Stephanie: Weee!

My Eva in action, taken with crappy camera phone :)

Shang Villaruel: Louis Vuitton monogram print stockings

As we head into winter, we look at past and present collections and editorials for guidance. Look what we found! Louis Vuitton monogram stockings from their F/W collections appearing in Vogue Paris two years in a row! Raquel photographed in August last year and Natasha who appears in the latest June/July issue are both decked out entirely in Louis (pictured below). Also, the lolita-esque picture of Skye Stracke above shows us in detail just how they look. We LVoe these stockings, but unfortunately, we would never fork out £155 (around AUD300) for an item that is destined to rip :(

Stephanie: Totes on a Louis ban...

The gloomy Sydney weather didn't rain on my parade today because i bought the Louis Vuitton Eva Clutch :D The one i blogged about here. Originally i wanted the bag in Monogram Canvas, but after trying both on, i chose the Damier Ebene version! I lvoe it even more than before because it fits my big and long Damier Ebene Brazza wallet :) This means i'm on a bit of a Louis ban...that is of course, until i fall head over heels for another bag! Since there are two bags in my hand, the Eva wasn't all that was purchased. It joins my family collection today along with a pair of Men's Latitude Derby shoes in Taiga and Calf Leather and a Damier Ebene Koala Wallet. I'll post pics...eventually. Haha, unless there is a request, i will take the lazy path and post when i feel like it :)

Stephanie: Super-Models

Magazine: Vogue Hommes International
Issue: Spring/Summer 2009
Models: Mark Vanderloo, Greg Hansen, Werner Schreyer, Larry Scott, Andre Van Noord
Photographer: Hedi Slimane
Editorial: Super-Models

I found these snaps at foto decadent and immediately fell in love. I'm a huge fan of Slimane, especially his portraits. His photographic delivery - the simple, black and white crystal clear shots - has become his signature, where his subjects exude incredible potency. The editorial itself pays tribute to the male supermodels of the 90's - Mark Vanderloo, Greg Hansen, Werner Schreyer, Larry Scott, Andre Van Noord. Since Slimane is the father of heroin chic, the men are unsurprisingly painted as sexy, dark and mysteriously punk characters. It's all in their faces, their poses, their attitude, they're real men. Mascaulinity is written all over their candid expressions. They're fearless, they take pride in their fine lines and allow us to get up close and personal. The title of the editorial really says it all. They were the first 'super-models' in the male modelling industry, and they prove to you why. They won't have any of that nancy boy business. *Sigh* 'Super-Models' demonstrates true physical beauty. I mean, to be able to age and still have a strikingly effective hold over someone, how many people can do that?

Stephanie: Yve Saint Laurent's 'Le Smoking'

Yves Saint Laurent Le Smoking

Yves Saint Laurent's legacy will always be the Le Smoking tuxedo suit. He was the first man to put women in pants and for that alone, all ambitious, independent women are indebted to him - big time. I don't think i will rest peacefully unless i can own a Le Smoking suit one day.. i mean, it is one of my many ambitions in life! The paradigm of the YSL woman prompts admiration. She is simply bad ass, cigarette in hand as she wears her dramatic black suit. Accentuating her small waist through the high waisted style of the pant, the androgny level is determined by the blouse of choice (or lack of if you're daring enough). The sharp cut defines her physique through exageration, where her legs appear strikingly long when she struts her stuff! Le Smoking is such an icon because it's where female androgyny and empowerment - in a sartorial sense - began, the idea of the YSL woman is even admired by Carine Roitfeld who had this to say:

"You know the idea of the Saint Laurent woman. What a dream she was: wearing trousers, hand in the pocket, no handbag, transparent shirt. I love that woman. It is exactly who I would have loved to be if I could choose. So I would have to go blonde because he loved the blondes, and I would have to have bigger breasts. But it's the idea of the woman I love, and I try to repeat this in my magazine (Vogue Paris)."

Classic. Here are some wonderful images of the Le Smoking suit - both old and new - in action:

(The Conception)

Stephanie: Matthew Williamson for H&M

It's times like this i wish i lived in America. In the past, quite a few H&M capsule collections (Comme des Garçons for H&M) have made my heart skip a beat, but when i laid eyes on pieces from the Matthew Williamson for H&M collection a few months ago (pictured above), i...squealed. Now, if a few images can evoke a squeal, just imagine what a video can do. When i viewed the video for the capsule collection a few days ago (below), i literally died, went to commercial retail heaven and came back! It's so fresh with it's 'fighting against the mainstream message' and electronic music that simultaneously serves as dialogue. Matthew Williamson himself appears to be both a meteorite - yes you read correctly - and a fruity English pimp whilst Daria Werbowy's presence is love because i've missed her so :) If it wasn't obvious enough, the video is highly recommended.

Stephanie: Chanel No. 5 Commercial

1 minute of euphoria... I usually don't like celebrity pairings with Chanel a la Kiera Knightely and Emma Watson, but Audrey is magnificent - most probably because she's french. The Billie Holiday background music is love and Jean Pierre Jeunet is a genius! Ok, so i'm being ridiculously biased here but i don't care :P I'm even going to go against my own country and declare that this video surpasses Baz Luhrmann's take on Chanel no. 5.

Stephanie: I'm in LVoe with Louis Vuitton cupcakes!

Cupcakes are food, ergo the cuisine title! But these aren't just any ordinary cupcakes, they're literally eye candy! Baked by Ccyhan on Flickr, the little Tivoli PM is SO CUTE! AHHH *squeals like crazy* I officially LVoe Louis Vuitton in edible forms, even the Kalahari cake (although i am not a fan of the Kalahari handbag)! Gosh, i wish i had a fraction of the skill required to bake such masterpieces. Unfortunately, i am a failure in the kitchen so i will just sit here and drool.