Surface to Air

I remember a day, when I was in the second year of University.

It was 8 am of a wonderful July Sunday morning, I was driving back from a party held in a country house on the hills around Florence and I was listening to Chemical Brothers. 

They just released their new album, "Push the Button", and I loved it.

I had my car window open, it was hot but still a little bit chilly because it was still early in the morning. 

The sun was shining very hard on the short, burned grass (if you ever been to Italy in summer you should know that light can be pretty overwhelming).

I was driving to work, at that time in the week-ends I was responsible for the House-museum of Giotto (a great painter of the XIII-XIV century). 

It was this house in the countryside, 5 minutes drive from my town, I just basically had to open everything and wait for visitors and tourists (not many, actually). 

I usually brought my books there to study, or alternatively I also had the company of two very sweet kid girls of the neighborhood: they were making me feel less scared of being alone in that old house and I, in return, was used to draw for them or help them with the home works.

That morning I was quite tired, I partied all night and also drank a bit (a bit...), the book of Biochemistry was waiting for me at the Giotto house because I had that terrible exam in 3 days but I had a nice feeling (incredible how many energies you have when you're 20... Sigh...)

The air was too sweet, perfumed and warm not to feel happy that morning. 

"Surface to Air", my favorite song from that Chemical Brothers album, was playing on my car CD player, I put my hand out of the car window and started to design the hills with my hand, following the curves of the air against my skin, through the speed.

Today, when I listen to this song, I still think of that day. 

It has become the symbol of youth and summer, and freedom in my memory.

But! 

Saccharine memories aside, "Surface to Air" is also the name of a Paris-based creative cooperative (they are the agency for brands like Uniqlo, they have an art studio that works for many great designers and so on...) and prêt à porter brand that I really like. This is their website, have a look!

I really like their woman SS 2011 collection, it really has that light, simple feeling that that Sunday morning reminds me:

A collection of dresses from Surface to air website

Aaaaahhh the shoes... They are sublime! You can find them on Surface to air website
or on Net-à-porter (a small selection)

My favorite sweater from the collection and the perfect black trousers, on Surface to air website

So, do you like this collection? I really do, I really smell spring and warm air when I see their clothes.

I will go now, you be good girls, listen to "Surface to Air" song and dream of summer together with me.

Goodnight!

Al

Stripes and colors

From upper left, clockwise:

iPad case - Marc by Marc Jacobs on Net-à-Porter

Striped top - Malene Birger on Net-à-Porter

Yellow skirt - See by Chloè on the Outnet

Bracelets - Asos

Blush crème in Temptation Fuchsia and Passion Red - Yves Saint Laurent

Bag - Prada

Shoes - Prada

Eyeshadows: MAC in "Chrome Yellow" and "Sushi Flower"

Apparently when my working days become a depressing hell, colors appear on my blog. I mean, more colors than  usual.

So next time you see a colorful post, start to worry for me ahah.

I think nobody is interested in what's happening to my project at work in the last months, but if you are in a mood to have a very good laugh and also have an idea of what's happening to me - Lady Gaga song aside- have a look at this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fl4L4M8m4d0 it is so funny that is has gone viral! And it's my life ahah (well, there's nothing to laugh about it, actually...)

Speaking of more interesting stuff, I really love how they played with colors and stripes this year, especially Marc by Marc Jacobs, Prada and Sonya Rykiel:

Marc by Marc Jacobs SS 2011 - Images from Style.com

Prada SS 2011 - Images from Style.com

Sonia Rykiel SS 2011 - Images from Style.com

Aaaahhh they make me feel the sun and the smell of summer! And I really need it now...


And they also have a very '80 feeling I think... Like this song, that I love! (I really like the video, too)

Now I am going in the shower to cry my scientific misery under liters of hot water and lavender soap...

No but wait! These colors really made me feel better... Ok then but I really gotta have a shower anyway so I'm off! Goodnight! Kisses! Love you! ahah!

(see?? I do really feel better!)

Al

The Beautiful people pt. II: the Personal Style blog and the Photography blog

The Personal Style blog:

My take on Zarna... I'm not convinced, but I hope she likes it!

Zarna and her blog, Zarna's Runway, are many things for me. I'll try to tell them without being cheesy but I think it'll be difficult.

First of all Zarna's blog is the only outfit-only blog that is able to inspire me and leave me enthusiastic after each post. Don't misunderstand me, there are also other outfit blogs that I like, but Zarna's really has something special.

The impression that you have when you look at her photos is that she is a real artist of the clothing: her mixes of cheap bargains and expensive items, her amazing sense and use of colors, her ability to use garments and accessories from the Indian tradition in a very glamorous way are all elements that make her stand out from the crowd.

"Jane Aldridge? Who's she??"

Van Gogh would be proud of her...

Zarna is also the kind of beauty that I'd like to be. She's thin, but curvy and her muscles are tonic and healthy. She sports a lot and I bet she eats in a good way (look at her wonderful skin and her hair... You don't have skin and hair like that if you starve).

One of these days I'll paste her photo on the wall on my desk "Be like this in 3 months". Oh Yeah. (mission impossible)

How to rock an old Indian skirt for an elegant dinner... Are you starting to understand what I mean when I tell you she's the queen of color-styling for me??

And, last but not least, Zarna is the first person (my aunt or my best friends aside ahah) that showed me an interest in what I was sharing on my blog. 

She  commented on my video about Japan and it was the first time I thought "Oh wow, so somebody actually reads what I write apart from me checking what I wrote after posting!!".

That is how I discovered her blog.

She's a very nice person, she is totally not full of herself and you can really see that she's doing what she's doing on her blog because she has fun, she likes to play with her clothes and with colors and you can feel this joy when you read her posts.

I am really happy I met her in the blogosphere and I really hope you'll pay her a visit too, your eyes deserve it! :-p

"Bye! And come visit my blog!"

The Photography Blog:

When I stumbled upon her blog, my thoughts that Garance Doré had the most pleasant street-style photography blog were swept away in a second.

Well, to be precise the blog of The Photodiarist (she has two: The Photodiarist is the B&W version and The Photodiarist in Color is the color version) is not ONLY street-style, I would call it more street-LIFE.

She makes such pictures that you feel you are there, living the moment. 

And her subjects are not only well-dressed girls but also a funny man on a street, a piano player in Central Park, a drop of water standing on a  tree branch.

And, mainly, her blog IS New York.

I was following it from several weeks, every day more and more amazed by her photography, since one day she published this picture:

and I felt the need to comment it IMMEDIATELY and tell her how much I liked it. 

The burned out light, the perfect representation of the icy weather and that pink hat just in the middle. Perfection.

She saw the comment and she, very nicely, came to my blog, she told me she liked it a lot and when I read that comment I started to jump all around my place, shouting "She said she likes it!!". 

Tommy thought I hit my head somewhere and then asked me, a bit irritated "But sorry, WHO told you she likes WHAT?"

So I took his hand, brought him at my computer and showed him some of her pictures "SHE said she likes my blog and my drawings!!!". 

He looked at the photos, and he immediately understood why I was so happy.

Now, thanks to her last posts, I also discovered that she is an incredible fashion photographer. 

Her boyfriend got her a ticket for the Luca Luca show at New York fashion week as a Valentine present (this girl is freaking lucky, we should ask her where she found her boyfriend, maybe it is a good place to find guys like that ahaha).

Actually I think that these pictures are the ones where her talent shows the most.

Look at them and then tell me: aren't they some of the best runway pictures you've ever seen?

Check the full A/W 2011-12 Luca Luca runway report here, here and here!

It's really a pity that she could go only to this show, I would love to see the WHOLE New York fashion week report by her... Sigh...

Anyway, it took me two hours to write this post and I really gotta go, I have a styling mission today: one of my male friends asked me to help him shopping for new clothes. I accepted "only if you allow me to go buy new colors to draw at the Schleiper shop and a blush at MAC" ahahah.

It will be fun I think!

I really hope that Zarna and The Photodiarist (I still don't know your name!! What's your name? ahah) and also all of you will like this post, I really love to talk about talented girls like these (there will be more in the future, some of my new illustrator friends should be prepared... ;-) )

Have a very nice week-end, a big kiss!!


Al

I've got the Blue(s)

For the eyes:

MAC 266 eyeliner brush

MAC Fluidline in "Blacktrack"

MAC eyeshadow in "Prussian"

Too Faced baked eyeshadow in "Deep Space"

For the Face:

Lancôme foundation "Colour Ideal"

MAC Studio Finish SPF 35 concealer

Chanel Joues Contraste in "Orchid Rose"

Nails: Chanel nail polish in "Blue Satin"

(if you want to see the drawing without the collage, it's here!)

As I maybe told you once already, one of my first "girly" loves is make-up (in some moments of my life even more than fashion).

Ever since the first time I wore a drop of foundation and some mascara, at about 14, I've never stopped to use make-up and I've always had a special eye for new products, formulas, colours and combinations.  

When we had to go to a party with friends I remember I was always the one doing the make-up of all of us in the bathroom of my parent's home... and it was the most amusing part of the night for me!

I don't know if it is also for my love for painting and drawing that I have this eye for colours and an ability with brushes, but that's it, I love it and I'll always have a passion for it.

Lately I really like blue, especially for spring, so today I started to draw a girl with blue make-up and in the end I had an idea: since I really had a lot of fun in the past, why not talking about make-up here too?

Yes I know I already talked a lot about make-up, but I mean hard-core talks (ahaha) with looks descriptions, tutorials and the like.

I really didn't have time to make sort of a photo tutorial for the look I painted, but it's a very easy one, so I'll just describe it... agreed? :-)

So here we go!! 

(If you're not interested just step to the end of the post: there is a Cacharel collection that I'd like to show you!)

1) The most important thing when you use green and blue make up is a bomb-proof base: these colours tend to make you look tired so they have to be spotless in order to avoid this effect.

Hydrate the skin and apply a foundation with good coverage but also bright and natural. Be sure to cover dark areas (under-eye, near the nose, chin...) with a concealer half tone lighter than the foundation. 

Fix the base with a powder (I use MAC mineralize powder half a tone lighter than the foundation).

2) Apply a soft and neutral pink blush to the apple of your cheeks.

3) Prep the eye-lids with an eye primer: I love Too Faced Shadow Insurance. In this way the eyeshadow's gonna stick to your skin all day long, without fading, melting or creasing.

4) Apply a matte blue eyeshadow all over the upper lid and all along the upper and lower lash lines. Brush any hard line with a fluffy but firm brush on the upper lid (the best is MAC 217) and with an eyeliner brush on the lower lid.

5) Apply a fine but visible line of eye-liner on the upper lash line, tight to the lashes

6) Blend the eyeliner with a darker, less matte (but not glittery or too frosty) eyeshadow (I use the one in the photo from Too Faced) and line also the lower lash line, using an eyeliner brush.

7) With the fluffy brush add some more dark blue eyeshadow in the outer corner of your lids to add depth. Brush away very well any hard line.

8) Add a lot of black mascara (my favourites are Zoom Lash mascara from MAC and Diorshow from Dior) and a nude lipgloss and you're done!

So now the big question: do you like if I do these kind of posts with beauty advices/tutorials? And in the case you like them, would you prefer to see example pics of how I do it on my eyes or is it OK like this?

I ask you because I wouldn't really like to write something that is boring for you!

Ah and speaking of blue, I really love it paired with yellow, mustard and beige/camel colours.

I recently saw the Cacharel Resort 2011 collection and I find it very nice:

Images from Cacharel website

What do you think? I really really like it, especially the last two pieces of this photo sequence.

Ok, I am going to bed now, a big kiss and good night!

Al

Fendi Silvana multicolour and the Parka

In the Drawing:

Crocheted Silk Dress - Oscar De La Renta on Net-à-Porter

Hooded Parka - Zara

Studded Leather and Rope wedge sandals - Valentino on Net-à-Porter

Leather bag Silvana - Fendi

Outside drawing from top left, clockwise:

Silk crepe de Chine blouse - Chloè on Net-à-Porter

Necklace - coseAtre

Tokyo mid-rise pants - MIH on Net-à-Porter

Peep toe shoes - ASOS

Leather bag Silvana - Fendi

Bracelet - Missoni on Net-à-Porter

Orange point flats - Jil Sander on Shopbop

Sunglasses - Miu Miu on Net-à-Porter

So yes, actually when yesterday I told you "I am leaving for Paris and until then I've got a lot of work, so I am not going to write here until next week" it was all a big bla bla bla: there was an explosive combination that pushed me to write the last post before the week-end (and then I'll go, I promise).

The above quoted combination was: terrible-day-at-work-to-ultimate-the-presentation/my-brain-is-fried + I saw the multicolour Silvana on Vogue.fr (love at first sight) + yesterday night I had a look at one of my copies of Elle Italia before sleeping.

The first and second reagents of the reaction are easy to understand, but I'll explain you the third: why Elle Italia inspired me a post in which I put a lot of stuff in a collage?

The answer is very easy: Elle Italia's got the nicest shopping editorials I've ever seen, called, easy to guess, Elle Shopping.

In Italy I used to buy Elle every month (I try to do it also here in Belgium, even if it costs a fortune) and as soon as I was stepping out of the newspaper shop it was my tradition to immediately skip forward straight to the shopping editorial. 

After that, I stepped back to the beginning and read the magazine from the first page to the last one (I really really suggest you to buy a copy once, even if you can't read Italian, just for the pics... it's the best magazine together with Vogue.fr and Vogue America in my opinion).

Needless to say it has always been my favourite magazine, for many reasons, and I've always thought "it should be so much fun to create looks like they do in Elle Shopping..." 

Of course I couldn't do it because, as you all could imagine, I don't own a magazine neither I am a whatsoever editor but yesterday night I had the illumination, between the thought of a slide of my presentation and another: "I haven't got my own magazine but I've got my own blog ERGO I finally can do it!"

And here I am, with my Al Shopping ahah!

I had so much fun doing it that I would like to do some more in the future, every time I see a look or a dress or an accessory that inspire me... what do you think? Would you like to see some more or is it boring for you? Not that I am going to post these collages every day but once in a while, to have fun... let me know!

And what do you think about the Silvana? I am totally in love with it... In my opinion it is the It-bag for summer together with the Luggage Shopper of Cèline (did you see the knitted version? I am drooling...)

If only I could buy it... But anyway, that's why we love fashion, because it makes us dream... no?

And the parka... I really gotta have one, I think we'll see it really everywhere this spring (well, actually already in winter...) and I think this one from Zara is super nice (and buy-able for me ahahah)

Ok, now I really go, tomorrow I'll really go to Paris and I'll really see you next week.

Kiss!

Al

Al's favourites: Alila mag

An image from Alila mag... that really suits my eye condition ahaha

So today I went to the eye doctor and apparently I have been living for one week with a piece of plastic sticking to my cornea.


Explained all the pain, purchased the drops, I'm here with a kilo of anesthetic in my eye and since I have to rest a bit from drawing again (the light I use is too strong and I am more concentrated than usual on details... actually I shouldn't even use my computer but since I'll have to work anyway on a stupid powerpoint presentation all the evening I am excused. I guess.) I take the chance to talk to you about one of my favourite sources of inspiration online: Alila magazine.

I am always super excited when young Italian people do something nice and creative and these girls (the very nice photographer Ilaria and her friend stylist Alice) really did it well.

Illustration from the Flower Issue (issue 01)

Usually what I expect from a fashion magazine or fashion Illustration and photography is to dream. I like to view images and colours that inspire me an image, a story, a style. And that's what I love of this magazine, it really is able to do this thing to me, make me dream.
Very often, instead of seeing outfits displayed on models or described on magazines, I need a more abstract dose of style, a feeling, something beautiful, which is more or less the same thing that fashion illustration is to me.

From the Animal Issue (issue 02)

This e-zine has the perfect balance between fashion editorials, illustration and art. Plus, every issue is about a topic (my favourite is the flower issue (the first). The latest one is the tattoos issue) and this makes you feel like you're following a story, a string that pulls all the issue together and that I find very nice.

From the Childhood Issue (issue 03)

Moreover, Alila mag made me discover great people like the illustrator Yoko Furusho and the designers CoseAtre  (here I wrote a litte article about them).

From the Porn Issue (issue 04)

From the Tattoos Issue (issue 05)

I really suggest you to stop by their website, dream a bit, be inspired.

Now I'm getting of the dream cloud instead and I'll go back to my boring presentation, a big hug!


Al