Winter Warm: Cute Bike Gloves

Hi guys, I managed to disappear again for a long time... I don't know how this happened, but my job seems to have taken over my life completely. I'm struggling to come back, because I miss you all and I miss writing so much. I hope you'll be supportive and you won't judge my absence too harshly :)

Since last time I wrote winter seems to have already come over us, I seriously don't know when the past couple of months passed by! It's freezing out here now and everybody is all bundled up trying to get warm, but there's always a way to keep stylish if you're willing to try! A couple of creative girls from Poland, Agnieszka and Anna, created a beautiful glove collection especially for those who still enjoy a bike ride in the cold winter days. Which one will be your favorite: the reindeer, the happy bees, the mice, the cats or perhaps the cookie monster? Have a look and judge for yourselves:

 

Milan Fashion Week SS 2014: Dolce & Gabbana Styling and Accessories

You probably saw what a great impact the Dolce & Gabbana show had on me yesterday, that's why I couldn't resist showing you a more detailed look of some of the beautifully crafted accessories they presented and of course the model's stunning flower-adorned braided hairstyles. Among my favorites are the kitten-heel slingbacks, the golden purse in the shape of an oversize Greco-Roman coin, the square wooden handbag or the golden and sparkly hair jewelry and for the daring ones - a pair of insane bejeweled gladiator sandals or some Greek column shaped heels! Have a look for yourselves:

 

Milan Fashion Week SS 2014: Dolce & Gabbana

The Dolce & Gabbana show a few days ago featured clearly some of my favorite looks and styling. There is no secret to anyone, that I love the concept that the two designers had going on over the past few seasons - the Sicilian heritage of Domenico Dolce. The show opened with Greek ruins printed on luxurious fabrics inviting the spectator into their world through a tourist-souvenir postcard and then continued with floral embroideries, massive belts emblazoned with emperor-head medallions, a gladiator dress made out of faux Greco-Roman golden coins, polka dot prints and of course sheer black lace dresses. Stefano Gabbana described their SS 2014 collection as "a dream of Sicily. Like, you go on holiday to Syracuse or Taormina , and your see the Greek theater, then you come home and dream about it."

There were so many amazing pieces, that I can't dare to pick favorites. Maybe only mention the polka dot dress in the opening photo and the polka dot skirt, the embroidered dresses and the accessories! I really liked the styling of the models and the accessories that completed the looks. So much in fact, that I'll write about them later on today. Editing is definitely not my forte with this show, so please forgive the abundance of photos:

 

Milan Fashion Week SS 2014: Emilio Pucci

The Emilio Pucci show brought to life the sporty side of fashion with neoprene swimsuits, beaded and embroidered cropped hoodies, bustier dresses, leather sport shorts and leather trophy belts. There were the classic Pucci prints on flowy gowns on one side and the moto-cross pants and cropped leather tops on the other side. Definitely an interesting collection!

Among my favorite looks is the light and breezy dress in the opening photo, the mini dress paired with a chunky leather belt, the colorful bustier paired with a black skirt, the metallic shorts and of course the colorful high-waisted printed trousers paired with the black and white cropped top. Have a look at my selection of the most interesting looks from the runway:

 

Milan Fashion Week SS 2014: Fendi

The Fendi collection continued the colorful trend of the past few shows with very structured silhouettes and an interesting play between full and see-through fabrics. The general motif of the show was that of layered organza midi dresses, geometric lines and patterns slicing into degrade palettes. All the geometric lines, bands and panels worked into the organza dresses are of sheared mink, and yet the degree of workmanship of the garments is so impressive, that nothing appears to be too labored.

Among my favorite looks are the bright red and fuchsia mini dresses, the blue skirt-suit, the black and grey organza mini dress, the sheer fuchsia skirt paired with a blue top, the cobalt blue strapless dress, the bright red knee=length dress worn by Cara Delevigne and of course the red top with geometric shapes paired with a metallic skirt. Here is my selection of the most interesting looks from the runway:

Milan Fashion Week SS 2014: Alberta Ferretti

Contrasting with Gucci's dark aesthetic, Alberta Ferretti's show comes as a breath of colorful fresh air with her peruvian inspired ribbons and embroideries and bright tones of fuchsia, orange and green. The designer embraced the more lighthearted and folkloric side of fashion without making it too costume-y and managed to create an extremely feminine and playful collection, with gauzy white dresses adorned with rainbow-colored weavings and embroideries. The lightness of the fabrics and the short dresses and cropped tops bring a modern touch to the collection and keeping it in her usual aesthetic - making clothes that make women feel feminine.

It's really hard to pick favorites in this collection, but among my absolute favorites are the colorful striped dress in the opening photo, the floor-length white embroidered dresses, the colorful high-waisted full skirt paired with an embroidered white cropped top, the flower-adorned bra top paired with a striped skirt and a pair of fabulous purple sunglasses, the black lace dresses and of course the green and fuchsia gowns towards the end of the show. Have a look at my selection of the most interesting looks from the runway:

Milan Fashion Week SS 2014: Gucci

The first day of Milan Fashion Week started strong with one of the highlights of the week: the Gucci show. Although I had a feel that the overall dark color palette with tones of orange, fuchsia and metallics would have resonated more with an autumn collection than a spring one, there were certainly a lot of standout pieces that will turn heads next spring.

The inspiration for the Eastern shapes (harem pants, caftans, loose shapes emphasizing the hips) comes from the work of Erté, a fashion illustrator of the 1910s, while the influence of Art Nouveau-era stained glass windows is evident in the stylized florals used by the designer in her prints.

Among my favorite pieces are the stunning black floor length gown with metallic inserts on the front, the pleated terra-cotta and peach-colored dresses with black leather bindings, the fuchsia and the black metallic one-pieces, the green metallic dress and of course the flowy rust-colored caftan with metallic inserts. Have a look at my selection of the most interesting looks from the runway:

 

New York Fashion Week SS 2014: BCBG Max Azria

The first show in New York that caught my eye was BCBG Max Azria. I really liked the simplicity of the collection as a whole - loose shirts and dresses, asymmetric cuts and prints and splashes of color in the form of floral motifs on darker, more sober pieces. Among my favorite looks from the runway are without any doubt the long black tulle dress with an asymmetric floral panel in the front, the white short-sleeved shirt dress, the baby blue dress, the white dress paired with a snakeskin inspired printed jacket, the blush colored light dress and of course the white floral floor length gown. 

Red Carpet Fashion @ Venice Film Festival 2013

Hey guys! I'm back from holidays (and from a long absence...) with a fresh mind and soul, ready to tackle our favorite subjects once again! On today's agenda, a quick peak into my favorite looks from the red carpet of the Venice Film Festival. Dakota Fanning stole everyone's breath away in a navy gown from Elie Saab Couture, while her performance on screen as an environmentalist in "Night Moves" also gathered a lot of appreciation. Sandra Bullock matched her bubbly personality with an orange gown (and an A-list co-star, George Clooney), while other European beauties, such as Eva Riccobono prefered more neutral shades for the limelight.

Eva Riccobono

Sarah Gadon

Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week AW 2013: Chanel

I was looking forward to seeing what Karl Lagerfeld would transform the Grand Palais into this time for the Chanel AW Haute Couture show and of course he pulled off another impressive feat! Inspired by a journey between the old and new world, the designer imagined the border between these two worlds as a theatre in ruins through which one can catch a glimpse of a modern city. The metaphor for  the "old world stepping into the new" is portrayed through the fabrics and designs of the garments. The designer brought together his modernist vision of textile innovation and the best traditional craftsmanship (think of embroiderers, milliners, flower makers and many more). 

The main characteristic of this couture collection are the wide belts and the heavy layering, both regarding different types of fabrics and different lengths. In my opinion, among the most interesting looks are the brownish tweed coats paired with a chocolate brown belt and with a salmon belt, the woven black and white cape suit, the black mini dress paired with a transparent floor-length skirt, some of the metallic dresses and of course the first grey ballerina-inspired metallic look.

Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week AW 2013: Dior

The Paris Haute Couture shows are always some of the most intriguing ones during the year, as they give designers the chance to let their imagination run free from the constraints of creating a line for the stores and the come up with unique and more daring pieces and flamboyant references. Innovation is the key element in showing an alternate collection.

Raf Simons's Fall couture collection for Dior was fresh and experimental, albeit very different from the traditional stance of couture. His inspiration for this collection were the different influences that the 4 continents have on Dior. The show goes from tweed tailored suits, a symbol of France, to clean-cut coats and scarves for the Americas, spiky 3D Japanese fabrics or drapes and tribal beading representing the essence of Africa. After seeing such a diverse show, the designer's statement makes perfect sense: "I think it's time to free couture. It annoys me that couture is thought of as the circus clown of fashion. What interests me is to get down to a more psychological level. To think about the individuality, and the cultures women live in.".

Among my favorite pieces were the gray tweed dress, the electric blue dress, the colorful 3D strapless dress, the short gray coat, the draped black dress and of course the colorful gowns towards the end of the show. Here is a selection of the most interesting looks from the runway:

Milan Men's Fashion Week Spring 2014: Street Style

Milan Men's Fashion Week and the shows at Pitti Uomo were the perfect opportunity for a gathering of stylish gentlemen. Whether it's tailored suits and pocket squares or a casual linen blazer that you prefer, Milan has it all. Have a look at these street styles shot around the venues of the shows:

Dior Addict Eau Délice Ad Campaign

Dior just launched its new ad campaign for the Dior Addict Eau Délice fragrance featuring Dutch model Daphne Groeneveld. Daphne portrays perfectly the classic french beauty, carefree and playful, effortlessly sexy and chic with long blonde curls and a disarming smile. She manages to take you back unknowingly to the 60s and makes you think of the golden days of Brigitte Bardot, everything in the perfect setting: St. Tropez. Have a look at some of the behind the scenes photos and at the campaign video below:

Art & People @ Street Delivery 2013

Last weekend was one of the most exciting in the past couple of weeks. After some rainy weeks, this time we enjoyed some serious sunshine together with lots of outdoor events and fashionable people! I snapped a few pics at this year's Street Delivery event. For those of you who don't remember the past editions (take a look at some pics from 2010 or 2011), this is a lovely initiative to close one of the city center streets for all traffic for a weekend and create an artsy festival with live music, crafts workshops and graffiti artists decorating some of the walls in the vicinity.

A Su Imagen: Anja Rubik for Vogue Spain

Magazine: Vogue Spain June 2013
Editorial: A su imagen
Model: Anja Rubik
Photographer: Giampaolo Sgura
Styling: Sara Fernandez

Polish model Anja Rubik is the fresh face of summer in this seventies-inspired editorial in Spanish Vogue's June issue. Shot by Giampaolo Sgura, the model takes us on a journey celebrating the elegant and classic style that made Lauren Hutton an icon of the 70s. Showcasing designer pieces from Valentino, Gucci or Saint Laurent among others, we are presented with the perfect summer choices from beachwear to tailored pieces and monchrome dresses.

Les Lignes de Nazca: Erin Wasson for Vogue Paris

Magazine: Vogue Paris April 2013
Editorial: Les Lignes de Nazca
Model: Erin Wasson
Photographer: Mario Testino
Styling: Anastasia Barbieri
Location: Peru

Vogue Paris chose Peru as their latest inspiration and dedicated the whole April issue to this fabulous country, full of mystery and color. In an editorial shot by Mario Testino, Erin Wasson portrays the famous German mathematician Maria Reiche, who dedicated her life to the preservation of the Nazca lines - a series of ancient geoglyphs located in the Nazca desert in southern Peru. The lines stretch on an arid plateau and depict hundreds of individual figures ranging from simple lines to stylized versions of animals, trees and even flowers. The lines were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.

While the styling of this editorial doesn't necessarily speak high fashion or resonate with the chic essence of Vogue Paris, I think that choosing to dedicate an entire issue to such an exotic country was a very bold choice of the editorial team. They wondered away from their comfort zone and managed to integrate many interesting stories related to Peru's history in their fashionable storylines. You can judge the result for yourselves:

Festival Fashion: Coachella 2013

Festival season just started with one of the biggest events of the year: the Coachella music festival in sunny California. Breezy dresses, fringes, round sunglasses and the shortest of shorts may be the rule, but don't let the bohemian air fool you, Coachella is more high fashion than ever with all the pool side events and  the celebrities joining the crowds. Have a look at some of the most interesting looks: