Runway King

 R.I.P

This morning I awoke to find out the tragic news that beloved fashion designer Lee Alexander McQueen has died. A message on alexandermcqueen.com homepage simply reads;

"On behalf of Lee McQueen's family, Alexander McQueen today announces the tragic news that Lee McQueen, the founder and designer of the Alexander McQueen brand has been found dead at his home. At this stage it is inappropriate to comment on this tragic news beyond saying that we are devastated and are sharing a sense of shock and grief with Lee's family.

Lee's family has asked for privacy in order to come to terms with this terrible news and we hope the media will respect this."

An article in the Huffington Post confirms that his death was a suicide.  Taking his life just over a week after his beloved mother had passed.

"(16 March 1969 – 11 February 2010) was an English fashion designer known for his unconventional designs and shock tactics. McQueen worked as the head designer at Givenchy for five years before founding the Alexander McQueen and McQ labels. McQueen's dramatic designs, worn by celebrities including Rihanna, Björk and Lady Gaga, met with critical acclaim and earned him the British Fashion Designer of the Year award on four separate occasions." 

-Wiki

He was an accomplished scuba diver. Using his passion as a source of inspiration in his designs for October 2009 fashion show, "Plato's Atlantis", which was influenced hevily by the waters of the Maldives which he dived frequently, models sported massive 10 inch heels and cemetrical-exploded-paintball-like patterns that could blow your mind floated down the runway effortlessly with Avatar like hair styles and androgynus make-up. Heels made of twisted steel and glittering leather were heavily incorperated and created a sence of 'other-worldliness', the models appearing out of the dark like snakes turned human. 

His designes will echo throught the ages and he will go down in history as a beacon of true indeviduality; being one of the youngest designers to win "Brittish Designer of the Year" awards. He was also awarded the CBE, as well as being named International Designer of the Year at the Council of Fashion Designer Awards. The creator of wearable art earned the endeering nick-names "l'enfant terrible" and "the hooligan of English fashion". And we can clearly see why, with his look always being left of centre and taking the idea that extra mile, making his cauture, 'haute' constantly.

McQueen came from a very humble beginning, born in 1969 to a Taxi Driver and Joyce - a social science teacher. - Brought up in council housing realised his desire to create clothing at a young age; the designer made clothes for his sisters and at age 16 left school to begin a design apprenticeship with Savile Row tailors Anderson & Sheppard, later moving on to Gieves & Hawkes then eventually, famous theatrical costumiers Angels and Bermans. He graduated from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design receiving his Masters degree in Fashion design and famously, his graduation collection was bought in its entirety by influential fashion stylist Isabella Blow, whom was also the reason he changed his name from Lee McQueen to [his middle name] Alexander McQueen.  

 

He became the head designer of Givenchy in 1996, succeeding John Galliano. Arriving at Givenchy, McQueen insulted the founder by calling him ‘irrelevant’, making his first couture collection with Givenchy unsuccessful, with even McQueen himself telling Vogue in October 1997 that the collection was “crap”. McQueen toned down his act at Givenchy, but continued to indulge his rebellious artistic streak, causing a stir in Autumn 1998 with a show including car-robots spraying paint over white cotton dresses, and double amputee model Aimee Mullins striding down the catwalk on intricately carved wooden legs. McQueen stayed with Givenchy until March 2001, when the contract he said was "constraining his creativity" was ended. 

By 2007, mcQueen's brand had became world famous with stores from London, to Milan, to LA. Even so far as to open a store in Las Vegas, the perfect place for his lavish looks. 

McQueen's influence will resinate through young designers and he will, like Chanel and Dior, become part of fashion's most important designers.

 

Rest now precious one.

xo-xo 

Muse of the month: Lily Allen!

Short girl - Lily Allen is the balsy new voice of women in the 2000's. She's unafraid, a real woman, and she made it to the top with nothing more than a myspace profile and a Glastonberry ticket stubb.

5'2, 24 years old, and now Karl Largerfeilds muse for Chanel, she's come pretty far, even with celeb parents, she took the hard road to fame by running away from home at the age of 15 to go to the famous Glastonberry music festival and eventually persue her dreams of music, claiming that she "didnt want to spend a third of her life preparing to work for the next third of her life, to set herself up with a pension for the next third of her life." She began writing and composing music and in 2005 created a myspace page showing what she was made of for the very first time. Page views growing faster and faster she was quickly signed to Regal Records in 2006 and soon after brought out her first studio album. Then in July 2006, her first single "Smile" reached number one in the brittish music charts.

She became increasingly popular and won a trio of awards ranging from the Grammys, MTV and the Brit awards. Soon enough she would have her own show "Lily Allen and friends" on Brittish television.

Though unfortunatly, after the release of Lily's second album "Its not me, its you" 09, she announced that she cannot see herself making profit by making any new albums and will not be renewing her record contract when it ends. She has said that she will take a two year break from performing starting March 2010 to launch a record label and open a fashion rental shop.

In January 2010 The Guardian ran an editorial praising Lily. The editorial noted that at the beginning of 2009 she was on "the well-worn path of celebrity offspring" and complimented her for branching out and tackling subjects other pop stars have not.

All in all this girl-come-woman has paved a strong road for herself and though some parts could be left out, she makes a great role model. The days of "girls cant say that!" are over, and where we fail to tell the truth about the less attractive things in life, she comes out, guns blazing and says it like it is.

xo-xo

Buff, Puff and Polish

You can have the latest designer gettup but you still wont look chic if you have flakey skin. Pale or tanned, keep glowing with these shower and beyond tips for keeping your skin buffed and polished!

Get rid of unwanted dead skin in the shower with a gentle scrub, depending on your skin type you should do this (sensitive)once or (normal)twice a week. Exfoliate your face and neck with slow, gentle circular movements. Remember not to press too hard! Your skin will become rougher and dryer if you press hard, sort of like a scar. You don't need to make it red!!! If you're prone to rough rubbing, pick up a peeling scrub instead. For an all over body buff, a loofa is your best bet. Use in the same way you scrub your face - circular motions - from shoulders down. Use a mosturising body cleanser and once again don't press too hard! 

When you get out of the shower after a good scrub like that, you should pat-dry your skin, as you have already removed the dead skin and you don't want to scratch the new skin. Use a moisturiser thats suited for your skin type and a luxe body butter all over, rub it into your skin to keep it soft as. If you have any body breakouts, skip the pimple cream and opt for an anti-septic cream (like SOOV anti-septic cream), it will fix the problem faster by killing any bacteria you may have let out while scrubbing and the bacteria inside the blemishes and most of them are numbing so you'll forget they're there and be less likely to pick at them. 

After shaving your legs, pat dry and use a light body butter or even face moisturiser, as you have removed some skin while shaving. This will make for softer legs and keep them looking fresh. After shaving, do not exfoliate legs for at least 2 days prior.

My favorite Products!

Estee Lauder Intensive Skin Repair night sirum

Estee Lauder Time Zone Moisturiser with SPF 15

Shea Nut Butter by The Body Shop

Natio Facial and Body Cleansers

Sy Ives Facial Scrub

Aveeno Body Cleanser

SOOV anti-septic cream

For a more natural body moisturiser, apply some olive oil to your skin while its still warm from the shower. You'll be amazed!

For healthy skin from the inside, include a diet rich in anti-oxidants, protein and oils. Blue berries, olive oil, green veggies, red meat, nuts, oats and berries are all great for your skin too! Its also important that you keep your fluids up try to drink 1.5 litres of water per 50 kilos of your weight.

If you want a snack thats great food for your skin, yogurt with toasted musli, nuts and berries is a great snack to keep you going and glowing!

 

Beauty is skin deep, so protect your skin with an SPF inclusive day cream on your face and on hot days remember to use a high SPF sun lotion all over. Remember areas that the sun doesnt hit directly as it will reflect off the pavement and burn you from below! Clear Zinc is a good one to protect from the harsh Australian sun. You should also go over the top with a fountation with an SPF to keep a smooth look. Hit up the make-up counters at any department store and find the product made for you! I suggest for tanned skin, Diorskin Forever or Estee Lauder Double Wear foundations, and for paler skin, Mac Studio Fix foundation and Chanel Pro Lumiere.

Special Anouncement!!!
Nobody actually cares how pale or tanned you are! 

If you're one of the many that freckles instead of tanning, protect against the sun with an SPF 30 all over and keep out of the sun on blistering hot days. If you really, really want to be bronze, get a spray tan, pick up a self tanning lotion or some bronzer and fake it!

Go ahead and let yourself shine girls!

xo-xo

Heaven and back

Over the past couple of months I have suffered terrible writers block. I am here to say it is OVER for good I hope. I find that I need to get right out of my comfort zone to be inspired and travel is the best way to do that. I have recently returned from Heaven, aka Vanuatu. A place so devistatingly beautiful and unique that its hard to believe I had to come home. During my 15 day stay I encountered wonderous new customs, learnt my worth in pigs and met some of the most interesting people I feel I could meet. From the charming Nick at La Tentation, to the ever complaining 'Yaya', owner of the largest if only IT shop in Vila. Here is my story.

It all began in November, when an article in Bazaar sparked an old flame of intrigue I had for the magical islands. I looked up costings and places to stay and before I knew it I was in Flight Centre buying a ticket! The date grew closer and closer and I realised that, maybe I should take someone on my journey. It would be more fun after all to say to them "remember when we..?" Then the race was on! I pitted my two best girlfriends and my partner - Himself - against each other to see who could come up with the money for airfares first. Himself, came first, and even managed to chip in a bit on the resorts. Which was great cause it meant many foot rubs for me and other romantic things, such as kyak trips and dinners on the beach at sunset. The days grew nearer and nearer, and we got our shots and medicine etc etc, then before I knew it, it was January and we were jetting off to the unknown.

Touch down and as we exit the plane we were hit by the thick humid air, regretting my choice in wearing jeans I could think of nothing better than getting to the resort and changing into my sarong. We walked down the stairs and onto the tarmat, feeling the moisture seep through our clothing. But it didn't matter. We were here. The airport was surrounded by lush rainforest and fringed with coconut palm trees, the airport itself was a pale blue shed looking thing with fans as its only form of cooling system. We made our way through customs and loaded ourselves into the transfer bus, the driver smiled and handed us cool bottles of water and refresher wipes and took our luggage for us. We sat in the bus waiting for other passengers in awe of the scenery around us. The bus was airconditioned so it gave us plenty of room to think and take in what we were seeing. After a while a small girl who was the drivers sister got on the bus and as we took off she explained to us the triving laws, some local customs, and some other much needed information about the very foreign place we had landed in. So begun the drop-offs. We were the last stop and couldn't wait to see what was waiting for us. "Last stop - Breaka's!"

We climbed off the bus and saw a path going through a tropical garden filled with hibiscas and coconut palms. As we went to get out luggage, we were stopped as a group of men took it apon themselves to transport our luggage to the lobby. As we got there and signed in, we were greeted with lei's made of woven flax and fruit punch mocktails. Heaven! "Room 3" said the conceirge as he handed us the key and an envalope with my name on it. Once again, before we could get within a foot of our luggage, it had already been whisked off to our room by a lively young man names Michel. Our little hut was close to the bar and beautiful. The roof was made up of woven banana leaves and the walls of stone and coral. Inside was a treat of cool tiled floors, a queen bed, a day bed, and all the pillows we could ask for. Michel left us with a smile and dissapeared through the sand and palm fringed buildings. I pulled the pillows off the bed and lie there for a moment. Perfect. After a refreshing shower and a quick change of attire, not to mention my beloved afternoon nap, we headed to dinner. We had arrived on the night of the Melanesian feast! Our table was under cover and though a pillar was in the way we enjoyed the music and story-telling of the local village of Pango and enjoyed a buffet of the local cusine. After fruit cocktails and amazing food, we retired to our room, exhausted and collapsed on our bed.

This was mearly day one!

Throughout my trip Himself and myself ventured through rain forests and villages, kyaked down rivers, fed sea turtles and sharks. We met new friends and dined on the beach, on organic farms and ate some of the most amazing food I have eaten. I even got to cook! Himself got many offers for jobs and as our trip neared to an end we had never felf more at home. On our last night, we dined at a new friend of ours -Nick's- Restaurant. La Tentation, the dinner was candle lit with glorious tapas towers, fine wine and great people.

I will always remember my trip to Vanuatu. I hope it will remember me!

xo-xo