I Could Stare at Your Photos All Day Long

After doing research for a class earlier this semester, I came across the fantastical fashion photographer of Tim Walker. Don’t even ask me how I wasn’t aware of this British-born editorial master until a couple of months ago, because I really don’t know. What I do know is that Walker is an amazing artist whose work is clearly defined by its top-notch whimsy and magical charm. He has seriously mastered the art of creating playful images, and his work has a tendency to take me away from my reality and into a much-welcomed fantasy world full of theatrical characters and fanciful settings.

Some of you may remember one of Walker’s most famous shoots in which he collaborated with Tim Burton to create a multi-page spread of darkly fantastic photos for the October 2009 issue of Harper’s Bazaar. Well, like I mentioned before, I hadn’t heard of Walker until recently so I didn’t get to experience the awe-inspiring photos of this shoot when it was first published.

I’m currently taking a styling class and for this semester’s midterm we had to create an idea for an editorial photo shoot. We had to come up with an inspiration, location, hair and makeup styling, and even the models we would use. Ironically enough, I chose Edward Scissorhands, the character, and Tim Walker as the inspiration for my shoot. Unbeknownst to me at the time, Tim Walker had already done his own shoot with a full-on Edward Scissorhands character in one photo! I was completely blown away when I saw this photo for the first time, and although my idea had already played out in someone else’s head, I was still thrilled to see my own inspiration come to life in a real editorial. 

  Tim Walker for Harper's Bazaar October 2009


Currently Listening: As I Lay Dying "Illusions" 

Rick Owens? Yes, Please.

I was taking a break from my hectic homework load last night to eat some chocolate cake and watch an episode of Kell on Earth. Yes, I’m extremely behind on my Kelly Cutrone reality TV, but with my busy schedule I simply do not have to time to watch shows on an actual television; watching downloads months later on my computer is much more efficient. Now, I’ll go ahead and admit that I have this slight addiction to reality television. Real Housewives of…anywhere? Yes, please. Reality shows involving the fashion industry? Yes, please!!

Anyway, I’ve come to a recent realization, after watching Kell on Earth, that I love everything about the style of Andrew Mukamal, Kelly’s now ex assistant. That’s right. If you didn’t already know, Kelly fired Andrew last month after her reality show inflated his ego to the point of no return. I was a little disheveled after reading the awful news that Andrew had been let go. After all, he is the one who educated me on the existence of Rick Owens. Mukamal, in all of his gothic glory, was, and probably still is, obsessed with designer Rick Owens, and thanks to him, now I am too. 

 Andrew Mukamal

With his distressed leather, neutral palette, and edgy knits, Rick Owens should be every woman’s designer dream-come-true. Now that I really think about it, who doesn’t love black leather and wedge boots? One glance at Owens’ most recent fall collection has me struggling to keep the drool within the outer limits of my lips, which can't seem to find each other.

 Rick Owens Fall 2010 RTW

 www.net-a-porter.com


Currently Listening: As I Lay Dying "Through Struggle"

Change is Inevitable

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to keep in touch with people these days? I was reading this article and thinking about how nearly everyone I know has a Facebook account. Even my grandpa, who will be 80 this December, has his own Facebook account.

For me, Facebook is a source of entertainment. I can go onto the site and check out the profiles and pictures of any of my 284 friends to see what’s going on in their lives. This makes me feel as though I actually know all of my “friends” without ever having to speak to them; it’s weird. This is why I try to keep my list short, tidying it up every six months or so. 

Now that it’s been three and a half years since I graduated high school, I think it’s so interesting to see how much people have changed. I love looking into how different people are now than they were in high school. I can’t even tell you how many people are married and having kids. Old friends are leaving Missouri, joining the military, and starting these lives that seem so vastly different than the ones they lived not even five years ago.

Out of all 284 of my Facebook friends, there is one dear friend that I’ve “lost” contact with. Her name is Sarah, and apart from spending nearly every waking moment together during our high school years, Sarah and I are also cousins. Growing up, my family spent a lot of time together so it was easy for the two of us girls, being only eight months apart, to acquire a special bond. We did everything together when we were younger but grew apart during middle school. Sarah was a grade above me so when I made the big transition into high school, she was there to be my guide and we became the closest of friends.

We were once again doing everything together. We’d meet boys together, go to concerts together in hopes of meeting the bands, hang out everyday after school, and during the summers, I’d spend most of my nights at her house. We were always there for each other through thick and thin, and trust me, there were some really thick times for us. But high school came and went and we began to grow apart due to a lack of time to hang out, and we both began to go down different paths in life. The two us were beginning to become different people; we no longer thought the same thoughts nor did we lead the same kind of lives.

The last “real” conversation I had with Sarah was over a year age. Since then she has moved to California to live with her boyfriend. The two of us have continued to grow into completely different people whose beliefs and life philosophies are so opposite that it’s hard to remember the days when we were basically the same person. Perhaps, one day, our life paths will bring us back together, but for now, there’s Facebook.

Currently Listening: Demon Hunter "My Heartstrings Come Undone"

The Birth of a New Blog

I often like to refer to fashion as my soul mate. I have this undying romance with fashion that I can no longer tame. I’m here to be your fashion ambassador, to be your source for fashion news, and to let you in on my affair with fashion. This blog will be a place for me to share anything and everything about fashion that sparks my interest and inspires me.

As I’m sure you all know, fashion bloggers aren’t hard to come by, but nonetheless, I have created this blog to express my everlasting, and sometimes bank-breaking, adoration for the fashion industry. But what you ought to know is that before fashion crept its way into my life and slowly forced me into a wondrous affair, I had music. As a teenager, I was no doubt in love with music. Being front row at metal shows, head banging like a dude, and screaming until my throat hurt gave me a high like no other substance could. That’s right, the breakdowns and shredding in heavy metal music was and is pure euphoria to my ears.

I sort of grew out of my music “stage,” if that’s what you’d like to call it, once my liking of fashion grew into a love so strong that I decided to make it my career. The band posters came down, and the Gucci ads and favorite magazine covers went up. Instead of checking Ticketmaster on a weekly basis for new shows, I was checking Style.com on a daily basis for my next favorite collection.

Don’t get me wrong, though, music is still a part of my life; it just doesn’t consume me like it once did. I still get the same intense, uncontrollable feeling every time I see one of my favorite bands play, and I hope that never changes. 

Right this moment, I am enjoying the melodic voice of guest singer Lisa Miskovsky in the song "Dead End" by In Flames. Their Come Clarity album has been my favorite of theirs since its release, and it’s definitely worthy of your attention.  

Me with As I Lay Dying (my favorite band of all time)! I could not have been happier in this moment. 

Note: This picture was taken pre-fashion love affair. And yes, my outfit is absolutely dreadful. So please, don't even ask me what I'm wearing, because I like pretending that those bad styling days never existed.