March 2012 Memories

A few important things have happened in this month and now let's get to them!

March 12-16 was Toronto Fashion Week and we went to some shows to see the Canadian talents. Caitlin Power and Ashtiani were two of our favourite shows and we were fortunate to have the chance writing 2 reviews for them on Global News. Click here to see the 2 reviews!

As for the [Un]Discovers department, we have a very talented illustrator named Ryan Tandya. We are in love with his style and hoping to see more amazing works from him soon.

If you remember Erika Mizuno, the designer who created the bear dress, then you should know we are huge fans of her works. Recently she has teamed up with Yuta Yajima to crete a new brand called kielo; and the first collection is very dreamy and beautiful. Please take a look at the womenswear, menswear and our interview with the duo!

We also have the opportunity to feature an emerging menswear designer this month. His name is Six Lee and his brand SixLee has become one of our new favourites. Please click here to check out the interview!

Last but not least, Georges le Mercenaire is a very good illustrator whose works have completely blown our mind. His images consist of some iconic anime characters, but with a very surreal twist! We just can't get enough of them!

Gerardo Larrea is our star on Swide this month! We just love his whimsical and fun works! Please click here to read it.

Trendology: Balmain Navy Double Breasted Jacket

This jacket is just perfect in every way, expect the price point.

This piece is from the Balmain S/S collection. I really like the shape of this blazer and it is very structured. The oversized lapel collar is giving a kick to the piece. Also, you can really go no wrong with a navy blazer (that's what a sale associate once said to me and I have to say, he is right). If you are interested in this piece and willing to pay $3600 for it, then please click here.

Courtesy of Ssense

Ray of Inspirology: Jason Kim for BlackBook April/Mary 2012

If you still do not know which brands are dominating this season, then this editorial will give you an extra clue.

This spread is shot by Jason Kim and it is featured in the latest issue of BlackBook Magazine. Katie Fogarty is styled by Christopher Campbell and the amazing tattoo is done by Jenai Chin (admit it, I drool). Some of the brands you can probably identify right the way are Louis Vuitton, Jil Sander and of course Prada (there is one shot just for the heels). I really like the retro vibe of this shoot and the wood backdrop helps to make the pieces stand out.

Ray of Inspirology: The Real Life Of Karl Lagerfeld

Don't let the title fool you, because, let's be honest, this is far from the truth.

In the latest issue of Elle France, we finally get a glimpse of "the real life" of Karl Lagerfeld. With his new favourites Saskia de Brauw and Caroline Brasch Nielsen, you can now see Uncle Karl shops at a supermarket and even goes on facebook to stalk other people's status. Of course, all these images are purely served as another promotion for his NET-A-PORTER exclusive brand Karl.  What do you think? Do you want his lifestyle (aka our real world everyday life style)?

Trendology: Burberry Presents...

So Burberry is going to present something new next week but before that, the fashion house has just released a teaser video on youtube. Well, I am not going to tell you what it is right now but you can watch this 20 secs video to find out what the brand has in store for us on Wednesday April 4th!

It's definitely something I want.

Courtesy of Burberry 

Fashionist[On The Go]: Guess What?

I am so sorry I have to play this cheesy tag line today.

Guess what? Guess is turning 30 and what a better way to celebrate this event by inviting Claudia Schiffer to be the face of a capsule collection? At the age of 41, she is still looking so beautiful and I am sure these images will make girls want to get the capsule collection in April! [Read Here]

You probably will wonder how many ladies can look like this at age 41(source: the Fashionist)

Ray of Inspirology: Aldona Karczmarczyk & Łukasz Pycior For Twój Styl

I always love the idea of combining illustrations with photography and this is one fine example!

This editorial is shot by Aldona Karczmarczyk and it is featured in Twój Styl. The addition of Łukasz Pycior's illustrations is adding a cool factor to the entire series. I am also in love with they styling by Ewa Baraniewska as the clothes blend so well with the graphics (especially the leopard one). What do you think?

Courtesy of Twój Styl (source: designscene)

[Un]Discovers: Georges le Mercenaire

Georges le Mercenaire is one of the illustrators I admire recently. His Koopa Classic Party has been one of my favourite series in the recent months as he uses his surreal illustration style to create his own version of Mario Bros. This week, I am lucky to have Georges as my featured artist of the week!

Hello Georges, I am glad to have you on my latest edition of [Un]Discovers. So, how did you get into the illustration industry?
I was probably influenced by my friends to get into this industry. I have started by doing posters for theatres or for parties. After a lot of collaborations with diferent little fashion brands and other jobs, I had landed a free lance job working for Lacoste.

Ray of Inspirology: As She Waits

Abbey Lee can do no wrong, period.

This editorial is shot by Mikael Jansson and it is featured in the latest issue of Interview Magazine. The images here are so dark, but romantic. It somehow makes me to think - what will a girl wear if the world ends? Admit it, you love the clothes on Abbey Lee as much as I do.

Wave of Inspirology: Coca Cola Contest Video

I love this and I am sad this is not the official Coca Cola campaign video!

This short animation is directed by Rimantas Lukavicius. When the harp starts to play in the video, the Coca Cola bottles will transform into different shapes and I think that to be very interesting. Watch it yourself and let me know if this should be part of Coca Cola campaign.

Coca-Cola | Contest (KORB @ Vimeo)

Ray of Inspirology: Brides & Widows

These are some beautiful images shot by fashion photographer Joanna Kustra!

This editorial is about the brides and the widows and it is featured in Factice Magazine. I think the images are so beautiful and the hint of gloomy feeling has really spiced up the series. If the modern brides (not the widows) can all look like this, I will not mind to pick up wedding photography again...

Time[less]: Maurice Lacroix Roue Carré Seconde

Admit it, you want it the first minute you saw this watch.

This watch is created by Maurice Lacroix. The reason why I have it on my wish list is the dial. Sure, it is not new to have dial on the watch surface, but what about square dial? This square dial is very refreshing and I am sure the engineer behind this design is very complicated. I just love the simplicity of this watch (square dial aside), and it will look so classy on your wrist. Trust me, people will be talking about your watch if they see it!

Please click here for more information.

Courtesy of Maurice Lacroix (source: Selectism)

Artology: LEGO Campaign by Jung von Matt Agency

Just how awesome is this campaign?

These images are created by Germany based advertising company Jung von Matt Agency. By using simple Lego blocks, some iconic cartoon characters are created in minimalism form. I find this idea to be totally brilliant and I would like to see if they can work on more characters for this campaign.

Can you guess who they are? Click here to find out!

Trendology: Leitmotiv F/W 2012 Menswear Collection

I may have just found my fairytale menswear brand.

This F/W collection is designed by Fabio Sasso and Juan Caro, the duo behind the brand Leitmotiv. I am in love with the prints, as they remind me of the fairy tales but with a gothic touch. This collection is  truly unique and I would not mind to purchase a piece from it. Now the question is, where can I find them? Can someone answer my question?

P.S They have produced the womenswear too, so you can head over to Leitmotiv's tumblr page and check it out! It's romantic and cool!

Trendology: Neon Old School Collection

I really like this emerging designer's work. Neat and simple are the words I can think of at the moment.

This is the second collection of emerging designer Alba Prat and the inspiration is from the cold war children. I really like how this collection is presented in the look book: simple, yet the neon yellow accessories can totally grab your attention. I am in love with the school bag and the tote bag at the moment. If the Alba does indeed create these 2 products, I think I may have to invest them (I bet these items will work well on men).

Please click here to see the detail shots of the collection.

Ray of Inspirology: Stars In Dior

2 words: celebrities power.

Throughout the years, Christian Dior has used many famous female celebrities to be their spokesperson on variety of products. It is logical to think these stars will also be wearing Christian Dior pieces on red carpets, or even in films. This book is basically about all the celebrities who have become the faces of Dior and has photos of them in the fashion house's pieces. Some of the celebrities who are included in this book are Charlize Theron, Natalie Portman, Marilyn Monroe and Marlene Dietrich.

Stars in Dior will be released in May in Europe and September in the US. I am looking forward to have this book in my fashion books collection.

Courtesy of Dior

Ray of Inspirology: Swept Away

Oh, this spread is so romantic!

Josh Olins shoots this amazing editorial for the latest issue of Vogue Japan and it features Jourdan Dunn and Daria Strokous. The girls are styled by Giovanna Battaglia and some of the brands I can identify instantly include Alexander McQueen, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Prabal Gurung and Dolce & Gabbana. I am absolutely in love with the setting as the beach gives me a very breezy feeling when looking at the images.

What do you think of this spread?

Trendology: Bottega Veneta Denim Lace-Up Shoes

Bottega Veneta, to me, is always a very elegant brand so I am surprised to see this pair of lace up shoes to show up on Saks Fifth Avenue web store. The "main attraction" of this design is of course, the denim area. Because of it, you can basically wear the shoes with casual or formal ensembles (formal wear will require a little styling skill).

Please click here for more information.

Courtesy of Saks Fifth Avenue 

Ray of Inspirology: Institute White

I think the most fascinated thing about this editorial is not the photos (no doubt, they are amazing), it's how Crystal Renn has really evolved.

This editorial is shot by Steven Klein and it features Karolina Kurkova and Crystal Renn. I am in love with the madhouse setting and  the dark vibe, which create great contrast to the white clothes the models are wearing. As I said, Crystal Renn has really evolved and I can barely see her fun side now (remember back in the days she was a plus size model and did a lot of funky editorials?). No, I am not complaining, I just feel like she has gone to another level.

Click here to see the complete series (and one of them is really NSFW).

Trendology: Comme Des Garcons Homme Plus Fishnet Cuff Shirt

I like ordinary clothes with a modern twist, so this Comme Des Garcons shirt just suits my taste. The fancy part of the shirt is the fishnet detail on the sleeves. It's subtle, but definitely shows class. I am not too sure if it will fit me since I always need alteration on the sleeves and if that's the case, perhaps the fishnet part will be chopped off. Well, if you are interested in this piece and know Comme Des Garcons fits your body size perfectly, please click here for more information.

Courtesy of Colette

Trendology: Giuseppe Zanotti Silver Mirror High Tops

Giuseppe Zanotti for men! Yes, you hear this right, the brand finally has sneakers for men.

This pair silver mirror high top is beautiful as it looks like a mirror to me. The zipper at the back adds a modern touch and the sneaker itself looks like a footwear from the future. Imagine you are going to see this pair of sneakers in a Star Wars movie...

I was going to get it, but unfortunately, this is not the version I want. Where did the spike version go?

Please click here to see more information about this collection.

Courtesy of Ssense

Funkology: Comme des Garcons X Coca Cola

If this is true, then yeah, I will want to all 3 designs!

Ashley has this cool concept and I think it will work. She creates the Comme des Garcons x Coca Cola project and mock up 3 limited edition Coke cans. As always, I am a fan of the PLAY heart so the present of this logo makes the can fun and special. Now, if only this is going to become reality...

What do you think? Do you want to see this in real life?

Courtesy of Ashley Shen (source: highsnobiety)