Best Dressed: GG '11

{Golden Globe Awards, 2011}

For the most part, I liked the women who kept it simple.

The best: Emma Stone in Calvin Klein, Anne Hathaway in Armani Privé, Leighton Meester in Burberry, Julianne Moore in Lanvin, Tina Fey in L'Wren Scott & Sandra Bullock in Jenny Packham.

-images via Just Jared-

Epicurean Adventures

{What Katie Ate - Recipes}

One of my New Year's resolutions is to cook more.  Right, to cook at all.  Since I'm probably the only person in North America to not own a microwave, the few times I've turned on my stove has been to do things like heat up apple cider, or the kettle...and once (twice) to make Kraft Dinner.  Although to be fair I do make avocado toast pretty often.  But now, with my kitchen newly outfitted with a dining table, I'm actually enjoying spending time in there, and am embracing the fact that I'm long overdue for settling into a more domestic eating routine.  What Katie Ate is an amazing food/photography blog (my sister made her Chocolate Guinness Cake for my birthday, as posted here) where I came across these great recipes to start out my foray into home-cooking.  Also on Katie's site - this photo of the most delicious-looking hot dog (again with the avocado obsession) I've ever seen, causing me to add a visit to NYC's Crif Dogs to the itinerary for February's New York trip.

             

{"Chihuahua" Crif Dog}

-images via What Katie Ate-

Who Wore It Better?

{Zach Braff in Garden State vs. Balenciaga Pre-Fall 2011}

I'm going with Zach.... ;)

Book Club

{Stieg Larsson's The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo}

I love reading, as some of you may know from one of my early posts here, so it seemed like a logical step to start a monthly(ish) book club on the blog.  I think it's a good idea for two reasons: 1. It's always good to promote great novels, and 2. It will encourage me to look for good books and not let the busy, hectic, madness of life get in the way of a little downtime well-spent.  Up first: Stieg Larsson's The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.  I got it for Christmas (it was on the wish list) and spent the final day of a horrendous trip to Rome holed up in my hotel room reading it from cover to cover.  It's the first in a 3-part series of crime thrillers set in Sweden and centering around themes of violence against women.  I wouldn't say that I'm usually a big thriller fan, but The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo has the same kind of addictive mass-appeal that had us all reading The Da Vinci Code a few years back.  It's smartly written without being tedious to read, which probably explains its dominance of best seller lists internationally.  Larsson's posthumous work also has two sequels The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest, which I am happily immersing myself in this afternoon. 

Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?

{Alexandre Herchcovitch - "Color"}

{A Détacher - "Obsessive"}

{ADAM - "Romance"}

{Alexander Wang - "White Out"}

{Barbara Tfank - "Springtime"}

{Cushnie et Ochs - "Peel"}

{Badgley Mischka - "White Mischief"}

{Rachel Roy - "Cosmic"}

{Elie Tahari - "Heroism"}

Ever wonder where designers get their ideas?  Well New York Magazine did and asked 100 designers to  give them one image and one word to synopsize their S/S 2011 lines.  From the predictable (inspiration boards) to the decidedly abstract (Peel?), it was interesting to go back through the collections and see how the designers' influences shaped the final garments they produced.  Here are a few of the photographs, paired with looks from their corresponding lines.  Check out the rest of the slideshow via NYMag. 

-images via nymag & style.com-

Backstage Pass

{Mark Leibowitz, Backstage At Galliano}

While recently going through photographs on the website of the incredibly talented Mark Leibowitz, I came across these single-shot long-exposure photos that he took backstage over the course of two John Galliano shows in 2008 & 2009.  Leibowitz eschewed the traditional "fashion show shots" and produced photographs that are artful, creative and completely arresting & unique.  I love all of the colours, the sense of motion and how the images have a distinct painterly quality to them.  Leibowitz wanted to capture not just the clothes, but the essence of a fashion show - the beauty, mahem and chaos that goes on backstage.  To find beauty & elegance amidst the pandemonium.  His work "Backstage At Galliano" was exhibited privately in New York, but the the limited edition prints are also available to view  online at leibowitzbackstage.  

-photographs by Mark Leibowitz-

Putting On The Ritz

{Reem Acra Pre-Fall 2011, New York}

The first round of pre-fall shows was....underwhelming.  Nothing too special going on, and not a lot to get excited about. And then there was Reem Acra.  Best known for her elaborate, finely-detailed wedding gowns,  Reem Acra's pre-fall line is a glitzy collection of some of the most beautiful dresses I've seen in awhile.  My personal favorites above, the rest, as always, on style.com.  

ps. Posting to resume as usual this week after my (rather long) Christmas break!

-images via style.com-