Spotlight...Camilla Åkrans

There's not a whole hell of a lot to be found about Camilla Åkrans in terms of biography or information, out there. Which, in a way, is great because a little mystery never hurt anybody.

The Swedish star photographer Camilla Åkrans is one of the biggest names when fashion houses are picking a photographer to shoot their ad campaigns. 33 year old Camilla Akrans has done several big ad campaigns and she has also won the prestigious Best Photographer Award at the ELLE awards, 2006.

This is about as much as I got. I did, however, find an interview with Åkrans during which she had some interesting things to say about her beautiful, beautiful work.

Vogue China

Numéro

Numéro

Vogue Germany

Vogue Germany

"It's about trying to tell a story and to tell the model what kind of character she is while she is doing it, why she does it, instead of just telling her to do it. That's why I like to work with models that are interested in a kind of acting...
...if you don't get the connection with the model, then it's less successful."

Man About Town

Man About Town

New York Times

New York Times

Numéro

"[Photography is] like any artist: either you like to do it and you should do what you like to do and if no one else likes it, screw them, and if they do it's fantastic. I don't think you should change or try to do different stuff just to please the market, because in the end then maybe you don't like what you do and there's not point in doing it."

Pure inspiration...

I received this award from the gorgeous I'm Heraid over at Poorly Fashioned.

The rules...
1. Pass the award to 12 others.
2. Link the chosen ones within your post, and inform them in a comment.
3. Share the love and the link to the person who gave it to you.

I'm incredibly short on time, so instead of 12 I'm going to link only 4 (forgive me).
I pass the torch on to...
Style On Track
Cafe Fashionista
Chai, Cinnamon and Couture
Welcome to Fashion Court...The Verdict Is In

More awards tomorrow!

Romany

[photos courtesy of lundlund.com]

Dress Like an Icon...Charlotte Rampling

(item credits)

"To be honest, shopping for clothes doesn't interest me any more. Maybe it's because I've been lucky to have been able to rummage in the world's greatest dressing-up box - Paris - and I've had great clothes offered to me on a plate. I'm still invited to the Paris catwalk shows and at the end of each film shoot I've often been given one or two of my favourite pieces. But the truth is that I like to dress simply."
Charlotte Rampling.
I could go on and on about how gorgeous this woman is. Effortless, simple, chic style. If you've ever tried your hand at the Rampling, look no further for help...

Romany

[photos courtesy of theauteurs.com and polyvore.com]

A Magical Night...

A few weeks ago I got an email from Masha over at Our Religion inviting me to a special evening event at the Melbourne Zoo, for Earth Hour 2010. And boy was it special...
I invited my lovely auntie Jane to be my plus-one, and we were worried we'd miss out on the tour that was promised as part of the evening, considering we were running late (punctuality doesn't run in my family, I guess you could say). But thankfully, we arrived to our surprise with plenty of time to spare. As we checked in at the Bloggers Table, we were given a 'survival pack', consisting of some chocolate, sultanas, water, insect repellent, a reusable coffee cup (Keep Cup, very nifty invention) and some information on Zoos Australia. How sweet!

Our 'survival pack'

We set off on the tour, and I was starting to get a little bit scared. I love animals, but they really scare me. Especially the ones that are bigger and/or stronger than me. Thank god we didn't have time to visit the gorillas. I may have passed out. We did, however, have time to visit the giraffes, the zebras and emus, the reptiles and the lions (which we saw being fed - not as terrifying as it sounds). Considering it was evening, most of the park was shut from viewing, but it was fun while it lasted. The lions were behind a fence, so all of the photos I took are painfully dodgy, but I thought I'd upload at least one.

Gorgeous giraffe.

So tall...

The zebras matched our stripey tops.

Demon lion.
See what I mean? Painfully dodgy...

After the short-and-sweet tour, it was time for some dinner (the entire evening was absolutely free, if you can believe it). I was very pleased to see some veggie burgers on offer, as well as green salad and potato salad. There were even tables with place-settings for all of us bloggers to sit at! It was all very lovely. A nice, communal feeling. During dinner, the music started. The main attraction of the evening was the Earth Hour Unplugged concert, and Jane and I were very excited to see the Blackchords play as we'd been listening to their music before arriving at the zoo. Little did we know, as the tour was wrapping up and we were innocently eating dinner, the Blackchords were doing their set! We had no idea, and then it was too late. But all was not lost, as once we finished our dinner and set up our rug and bags on the lawn in front of the music pavilion, the second band Wagons began and they were very enjoyable.

Wagons.

Me.
It was a tiring day - I guess it shows...

Jane and I.

The lead singer was probably using a little too much language considering it was a family event, but everybody found it funny anyway. Being so short on cash recently, it's been a while since I've been to any sort of live music gig and I've forgotten how special the experience is - I've resolved to see more live music, as a result. Around 8.20pm it was very dark, and Tim Rogers began his set. As Earth Hour approached (8.30pm-9.30pm), the lights in the park and the stage were turned off and all that was left were the instruments, creating a really cool sensation. I hadn't been feeling well for a little while now, so we decided it might be best to leave after 15 minutes or so, to avoid the traffic (in case I would get to point where I needed to hit the bathroom). So unfortunately, we didn't get to see all of Tim Rogers, which was a shame because I was really enjoying his performance when we left.

The foreboding sky.

The crowd.

Our view of the stage.

Tim Rogers.

The stage.
Cool camera effects.

The stage.

But alas, an incredibly magical night all the same...


How was everyone's weekend?


Romany
p.s. I will do an award post in the coming days - don't worry, lovelies, I haven't forgotten.

[photos courtesy of my iPhone, my digital camera]

The week that was...

This week has been painfully boring. I'd sort of given up a little bit on the job-hunt. You know when something is failing for you over a long period of time, and you just become really disheartened about the whole thing, no matter what it is? And as the time ticks on, you start to question the decision and wonder whether its what you really wanted in the first place? Yeah, that's pretty much my head-space for the week that's just passed. But I've decided I'm going to start being more pro-active as of Monday, and try not to let it get me down. There are many more important things in life than a job, and I just have to put it all in perspective. It's not really a question of optimism or pessimism because I'm generally a very optimistic person - this is just a blip, if anything, simply because it's taking longer than I thought it would (and therefore putting off my much-anticipated trip to Europe due to lack of funds). Enough complaining...
Let's take a closer look at the week that has just come to a close...

Quote

"I have literally just been in this place of zero fear. I just believe, as totally hippy bullshit as that sounds, anything's possible if you're willing to grab it and make it your own. You look at Stevie Nicks. Did she have the most amazing voice in the world? Fuck no -- but she got on stage and she owned every molecule inside of herself and completely captured every molecule around everybody else in the entire room. She was this poster child for, 'I don't give a fuck, it's about my soul and my spirit and my music, and you either dig it or you don't.' And that's kind of my take on all this -- minus the vulgar words."

~Erin Wasson, on her current life-philosophy, to Paper Mag.

Ah, to not care. To be completely impervious to the sometimes traumatising effect of the judgements of others. Now that would be the life...

Wardrobe Envy

Jessica Alba has been sporting these 2151 Ray Bans all over California, recently, inspiring some serious envy. I've never really gotten into the Wayfarer trend, but this particular pair seem to be calling my name.

Music

I Speak Because I Can, British indie/folk singer Laura Marling's sophomore album, has been described by Marling, herself, as dealing with "responsibility, particularly the responsibility of womanhood", and features a more mature sound and lyricism, in comparison to her debut album Alas I Cannot Swim. NME claims it be 'a stunning performance', and I think I might just agree.

News

Abbey Lee Kershaw for Michael Kors F/W 2010

Designer Michael Kors has vowed to raise the minimum age limit on models he hires to 16. "I think super-young girls used to be the exception," Kors says. "There’s always been a Twiggy, or a model who is very young. But they were few and far between. Now, they’re completely common. That’s something I see as a huge problem. The age of models really has to become a priority. We need to give these girls a chance to grow up."

"The fashion industry is starting to address real women again," Kors said at the Boston Health Forum, to applause from the audience. "Adults are in vogue. What a shock. This show season really was about the return of the adult in every city . . . The emphasis in fashion is shifting toward an emphasis on real women who are women, not girls. The reality is that women who buy designer clothes are 30-plus. The visual has to match the reality. Girls dressed up in their mother’s clothes? Guess what, it’s not attractive."

Vintage Beauty

Kirk Douglas and Brigitte Bardot
photographed in Cannes, 1953
Did you know that Brigitte Bardot became a press sensation after this set of photographs of her and Kirk Douglas (and also Errol Flynn) hanging on the Cannes beachfront during the 1953 Film Festival were snapped? Bardot was only 19 at the time, and starring in Un Acte d'Amour with Douglas. Bardot, famous for her 'mermaid style' blonde hair, was naturally a brunette. Ah, trivia...

Currently...
...listening to: Laura Marling.
...watching: old reruns of The Simpsons.
...reading: still trying to get through the Great Gatsby (I'm a slow reader).
...eating: Strawberry Shortcake biscuits.


Tell me all about your week!


Have a beautiful weekend!


Romany

[photos courtesy of celebrity-gossip.net, popoholic.com, en.wikipedia.org, style.com and kirk_douglas.images6.com]

For every beauty, there is an eye somewhere to see it...

What is beauty? Is it a glowing smile? A couture gown? A great haircut? An Italian sunset?
According to definition, it's the qualities that give pleasure to the senses. So in fact, all of these examples, and many more, could be true. Because beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder. Modern society, media in particular, has an obsession with telling the public (especially women) what is and isn't beautiful: Angelina Jolie is thin and has big lips, therefore she is beautiful. Jennifer Love Hewitt wore a too-small bathing suit (we've all been there), and Jessica Simpson is famous for fluctuating weight, therefore they deserve to be the subjects of ridicule. It's crazy how far we, as a society, have come in terms of the Obsession With Beauty (an obsession which I, myself, have succumbed to on more than one occasion I'll admit). But no matter how intense this Obsession becomes, it's crucial to acknowledge that we are living in a world filled with more than 6 billion inhabitants, and notions of beauty vary greatly not only from person to person, but from culture to culture, also.

Marilyn Monroe
1950s

Angelina Jolie
photographed by Steven Klein
Today

I'd like to draw your attention to a post written by little blogger by the name of Drea Morsby a few weeks ago on this same subject. Drea says her interest on this subject was piqued while at TAFE one unassuming day...

A Tongan employee stopped me during my lunch break to tell me that I have a wonderful figure that would be highly revered back in her country. She specifically noted my 'big legs and pretty face' and indicated at my shapely hips with a hand gesture. It really made my day to hear that somewhere, in some other country I would be considered perfect given that my shapely legs and short stature have been subject to the odd comment of ridicule in their time here in the western world.

Drea then goes on to highlight the differences in the notions of beauty within different cultures and eras, such as...

• In traditional African tribes, pendulous breasts were considered the most attractive and the women would bind their breasts down flat to promote this look.

• Even back here in the West, in the 1920's the fashion for women was to bind their breasts flat against their chest.

• Small wide set breasts were, also, considered perfection in the middle ages.

• Nowadays large, rounded, close set (cleavage, baby) breasts are considered the most attractive.

• In countries where HIV is a problem, the men find curvier women more attractive, as being skinny is associated with having HIV.

• Until about a hundred years ago, women in china had to bind their feet in order to be considered eligible for marriage. Bound feet were considered as 'dainty' and attractive because they rendered the woman vulnerable.

• Womanly curves were considered most desirable in the 1950's. Then Twiggy came along in the 60's with her up and down figure thus sparking the 'new look', and became the first international super model. Twiggy had said that she 'desperately wanted curves' and didn't like the way she looked. She thought everyone had 'gone stark raving mad!'

• Asian cultures consider a creased eyelid to be very attractive and many undergo plastic surgery to alter their eyelids with an epicanthic fold (skin fold of the upper eyelid, from the nasal bone to the inferior side of the eyebrow, covering the inner corner of the eye).

• In Ye Olde times, it was more attractive to be curvy and pale as that indicated you were rich enough to eat well and spend your days leisurely inside. Their superficial veins appeared blue through their pale skin and thus explains the term 'blue blood' for nobility. Some women even went so far as to draw blue veins on their skin to attain this exclusive, noble look. Poor people weren't as well fed and had to work in the fields all day thus they were slender and tanned.

• The industrial revolution brought all the 'poor' workers inside into factories and thus it became fashionable to be tanned because that indicated you had enough time and money to partake in leisurely activities outside in the sun.

Wow! Talk about variety. And so we come to the confirmation that beauty really is in the eye of the beholder (or at least, the culture of the beholder). And we realise, as demonstrated by the desirable flat breasts of the 1920s in comparison to the glorification of large breasts nowadays, what is popularly considered to be 'beautiful' changes over time, anyway. Ah, it's a fickle society we live. But this is good, because it means everybody gets their turn to be acknowledged for their beauty.

Audrey Hepburn
photographed by Mark Shaw

And so I'll leave you with a little poem by Sam Levenson that happened to be one of Audrey Hepburn's favourites...

For attractive lips,
speak words of kindness.

For lovely eyes,
seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure,
share your food with the hungry.

For beautiful hair,
let a child run his or her fingers through it once day.

For poise,
walk with the knowledge you'll never walk alone.

People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed and redeemed;
Never throw out anybody.

Remember,
if you ever need a helping hand,
you'll find one at the end of your arm.

As you grow older,
you will discover,
that you have two hands,
one for helping yourself,
the other for helping others,

The beauty of a woman,
is not in the clothes she wears,
The figure that she carries,
or the way she combs her hair,

The beauty of a woman
must be seen from in her eyes,
because that is the doorway to her heart,
the place where love resides.

The beauty of a woman
is not in a facial mole,
but true beauty in a woman,
is reflected in her soul.

It is the caring that she lovingly gives,
the passion that she shows,
And the beauty of a woman,
with passing years only grows.

Enlighten me, readers. What do you find beautiful?

photographed by Thom Kerr

Romany

[photos courtesy of pixdaus.com, wmagazine.com, cinematicpassions.wordpress.com and thomkerr.com]

Dress Like an Icon...Twiggy

(item credits)

With her waif like figure, boyish hair cut and striking eye lashes, Twiggy created an image that would epitomise an era. She became the idol for millions of teenage girls of the sixties revolution. By the age of 17, Twiggy was one of the most famous faces on the planet: her photograph was even encased in a time capsule and sent into space. By this time in the sixties, Twiggy had already become a household name across the globe, an icon whose image graced the covers of Vogue, Tatler and even her own American publication Her Mod, Mod Teen World.
She was once described as "the Cockney Kid with a face to launch a thousand shapes... And she's only 16!" If you've ever considered trying your hand at the Twiggy, look no further for help...

Twiggy is the second last Icon that I've created a look for, so I'll be out of looks after next week. Are there any Icons you'd like to see me create a look for? I need ideas!

Romany

[photos courtesy of polyvore.com and sixtiescity.com]

The Curve

Kim Kardashian
vacationing in Miami, Florida

When it comes to modern-day curves, it's pretty hard to go past ol' Kimmy K. Say what you want about her tv show, her style, her past mistakes (*cough*sex tape*cough*), her friends, her personality, her increasingly plastic-looking face (Kim, honestly, you're too young for surgery) - but it simply can't be denied that Kim has a fabulous body. And she worked hard for it. She may have her insecurities, but it's clear Kim is content with how she looks. And who wouldn't be?
"If Paris Hilton thinks my butt looks gross I really don't care. At least I have a butt."
Kim Kardashian.

On another note, I received an award from the gorgeous Pippa over at Clashing Time.

The rules...
1. pass it on to 6 others.
2. let them know so they can post the same.

And so I pass the torch onto...
A Red Lipstick
Fashion Unplug
Daydream In Blue
Audrey Allure
tweet
Simply Luxurious

Enjoy lovelies!

Romany

[photos courtesy of celebrity-gossip.net]

The week that was...

Don't you just hate having the flu? It just doesn't go away. But besides the whole feeling-like-crap-24/7 thing, there is one thing I look forward to when getting sick - I lose my voice! Am I crazy for loving it when my voice is all husky and raspy? It just gives me the giggles (these giggles produce very little actual sound, rather a high-pitched weezing more like, which just makes me even more entertained).
Despite the flu, it's been a big week. I got an invitation to a VIP party at the Chadstone Shopping Event Wednesday night, and brought my friend Hannah along with me. We had no idea what to expect when we got there, but basically it was a trendy cafe in the middle of the shopping centre (up the stairs from the runway parade) with a 'black' carpet and velvet ropes. Hannah and I got there relatively early, so we were some of the first to fill out the area but soon more people began to arrive. The cafe was filled mostly with the models who'd just finished their first parade downstairs and needed a drink before the next one. I can only assume the rest were in the industry or regular Joe's like Hannah and I who were lucky enough to get an invite. There were photographers (mostly interested in capturing the models), a DJ, free drinks and food and even a list. My name has never been on a list before, it was incredibly exciting! The only downside was the floor was covered with a giant mirror that ran along the entire length of the cafe. Needless to say, all of us girls decked out in dresses were terrified of being exposed, and walked around with our hands clasped to our bums hoping to avoid accidentally flashing people! After hanging in the VIP area for about an hour and a half, we went downstairs to the second parade. Hannah and I were assuming we would just have to stand up outside of the roped-off area filled with 'reserved' chairs like almost everybody else, but then realised my listed name meant that two of these seats were 'reserved' for us! So we were able to enjoy the parade sitting in the third row. All of the clothes that were showcased were gorgeous, and made us eager to take advantage of the sales going on all around us in the shopping centre. After the parade, were treated to a performance by Paris Wells. Then Hannah and I did what we did best, we shopped! Unfortunately, our lack of jobs meant that neither of us had enough money but it was still fun to try on anything we fancied. All in all, a very fun night.
So let's take a closer look at the week that has just come to a close...

Quote

"Yes, I’m against [gay marriage] for a very simple reason: In the 60s they all said we had the right to the difference. And now, suddenly, they want a bourgeois life. For me it’s difficult to imagine—one of the papas at work and the other at home with the baby. How would that be for the baby? I don’t know. I see more lesbians married with babies than I see boys married with babies. And I also believe more in the relationship between mother and child than in that between father and child."

~Karl Lagerfeld, on gay marriage to Vice Magazine.

Karl gives us another quote to discuss this week. Basically he's saying that during the gay rights movement of the '60s activists said they had the right to be different from everyone. Now in 2010, he has a problem with the fact that they are trying to get the right to be part of the masses that subscribe to the idea of marriage. Hmm. Thoughts?

Wardrobe Envy

Mandy Moore shopping at The Urban Pet store in Hollywood, California.
This may be a very simple outfit that Mandy is rocking, but it's inspiring some serious envy in me. By now, you all know I love stripes, and when paired with some dark skinny jeans and a brown satchel that looks remarkably like the one I've been hunting for, it's an every-day outfit dream come true! The only problem is the shoes. Had Mandy worn some cute flats, it would have been a flawless look.

Music

Beach House have been labelled as 'dream pop' due to their slow, atmospheric rhythms and haunting lyrics. The band's latest album, Teen Dream, has been called 'both the most diverse and most listenable of their three full-lengths, and yet it never seems like a compromise', with lead singer Victoria Legrand's voice being praised as 'coiling like smoke in the arches of the church'. Listen to Zebra.

News

Tina Fey
photographed by James White for Esquire Magazine's upcoming issue.

Tina Fey covers Esquire April. This isn't exactly news, but it's an excuse to share some absolute gems that Tina gave for the article. She says...

"The best doughnut? That's Peter Pan doughnuts in Brooklyn. It's a Polish bakery. We shot nearby once for 30 Rock. It's a white-cream-filled powdered doughnut. And I really believe, when I first tried it, if I had a penis, I would put it in this doughnut. I finally understand what you guys are thinking about and what motivates you guys.
"My four year old daughter has a pretend hair-and-nail salon, and I was doing her hair and makeup. I said, 'Hello ma'am. What's your name? And what do you do?' And she said, 'I get paid to dance at parties.' And I said, 'Oh, no. That's a terrible, terrible answer.'
"What I've come to realize is that when people say, 'The thinking man's whatever' — there's no such thing. The thinking man also wants to fuck Megan Fox."

Vintage Beauty

Eva Herzigova
photographed by Vincent Peters for GQ Italia (August 2008)

A year and a half qualifies as 'vintage' in my books. Oh who am I kidding, I should really change the name of this section. But I think I'll keep it, just for a laugh.

Currently...
...listening to: Sigur Ros
...watching: old James Cameron movies (Aliens, Terminator 1 & 2 etc...)
...reading: The Great Gatsby - reading is a real struggle for me, so I'm still only halfway through this tiny, little book.
...eating: homemade sherbert. I can seriously feel the holes forming in my teeth.


Tell me all about your week!


Have a beautiful weekend!


Romany

[photos courtesy of celebrity-gossip.net, en.wikipedia.org, esquire.com and touchpuppet.com]

Fall 2010 Ready-to-Wear...Paris

Warning: image heavy
I had planned on doing a really in-depth review of the Paris shows, today, but it turns out collating all of the looks was incredibly time-consuming and...I'm out of time. So it's the week just in pictures, now. Here are my favourite looks from Paris Fashion Week...

Loved the House of Rykiel show. Barracuda TV covered the show, and managed to catch some unique behind-the-scenes footage, as well as interviews with Nathalie and Sonia Rykiel, Anna Dello Russo, Beth Ditto, Irina Lazareanu and many more.

Now, over to you all. What were some of your favourite moments from Fall Ready-to-Wear, Paris or otherwise?

Romany

[photos courtesy of style.com]