100 contemporary fashion designers

“You can say that designing is quite easy; the difficulty lies in finding a new way to explore beauty.”

Yohji Yamamoto

I’ve been wanting 100 contemporary fashion designers book for a very long time and finally it’s mine. The 7kg special edition arrived last week and made me feel very happy and inspired, indeed.

“Be true to what you believe in and follow your passions.”

Giorgio Armani

The book itself is gorgeous and consists of two volumes nesting inside a beautiful folder. Written by Terry Jones, the founder and creative director of i-D magazine, it is packed with probably the most comprehensive and detailed list and information about designers who are making history of the 21st century fashion from Alaia, Armani and Ackermann to Alexander Wang, Yamamoto and Dries Van Noten.

“There is nothing more attractive than a woman who values her uniqueness.”

Donna Karan

Each chapter includes a one-page bio in English, German and French that covers the designer and the brand, followed by an interview that opens a window into the designer’s mind, philosophy and inspirations and becomes sort of a story itself. We also get a chance to see stunning editorial images and a few outfits from fashion shows.

“Beauty is something coming from the inside; it is a reflection of personality.”

Roberto Cavalli

I was particularly happy (and had a lump of tears in my throat at the same time) to see  pages dedicated to Alexander McQueen and John Galliano.

“I am here to make people dream, to seduce them into buying beautiful clothes and to strive to make amazing clothing to the best of my ability. That is my duty.”

John Galliano

This really is a must-have book for anyone who loves fashion and want to learn more about the designers whose names are currently on the lips of many fashionistas and pages of fashion magazines and yet their stories are still very minimalistic compared to the fashion classics of Chanel, Dior and Yves Saint Laurent.

A real pleasure to browse and read and a treasure to own.

“I believe in style, not fashion.”

Ralph Lauren

Available on Amazon

All quotes are taken from the book, photographs and quotes may not belong to the same designer

Photo source: cover photo via Taschen, other photographs of the book pages are taken by me

Green inspirations

The colour of eternal life, beauty and harmony, green became one of the jewels in a rainbow crown of many spring 2011 collections. The choice of shades from the deeply rich emerald, malachite and jade to light and delicate jasper and chrysoprase created a multitude of colour combinations. So perfect for summer, the green also made its way into autumn fashions turning green summer silks and buttery soft leather into luxurious transitional pieces that you could wear in the fall, too.

Nature can be an endless source of inspiration for finding the right colours that look beautiful with green tones. Just look at the flowers and compliment your green with soft rose, white or deep blue, or be bold by combining it with yellow, orange, pink or red to create striking colour-blocks. I also feel that adding a touch of gold jewellery and tan accessories brings the best out of any shade of green, so I thought it’s worth to mention.

A Detacher * Jil Sander Spring/Summer 2011

Issa * Krizia Spring/Summer 2011

Ports 1961 * Monique Lhuillier Spring/Summer 2011

Akris * Burberry Spring/Summer 2011

Christian Dior * Michael Kors Sring/Summer 2011

Matthew Williamson * Hermes Spring/Summer 2011

Erin Fetherston * Byblos Spring/Summer 2011

Carolina Herrera * Gianfranco Ferre Spring/Summer 2011

Photo sources: Numero 77 October 2006, Vogue Spain December 2007, Marie Claire Italy 2011, Amica May 2009, Harper’s Bazaar August 2010, Elle Mexico July 2011, Vogue UK March 2011, Vogue Mexico 2010, Financial Times February 2011, L’Officiel Paris May 2010

Stylish quote

“A dress makes no sense unless it inspires men to want to take it off you”

Françoise Sagan

Photo source: Vogue Germany December 2009

Diesel campaign Spring/Summer 2011

As I confessed last Sunday, I adore Diesel jeans. They come in so many styles, a girl can feel totally spoiled by choice whether she is curvy, athletic or slim, wears classic or prefers to feel like a rock star.

Their advertising campaigns are also just as great as the product. Doesn’t this island sound like the most perfect place in the world? And I bet, they give you Diesels as soon as you arrive.

If you like Diesel jeans then don't forget to have a look at www.very.co.uk It offers a great choice of styles as well as plenty of other clothes to choose from.

Natalia Vodianova in W July 2002

I love this editorial shot by Bruce Weber. It’s was a treasured possession that got lost because somebody (yes, moi) forgot to do a back-up and then found again years later (and yes, carefully saved on a separate disk this time by, of course, yours truly).

The first and second photos are the ones I’ve always been most found of, but frankly, I think all of them are gorgeous.

Photo source: W July 2002

Outfit du jour: Miu Miu and chocolate flowers

Saturday was pretty uneventful. We had to stay at home and look after little Oscar who had a bit of trouble with his paw and couldn’t go outside for a proper doggy walk. Once the pupster was content, we headed off to the garden and played with the camera a little bit. 

This is one of my casual summer outfits that I really like. The Armand Basi silk blouse is very versatile and works nicely with jeans as a floaty top or can be tuck into pencil skirts for smart outfits. Diesel jeans are my favourite – I fell in love with Diesel a few years ago because they work well with curves and are super comfortable. The Miu Miu shoes were a lucky find back in 2008. I think the heel is absolutely gorgeous and the carved flowers remind me of the chocolate Cosmos. These flowers smell of chocolate! How amazing is that? They also have the most beautiful dark velvet petals that I can stare at forever.

Photo source: personal