The Haute Hoosier

Super Bowl Countdown: Punk in Plaid

2012-01-31T11:35:00.001-06:00

Day 2: Punk in Plaid at the Super Bowl Village

A couple of friends and I went to the Super Bowl Village Friday night. Indianapolis looks like a completely different place - it's pretty cool that we get to host such a huge event. We walked around and checked out Pauly D's DJ set on one of the stages outside, which was hilarious. It was freezing outside so we grabbed a couple of drinks and food at Kilroy's.

It was quite odd being able to bring beer bottles outside the bar! I kinda love the temporary open container law. Afterwards, we went to the Huddle, the enormous bar/nightclub that is momentarily taking over the old Nordstrom building. It reminded me of a clubby wedding situation or high school dance, except for the addition of go-go dancers. The DJs were fantastic though.

I wore an old Bebe miniskirt and leather/fur coat, ASOS lace tights, a Patricia Field spiked ring that my boyfriend gave me for Christmas, and Aldo oxfords. I've been forced to wear flats a lot lately so that I can walk to all the Super Bowl festivities! It's been hard for me, since I'm normally a bonafide heel addict.

I'm also on Lookbook if you want to hype this look. I still don't really get that website, so I need all the help I can get!

The giant letters outside Monument Circle

All the IndyCars on Meridian Street

Super Bowl Countdown: 11 Outfit Posts

2012-01-27T12:56:00.000-06:00

Since I live downtown, I am going to a LOT of events leading up to the Super Bowl. I'm normally not an outfit poster, but I figured it would be a fun way to countdown to the big event!

Day 1: Workwear with an Edge at the Pattern Meetup

I'm usually pretty leery of fashion events in Indy, but I was very impressed by the Pattern meetup I attended last night. Pattern is a collective of all kinds of people in Indy who are trying to help boost our city's fashion initiative, and I think they are doing a great job. The monthly Pattern meetup was held at The Speakeasy, brand new membership-based club designed for Indy start-ups. It was a very hip, industrial looking venue, and I'm glad I got to see it since it's closed to the public.

I saw a sneak peak of the magazine Pattern is putting out in March, and it looked fantastic! I can't wait to read it. I also met some cool people like Paulina Osherov, who was responsible for most of the photos in the upcoming magazine. She is a really talented photographer. Several jewelry designers presented at last night's event, and one of them specifically caught my eye, but I completely forgot her name. If anyone has the designers' info, let me know in the comments! Now, the outfit...

Last night I wore a BCBG jersey dress, metal plate necklace, and two-toned leather gloves with Christian Louboutin studded black pumps. I wore the exact same outfit to work, but just added the necklace. I love the tribal feel of it - it helps sass up boring outfits in a pinch. I'm so unbelievably excited for the upcoming week. Can't wait for all the Super Bowl festivities!

Fashion Movie Nights: ...And God Created Woman

2012-01-25T13:57:00.001-06:00

...And God Created Woman or original title Et Dieu... créa la femme (1956), is the cinematic St. Tropez romp that solidified Brigitte Bardot as the French sexpot of the century.

Bardot stars as Juliete Hardy, a beautiful young orphan who scandalizes the lazy French island with her racy maneating ways. Caught in a love triangle between two brothers while fending off the wiles of a lusty sugar daddy, the blonde bombshell shows off her famous seductive skills best in this film.

High Fashion Cred: There isn't much high fashion, but this film debuted Bardot's much-copied look. Her casually tousled blonde locks, crumpled shirtdresses, and men's shirts worn as lingerie established Bardot as an influential trendsetter in the fifties (and today).

Best Dress: This is going to be a tie for me. On one hand, my absolute favorite look was her skintight red wiggle dress that she wore to the party, but the way she sexed up a plain short-sleeved shirtdress really exemplified what made Bardot such an iconic sex symbol.

Most visually awesome scene: In one of the final scenes, Bardot shakes her moneymaker with abandon for a group of locals, while her husband looks on in horror. These few short minutes show off Bardot's scintillating figure and sexual prowess, especially when she rips the front of her dress open and dances on a table.

Most unexpected scene stealer: My friends and I were astounded by the language and sexual content of this movie. It seemed EXTREMELY racy for a fifties film! It's pretty hilarious reading all the subtitles, too.

Substance score: 7. My friends and I thought this would just be another weird, but stylish French film, but it actually had a cohesive plot and was quite entertaining.

This was actually just a behind-the-scenes photo on set, but look at her waist!

And here's the trailer for your viewing pleasure:

This Year's 20 Best Dressed (For the Fashion-Obsessed)

2011-12-29T13:18:00.001-06:00

To compile 2011's list, I literally pored over hundreds (maybe thousands) of party pictures, to avoid picking the obvious (Lady Gaga, Kate Middleton, Emma Stone), in lieu of the more deserved, albeit perhaps more obscure, best dressed people. I chose a couple of actresses that are in the limelight quite a bit, but many of the people I chose work in the fashion industry realm. It took forever for me to narrow them down to 20, but here they are: 2011's Best Dressed (For the Fashion-Obsessed). Tell me if you agree or disagree in the comments!

1. Shala Monroque - magazine editor at Garage magazine

Shala Monroque is the girlfriend of art giant Larry Gagosian, and it's no wonder how she caught his eye - the St. Lucia born beauty is a walking work of art. A friend and muse of Miuccia Prada, Monroque is an expert at putting together beautifully styled ensembles.

2. Giovanna Battaglia - Freelance stylist for W Magazine

Giovanna Battaglia is a true style chameleon - the gorgeous Italian can easily pull off any style. One day she's attending a party in vintage bondage Versace and another she looks chic and prim in a ladylike day dress. She is also regularly seen with one of the most covetable accessories on the planet - boyfriend Vladamir Roitfeld.

3. Michelle Harper - On the board of directors for FIT's Couture Council

Not since Daphne Guinness have I seen someone rock eccentric chic as well as Michelle Harper. She always manages to nab the runway pieces that I lust for most and wears them her own unique way.

4. Diane Kruger - actress

Diane Kruger never has a fashion misstep. I looked through dozens of pictures of her and she always manages to look flawless wherever she goes. Even still, she chooses interesting pieces and takes fashion risks - like the super cute tuxedo short suit she wore for an InStyle party earlier this year.

5. Karolina Kurkova - model

The Czech supermodel had some phenomenal red carpet appearances this year - I was totally in love with her hooded sparkly green jumpsuit she wore to the CDFA awards and the white, pearl-embellished Chanel couture she wore at Cannes. Kurkova also wore a flawless Chanel couture suit to the royal wedding in Monaco. And did I mention her off-duty look is just as great?

6. The Courtin-Clarins Girls - French heiresses to Clarins cosmetics company

Sisters Virginie and Claire Courtin-Clarins and their cousins, twins Jenna and Prisca Courtin-Clarins took the fashion world by storm when they showed up front row to all the best fashion shows this year. Tall, thin, and incredibly stylish, the French heiresses are my newest style obsession.

7. Hanneli Mustaparta - blogger for hanneli.com

Hanneli Mustaparta pulls off minimalist chic better than anyone I've seen. With her model good looks, the beautiful blogger is more often in front of the camera than behind her own. She can also pull off tricky looks with ease - like sandals with socks and sweaters tied around her neck - and looks great doing so.

8. Camilla Belle - actress

I'm not even sure if Camilla Belle has done any acting lately, but she sure always looks chic. In every picture she's always classy, always sophisticated, and always on top of the trends.

9. Abbey Lee - model

I really don't think Abbey Lee could give a flying eff about what the trends are. The platinum blond model always marches to the beat of her own drum and looks so damn cool doing so. I love how her style is part Victorian goth, part glam bohemian, and all her own.

10. Anna Dello Russo - Vogue Nippon fashion editor

I couldn't help but pick Anna Dello Russo two years in a row for my best dressed list. The fashion editor has a closet that my dreams are made of, brimming with the coolest and latest designer pieces. Next time you see a model in an outrageous outfit marching down the runway and think, "Who the heck could wear that?" you'll have an answer.

11. Charlotte Casiraghi - Princess of Monaco

Sorry Kate Middleton, but Charlotte Casiraghi wins the title of the most stylish royal of the year. A true fashion fan, Charlotte likes to don fringed and colorblocked Gucci frocks at events, but still always looks princess appropriate. At the royal wedding of Charlene Wittstock and Prince Albert of Monaco last summer, Charlotte looked the picture of elegance in pink Chanel couture before changing into a Giambattista Valli couture gown that channeled her grandma Grace Kelly.

12. Sarah Jessica Parker - actress

I know this is a more obvious choice, but what can I say? Sarah Jessica Parker still has got it going on. For every red (or blue) carpet event this year, SJP stunned in fabulous designer confections.

13. Theophilus London - musician

The lone male on my list, Theophilus London perfectly mixes flamboyance with testosterone. Channeling a modern Jimi Hendrix, the hat aficionado caught my eye all year with his stylishly eccentric flair.

14. Caroline Sieber - Stylist

The London-based stylist and Chanel muse has a seriously well rounded closet. Scandalously see-through Christopher Kane? Check. Bespoke gray wool suit? Check. Chanel minidress with thigh high leather boots? Check. If I could only raid her closet...

15. Hailee Steinfeld - actress

I'm usually not one to obsess over tweens, but Hailee Steinfeld has incredible taste (or an incredible stylist, more likely). Out of every Hollywood star this year, I would take a gander and say that the 15-year-old actress had the best red carpet attire.

16. Anja Rubik - model

Anja Rubik always dresses to kill. Whether in tribal Balmain or colorblocked Gucci, the sexy model knows how to make an entrance.

17. Natalia Vodianova - model

In fairy-princess red Valentino couture at her Love Ball, Natalia Vodianova solidified her spot on my best dressed list in one appearance. But the Russian model also looked smashing at the Met ball in another vintage Valentino gown and at Carine Roitfeld's Bal de Vampires event in a stunning sheer white number.

18. Blake Lively - actress

Say what you will about Blake Lively, but the girl has style. How could you not if your BFFs are Karl Lagerfeld and Christian Louboutin?

19. Karen Elson - model

I've always adored Karen's bohemian style. I think it's what Florence Welch is trying to do, except with a little more polish and sex appeal.

20. Kirsten Dunst - actress

This one surprised me too, but I could not deny how well Kirsten Dunst dressed this year. She was always wearing risk-taking fashions, but never looked like the clothes were wearing her. Not to mention, she recently wore one of my favorite looks from Spring 2012 - the Dolce & Gabbana chili pepper dress. Gorgeous!

Models strip to their skivvies for Love Magazine

2011-12-22T10:33:00.004-06:00

One of my favorite fashion magazines, Love, did a cute calendar countdown to Christmas on its website. Each day in December features a different model doing a Christmas-themed striptease. While it is obviously sexy to watch models stripping down to their skivvies, I like that most of the girls do funny little quirky things and aren't taking themselves too seriously.

A bevvy of Victoria's Secret beauties star in the stripteases - like Doutzen Kroes, Alessandra Ambrosio, Candice Swanepoel and Karlie Kloss. Check out their videos below. Is it just me, or are the VS girls getting super skinny? I can't believe Doutzen and Alessandra have had kids! I need to get hooked up with their trainer.

Two of my other favorites are videos from Daisy Lowe (Day 16) and Abbey Clancey, (Day 19) who are both traditionally men's magazine models and a little bit curvier than the other girls (although they are still both ridiculously skinny).

And out of all 22 videos, only one is of a hot male model, the six pack abs-endowed Oliver Cheshire, (Day 18) who dances around in a Santa beard and not much else. You're welcome.

Happy early Christmas!

NSFW: Karlie Kloss Vogue Italia photos and video

2011-12-16T10:22:00.002-06:00

I know I'm extremely late posting these Vogue Italia pictures, but I love them so much I just had to jump on the bandwagon. How ripped is Karlie Kloss? She is clearly not one of the models who stays skinny with a combo of drugs and anorexia. Girlfriend works OUT.

I was one of the naysayers who thought the whole photoshoot was photoshopped to death, but the video (see below) proves that Karlie is as toned as the pictures imply. Love love love.

To see how Karlie's photos inspired me during Christmas cookie season check out my health blog Indy Slim.

Abbey Lee rocks out the new Versace commercial

2011-12-15T09:28:00.000-06:00

I'm full-blown obsessed with Abbey Lee Kershaw. In addition to her awesome white blonde hair and rock chick persona, I can now add this new Yellow Diamond for Versace video to the list of reasons why I want to be her. Shot by Mario Testino, it's a super glam commercial for the new frangrance.

Also, have you seen her H&M commercial? Not the Versace one, the one where she's dancing around? I was going to post that too, but I can't find it anywhere. Let me know if you know where to find it!

Spring 2012 Trend Report: 1920s

2011-12-13T14:49:00.000-06:00

Ralph Lauren

Photo: Monica Feudi / Feudiguaineri.com

Model: Sui He

This spring, designers drew inspiration from one of the loveliest eras of all time, the Jazz Age. Channel Daisy Buchanan in pretty pastel frocks from Ralph Lauren or Christian Dior, which heavily referenced The Great Gatsby heroine.

If screen siren Jean Harlow is more your style, try a seductive gown in curve hugging satin (Suno) or sheer and cut on the bias (Christian Dior).

Flapper fringe added a dressy element to a gorgeous metallic frock at Marchesa and a super chic robe at Mark Fast. But if you prefer a less literal look, drop waist cocktail dresses at Marc Jacobs or weekend perfect outfits from Sonia Rykiel are both elegant and wearable options.

Suno

Photo: Alessandro Garofalo / GoRunway.com

Model: Bethany Terry

Marc Jacobs

Photo: Monica Feudi / Feudiguaineri.com

Model: Siri Tollerød

Marchesa

Photo: Alessandro Garofalo / GoRunway.com

Model: Karen Elson

Christian Dior

Photo: Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com

Model: Alla Kostromichova

John Galliano

Photo: Filippo Fior / GoRunway.com

Model: Jourdan Dunn

Mark Fast

Photo: Filippo Fior / GoRunway.com

Model: Eve Delf

Zac Posen

Photo: Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com

Model: Aline Weber

Sonia Rykiel

Marcus Tondo / GoRunway.com

Model: Daria Strokous

December Inspiration Board

2011-12-02T09:32:00.001-06:00

Just a couple of things that are inspiring me this month...

Madonna's look in the eighties was so so sick. Recently, I've been wanting to throw on lace, tulle, loads of costume jewelry, a hair scarf and some ripped tights, due to this rad picture.

Debbie Harry was so beautiful, but badass at the same time. Such a perfect combo. And her hair and makeup was always the best.

At the Victoria Secret 2011 fashion show a couple weeks ago, Karlie stole the show in those ridiculously tall boots that showed off her impossibly long legs. At the after party, I'm pretty sure she was a little tipsy when explaining to the interviewer, "I mean, my legs just go on for miles..." Yea way to rub it in, we KNOW.

Clueless never fails to inspire me. Knee high socks and short skirts are still so great paired together.

I love looking at the pictures from the Fall/Winter 2011 Altuzarra show. I'm on the hunt for a parka to wear over silk dresses.

Beyonce rocking out in couture at a trailer park in her music video "We Like to Party," is just so ridiculous and fabulous all at once. There's nothing I love more than mixing class with trash. And her hair bow with that acid yellow fur - what can I say, I'm just loving eighties hair accessories right now!

Fashion icon and YSL muse Loulou de la Falaise passed away recently, as I'm sure you all have heard. I adored her boho glam look so much, especially in this picture. Have you ever seen anyone more glamourous?

Here's Loulou again with Betty Catroux and YSL. I've been searching for an outfit that looks like Betty's for half of my life, but I can never find anything that looks quite right. That safari lace up minidress is just so exquisitely chic I can't even stand it.

Don't judge me for this one... but there's something I just love about Taylor Momsen's scandalous look. The stringy hair, raccoon eyes, men's shirt with the garters... it just all works for her! Maybe it's just because she's so pretty. I can't put my finger on it, but I love this picture.

The Rihanna Look For Less: Cheap Creepers

2011-12-01T12:30:00.003-06:00

I don't know what it is about Rihanna, but there is just something about her trashy chic style that totally inspires me. I hated creeper shoes when they first came out at Prada last spring, but Rihanna has been wearing some really cool ones lately, specifically in her "We Found Love" video (above).

Recently, on the X Factor, she performed in some awesome DIY graffiti creepers by Underground for Ashish, which she customized with some naughty words. I was delighted to find out that they were available at one of my favorite websites, ASOS, only to discover that they ship exclusively to the UK. Sad day. I browsed a bit further on the US website and found some really fun alternatives, including these silver ones from Aldo for $126.27 (below).

After a quick look at Aldo's own website, I found them cheaper for only $27.99. Gotta love Cyber Monday! Since I'm usually more of a high heels girl, I was thrilled to get the opportunity to buy these for such a cheap price, in case my creeper obsession ends up being a short phase (which is quite likely).

Tip: Always always always check multiple websites before you buy anything online. It might save you a few bucks, or in my case, a hundred!

Versace's Greatest Hits

2011-11-17T21:22:00.000-06:00

Everyone is going nutso over the H&M and Versace collaboration that launches on Saturday, myself included. Although I probably won't be lucky enough to get my hands on one of the sexy pieces, just the possibility of getting something Versace for a relatively inexpensive price is pretty thrilling.

I've always been a Versace fan. Even though the super sexy look that dominates the Versace brand goes in and out of vogue, I will never forsake the bombshell style that is the brand's signature.

I love love love that Donatella designed the collection based on iconic archival Versace pieces. The scarf prints, the bondage gear, and the metallics are all references to different Versace moments in time. In honor of this fabulous collaboration, let's take a look at some of Versace's greatest hits, shall we?

Gianni Versace in 1991 with Cindy Crawford, Nikki Taylor, Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, Yasmeen Ghauri, some random short haired girl, Helena Christensen, Naomi Campbell, and Nadja Auermann (I think)

Gianni Versace has been credited for the supermodel madness in the nineties because he was the first designer to use all of the top models in his shows and ad campaigns.

Here is the full picture, in which you can also spot (from right) Susan Holmes (thanks Robin for that tip!), Tatjana Patiz, Eva Herzigova, Stephanie Seymour, and Carla Bruni. Does anyone know who the random short haired model is?

March 25, 1991. Cindy Crawford with fiance Richard Gere at the 63rd Academy Awards.

In a recent poll for the Guardian magazine, readers chose this as the 12th greatest red carpet gown of all time. This is such an iconic and glamorous image that sums up the best parts of the decade: glamour, supermodels, sex appeal, and Richard Gere.

Top: Vogue editorial, September 1991 starring (from left to right) Cindy Crawford, Tatjana Patitz, Helena Christensen, Linda Evangelista, Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, Karen Mulder, Stephanie Seymour all in Gianni Versace. Photograph by Peter Lindbergh.

Ah... those were the days. When supermodels were required to be gorgeous and have the bodies to fill out biker babe clothes!

F/W 1991 Gianni Versace ads starring Stephanie Seymour, Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista and Helena Christensen. Photos by Richard Avedon.

F/W 1992 Gianni Versace ads "Bondage" collection with Claudia Schiffer and Naomi Cambell. Photo by Irving Penn.

This collection is back in a big way. Lady Gaga wore pieces from this collection in her "Born this Way" video. Doutzen Kroes and Giovanna Battaglia have also been spotted in F/W 1992 pieces recently.

Atelier Versace Fall/Winter 1992 ads starring Naomi Campbell, Stephanie Seymour and Yasmeen Ghauri.

Warrior princesses! Love. Gaga has also recently been seen in the couture skirt pictured here on Ghauri.

F/W 1993 Gianni Versace.

Stephanie Seymour was WAY too hot for Axl Rose. I actually am not sure if this is from 1993, or a lot later. It looks like it fits into the ads I have found from 1993, but this picture is a bit different. Anyone know for sure?

Elizabeth Hurley with Hugh Grant at his Four Weddings and a Funeral movie premiere in 1994.

Voted the most iconic red carpet dress of all time, Hurley's safety pinned Versace dress grabbed the attention of the world's media and brought her more fame than dating Hugh Grant. Only a Versace dress could do that!

Gianni Versace Spring 1994 Ad campaign starring Christy Turlington, Nadja Auerman, Cindy Crawford, Stephanie Seymour and Claudia Schiffer.

Gianni Versace 1994 Fall Ad Campaign starring Nadja Auerman, Christy Turlington, Claudia Schiffer, Cindy Crawford, Stephanie Seymour; photographed by Richard Avedon.

Have you ever seen bobby socks and turtleneck cable knits look sexier?

Vogue magazine took this shot after a Versace fashion show in 1995. How many supermodels can you name?

1995 Versace ads starring Madonna. Photos by Steven Meisel.

Versace generated a huge amount of publicity by hiring Madonna as the face of its ad campaigns in 1995. Celebrity models were almost nonexistent at this time, and Versace jumpstarted the trend, to tremendous success. Compare these ads to Madonna's ads in 2005 (below). Which ones do you like better?

J. Lo wore a plunging sheer Versace gown to the 2000 Grammy's that left Americans shocked and covered in drool.

I mean, seriously, who could forget this one?

Britney Spears wore a custom gown by Donatella Versace at the Versace Spring/Summer 2003 fashion show in Milan.

This pic is how I fondly remember Britney in the "good ole days." Overly made up, big hair, sequins, looking HOT.

In 2003, Donatella designed what was probably the most hyped dress of the year. Christina Aguilera wore it in the Versace ad campaign, Beyonce rocked it at the MTV movie awards and even Barbie wore a version of the coveted dress in gown form. Hell, I even remember Arden B. designing a knock-off.

Who wore it best? First of all, Christina Aguilera should never EVER be caught without makeup again. Shudder. Secondly, Barbie looks hot, but a blonde should never wear that shade of pink. I would know. I think I'm going to give this one to Beyonce.

Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw in Sex in the City finale episode, "An American Girl in Paris: Part Une" in 2004.

This Versace couture gown is one of my personal top contenders for best dress in the Sex in the City series. Reportedly it had a retail price of $79,000. A totally feasible price for a newspaper columnist, right?

Madonna for Versace in 2005. Photo by Mario Testino.

Madonna posed for this campaign doing minute, everyday tasks like licking envelopes, sitting at the computer, and talking on the phone. Somehow still, this campaign was one of the most glamorous I've seen, and it made me want her life.

Versace is known for casting the most beautiful people in its ad campaigns. In 2006, Halle Berry was chosen as the face of the brand.

Gisele Bundchen at the 2008 Metropolitan Costume Institute Ball.

Gee Golly Gosh Gisele looked gorgeous in this dress. For real, that body is a sin. One of my personal favorite looks in Met history.

Spring/Summer 2008. Donatella cast Gisele for Versace's ad campaign.

The sexy Brazilian supermodel was a perfect fit for this body conscious Versace collection. So jealous of those legs!

Blake Lively at the 2009 Metropolitan Museum Costume Institute Ball.

Lively is another sexy star who can carry off Versace's bombshell dresses amazingly well. This blue green gown looked fantastic on her.

Spring/Summer 2009 ad campaign starring Kate Moss.

I loved this campaign. Metallic bodycon dresses, sun kissed skin, tousled hair, and the world's most notorious supermodel. Quintessential Versace.

Christina Aguilera in Versace at the 2010 Golden Globes.

I miss how Christina used to look - classy and polished, yet sexy. Now she just looks like a tacky tranny mess.

January Jones at the 2011 Golden Globes.

This dress caused some controversy at the Golden Globes, but I was in love with it. So fringey, so red hot, so Versace.

Lady Gaga, June 2011.

I'm not sure about the motive behind Gaga's summer obsession with vintage Versace, but I adored it. The pop diva devoted two months to only wearing archival pieces from the famed brand, including classic scarf prints and couture bondage pieces from Gianni Versace's heyday.

Spring 2012 Trend Report: Head to Toe Prints

2011-10-28T09:44:00.001-05:00

Derek Lam

Photo: Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com

Model: Mirte Maas

Wallflowers beware: this trend is not for you! Models splashed in head to toe prints invaded the spring/summer 2012 runways. Normally a fashion faux pas, matchy matchy looks in paisley, florals, splatter paints, and ikats reigned supreme this season, throwing minimalism out the window.

Watch for this thunderously loud look come spring, guaranteed to be donned by only the most fearless fashionistas.

Jil Sander

Photo: Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com

Model: Kasia Wrobel

Thakoon

Photo: Marcus Tondo / GoRunway.com

Model: Josephine Skriver

Proenza Schouler

Photo: Monica Feudi / Feudiguaineri.com

Model: Marique Schimmel

DKNY

Photo: Marcus Tondo / GoRunway.com

Alexander Wang

Photo: Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com

Model: Frankie Rayder

Issa

Photo: Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com

Model: Simone Doreleijers

Mary Katrantzou

Photo: Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com

Model: Simone Carvalho

Moschino

Photo: Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com

Model: Kate King

Lanvin

Photo: Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com

Model: Ruby Aldridge

Spring 2012 Trend Report: Sheer Skirt Overlays

2011-10-27T15:37:00.000-05:00

Chanel

Photo: Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com

Model: Jacquelyn Jablonski

Sheer skirts are a huge trend for spring/summer 2012. I found so many examples that I had to narrow my selections down to only the ones that had little miniskirts underneath. A good amount of the sheer skirts I saw on the runways didn't have anything underneath but briefs (see Lanvin and Missoni), but I think they are much more wearable if worn as an overlay instead.

That being said, I'm kind of obsessed with sheer skirt overlays right now. Designers made styles for every occasion, like the chic beachwear at Proenza Schouler or red carpet gowns at Vionnet. There are also a ton of chic cocktail options (Chanel, Marc Jacobs). My preferred style? The long, black overlays at Ann Demeulemeester, but I'm sort of having a goth moment right now, so that might be why. What's your favorite?

Marc Jacobs

Photo: Monica Feudi / feudiguaineri.com

Model: Daria Strokous

Rodarte

Photo: Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com

Model: Vlada Roslyakova

Givenchy

Photo: Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com

Model: Kamila Filipcikova

Celine

Photo: Monica Feudi / feudiguaineri.com

Model: Josefine Nielsen

Ann Demeulemeester

Photo: Marcus Tondo / GoRunway.com

Model: Julia Nobis

Chloé

Photo: Alessandro Viero / GoRunway.com

Model: Josefien Rodermans

Jil Sander

Photo: Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com

Model: Ruby Jean Wilson

Proenza Schouler

Photo: Monica Feudi / feudiguaineri.com

Model: Erjona Ala

Vionnet

Photo: Courtesy of Vionnet

Model: Julia Frauche

Spring 2012 Trend Report: Peplums

2011-10-25T11:14:00.001-05:00

Marc by Marc Jacobs

Photo: Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com

Model: Ruby Aldridge

This season, many designers seemed to be inspired Raf Simons' hugely successful and heavily peplumed spring/summer 2011 collection for Jil Sander. What then seemed like a fun and quirky accent to a minimalist ensemble was reworked in many incarnations this time around, like the futuristic metal peplum at Cushnie et Ochs or the hippie chic peplum at Thakoon. Whether you prefer chic and retro or something edgier, a peplumed ensemble will be the go-to trend for spring/summer 2012.

Alexander McQueen

Photo: Marcus Tondo / GoRunway.com

Model: Zuzanna Bijoch

Jason Wu

Photo: Alessandro Garofalo / GoRunway.com

Model: Emily Baker

Thakoon

Photo: Marcus Tondo / GoRunway.com

Model: Alana Zimmer

Suno

Photo: Alessandro Garofalo / GoRunway.com

Model: Grace Bol

Christian Siriano

Photo: Monica Feudi / Feudiguaineri.com

Cushnie et Ochs

Photo: Filippo Fior / GoRunway.com

Model: Ali Lagarde

Celine

Photo: Monica Feudi / Feudiguaineri.com

Model: Mackenzie Drazan

Spring 2012 Trend Report: Bandeaux

2011-10-19T20:03:00.003-05:00

Viktor & Rolf

Photo: Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com

Model: Miranda Kerr

Crop tops started popping up on the runways about a year ago, but for the Spring/Summer 2012 fashion shows, the trend exploded. The most popular version is the teeny tiny bandeau top, which can be tricky to pull off. Obviously you have to have a lot of confidence and be pretty tiny to try these, but they are the most wearable paired with a high waisted skirt (see Viktor & Rolf) or a jacket (see Cavalli). Will you have the confidence (and body) to pull these off come spring?

Prada

Photo: Monica Feudi / Feudiguaineri.com

Model: Lara Mullen

Proenza Schouler

Photo: Monica Feudi / Feudiguaineri.com

Model: Maria Bradley

Versace

Photo: Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com

Model: Nyasha Matonhodze

Emilio Pucci

Photo: Monica Feudi / Feudiguaineri.com

Model: Joan Smalls

Helmut Lang

Photo: Monica Feudi / Feudiguaineri.com

Model: Valerija Kelava

Mark Fast

Photo: Filippo Fior / GoRunway.com

Model: Jules Mordovets

Roberto Cavalli

Photo: Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com

Model: Natasha Poly

Ruffian

Photo: Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com

Angelina Nawojczyk

Dolce & Gabbana

Photo: Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com

Model: Caroline Brasch Nielsen

Spring 2012 Trend Report: Fifties

2011-10-19T17:02:00.001-05:00

Proenza Schouler

Photo: Monica Feudi / Feudiguaineri.com

Model: Zuzanna Bijoch

The most popular decade du jour for the spring/summer 2012 season had to be the fifties. From Italian bombshell sundresses at Dolce & Gabbana to cutie pie swimwear at Marc by Marc Jacobs, the fifties trend will work for almost any occasion. This fifties will also prove to be one of the wearable trends of the season with figure-flattering nipped in waists, fluttery skirts, and chic pencil suits.

Dolce & Gabbana

Photo: Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com

Model: Bianca Balti

Jil Sander

Photo: Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com

Model: Julia Nobis

Marc by Marc Jacobs

Photo: Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com

Model: Valerija Sestic

Rodarte

Photo: Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com

Model: Marike Le Roux

Rochas

Photo: Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com

Model: Kati Nescher

Prada

Photo: Monica Feudi / Feudiguaineri.com

Model: Kati Nescher

Zac Posen

Photo: Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com

Model: Liisa Winkler

Celine

Photo: Monica Feudi / Feudiguaineri.com

Model: Ros Georgiou

Christian Dior

Photo: Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com

Model Toni Garm

Viktor & Rolf

Photo: Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com

Model: Dempsey Stewart

Spring 2012 Trend Report: Tribal

2011-10-19T13:33:00.001-05:00

Michael Kors

Photo: Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com

Model: Jourdan Dunn

One of the first spring trends I've gotten excited about is the tribal look. So many designers this year were inspired by African and tribal clans, like Michael Kors whose "Afriluxe" collection was a breath of fresh Sahara air. If the trend is a bit too much for you, adding a fringey, patterned scarf like the ones seen at A. F. Vanderworst will give you the look without looking too literal.

A.F. Vandervorst

Photo: Alessandro Viero / GoRunway.com

Model: Emily Senko

Mark Fast

Photo: Filippo Fior / GoRunway.com

Model: Egle Jezepcikaite

Salvatore Ferragamo

Marcus Tondo / GoRunway.com

Model: Monika Sawicka

Missoni

Photo: Monica Feudi / Feudiguaineri.com

Model: Daiane Conterato

Hervé Léger

Photo: Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com

BCBG Max Azria

Photo: Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com

Model: Brenda Kranz

Ann Demeulemeester

Photo: Marcus Tondo / GoRunway.com

Model: Josephine Skriver

Isabel Marant

Photo: Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com

Model: Arizona Muse

Vivienne Westwood

Photo: Marcus Tondo / GoRunway.com

Model: Victoria Lee

Hermès

Photo: Alessandro Viero / GoRunway.com

Kristina Salinovic

I wanna be Abbey Lee in Balmain's new videos

2011-09-30T14:25:00.002-05:00

I'm so obsessed with model Abbey Lee Kershaw right now. She's gorgeous, a fantastic model, she's in an awesome band Our Mountain, and would you look at those cheekbones?

Most recently, she stars with her aforementioned band in the new Pierre Balmain campaign, Balmain's upcoming diffusion line. Balmain just released a couple of new videos of the band prancing around NYC in Pierre Balmain clothes and looking totally amazing and cool.

I'm also loving Abbey Lee's platinum blonde hair. Check her out in the gorgeous Tom Ford eyewear ads. I might just have to dye mine like that, but I would probably just end up looking like this instead.

Fashion Week S/S 2012 Dinner Party

2011-09-30T11:22:00.004-05:00

At my place from left to right: Brittany Conner, Lindsey Menner, Rachel Conner, Lindsey Slipher, Kiley Duke and Megan Giannini. I jumped in the photo on the right.

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Fashion Week! But while all the New Yorkers, Parisians, Londoners and Milanese have glamorous fashion events galore at their fingertips, us Hoosiers have to work a little bit harder to celebrate.

Me, Brittany and Rachel. I felt like J.Lo in this outfit, although that wasn't the original plan.

Since my sister Rachel, my cousin Brittany, and I all live conveniently close to each other in the Mass Ave/Lockerbie area, we decided to host a progressive fashion dinner party to toast the spring/summer fashion shows. Fashion week makes us a little bit wistful, since we all used to live around the NYC fashion action (especially Brittany, who just moved back), but this time, we brought the fashion to us!

Left: Lindsey and Rachel. Right: Me, Lindsey Kiley and Megan.

We invited all our most fashionable friends to wear their best runway inspired ensembles and join us in a evening of food, fun, and obvie, fashion. We even used the American Fashion Cookbook, full of recipes from CFDA members, for some of the dishes. Food and fashion are my two favorite things, so I love tying them together whenever possible.

Some detail shots from our runway inspired outfits

Brittany made the super cute menu. For more on the food and recipes, go to IndySlim

We started off at Rachel's Mass Ave apartment with Derek Lam's yellowtail crudo, edamame and cucumber, mint and lemon martinis. We bought the yellowtail at Kona's Fish Market, and it was delish. Afterwards, we headed to my place for the main course, Diane von Furstenberg's Saturday Night Chicken, and a few bottles of white wine.

Left: Brittany and I at her apartment. Note that she's still taller barefoot. So unfair! Right: Brittany making some kickass St. Germain champagne cocktails.

Kiley pretending that she made the cupcakes, but we all know the real truth.

Dessert was Spiced Rosé Gelatin With Peaches, mini strawberry cupcakes and St. Germain and Champagne cocktails at Brittany's new place in the Maxwell. For more on the food, including recipes, check out my sister and my blog, Indy Slim.

At The Libertine...

...with absinthe cocktails... yeah buddy!

We finished the night at The Libertine, Neal and Lindy Brown's new bar on Washington Street. The cocktails were glorious, and it was a great spot for a fashionable night cap.

Fashion Movie Nights: Unzipped

2011-09-07T17:30:00.000-05:00

Unzipped (1995), a behind-the-scenes documentary following the making of designer Isaac Mizrahi's F/W 1994 collection, is an honest and hilarious look at what it takes to make it in the oft-worshipped world of high fashion design. What sets Unzipped apart from other fashion documentaries is Mizrahi's larger-than-life personality, and made for TV sound bites scattered throughout the film. Douglas Keeve's beautiful black and white cinematography doesn't hurt, either.

Above: Mizrahi as a young boy

The opening scene shows a distraught Mizrahi, whose bandana and fro is an obvious sign of the grungey nineties. His S/S 1994 collection did not get good reviews, but has to immediately gear up for the next collection. The film highlights this journey, from his inspiration (chic eskimos in Nanook of the North) to his fabric selections ("I looked through thousands of sequins to find this one"), and from his let-downs (finding out from Women's Wear Daily just days before showing his collection that Jean-Paul Gaultier also was inspired by Nanook of the North) to his eventual vindication (a fantastic review of his F/W 1995 collection in the New York Times).

High Fashion Cred: If you yearn for the days of glamorous nineties supermodels like I do, this film is right up your alley. In Unzipped, the supermodels are the stars, and rightfully so. But while viewers are already familiar with their otherworldly faces, this documentary displays their personalities like you've never seen them before.

Cindy Crawford is refreshingly down-to-earth, at one point discussing football games with Mizrahi like a true Midwesterner, a few scenes before then-boyfriend and movie star Richard Gere comes to watch her strut her stuff in the Isaac Mizrahi fashion show.

Linda Evangelista plays the brat with aplomb - when she realizes she has to change behind a see-through "scrim" in front of the entire fashion show audience, she throws a mini tantrum. "It's so crazy to dress nude by Naomi and Carla," she whines. "I must be out of my f***ing mind to dress next to the two best bodies in the business!"

Carla Bruni has a much different reaction to the see-through screen, shimmying seductively behind it before the show starts. "My natural exhibitionist now comes out of this situation," she giggles in a heavy French accent. "You really can see everything, oh yes!" After a film full of her come-hither glances, it's not hard to understand how Bruni seduced Eric Clapton and Mick Jagger in the nineties, or the President of France a couple of years ago (she is now the First Lady).

20-year-old Kate Moss is as cooly nonchalant as she is now, watching Linda and Naomi goof off backstage with total disinterest. The contrast between Kate, the poster child of the heroin-chic waif look and the early nineties glamazon embodied by supermodels like Linda and Naomi is captured perfectly in this one short moment.

Naomi Campbell seems fresh-faced and fun, a far cry from the terrifying diva that she is constantly portrayed as in the media today. During a fitting, she playfully argues with Mizrahi about taking out her belly button ring, and afterwards skips down a NYC sidewalk with him hand in hand.

Unzipped screen shots clockwise from top left: Shalom Harlow, Christy Turlington, Patricia Velasquez and Helena Christensen.

Other supermodel cameos include Helena Christensen, Shalom Harlow, Christy Turlington, Padma Lakshmi, Nikki Taylor, Veronica Webb and Karen Mulder. If models don't thrill you, several other fashion heavy-hitters make appearances like Andre Leon-Talley, Giles Bensimon, Kevin Aucoin and Linda Fargo.

Modeling in Mizrahi's F/W 1994 show, clockwise from top left: Carla Bruni, Shalom Harlow, Harlow in the 'best dressed' babydoll dress, and Padma Lakshmi

Best Dressed: This is a tough one, but my guests who watched Unzipped with me all agreed on the sparkly baby doll dress seen on Shalom Harlow.

Karen Mulder in yellow, Nikki Taylor in blue, and Shalom Harlow in pink

Most visually stunning scene: Most of Unzipped is filmed in black and white, so when the climax of the film, the fashion show, finally reveals Mizrahi's brilliant use of color, the effect is dazzling. At the fittings, each sparkly dress and shaggy fur look alike, but in color each outfit is totally unique. Campbell opens her shaggy black fur to reveal a sparkly canary romper; Evangelista stomps down the runway in glossy black sequins trailing her Pepto pink coat behind her; Crawford is a delicate ski bunny in a shiny pink party dress and wide matching headband and booties.

Most unexpected scene stealer: In one of the beginning scenes, Mizrahi meets with a bejeweled Eartha Kitt, the legendary cabaret star. The seventy-something is more energetic than a child on a sugar high and saucier than a jar of Prego. "Make me some gowns! Some gowns that I can mooove in," she purrs, before breaking out in an impromptu dance routine.

Models behind the scrimm getting dressed before the fashion show starts

Substance score: 7. Mizrahi's hilarious quips and the supes in all their glory will ensure that any fashion addict will enjoy this one of a kind documentary. Mizrahi's fashion show finale is such a visual feast for the eyes that viewers will understand that they are bearing witness to a spectacular moment in fashion history.

Cindy, Carla, Linda and Shalom closing the fashion show.

Here's the trailer for Unzipped. I promise that the quality of the actual film is not this grainy!

FMN celebrates both iconic films that have shaped fashion in a significant way and documentaries offering a behind the scenes look into the fashion industry. In a series of blog posts following our FMN viewing parties, I analyze the impact of each film on fashion.

Mark Ronson and Josephine de la Baume got married!

2011-09-07T09:00:00.000-05:00

Mega producer Mark Ronson and beautiful French model and fashion "it" girl Josephine de la Baume got married on Saturday in Aix-en-Provence. The couple met on the set of Ronson's video "The Bike Song" in 2009 and were engaged six months ago. The wedding was the place to be this weekend, and was attended by some of the hottest individuals in both the music and fashion business including Mark's siblings Charlotte and Samantha Ronson, Irina Lazaraneau, Kate Moss, Lily Allen and Sean Lennon. The groom wore a candy striped suit and the bride wore a very low-cut Zac Posen gown studded with pearls.

The model is used to wearing sexy things for a living (see her Agent Provocateur commercial below), but is her gown inappropriate for a wedding? Personally, I think it looks amazing on her, but I can see how her choice might viewed as a little risque. So what do you think?

Above: Charlotte Ronson (right) and model Irina Lazaraneau (middle) were among many of the famous guests

Josephine and Mark met on the set of his 2009 video for "The Bike Song." Josephine does not appear until the 3:30 mark (in a SUPER cute outfit, btw).

Josephine de la Baume in a very sexy behind the scenes video for Agent Provocateur.

New Hermes Documentary

2011-09-06T12:15:00.000-05:00

"Hearts and Crafts," a new Hermes documentary will debut on September 10th at 7pm on the Sundance Channel. The film will focus on what goes on behind the scenes at one of the world's most luxurious and historical fashion brands.

So, since I don't have the Sundance Channel, who does? Because I'm coming over.

Fugly Music Festival Fashion: Lollapalooza

2011-08-16T07:12:00.001-05:00

If Coachella is the Barney's Co-op of music festival fashion, then Lollapalooza must be Charlotte Russe: tacky, cheap, and ill-fitting.

Sure, I saw plenty of cute girls dressed in artfully disheveled outfits, but I saw a lot more people in WTF-inducing attire.

(The food on the other hand, kicked ass! More on that on my blog indyslim.)

First off, mom shorts. Is this really a thing now, or is it just exclusive to Chicago (please God)? What's up with the high-waisted, bunchy crotched, eighties looking, fupa-creating cutoff shorts? Not the tiny hiphugging shorts of yesteryear, but the kind that can add an instant 20 pounds to even the slenderest figures? Seriously, I would say at least ten percent of girls at Lolla were wearing some form of these. Why? I don't know.

Secondly, let's discuss people who dress for a festival like they're going to the club. I can't tell you how many bodycon outfits I saw, for no apparent reason. Like this girl in a sheer paneled American Apparel bodysuit and black bodycon miniskirt. We couldn't get a good of a shot of her, but let's just say she didn't have the body to pull off this beyond skimpy outfit...

But maybe she was trying to emulate Taylor Momsen, ex Gossip Girl and lead singer of the Pretty Reckless?

And unless you're wearing a pretty bra or bandeau top, visible bra straps are totally unacceptable. Wear a strapless, or go without a bra! And the panty lines! Ah, the horror!

Again with the bra straps. Shudder. And this time she decided to show off her painful looking butt sunburn with tiny shorts.

Here's for hoping these fugly trends die a painful death before next year's Lollapalooza!

Kate and Jamie recreate the Jaggers' backseat wedding photo

2011-08-11T07:34:00.000-05:00

Jamie Hince and Kate Moss in Vogue.

Mick and Bianca Jagger in 1971.

Everyone's buzzing about Kate Moss' wedding photos in Vogue's September issue, but most of them are glossing over the most brills photo of them all. Kate Moss and Jamie Hince, two very rock n' roll souls themselves, recreated one of my favorite photos in music history: Mick and Bianca Jagger's famous wedding photo of 1971. Some reasons why these photos are amazeballs:

1. Only a true rock n' roll wifey would allow as much cleavage to show as Bianca is.
2. Mick's ridiculous face
3. Poppin champagne!
4. Bianca's wearing a white blazer WITH NOTHING UNDER IT. Brilliant.
5. There is a virginal veil happening.

While Kate and Jamie's photo isn't as awesome, I love how they took it and made it their own. I approve of this message. What do you think of the tribute to the Jaggers?

Hipster themed 25th Birthday Bloomington Bar Crawl

2011-08-08T16:20:00.003-05:00

For my 25th birthday, I wanted to make a grand mecca to Bloomington, my old college stomping ground. Instead of looking like the old fogies wandering around the college bars, I thought we could adhere to a fun dress-up theme and simultaneously disguise ourselves as the Bloomington angry hipster.

I paired a crop top with some cutoff shorts and added Urban Outfitters fake glasses, the rectangle tortoise shell kind of course, a hipster beloved bandeau bra, my dad's suspenders and a high topknot bun.

My partners in crime wore the hipster look fabulously as well, although it was a group effort to dress Katie, who is usually more comfortable in a Polo and Sperrys.

We're all like, yea, this food is good, whatever, I guess. There are some sustainable options, so that's cool, whatever. Katie's all like, I'm gonna do an ironic yodel right now.

Actually, we fit in pretty well with Bloomington's summer crowd, who happen to be pretty hipster. We ate dinner at FARMBloomington, which was kickass, if I do say so myself. For more on the tasty food check out my other blog IndySlim.

Don't worry, I promise this is PBR that we're playing Sink the Biz with. I'm like, totally uncomfortable with the fact that there's a bison head hanging on the wall in here. That's an uncomfortable smile, I promise. I swear on my Black Lips cd that it is. Bru on the other hand, has a fabulous indifferent hipster face.

Aaaand he ruins it here. Hipsters are not allowed to gaze lovingly at their significant others.

...but they are allowed to feast on each other's arms like cannibals. At least an arm is free range and vegan. Right? RIGHT?

Quietly contemplating and embracing during an ironic drinking game. So arty.

I'm smiling because it's like, SO ironic my boyfriend is drinking Bud Light. WTF? That is not a locally grown beer. But whatevs, the PBR was all gone at the Bird.

I'm all like, check out my Urban Outfitters Zack Morris phone! I'm even holding it like a baby would! Screw an iPhone, this is way more obscure.

Joel's all like woah, babies aren't allowed to use phones. They might call 911 on accident, and I've got the coke, so I can't be having that. I'm all like, I hate you for stomping on my Zack Morris baby dreams, could you please give me my phone back before I torch your pack of organic, pesticide free, biodegradable American Spirits or choose a Britney Spears song on the jukebox. Thanks.

1960s Costume Party!

2011-07-22T19:19:00.000-05:00

A few of my friends dressed up in 1960s garb for White Rabbit Cabaret's retro party last weekend. It was a blast! We really got into our costumes, obviously.

My sister Rachel drew her inspiration from the scion of elegance and class, Jackie Kennedy. She bought her white gloves and pillbox hat at Harloh's, a fabulous Fountain Square vintage store, for the occasion. Her dress and shoes are her own.

French bombshell Brigitte Bardot was my inspiration for the event. I decided on this outfit last minute, but I was so obsessed with the pic of Bardot in pigtails that I had to copy the look! My dress is an old 60s bridesmaid dress I had remade a couple of years ago. A couple people thought I was trying to look like a retro Playboy bunny.

My friend Megan didn't have a specific person in mind when she thought up this outfit, but I think it looks exactly like something Swedish bombshell Anita Ekberg would have worn on a summer day. If you look closely enough, you can see my dog, Khan in the background. He looks so enthralled about our 60s outfits, doesn't he?

We scrambled this outfit together for Lindsey at the last minute. The hat is most definitely Audrey Hepburn, but the teeny tiny minidress and straight hair are SO Jane Birkin, who in my opinion is one of the sexiest women, ever. This is actually my dress, but it looks much more mini on Lindsey, since her legs are about two feet longer than mine!

Kiley's Mondrian dress and Kelsey's go-go boots are iconic throwbacks from the 60s. Throw in some Raquel Welch hair, thick headbands, and huge fake eyelashes, and they look just like extras from Blow Up.

Clockwise from top left: close up of Kiley's hair and makeup; close up of my makeup, which took me forever to put on; Megan's colorful eyes; Rachel's pillbox hat from Harloh's.

We sort of look like a freakish version of the Spice Girls, don't you think? This was taken before we left my condo.

Rachel's "sparkle" feature on her camera makes the margarita from Revolucion look pretty awesome, even if cell phones don't really fit into the 1960s theme...

Again with the sparkle feature. Posh and Baby Spice at White Rabbit Cabaret.

I'm not sure what this camera feature is called, but it made Lindsey and I look like bored 60s housewives watching our children during cocktail hour.

Kelsey and Rachel having the time of their lives, clearly!

Some girls we met with pretty rad beehives at White Rabbit Cabaret.

...Three of those girls ended up dancing behind the screen at the front of the bar wearing killer fringe outfits. White Rabbit Cabaret is a really unique place. If you haven't been, you should definitely check it out!

Me with Megan, Lindsey and Kiley getting our retro dance on.

The Dukes and the Conner sisters dancing awkwardly. Per Usual.

From left to right: Kelsey and Rachel; another partygoer in costume; Megan and Lindsey; Kiley and Kelsey do their best Mod Squad impersonation.

I think it's appropriate to end with some Warhol style pics of Lindsey and I and Rachel and Kelsey. Hopefully White Rabbit will have more of these parties. I love playing dress up!

Alexander McQueen: A Complete Retrospective

2011-06-23T20:51:00.000-05:00

Before I attended the Metropolitan Museum of Art's exhibit "Savage Beauty" a few weekends ago, I wanted to put together a photo blog on every womenswear fashion show Alexander McQueen has ever done under his namesake brand. I know in blogging the general rule is short and sweet, but this is a project that required many photos to correctly and completely portray Alexander McQueen's career in fashion design.

This took me many hours of research to complete, so I hope you enjoy!

“I’ve seen a woman get nearly beaten to death by her husband. I know what misogyny is … I want people to be afraid of the women I dress.” - Alexander McQueen

1992 - Jack the Ripper Stalks His Victims (Central Saint Martins Graduation Collection)

Above left: photo from McQueen's graduate collection. Above right and bottom: Photos by Sølve Sundsbø. Pink silk satin jacket printed in thorn pattern lined in white silk with encapsulated human hair. From the collection of Isabella Blow courtesy of the Hon. Daphne Guinness. On loan to the Met for the "Savage Beauty" exhibit.

McQueen graduated from Central Saint Martins in 1992, but at this point in his career he was by no means an amateur designer. He had extensive experience with storied Savile Row tailors and had worked in theater costume design before he attended the famed London design school.

His inspiration behind his Central Saint Martins graduate show at London Fashion Week in February 1992 came from Jack the Ripper's Whitechapel victims. One of McQueen’s relatives owned an inn that housed a victim of Jack the Ripper, and his late mother remembers how hungrily McQueen researched the notorious Victorian killer as a boy.

Locks of hair were sewn into the clothes, in remembrance of the hair the prostitutes would have sold in nineteenth century London. Photos of women in compromising positions were screen printed onto pieces for a haunting effect. This collection marked the beginning of a close friendship between McQueen and eccentric stylist Isabella Blow, who famously bought the entire collection for £5,000, which she paid in weekly installments of £100.

Fall/Winter 1993 - Taxi Driver

There are no public photos of this collection, but I know that this collection was inspired by the 1976 Scorsese film of the same name. McQueen received a lot of criticism for his bruised and bloodied models, who were wrapped in latex or draped in prints of Robert De Niro's tortured protagonist Travis Bickle. The collection was shown at the Ritz Hotel in London.

Spring/Summer 1994 - Nihilism

This was McQueen's first official collection, but the London-born bad boy was already a star, thanks to his aforementioned graduate collection and friendship with Issie Blow.

In his "Nihilism" collection, clothes splattered in blood and mud established McQueen as London Fashion Week's newest "enfant terrible." This collection also debuted McQueen's infamous 'bumster' pants, an experiment at elongating the female torso. 'Bumsters' received an enormous amount of press coverage in the nineties and started the decade-long trend for dangerously low-cut pants.

In 1996, McQueen told The Guardian Weekend that "To me, that part of the body—not so much the
buttocks, but the bottom of the spine—that’s the most erotic part of anyone’s body, man or woman.”

The Independent was not impressed with McQueen's debut. The article, titled "McQueen’s Theatre of Cruelty," said that "Alexander McQueen’s debut was a horror show … McQueen, who is 24 and from London’s East End, has a view that speaks of battered women, of violent lives, of grinding daily existences offset by wild, drug-enhanced nocturnal dives into clubs where the dress code is semi-naked."

Fall/Winter 1994 - Banshee

For "Banshee", McQueen's inspiration came from "Irish folklore about banshees who were heard wailing when a boat sank" [Alexander McQueen]. His training with Savile Row tailors is demonstrated with expertly nipped and tucked jackets that would become a McQueen signature. McQueen shocked his audience when a pregnant skinhead in an Elizabethan gown walked the runway with a silver 'McQueen' tattoo prominently displayed on her shaved noggin.

Spring/Summer 1995 - The Birds

"The Birds" was the first of many McQueen productions that drew inspiration from Alfred Hitchcock. Also inspired by roadkill, Models walked the runway bound in scotch tape and covered in tire marks, again sparking the suspicion that McQueen was a misogynist. McQueen vehemently denied the rumors stating “I design clothes because I don’t want women to look all innocent and naïve, because I know what can happen to them. I want women to look stronger.”

Fall/Winter 1995 - Highland Rape

Perhaps McQueen's most controversial show of all time, the infamous "Highland Rape" collection featured his now signature tartan, shredded military jackets, torn clothing, low slung patent pants, and a number of exposed breasts. Journalists mistakenly interpreted the title of the show literally and attacked McQueen for his misogyny. McQueen's frustrated response:

"I’d studied the history of the Scottish upheavals and the Clearances … People were so unintelligent they thought this was about women being raped – yet 'highland rape' was about England's rape of Scotland." ...I wanted to show that the war between the Scottish and the English was basically genocide.”

Spring/Summer 1996 - The Hunger

With "The Hunger," McQueen again put together a collection with sinister undertones. Inspired by vampires, some pieces featured severe cutouts while others were covered in prints that looked like eerily realistic veins. Still, the most gruesome piece was a plastic corset with live worms trapped inside (top right). During a period when minimalism was the trend du jour, McQueen was shocking the world with his tailored, complicated and eerie designs.

Fall/Winter 1996 - Dante

As a child, McQueen's mother took him to St. Catherine’s House in London to research the McQueen family origins. She discovered they were Spitalfields Hugenots, which influenced the venue of this show, Spitalfields' Hawksmoor's Christchurch.

"Dante" opened with beautiful organ music that was eventually drowned by violent gunfire. To play up his Victorian theme, McQueen used notoriously "blue-blooded" models like Honor Frazer, Elizabetta Formaggia and Annabel Rothschild and emphasized their chiseled features with blood red lips and pale skin.

McQueen commented that the collection was "not so much about death, but the awareness that it's there." Patchworked and bleach splashed denim was paired with severe lace corsets and jackets photo-printed with images of Don McCullen’s war photographs. A lavender hand beaded corset symbolic for a Victorian stage of mourning demonstrated McQueen's continuous ability to find beauty in death. The collection was McQueen's first to highlight his love for interesting headwear - models wore masks decorated with crucifixes, jet crusted head pieces, and Phillip Treacy stag horn antlers (which undoubtedly inspired Viktor and Rolf in 2004).

Spring/Summer 1997 - La Poupee

For this collection, McQueen brought the drama with a 100 ft catwalk covered in water, but the expensive set was soon upstaged when black model Debra Shaw opened the show shackled to a large piece of jewelry.

The designer pooh poohed critics' accusations that he was glamorizing slavery, and instead claimed he wanted the restricting body jewelry to produce the jerky and mechanical movements of a doll or puppet.

According to McQueen, the collection was based on the work of German artist Hans Bellmer who dissected dummies and reconstructed them for a series of photographs in the 1930s titled "Poupée, variations sur le montage d'une mineure articulée" (The Doll, Variations on the Assemblage of an Articulated Minor). Bellmer's pubescent photographs were determined "degenerate" by the Nazi party and he was exiled from Germany in 1938, but his work was published (and praised) in France.

Fall/Winter 1997 - It's a Jungle out There

“The whole show feeling was about the Thompson’s gazelle. It’s a poor little critter – the markings are lovely. It’s got these dark eyes, the white and black with the tan markings on the side, the horns – but it is the food chain of Africa. As soon as it’s born it’s dead, I mean you’re lucky if it lasts a few months, and that’s how I see human life, in the same way. You know, we can all be discarded quite easily … you’re there, you’re gone, it’s a jungle out there!” McQueen quoted in Caroline Evans, Fashion at the Edge: Spectacle, Modernity and Deathliness (New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 2002)

"It's a Jungle Out there" was shown in Borough Market in London. The backdrop was a screen of corrugated iron, which was completely covered in fake bullet holes. Dry ice and crimson lighting added extra drama. Models with painted faces wearing horns and hides walked around wrecked cars. Exaggerated tailored pieces fashioned from animal skins again displayed McQueen's incredible technique. One jacket even featured taxidermy heads of baby crocs. Despite all the authentic skins and animals used, none were used solely for the collection - every skin featured was from an animal already used for its meat.

Spring/Summer 1998 - The Golden Shower or Untitled

A little known fact is that "Untitled" was originally named "The Golden Shower," which was quickly changed after the corporate sponsor, American Express, threatened to pull out. The show took place in a bus depot in Victoria and awed the audience when rain poured down halfway through the show. All the white clothes instantly became sheer for a titillating effect. Horror film The Omen inspired a silver ribcage and spine corset by artist Shaun Leane cast from a real human skeleton.

Fall/Winter 1998 - Joan

Inspired by the brutal murders of the Romanov dynasty, models walked the runway wearing chain mail ensembles and red leather suits. Peroxide blonde models with creepy red contacts wore sequined dresses screen printed with pictures of the Romanov children. The ghoulish spectacle ended with a satanic ring of fire enclosing a masked model on the runway.

Spring/Summer 1999 - No. 13

Olympic athlete and amputee Aimee Mullins walked the "No. 13" runway wearing beautifully carved prosthetic legs, a rigid leather bodice and a delicate lace skirt all designed by McQueen (top).

When asked about the experience years later, Mullins said "The fact is, nobody knew that they were prosthetic legs. They were the star of the show—these wooden boots peeking out from under this raffia dress—but in fact, they were actually legs made for me. His clothes have always been very sensuous, and I mean the full gamut of that. So hard and strict and unrelenting, as life can be sometimes."

The show ended when supermodel Shalom Harlow walked the runway in a white trapeze dress that was dramatically spray painted by two robots (video above - skip to the :40 mark).

Fall/Winter 1999 - The Overlook

"The Overlook" was based on Stanley Kubrick's 1980 film The Shining. Models ice-skated in luxurious furs, elaborate bustiers and full skirts, while it gently snowed producing a gorgeous effect.

The silver corset (bottom left) was inspired by the coiled necklaces of the Ndebele people of southern Africa. McQueen gave Shaun Leane the tricky task of transforming the necklace into a corset. Leane talked to the Metropolitan Museum about the experience:

Shaun Leane: The “Coiled” Corset was a particularly amazing piece because I had to cast the model’s torso in concrete to get an exact form of her, and then I had to literally form every coil, one by one, front and back, and work all the way up, so that it was a perfect fit. And she’s actually placed into the corset, and then it’s screwed all along the side, and up the arms, and beside the neck. There are tiny, little bolts, so the model’s actually screwed into the piece. It’s not heavy. It’s made from aluminum, and even though it looks quite restrictive, the model actually said the piece was actually very, very comfortable.

Spring/Summer 2000 - The Eye

For "The Eye," McQueen turned the runway into a terrifying bed of metal spikes and nails. Models were lifted into the air showing off sheer knits, body hugging jerseys and a controversial makeover of the burka among other racy interpretations of Middle Eastern dress.

Fall/Winter 2000 - Eshu

Inspired by the Yoruba people of West Africa, "Eshu" emphasized the raw power of McQueen's designs. Perhaps pressured by criticisms that his shows featured too many unnecessary theatrics, McQueen drew all the attention to the clothes, stripped of any potential distractions. For the collection, McQueen mixed tribal styling with luxurious craftmanship to a breathtaking effect. McQueen received widespread acclaim for this collection.

It's important to note that at this time, McQueen was also designing for Givenchy. The couture experience he received while designing for the storied brand influenced the details and craftmanship in his namesake line immensely.

Spring/Summer 2001 - Voss

For "Voss," the audience sat around a mirrored cube and was forced to stare at themselves until the show (which was intentionally delayed) started. Once the show began, the cube lit up to reveal a mental hospital setting on the other side of the mirror. Models clad in intricate gowns decorated in thousands of feathers or painted seashells wandered around the mirrored cage like exotically beautiful trapped animals. For the finale, a naked Michelle Olley (below) reclined on a couch while breathing through a tube, inspired by a demented photo by J oel-Peter Witkin. The elaborate show cost £70,000 to produce and the set took seven days to construct.

Fall/Winter 2001 - What a Merry Go Round

A merry-go-round and sounds of children playing seemed an unlikely atmosphere for an Alexander McQueen show, but after the lights went down and the metal soundtrack started up, any cutesy connotations quickly disappeared. This was a nightmare circus, featuring rough and tumble stripper-like models gyrating around the carousel poles wearing feathery flapper dresses, sharp suits and satin evening gowns, at times exposing an R-rated amount of skin.

The show displayed a creepy backdrop of huge stuffed animals, ragged puppets and battered dolls, which accompanied the tattered lace dresses, shredded hems and golden skeleton accessories quite nicely.
Spring/Summer 2002 - The Dance of the Twisted Bull

This was McQueen's first collection since partnering with Gucci Group. He decided to show in Paris for the first time, but it was traditional Spanish matadors and flamenco dancers that influenced his work. The designer flirted with controversy once again sending models down the runway impaled by bullfighter spears, or banderillas, to support long ruffled trains.

Fall/Winter 2002 - Supercalifragilistic

McQueen presented this collection in the eerie medieval hall of the Conciergerie, the spot where Marie Antoinette is thought to have died. McQueen later described the creepy collection saying: "It was kind of Tim Burton, about little girls, a macabre Walt Disney kind of thing. And I had Little Lilac Riding Hood, with the wolves, but the wolves were her pets!"

The designer again showed off his expert tailoring skills with razor sharp suits outfitted with leather braces and tight pencil skirts. Thigh high leather boots and bosomy necklines lent the finishing touches to McQueen's kinky schoolteachers and naughty schoolgirls that must have thrilled the straight guys in the audience.

Spring/Summer 2003 - Irere

After losing 30 pounds and joining Gucci Group, McQueen went in a brand new direction for his spring/summer collection. The runway show featured a traditionally creepy backdrop projection of an underwater model and horror movie haunted woods, but the runway was filled with uncharacteristically pretty creations. McQueen unfolded a sartorial fairy tale beginning with sexy pirates, shipwrecked beauties, and ending with birds of paradise in the rainforest.

Fall/Winter 2003 - Scanners

McQueen described this show to be like a "nomadic journey across the tundra". Runway models dramatically walked along a huge wind tunnel, dressed in otherworldly creations. It's a little hard for me to define this collection - there were a lot of different themes involved - but McQueen's star shined especially bright throughout. This show seemed like a couture show; almost every piece is exquisitely detailed and decorative.

An empire waist dress with an asymmetrical hem that did wonders for the best was THE silhouette of the season (Carrie wore one on SATC) and spawned a million knockoffs.

Spring/Summer 2004 - Deliverance

Michael Clark choreographed the presentation based on the dance marathon in Sydney Pollack's Depression-era film They Shoot Horses Don't They? Staged in the Salle Wagram, a 19th century Parisian dance hall, the show's models and dancers had to rehearse for two weeks in London before the elaborate spectacle.

In the opening scene, girls dressed in lamé gowns and feathers danced on the arms of suave sailors. The elimination race, modeled off the movie, featured fluorescent clad models in sportier attire running for their lives in a race to the death dash around the hall.

Eventually the competition proved too much to bear for one sequined Karen Elson, who theatrically fainted on center stage, in grand dramatic form. As McQueen and Clark carried off her mock-lifeless body, the audience erupted in a thunderous standing ovation. If this unique collection proved anything, it's that McQueen really knew how to put the "show" in fashion show.

Fall/Winter 2004 - Pantheon as Lecum

McQueen said he wanted to forget the theatrics and "focus purely on design" for this collection, but the fashion provocateur didn't forgo his signature showmanship entirely. Models walked from a spaceship onto a landing pad wearing ethereal designs. Beautiful draping techniques all but replaced McQueen's usually strictly structured silhouettes. While many critics panned this collection, I thought it was brilliant. It was a little like the best of Star Wars - there were furry ewoks, Princess Leias and desert nomads. A spacey illuminated neckpiece and moon colored satin skirt closed the show. There were a few unflattering pieces, but overall it was otherworldy and gorgeous.

Many critics blamed his "distracted" (their words, not mine) collection on McQueen's negotiations with Yves Saint Laurent at this time. McQueen had recently turned down the offer to head up the storied house, saying it was more important for him to concentrate on his namesake line.

Spring/Summer 2005 - It's Only a Game

McQueen again showed off his theatrical side and transformed the runway into a giant chessboard. This collection featured all McQueen's greatest hits. The 1975 film Picnic at Hanging Rock inspired the opening Edwardian-themed looks, with sharp Savile Row tailcoats. The 18th century followed, including puffball miniskirts and Empire waist dresses. Japanese kimonos, molded corsets and sci-fi suits were all included, and they all somehow cohesively worked together for the chess piece theme. Once all 36 models had taken place on the board, a match ensued, complete with a robotic narrating voice (video above). But even with all the theatrics, the clothes were the real winners here.

Fall/Winter 2005 - The Man who knew too much

A tribute to multiple Hitchcock films, McQueen's "The Man Who Knew Too Much" collection featured feminine retro silhouettes inspired by screen sirens from past decades. Suited Tippi Hendren lookalikes, Marilyns in body hugging satins, and Bardots in stripes paraded down the runway in an visual love letter to all things vintage. "The Man Who Knew Too Much" was critically panned for being too "safe," after years of criticism for being too edgy.

Spring/Summer 2006 - Neptune

Arguably his most traditional runway presentation, there were absolutely no bells and whistles during this fashion show. Models walked the runway in wearable Grecian styles in lovely cuts. Style.com said it was a "letdown"... "with all the finesse of something left over from an eighties sci-fi TV series."

Damn, harsh. While I agree that there was no chess game, couture fantasy gowns or Satanic ring of fire, the clothes were still beautifully constructed and pretty. Serves the critics right for condemning all his "theatrics" and alleged misogynistic portrayal of women.

At the end of the show, McQueen ran down the runway wearing a t-shirt that said "We Love You Kate," a reference to friend Kate Moss' cocaine scandal and cancelled modeling contracts.

Fall/Winter 2006 - Widows of Culloden

After two seasons of playing it safe, McQueen knocked 'em dead with this absolutely electrifying fashion show. One of his best, McQueen delved into his past, citing "Highland Rape" with Scottish tartans and "Dante" with suits cut in lovely lace. Devoid of any punk rock or sinister undertones, McQueen was able to reference his past, while putting his couture skills acquired at Givenchy to good use. The result was a stunningly beautiful collection dripping in pure genius.

According to McQueen, the "Widows Of Culloden" presentation was tribute to the women who lost their husbands in the bloody battle of Culloden. The finale was one of McQueen's most memorable: a larger-than-life sized holographic video of Kate Moss that appeared and disappeared in the most haunting fashion (video above). McQueen proved that not only could he shock audiences with elaborate fashion shows and tailor a suit with flawless precision, he was one of the most technologically aware, a useful advantage that would benefit him for the rest of his career.

Spring/Summer 2007 - Sarabande

McQueen's referenced the 1975 film Barry Lyndon and iconic eccentric Marchesa Casati for his gorgeous spring/summer collection. The Marchesa's love of living accessories (she sometimes wore live snakes as bracelets) inspired the showstopping gown made out of hundreds of fresh flowers. McQueen said of the dress: "Things rot. It was all about decay. I used flowers because they die".

Goya inspired Spanish infanta dresses and sharp signature tailoring were other notable highlights of the collection.

Fall/Winter 2007 - In Memory of Elizabeth How, Salem 1962

After a few seasons of "pretty" shows, McQueen returned to his dark side for this collection. The theme was black magic, fire and brimstone. McQueen's mother discovered that her ancestor was a victim of hanging during the Puritan Salem witch hysteria in 1692. Religious persecution was the general theme for the collection, and critics did not receive it positively. Cross adorned dresses mixed with gold Egyptian breastplates for a discombobulated result. Still, there were some pretty kickass dresses in the mix (see bottom pics).

This was McQueen's last negative review of his career.

Spring/Summer 2008 - La Dame Bleue

In remembrance of his dear friend and muse Isabella Blow [1958 – 2007], who committed suicide earlier that year, The "La Dame Bleue" collection was inspired by Blow's eccentric wardrobe, much of which was obviously by McQueen. The designer again teamed up with miliner Phillip Treacy, who was a favorite of Blow. the English hat maker designed Much of her extensive headware collection. The collection was a loving and beautiful tribute to the style icon, which (for the most part) squashed rumors that McQueen and Blow were feuding before her death.

Fall/Winter 2008 - The Girl who lived in the tree

"The Girl who lived in the tree" was inspired by the Indian Empire and a fictional fantasy McQueen dreamed up in his head. He explained to reporters "I’ve got a 600-year-old elm tree in my garden and I made up this story of a girl who lives in it and comes out of the darkness to meet a prince and become a queen."

This is my favorite McQueen collection. Beautiful, breathtaking, brilliant. This collection is the stuff of dreams, and will surely stand out as one of the most influential of all time, in a technical sense. The construction of the clothes, the painstaking details, and the luxurious fabric selections were all sheer perfection. Clicking through the show literally gives me goosebumps and stirs up an incredible feeling of sadness that a true fashion visionary is gone. If you don't believe that fashion is art, please browse through this collection on style.com. I guarantee you will be proved wrong.

Spring/Summer 2009 - Natural Dis-tinction, Un-Natural Selection

Inspired by Charles Darwin, the survival of the fittest, and global issues like climate change and industrialization, McQueen sent out a collection with an environmental message. But beside the stuffed animal props, the clothes weren't heavily political.

Futuristic digital prints, which adorned McQueen's typical nipped waist and skinny suited silhouettes, showed off McQueen's technological mindset while details like perfectly flounced skirts and corseted bodices proved his couture mastery. McQueen said he "doesn't want to preach" about the negative effects of the 21st century, so to lighten the mood, he took his bow at the end of the show in a hilarious bunny costume.

Fall/Winter 2009 - The Horn of Plenty

McQueen's anger at the collapsed economy and its effect on fashion was hinted at during this so ugly it's pretty collection. A shattered glass runway decorated with scraps of materials from his previous shows made up a showy backdrop for the fashion freak show. Clown lipped models wearing harlequin suits, bold stripes and exaggerated prints paraded down the runway while the appropriate Marilyn Manson song "Beautiful People" played on repeat.

The playful caricature of Dior's "New Look" era and a few over-the-top, only for the runway pieces made for a flashy spectacle, but McQueen never sacrificed his signature craftmanship in the name of theatrics. Fabulous frocks and razor sharp suits still reigned supreme despite the hubaloo of feathered straightjackets, cartoon makeup and zany headgear. Most critics praised the collection, but there were a few who thought it an ugly and misogynistic portrayal of women.

Spring/Summer 2010 - Plato's Atlantis

An apocalyptic forecast of the future ecological meltdown of the world, this genius collection was probably his most innovative. Otherworldly models stomped down the runway in digital print reptile-patterned dresses and grotesque 11 inch shoes (which instantly became collectors items). Two enormous sci-fi robots with video cameras moved up and down the runway, while a video of Raquel Zimmermann writhing naked in the sand covered in live snakes played in the background.

McQueen became the first designer to live stream a fashion show for the general public, a huge technological feat in fashion. While many designers had not yet made social media and technology a priority, McQueen's "access for everyone" approach gave him the superstar recognition he deserved. However, once Lady Gaga tweeted that she would debut her single "Bad Romance" during the show, the enormous traffic to the link crashed the whole broadcast. No matter. The pop star wore many of the pieces during her music video debut soon after, giving McQueen enormous press.

Fall/Winter 2010 - Untitled

McQueen's suicide on February 11th rocked the fashion industry to it's core, but his fashion team decided the best thing they could do to honor his legacy was to put the finishing touches on his last collection. The presentation was respectful and somber, albeit in a much more private and quiet setting than what McQueen himself would have chosen. Only a select group of editors was invited to the showing, consisting of elaborately detailed pieces inspired by medieval religious paintings. Prints of artwork were digitally woven into the showpieces for an ethereal but haunting effect. The classical opera music that McQueen had listened to during the creative process was the soundtrack for the presentation.

McQueen's final show was tragically beautiful indeed, a fitting body of work for a tortured artist. The show notes for the collection read: "Each piece is unique, as was he."

Sources: Contemporaryfashion.net, style.com, alexandermcqueen.com, Time Out magazine, Women's Wear Daily, Harper's & Queen, Vogue, Vogue UK, i-D, and The Fashion Spot.

Asia Major Fashion Show Video

2011-06-03T07:32:00.002-05:00

FINALLY I got the video put together for the Asia Major Fashion Show at Sensu from two weeks ago. Lindsey Menner and I had a blast putting it all together! The models, makeup artists and hair stylists all did a great job. The clothes were provided by Panda(ology), Niche, Pitaya and Redemption Boutique. All the jewelry was lent to us by Heidi Jay and Eye Candy boutique. If you have any questions about the vendors, email me at thehautehoosier@gmail.com.

If you want to see the video fullscreen, you might have to click the YouTube button. Hope you enjoy the video!

Asia Major Fashion Show

2011-05-16T20:54:00.000-05:00

So the main reason why I haven't blogged in almost two weeks (!!!) is that I've been tirelessly planning a fashion show for tomorrow night at Sensu.

Lindsey Menner and I have recognized that while Indianapolis is growing in the fashion industry, the city as a whole is still a little behind on the trends. We started emphasizing high fashion trends with our colorblock party last month, and recently Sensu asked us to put together a fashion show.

We decided to base our show off the Asian trend, which has recently inspired designers like Ralph Lauren, Dries Van Noten and Louis Vuitton. Sensu, a new downtown Asian fusion restaurant and nightclub, seemed like the PERFECT place to showcase the trend.

Lindsey and I have been extremely blessed to find five boutiques and an accessory designer to loan us pieces, several makeup artists and hair stylists, and 21 lovely ladies to model the clothes. The show is tomorrow night at 9pm and Lindsey and I couldn't be more excited! I hope to see all of you there, but if you can't make it, I'll be sure to post pics and video after the show.

Simon Fashion Now Indianapolis

2011-05-04T07:46:00.000-05:00

I went to the Simon Fashion Now event on Saturday and checked out the Nordstrom, Saks shows and the Design Wars competition for the Art Institute design students. It was a cute event - very well organized, and the models did a great job. The only thing that I thought was weird was that the models looked at the people in the crowd the whole time, but maybe that was some tactic to make the clothes more approachable. Either way, my friends and I had a great time watching the shows! Yes, that's Lindsey Menner from Cutie Cooks and Megan Giannini from Indy Spectator co-starring in the video I made.

The video is kind of small on my blog, so you might want to click on the YouTube button to view it in a larger size. The song is Robyn's "Crash and Burn Girl." Enjoy!

The Worst Dressed at the Costume Institute Gala

2011-05-03T20:10:00.000-05:00

Most of the guests at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's annual Costume Institute Gala looked pretty fierce, but a few didn't get it quite right.

Serena Williams in Oscar de la Renta.

A frou frou mess. Plus her hat looks ridiculous. With her athletic build, she should always opt for edgier, more streamlined designs.

Vera Wang in her own design.

Love the color on this, but Vera looks painfully thin. She needs to eat a sandwich! What happened to her?

Jessica Szohr in TopShop Unique.

Um, this is the ball, not the club.

Sofia Vergara in Carolina Herrera.

Sofia looked flawless at every single awards show, but she failed to impress for the Met Gala ball. She looked lovely, but the dress was boring and generic looking.

Lea Michele in Escada.

Pretty, sure, but SO dull. Lea looks the exact same at every event. Over it.

Mary-Kate Olsen in vintage Givenchy.

I don't understand why short people wear things that drown them in fabric. It's unflattering and awkward looking. The dirty hippie hair doesn't exactly help matters either.

Cassie in Rag & Bone.

If you could wear it to go out in Broad Ripple, it's probably a no go for the MOST FABULOUS BALL OF THE YEAR.

Beyonce in Emilio Pucci (with Jay-Z)

At first I loved this, but she's squeezed in it like a sausage. I love Bey, but this just doesn't fit her body type. And what's up with Jay-Z's hair?

Top 20 Best Dressed at The Costume Institute Gala 2011

2011-05-03T07:33:00.000-05:00

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's annual Costume Institute Gala is the superbowl of fashion. Rather than play it safe like at the Oscars, attendees take risks on their attire, which is why it's my favorite fashion event of the year. This year's exhibit is "Savage Beauty," a retrospective entirely devoted to Alexander McQueen's work, so its guests came dressed to impress in over-the top couture. Here are my picks for the event's best dressed.

1. Daphne Guinness in Alexander McQueen

Who wears McQueen better than eccentric heiress Daphne Guinness? That would be no one.

2. Natalia Vodianova in vintage Valentino Haute Couture (with Valentino Garavani)

The supermodel always looks divine, but I'm particularly obsessed with the fur and feather details on this gown.

3. Miranda Kerr in Marchesa.

It's seriously incredible that this woman JUST had a child. Also, I'm a sucker for anything resembling a tutu.

4. Shalom Harlow in Marchesa.

The supermodels really brought it at this event. I wanted someone to wear this to the Oscars, but it's much more perfect for this event!

5. Hamish Bowles in Alexander McQueen and Christian Louboutin shoes (with Amar'e Stoudemire)

The Vogue editor can do no wrong in my eyes. Loving this wacky suit on him. And did you read his profile of Amar'e awhile back? Hysterical.

6. Anna Wintour in Chanel Haute Couture.

Gorgeous and unique, this sequined Chanel gown looks like it was made for the queen of Vogue.

7. Madonna in Stella McCartney.

I love how this gown is both modern and vintage looking. The stars running down the back give it a quirky edge, but the train and puffed shoulders make it look very Harlowesque.

8. Diane Kruger in Jason Wu.

Sexy, yet demure. Chic, yet attention getting. Perfection.

9. Jennifer Lopez in Gucci.

I love this color on her, and the flowered bolero definitely makes a statement.

10. Blake Lively in Chanel Haute Couture (with Karl Lagerfeld)

The sheer details on this gown make it unique. I kinda wish I had Blake's life. Or at least her friends.

11. Karen Elson in Alexander McQueen.

This gold leaf creation is beyond stunning and perfect with Elson's flame red hair. Another gown with a gorgeous sheer skirt.

12. Rihanna in Stella McCartney.

Totally over the top, but perfect for the Met Gala. I love how Rihanna's long braid gives her look more edge and matches the carpet. Her emerald earrings give it a contrasting finishing touch.

13. Rosie Huntington Whiteley in Burberry.

Maxim's Hottest Woman in the World is so glamourous in this satin gown. Love.

14. Sarah Jessica Parker in Alexander McQueen.

Parker was a great friend to McQueen, and she truly looks fantastic in his designs. The hair, makeup and jewelry look flawless as well.

15. Hilary Rhoda in Alexander McQueen.

The model shows off her legs in this exquisitely tailored McQueen tuxedo minidress. I love the tails on her jacket. Classic McQueen. The hair and makeup also looks super chic.

16. Arizona Muse in Altuzarra.

I love how Arizona always looks like she jumped straight out of the pages of an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel. Her flapperish Altuzarra complements her signature style and I adore those fur strap heels!

17. Isabel Lucas in Louis Vuitton.

The waist band on this gown accentuates the actress' teeny tiny waist, and her amazing headpiece makes her stand out amongst the loads of more famous celebrities.

18. Hailee Steinfeld in Stella McCartney.

For such a young star, Hailee actually gets fashion. Or her stylist does. Either way, she looks fabulous!

19. Mariacarla Boscono in Givenchy Haute Couture (with Riccardo Tisci)

I've always loved this fantastic beaded and feathered and gown, and it looks fabulous on the red carpet.

20. Tie: Janelle Monae in Chanel and Anna Dello Russo in Alexander McQueen.

Definitely a bitch stole my look moment, but I couldn't choose just one. Janelle owns the pantsuit look, but ADR is wearing an egg on her head, so it was too hard to decide. Both look equally fierce!

Colorblock Dinner Party!

2011-04-29T20:33:00.000-05:00

The colorblock inspiration board

Last Saturday, Lindsey Menner (of CutieCooks) and I threw a small dinner party for eight of our closest friends. The theme was entirely based on the colorblock fashion trend, which inspired the menu, the decorations, the cocktails, and obviously, the dress code. We all had a ball!

Sara, Rachel, Matea, Gabrijel and Lauren

Megan, Ally, me, Lindsey and Kelly

The Gelics and Conners!

Gabrijel and I

Lindsey and I

DVF and Haider Ackermann runway place cards

Prada and Marc Jacobs place cards

Sara and Kelly

Chris Kane, Miu Miu, Gucci and Prada place cards

The colorblock inspired menu for the evening

R.I.P. Gerard Smith, Bassist of TV on the Radio

2011-04-20T21:38:00.008-05:00

I know this has nothing to do with fashion, but TV on the Radio might be my favorite band of this decade, so I am incredibly saddened to say that bassist Gerard Smith passed away this morning from lung cancer. He was only 36 years old.

The band has canceled four upcoming tour shows in wake of the tragedy.

The band announced on its website in March that Smith was taking time off to be treated for cancer.

"Gerard is fortunate enough to have health insurance and is receiving excellent medical care," the announcement read. "Already we have seen dramatic results. Combine that with Gerard's legendarily willful disposition and it might just be cancer that has the problem. We appreciate your concern and support for Gerard and his family."

This is a terrible tragedy for music. While I realize many people have died from lung cancer who never have picked up a cigarette in their lives, I'm assuming that Smith was a smoker. I have seen TV on the Radio in concert a few times and remembered some of them smoking on stage. As someone who has struggled with smoking, I understand how hard it can be to quit. While I only ever considered myself a "social smoker," I know how easy it is to reach for a cigarette when you crave smoking at certain times (drinking, with coffee, driving, etc). If Smith never smoked in his life, please correct me of my ignorance. Who knows, is 36 too young for smoking-related lung cancer to manifest itself? Any contributions would be appreciated.

RIP Gerard Smith. Your musicianship has inspired me in an incredible way. If you aren't familiar with Smith's work, I would highly advise you to pick up my favorite album of the past several years, "Dear Science" (2008) or their newest album, "Nine Types of Light." "Return to Cookie Mountain" (2006) was incredible also.

Here's the music video for my favorite song, "Wolf Like Me."

Fashion Video Happy Hour: Bottega Veneta, Viaggio Notturno

2011-04-12T07:02:00.000-05:00

For those late afternoon hours when you're still at work, but would rather be having a cocktail, I bring you the next best thing: Fashion Video Happy Hour.

Today's offering is Bottega Veneta's first foray in film, "Viaggio Notturno," a mysteriously beautiful look into the romantic world of the jet-set hotel traveler.

The luxe brand's creative director, Thomas Maier told Nowness his own experiences as a world traveler inspired the short film. “I spend ten days a month alone in a hotel, seeing people pass in the hallways, glimpsing them through windows or as they step out of the elevator,” he said. “You see these people, but you have no idea what their stories are, you can only guess. It’s about evoking that surreal state of mind you enter when you’re in an unfamiliar place.”

Bottega Veneta: Viaggio Notturno on Nowness.com.

Girl Crush! Natalia Vodianova

2011-04-01T19:28:00.000-05:00

Natalia Vodianova's first cover of American Vogue with models Daria Werbowy (left) and Gisele Bundchen (right). September 2004. Photo by Steven Meisel.

I remember when gorgeous Russian model Natalia Vodianove debuted in the modeling world. Doe-eyed and innocent, she looked like a sweet little Precious Moments doll. I think the pivotal moment of her career was in 2004, when she shared her first American Vogue cover with Daria Werbowy and Gisele. The photo, by Steven Meisel, was stunning and the makeup, by Pat McGrath was luminous and breathtaking. My best friend and I obsessed over that cover in high school. Daria was always my favorite and Natalia was hers.

Photo by Paolo Roversi

Vodianova is a perfect archetype of a real-life Cinderella. Before her modeling career took off, the teenager used to sell fruit on the street with her single mother in Russia. Determined to leave the life of poverty behind her, the 15-year-old enrolled in a modeling academy, learned English in three months, and signed with Viva models in Paris two years later.

Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2008 ad campaign. Photo by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott.

Since then, Vodianova became one of the most sought-after models in the world, founded a successful charity for poor Russian children, and married a billionaire British property heir.

Above: In American Vogue. July 2007. Photo by Mario Testino

It's been fun to watch Vodianova's transformation from Bambi-like runway model to sex kitten editorial powerhouse and budding actress. Her famous blue eyes killed (literally) as Medusa in Clash of the Titans, and she also stars in the upcoming flick Belle de Signeur. The world class philanthropist and society darling is a front row fixture at all the best fashion shows and counts some of the biggest celebs as her nearest and dearest friends. And despite all of her extra endeavors, her modeling career is still on fire: the supermodel has current contracts with Etam, Calvin Klein, Guerlain, Stella McCartney and Givenchy.

Etam Lingerie. Spring/Summer 2010

In High Fashion magazine. August 2000.

Chanel Beauty Spring 2008 ad campaign.

Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2010 ad campaign with Christy Turlington (right) and Karen Elson (middle). Photo by Steven Meisel.

On the cover of Love Magazine Spring/Summer 2010. Photo by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott

On the cover of Vogue Korea. Photo by Steven Meisel.

With models Amber Valetta (left) and Linda Evangelista (right)

At the Harper's Bazaar Women of the Year party in 2010

On the cover of Vogue Russia. March 2008. Photo by Steven Meisel.

February 23, 2010. Hosting the Love Ball London for her charity,

The Naked Heart Foundation.

Above: On the cover of British Vogue. June 2009. Photo by Mario Testino.

At Vogue Paris' 90th Anniversary Masquerade Ball, September 30, 2010.

As Marisa Berenson in "The Great Pretender" editorial in American Vogue. May 2009. Photo by Steven Meisel.

Above: Calvin Klein Euphoria Fall/Winter 2009 ad campaign. Photo by Steven Meisel.

Above: In "Dream Girl" editorial. Vogue China. May 2010. Photo by Patrick Demarchelier.

Front row with Vogue editor Anna Wintour at

Christopher Kane's Spring/Summer 2010 fashion show.

On the cover of Vogue Italia. April 2008. Photo by Steven Meisel.

My McQueen

2011-03-30T10:44:00.002-05:00

Alexander McQueen and Isabella Blow in Essex. "Burning Down the House." Vanity Fair. March 1997. Photo by David LaChapelle.

Many assume the French are the most fashionable people in the world, due to their artfully disheveled sex appeal and "je ne sais quoi," but I've always found British style far more interesting for several reasons. First, traditional English tailoring is beyond compare: shoulders are tastefully amplified, waists are nipped to flatter, and every bespoke detail is painstakingly thought out.

British fashion eccentric Daphne Guinness in Alexander McQueen

Secondly, the British love against-the-grain fashion. They don't care if they're viewed as tacky or insane, and I love them for it. The most fashion-obsessed trendsetters have come out of the UK, and if unconventionalism was an art-form, the Monets, Picassos and Warhols of the world would all be Brits. Fashion over function, style over sensibility, and couture over cost-effectiveness, the British have served as the eccentric inspiration for pop personalities like Lady Gaga for ages.

Sarah Jessica Parker at McQueen's funeral wearing one of his designs. Feb, 25, 2010.

My favorite designer of my lifetime, Alexander McQueen, was London-born. When my friend Megan told me news of his suicide, I couldn't believe it. It was only a few years after his mentor, British eccentric Isabella Blow, took her own life. How could someone who was at the peak of his career have so many demons? Sadly, depression often strikes those who we least expect. His passing was extremely difficult for the fashion world to cope with.

Designs from his Spring 2008 collection, inspired by friend Isabella Blow. My coat is in the middle :)

McQueen was a genius because he mastered both technique and vision; most designers have a difficult time excelling at one of those categories. His dark, often shocking fashion shows never overshadowed his masterful tailoring skills. So imagine my excitement when I came upon one of his Prince of Wales plaid overcoats from his Spring 2008 collection, for less than $200 at a thrift store. I snatched it up in a heartbeat. I usually don't do outfit posts, because I don't want people to think that I think that I'm a model. I know I'm not! But I had to show off this purchase. The details and fit are perfection - everything I would expect from an Alexander McQueen runway piece.

Alexander McQueen coat, BCBG fur scarf, Joie boots.

This Diane von Furstenberg dress is also dear to my heart - it's the first purchase I made after starting FIT as a freshman in 2005! The necklace is vintage - I stole it from my mom.

I had to include my bullmastiff Khan in this photoshoot, because he would be the perfect accessory for a stroll on the English countryside, don't you think?

You can hype my Khan look on lookbook.nu here. Thanks!

Fashion Video Happy Hour: Anna Dello Russo, Fashion Addict

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For those late afternoon hours when you're still at work, but would rather be having a cocktail, I bring you the next best thing: Fashion Video Happy Hour.

Today's offering is high fashion caught up in mainstream TV. CNN takes us into the closet of fashion fanatic Anna Dello Russo, the Vogue Nippon editor whose wacky wardrobe gives Lady Gaga a run for her money. She has 4000+ pairs of shoes! Can you imagine?

Haute Spots: 8 Fifteen

2011-03-22T21:32:00.009-05:00

I couldn't resist trying on one of the Cut 25 body-con dresses!

Photo taken by Claire Bolles.

What: 8 Fifteen
Where: 815 E 65th St., Broad Ripple
When: Opened April 2009.
Who: Owners Erin Welch and Claire Bolles

Stocked with sparkly Haute Hippie frocks, sporty VPL separates and sexy Cut 25 body-con pieces, Broad Ripple boutique 8 Fifteen reads like a who's who of fashion's hottest brands du jour.

Owners Welch and Bolles opened the store "to give a place for up-and-coming labels not yet represented in Indianapolis," Bolles said. Another reason was to create a more interactive shopping experience, including special ordering and great customer service.

Numbers have steadily increased since the high-end boutique's opening in April 2009, possibly due to the reason that it's essentially a one-stop shop for the local fashionista. Improvd tees hang on racks next to A.L.C. party dresses and work-friendly Smythe blazers; jewelry from Chaan Lu and Samira 13 drips from glass cases, and a decorative display of Dayna Decker bath and body products greets shoppers upon entering.

8 Fifteen presents high-fashion in an approachable way - the well-edited designer duds are all quite wearable and would fit perfectly into any chic Midwesterner's wardrobe.

"You've got to really know your customer to buy for them," Bolles said. "Just because it's trendy doesn't mean it's going to work in Indy."

Fashionable frocks, from left to right: VPL, Rick Owens Lilies, A.L.C, Cut 25. Photos from 8 Fifteen.

From left to right: Dresses from Haute Hippie, Helmut Lang, A.L.C., and Gary Graham. Photos from 8 Fifteen.

An assortment of Nouvelle Candle Company candles

A Smythe blazer with elbow patches

Chan Luu wrap bracelets

Cut 25 motorcycle vest

Samira 13 bracelets

A drink and coffee bar adds a homey touch to the boutique

Dayna Decker home products

Sporty VPL lingerie

Tila March clutches and wallets

All photos were taken by Maggie Conner unless otherwise specified.

Supermodels Are Dead Part II: Introducing the Catwalk Queens you've never heard of

2011-03-15T14:13:00.004-05:00

So you remember the "Big Six?" That was Claudia, Naomi, Linda, Cindy, Christy and Kate. THE supermodels of the '90s. The only models that mattered.

Well, the fashion world is a lot different now. Sure, most of the same girls dominate the mags, the catwalks and the campaigns, but there are a lot MORE of them. I featured a bevy of model beauties back in August, but I'm coming back for round two, because I know you all want to see more of these magnificent, long limbed creatures.

Fashion's Sexiest:

Joan Smalls (b. July 11, 1988)

Backstage at Gucci

In Vogue Italia. April 2010. By Steven Meisel

Height: 5'10.5"
Measurements: 32.5B-24-34
Hometown: Puerto Rico

Modeling Agency: IMG

Breakthrough moment: In January 2010, Smalls was featured as the exclusive model for Givenchy's S/S 2010 Couture Show in Paris.

Campaigns: S/S '11: Roberto Cavalli, Gucci, Estée Lauder, Stella McCartney. F/W '10: Gap, Givenchy, Gucci. 2008: Ports 1961

What's special about her: American Vogue is borderline obsessed with this beauty, and rightfully so. She starred in a whopping EIGHT editorials from June 2010 to March 2011, plus André Leon Talley waxed poetically in an article about her, naming her "this generation's China Machado." Her fabulous strut and arresting beauty earns her the sexy award on this list.

2011 MVM (Most Valuable Model)

Arizona Muse (b. September 18, 1990)

The face of the Yves Saint Laurent Spring 2011 campaign.

In Vogue Spain. March 2011. By Lachlan Bailey.

Height: 5'10"
Measurements: 32-24-34
Hometown: Santa Fe, New Mexico

Modeling Agency: Next

Breakthrough moment: Muse opened and closed spring 2011 BCBG Max Azria, Miu Miu and Prada shows; opens for Rochas and Kenzo, and walks for Marc Jacobs, Herve Leger, Narciso Rodriguez, and Proenza Schouler.

Campaigns: S/S '11: Prada, YSL.

What's special about her: What's not special about her? She's snagged 11 editorials, including three covers so far in 2011, was essentially declared the next Linda Evangelista by Anna Wintour herself, picked up 16 opening or closing runway spots during the F/W 2011 season, all while raising the cutest baby boy, Nikko, who modeled alongside mommy in a Vogue editorial. The Cut declared her Fall 2011's top model, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say she's the MVM of the year.

She's also my favorite new model since Karlie Kloss. I can't get over her perfect eyebrows, hair and face. Muse has a look that's so modern and fresh, but also reminiscent of a Fitzgerald-era flapper.

Most Unique Beauty

Daphne Groeneveld (b. December 24, 1995)

Backstage at the S/S 2011 Calvin Klein show, who Daphne opened for and modeled for exclusively in NYC

On the cover of Vogue Paris Dec/Jan issue with Tom Ford

Height: 5'10.5"
Measurements: 31-24-35
Hometown: Leiderdorp, Olanda (Netherlands).

Modeling Agency: Supreme

Breakthrough moment: In early 2010, Groeneveld was chosen to be a face of Miu Miu alongside Siri Tollerod, Ginta Lapina and Lindsey Wixson.

Campaigns: S/S '11: Givenchy. F/W '10: Miu Miu, Isola Marras.

What's special about her: Daphne snagged the Dec/Jan cover of Vogue Paris alongside Tom Ford, who guest edited the mag. The shocking issue featured little girls eerily dressed up in couture amongst other risque features, and is the rumored reason behind editor Carine Roitfeld's alleged firing.

The Cut also ranked her #2 Model for the F/W 2011 season.

Newest Standard of Beauty

Fei Fei Sun (b. 1989) (Anyone know the exact day?)

In Vogue China. March 2011. By Raymond Meier.

In V Magazine. May 2010. By Cuneyt Akeroglu.

Height: 5'10.5"
Measurements: 31-24-35
Hometown: HeBei, China

Modeling Agency: Women

Breakthrough moment: In Dec 2009, Karl Lagerfeld handpicked the Chinese beauty to walk in Chanel's 2010 Pre-fall collection in Shanghai.

Campaigns: S/S '11: cK One, Dsquared2. F/W '10: H&M. S/S '10: Shanghai Tang.

What's special about her: Fei Fei got her start when she represented China for the Elite Model Look competition in 2008. She didn't win, but her modeling career took off. With the luxury boom in China comes the increasing demand for Chinese models in the fashion world, and Fei Fei is one of the new leaders of the pack.

Most Really Really Ridiculously
Good-Looking

Karmen Pedaru (b. May 10, 1990)

Backstage at D&G. September 2010.

In Vogue UK. August 2010. By Daniel Jackson.

In Harper's Bazaar. September 2009. By Greg Kadel.

Height: 5'10"
Measurements: 32-24-34
Hometown: Kehra, Estonia

Modeling Agency: Ford

Breakthrough moment: Pedaru's career started in 2006 when she debuted at the Christopher Kane show, but it really took off when she opened for Burberry's F/W 2010 show in Feb 2009.

Campaigns: S/S '11: Gucci, Gap, Michael Kors. F/W '10: Fendi Fan di Fendi Fragrance, Gap, Ralph Lauren, Lança Perfume, Emporio Armani, Salvatore Ferragamo. S/S '10: Costume National, Jill Stuart Fragrance, Nicole Farhi. F/W '09: Jill Stuart Beauty, Jill Stuart, Gucci Eyewear, Derek Lam. S/S '09: M Missoni, D&G Cruise. F/W '08: New Man, Y-3.

What's special about her: Holy bone structure, this woman is gorgeous! Pedaru's stunning face has made her a favorite for ad campaigns, as you can see above. Her eyes are mesmerizing, her nose is perfect, and those cheekbones... I'm slightly obsessed with her, as you can see.

Fun fact: Before modeling, Pedaru played goalkeeper for Estonia's national soccer team.

The Cut also ranked her #3 Model for the F/W 2011 season.

Best Post-Baby Comeback

Jourdan Dunn (b. August 3, 1990)

The face of the S/S 2011 Burberry Ad Campaign.

The face of the S/S 2011 YSL Beauty Campaign.

Height: 5'10"
Measurements: 32-23-34
Hometown: London, England

Modeling Agency: Women

Breakthrough moment: In Feb 2008, Dunn became the first black model to walk for Prada in 10 years. That same year, the British Fashion Council voted her Model of the Year.

Campaigns: S/S '11: YSL Beauty, Burberry. F/W '10: YSL La Nuit de l'Homme Fragrance. F/W '09: cK Calvin Klein. S/S '09: YSL La Nuit de l'Homme Fragrance, Benetton, Topshop. F/W '08: Benetton, Gap, Topshop.

What's special about her: After giving birth to son Riley in December 2009, Dunn immediately got back in the modeling game. She appeared in the Victoria Secret catalog in the summer of 2010, booked 32 runway shows the F/W '11 season, including opening and closing for Burberry and opening for Zac Posen, and she's appeared in every American Vogue since September.

The Cut also ranked her #9 Model for the F/W 2011 season.

Most Talked About

Lea T (b. 1981)

In Vogue Paris. September 2010. By Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott.

On the cover of Love magazine with Kate Moss. Feb 2011. By Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott.

Height: 5'11"
Measurements: 34-25-36
Hometown: Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Modeling Agency: Women

Breakthrough moment: In July 2010, Riccardo Tisci's chose his assistant, Lea T, to be one of the faces of Givenchy.

Campaigns: F/W '10: Givenchy.

What's special about her: Lea T. is one of the first (if not the first) transsexual supermodels. In August 2010, appeared nude in Vogue Paris pre gender reassignment surgery. In February, she went on Oprah to discuss the challenges of being born a man, and also made out with Kate Moss on the cover of Love magazine's 'Androgyny' issue.

Trendiest New Model Look:

Strong eyebrows, dark hair, light eyes, button noses and pillowy lips.

Bambi, Barbara and Samantha

The next three models have a remarkably similar look. Definitely a hot new model trend!

Bambi Northwood-Blyth (b. 1991)

S/S '11 Jen Kao

Height: 5'7"

Measurements: 31A-24-34
Hometown: Melbourne, Australia

Modeling Agency: Elite

Breakthrough moment: The 20-year-old debuted at the Jen Kao, walked for rag & bone and closed for Diesel during the NYC S/S 2011 collections. After meeting Katie Grand of Love magazine in London, the editor/stylist booked her for Giles, Loewe, Topshop Unique and Emanuel Ungaro in Paris. She also walked in Balenciaga, Kenzo and Chanel, rounding out a fabulous first season for the new model.

Campaigns: S/S '10: cK One, Ksubi eyewear.

What's special about her: Bambi's real name is Stephanie. The diminutive model has been dating 32-year-old Ksubi founder Dan Single. The two are rumored to be engaged.

Barbara Palvin (b. October 8, 1993)

Russian Vogue. November 2010.

In a W editorial. August 2010.

Height: 5'8.5"
Measurements: 33A-23-35
Hometown: Budapest, Hungary

Modeling Agency: IMG

Breakthrough moment: In Feb 2010, Palvin debuts at the fall Prada show in Milan as an exclusive. In Paris she walked for Giles, Miu Miu Louis Vuitton and Pedro Lourenco. She has also appeared in editorials for French, German, Russian, and Spanish Vogue, Vogue UK, Harper's Bazaar, and W.

Campaigns: S/S '11: Chanel Beauty. S/S '10: Isola Marras.

What's special about her: Palvin was discovered when she was only thirteen years old. The girl has old Hollywood good looks and kinda looks like a baby Natalia Vodianova, don't you think? Still relatively new to the modeling biz, the gorgeous Hungarian has a bright future ahead of her, including plans to model for the Victoria Secret PINK line.

Samantha Gradoville (b. January 1, 1990)

Harper's Bazaar. October 2010. By Camilla Akrans.

Pop magazine, Spring/Summer 2011. By Sean and Seng.

Height: 5'10.5"
Measurements: 34C-24-34
Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska

Modeling Agency: IMG

Breakthrough moment: In Feb 2010, Gradoville opened and closed the fall Prada show, making her one of the most talked about breakout models.

Campaigns: S/S '11: Sportmax, cK One. F/W '10: Jill Stuart, cK One Underwear.

What's special about her: Her sick body. Gradoville has the most luscious curves in high fashion since Lara Stone. It gives her a fantastic upper hand over other models when photographers need a bodacious woman in their campaigns or editorials.

Fastest Rise to the Top

Lindsey Wixson (b. April 11, 1994)

The face of Alexander McQueen S/S '11 Campaign

Height: 5'10"
Measurements: 32-23-33
Hometown: Wichita, Kansas

Modeling Agency: Marilyn

Breakthrough moment: In September 2009, Miuccia Prada took Wixson under wing, and a supermodel was born. She opened the spring Prada show as an exclusive in Milan, and closed Miu Miu as an exclusive in Paris.

Campaigns: S/S '11: Barneys NY, Alexander McQueen, Mulberry, Jill Stuart, Jill Stuart Beauty. F/W '10: Versace Vanitas Fragrance, Barney's, Galliano by John Galliano, Jill Stuart Beauty, Miu Miu. S/S '10: Miu Miu.

What's special about her: After becoming the young face of Miu Miu in 2010, Wixson booked an impressive twenty magazine editorials last year alone. Her huge pout, gap teeth and cleft chin have caught the attention of the fashion world, indeed.

Most Successful Crossover Model

Candice Swanepoel (b. October 20, 1988)

Vogue Italia. February 2011. By Steven Meisel.

F/W 2011 Dolce & Gabbana.

Height: 5'9.5"
Measurements: 32-23-33
Hometown: Mooi River, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Modeling Agency: IMG

Breakthrough moment: After two years of modeling, the blonde bombshell was chosen to walk in the Victoria Secret fashion show in November 2007, followed by a contract with Guess swimwear in early 2008.

Campaigns: S/S '11: True Religion. 2010: Victoria Secret.

What's special about her: This Victoria Secret Angel ruled the high fashion runways for F/W 2011, walking for Stella McCartney, Givenchy, Elie Saab, Viktor & Rolf, Christian Dior, Isabel Marant, Dolce & Gabbana, Blumarine and Fendi. She also recently modeled for Vogue Paris and Vogue Italia. We haven't seen this kind of high fashion to mainstream to high fashion crossover since Gisele!

Most Exciting New Face

Charlotte Free (b. 1992)

In Interview Magazine. March 2011. By Craig McDean.

Backstage at Jeremy Scott F/W '11

Height: 5'7"
Measurements: 31-24-33
Hometown: Los Angeles

Modeling Agency: IMG

Breakthrough moment: After being discovered in an arcade in LA, she managed to book two high-profile editorials her first day in New York in December. You might have seen the petite pink-haired cutie in VMan's February issue or Interview's March issue. She also had an impressive debut F/W '11 season, walking in Manish Arora, Charlotte Ronson, Moncler, Limi Feu, United Bamboo, House of Holland, Topshop Unique, Richard Chai, and opening for Vivienne Westwood and Jeremy Scott (perfect fit, right?).

Campaigns: none yet, but she's a brand newbie.

What's special about her: Her pink hair, of course! “I was really unhappy, so I dyed my hair," she told style.com. "And then I wasn’t sad anymore."

Now it's YOUR turn. Who's your favorite model of the moment?