This one looks a bit closer.... Paul wouldn't have facial hair or long hair like that though. He knows better, he's too careful to do that. And I imagine Flan to be a bit more powerful-looking. And Ouisa looks a bit too old.

Sigh. lol.

Also, another beautiful photo from the recent Gisele shoot... the limbs, the muscle tone, the effortlessness and naturalness of his holding her and her just nearly floating. Reminds me of Alvin Ailey dance company. A very dancer-like photo, I think.


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haha and to follow up on F's recent post: I love onesies! Now I just need to get one. I feel like it's probably hard to find the right one. Also - high-waisted onesies: darling or dangerous? The one to the left may not be the BEST example, it looks rather awkward even on this pin-thin model


This item below is fucking adorable... but not really class-appropriate now, is it. Perhaps with a little denim jacket thrown over it?






And well, while we're at it - why not - look at a piece I just bought recently (in navy)! I can't wait for it to get hereeee

Mario Testino

KNOWS how to take a photo.