5 best looks of Cannes 2012

Watching red carpet fashion is always my favourite part of the Cannes Film Festival. As with every year, this year's red carpet had its fair share of boring looks, along with a few downright fails. But, of course, there are some looks that just take your breath away and make it worth the time. It was definitely difficult narrowing it down to my five favourite looks of the festival.

1. Diane Kruger in custom Nina Ricci

I love that she was a member of the jury this year because it meant that we got to see red carpet appearances from her every day. She's my ultimate bias so I had trouble choosing which look of hers to include on this list.

 (Source: en.vogue.fr)

2. Nicole Kidman in Lanvin

A lot of people seem to love this look, and I must say that I love it too. There are some amazing Lanvin dresses out there and this one suits Nicole perfectly.

(Source: en.vogue.fr)

3. Liu Wen in Roberto Cavalli

I think she's found a perfect spot between sexy and elegant with this look.

 (Source: fashiongonerogue.com) 

4. Natasha Poly in Pucci
It's simple but it works. Everything just falls into place perfectly.

(Source: fashiongonerogue.com)

5. Bianca Balti in Dolce & Gabbana
It's a bold look and one that not everyone can pull off. She took a risk and the result was stunning.

(Source: www.glamour.es)

I love long weekends

It feels like it has been far too long since the previous long weekend. This Victoria Day weekend was a welcome break and I took a shopping trip that was very much needed for my own sanity. The weather was warm, beautiful, and everything summer should feel like. I didn't end up buying very much but I absolutely adore the things I bought.

Dress from H&M

Bracelet from Banana Republic

Hat from H&M

It feels like the weekend ended all too quickly. Aside from shopping, I pretty much spent the weekend procrastinating, using up Internet bandwidth, catching up on magazines that have been sitting around unread for ages, and gazing at photos from the red carpet of the Cannes Film Festival.

Early 60s fashion (part 2) + Cannes

With trends leaning towards simpler and tailored styles, couture lost a bit of its edge. Yves Saint Laurent, however, was one of the designers who adjusted to this change excellently. In clean cuts, he recognized a canvas for colour-blocking, leading to his famous "Mondrian" dress.

Source: http://www.metmuseum.org

The mini dress also soon grew popular as well, championed by designer Mary Quant.

Source: http://collections.vam.ac.uk

On a slightly different note, the Cannes Film Festival kicked off earlier today. Here's a picture of Catherine Deneuve at the 1964 festival.

Source: http://elenaarsenoglou.com

I'm extremely excited for this year's festival and the red carpet glamour that will come with it. I've noticed that Diane Kruger's custom Giambattista Valli Haute Couture look has caused a bit of online buzz. I tend to be biased towards her and love almost everything she wears, but what do you think? She's a member of the jury this year, which means we can expect to see lots of her appearances during the festival!

Source: http://www.celebutopia.net/

This is the second of two posts on fashion of the early 1960s. The first part can be found here.

Fragrances

If you ask me, the beauty of fragrances isn't something that everyone can appreciate. When I went out to buy my first perfume, I was being tempted solely by glamourous ads and pretty bottles. I had no clue what exactly it was that I wanted and I had trouble telling the difference scents apart. Though I cannot consider myself to be anywhere near an expert, I have gained a greater appreciation for fragrances since then.

My perfume essential
Without doubt, my perfume essential would have to be Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel. It was the third perfume I've ever tried and I've been in love with it since. I've tried a few others in the meantime, Yves Saint Laurent's Parisienne being another one of my favourites. But no matter what it is that I'm trying out, I always have a bottle of Coco Mademoiselle on my desk. What are your essentials?

Extra
For many blue chip high fashion brands, clothing lines are not the main source of profit. It's often accessories and cosmetics lines that bring in far more money. An important composite of these sales are fragrances. Fragrances tend to be more affordable and wearable for the average person. For the average consumer, they can be a link to the ultra-exclusive high fashion world.

I think it's worth mentioning that Brad Pitt has recently been announced as the new face of Chanel No. 5. Thoughts on a man advertising a fragrance for women? I'm personally uncertain about how it is that he will promote the perfume and I don't think Brad Pitt fits Chanel No. 5 quite as well Audrey Tautou. Of course, I'm still interested to see what they'll whip out. Perhaps a new commercial with a romantic theme? Perfume commercials can be really interesting sometimes. Dior has made some of my favourite commercials but I'm not sure what to think of all of them. Should I call this one fierce or pure craaazy?:

An Education in the early 60s: Part 1

   I watched An Education recently and it's become a film favourite for me. There were so many great things about the it from the script to the acting, but being a lover of fashion, those beautiful dresses just could not escape my notice. I have to admit that my knowledge of fashion history is pretty much limited to 16th century England, so fashion of the 1960s was a new discovery for me.

   The film takes place in 60s London and focuses on a girl played by Carey Mulligan who is introduced to a world of the upper class when she falls in love with a wealthy man. She is entranced by the art, the music, the outings, the clothing Rosamund Pike's character dresses her up in, etc. I was personally captivated by the natural and effortlessly chic silhouettes and details. They left me wanting to find out more about early 60s fashion.

Source: http://www.imdb.com

   The early 60s is a sometimes overlooked period that came before the arrival of counter culture and the hippies. Many of the defining style icons of the time presented classy but progressive images, like Jacky Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn, and Jean Shrimpton.

Source: http://jeanshrimpton.tumblr.com

   This period in time saw the popularization of the mod look, which took hold of fashion through things like fitted and tailored pieces, flat shoes, and simplification of accessories. Shorter hairstyles became more popular and focus of makeup was on the eyes.

Source: http://www.vam.ac.uk

Source: http://thelifeinpink.wordpress.com

   Fashion of the 50s was not let go of immediately. This included A-lines and the sack dress, which evolved into shifts and minidresses in the 60s. From a modern perspective, it's difficult to see any of this as drastic progression, but it was nonetheless a great leap towards modern fashion.