Emma Louise Layla

30 January 2009

Pierre et Gilles

I love the obscure visionaries Pierre et Gilles for their glossy bubblegum photo stories; they have such vivid imagination and unleash unlimited creativity in each image. Their shoots are full of kitsch, glittery settings and glamorous portraits. Less keen on their homo-erotic shots, but each to their own. Their 'Complete Works' is top of my wish list... Any takers?

Photo Of The Month #1

Damn, I love ffffound.

The Impossible Project

Check out The Impossible Project . It's a great site and a great idea. Long live the polaroid!

Grace Jones looks amazing on the cover of V Magazine's #57 Spring issue. She's fierce and empowered and absolutely terrifying. She's playing the Roundhouse this week and reports from last night include two enthusiastic thumbs up.
Spare tickets going for Friday, anyone?

Rainbow Pumps

I'm wearing purple Pretty Ballerinas today. I do love colourful ballet flats. I might Photoshop them onto this photo so they can join their brothers and sisters...

MAC Chill

MAC has just launched their gorgeous new collection 'Chill' for sharp glossy looks, icy glitters and frosted lips.

'As the temperature drops, a new beauty barometer shows you the season's hot new cool. Light snowflake lips of Naked Frost. Eyes sculpted in Arctic Grey, warmed with deep black velvety strokes of new Penultimate Eye Liner. The season is right. Chill.'

I'm sure Chill will go down a treat - especially the gorgeous Icescape tinted lipglass - and sit very happily alongside Dame Edna & co.

I saw this and liked it, until someone dampened it for me:

'Is that as close as you get to your dream? The snooze button on an alarm clock? Your dream is doomed to failure because time grinds on and you have to go into the office.'

A fabulous, cheery Monday afternoon thought.

Keep Calm

I have these three prints in my kitchen from my favourite online print gallery, Keep Calm:

Typographie, mon amour!

Beckham on Russian Vogue

Victoria Beckham is the coverstar for this month's Russian Vogue. She's wearing her new collection and looks polished as always, teeny-tiny and extremely smart.

I love the structured black dress on the right, but I'm less keen on the red dress which to me screams u/c harlot (offering a stark contrast with the strange thumb-sucking...) It'll be interesting to see how her strict tailored shapes sell considering fashion's move to more relaxed silhouettes and thrown-together looks. Speaking about her new collection, she said:

"Forties and 50s underwear played a big influence on the collection, but the inspiration is me.

I have tried every one of the dresses on, lived in them, to work out what feels right. I hope the silhouette is what every woman wants to wear."

Russian Vogue has really upped their stakes in global media coverage - they're growing each month in terms of leading the fashion press world and getting the hottest stars. молодец!

Maggie Cheung looked gorgeous and lithe in this black leather dress - the skyscraper shoe boots finish off the outfit and she looks a through-and-through rock chick in classic black. Top marks.

Spanish Vogue's 20th Birthday Party

Claudia Schiffer and Jade Jagger looked dazzling at last year's Spanish Vogue's 20th Anniversary party.

I love the curved outline of Schiffer's dress and, in my opinion, you can't go wrong with black sequins. I'm trying to ignore the rubbish ankle-strap sandals.

Reason Why We Love SATC #1

When Carrie has her first day at Vogue, with a new cut and new office chic style, I died a little bit. This Vivienne Westwood navy dress suit is absolutely divine, fits SJP perfectly and inspired me to fix up, look sharp - start channeling secretary chic and dress as if heading to the office.

That desire has waned a little, so I dug up this still to marvel at once again...

Gloom Aid on Blue Monday

19 January is statistically the most miserable day of the year (Lord knows how they work it out, but it fits...) so the people behind the excellent club night Feeling Gloomy have put on a comedy benefit called Gloom Aid with all proceeds going to the Samaritans.

It's a grim Monday, it's a good cause and (primarily) because Daniel Kitson is compering. Gloomy schmoomy....

Look magazine launches its first ever Fashion Swap event

Following on from the success of Visa Swap, I'm keen to attend this:

Look is defying the credit crunch, by giving its readers the chance to revamp their wardrobes for free. Readers will be able to swap unwanted clothing at a pop-up Look fashion boutique at 65-67 Broadwick St, London W1, near Carnaby St on 31 January and 1 February.

Entry to the event is completely free with Look Fashion Swap points. Just bring in up to ten items of unwanted clothing or accessories to receive your swap points to ‘spend’ on some of the great items at the Look boutique.

A host of celebrities have donated items too, up for grabs will be Gwen Stefani’s hat from her Lamb range, Fearne Cotton’s personally customised jacket, Peaches Geldof’s PPQ dress, Alexandra Burke’s X-factor outfit, and Strictly Come Dancing’s Flavia Cacace’s autographed dancing shoes. Stores such as Oasis, ASOS, Warehouse and River Island have also donated items to the boutique.

“This is a very exciting event for Look,” says senior marketing manager Tara Steadman. “It’s a real opportunity for us to continue to build the brand’s credentials as the most accessible fashion magazine, by giving our readers the kind of event they love while generating some great PR coverage.”

Attendees at the Look Fashion Swap will also be able to pick up a limited edition Look canvas bag for a £2 donation to Jo’s Trust. For full details of the event and other drop off locations in London, visit Look Fashion Swap.

EDIT: I went and got a cream Viv-rip off Reiss dress, a black jacket, a vintage striped cafe dress, Puma hi-tops, a Whistles printed t-shirt and a patterned silk handbag. It was quite quiet so less argy-bargy than my beloved Visa Swap, which made for a lovely lunchtime activity. Fun.

Tierney Gearon Explosure at Phillips de Pury

EXHIBITION

6 - 27 January 2009
Monday through Saturday 10am-5pm

Reception
Wednesday 14 January 2009 6-8pm

On Wednesday, I went to Phillips de Pury to see Tierney Gearon's first solo exhibition since her Saatchi one in 2001. The fabulous Annie Lennox was there!

Not one of my favourite exhibitions, but there were some really striking shots full of vibrant, beautiful colours and nice contrasting images. Most of her shots juxtapose two contrasts - youth with age, Western with third world, solidarity with community etc.

My only criticism is that I think most people can take photos of a similar standard. (Read: where's my exhibition, Phillips?)

Hands in Gants

It is too cold to not wear gloves this month. Therefore, I'm carrying at least four pairs around with me in my bag, or accumulating them under my desk. Elbow-length black leather, red leather with leather lace trim, black short driving, or red and dotty woollen.

These important decisions in life...

In Carla Bruni's Shoes

This photo was taken on Sarkozy and (more importantly) Carla Bruni's UK visit last year. On this particular day she was head-to-toe demure in Dior, and she was wearing these gorgeous little ballet pumps and I had them too. Past tense, because they were binned as I wore them to death. Sigh. I love her prim and proper pose in this shot.

Saturday at Shunt

On Saturday night a pack of us went to Shunt in the cavernous railway vaults at London Bridge. The queue was monstrous and once they hit capacity they operate a harsh one-in, one-out policy - however, with our membership cards we managed to blag everyone in at the same time as soon as we got there.

Bikini Beach Band played, who were excellent last time they played and didn't disappoint again. They do camp, instrumental covers of pop songs and they are very entertaining.

Also there were the guys and girls from Print Club offering the opportunity to try one's inky hand at silk-printing, which was so much fun. However, when hanging my "artwork" up on the drying lines, I trusted it would be there upon my return... Denied.

Somerset House Ice Skating/ Bob Bob Ricard

I went ice-skating at Somerset House on Friday night. I'd been down to the ice rink several times in November and December, but only just got round to actually booking a session.

It looked beautiful in the build-up to Christmas with the sparkling Christmas lights and twinkling Christmas tree complete with decorative ice-skates and huge baubles. Despite the absence of festive decorations, it still looked stunning and it was a clear, cold night.

Then I went to the newly-opened Bob Bob Ricard for dinner; I had the beef tea soup (served from a silver teapot from the resplendent pink waistcoat-adorned wait staff) and the eggs benedict for mains. It's open until 3am with a late license, great wine list and house cocktails and vast menu. (Cornflakes at 2am, anyone?)

For those who crave a willfully-quirky, delicately kitsch and blinging after-hours joint, BBR takes the camp biscuit.

Choreomania

I just can't stop choreomaniaing! St Vitus' Dance plagues my brother and I thanks to my paternal side. I was just reading about genetic theories and came across some of the best Wiki paragraphs ever:

Dancing mania (or choreomania) was a social phenomenon that occurred primarily in mainland Europe between the 14th and 18th centuries; it involved groups of people, sometimes thousands at a time, who danced uncontrollably and bizarrely, seemingly possessed by the devil. Men, women, and children would dance through the streets of towns or cities, sometimes foaming at the mouth until they collapsed from fatigue.

One of the first major outbreaks was in Aachen, Germany, on June 24, 1374; the populace danced wildly through the streets, screaming of visions and hallucinations, and even continued to writhe and twist after they were too exhausted to stand.

Having occurred to thousands of people across several centuries, dancing mania was not a local event, and was, therefore, well-documented in contemporary writings. More outbreaks were reported in the Netherlands, Cologne, Metz, and later Strasbourg (Dancing Plague of 1518), apparently following pilgrimage routes.

And the Dancing Plague of 1518 is my brother's favourite bizarre historical event. Let the dancing commence.

The tropical resort shoot in Bergdorf Goodman's Fall/ Winter 2008 resort magazine is mouth-watering, fruity and vibrant. I love the concept, and I love Sessilee:

Photographer Robert Deckker
Model Sessilee Lopez

Amanda Palmer

I'm currently enjoying Who Killed Amanda Palmer? and looking forward to seeing her play in London next month... She's like a Brechtian Regina Spektor, with an aggressive, demanding throaty yelp. Very exciting. My only concern is her lack of eyebrows. Why?

Kate Hudson my NBF

Kate Hudson is gracing the fair pages of the February issue of US Elle. I love the shoot - it's soft and dusky and she looks like a hottie. I like her because, amongst other reasons, she calls boys 'boys' like me:

"On the way to the dance studio, Hudson had ogled the valet, a muscled hunk in a pink polo shirt, as she pulled out of the driveway of the Beverly Hills Hotel. (“So hot!”) She always ends up falling for the funny guys, she explains, absentmindedly navigating her messy Prius, but this does not detract from her long-standing appreciation for the eye-candy types. Ever since high school, she admits, she’s been a little boy crazy. (And with Hudson, they are “boys,” not men.) “When I was a teenager, like, when I turned 16, I loved boys,” she says. “That was just my thing. My mom was like, ‘Oh boy, she loves boys!’ I always loved boys. I still love boys."

She's fresh and cute, and seems very down-to-earth - I reckon because she grew up surrounded by fame, she doesn't have this horrendous chip on her shoulder that she's now superior, so seems very likeable. She's one of those girls you think 'I bet if I knew her, we'd be best friends'. Well, I think that.

Hudson, get in touch...