Christian Dior Haute Couture 2012

P.S: Honestly WTF

Forgive me for being so late with posting about this, but I just couldn't fathom not having a post mentioning my admiration for the Christian Dior Haute Couture Fall 2012 Fashion Show. Both the collection and the show itself were to die for. Using over a million flowers to decorate the inside of the venue, and the way the girls walked through the differently garnished rooms, almost like a labyrinth were just brilliant. The pieces were gorgeous too, even though they were a lot more wearable than Dior's previous Couture collections under Galliano - decide for yourself whether you prefer it that way or not. There were wonderful silhouettes that remind you of a bourgeois woman living in Russia, with the small metallic waistbands and wide, structured hips. I absolutely love it, it even reminds me a little of Ulyana Sergeenko, who's one of my absolute favourite people when it comes to her style! The colours were amazing too, very bright, and some like a watercolour painting! There was something about the pieces that made them very bold, but still elegant, polished and even delicate with the use of embroidery! I'm quite pleased with Raf for this show, he's different but almost inspiriting. I wish I could have actually been at the show, watching it on Youtube alone was so spellbinding for me. I'm sure most if not all of you saw the show, what did you think about it?

Brooke

Candice Or Nothing

Photography by Cass Bird for MUSE Summer 2012

Nowadays, editorials of this season seem to be filled with models decked out in brilliant, crisp prints, exploring the culture of a remote holiday destination, basking in the sun on the shore of some tropical island or ruddy-cheeked teens running through meadows, or even a girl posing in tribal print in the middle of the desert. Whatever it is that you're seeing in the mags for summer lately, it has something remarkably luxurious about it. The bright colours, the relaxing beaches, spas, european sceneries all seem so perfect, yet just out of our reach. However, Candice or Nothing for MUSE Summer 2012 brings something different to the rack. It portrays not the luxury, relaxation nor the exotic unfamiliarity of all the other spreads, but a boredom, a lazy idleness that just might have turned into some unlawful act. Though it sounds a little contrary, the late afternoon shoot with a (literally) dirtier, more masculine Candice than I'm sure any of us are used to seeing here on Fashion Street (look at that pullover in the 5th photo, gross) proves almost refreshing. I mean how does this not make you want to hang on the side of the street, smoking cigarettes with two guys you've probably never met before, and then later do some hoodrat things at a shipping port that you're forbidden from entering?

Brooke

The Land Of My Birth

(Photo Source: Natalie Monique)

With the Olympics only a few days away, I figured that it was basically essential for me to have a post about the event - fashion based of course. Vogue's been obsessing over it in previous issues, so why not right? While browsing through the TIME website I saw that there was a piece on the Olympic uniforms for this upcoming Olympics, including ratings on the uniforms. However, what really caught my eye was that Jamaica (my homeland, land of my birth, etc etc) was considered to have one of the best uniforms this year!!!!!! I swear I was even more excited than the extent to which the previous exclamation marks insinuate. Surprisingly enough, I saw that the uniform being used was designed by Cedella Marley, eldest daughter of Bob Marley, in collaboration with famous sports brand, PUMA, who showcased the collection at Caribbean Fashion Week last month.

Man, I remember seeing that collection and thinking, this line could really go places. Somehow Marley managed to incorporate the colours of the Jamaican flag in most if not all of her pieces, in the most flattering manner you could imagine. Believe me, before that night I didn't think the Jamaican colours could be used in an appealing manner unless it was on some form of PUMA sweater or on the flag itself - which I still question from time to time (no I'm only kidding). I remember she used a fabulous yellow-black print on the bottoms for the girls, and I especially loved it in a pair of pants, and had over the top cat-eye sunglasses as accessories. Some of the pieces weren't necessarily paired brilliantly but I could immediately imagine that print with a plain black partner, whether top or bottom to make it really interesting. Here are some photos from CFW of some piece of the collection - she also has a really fun swimsuit collection!

Props to the designer, Cedella Marley!

(Photo Source: Pulse Fashion)

While I didn't agree with all of TIME's uniform ratings - I thought that Germany's looked like a bunch of cotton candy men in the blues and pinks and that several uniforms didn't even catch the eye enough to be fit for the hardworking atheletes going to the Olympics - I realised something interesting and inspiring, in fact. Seeing the TIME's post, placing Jamaica's as one of the best along with countries like France, the UK, Italy and Germany, and further considering Cedella Marley's collection along with others of June's Caribbean Fashion Week, made me realise that fashion in Jamaica is now beginning to become a factor. A small factor perhaps, but nevertheless a factor in its own way. And besides that I feel that the people - of all ages - are becoming more fashion-conscious (THANK GOD). Who knows, maybe it's just wishful thinking. What do you all think about everything I've written about here, the uniforms, Marley's collection, a possibly pending fashion revolution (nbd) - It's a lot I know, but I just couldn't separate all of this, it just flows.

Brooke

Sky Ferreira

I don't really know what to say about Sky Ferreira except that she's absolutely lovely and her recovering crackwhore look is so flawless to me. Not even Lindsay Lohan can pull off this look like she can, and Lindsay has real experience. It's all in her eyes, I'm telling you. She reminds me of a 1980's Madonna in Desperately Seeking Susan - great movie, if you haven't seen it you should! Not to mention her music, I've had Sky on my itunes for like two years now, before I really started to care about fashion. My fave by her and her cover of Lana Del Rey's Blue Jeans are below:

She also recently released a new song, Red Lips. Buy it on Itunes!

Brooke

Deadbeat Summer

I've been on summer for one week now, and of course it hasn't been quite eventful. Besides not being allowed to go to clubs and whatever with my friends because it's against the law and my mom happens to be a law-abiding freak of nature (I mean who does that right?), I just haven't felt the hype of going out this summer. All I really want to do is sit around in my room, read a couple good books - not just my literature ones for the next year of school - get some work done, and go to the beach - maybe a hotel in the country. I was sorta hoping that this year I'd want to go out often and have the opportunity to, but I guess that didn't happen. I'm not necessarily complaining though, except for the fact that it doesn't seem I'll get to wear any of the new clothes I got recently, very soon - with which I am so happy by the way! The most I've done this summer is go out to eat with a couple friends and go to ballet classes, how busy is my schedule right? While not wanting to do anything, I'm kind of tired of having nothing to do, but kind of not. How contradictory - ugh I swear it's these teenage hormones. I didn't sign up for this!! But yeah, I haven't really had a social life throughout this entire schoolyear and was hoping I would now, but that only turned out to be far-fetched wishful thinking. If I didn't have a social life for majority of the year why would I have one for a small portion of it? Anyway, from the photo above you can probably tell I enjoy my good old friend, Lazy, just like that girl, but I guess I'm also having a love-hate relationship. Maybe if I had a pool to wade in like her, I'd embrace Lazy more.

Brooke

P.S. I don't really think my mom's a freak of nature for abiding by the law, I sort of admire it even though it inconveniences me more than anything else.