eyesing

Pecha Kucha

So last night I did a talk thingie at the Sydney Pecha Kucha, which is an event where "creative people talk about creative things. Each presenter is allowed 20 images, each shown for 20 seconds each." Almost all of the other speakers were architects so my presentation about fashion blogs stuck out like a sore thumb/was a nice change, depending on your interest level.

I decided to do it because I haven't done that much public speaking and I thought it would be a good challenge. I was kinda nervous but a glass of $5 sav blanc quelled the butterflies. I was somewhat bemused because people were laughing during my speech, which isn't such an undesirable response, but I hadn't intended it to be funny. My support crew told me afterwards people were laughing at the pictures, which kind of surprised me because I think they're really beautiful and I'm inspired by what these blogs people create. I guess I'm used to all the exuberant styling. All in all it was a fun experience, I got some nice feedback from a few of the attendees and I'm really glad I did it.

Aaaanyhoodle, there are potentially people reading this who want links to the blogs I talked about, so here goes...

Wardrobe Remix

The Snail and the Cyclops

Hermsprong, Softspoken, coquelicot-sleep

Coco73, becktress, cmt2779

lorimarsha, kasmeneo, bettyjack

Trish Royal who started Wardrobe Remix has her own blog, bitsandbobbins.com

Style Bytes

Kingdom of Style

Stylebubble

And here are some other fashion blogs I heart muchly

Le Blog de Betty
Fashion Toast
Fashionista
Emma's Closet
Fashion Fillers
Only Shallow
Flying Saucer
Liberty London Girl
Fashion is Spinach
Disney Rollergirl

This is hardly the Oscars but I do want to say thank you to the lovely Liz and Kevin for helping me with the jpgs and my sweetheart, Chris for his presentation tips. Sonya x

Bloody Carine

Back in the day (ie the early 90s) when forest green suede parkas were de rigueur and Kate Moss was just a bandy-legged teen from Croydon, UK magazine The Face was the coolest thing on the planet. Every month I would gobble up its morsels of youth culture fabulousness like a hungry puppy.

To this day, there are still a few images from the mag have seared themselves onto my memory – the cover of Kurt Cobain in a dress, Bjork submerged in Icelandic thermal baths with her lookalike son… and these images… Eva Herzigova as a butcher. Yes, you read right, Eva Herzigova, face of Wonderbra, famous for her boobs, Bridget Bardot bouncy blonde beauty, blood-smeared, washed out and holding a lump of bloody mince meat. I'd never seen anything like it, and the gory subject matter and surprising representation of a famous supermodel had quite an effect on me.

At the time, I didn’t take in the names of the stylist and photographer, but after reading this article in the Guardian I was fascinated to realise these disturbing/intriguing images were created by none other than Carine Rotfield, now editor of Vogue Paris and celebrity photographer, Mario Testino.

If you flick through any of Rotfield’s issues of Vogue Paris you’ll see she still makes subversive choices. Unlike most fashion editors who direct other stylists to make sense of trends for their readers (New Seaon Florals, Nautical Stripes, Glamorous Skinny Model in Evening Clothing etc), Rotfield still acts as stylist. And under her editorship, Vogue Paris has become a space where she and her collaborators (Emmanuelle Alt, Juergen Teller, Mario Testino, Terry Richardson) examine the cult of celebrity, art, stereotypes, glamour, scandal, dignity and infamy.

L'icone
Styling by Carine Rotfield
Photography Mario Testino
August 2007

Just Married
Styled by Emmanuelle Alt
Photographed by Terry Richardson
February 2008

L'idole
Styled by Emmanuelle Alt
Photographed by Peter Lindbergh
February 2008

Cindy Sherman
Stylist and photographer Cindy Sherman
All clothing Balenciaga
August 2007

More information
Vogue Paris
Carine Rotfield interview, The Guardian
Cindy Sherman

Weimaraner you always picking on me William Wegman

It's Friday.

That means it's time for puppies.

William Wegman is to Weimaraners
what Anne Geddes is to babies
what Cindy Sherman is to self portraits and
what van Eyck was to the Arnolfinis.

I could go on... and on... because he's taken many many pictures of Weimaraners, most notably his first, Man Ray.

Bless.

“On Set”
1994
Color Polaroid, 24 x 20 inches

“Front Façade”
1993
Color Polaroid, 24 x 20 inches

“Patriotic Poodle”
1994
Color Polaroid, 24 x 20 inches

“Canon Aside,” diptych
2000
Color Polaroid, 24 x 20 inches

“Miss Mit”
1993
Color Polaroid, 24 x 20 inches

“Stepmother”
1992
Color Polaroid, 24 x 20 inches

More information
Wegman World.com
PBS info
Senior & Shopmaker Gallery

Rigid is the new recline - Juergen Teller, W magazine

Feel awkward when someone points a camera at you at a party? Well, if you look to fashion mags like W magazine for your style cues, then you should know – lounging and lolling like Gisele is over. It’s all about being as stiff as a Long Island Iced Tea.

See Lily Cole in this Juergen Teller shoot, Washington, D.C.?

Soooo, now you know… next time someone wants to take your picture you need to be flat on your back, almost naked and halfway under a curtain.

Pool Party Posing 101

I feel uncomfortable just looking at this picture. I hope she didn't have to stay there for very long.

More information
W magazine
Washington, D.C. shoot
How to pose for photos
Long Island Iced Tea recipe

Pirelli Calendar 2008

I've discussed the amazing 2004 Christian Dior haute couture collection before. Now see various pieces from the collection in the 2008 Pirelli calendar, as worn by Gemma Ward, Catherine McNeil et al. The calendar was shot in Shanghai and rather than the standard western-style t&a, the latest edition explores Asian perspectives of beauty.

More information
Pirelli Calendar site

Vogue Italia - Steven Meisel December 2007

Apologies for being a very bad blogger...

The Steven Meisel cover and editorial shoot in the latest issue of Italian Vogue is sooooooo beautiful I was almost tempted to buy it, in spite of the $34 price tag for an Air Freight copy. Thank you to the internet for providing it to me in a more cost-effective, albeit, less precious digital format.

If you visit the Vogue Italia website and click on the cover image, you get taken to a loverlee flash presentation of the spread.

Ok, so this shoot was freaking loooong. See all the pics here.

More information
Vogue Italia
Steven Meisel

M/M Paris

Firstly, I’m spectacularly excited to present this post.

One of the great things about writing this blog is that it forces me to seek out the visually inspiring every day. And today’s discovery is one that I’m particularly excited about because I’ve seen and admired this twosome’s work for quite a while but never known that the disparate bijous of design were the handiwork of the same people. Michael Amzalag and Mathias Augustyniak make up the graphic design company M/M (Paris) and their CV reads like a who’s who of my favourite artists and at the top of the list none other than Bjork...

and Balenciaga!

Other notables include Stella McCartney, Yohji Yamamoto, Martine Sitbon and Calvin Klein. Plus the high priestess of fashion herself, Carine Rotfield installed the pair to oversee the visuals on the pages of Vogue Paris. Can you believe it? No wonder I’m always in love with the art direction of that mag.

While I am mighty impressed, I have to say I don’t love everything they do, but I am a big fan of their line illustrations (especially effective over photographs)...

Invitation to Balenciaga Fall-Winter 2001-2 show, with a photo by regular collaborators, Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin.

their beautiful fonts

The Ten Commandments, Visionaire magazine, 2000

and use of typography...

Invitation to Givenchy Fall-Winter 2007-8 ready-to-wear show

and the amazing way they cut and paste images...

an A to Z of beauty designed by m/m (paris) photographed by inez van lamswwerde and vinoodh matadin

(He he, note, I took it upon myself to write eyesing...)

These are the images that inspired me to find out more about M/M Paris. The “Greek industrialist” (what on earth is an "industrialist"?) and art collector, Dakis Joannou wanted to incorporate fashion in his contemporary art collection so set Amzalag and Augustyniak the challenge and W magazine published the results.

M/M (Paris)’s Michael Amzalag (left) and Mathias Augustyniak flank Dakis Joannou and the Scivolando chair by Alessandro Mendini, in front of Richard Prince’s I’m in a Limousine (following a hearse).

Inspired by Balenciaga

Inspired by Yves Saint Laurent

Inspired by Givenchy

Inspired by Comme des Garçons

More information
M/M (Paris) website
Order one of their posters from their 2008 catalogue. I know I want to… can’t decide which one…
Interview for 25/25 - Celebrating 25 Years of Design exhibition at the Design Museum, London
W Magazine story
NY Times interview, June 3, 2007
M/M (Paris): Inventory/Inventaire, this first ever inventory of M/M (Paris) work created for the art world includes their collaborative designs for furniture, posters, typography, text and lighting. Available for 10 pounds.

Domestic bliss?

Lampshade bustiers, a he and she recliner, a guy growing out of two suitcases, vests and hats made out of kitchen utensils... Enjoy wacked out Andy Warhol-esque take on domestic bliss courtesy of photographer Mario Sorrenti (Kate Moss' ex in case you didn't know) and a big dose of Stepford-Wives-mind-expanding valium.

More information
V magazine
Mario Sorrenti

Topsy Turvy - Craig McDean, W, Dec 07

Love the manipulation of shadow and perspective in these photos, shot by Craig McDean and styled by Alex White for the December 07 issue of W. Feels a bit absurd and Alice in Wonderland-ish, so I'm celebrating with quotes from that very book.

I wonder if I've been changed in the night? Let me think. Was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question is 'Who in the world am I?' Ah, that's the great puzzle!
Alice

I can't explain myself, I'm afraid, Sir, because I'm not myself you see.
Alice

Twinkle, twinkle, little bat! How I wonder what you're at.
The Mad Hatter

Reeling and Writhing, of course, to begin with, and then the different branches of arithmetic -- Ambition, Distraction, Uglification, and Derision.
The Mock Turtle

Well, I never heard it before, but it sounds uncommon nonsense.
The Mock Turtle

But then, shall I never get any older than I am now? That'll be a comfort, one way -- never to be an old woman -- but then -- always to have lessons to learn!
Alice

If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?
Alice

It was much pleasanter at home, when one wasn't always growing larger and smaller, and being ordered about by mice and rabbits.
Alice

What is the use of repeating all that stuff, if you don't explain it as you go on? It's by far the most confusing thing I ever heard!
The Mock Turtle

More photos from this shoot
More Alice in Wonderland quotes
Buy Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass

Alex White is the fashion director of W Magazine
Craig McDean represented by art+commerce