A Study in Black & White

We had a photoshoot last June 12, Independence Day, and I love how my photos coincidentally ended up looking very Filipiniana because of our model Kaye.

Designer in Focus: Schiaparelli

Coco Chanel is a household name known all over the world. But when a name such as Schiaparelli is announced, many are no longer familiar, some may have never even heard of her. One of the most prominent figures in fashion between the two world wars, Elsa Schiaparelli’s most important legacy was in bringing in playfulness and a sense of “anything goes” into the world of fashion. During the 1930’s, while Chanel (Schiaparelli’s greatest rival) was placed by Time Magazine in the second divisions of fashion, Schiaparelli was being praised as one of "a handful of houses now at or near the peak of their power as arbiters of the ultra-modern haute couture....Madder and more original than most of her contemporaries, Mme Schiaparelli is the one to whom the word "genius" is applied most often.”

Known popularly for her avant-garde and surrealists designs, her love of putting together different colors, shapes and textures as well as embracing modern technologies and materials at the time was what had earned her the title of ‘genius’. Her brilliant innovations in fashion design were numerous, from being the first to use visible zippers in clothing, to the creation of the wedge shoe, the barbaric belt, the embroidered shirts, wrapped turbans, and the use of fanciful buttons, to even the concept of mixing and matching sportswear. But it was her creation of the runway show as we know it today that has become most influential. It was her idea of a modern fashion show to include a runway with music and art, and to use elongated, shapeless women as models. She believed that the boyish figure was best for displaying clothing.

Many people now do not know the impact Schiaparelli has on fashion and the fashion industry. That’s why I decided to pay a little tribute to her. If not for her beautiful mind, fashion might not be as exciting as it is today.

Beads n' Lights

As some say... to be a good photographer, one must invest well in equipment as well.

Now I see the difference, between a kit lens and a semi-pro, and having studio lights rather than depending on available light.  My good brother in law lent to me his Nikon D90, which I must say I am really loving right now.  It's so easy to use, even though I used to be a Canon baby.  As for the lights used in the shoot, it's visibly so much better compared to the desk lamps we were using in our home studio shoots, haha :)

The model is Feliz Diestro, her profession is as stylist, (so if you're looking for a personal stylist you can add her up in facebook) :)

All photos here have not undergone editing  :)

I love the bokeh effect in this photo

Glove Love

What can you do with a swatch of black lace about 12" long? You can do what I did and make a glove out of it! What I did was I took another glove bought at a costume store for just about P50, and studied how it was done. I think it's pretty cool. Mine is not full gloves, I cut out the lace for the fingers part, so I could freely move my fingers. In the end, I think it looks kind of Madonna-ish back in the 80's era.
:)

Yummy

Oh so yummy! I love the idea of beginning to play with new colors. One of my five sisters just gave me this starter make-up kit to play with. Yes, I did say five, I do have five other older sisters, and yes I did say starter. Not that it's my first time to be wearing make-up, (believe me, I've been putting it on since 5th grade). I say it's a starter kit because this time I want to put it on others, I want to learn how to apply make-up on somebody else. And what better way to start than to start with some close friends or relatives? Hahaha, to my dearest friends, I look forward to having a lot of fun with you guys. I've never heard of the brand though, it's not MAC or Dior, or even just Maybelline...its by a brand called The Color Workshop... I know, I've never heard of it either, maybe I'll do some research...but hey, you'll only be wearing it for a few hours right? It's not like it's going to be used everyday. ;)
Happy Saturday night y'all! ;) - Jane

Caran d' Ache

Speaking of things that have last, here's another that has lasted perhaps 10? 12? years... A sign that I need to paint more?

It's my Caran d' Ache watercolor set. It's really old, handed down to me from my oldest sister, senior to me by 12 years. Despite it's age, the color and consistency is still great. Perhaps products from this Swiss brand is really meant to be handed down from one artist to another.

See? It still paints pretty well. :)

I do hope to finish this work and have it framed soon, so I can display it on my wall at home. :)

Studded

There are some things that can last a long time, just like these rocker studs I've had for almost 8 years...I've been looking through my stuff and found these, I used to wear them almost everyday for a while when I was in high school, when I was a really big fan of Avril Lavigne. I think I'll wear these tonight. :)

From the Philippines...Bandolino

My first blog entry and my first pair.

Just this weekend, my brother and I went to the shoe capital of Manila, Marikina, and got these new boots. I got it from a store that still sold Bandolino Leather shoes, a brand that goes decades back and is known for the quality of their leather goods.

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I've come to realize I've never invested in boots, these are my first pair, technically - since I've reached my full feet size (I do not count the boots I wore as a child). I guess I could partly blame it to the tropical weather in this country, which makes boots irrational to buy. I do hope I'll be able to use it much in this weather, or better yet, I hope to travel more this year so I'll find reasons to use them. :)

Peace out! - Jane :)