Rodarte's Black Swan

I finally saw Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan at the cinemas lat night. I'm not going to lie, I went to see it was purely for the Rodarte costuming (for which the designers are not even eligible for credit should the film win an any 'best costume' awards, but that's another story). Simply put, the costumes are amazing. Not only to look at, but because they play such an integral part within the storyline itself, and if I say much more the appeal will be lost so you'll just have to see it for yourself!

The Mulleavy sisters, Kate and Laura, have always had ballet, but in dark, theatrical ways, running through their collections, so the pairing was almost too good to be true. Apart from designing every single ballet costume, main star Natalie Portman was almost exclusively outfitted by the duo. She even (unsurprisingly) stepped out in custom-made Rodarte in Venice last year, where the film opened the festival. Funnily enough, it wasn't until I saw Natalie's character, Nina, appear in a floor-length white tulle gown, with trademark criss-crossing detail, and a cobwebbed sweater in one of her many intense rehearsals, that I suddenly remembered my underlying motive for being there. If this isn't testament to me being captured by the storyline, I don't know what is. 

via: tFS and natalieportman.com

Haute Noorda

Spring '11 couture season kicked off in Paris yesterday, and it's good to see couture isn't the only thing making a comeback. Last fall's couture shows prompted those in the know, possibly after attending Givenchy's 11-look showcase, to herald it as having returned to its intimate (yet still extravagant) roots. And it seems Amsterdam-born model Kim Noorda has experienced a similar sort of transition. While 2010 was a quiet one in terms of runway appearances, if the start of couture week is anything to go by (Noorda has already walked for both Christian Dior and Armani Privé) 2011 is shaping up to be quite different. Here's hoping she'll be a mainstay as we round the bend into fashion month, kicking off in New York in less than three weeks. Three weeks!

  

via:tFS

Orange Olivia

Olivia Palermo. One of the very few reality TV stars/ socialites who has gone the distance and still has some sort of relevance in the world in which their interest lies. While peers of hers ( i.e. the collective joke that was Speidi), this girl shows she has some talent away from the screen. No mater how bitchy she may have seemed as Whitney Ports's nemesis on The City, this girl sure knows a thing or two about style. She reminds me of pop-princess-turned-serious-designer Vicky B. At the start of their fashion 'careers', I'm sure there were many inside the fashion industry (remember Olivia's snotty attitude at Elle? And Posh's days as a full-time plasticised WAG?) who would most definitely have written them off. After numerous campaigns for Hogan, ASOS and spanish giant Mango, as well as a collaboration with jewellery designer Roberta Freymann, it seems as Olivia has achieved a seemingly unattainable kind of staying power. A regular fixture on the international fashion circuit, her citrus and plaid combination at the Ermenegildo Zegna men's show in Milan is further proof that Olivia's batting at the top of her fashion game. Props for that amazing Hermés crocodile skin clutch and her forever sleek tresses. And for the ever so slightly, I'm-too-cool-for-you popped collar. And, just because, here's a close up of those incredible McQueen shoes...

Americana Muse

Looking very much like a 90s supermodel (and not simply because of the comparisons to Linda Evangelista), Arizona Muse and her adorable son Nikko feature in February's US Vogue in this spread lensed by, you guessed it, Peter Lindbergh. What gets me most about this editorial (and no, it isn't her brows or that captivating stare), is Tonne Goodman's styling. While many of the looks are from American designers such as Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren, who were at the tops of their (and fashion's) game during the 90s, looks from an international cast that include Ferragamo and Hermés are represented in a way that is undeniably American. You can't help but cast your mind back to the American Dream, with its blue and white and red, its free-spirited wholesomeness so clearly captured in the Tommy by Tommy Hilfiger TV 'commercials' back in the day. Speaking of dreams, Muse, with her skyrocketing ascent towards the supermodel peak, is surely living one of her own. A favourite of Anna Wintour's, it won't be long before she stirs from her American dream, and when she does, it won't be for less than $10,000 a day. 

via: FGR

Socks and sweaters

Socks and sweaters. There's something about this combination that is just so... cosy. A homespun twist on Julia Roberts' Pretty Woman days when she donned Richard Gere's white shirt... and only his white shirt.  Despite being in the midst of a Sydney summer, there's something about this shot that makes me want ditch the light cotton tees for an oversized woollen sweater and snuggle up. With knitted socks to match. It's an easy kind of comfort that doesn't even have much to do with fashion (unless the sweater and socks in question are Michael Kors of course). The combination conjures up primary school memories of sitting round a creekbed campfire, with molten marshmallows oozing out of their slightly blackened shell, hanging off a whittled down gumtree twig before being gobbled up with greed. Those were the days where my camping attire consisted of grandma's hand-knitted jumpers, in an array of creams, blues and pinks, dad's Explorer socks and not much more.

Those are the best images, the ones that gently nudge you into recalling a time or memory of which you will be forever fond, allowing you to revel in its glory once more. And this one by Mario Sorrenti for the February issue of Vogue Paris does just that. Styled by new editrix Emmanuelle Alt, we get a quick glimpse of Natasha Poly and her wispy fringe in the stunning editorial simply called "Natasha Poly" - further proof that simplicity is most definitely where it's at. Au naturale, as my mum likes to say. Here's a collection of sweaters I'll be kicking around in (or wishing I was) come winter. 

Rag & Bone The Chunky Pullover sweater 

Rag & Bone Hayle mohair-blend cropped sweater

Celine ribbed sweaterdress 

Acne Lauren cashmere pullover

Vince cable-knit wool-blend sweater

via: tFS

The anti-red carpet red carpet dress

While most Hollywood starlets (or wannabe starlets) often get confused between an awards ceremony and their 1990s prom (Jennifer Love Hewitt, I'm looking at you), here's the perfect example of when  straying off the beaten track is the best. thing. ever. Tilda Swinton in Jil Sander spring '11. Of course, only Tilda (and her white gold locks) could pull this off. And with that wink, I think she knows it. This woman is cool. Period.

via: Zimbio

Nonchalant Minimalism

These photos were taken outside Le Grand Hotel in Paris right after the Balmain SS11 show in September last (last!) year. While everyone was snapping away at the Balmain-clad ADR, (including me, until I spied otherwise) Mademoiselle Agnés snuck past, largely unnoticed by the blogger throng. With her Zanotti for Balmain satin booties and that amazing leather panelled Celine coat, how could you not notice? It's quite striking when seeing these two distinct looks, fashion poles apart, in the one frame. While Anna, God love her, is proud in her 'maximalist' style, not occasionally showing up to a designer's show in one of their earlier creations (that she's never worn before, no less), Agnés' style is much more minimal. It's not refined to extent of minimalism's trademarked sleek hair and Calvin Klein, but certain elements are certainly pared back. On reflection, I understand why Agnés didn't receive the same amount of attention as ADR, and I think it has less to do with the level of fame, and more to do with the style. Something so simple (if Balmain and Celine are considered simple) are donned by the wearer more often than not to have that effect; so they are the ones wearing the clothes, not the other way around. A plain pair of skinny army-green cargos tucked into heeled boots, teamed with a loose tee the same colour as the straight-lined jacket. Easy. Effortless. Just like dressing should be. Perhaps we can coin a new term in reference to this French sort of minimalism, after all; many a French editor (Emmanuelle Alt and Geraldine Saglio to name two) have this look down to a (ripped) tee. Nonchalant Minimalism. 

Sydney Greetings

I arrived in Sydney Monday night, and while I think I've always been a Melbourne girl (out of the two) it hasn't even been three days and I'm nearly a convert. My detached upstairs granny flat (let's call it a loft) is absolutely amazing, and is near enough to the CBD to not be a hastle yet far enough that I don't have to contend with a constant stream of traffic. It really is true when they say "it will all fall into place" -  as I've already got somewhere to live to live, cemented an internship at a magazine in the city and almost have a part time job. Very lucky so far! 

Went and sat down in Hyde Park after my meeting today, and got arty with Instagram. I then headed down Crown Street, and wound my way through Surry Hills and then down Oxford Street and Glenmore Road in Paddington, stopping at Land's End to peruse the racks of their summer clearance. Of course the thing I liked most ( a Proenza PS1 pouchette) was just about the only thing not on sale. Typical. Tomorrow I think I'll go for a wander down at Maroubra (one of the best beaches in Sydney, or so I've been told) and make a start on a freelance writing gig I've been offered. Which just so happens to pay in magazines. Works for me!

Waist(less) Coats

With all this talk of masculine tailoring, the most obvious (and easiest to wear no doubt) is the omission of the waistline. While a cinched waist will always remain a classic, the looser fit allows for a modern take on separates, especially where proportions are concerned. As seen in many a pre-fall collection, including Celine, Stella McCartney, Jil Sander and even Alber Elbaz's females-should-dress-as-females Lanvin - the last inclusion showing that this shape can be as much for the girls as it is for the boys. And it wouldn't be a waistless season without the drop-waists at the house that Coco built - Chanel. 

Take style cues from ex-EiC of Vogue Paris, Carine Roitfeld, for whom tights and obligatory heels create the streamlined opposite of her coat. Or make like model Martha Streck, whose waist is ever so sightly nipped in under her camel coat, or Natalia Alaverdian, whose lengthened silhouette is helped by a form-skimming maxi skirt. By combining a voluminous coat with more fitted pieces, big (and even baggy) shapes are suddenly a far cry from manly. 

via: Style.com, the Sartorialist and StockholmStreetStyle

Getting Ziggy

David Bowie in his Ziggy Stardust Hunky Dory days and Frida Giannini's pre-fall collection for Gucci. Or, early '70s box pleats. One of the same.

Natasha + COS

Natasha Poly and COS. Two of my favourite things. Shot alongside Eddie Klint by Alasdair McLellan for the Swedish label's autumn/winer 07/08 campaign and lookbook. I've never seen these shots of Nat before, which is surprising because on many a rainy day I find myself traipsing back through her old tFS threads. I love her with brown hair, and now she's gone back to it I am reminded of the days when she was just starting out. Blonde or brown, these shots are breathtaking. Soft and whimsical but at the same time strong and resilient. The perfect embodiment of the phrase "they only have eyes for each other", and with these two, I almost forget it's just a fashion shoot. But then again, when it looks this good, the question becomes; is it? That's the thing about great photography, it captures a moment that can forever be real. 

via: tFS

Lazy Sundays

My last Sunday living here at home in Adelaide. FRIENDS, coffee, avocado on quinoa toast, hours spent ready the Sunday Mail, sunny days with my family.

How you doin'??

Birthday Present

A 21st birthday present from my beautiful, beautiful friends. To think this was only part of a gift. They most definitely spoiled me. I've been wanting this Jordan Askill heart ring for aaaages, and was beyond excited when I opened my birthday card and out slipped a picture of this baby. And it got delivered today, yay! I'm so glad I received it as a gift, otherwise I was simply going to go buy it myself - but this way it has meaning, and every time I wear it I will be reminded I truly do have the greatest friends a girl could wish for. X

The Olsen Influence

"We wanted to do something low-key and to the point," said Ashley and Mary Kate Olsen in reference to their very first runway show for their label, The Row, in February last year. It's not often you can say the same consistent aesthetic runs through each and every collection of a designer, but with the Olsens, this is simply case in point.  Furthermore, it's not every day that a fledgling label draws front-rowers like Chloë Sevigny and includes runway names like Natasha Poly, Sasha Pivovarova and Sigrid Agren. Simply put, the Olsens aren't your average designing duo. For a pair that established their roots within the entertainment industry, it is a testament to their fashion credentials that they are sometimes forgotten as actresses, and thought of only as designers. For me, every collection since their very first (including their stuff for secondary label, Elizabeth & James) further proves this point. Simple, easy-to-wear clothing whose focus is on cut and fit rather than unnecessary detail, is a formula that obviously works for the sisters. And they don't look like letting up soon. Here's some (read: most) of the looks for their latest showing for pre-fall.