Tuesday, August 31, 2010

who is : Alex Box?

Pretty much as soon as the blog post about I:D magazine's portrait shots went up. I got an email from someone asking me who Alex Box was. So I decided that I would pop up a few photos and a little info on Box for you.
Alex Box is on my own major inspirations for some of the make-up malarky i was involved with back in the day. I love how she uses the face like a canvas to produce some of the most beautiful looks and quite frankly, works of art.
She has produced looks for Stella McCartney, McQ, Karl Lagerfeld, Gareth Pugh to name a handful since she graduated from Chelsea college of art. Her work has been featured in Vogue (all of 'em, from Italia to UK to Japan), I:D and W. She has already had exhibitions, features written about her work in very influencial magazines and newspapers AND is now the subject of a series of portraits by I:D magazine (see below post)
She is currently the creative director of Illamasqua. Which makes sense if you ever see their advertising campaigns and product lists.
She is also rumoured to be developing a foundation which will add a blue tint to the skin. Brilliant! I've been doing it the hard way for years! (mixing blue eyeshadows into white foundations for shows) 
Photoshoot for Vogue Italia
photoshoot for Vogue Italia
photoshoot for Vogue Italia
Photoshoot for British Vogue
Photoshoot for I:D magazine
Alex doesn't consider herself a make-up artist. More an artist who works with make-up. “Art and craft are symbiotic.” “I still have that work ethic of an artist, where it needs to be laboured – you need to see the labour of it for it to have the weight and preciousness.” 
While I am sure she uses a lot of her own product, she is not adverse to adding icing sugar, post its, glue and other various objects into her work. Which is another reason I love her. In the past to achieve looks, I have used PVA glue to make dreadlocks and other weird shapes, ice cream sprinkles, lace, rubber, feathers, tin foil (which is pretty tame compared to this) and my outrageous one : covering my entire head, face, neck in a layer of chocolate spread for a photoshoot. It stunk and the heat that you produce naturally - is enough to melt chocolate spread. Which went everywhere. I mean in eyes, mouths, noses....not to mention the state of the room we took the picture in! But it was great fun though. I love people who are unafraid to experiment.
I also love the fact that she grew up in a small town and was the village goth as well. Much like my own upbringing!
“When someone asks you for ‘a kind of blackish white’, you have to be able to react, there is a lot of ambiguity in fashion. You’ve all been brought together to make something beautiful, and when you’ve got the right group of people working together, then usually not a lot is said.”
“You can be in San Francisco or Japan and whoever is subversive is going to look pretty much the same, so now people are having to go to more extreme lengths to do something new – and quite often that creativity reaches its fullest potential in new media"
So there you go. I hope that explains it a bit for you!

Rayban subway-farers!

Since I have been on and on about these glasses but so far have not featured them. I thought today would be the perfect opertunity to display the subway ray bans I love so much. 
They also come in an insane red and white version as well.
But I personally love these.

I love Raybans new advertising campaign, so I decided to post that too!

fashion illustration done perfectly

I thought I would get all art-y on you this Tuesday morning. These are some amazing illustrations from Fashion illustratee Caroline Andrieu. I just love them. I am dying for one of my own. A huge one for the wall. Please someone....make me one?



I love these shoes.
 - yes that is the Miu Miu blouse from S/S10. 


Portraits in I:D magazine

Check out a selection of portraits for I:D magazine. Reads like a whose who in fashion doesn't it?
 - Gareth Pugh
Hannah Marshall
Boy George (?)
sam knight
alice dellal
tasty tim
jethro cave
THE Pam Hogg (legend)
Alex Box

River island. a new collection

I went for a stroll this morning and to kill time, I wandered into River Island. I very rarely blog on RI as I can't get access to their imagery. Until now! I was very impressed with some of the pieces. There has been a big move away from the usual neon tracksuiting and awful creased denims which RI will always be associated with. (in my mind) and some their pieces are actually on trend. Also, I like that RI have been reasonable and reduced their prices during the recession to reflect the change in consumer habits. Something Topshop need to learn to do. sO I picked my best bits from the collection :
I love the trophy jacket. Every woman should have one. It's the statement jacket that sits in your wardrobe and then is calling to service when your having a i-really-don't-want-to-go-out-but-i-have-to-so-i-will-show-my-contempt-for-this-situation-but-not-dressing-up-for-it night. The correct trophy jacket will be stunning enough that no one will notice your in skinny black jeans and a black vest because your outfit speaks all the volumes you need. Hint : Go for cropped with sequins. Works every time....
I am in two minds about this one. On one hand I love that it's lace and pretty. The other? I hate that god awful waist band. Urgh. Cheaps what could have been a very lovely jacket.
I used to hate these. A lot. But I kind like the idea of the rabbit ears. Even if I know that everyone and his dog are going to be strolling down Grafton street in one....
The gold maxi skirt. Also available in black. This demands a black or neutral color scheme to go with it. It's so in your face that you need to pair down everything else. I would wear with black or grey draped jersey with a fitted waist. or a black vest with chunky black cardigan and big huge boots. the bigger the better. 
This is the black version.

So what do you think?
Have River Island finally gotten it? Or do you miss the tracksuits?

Erdem maxi skirts....lust

Erdem A/W10
Erdem A/W10
The amazing new full length skirts from Erdem have hit netaporter.com. If you have a spare €1,600 and would like a piece of the action, then there you go. If not. The high street have some pretty great copies. Erdem was one of the best collections which caught my eye this season. With a glam grunge edge. adding a sweater over a maxi dress. Totally 90's. Love it.
I loved the romantic dark florals which formed the basis of the collection. Very a/w10 on trend. I have yet to find an exact copy but rest assured, when I do. You'll know about it. But it was a great way of bringing the ever flattering maxi dress in for winter. Most maxi dresses are viewed as a very summer trend. In light prints and horrible fabrics. But I do love a good maxi which you can wear with chunky boots, a chunky knit cardigan and a bobble hat. I am very into my bobble hats at the moment. I am all about wrapping up warm - as I do feel it's going to be a HELL of a cold winter. Considering that it's August still and FREEZING! in Dublin.
In the meantimes.....here be the skirt.

WHAT I WORE TODAY.

Hungover Tuesday....Urgh.....
Raybans - Brown Thomas. Limited edition. €130
I love the inside of these. So so pretty. I would love to get my hands on a pair of the limited edition subway prints as well. A print of the NYC subway in red on the outside or inside of the glasses. EPIC!
It was J's going away party last night so am a little worse for wear today. 
Scarf - H&M
We ran into McGrattons last night for a few drinks. Which turned into a massive trek to the Dragon for post-grattons cocktails......
New york dolls t-shirt - Topshop. LOVE THE DOLLS! I love the effortless-ness of this outfit. I just threw it on. No worries. I hate fiddly outfits when I've been out the night before or when I'm tired. this is no thrills but easy!
Footwear of choice for the drunk at heart - River island.
The comfiest boots ever that take about half an hour for me to be strapped into them. so many buckles and straps and laces!
leather look leggings  - american apparel
a close up of my fav t-shirt. I love it because there is little to no effort involved in wearing it and it is long enough for me to wear as a dress which thrills me to no end. Plus HUGE New York Dolls fan so this is just great.
I couldn't find it for ages then by chance I was in Dublin for a day and spotted the last one on a rail in Topshop. It's three sizes too big for me. But I don't care. I had to own it. Immediately. 'Specially since my other one was stolen. Bummer.

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