Ellen Von Unwerth, Part One - Spring

[Taken from various issues of Lula Magazine]

Rabbit Heart

Tonight I'm off to see Florence and the Machine play at Smash & Grab, finally. I've been wanting to see her for yonks, and these photos taken at her latest video shoot have made me even more excited!

[By Alex Lake]

Update: Wearing a white tassled flapper dress and sky high gold heels, Florence was amazing live, performing plenty of powerful new songs (personal fave was Cosmic Love) as well as a spine tingling cover of the YeahYeahYeahs song Maps . She has such great energy, not to mention the longest legs I've ever seen. I think the last time I felt that happy after a gig was a couple of years ago when I saw Arcade Fire. I just wish I had tickets to see her again this summer!

[By Wade Fletcher]

GO GO GO

...and watch the new Chanel No.5 advert starring Audrey Tatou (soon to be seen as Madame Chanel herself in Coco Avant Chanel). It's finally hit their website! Shot by Amelie director Jean-Pierre Jeunet, the short film tells the story of a man enchanted by Audrey's fragrance after a chance encounter on the Orient Express...stunning.

Lissie Trullie

Listen here

Apparently...

I'm a 'Maven'?

http://www.elleuk.com/fashion/street-style/(section)/The-way-you-wear-it-Faded-denim/(offset)/0/(img)/330479

Snapped at a Converse party, I really didn't think this would see the light of day, but I have to admit I'm rather excited, a little narcissism can't hurt...can it? Though it would have been nice to be sans that vodka and orange and avec a bit more Mac.

[Blow Up]

If my memory of her has an expiration date, let it be 10,000 years...

Chungking Express by Wong Kar Wai is a packed with blurred beauty, ethereal colour and humorous poetic musings. Afterwards I wondered where I had seen this type of cinematography before...then it clicked, he directed My Blueberry Nights, starring Norah Jones and Jude Law - though this received mixed reviews, the style had stuck with me. I'm a sucker for romantic, crackly super 8-esque shots so the visions created by Wai's director of photography, Chris Doyle, means that the story often becomes secondary anyway. There are some gorgeous monologues though, and the Chinese rendition of The Cranberries hit Dreams featured on the soundtrack shouldn't be missed!! I've been told to watch In the Mood for Love and 2046 next...

'We rub shoulders every day, we may not know each other, but we could be friends some day'

'At the high point of our intimacy, we were just 0.01cm from each other. I knew nothing about her'

[Chungking Express]

[My Blueberry Nights]

New month, new muse.

Most recently famous for starring in the Chloe perfume campaigns, In Bruges and Harry Potter, the typically parisian Clémence Poésy is the latest inspiration for many bloggers out there right now.

[From top to botton: Unknown publication, Lula magazine, shot by Ellen Von Unwerth, Jalouse, May 2009 by Eymeruc Glaizem, Vogue Italia, October 2008 by Max Vadukul, Chloe Perfume campaign shot]

WAR

Having recently started my new job at War Magazine, I think I can be excused for this shameless plug...

'War isn’t a flip or abrasive allusion to violence. We’d like to think of our mantle as a call to arms against apathy, a celebration of being young , clued-up and maybe waging some small battle against sitting on the couch siphoning information from a tv set, when there are people to do and places to see.'

'Readers expecting a shoreditch bedsit fanzine will be set
straight at first flick. We take pride in our fluent news
and features, arresting photography and hefty fashion
section, packed with holy grail models and credits:
balmain , givenchy, margiela, giambattista valli, alexander
wang , marios schwab and more.'

[Issue 01 is free and out now, msg me for details on where to pick up a copy!]

Wardrobe Wishlist 2009

If I had the dollar this year, for Spring/Summer I would snap up a wardrobe full of Alexander Wang...hardly an original choice, but I really do love the fella.



Autumn/Winter would have to be dedicated to Luella...



Whilst interning at Luella, I learnt that Bartley was looking to make this season a little more mature than previous collections and she's succeeded - with preppy shirts, cashmere's in every shape and colour, military jackets and detailing, playful but sophisticated party frocks and fabulous fur capes...not to mention her beautiful new Flower bag (launched alongside the new issue of Lula magazine during London Fashion week at an adorable tea party). But with her signature bows and rebellious touches, she still manages to stay true to the 'Luella girl'...J'adore.

Starry Eyed

When it comes to music, I mainly listen to chicks and Ellie Goulding is no exception.

Because I have no idea how to embed links or anything snazzy like that (tips please bloggers?), you will just have to go either here:

http://www.myspace.com/elliegoulding

or here:

http://neongoldrecords.blogspot.com/search/label/ellie%20goulding

...to check her out. And if you go to the second link, I'd scrape around that blog for Passion Pit's song Moth's Wings too, their new album Manners is magical!

Annette Messager

Yesterday I went to the Hayward to see 'The Messengers' a restrospective of Annette Messager, who's widely regarded as one of Europe’s most important contemporary artists.

Objects and materials from everyday life - including newspaper and stuffed toys, photographs, cloth, wool and embroidery - as well as large scale inflatables and lights, are transformed to create artworks that explore the fears and fantasies beneath the surface of daily life. Her works freely move between a coexistence of opposing ideas, such as humour and fear, pure and vicious, reality and imagination, human and animal, life and death - which seemed to give off the impression of a curious, fragile little girl.

[Inflated-Deflated, 2006]

Described as a 'wheezing, heaving mass of inflatable body parts and fanciful creatures' there was something strangely relaxing about watching oversized entrails inflating and deflating.

[My Vows, 1988-91]

[Remains II (Family (II), 2000]

'I like to tell stories... children's stories are monstrous,' Messager has said, much of her work over the last four decades is based on toys and childhood.

[Story of Dresses, 1990]

[Casino, 2005]

This final photo shows the installation that won Messager the prestigious Golden Lion award at the 2005 Venice Biennale and, in my opinion, it was by far the most unsettling and impressive piece at the exhibition.

Inspired by the episode in the story of Pinnochio where he is swallowed by a whale, Casino is a 'welcoming belly, a warm and friendly burial'. Aquatic shapes both descend from the ceiling and inflate and light up underneath a sea of red silk which is slowly and eerily pumped with air, emerging from a door and spilling out in front of you in waves, like a scene straight out of a David Lynch movie.

Envy

I pretty much want every single piece of this outfit, particularly those vintage YSL houndstooth trousers.

Look at more of her perfect wardrobe here: http://lookbook.nu/user/18201-Krystal-S

Everybody's talking about...

Balmain. Still! And I'm not about to go against the fashion fold, particularly after attending the ASOS A/W 09 press day - they have the most impressive Balmainian (I'm hoping this will catch on?!) collection I've seen so far, with studded jackets and crop tops, luxurious harem pants, tight silver dresses and harsh pointed shoulders...take note, it hits the net in September.

[Balmain A/W 09]