ANNA WINTOUR

Anna Wintour, OBE (born November 3, 1949) is the British-born editor-in-chief of American Vogue, a position she has held since 1988. With her trademark pageboy bob haircut and sunglasses, Wintour has become an institution throughout the fashion world, widely praised for her eye for fashion trends and her support for younger designers. Her reportedly aloof and demanding personality has earned her the nickname "Nuclear Wintour".


She is the eldest daughter of Charles Wintour, editor of the London Evening Standard. Anna became interested in fashion as a teenager. Her father consulted her on how to make the newspaper relevant to the youth of the era. Her career in fashion journalism began at two British magazines. Later she moved to the United States, with stints at New York and House & Garden. She returned home for a year to turn around British Vogue, and later assumed control of the franchise's magazine in New York, reviving what many saw as a stagnating publication. Her use of the magazine to shape the fashion industry has been the subject of debate within it. Animal rights activists have attacked her for promoting fur, while other critics have charged her with using the magazine to promote elitist views of femininity and beauty.

A former personal assistant, Lauren Weisberger, wrote the 2003 bestselling roman à clef The Devil Wears Prada, later made into a successful film starring Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly, a fashion editor widely believed to be based on Wintour. In 2009 she was the focus of another film, R.J. Cutler's documentary The September Issue.

Source: Wikipedia

I met Anna Wintour and Grace Coddington at the Burberry Spring/Summer show last year, I just very politely walked up to them and said hello, Anna shot me a look like “and you are” but then smiled and said, hello, enjoy the show. I thought I would just melt.

La Wintour has a litany of accomplishments, far too many to list here, my wish is to continue to blog and have Vogue mentor me either through the marketing department or through Andre Leon Talley.  As it stands now, I am a nobody in the fashion world trying to be someone…(fingers crossed)

MR. ANDRE LEON TALLEY

André Leon Talley (born October 16, 1949) is the former American editor-at-large for Vogue magazine, listed as Contributing Editor in the April 2010 masthead. Talley has been a front-row regular at fashion shows in New York, Paris, London and Milan for more than 25 years. He uses his influence to promote young fashion designers and mentors young talent in other fields.


His most famous pairings of late have been with designers Tracy Reese, Rachel Roy, and singer/actress Jennifer Hudson. He is known as a very close friend of pop diva Mariah Carey, fashion designer Kimora Lee Simmons, and tennis star Venus Williams. In 2007, he was ranked 45th in Out Magazine's "50 Most Powerful Gay Men and Women in America". Talley has an honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Savannah College of Art and Design, where he serves as a member of the Board of Trustees. As of March 2010, Talley is currently serving on the judging panel for America's Next Top Model.

Source: Wikipedia

I had the immense pleasure of meeting Mr. Talley last year at New York’s Fashion Week, he was accompanying Grace Jones…my idol!  

CFDA AWARDS 2011

 Hilary Alexander...Media Award.  Most of my post on my Facebook blog come from Hilary Alexander and the Telegraph UK

Lady Gaga in Thierry Mugler, gave her speech on her influence on young people and how fashion inspires us to be who we are.

Congratulations to all the winners…


Fashion Icon Award: Lady Gaga

Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award: Marc Jacobs

Eugenia Sheppard Media Award: Hilary Alexander

International Award: Phoebe Philo

Womenswear Designer of the Year: Proenza Schouler

Menswear Designer of the Year: Michael Bastian

Accessory Designer of the Year: Alexander Wang

Swarovski Award for Menswear: Robert Geller

Swarovski Award for Womenswear: Prabal Gurung

Swarovski Award for Accessory Design: Eddie Borgo

Founders Award: Hal Rubenstein

Board of Directors' Special Tribute: Arthur Elgort



I followed the whole affair on Twitter, which gave me every detail of who just arrived and what they were wearing, it was like actually being on the Red Carpet.


The CFDA Awards are like the Oscars in the Fashion Industry.

Phoebe Philo...International Designer of the Year.
 
From what I was getting from Twitter, was that most attendees wore  Tux, including a lot of the ladies, and that Mini Skirts were very much the look for the evening

DAPHNE GUINNESS

The Honourable Daphne Suzannah Diana Joan Guinness (born 9 November 1967) is an artist of Irish, English, and French descent and an heiress of the Guinness family. She was named to the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1994. Guinness is the daughter of Jonathan Guinness, 3rd Baron Moyne and his second wife, Suzanne Lisney (d. 2005 of lung cancer).

In the mid-1980s, she lived in New York City with her sister Catherine Guinness, who was a companion of Andy Warhol. She married Spyros Niarchos, son of the Greek shipping billionaire Stavros Niarchos, in 1987 at the age of 19, but divorced in 1999 with a reported settlement of about £20 million.

Guinness lives in London and Manhattan, and has three children, following her marriage to Spyros Niarchos:

Guinness is prominent in the fashion world as a journalist and collector of haute couture. She has an interest in the use of armour in fashion. She was a model in Naomi Campbell's Fashion for Relief runway show for the White Ribbon Alliance to raise funds for mothers in Haiti in 2010. In September 2010, NARS Cosmetics will launch a new collection dedicated to her.

Last month Daphne had a performance in the Barney’s New York window, where she got ready for the Met Ball honoring Alexander McQueen’s Savage Beauty, the picture below is the dress she wore to the Gala…

ARMANI LA FEMME BLEUE S/S 2011

 An image, possibly a photograph or a still from a film: the Tuareg, blue nomads of the desert. A journey that transforms this concept into an inspirational idea, but with a feminine interpretation, signaling one of those role reversals that characterize Armani style.



Totally monotone: matt, glossy, glittering with crystals and all-over sequins, iridescent, layered, transparent. Each fabric, material and treatment contributes its own nuance and substance, from satin to knits textured like lace. Shapes are fitted, distilled, and even when the individual items are put together, they create a compact silhouette that flares towards the hem. Skirt lengths are long, short tunics barely overlap trousers, while other superimposed garments cover the legs.


The ethnic awareness that is always a significant part of the Giorgio Armani aesthetic exhibits its natural simplicity, always set off and emphasized by the meticulous detailing. From a turban-style knotted Tuareg hat to impressive and important jeweler like amulets, with large stones framed in fabric, fine braid, and glossy metal. The cuffs in grosgrain can also feature as jewellery, and can be worn as bracelets according to the mood and atmosphere of the moment.

SOURCE: Fashion Insiders

This show was great, and the Staff at Armani gave us chocolates on our seats...the invite was blue giving one a hint as to what was coming up, unlike Versace whos invite was orange and not one orange piece. I LOVED the sandals,  though the sandals were like pointed toe stilettos. I cannot remember any heels being shown...even though the picture below gives hint of a heel (?)

HOW I SPENT MY BIRTHDAY

 I have just moved into this new apartment in Bay Ridge Brooklyn, the building I am in is 90 years old...the kitchen has alot to be desired, but I have a friend that renovates kitchen and bathrooms, who I will fly from LA  to do my kitchen and bathroom...but this little project I wanted to do...above is the before picture...below the work in progress.

I have embarked on the arduous task of stripping the paint from this 90 year old cabinet…I think I have bitten off more than I can chew, but I have started now, no turning back!  ! !

What needs to be done is sanding and a new glass pane, as one is cracked...so much more work to be done...aren't I sooo butch...or either sooo gay...hmmm.

THE MURSE (man purse)

A long time staple in men’s fashion in Europe for decades, it is just now hitting the United States; with how can one put it, little fanfare. Men here in the states believe it emasculate them, men in America have so many hang-ups.


While living in Paris I had a Murse and wore scarves year round, like most men in Europe, came home with these traditions and was looked at like I had grown horns on my head or something.

The Murse is not for all men, obviously, but what we have to carry these days, a smart bag would help! I carry a messenger bag that I use as a Murse, putting everything in it, cell phone, business cards, wallet, pens, my steno pad…etc. It is very practical to have a Murse, now Chanel’s Murses are a little effeminate but there are Murses that are most masculine.

It takes a confident man to carry a Murse, he must be confident in his manliness, his sexuality…etc