Zhenya Zhuravlyova Illustrations

ME by ZHENYA ZHURAVLYOVA :))

(all published pictures credited to Zhenya Zhuravlyova) 

I came across Zhenya's wonderful blog, Newbloodstyle Haute Couture, approximately 2 years ago and the moment I realised that all these drawings are actually her own work, I was overwhelmed.

Being attracted to fashion illustrations for a long time now, Zhenya is definitely one of the most talented illustrators I found in the broad world wide web. Her love to detailing her works unites highest precision and deep perfection. The realness her illustrations reflect mixes up with a richness in fantasy and always leave a fine note of a beautiful fairytale.

The variety in her interpretations of people perfectly combine the latest fashion and keep up with her personal point of view. Her perception together with her wonderful fantasy just keep on surprising and astonishing me every time she publishes a new outcome of her ultimate talent. Finely drawing every little detail, Zhenya balances a great mixture of colours and still leaves some parts black and white - something I absolutely adore. It somehow leaves me behind to "fulfill" the rest of it and gives the observer the chance to interpret her images with a personal thought.

While I'm currently working on my blog (and there will be some changes pretty soon), I received this amazing illustration of myself personally drawn by Zhenya. I immediately knew: This is going to be displayed in my blog & this is going to deserve a whole post about this woman! She didn't meet my expectations - she did much more than this! I love it! 

Whoever said that beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, must have been not completely right. Zhenya's illustrations ARE simply beautiful. You can't deny.

Check out Zhenya's blog with a broad range of her illustrations:

 http://www.newbloodstyle-hautecouture.blogspot.com/ 

Like what you see? Then show your love on Facebook HERE! 

A huge huge huge thank you once again to Zhenya for doing this wonderful sketch. Please keep up with your work. I'm truly appreciating this outstanding talent!

"Who says models can only pose?" Me? You? This video?

Yeah whoever asked that must have been absolutely right to do so because I'm an ignorant, narrow minded pessimist who lost hope for most of the models nowadays when I look at this: A video directed by Mark Hug assembling a bunch of girls from Ford Model agency LA and filming them in "unsual" NON-poses.

At least this is what you expect before clicking the play-button of the youtube video. "Mark captures their fresh, youthful spirit (...) catching the girls rocking out and having fun", Fashion Gone Rogue said and so I couldn't refuse to see what models do if the title is questioning their job (posing).

And what's the answer? ......Nothing. Just nothing. Looking good, laughing, actually posing (yes POSING... what else is this girl doing while swinging her hips to these bad rap music sounds?!) and then again... nothing.

I mean are you kidding me? Are you, Mark Hug guy, serious about filming these pretty girls (ok not all but some of them) while they're doing some karate or dancing like idiots in front of your camera and seriously think that this will look natural? Hey, doing karate is awesome. I'm proud to say that I got the first brown belt in the age of 14 (yeah it's been a while now) and after this ended my career as a professional ninja turtle.  But who the hell cares about some model doing this in front of Mr. Hug?  Maybe she should have kicked down the camera in front of her... to convince everyone that a) Karate is a bit more than just waving your hands and turning strangely around yourself and b) this video is going to SUCK if he continues to capture more of these models' talents.

But how he did. And how I started asking myself: Why am I still watching this???

"Roking out and having fun": ...This is what models are supposed to do while having a photoshoot I guess. At least they're supposed to give you the impression of having fun...or at least doing their job. Then the music changes from hard hip hop mood to french chanson with model Alex singing and dancing around. Honey, you're sweet but who encouraged you to sing? 

Then, Asian girl, Chloe, starts doing some ballet moves, fine with me, Madison can't do anything and then Kalia and her Karate moves come in.

I'm sorry, Mr. Hug, I'm sure you are amazing in what you do but was your intention to film some newcomer models to show the outer world that each model is actually a human being with some additional talent to her job of posing?

Why was it done such an unnatural, bad and strange way? At least I think this could have been done better. And I even have the perfect opposite video to this. It's directed by Jason Wu's little brother Justin and I will publish it in the upcoming post! Maybe you should have had a look at other videos featuring models in their free time. 

This here is just total weird crap. 

Zac Posen Pre-Fall 2012

photo credit: style.com

If there is one designer I started loving over the past seasons, then it's definitely Zac Posen and especially his pre-fall collections. Year in, year out I'm simply overwhelmed by his mixture of casual chic and elegance. This year, he seems to have focused on one decisive characteristic: Being body conscious while playing with unusual cuts. 

Dressing Hilary Rhoda in his finest gowns and chicest every-day creations, she seems like the modern Jackie O.! 

Cobalt blue and strong purple bring my favourite season of the year back to life and set a young and fresh contrast to stereotypical colours and finest jewellery. As already mentioned, I personally predict this year's fall/winter to be a little bit (a tiny bit) fur-less (just like Burberry Prorsum has already demonstrated), so no wonder  the accents of black tucks on collars and sleeve ends seem to be the new understatement way to show some fury love. Although his grey Chinchilla coat is a fur-lover's paradise, something just doesn't get off me saying that it looks way too old styled. 

And his most significant creations of this collection? The evening gowns. Breathtaking, elegant - the simple outcome of a genious. No matter which colour or material - all of the selected pieces I'm posting stole my heart. Although I'm not a huge fan of flower prints, they appear as one of the most beautiful patterns one could have chosen for Posen's collection. My favourite? Obviously the black one. But besides from this, the burgundy coloured one with that beautiful free back of Rohda and the flower details. To die for. 

Victoria's Secret 2011

My third post about Victoria's Secret since this blog exists.

And what to say about it? I'm once again feeling a little relieved when looking at all those wonderfully dressed angels (just like last year). Looking back at my first post about the annual VS show, which was extremely negative (still agree on each point I've been making), makes me always laugh and think about in what crisis they must have been in 2009. 

This time it's not only like heaven has sent them. It seems as if the ocean has freed some of its most beautiful mermaids and the space has sent us some alienated beauties. Sounds quite exagerrated huh? Just like the whole show itself is.

It's clear: Everything is about diamonds this year (and probably the years before they had their crisis in 2009). And since they are said to be a girl's best friend, I just can agree on the fact that Lily as well as Alessandra (two of my absolute favourites) look simply overwhelming in one of their jewel conscious outfits. And talking about Lily, I have to mention that just from the pictures I'm seeing a huge improvement in the way she presents herself on the runway. Much more open, fresh and just enjoying herself rather than reserved and way too "ready-to-wear".

White Swan meets red riding hood on Jessica Clarke and a little bit of the french revolution finds itself on Isabela Fonti and German Toni Garrn again.

Although I'm not a huge fan of Lima, I have to admit that the "powergirl"-outfit suits her the best. One of the few ones she doesn't look completely cheap in (please note that I'm aware of the fact that she has a bombastic bodyshape but just looking cheap doesn't have anything to do with looking good). Looking cheap doesn't exclude looking good and vice versa.

The butterfly effect pt. 4 seems to be out on another part of the show (so annoying that there's no release so far) and leaves a wonderful spring/summer mood in the colder season of this year. One of the most exciting parts (I suppose) is the performance of Jay Z and Kanye West. Two giants conquering the runway, followed by Nicki Minaj who just perfectly fits into the crazy, colorful atmosphere (I'd love to know what she performed...and guess it's the actual chart-hit "Superbass"). The only thing that immediately came to my eye was the jacket Kanye's wearing. Ugh, Donatella and H&M ... you guys have established a great way to advertise for your collab wherever you can (just to mention that there actually was a full H&M feat. Versace show one day before VS show somewhere else). As I said... clever strategy. Put in every thinkable superstar from hip hop king to teenieflirt and you  get the perfect way to excite the mass out there.

Coming back to the topic of this entry, I just can tell how satisfied it makes me seeing those improvements at Victoria's .. and all the new lovely angels. It seems as if finally some of the mommy-angels retired and left place for fresher faces, like (already mentioned) only 19 years old Garrn. 

However, I have my doubts in Anja Rubik and Karlie Kloss. No typical VS-faces, which can be good but doesn't necessarily has to. Rubik showing off with a way too skinny and bony body and Kloss.... just not having the right face for the show. It is what it is.

The rest of those bodies and faces and hair and just the whole charisma just keeps on motivating myself to work out more often. ;)

The beatuy and joy of this show is brought back to life.

And I can't wait to see it soon (releasing date of the show on CBS is the 29th of November). 

Claudia, Cindy, Linda, Naomi, Natalia...

picturecredit: younggalleryphoto.com

I'm a 90s kid. There are loads of facts that lead to this confession beside from the year I was born. And when all of those names in my headline were actually those of the absolute queens of the runway, I surely just began to walk, talk or even received my first pair of shoes. However, there is something in all of those amazonian beauties that still captures me.

There are no such ladies like those. No such comments like "We don't wake up for less than $10,000 a day". And no such a statement look like they transformed it. Whether on the runway or on various editorials. There's just something today which I really miss. It's all of that appearance they brought with them. A huge ego, a specific attitude, an outstanding body shape (which just can be God's way to say that he's loving women) and a natural sexappeal. They had it all! Where are those times when (top-)models were someone? When Linda Evangelista was the absolute styling-queen and Claudia was Karl's latest muse while giving hope that the average"beauty" in Germany could grow to new standards? Not that Claudia doesn't still seem to be Karl's absolute favourite - but I'm asking who should ever replace them. And why someone like Claudia, meanwhile married mommy of three kids, or any other of them just doesn't get out of business, style and fashion. Where have the standards of supermodels gone? Are we supposed to call every barbie clone of the Victoria's Secret clan a "super"model? For what? Having big boobs, a nice butt and nothing to wear but a million dollar bra? The so called "Super Models" nowadays seem all so replaceable. And not challenging at all. Today's main condition: Dull, boring. Today's main challenge: Shutting up the mouth, breathing into a camera and then just move and bye.

This attitude would have never happened to someone like Christy Turlington. Or Helena Christensen. Or Naomi, who now and then still shows a clear, sharp and ...huffy... attitude towards everything not relating to her job (which in fact means everything that has to do with paparazzi taking unfair pictures in private moments of life (don't you dare oh oh) and stewardesses asking dumb question. They sound ridiculous with all of their attitudes, comments and fisticuffs. But I somehow miss such personalities in the model area. Thanks to mother nature and possibly botox (but of course more of mother nature) we are all still able to gaze at those goddesses but what comes after them? There are just a few that could follow. Still not in the same footsteps but there are some who can leave some other remarkable ones (hopefully).

I can't say it without laughing about myself since it's a little ridiculous but: I miss the 90s. I wish I would have been already living a bit earlier. All those women are a real inspiration.

* I deliberately let out Miss Moss since she's the absolute exception of all beauty standards that have been existing the time she was setting her heroin chic. She just doesn't fit into what I'm describing over there although she's also having a statement look and although she's my definite evergreen. Just like Claudia is to Karl.  Kate is an inspiration for what she's wearing and  doing (letting out her little coke-pas at P. Doherty's studio). And although she was heralding a new, at the beginning (!) unpleasant modeling era, she remains the only one who perfectly transforms the look. So at the end of the day, she's also someone with an attitude. Just different from the 90s beauties and their Amazonian figures. 

NO-LITA!

Thanks to fashionista.com I finally found out who that little girl in British Vogue's latest issue (and earlier in Vogue Paris) is. Thylane Lena-Rose Blondeau (which celebrity's child is this!?) is just 10 years old but I guess beside from her age and her height there are just a few things that remind me of a child. The look, the make up, the way she gets dressed - everything seems pretty much like she is supposed to act like a 25 years old supermodel in her best days.

Thylane is pretty. Period. But her parents seem to be something close to an insane state of mind. The more I think about those shots and the more I flip through those pictures, the more I get some serious mortifying feeling. A feeling that makes me vomit while thinking about how many pedophiles eventually will be the happiest people when looking at those images. Not that I'm that conservative to be shocked about each controversial photoshoot or anything else happening in fashion but when it comes to little 10 year olds posing and above all acting like they were 20 something (and all of this actually not happening at home but on in an official, popular magazine) I guess all of my liberalism comes to its borders. Surely, we girls remember those times when we snaffled mommy's lipstick and all of her other stuff and started a little make up massacre on one's own face. But being (involuntarily?!) put in scene and actually not expressing a child's nature is something different. Could someone please buy her some clothes that fit her and put her in something that looks a little more natural to her age?! Let her pose for an appropriate RL commercial. I wouldn't mind this. 

Even if someone would claim that this girl loves posing in front of the camera in a golden bodycon dress with shoes three sizes too big while being surrounded by bunnies ( + other macabre settings), I personally see all of this as more inappropriate than funny. There's just a little hope left that Thylane's parents get back to reality and realise her daughter's actual age and possible interests. 

"Quel maquillage à quel age"? I'd say as soon as you are able to hold a lipstick and work legally as a model. 

"Comment se maquiller à 13 ans"? - I doubt that a 10 year old will be able to answer this. Gross.