"You've got a head full of feathers/You got melted to butter"

o·ver·ex·po·sure
–noun
1.
excessive exposure, esp. of photographic film or a sensitized plate to light rays.
2.
the condition of having been seen, heard, or advertised so frequently or for so long that freshness or appeal is diminished.

If I had to define Sex and the City with just one word it would be overexposure. I guess I can call myself a fan of the series, but I am sick of all the paraphernalia around it. I watched the film, and it's not that good. It lacks irony and cynicism, and they eventually gave us a predictable end: Carrie and Mr. Big getting married. A pure cliché.

What I like least, is the way of commercializing the whole concept. There's already a book about the movie, and Patricia Field is selling in her web: bags, socks, dresses and belts ala Carrie at exorbitant prices.

"I love you but enough is enough. "

Faust Arp-Radiohead

Bodkin

Slowly the eco-clothing movement is gaining support in the fashion industry. However, many designers tackle the topic in a basic way and most of the times they don't even develop a whole collection.

The need to create chic and suistainable clothes led Samantha Pleet and Eviana Hartman to launch Bodkin.

The whole line has, for me, a delicious 90's vibe. Blacks and whites fill a feminine collection, while Pleet's savoir-faire in terms of tailoring stands out.

Side-Travis

One tag, seven songs.

Soir de fête tagged me to list 7 songs I am into right now. My choices are:

1. Jigsaw falling into place - Radiohead. I'm obsessed with In Rainbows. I still haven't stopped listening to it since its release.
2. Narc-Interpol.
3. What Katie did- The Libertines.
4. The National front disco - Morrissey. I like irony, I really do.
5. Subterranean Homesick Alien - Radiohead. OK, I know again Radiohead, but I can't help myself. They're so good.
6. Chatterton - Serge Gainsbourg. I suppose I like this song so much because I find Chatterton very fascinating.
7. Side - Travis. Because "the grass is always greener on the other side."
   

Girls with Allure: Karla

Karla is probably one of the most stylish 18-year-old you've ever seen. One can tell for the way she dresses she lives in California. In the present she is studying apparel manufacturing at FIDM, and spends the rest of her time with her other passion: music -she actually sings and composes her own songs-

Who's your favourite designer?

"My all-time favorite designer is Yves Saint Laurent. He had a brilliant way of having his women exude sexiness in such an androgynous clothes. I also really love Balenciaga, Martin Margiela, and Stella McCartney."

A fetish...

"Oh wow, I definitely have a major shoe fetish. I’d actually rather wear shoes than clothes."

What was your latest purchase? What are you planning to buy next?

"Hmm, my latest purchase were a pair of schoolboy trousers from Target. Planning to wear them with sky-scraping platforms, sheer tanks, and vintage tees. Next on the list of things to buy: white lingerie, an electric purple American Apparel skirt, and men’s skinny ties."

You'd never be caught in...

"True Religions and Juicy Couture tracksuits."

What is in your opinion the best piece of clothing ever invented?

"The black blazer."


A book, a film and a song...

"Favorite book of all time: Go Ask Alice. My favorite films are basically all the Audrey Hepburn classics. I’m a sucker for romantic movies too!"

What kind of things inspire you when getting dressed?

"Well it varies from day to day. Some days I’ll pick something in my closet like simple white tee or pair of high-waisted trousers and put my look together based on that particular piece. Other days I’ll just put on whatever is hanging on the back of my door. "

You can't live without...

"Blazers and strawberry lip balm."

What does style mean to you?

"Style is all about confidence. It’s not even about what you wear, it’s the way you wear it (oh wow, that sounded absolutely cheesy)."

L.A. woman - The Doors

Put on your mask

Keeping my skin healthy is as important for me as wearing nice clothes. I follow a daily beauty regime, but sometimes my combination skin gets rebellious and I need something extra.

Not so long ago, I tried a honey mask and it surprisingly works. It works as a peeling, removing dead cells, and letting your skin smooth and glowing.

You only need some honey and sugar. Apply it over your clean dry face in circular movements. Rinse it off and moisturize. Wait for the next morning to see the results.

Mrs. Robinson - Simon and Garfunkel

Paris, part deux

First, I am sorry to dissapoint you but I won't be posting many pics, simply because I don't have them.

During the afternoon we were introduced Aaron de Mey, the new make-up artistic director of the house. He just exudes creativity, and looking at his scrapbooks was such an experience. We could see where his inspiration comes from, and what is his working method.

I also liked the fact that he was very down to earth which I guess is not very common. For instance, he related some dreadful anecdotes: like this designer (he didn't give names) who made him change make-up of all the models five minutes before the show started (!).

Overall, it was such an amazing and fulfilling day.

Paris

I'm already back home and willing to tell you all about my short trip to Paris. Firstly, I must say I went there to attend a blogger event organised by Lancôme. It was really nice to meet other writers and share our thoughts about the blogosphere, fashion, beauty and all that jazz.

During the morning, we were presented the new fragance called Magnifique, created by the perfumer Olivier Cresp.

The scent features Nagarmotâ (a plant they discovered while doing some research in India), Rose and Saffron. The final result is a sweet perfume with wood touches, very feminine and sexy thanks also to the red container.

C'est Magnifique - Cole Porter (it's actually the song of the campaign, but it was covered by a band whose name I can't recall).

More posts coming soon!

Seditionaries

There is a wide variety of moments that change your life and define your personality. For me, one of those moments took place when I bought my first album: Live at San Francisco 1978 by the Sex Pistols. I still own it, and honestly, I hardly ever listen to it. But the influence that Punk had over me is still noticeable.

That's why when this morning I found Seditionaries I cried with joy. It's a collection of the works of Malcon McLaren and Vivienne Westwood during the 70's. I strongly recommend having a look at it. I particularly love the t-shirts they used to do during that time, in fact, I've been lusting after one of them during a long time.

God save the queen - Sex Pistols

All pics from Seditionaries

Scosha

My favourites jewels aren't necessarily valuable, but they all have a special meaning for me as I inherited most of them from my grandmother.

That's why I'm glad to discover new designers, like Scosha, who give a lot of importance to the story behind the jewels. For instance, the Caravan collection is a homage to the classical friendship bracelet and the experiences of travelling around the world.

Scosha proposes fresh and unique alternatives inspired in different cultures, mixing precious stones with materials such as leather or linen.

*All pics from Scosha

Can't buy me love - The Beatles

Jonesing for

...a Marc by Marc Jacobs Percy bag. I swear I need a small cross body bag for summer.

Percy's song - Bob Dylan

Le Chant Des Sirènes

"I will not let thee go save thou makest me a promise that whenever I call thee, thou wilt come and sing to me, for the fish delight to listen to the song of the Sea-folk, and so shall my nets be full." The Fisherman and his Soul, from a House of Pomegranates. Oscar Wilde.

Vogue-Paris dedicates its best issue in months to the allure of French women. In my favourite editorial, Carine Roitfeld, displays once again her savoir-faire and delight us with the contradiction between tradition and modernity.

She mixed labels like Comme des Garçons or Prada with typical headdresses from Alsace or Champagne. Pure eye candy.

Song: What Katie did next - Babyshambles

Fashions fade, Yves Saint Laurent is eternal

Requiem - Mozart

Russian Red

In the previous post many people mentioned how much they liked the song I chose. It's from one of my latest discoveries: Russian Red.

It's been a time since an artist doesn't thrilled me the way Lourdes Hernández does. Her first album "I love your glasses" was released in April and it has already revolutionized the Spanish panorama. It's filled with folk songs that remind the likes of Feist, Joan Baez or Cat Power.

I keep my fingers crossed to see her playing live very soon.

Song: Cigarettes - Russian Red

Snoozer Loser

With final terms around the corner, I'm not getting much sleep and I don't have the time to choose original outfits, therefore I keep wearing the same ensemble: skinny jeans with babydoll tops, blazers and flats. Finding bright and cheerful tops is key for me right now as I don't want to look boring and ordinary. But that's not a problem since I discovered the NY based brand Snoozer loser.

Sonia Tay, a graduate from Parsons School of design, is the woman behind Snoozer Loser. I simply love the attention she pays to details -her clothes are hand-printed- without forgetting the functionality of her garments.

This summer she proposes us whimsical clothes, full of flowers in soft pastel colours such as pink, yellow and green.

Song: No past land - Russian Red

A tribute

From the first time I saw Ashley Olsen wearing the YSL tribute sandals, it was instant love. They have that stripper vibe, so cheeky and appealing at the same time. But at the price of $760 per pair, I resigned myself because I knew there wasn't a chance of getting them.

At least not the real ones. Because look what I found:

They're from a brand called Bakers. I know I am always complaining about the amount of knockoffs in fashion, but I can't resist these shoes. The only problem is Bakers doesn't ship outside the US, so I have my finger crossed in the hope that a pair will pop up on ebay.

Song: Bunny- Ultra Orange and Emmanuelle

I miss the old Cannes

Tomorrow Cannes will close its doors until next May. In recent years, Hollywood stars, with their fake glamour, are invading this small village in the south of France.

Call me nostalgic, but I miss the days when the festival was filled with people like Visconti, Fassbinder or Jean Moureau. Why Cannes, supposedly independent, seems to support the commercial American industry?

But I've faith that things will change because the festival got over from bigger crisis, like the lack of funds in 1948 and 1950, or May 68 when numerous directors like Godard, Truffaut or Polanski closed Cannes in sympathy with the students riots that were taking place in Paris at that moment.

On moral

Yesterday I woke up with rather disgusting news; Louis Vuitton brought a lawsuit against Nadia Plesne. The reason? Producing t-shirts with the image you can see below to benefit the Darfur genocide victims.

I find the LVMH attitude heartless and very hypocritical. They can use an image of Gorbachov in front of the Berlin Wall to advertise their products, but a young artist can't mock their bags to help the people of Darfur.

Song: The times they are a-changin' - Bob Dylan

Anita Pallenberg

Back to the subject of style icons, I'd like to talk about one of my all time favourites: Anita Pallenberg. She became popular thanks to her relationships with Brian Jones and Keith Richards. The Sixth Stone -as she was known- played an important role in the band from the late 60's throughout the 70's.

It's not just the clothes, but her attitude towards fashion what makes me like her so much. The way she dresses is a direct consequence of her personality. Pallenberg is the female version of the Renaissance Man: she does lots of thing and excels in all of them. During the nineties she studied fashion design at Central Saint Martins.

Song: Sympathy for the devil - The Rolling Stone

Felipe Oliveira Baptista

As soon as I saw this picture at Café Mode I had to re-check Felipe Oliveira Baptista summer collection. It's been a while since the Portuguese designer is under my radar, but only a stranger made me realise how much I like what he does (don't worry, I've already smacked myself).

From this particular show, I like the volumes and silhouettes, and the masks would have been a great alternative for the MET gala.

Bear with me (and my latest obsession): You really got me - The Kinks

The odd couple

Imagine for a moment you know nothing about fashion...what would you think of this couple?

Song: Now I wanna sniff some glue - The Ramones