Couture Ink

It's Friday! Are you as glad as I am that the weekend has finally arrived? I'm pumped to have a couple of days to wind down from the hectic week.

This has unintentionally turned into Fashion Week here at A Blonde Ambition, but that's totally A-Ok with this chick. Looking at clothing to me is like sports or online gaming for dudes; I never tire of it and I always want more.

I've been so inspired by Australian Vogue lately and today I stumbled across these photos from the Spring 2010 Chanel runway show. I love the juxtaposition of the hard/edgy tattoos against the soft/feminine clothing. Although we've seen the use of body art in past runway shows, it's never been quite this, (dare I say), tasteful.

Who knew tattoos could be considered "couture"?

Despite how you may feel about permanent ink, I think the idea of incorporating this into the show was genius. Please note: The tattoos were only temporary and no models were harmed during the show : )

I'm not saying I'm going to run out and plant a permanent Chanel logo on my backside, but I do think this was a super-sexy, fresh idea. Very forward-thinking. One more reason Chanel always stands out on the catwalk.

I actually think Miss Coco would have been proud.

Have a great weekend! Be blessed, lovelies!

XOXO,

Leslie

Photo credits: Australian Vogue

Dior in Springtime

What is it, I ask you, about a Thursday that is just so darn wonderful? Is it just me, or is everyone seemingly more pleasant on Thursdays? Before we dive into Dior, here are a few random reasons why I think Friday-Eve is so fabtabulous:

-Because tomorrow is Friday, which means the next day is Saturday, which means I can sleep late (er) than usual. My body seems to think I must wake at 6:30 every morning, even on the weekends, which is annoying. But at least I can wake at 6:30 on Sat/Sun knowing that I can roll over and finish my dream about Bradley Cooper without the interruption of having to hit my snooze button.

-Because Thursdays are Project Runway/wine night at Casa de Leslie. Nuff said.

-Because even though Thursday is my "hardcore" afternoon at the gym, I know that Friday is pizza day and I can gorge myself like Augustus Gloop tomorrow. (Yeah, it's not a pretty site, but hey, a girl's gotta reward herself once in a while!)

So yeah, Thursdays. They are legit.

Ok, moving on to Dior. Dior in Springtime, that is.

I was perusing the (web) pages of Australian Vogue and stumbled upon these gorgeous photos from the Spring 2010 Dior Collection. Ah, bliss...

It seems as if the Dior peeps were really inspired by the Victorian era, maybe even films like Mary Poppins or My Fair Lady. And I don't know about you guys, but I think it's totally refreshing to see a runway show that not trying to be weird/deep/meaningful. It's just feminine costuming at its finest.

This collection also leaves me longing for spring....sigh....

I also saw this photo in my March issue of Glamour in an advertisement for My Cherie by Dior. So very Alice-in-Wonderland!

What do you think of the Dior Spring Collection? Does it make you totally crave warm weather and flowers and tea parties?

Well anywho, Happy Thursday and I'll see you back here tomorrow.

Be blessed, lovelies!

XOXO,

Leslie

Photo credits: Australian Vogue, Dior.com

Trend Watch Wednesday: Farewell Alexander

Good morning and happy Wednesday, Blonde Ambitioners! I'm so glad you stopped by for this special edition of Trend Watch Wednesday. In honor of his recent, tragic passing, I wanted to dedicate today's TWW to none other than Mr. Lee Alexander McQueen, iconic fashion designer and all-around creative genius.

Shots from the runway shows for the Spring 2010 collection and Spring 2008 collection

It's hard to sum up what McQueen did for haute couture in only a few words. His collections were known for their raw energy and vivid colors. At times, his work was the center of controversy, as McQueen often used his designs to voice his political beliefs and shed light on social injustices. The topic of many a fashion debate, his work was anything but boring.

Dresses from McQueen's Spring 2010 collection

McQueen was born in London on March 17, 1969, the youngest of six children. He left high school at the age of 16th, but was offered an internship at the famous Saville Row tailors Anderson and Shepard and, soon after, Gieves and Hawkes.

Sandra Bullock, Anna Paquin and McQueen's muse, Isabella Blow

After working in theatrical costuming, he was hired by designer Koji Tatsuno. A short year later, McQueen travelled to Milan where he worked as an assistant to Romeo Gigli. Following his stint in Milan, McQueen returned to London and completed a Master's degree in Fashion Design at Central Saint Martin's.

Pewter platform shoe from McQueen's Fall 2009 collection

His big break came in 1992, when he famously debuted his MA collection, which was bought in its entirety by Isabella Blow.

Shots from Spring 2001 collection and Spring 2007 collection

In October 1996, he was named Chief Designer at couture house Givenchy, where he worked until March 2001.

In less than 10 years in the industry, McQueen became one of the most highly respected fashion designers and artists in the world. He boasted many famous clients including long-time friend Sarah Jessica Parker, Cate Blanchett, Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Victoria Beckham and Drew Barrymore. In 2008, McQueen made headlines when he dressed First Lady Michelle Obama in his signature pinstripe pant suit for the Presidential campaign.

His continually-fresh perspective and artistic ingenuity will be greatly missed, but never forgotten.

Here's to the life and work of Alexander McQueen--

XOXO,

Leslie

Photo credits: alexandermcqueen.com, Vogue, Elle, Glamour

Movies With Style: Coco Before Chanel

Greetings, lovely blog friends! I hope it's as sunny in your area as it is in Northwest Arkansas today. It's been so long since we've all seen sun, I almost didn't know what to think this morning. As usual, a couple random tidbits before we cut to the chase:

1. Did anyone else tune into Kell On Earth last night? It's that new show about Kelly Cutrone, owner of People's Revolution, a major fashion P.R. agency in Manhattan. You might remember her as Whitney's boss on the show The City. Well, anywho, it might be one of my favorite new shows on Bravo, (other than Millionare Matchmaker, of course.)

I dunno if it's because I've worked an advertising/PR internship before, (though mine wasn't NEARLY as stressful as those kids'), or that I just get a kick out of watching the eccentric designers with whom People's Revolution works. Whatever. I'm in lurve with Kell and her craziness.

2. I haven't had a Coke in 3 days. This has to be some kind of a record, since I drink a Coca-Cola Classic nearly every single day. It all started with me forgetting to buy some at the grocery store last week and, as we all know, if you don't have it around, you won't eat/drink it. They also have this amazing new apple juice in our vending machine at work, which actually tastes much better than Coke right now. I'm sure I'll break the cycle eventually and cave, but right now, I'm Coca-Cola free.

3. Remember how I had you guys submit fashion questions for the creative team at Spool No. 72 a couple weeks ago? Good news! The questions have been submitted and I will have an exclusive Q and A interview for you hopefully next Monday! Yay for fashion questions!

Now, for the topic of today's post.

This past weekend during my deep-thinking/pensive mood, I decided to devote Saturday night to ice cream and a movie. So to the RedBox I went. To my delight, Coco Before Chanel was available, so I snatched it up, grabbed the Ben and Jerry's and headed back to my place.

Chanel is one of my all-time favorite labels, not because I own tons of it, (maybe someday, sigh...), but because for me, it defines classic elegance. I've always been intrigued by the life of Coco Chanel, but all I ever heard about was her life and success after starting the design house. I wanted to know, well, Coco before she was "Chanel", if you will.

This movie is about the woman behind the C's. She began her life as an orphan and through hard work and a fighter's attitude, established one of the most successful, iconic labels of all time. The film portrays the early years of Coco's life, the years she spent discovering, inventing and re-inventing herself.

The movie stars Audrey Tautou as Coco Chanel and is directed by Anne Fontaine. It's a beautiful tribute to a fashion icon and I would definitely recommend adding it to your Netflix queue.
Who are some of your favorite fashion icons and design houses? Anyone else get goosebumps when they hear stories like Coco Chanel's?

Tomorrow's Forecast

In honor of the recent passing of Alexander McQueen, we'll be looking at some of his most famous looks from the runway to the red carpet.

Photo credits: IMDB, Chanel.com, Alexandermcqueen.com

Crave-Worthy Closets

Welcome back from the weekend, ya'll. Hope everyone enjoyed a couple of days off work and got a chance to relax before the craziness of this week begins.

This weekend was kind of a mellow one for me, which is a good change of pace for this girl. Friday, I went out on Dickson Street (which is kind of the main going-out place in Fayetteville), but was at home and in bed by 12:30, which is admittedly a very un-cool time to be in bed on a Friday, haha. I was just exhausted from the busy week I'd had.

Saturday was official "Catch Up on Laundry Day" for me, so I spent the morning cleaning my very neglected apartment and getting some other chores caught up for this week. I felt kind of "blah" on Saturday night, so I opted for a movie at home and ice cream, haha. Don't we all need one of those nights now and then?

This weekend also gave me some much-needed time to think about some personal stuff and be all pensive and whatnot. I feel like I'm kind of in a weird place right now, trying to figure out how to be 25 and balance a career, be financially responsible (pay bills, save money, file tax returns, etc.), make time for my family and friends and survive the jungle that is being single, haha. Oh my...it's overwhelming sometimes, ya know? Alright, enough about that.

Even though the topic got postponed until next week, I still had a blast participating in Kelly's Korner and sharing my sort-of-collections with you guys! So as a follow-up to that, I thought I'd pass along these pics from Canadian House and Home of crave-worthy closets!

I mean, if you're going to have a massive collection of clothes/shoes/accessories, you might as well have a cute place to put it! My current place does have a GREAT walk-in closet that more than accomodates my stuff, but alas, a girl can always dream bigger....

Boho Chic Dressing Room

Sleek Dressing Room

Feminine Walk-In Closet

Sleek Open Clothing Closet

Glam Dressing Room

Fabric Curtain Closet

Even though it would be costly to rennovate a closet like these, there are some good ideas here that could be incorporated into even the smallest closets. Try using a pretty, fabric shower curtain to cover an open closet in a studio apartment or dorm room. Hint: Shower curtains are usually cheaper than window panels, so save some money and shop straight out of the bath department!

Echo "Jaipur" curtain- $35, Tracy Reese curtain- $40 (both from Dillard's)

Also, I'm loving these cute spool shaped hooks from Pottery Barn. These would be totally great for hanging small scarves, hats or extra shoe laces. PB also has this great jewelry box that looks almost like a piece of art.

Wooden "Spool" hooks- $19, Emmett Jewelry Tree- $69 (both from Pottery Barn)

Which of the above dressing room designs is your fave?

Photo credits: House and Home, Dillard's, Pottery Barn