Religion Vs. Freedom of Speech

The image speaks for itself. 

Image: American Humanist Association

#JeSuisCharlie
Photo: Jean Paul Gaultier

Joan Didion: Céline's new face

Joan Didion: Face of Céline ss2015
Photo: Juergen Teller

Céline recruited a LADY, a REAL LADY for its spring-summer 2015 campaign.

She is Joan Didion, a well-known American journalist and writer.

Ms. Joan Didion

Her writing is mainly related to the world's political events, and lately she's written a sort of fictional stories linked somehow to her late years, and the personal experiences she's had. 

Joan Didion, nowadays

Ms. Joan Didion, early years

For those who are interested in Ms. Didion's bibliography, you may start reading "We Tell Ourselves Stories In Order To Live", which is a compilation of lots of her previous work, published in 2006. It can give you an idea of everything she wrote about in the 70's and 80's.

"We tell Ourselves Stories In Order To Live" cover
Everyman's Library - 2006

In a more personal spectrum you can read "The Year of Magical Thinking", which was written during a hard stage in her life, absolutely reflected in the book. It was published in 2005.

"The Year of Magical Thinking"
Knopf Publishing - 2005

It is actually not Ms. Didion's first fashion ad, she already participated along with her daughter Quintana Roo in a Gap campaign in 1989, photographed by Annie Leibowitz

Ms. Joan Didion and her daughter Quintana Roo, in a Gap ad from 1989
Photo: Annie Leibowitz

Now, talking about being the face of Céline: Ms. Phoebe Philo always makes good decisions related to Céline's campaigns.

We've seen such interesting faces in modeling (Daria Werbowy, Binx, Julia Nobis, Natalie Wlestling, Stella Tennant to name a few) that let us know she's interested in creative, very conceptual and intellectual advertising for the company's campaigns. Juergen Teller taking the campaigns' pictures in most of cases :)

Céline ss2014 - Amanda Murphy modeling
Photo: Juergen Teller

Céline fw2012 - Daria Werbowy modeling
Photo: Juergen Teller

Céline ss2011 - Stella Tennant modeling
Photo: Juergen Teller

This time she chose Ms. Didion, and gave to this campaign an inevitable intellectual feel, which I appreciate deeply.

My favorite Joan Didion's quote

Can't wait to see the rest of it :)

Best of fashion 2014: Galliano at Margiela??

Monsieur John Galliano

We all know who John Galliano is. This british designer, who took in the mid 90's charge of Givenchy. 

Linda Evangelista wearing Givenchy by John Galliano. Vogue 1996

Givenchy by John Galliano Couture 1997

He's the one who opened the door to young british designers to be acknowledged as the most talented group of individuals in the world.

He's also the one who saw himself falling in pieces after a anti-semitic comment he did being drunk (allegedly) on 2011, who forced LVMH to fire him after being Dior's creative director for over 13 years.

Dior Haute Couture Fall Winter 2008 finale

Sad story, I know, but the guy is way beyond a simple remark, isn't he??

He's one of the most talented individuals the United Kingdom has had.

His flamboyant personality, and his theatrical inspired Haute Couture and Pret-A-Porter shows have given him a special place in fashion.

Dior by John Galliano, Haure Couture Fall Winter

Dior by John Galliano Spring Summer 2004

After that infamous incident that kept him away from fashion for nearby three years, he's back! Not at Dior or any LVMH ateliers, but with one of the smartest fashion's businessmen I've seen, Renzo Rosso from Only the Brave Group, who hired him as Maison Martin Margiela's creative director... 

Galliano for Margiela?? Photo: Francois Guillot / Getty Images

WHAAAAAT??? Margiela and Galliano in a single sentence?? YES!!! Monsieur Galliano will command this legendary belgian house, founded by Monsieur Martin Margiela, who is no longer part or leader of the design team, but who gave Galliano his seal of approval.

Monsieur Margiela himself gave his seal of approval to John Galliano's appointment

While Galliano is all about detail, luxury, volume, theatre, reference of the world's "cycles historiques", over the top styling; 

Devon Aoki wearing Dior by Galliano

Dior's collection designed by John Galliano's former assistant, Bill Gaytten.
A beautiful collection by the way :)

Maison Martin Margiela is about modesty, minimalism, recycling, luxury but shown in various unexpected ways. 

Maison Martin Margiela Haute Couture - Autumn Winter 2012

Maison Martin Margiela's infamous hair combs dress

Maison Martin Margiela Spring Summer 2009

Maison Martin Margiela Haute Couture - Autumn Winter 2012
One of my Margiela's favorite pieces

Maison Martin Margiela. Spring - Summer 2011
This freaking dress took me to space and brought me back when I saw it the first time... 

Liu Wen wearing Margiela

Kinga wearing Margiela

Margiela for H&M highlights

I certainly don't know how these two different aesthetiques would work, but there are two things I know for sure:

a. Renzo Rosso is a business genious. He knows where to invest his fortune, and how to multiply it. (I want to be like him when I grow up hahahahaha).

Renzo Rosso & John Galliano. Photo: Getty Images

b. Every single Maison Martin Margiela by Galliano piece will be a best seller. 100% sure of that! (He already has Ms. Anna Wintour's blessing, being the first person in the world to wear a MM Margiela by Galliano).

John Galliano with Anna Wintour, US Vogue's Editor in Chief
wearing a custom made Maison Martin Margiela by Galliano gown.
This is what I call a "BLESSING"...
Photo: British Fashion Council

This is my favorite fashion moment on 2014!!!

The Best in fashion 2014 - FREAKING Lupita Nyong'o!!!

Someone on MTV did this compilation of Lupita's style moments. Genious!

When I saw Lupita for the first time I just said: Hmmmm... she's got style. That skin is flawless, those gorgeous african features (reminder of Alek Wek and Ataui Deng) are exquisite. 

Lupita... sigh

Then I discovered she was nominated to an Oscar for her role in "12 Years a Slave" (2013), directed by Steve McQueen (No, it's not Alexander McQueen's cousin, for the record:).

I inmediately started following her steps. She was everywhere. She won a SAG Award, of course the Oscar to the Best Supporting Actress, and a zillion more awards.

Born in Mexico, Kenyan heritage, fluent in English, Spanish and Swahili. 

Lupita's US Vogue cover debut

Ahhhhh she's smart! Graduated from Hampshire College and YALE!!! F*ck yes, the girl besides being goooorgeous is very intelligent. She stole my heart...

Lupita's style was everywhere. She starred Miu Miu's campaign for spring 2014 (below), lots of photo spreads, unique red carpet moments and her latest achievement: a Lancôme campaign :)

Lupita for Lancôme

Lupita´s Miu Miu campaign

Lupita's Dazed Magazine cover, wearing Prada

The girl is something else, I can assure that. 

Here's a compilation of her best style moments:
a. My favorite look from Dazed's photoshoot, wearing Céline

Lupita for Dazed, February 2014, in Céline

b. DAAAAAAAMMMNNNNN!!! This Oscars gown... a vision for today's princess. Perfection in Prada. Hell yesssss!!!

Lupita at the Oscars 2014, in Prada

c. This Golden Globe Awards gown was exquisite, in Ralph Lauren

Lupita at the Golden Globes 2014, in Ralph Lauren

d. My favorite Lupita's photoshoot. For Vogue Italia, all pictures in Saint Laurent. As if Hedi Slimane thought about Lupita all the time to design this collection. It just fits like a glove on her. Lovely 

Lupita for Vogue Italia, in Saint Laurent

Lupita for Vogue Italia, in Saint Laurent

Lupita for Vogue Italia, in Saint Laurent

Lupita for Vogue Italia, in Saint Laurent

The Best in fashion 2014 - At last! Margiela's Matthieu Blazy finally acknowledged

Maison Martin Margiela is for me something too special. When I get to rank each season's shows; MM Margiela occupies a place beyond special, along with all Japanese designers (Comme Des Garcons' Rei Kawakubo, Junya Watanabe, Issey Miyake, Undercover, Sacai among others). For me all of them are beyond good and evil. They all represent the innovative face of fashion nowadays.

Maison Martin Margiela's infamous masks 

I personally love  Maison Martin Margiela's designs, Belgian house founded by Monsieur Martin Margiela, who sold to Renzo Rosso's Only the Brave group his company, and who always remained in absolute anonymity, showing on the catwalk merely deconstructivist lines, with unconventional silhouettes, unimaginable mix of textiles, use of recycled materials, and their famous masks that generated a very dramatic mood within their designs.


Martin Margiela's philosophy was to keep their workspace and their collaborators as if they were in a laboratory, even wearing white robes, and no one ever highlighted as a star designer, he used to let his creations speak for themselves.

When Renzo Rosso took over the company, he kept the same working creative atmosphere, and never attributed  Maison Martin Margiela's designs to a specific creative director; he attributed this work to an "in-house team."

FW 2015 Couture 

The fact is that MM Margiela presented wonderful collections, and that all the fans wondered who designed such beauties, took Suzy Menkes, current editor in chief of Vogue's digital versions worldwide, to reveal during Paris Couture shows in July, 2014 who was the mastermind behind Margiela's designs. It was Matthieu Blazy, a former  Raf Simons' contributor, who led the Maison, and who created such out of this world collections.

Matthieu Blazy

Quoting Ms. Menkes: "It is understandable that Renzo Rosso, whose company Only the Brave is behind Margiela, should want to keep Blazy backstage - especially since the founding designer so rarely showed his face. But you can't keep such a talent under wraps."

Ms. Suzy Menkes herself

So thanks to Ms. Menkes we know who has been behind Maison Martin Margiela all this time :)