ONLY – The Liberation

ONLY is synonymous with the creation of feminine silhouettes, whilst also challenging the boundaries of androgynous and sophisticated attire.

Whilst much of their catalogue is composed of denim, the tapered pieces accentuate the female’s natural beauty and grace.

The brand’s latest collection, entitled ‘Only Because We Can’, is the definition of roughened glamour.

The distressed, structured denim is contrasted against flowing fabrics, creating an alluring image, reminiscent of the 1990′s waif models.

Have you ever watched a television programme or a film and wondered where the actor / actress acquired their attire? It would be a dream, if one could merely press pause and the scene would direct you to garment and allow to you purchase immediately.

This has been a dream of mine for a while and was ecstatic when ONLY presented their interactive fashion feature film ‘The Liberation’.

The film is set in Florida, USA and follows three chic and strong ladies, each representing a different ONLY girl, as they travel to a small town, and wreak fashionable havoc on the mundane lives of the local people.

The protagonists bond with a local innocent girl and help bridge the gap for her to a life of maturity and independence.

‘The Liberation’ propels the audience into the scenes by leaving each moral decision up to you. Including stealing a pair of jeans, escaping from the town and peaking on other characters, you choose the story’s denouement!

Whilst enraptured by the action of the film, one can stop and examine the characters’ clothing by merely clicking on the screen, exhibiting a detailed image of the garment and an option to purchase.

With a hypnotic soundtrack by Lune and the possibility of winning a pair of ONLY jeans, watching ‘The Liberation’ is a necessity. (Follow the link above for the interactive footage, the video below is merely just a trailer)

One can follow ONLY’s latest trends on both Facebook and Twitter.

L’Odyssée de Cartier

Louis-François Cartier founded Cartier, the luxury jewellery and watch company in Paris, 1847. Since these humble beginnings, the brand has swelled and been the diamond home for royal coronations around the world.

To mark the company’s 165th anniversary, a visual masterpiece, L’Odyssée de Cartier, was constructed.

The cinematic footage places the audience in the shadow of a panther, an image synonymous with the Cartier brand, as he prowls around important locations and significant occasions in the brand’s esteemed history.

The artistic mini-film exhibits the most technical and impressive special effects, to gain the attention of their current clientele and future fans.

Arnaud M.Bamberger, Cartier UK’s executive chairman explained that;

“This project has been treated like a real movie, we wanted the best special effects, a big director, an incredible model and props to intertwine with our incredible history. We wanted a movie we would be proud to show to Steven Spielberg.”

The advertisement draws to a close at the Place Vendôme, where the jungle feline crosses paths with supermodel Shalom Harlow in the historic halls of the Grand Palais.

Whilst ‘L’Odyssée de Cartier’ is truly a work of art, it costed the company an estimated €4 million to create over a period of two years.

At only three and a half minutes, the excerpt is most definitely a projection of the future of advertising and merchandising.

“We want to build up an awareness of Cartier worldwide to give us hige impact around the world, It’s not a commercial decision, more a celebration of our history and a chance for us to bring that to a wider audience”.

Irish Film and Television Academy Awards 2012

The Irish Film and Television Academy Awards took place in the Convention Centre Dublin (CCD) last night, on the 11th of February.

The annual event honours personalities of the silver and smaller screens for their participation in creative excellence.

Whilst RTÉ drama Love / Hate and the film ‘The Guard’ were the evening’s most toasted productions, the garments which glided down the red carpet were just as spectacular.

Of the many candidates who would qualify for the best dressed award at last night’s affair, the majority spotlighted Irish creativity and designs.

Both Amy Huberman and Rozanna Purcell shone in the creativity of young Irish designer Dawn Fitzgerald.

Whilst Huberman’s piece reflected the stunning creations of vintage Hollywood, Purcell’s design accentuated the model’s enviable physique. Dawn Fitgerald Atelier is available in The Design Centre in Powerscourt Town Centre.

Niall ‘Bressie’ Breslin, of ‘The Voice of Ireland’ appeared incredibly dashing at the event alongside his elegant sister Andrea Breslin. 

Andrea epitomised youthful beauty in Rachel Gilbert from The Ivory Closet in Co. Limerick. 

‘Desperate Housewives’ star, Dana Delany was also accompanied by her sister to the event.

The actress was one of the few star to choose an Italian designer but looked exquisite in Prada. 

Chris O’ Dowd was an utter gentlemen on the red carpet in Louis Vuitton. However, even the French label could not draw away attention from his fiancée Dawn Porter, in her monochromatic William Vintage dress, blunt fringe and spiked clutch.

The future Mrs. O’ Dowd imbued style perfection!

Kathryn Thomas selected a rather daring look for last night’s ceremony.

The mélange of silk and satin provided the perfect combination of demure and temptation.

Synan O’ Mahony is another Irish creative mind who has found a home at The Design Centre. Alike Kathryn, O’ Mahony is a label to choose when one is looking to make a significant impact on the red carpet.

Charlene McKenna’s appearance on a red carpet is a continuous flash of photographers’ bulbs. At last night’s event, a similar situation enfolded.

McKenna’s decision to wear two pieces from Stephanie Grace Foy’s collection gained her a place on many best dressed lists.

Alike the aforementioned Synan and Dawn, Stephanie is an Irish designer but is currently London based.

As a huge fan of both collections, a recommendation to visit the designer’s blog and Facebook should not be taken lightly – it will most definitely offer both inspiration and awe.

Since her days as a student of Dublin City University, Laura Whitmore has reached unrivaled fame.

The Wicklow beauty is paving the pathway for many talented Irish people in London and in the broadcasting industry.

In a beautiful crimson gown by Belle & Bunty, the starlet refused to be a chameleon with the carpet and accessorised perfectly with a Lulu Guinness clutch.

Another lady in red came in the form of the beautiful Emma Waldron.

The former Miss Ireland and future primary school teacher chose one of my favourite designers, Umit Kutluk for the occasion.

Umit Kutluk is the third designer on tonight’s list who can be found in the Design Centre. Umit is currently working on his latest collection. I am on the edge of my seat with anticipation for his sophisticated designs.

Finally, the man of the moment, Michael Fassbender, strolled along the red carpet looking unabashedly handsome in Armani.

With the immeasurable success of his role in Steve McQueen’s ’Shame’, the thoughts of Fassbender appearing ruggedly attractive on many red carpets to come, is exactly what dreams are made of!

Vogue Italia; Kristen Stewart

Within the twenty-first century, the journey to stardom and success within the realm of Hollywood has experienced much change. Reality television and social networking has provided the audience with many of today’s most recognisable faces.

Today, there are very few actors and actresses who have grafted their craft through the old-fashioned method of determination, incessant auditioning and an innate passion for the industry. Kristen Stewart is one such actress.

Having begun her film career at eleven years of age, the child-actress started her movie portfolio by sharing the screen with icons such as Glenn Close and Jodie Foster.

With the forthcoming release of ‘The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part One’, due in cinemas this week, the fashion domain will peer down the microscope to examine what Stewart parades down the globe’s red carpets.

Kristin Stewart is photographed wearing a Blumarine lace maxi dress from their Autumn 2011 collection.

Vogue Italia, with editor-in-chief Franca Sozzani, is often considered to be the least commercial of Vogue’s publications and the magazine which holds most influence on fashion. The editorials contained within, often defy social conventions and leave the reader aghast with shocking and provocative imagery.

For their November issue, Vogue Italia chose Kristen Stewart as their gothic protagonist for the issue’s most hauntingly beautiful editorial.

Michelangelo di Battista captured the actress’ icy glare in regal and majestic poses whilst Alice Gentilucci provided a modern, tough edge to the montage with styling that included creations by Marchesa, Giambattista Valli and Chanel. 

Kristin Stewart is photographed wearing a Giambattista Valli gown from the Autumn 2011 collection.

(left) Kristin Stewart is photographed wearing an ensemble from Roberto Cavalli’s Autumn 2011 Ready to Wear collection.

(right) Kristin Stewart is photographed wearing a fringed gown from Alexander McQueen’s Autumn 2011 collection with Diego Dolcini platform ankle cut-out boots. 

(left) Kristin Stewart is photographed wearing a Giles Deacon high neck dress from the Ready to Wear Autumn 2011 collection.

(right) Kristin Stewart is photographed wearing a Franceso Scognamiglio embellished gown from the Autumn 2011 collection. 

Kristin Stewart is photographed wearing an ensemble from  Aquilano Rimondi’s Ready to Wear collection from Autumn 2011.

Kristin Stewart is photographed wearing a textured coat from Giorgio Armani’s Autumn 2011 Ready to Wear collection along with Christian Louboutin Aranea pumps.

Kristin Stewart is photographed wearing a silk dress and cape from Chanel’s Autumn 2011 Ready to Wear collection.

Band of Outsiders; Rupert Grint & Tom Felton

Scott Sternberg, creative director at Band of Outsiders is unique within the fashion realm. Sternberg, once a junior agent at Los Angeles’ Creative Arts Agency (CAA) had no experience in designing when he first founded Band of Outsiders.

Four years later, his dedication to his craft earned him the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Swarovski Award for Emerging Menswear Designer. In 2009, Sternberg shared the CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year Award with Italo Zuchelli of Calvin Klein.

Rupert is wearing cotton terry cloth sweatpants and hoodie, wood and cashmere V-neck sweater, scarf, beanie and nylon and suede boat shoes.

Tom is wearing printed oxford cloth pullover shirt, chinos and suede boat moccasins. 

Band of Outsiders are synonymous with their style of rustic, archaic imagery for the seasons’ campaigns and lookbooks.

Using vintage Polaroid  film and the device’s adjoining flash, Scott Sternberg captures the protagonists experiencing the ordinary against a Romantic backdrop.

Previous campaigns have featured Hollywood icons such as Kirsten Dunst, James Marsden, Dave Franco, Donald Glover, and Andrew Garfield.

Rupert is wearing cotton oxford cloth pullover hoodie and shirt, chinos, nylon climbing rope belt, suede and leather boat shoes along with a wool and cashmere beanie. 

Tom is wearing quilted nylon windbreaker, striped polo shirt, patch pocket chinos and sperry climbing boots. 

Scott Sternberg spoke to Style.com on his reasoning behind the choice of Harry Potter’s Felton & Grint as the faces of this season’s campaign.

“I love those films and the characters so much, they’re full of imagination and endless ideas. With the last film coming out this summer, it felt like a cool opportunity to capture this moment in these two actors’ lives, and give them a chance to poke a little fun at the whole thing too.”

Rupert is wearing a wool flannel suit, cotton and wool button up shirt, fur scarf, wool and cashmere beanie, waxed wool boat shoes. 

Tom is wearing wool hopsock three-piece suit, chambray pullover shirt, nylon climbing rope belt and leather oxfords. 

The tongue-in-cheek photo shoot occurred in Hollywood’s ‘The Magic Castle’ and on the hill at Yamashiro Restaurant. The lookbook imbues a sense of fun, which appears to be genuine on the actors’ part. Tom Felton tweeted;

“Thanks to @bandofoutsiders for letting our bromance flourish! It was a truly magical day…kissing shots to come!”

Tom is wearing rabbit fur peacoat, cotton chinos and rugby with suede sperry climbing boots. 

Rupert is wearing wool blanket poncho, cotton sweatpants and shirt with suede sperry boat moccasins.

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The Met Exhibits Prada and Schiaparelli

“When you look back at certain moments in fashion, certain designers come to mind. Then when fashion has moved on, they have been left behind. That’s not, in anyway been the case with Miuccia.”

- Anna Wintour on Miuccia Prada to CNN

Miuccia Prada and Elsa Schiaparelli have been bestowed the honour of becoming the next exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art in New York.

The exhibition is an agglomeration of two of Italy’s most successful females in fashion. Schiaparelli is celebrated for birthing the concept of fashion shows, whilst Miuccia has been at the helm of her grandfather’s fashion house since 1978.

With the recent, astounding success of Alexander McQueen’s ‘Savage Beauty’, Harold Koda and Andrew Bolton, the curators at The Costume Institute, have high expectations for their future project.

Prada - RTW Autumn / Winter 2011

In her sixth decade, Miuccia Prada displays no signs of braking to halt her fashionable career.  As the youngest granddaughter of Mario Prada, Miuccia has blossomed the house of design to one which perfectly caters to the needs and whims of their customer base. Each season Prada has surprised and astounded critics with her trademark minimalist, comfortable luxury.

In previous twelve months, Prada along with the fashion house’s sister company Miu Miu collated sales of €2.1 billion. Miuccia’s positive direction has also increased Prada’s influence with the purchasing of Jil Sander, Helmut Lang, Fendi, Azzedine Alaia and Church & Co.

With a Ph.D in Political Science, Miuccia is most certainly a fashionable force to be reckoned with.

Elsa Schiaparelli is defined as one of the most influential designers from the interval period of the two World Wars.

Although Schiaparelli’s competitors, such as Gabrielle Chanel, adapted their designs to the rations accustomed with war, Elsa dispelled such lunacy and progressed with her brazen creations.

 
 
 
 
 

Elsa Schiaparelli’s luxurious creations transgressed across the domains of fashion and film. The designer created the wardrobes for numerous films including; the French edition of ‘Topaze’, Mae West’s character in ‘Everyday’s a Holiday’, whilst her final cinematic collaboration can be viewed with Zsa Zsa Gabor’s costumes in ‘Moulin Rouge’.

The exhibition is scheduled to begin in May of next year, with an official launch at Anna Wintour’s annual Met Ball. The public will be permitted entrance the following day.

ISPCC Anti-Bullying Campaign

“Some people won’t be happy until they’ve pushed you to the ground. What you have to do is to have the courage to stand your ground and not give them the time of day. Hold on to your power and never give it away”. 

- Donna Schoenrock

The first Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children was founded in New York in the 1800′s. A female civilian heard a young child crying on the streets of New York. She offered her assistance but the child’s mother rejected her help. The woman made contact with the local police service, but they were prohibited from acting in such situations.

That same woman contacted the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and told them of a mistreatment of an animal in the streets. At once, an inspector arrived and was exasperated when he discovered, that the ill-treated animal was in fact, a child.

A trial was held and the mother was charged with a case of animal cruelty. This trial incurred the founding of the first Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children in New York.

The first branch of the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) opened in 1989. Today, the organisation concentrates on preventative work and on raising awareness of the darker side of childhood, which many young people experience.

In the past number of years, the ISPCC has constructed successful bonds, with many of the media’s most well-known personalities. The organisation has bestowed the honour of ISPCC Ambassador upon these iconic personnel.

CEO of the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Ashley Balbirnie has said

“It’s a real honour for us to announce our celebrity Ambassadors, all of whom have shown us tremendous support over the years.  Westlife, The Script, Mikey Graham and Louis Walsh have consistently supported the Cheerios Childline Concert.  Brian O’Driscoll, Colin Farrell, Miriam O’Callaghan, Martin King and Ian Dempsey are regular supporters of our annual fundraising activity. And we welcome Gráinne Seoige, Robbie Keane, Damien Duff, Pat Kenny, Mary O’Rourke, Ryan Tubridy, Jedward and our latest Ambassador; Saoirse Ronan on board.”

Today, the ISPCC launched an anti-bullying awareness campaign which spotlights the role bullying can play on an individual’s physical, emotional and mental health.

The concept of the campaign was birthed by Westlife’s Mark Feehily and features Irish royalty from the domains of film, television and music.

Image: ISPCC

‘I know at first hand how the impact of being bullied as a teenager can quite literally last a lifetime and I thought that if we could involve well-known ISPCC ambassadors perhaps people will think twice about bullying or indeed allowing bullying to happen.’

- Mark Feehily

All participants in the campaign, both in-front of and behind the camera, offered their services gratis.

Barry McCall photographed the striking images with make-up artist Tom McInerney transforming the protagonists into those who have suffered abuse.

Image: ISPCC

“The message from each of these campaign photos is so strong and was a message I was very happy to be part of. Any form of bullying is unacceptable.”

- Saoirse Ronan

Image: ISPCC

“I am delighted to be part of this worthwhile campaign for a charity that truly stands up for children’s rights”

- Laura Whitmore

Image: ISPCC

“If this campaign can stop one incident of bullying then in my book it has been a success”

- Louis Walsh

Image: ISPCC

“We were bullied at school but we were lucky in one way as we had each other. We know first hand how horrible bullying can be and so we jumped at the opportunity to be part of this campaign”

- Jedward

Promotional Pictures -The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn

As the summer sunshine blends into the cascading season of Autumn, the cinema becomes alight with promotion and anticipation for the next installment of The Twilight Saga.

Breaking Dawn – Part One will entice a more mature audience, as much of the screenplay’s theme is of a more intimate and impassioned nature. The film sequence has collated a gargantuan fan base and placed the series’ protagonists on pedestals for their aesthetic qualities.

Image: Summit Entertainment

The first promotional poster permits the audience to elicit very little meaning. The enchanting background colours signify the advancing twilight duration of the day.

After the press stop this week at Comic Con International in San Diego, further promotional images have been released. The most prominent image was a second poster for the fourth installment. It features the principal cast staring hauntingly at their audience. Each character emits an alluring glow whilst only Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) are attired in bright, pastel colours.

Image: Summit Entertainment

Breaking Dawn – Part One will reach cinemas on November 18th.

Fortunate Irish audiences will be privileged to view segments of the unreleased film at Dublin’s Movie Fest.

This festival has taken inspiration from Comic Con and will project future cinematic highlights on August 13th and 14th in Cineworld, Parnell Street. One must be in attendance at Ireland’s newest cinematic affair.

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Love Magazine: Strangely Romantic

Nyasha Mathondze - The Love Magazine Issue Six

Love Magazine has themed the fashion bible’s sixth issue ‘Super Natural’.

The issue will feature starlets gracing eight independent limited-edition covers. The first three covers will be available to the company’s fashionable fan base on August 1st. The remaining five cover options, will reach readers on September 1st.

The cover editorials are eccentrically Victorian and feature the models in a romantic inspired wardrobe with fierce embellishments.

‘Super Natural’ exposes the models to exhibit their natural beauty in an understated and forlorn pose. Falling teardrops are a common theme in the magazine’s eight covers.

Elle Fanning - Love Magazine Issue Six

The glossy images were photographed by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggot. Arianne Philips, Fashion Editor, is responsible for the timeless styling with assistance from Ashley Javier and Kirstin Piggott for hair and make-up.

The focus on youthful muses further accentuates the high esteem which young ladies such as Elle Fanning, Chloe Moretz and Nyasha Mathondze are held with, within the fashion domain.

At merely thirteen years Elle Fanning has achieved gargantuan fashionable milestones. The actress was an invitee at Chanel’s Parisian Haute Couture catwalk and is currently the face of Marc by Marc Jacobs. The American beauty is hauntingly alluring in a lace and ribbon adorned Anna Sui creation.

Chloe Moretz is featured in an intricately beaded and lace white Chanel gown. The glittering Vivienne Westwood horns extruding from Moretz’s crown is a stark contrast to the actresses boring gaze.  Moretz appears naively elegant in her desolate pose.

Chloe Moretz - Love Magazine Issue Six

Hailee Steinfeld - Love Magazine Issue Six

Hailee Steinfeld is the latest cover to be released. With coral lips, a pearlised tiara and green accents, Steinfeld’s cover is more bold and refrains from the natural colour palette exhibited in Elle Fanning’s and Chloe Moretz’s features.

Lara Stone - Love Magazine Issue Six

Love Magazine is unrestrained by artistic or creative boundaries. The newest issue promises discipline, obsession and desire. Mert Alas and Marcus Piggot never fail to impress their audience.

Sarah Jessica Parker – The Age Issue

“I like my money right where I can see it… hanging in my closet.”

- Carrie Bradshaw, Sex & The City.

Sarah Jessica Parker’s career has explored the domains of film, fashion and charitable foundations. The actress is most recognisable from her role as Carrie Bradshaw, in HBO’s infamous series ‘Sex & The City’. She has also starred in feature films such as Footloose (1984), Hocus Pocus (1993) and Did You Hear About the Morgans? (2009).

Within the realm of fashion, Parker maintains a highly-respected reputation for her risqué and informed wardrobe choices. In the year of the Millennium, SJP hosted the MTV Movie Awards and exhibited an impressive fourteen ensembles throughout the awards segment. Parker is also the namesake for the popular fragrances; ‘Lovely’, ‘Covet’, ‘Dawn’, ‘Endless’ and ‘Twilight’.

Sarah Jessica Parker has once again been bestowed the honour of appearing on Vogue’s cover. Parker adorns the August edition annually titled ‘The Age Issue’, in a beautiful white Burberry trench coat. ‘The Age Issue’ will be released on July 19th.

The editorial features Parker in a domain of domesticity. The actress is accompanied in the shoot by her husband Matthew Broderick, son James Wilkie and twin daughters; Tabitha and Loretta. The images were shot by Mario Testino.

Sarah Jessica Parker in Chanel tweed jacket and skirt suit with Manolo Blahnik suede pumps

On identifying with Carrie Bradshaw:

“Bradshaw’s life is nothing — nothing — like mine,” she says. “I loved playing her, and it changed my life in lots of wonderful ways, but I’m not a crazy shoe lady, I don’t think about fashion all day long, although I have a great respect for the industry. Every choice we’ve made has been different.”

Sarah Jessica Parker in Bottega Veneta gown and Suzanne Couture Millinery headpiece. Matthew Broderick in Ralph Lauren Black Label tuxedo jacket and pants. James Wilkie in Léon pyjamas, Tabitha and Loretta in Fleurisse pyjamas.

On being unable to leave New York City:

“You do start to understand the behind-the-gate mentality, the getting in the car in your driveway…but I can’t imagine living in seclusion. We flirted with it. We went outside the city and troubled all these Realtors and stood in these homes and fantasized, and then I kept picturing nine o’clock at night and” — she breaks into mime, drumming her fingers on her crossed knees and staring into the middle distance. “The beautiful thing about New York is, you have to expose yourself to other people the minute you step outside the door. There is no choice. And I love that.”

Sarah Jessica Parker in Oscar de la Renta gown and Matthew Broderick in Ralph Lauren Black Label tuxedo jacket and pants.

On her love of fashion:

“I love the opportunity to wear something really special and go to a wonderful event at some great cultural institution. Not to sound too Pollyanna about it, but I really didn’t imagine when I was a little girl that I would be there to see it all myself.”

Sarah Jessica Parker in Proenza Schouler dress, Michael Kors belt, Manolo Blahnik pumps and Van Cleef & Arpels watch.

Sarah Jessica Parker in Marc Jacobs embroidered jacket and skirt. Tabitha and Loretta in Fleurisse dresses.

On getting dressed for an evening out:

For the Spring Gala of American Ballet Theater, where she serves on the board, she chose a black-and-white lace Valentino because “it was his birthday, and I thought that was a nice way of acknowledging that.” At the Met last May in tribute to Alexander McQueen, she borrowed a nude beaded column from the designer’s archive. “I love the opportunity to wear something really special and go to a wonderful event at some great cultural institution….Not to sound too Pollyanna about it, but I really didn’t imagine when I was a little girl that I would be there to see it all myself.”

Sarah Jessica Parker in Michael Kors coat and sheath dress and Bulgari watch.  James Wilkie in Crewcuts shirt and Jacadi pants.