Alexander McQueen: Final Collection, Paris 2010
Sorry for my absence as of late – we have finally made the move to Asheville, NC! I’ve been unpacking and getting all of those moving details squared away for the past while. I will be getting some photographs of my new home and the style of the Asheville streets very soon. But first I have to unpack my closet… 😉
Yesterday I came across images from Alexander McQueen’s final collection and a beautifully written article about the legend and his last works. The 16-piece collection was only at 80% completion at the time of his death and draws inspiration from the art of the Dark Ages but with a new perspective, incorporating mohawk, feathered headpieces and specially ordered fabric that translated digital photographs of demons by Hieronymus Bosch and high-church angels. I feel a kinship to this concept of juxtaposing the new and the old, the digital and the… analog, art and technology. It is one element as to why I’ve always been such a fan of Alexander McQueen.
Here are a few of my favorites from the collection. View the entire collection at style.com.
I can’t help but think that these pieces are only a small part of the entire vision. One can only imagine what artistry would have encapsulated this collection on the runway. The simple and intimate showing of this final collection may not have been what McQueen had in mind – it was his showmanship as well as his garments that made him what he was – but it offered his close friends and colleagues a moment to reflect and one last look.
Photos:
style.com via
Christopher Moore / Courtesy of Alexander McQueen
D.I.Y. Artist Creates Lady Gaga Barbies That’ll Leave You Speechless
Beijing “doll player” and strong advocate of D.I.Y., Veik, has the most amazing Flickr stream with images of his Lady Gaga Barbie Dolls! He says he doesn’t intend to sell the dolls; he just really wants to encourage others to get crafty. “Crafty” isn’t even an appropriate word for what he is doing — this is fine art (I hate these labels, BTW and dislike that D.I.Y. is often dismissed as kitsch, etc. but that is a discussion for another day…). He has the evolution of the Gaga-coif down to a science and the Alexander McQueen re-creations’ details are insane, especially considering working on such a tiny scale. I, for one, feel very inspired – I’ve recently added some new dolls to my collection, maybe they need a few Gaga-esque accessories! 😉
Photo by Veik
Photo by Veik
Photo by Veik
Photo by Veik
Photo by Veik
Photo by Veik
style fuss’ Holiday Gift Guide
Some last-minute holiday gift ideas! Enjoy!
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Art Star: Investigation of Line & Form in the Abstract
© Ciara Pickering 2009
Gray with (my favorite) No. IX
at the opening reception
What I Wore
Inspiration: Diane Arbus
Diane Arbus
“I really believe there are things nobody would see if I didn’t photograph them.”
Diane Arbus - A young man with curlers at home on West 20th Street, N.Y.C. 1966 © The Estate of Diane Arbus
“The more specific you are, the more general it’ll be.”
Diane Arbus - Identical twins, Roselle, N.J. 1967 © The Estate of Diane Arbus
“The thing that’s important to know is that you never know. You’re always sort of feeling your way.”
Diane Arbus - Puerto Rican woman with a beauty mark, N.Y.C. 1965 © The Estate of Diane Arbus
“The world can only be grasped by action, not by contemplation. The hand is the cutting edge of the mind.”
Diane Arbus - Untitled (1) 1970-71 © The Estate of Diane Arbus
“I always thought of photography as a naughty thing to do – that was one of my favorite things about it, and when I first did it, I felt very perverse.”
Diane Arbus - Mexican dwarf in his hotel room in N.Y.C. 1970 © The Estate of Diane Arbus
“Freaks was a thing I photographed a lot. It was one of the first things I photographed and it had a terrific kind of excitement for me. I just used to adore them. I still do adore some of them. I don’t quite mean they’re my best friends but they made me feel a mixture of shame and awe. There’s a quality of legend about freaks. Like a person in a fairy tale who stops you and demands that you answer a riddle. Most people go through life dreading they’ll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They’ve already passed their test in life. They’re aristocrats.”
Diane Arbus - Albino sword swallower at a carnival, Md. 1970 © The Estate of Diane Arbus
Illustration: Colorblock
© Ciara Pickering 2009
Working on some new illustration techniques/ideas. Hand-drawn with some Illustrator work.
Kreativ Blogger Award
This afternoon I was very surprised and delighted to receive my first blog award! It definitely makes me smile to think that Style Fuss is beginning to grow! I received the Kreativ Blogger award from the lovely Carolyn at The Average Stylista. Thank you soo much! This made my day!
Here are Rules
1. Tell 7 things that you don’t already know about me.
2. Name 7 other blogs to receive this award
3. Leave a comment on each of the blogs I nominated
4. Thank the person who gave you the award.
Things You May Not Know About Me: Ciara of Style Fuss
1. I have always been an outlandish dresser…
© Ciara Pickering 2009
2. I have a fabulous (and growing) Barbie collection… I’m just a little obsessed.
© Ciara Pickering 2009
3. I sort of (really) love David Lynch…
© Justin Cox 2009
4. I like to use a variety of media when making art. It is usually my computer but sometimes I try other things…
© Ciara Pickering 2009
5. I visited NYC for the first and second time this year… and loved it even more than I expected. Can’t wait to move in the nest few months! ♥♥♥
© Ciara Pickering 2009
6. I am basically a clone of my mother.
© Ciara Pickering 2009
7. Okay, this isn’t really a secret or unknown thing… I really miss my best friend a lot!
© Ciara Pickering 2009
And with that, you know (even) more about me!
I would like to give this award to:
2. Jenny H. at Sidewalks are Runways
3. Kimicha at The Door in my Wardrobe
4. Indy GrrrL
5. Miss Christy at Out the Other Side
7. Sherin at Hi Fashion
Be sure to check out the blogs of these ladies! Always amazing content from each of them. Thank you again to Carolyn!
Links: Fashion Nuggets
Vivienne Westwood for Melissa
- Vivienne Westwood’s new shoes for Melissa are daring and fun and completely recyclable once you’re over them (which I seriously doubt I would be – these are fabulous! This pink one is a life size plastic Barbie shoe!)
- Check out Wikifashion! The ease and resource of wikipedia but alllll about fashion? I love it!
- My new idol is easily Miss Dior Couture!!! Her collages are amazing and incredibly inspiring. I think I may try my hand at something like this. These are fun and beautiful!
- Today I discovered The Business of Fashion and as I am considering a second Bachelors (of Science, this time) in Fashion Merchandising or PR, I felt like this was a pretty great resource!
- Must second the Frisky’s Crave: Trash & Luxury “Glamour is the Drug” Tee.
If you have a great link to share please let me know. The internet is infinite so I enjoy exploring. 🙂
Illustration: Amber
One of my very favorite ladies, the fabulous Amber of eZriah Design, has been visiting me for the past day and a half. In tribute to this remarkable lady and designer, I did this illustration of her as a gift. I wanted to share it with all of you as well. Let me know what you think!
© Ciara Pickering
Welcome Mat
Hello and welcome to Style Fuss!
I’ve been blogging for nearly ten years now (wow) on-and-off using different sites and subject matter. For the past few years I’ve been more or less addicted to what began as a handful of fashion blogs and now has become an out-of-control number of fabulous blogs I add to on a daily basis (some of my consistent favorites are listed in my Blogroll).
I’m an illustrator with a BFA in Graphic Design. I have plans for grad school in something fashion related but I’m having a tough time narrowing it down! There are so many aspects of art and fashion that I would love to get my hands dirty with!
I have always loved fashion – raised in the studio of my mother and grandmother, a team of independent fashion designers, I really had no choice but to relish in the fashion world since birth.
I want this blog to be a place to celebrate everything I love about fashion as well as how it integrates so seamlessly with art and culture. I also want to use this blog to become a part of the fabulous community of fashion bloggers that I have come to love over the past few years.
I would love as much feedback as possible and I hope that you, future readers, will help me create a sense of community here at Style Fuss.
The bottom line is – Fashion is fearless, fun, and definitely something to make a fuss about!
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