Showing posts with label Fashion K. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fashion K. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Kate Moss' FW06 Ads

Kate Moss's appeal never ceases to amaze me. She is one of the older models, but she's definitely the winner this season. I loved some ads, but wasn't quite impressed with the rest......

Long Champ -Kate continues to be Long Champ's model this season. She looks really pretty in this campaign. This definitely beats the Long Champ SS06 campaign.

David Yurman -Kate looks gorgeous in these images. But then again, David Yurman ads always have amazing, sharp b&w images. Love this ad!

CK Jeans -Kate got famous back in the 90s because of controversial CK ads, and now she's back. She looks very cool of course, but I just think at Kate's age now, she would look cooler and classier if she had a top on, something like a denim jacket.

Belstaff -Belstaff is another brand that continues to use Kate this season. She looks so cool in the leather jacket, esp since she's got such a rock chick image.

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Stella McCartney -The nature feel of this ad is so different from the other ads. Two words sum up this ad: effortlessly cool.

Versace -All the models look super glamorous in the Versace campaign. From the Versace ads I've seen so far, Kate seems to be at the centre of most of the images.



Louis Vuitton -Vuitton's campaign is another one of those mulit-models ad. My feelings for this ad is so and so.


Bvlgari fragrance -There's something about this image that bugs me. Maybe it's her hairstyle or makeup, but I'm just not a fan of this ad.


Burberry -The Burberry campaign is my absolute favourite out of Kate's many campaigns this season. I just think she suits Burberry so well -she combines the cool and classic look in one. Out of the Burberry images, I adore this one the most. She looks sooo girly and stylishly cool.


Christian Dior -Dior's campaign is by far, the most unflattering-looking ads of Kate. Seriously, they make her look so old and just weird.


Agent Provocateur -The newest of Kate's campaigns. The founders of Agent Provocateur are Kate's friends, and Kate claims that she only wears lingerie by AP. There's even a video for this campaign on the Agent Provocateur website.

Which of Kate's ads do you love and hate the most?

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

15 by Corrine Day featuring Kate Moss

When I found out that the original prints of Fifteen were going to be exhibited, I got very excited at the prospect of visiting a quiet art gallery (which is not exactly my scene,) and decided to drag Barneys Girl to see them with me. (BG happily came along since the gallery Gimpel Fils, was located near Bonds Street.)

Yes, I'm talking about those prints -the ones taken by photographer Corrine Day and published in cult British magazine The Face in 1990, the iconic prints that established Kate Moss, 15 as the awkward, but soon-to-be imperfect supermodel. If you are a Kate Moss fan, then you'll understand why I'm gushing about this set of prints. This was the beginning of Kate Moss......
(This cover was not in the exhibition.)
Taken during a day trip to Camber Sands, Day’s photographs were seized upon as the antidote to the overindulgent 'supermodel in exotic location' fashion spreads which were all too apparent in the glossy magazines of the power-suited 1980s. Day preferred to challenge preconceived notions of beauty and redefined the concerns and range of the fashion photograph.

Moss recalled, “I was just having a laugh. Corinne just wanted to bring out everything that I hated when I was 15. My bow legs, the mole on my breast, the way I laughed”.
Gimpel Fils press release

Eventually, one of the pictures caught the eye of the influential art director Fabien Baron, who set up a meeting between Moss and Calvin Klein. Klein loved her, she became the new face of his brand, and many of the stylists and photographers involved in what was by then a grunge movement followed her into the mainstream.
The Telegraph Magazine

The best part of the exhibition were the contact sheets, (for those who don't know, a contact sheet is basically a print of the original negatives.) These contact sheets showed images Day considered and ones she chose. Day actually discarded the images where Kate put on the typical 'model' look and chose the ones where she looked natural and like a gawky, happy teenager. This was no ordinary fashion shoot. The clothes were not the focus, rather it was Day's aim was to capture the model's personality into film.

I LOVED these prints. It's hard to decide which image I liked the most. The one of Kate's face (picture on top) was HUGE, but still amazingly focused. Sigh, the exhibition was sooo beautiful and the gallery had such a calm vibe I didn't want to leave!

Monday, December 17, 2007

The Kate Moss SS06 Update

It seems like I blog about Kate Moss almost every month, but it's hard not to. Following her one month drug scandal last year, she's been working harder than anyone remembers and now she's everywhere -and I mean this literally.
On news stands now is Kate on the cover of the March issue of British Vogue. However, this doesn't necessarily mean there are editorials of her inside, (British Vogue has been known to put her on the cover but not in the editorials.) This British Vogue has four new Kate Moss ads in: Longchamp (only Kate can make Longchamps look somewhat fashionable,) Rimmel (the usual,) Roberto Cavalli and Stella McCartney.In terms of photography and airbrushing, this ad is excellent. But in general, I just really don't like it. It's definitely not Moss. Maybe I just don't really feel much for the brand.

I love this Stella McCartney ad. It's artistic and tasteful. You can really feel the Stella vibe from this photos. And it's so cool how the new photos are basically of Kate looking downwards -put into a horizontal way.

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On the more paparazzi-ish aspect of Kate news, it's amazing how she can even look stylish going to the police station to get questioned. Picture Kate getting out of her chauffered Mercedes, wearing a silk faille trenchcoat (US$1,595) and crocodile bag (US$6,300), from the Prada resort and spring 2006 collections, respectively. Vogue also guesses that those sunglasses are by Paul Smith. Sigh, if only we can all look like that.

Look out for Kate in the March issue of W:

Kate Moss Top Shop Collection Preview in Vogue

The new issue of Vogue UK is out! Usually, a new issue wouldn't get me that excited, but this issue has an exclusive preview of the much anticipated Kate Moss Top Shop collection. This issue was such a big deal that even Kate Phelan, co-fashion director of Vogue UK, appeared on BBC Morning to talk about the issue and Kate Moss' line. Actually, the interview was pretty interesting -the interviewer kept trying to bring up negative topics, like is it right for Kate to be earning more money than before after the cocaine incident, or wouldn't the clothes on Kate not look as good as on us? Kate Phelan of course, kept everything positive.
OK, I'm getting off topic here, my point is, the collection -at least those seen so far -is cool, like seriously cool. And it does look very Kate. From the preview, the collection has mainly composed of vests, blazer, shorts, suit trouser and many mini dresses, all in typical Kate colours -white, black, blue and vintage prints. I really like this vintage printed dress -it looks like a perfect balance of vintage and modern style. (Although I don't think I'll buy it because it feels like a 25-35 yr old dress.)
Now this dress I really love. I LOVE the details: one-shouldered with a lapel (gives the white dress an edge), the skirt part looks pleated and it's made of cotton, which seemed like a cheap material choice to me, but it just occured to me that cotton makes it more practical because it could be worn as an uber-cool daytime dress.

I never look foward too much to high street collaborations because they usually turn out to be unremarkable and low quality clothes, but the Kate collection is looking so far so good. (Besides, it's something to be happy about in May as opposed to exams.) The only thing I hate about it is that so many people will line up on the first day that I wouldn't even get near the dresses. Go figure.

I know everyone has probably seen the scans of Kate's preview online, but trust me, seeing it in print is so much better. Oh, and for those who don't want to spend 3.70pounds for only Kate's interview and preview, there are also a few other pretty editorials and the usual fantastic content to read. Enjoy!

Keds

Ok, maybe I'm a bit of a poser, but after seeing Keds all over the magazines for so long I suddenly have this urge to go out and get a pair of Keds too (their marketing money is obviously well spent). I think it'll be a great replacement for my poor run down sneakers. They are comfortable, casual, affordable and cute. I can totally picture myself walking around campus in them.
Looking through their latest collections, I am thinking of these two. Black and white is obviously the most versatile color. And they look simple, pretty and cool. I especially like the Nanette Lepore designed script skimmers on the left.

Of course, being Keds, I am also tempted to try something different and fun, like these Panda (left) and Duck (right) print skimmers from the Eleanor Grosch collection. I quite like the green ones on its own actually, but I'm not sure how it'll look for the overall picture.
Then of course there are more wild prints from the Nanette Lepore Collection to consider. Note here that I'm only talking about the print, I am not so far gone under the Keds spell that I think the slip on style (right) is cool yet.

In fact, besides the classic skimmer style which I think is girly and pretty, I don't particularly like their other styles, like these peep toes and ankle strap. Peep toes more because I'm not sure HOW peep they are, if done with moderation, peep toes can be nice. And the ankle strap, because its just too much.
And these. . . well they're simply hideous. ugh.

But anyways, back to the point. I am considering getting Keds skimmers, but I haven't found any on the Mag Mile yet (they say Nordstrom carries them, but on first glance I did not see them. . . . ). Any comments on the fit and comfort level?

Karl Lagerfeld's SS07 Minimalistic Ads

You know, Karl Lagerfeld is seriously amazing. I mean, he is almost /past 70 years old (no one knows precisely what his year of birth is,) yet he seems more active and busy than any of us. How does he find the time to design all those collections for Chanel, Fendi and Karl Lagerfeld, and be a photographer at the same time? I know he's got design teams and all, but still. Anyways, so I really liked his ads this season -the images are so sharp and stunning.
First there's Chanel . The ads were quite minimalistic, (but not the most extreme type of minimalism). Some people even felt the ads were boring but I liked them more than Daria's previous ads. The casting director and Karl definitely picked the right model: Freja Beha Erichsen. She is so perfect for this ad -she's got the perfect legs to complement the super short clothes. And even though I'm not a fan of Chanel's bikini bottom-looking shorts, everything looks so perfectly put together and sophisticated. Loves it!
Then there's Fendi. Another quite but not extremely minimalistic ad (at least the model is standing on a mirrored surface and the background is the sea and sky). Some of the shots very much resemble the Chanel ones, but I think Raquel Zimmermann sends out a 'strong woman' sort of vibe. She really makes the clothes give a powerful feeling out. I didn't like her much but this ad has changed by mind.
And lastly, there's Karl's own line, Karl Lagerfeld. Oddly, it's the only campaign which isn't minimalistic, but I love him for shooting Gemma Ward. However, biased as I am as a Gemma fan, this campaign is my least favourite one out of the three. Not that these ads aren't good -because they are, especially this image (above), but there's just something I don't completely like about the ads. Maybe because I can't see the whole outfit? I don't know.
Anyhow, the Chanel ones are my favourite. What did you think of Karl's SS07 ads?

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Kate Moss Top Shop AW07 and Christmas Collection

Remember back when the Vogue preview of the Kate Moss Top Shop SS07 collection came out and I was really excited about it? Well, since then I have seen the collection in real life, applauded Photoshop's ability to beautify cheap material and lowered my expectations for the clothes. While I really don't like the idea of Top Shop basically recreating some of Kate's designer wonders from her wardrobe, I can't deny I'm really excited about some of the designs I see.

With this line, you really need to see the clothes in real life before buying anything. The quality is really so-so and the photos you see are really photoshopped (or taken under clever lighting.) For example, this dress in real life? I felt it in real life last week and was surprised by how bad the quality was. The material was coarse and felt cheap.

Another thing I don't completely get about the clothes -some of the tops and dresses are very sheer. Yes I realise you simply have to wear a camisole underneath, but it's hard to find the perfect v-neck camisole to go underneath, preferably made of silk.

When you look through the collections, you would notice that there are sequined T-shirts are an essential part of the collection. The tops aren't bad, but I'm not sure they're worth paying 35pounds (tank on the right) for.

OK, so onto the AW07 and Christmas collection:
When the AW07 collection came out in Aug/Sept, I was disappointed. What's with these preppy clothes? The school girl look is cool up to a point, and pink is certainly past that point.

The one thing I've been eyeing has been this Zig Zag dress. Thankfully I've been too indecisive to buy it, and it just went on sale on topshop.com. Obviously I've bought it now. I love the side where the dress is short and the tie around the neck -gives the dress a unique, stylish twist.

After the disappointing AW07 collection, the new Christmas collection is about to be released. From the photos I've seen so far from topshop.com, Gracia magazine and ID, the Christmas collection looks way more fabulous. There are some really cool, edgy little dresses -perfect for the coming Christmas and New Year parties!

I LOVE this dress, especially the patterned beads that look like a belt! It looks so stylish and pretty in the image. I'm trying not to get too excited though, because the dress could possibly be of bad quality in real life.

This ID image got me excited about this Deco style dress. It's fun, edgy and trendy. I love how the sequined top has a solid fit, and the bottom chiffon skirt bit is soft and flowy.

Here's the Deco dress again on the right. On the left is a dress that looked decent in Gracia magazine but looks kind of cheap on the topshop webstie. I'm still hoping to try it on in real life though. Who knows?

And then there's this pleated mini dress. When topshop describes it as mini, it really does looks supremely mini. it doesn't even go down to Kate's legs in the ID image! But hopefully it won't be that short on me since I'm short anyways. It looks demure on the top, but short and young at the bottom.

The Christmas collection is supposed to hit stores on 25th Oct -that's this Thursday. I can't wait! I only hope Top Shop stocks enough of my size for once. Clothes-shopping-wise, there's nothing more annoying than finding a design you like and the shop doesn't have your size left.

Kate Moss, the Scandaleuse Beauté

The biggest news in this slow, end-of-season time of the year is Kate Moss's comeback. And as predicted, she's back strong and prominent. This week, everyone is oohing and ahhing over the French Vogue covers, which Kate is guest-editting. (Of course, the question still remains whether she can actually speak French...) Anyways, four beeautiful French Vogue covers were produced, and I love how they're all in black & white. Initially, the four covers were supposed to be taken by four different photographers, but since Kate went to rehab for a month, only Craig McDean got a chance to shoot her. Anyways:
Kate in Chanel couture -This is my favourite cover. It makes her look like fashion royalty.Kate in Dior Homme jacket and Superfine jeans -This is my second favourite cover. It's the cover that reflects Kate's style and personality the most. And definitely the most suitable to the title 'Scandaleuse Beauté' ('Scandalous Beauty'). Kate in Giorgio Armani Privé, a Dior Homme bolero, Givenchy couture boots -OK, I admit I don't really like this cover. Kate and the photo is great of course but the cover just doesn't appeal to me.

Kate in Valentino couture -Another fantastic cover, but not the most outstanding one. Doesn't she look like she's lying down in water here?

I would say I can't wait to buy this issue, but I won't since I don't know French and it would be a total waste of money to pay for only the photos. So on other Kate news, just in case you didn't already know, she will be starring in the Spring/ Summer 06 ad campaigns for Virgin Mobile, Longchamp and Roberto Cavalli. And rumour has it maybe even for Stella McCartney. It's amazing how even after the scandal, she still has more contracts than other models huh?