Fashion History

I just finished my work for the weekend, I did a history research project for about 3 hours today. Pretty draining but I learned some new facts. Fashion reflects history in such a unique way. With World War II in 1941 clothes started being rationed. You were only allowed to buy a certain amount of clothes so that it was fair, so that everyone could get an equal share of clothes. This caused fashion to turn to a new era the era of Uniforms and Patriotic Looks. Uniforms were seen at all civilian social occasions from cinemas, weddings, restaurants to gala events. Instead of buying clothes people started recycling textiles, pillowcases would be turned into white shorts for summer for example and skirts were made from men's old pants or shorts. Knitting came into style because it was "easy to do", "make it yourself" clothing.

After the war you can just imagine the creativity people had and how much fashion changed. Every fashion trend reflects the time period people were living through. Pictures and fashion can always tell you so much about the history or the time period.

Not related at all to what my project or history, I stumbled upon this Vogue UK Fashion editorial and I just thought it was amazing. It is really original and shows how our lives are right now. Airports and the waiting that comes with it has become routine in many of our lives. To turn something that everyone hates into such beautiful pictures made me choose it for my blog entry. I want a vacation jaja and I wish I could look like that when I'm sleeping in the airport chairs. Traveling in Style!

I hope everyone has a great week. I'm off to learn how to type in mandarin (I have my first quiz tomorrow)!!

Vogue UK

Model: Julija Step

Photograher: Raymond Meier

Styled by: Charlotte Pilcher

Read more

Fun-Tastic Beautiful

I woke up today, showered got ready for class and right before I left I got an emailed from my teacher saying that she was canceling classes for today because of the snow (SNOW DAY!). Since everyone else still has work and classes I ended up having a lot of time to myself and since I was already ready to work I did everything I've been procrastinating on for a long time. Now I have zero work or homework for the weekend. And this has left me feeling energized and excited.

Instead of feeling blue and snowed in I'm feeling like I need to go out and celebrate life jaja that sounds so cheesy but o well. So for this weekend I'm going to just enjoy myself and have so much fun!

This is a fashion editorial from Vogue that represents my funtastic feeling for the world today. Plus I wanted to show it to you guys since it's an amazingly creative shoot. Hope everyone has a wonderfully amazing day. <3>

Read more

Hibernating Winter

Hello World,

I've been hibernating... physically and emotionally I must say. The winter has been worse than ever, it's snowing, raining, and just so cold here in Boston that somehow I feel my best here at home. It might be a coping mechanism since I'm also hibernating emotionally. This is my last semester of college and also I'm trying to adjust to a post break up Boston. I'm freaking out about my future but very silently...between you and me nobody should know and I'm not worrying at all. But truthfully, I'm freaking out because if my plan doesn't work out I'll be very late and won't be able to apply to grad school and will be behind in the job application process. But fingers crossed and all the luck in the world I will hopefully graduate and move on to my perfect post-grad job.

I've been very busy.. starting classes, catching up with my roommate (who had been in Switzerland for 6 months and whom I missed so much), and just overall getting used to the idea that I'm single. I do love having time to do my things and guess what I've been working about 2 hours a day or more which is so great because more work means that they are giving me more projects and more responsibilities. I do love my free lance job.

As for fashion.. I've traded it in this past week to learn about history and mandarin instead. Of course I haven't lost my love for fashion editorials and I've been posting beautiful pictures up to my tumblr laulau43.tumblr.com but I promise to get more into my blog again (I'm gonna thank my friend for motivating me to keep things going when I forget jaja you should visit her site Alex Beadon. <3>

Read more

Vintage Traditions

I just got back from a wonderfully traditional christmas celebration. My dad's family... all of us in one place celebrating, giving out gifts, eating lots of delicious food. I sometimes forget how amazing traditions are. People change, circumstances change, times change but traditions always seem to bring people together. It brings me back, to the wonderful details of my childhood and the beautiful memories of the past. Why do things always look so much better when you look back at them?

Everytime I'm having a hard time I want to try and remember only the good things and know that in the future, looking back, I will remember all the beautiful things. Through all the family drama Christmas ended up being very charming. Traditions always seem to have a way of making things better.

Christmas in my life is spent with my fathers family, we pray and sing la novena (typical colombian tradition) have an amazing meal, and then at 12 give out all the presents. All together for about 2 hours... usually they are small things but it's the thought that counts and makes me smile. Thoughtfulness is just beautiful.

What else is beautiful are these editorials from Vogue, which are from the 1920's. I just had to include them because their beauty is timeless and priceless. Before advertisements and commercialism, the times when magazines only showed elegance, glamour and style without needing to over sell it. Now that's a tradition that should have stuck. Showing without selling...

Hope everyone had a great holiday season. What traditions do you have?

Read more

Just Delightful

I haven't had time to blog with finals and my trip to New York. I'm finally free, turned in all the exams, papers, finals, work and now I'm going to enjoy the holidays. I'll be traveling to Colombia to visit the family tomorrow and I'm way too excited to go home. I'm wishing for a lot of things this christmas but my main wish is New York. I went for a work trip last week and it went amazing, loved my work, looked through fashion images, saw the editing studio, talked to the graphic designer for the book, and just met fabulous people.

I met the Dutch fashion photography duo Inez and Vinoodh, and they actually had heard of me... Lisa was like"Oh this is Laura, my intern from Paris" and they were like "Oh we've heard so much about you" jaja all of this while putting make up on a Dutch princess. It was all way too glamourous, a beautiful studio (Studio 59), lights, make up, clothes everything you'd imagine at a Fashion Photoshoot, and I was ecstatic to be part of it all. So as part of my holiday wishes I'm going to add a new goal: Meet new people. Next semester I want to come back open minded and meet new people, hear new opinions, and just enjoy myself.

In honor of my trip, my blog post today is about Inez Van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin. They met in 1986 and have been working professionally since. They have shot various editorials for almost every fashion magazine, as well as celebrity portraits.

If you want to see more of their work:
http://www.thecollectiveshift.com/show/portfolio/van_Lamsweerde_Matadin

As for this, this is an editorial from Vogue Paris August 2009, named ADN DE LA MODE. Each model represents a different designer. I thought it was just delightful. jaja I hope everyone enjoys their holidays. What is everyone else wishing for this Christmas?

Missoni

Tommy Hilfiger

Fendi modeled by Raquel Zimmermann

Azzedine Alaia

Paul Smith

Prada

Nina Ricci

Michael Kors modeled by Daria Werbowy

Read more

Vogue is my History book

I got a present today when I stumbled upon a website that had old Vogue Covers. Each cover not only is picture perfect, but describes a moment in history. I know some people don't really believe in fashion being important, but to me Vogue has become like a history book. Ever since it started Vogue has shown pieces of history, how people dressed, acted, socialized, talked, etc. I love being able to look at the covers and imagine how these women lived out their days. I feel like they lived their days full of glamour and allure.

Ahh why don't we wear gowns every day? These women used to put so much thought into their wardrobes and accessories and looked so elegant no matter what they were doing. I think that's something our generation lacks... elegance. Everyday elegance. I'm not talking about wearing long dresses to parties at night, but just overall elegance. I feel like they spoke, walked, and did everything elegantly, even the act of being lazy probably jaja... I'm going to try and be really elegant from now on. For example one idea is that I want to stop using cuss words in my vocabulary, that is a must! So remember: Confidence and Elegance is something Vogue has always taught us.

Here are some of the covers.. notice how through the years everything changes.... clothes, make up, girls, body types, and even technology (first the covers were drawn by artists until photography started appearing) It really is a history book, it allows you to see a window into the past with amazing pictures and gorgeous style tips. What else could we want... history just became a little more fun.

1927

1930

1947

1964... also let's start wearing more hats again

Lauren Hutton!!

1968

1974... oh the make up so FIERCE!! I love the red lips.

1989 (The year I was Born!!) also notice that advertisements were less prevalent before.

2000

2005

Soon with Anna Wintour, we started to see celebrities instead of supermodels on the covers.

Angelina Jolie 2010 December Issue

What has changed: Technology (Photographs, Photoshop, no more gorgeous drawings... yet beautiful photography!!), Advertisements all over, Celebrities on the Covers, and of course the different make up and clothes (def more skin showing...)

This picture I'll dedicate to Samar since she showed the magazine to me last night. Can't wait to buy and read my own copy.

So when you can pick up a Vogue and SAVE IT... it's history and years to come you'll be able to cherish it just as much and laugh at all the fashion trends.

P.S I'm thinking that if I go into the Fashion Industry ... I rather go into Fashion History. Don't know how that works but somehow as much as I love the new things, the old things captivate me so much more.

Read more

Magical Blast from the Past

I saw the new Harry Potter movie last night, it's crazy how much Emma Watson has grown up right in front of our eyes. She's grown up to be this beautiful woman and has been in various magazines this year. Recently she has a new hairstyle, a very bold one I must say.. I envy her for her courage, not everyone can have the confidence to chop off all their hair. I think that I have to start working on my confidence, in every aspect... in my work, my future, and especially in myself. Confidence.. that'll be my goal for this week.

This picture is from Maire Claire Dec 2010.

I just love the color palette for this picture.

And here's a little blast from the past ... how we first met the beautiful Emma Watson: Hermione Granger. We all grew up with these movies and its for that reason that Emma has become a style icon these past couple years. She's also in college and living a life like all the rest of us. Oh... if only I could look that graceful during finals week jaja

Another Blast from the past and the reason for this blog entry was that the picture from Marie Claire reminded me of another very famous model of the 1960's. Twiggy. She's an English model that began her career at 16. She revolutionized fashion, bringing around the very skinny models that we started seeing in the 60's. She was also known for her large eyes and eyelashes. I don't know about Emma Watson or anyone else but Twiggy will always be one of the major style icons no matter what year we're in.

Read more