Happy Birthday Mario Testino!

He is one of the world's most sought-after and celebrated contemporary fashion photographers. He came to London from Peru in the late 70s and made his name in the most prestigious fashion magazines such as Vogue and Vanity Fair.

"The life of a photographer is nomadic and uncertain, it helps to have some things, people and places you can be sure of and London has given me all of these." Mario Testino

Kate Moss and Mario Testino, source: taschen.com

He has also contributed to the imagery of leading fashion houses such as Burberry, Gucci, Versace among many others and published nine books of his work, the latest about his greatest muse, Kate Moss.

He first worked with her at the beginning of the 90s in Paris when she was 17 years old and he continues to do so more frequently than with any other model. He was the official photographer of her wedding to Jamie Hince and some of the shots were published by American Vogue.

Photographed by Mario Testino, source: vogue.com

"I have grown up with him photographing me; we have grown up together in a sense. The trust between us means that we are free with each other, he does not trap me in a set way of being, we find the picture together." Kate Moss


Many galleries have exhibited his photographs including the National Portrait Gallery in 2002 with the renowned "Portraits", which toured to other cities across the world.

Diana Princess of Wales photographed by Mario Testino

Mario Testino has also received royal commissions, who can forget his portrait of Diana Princess of Wales? A Testino portrait is unmistakable, he always captures people in their best light and has a penetrating ability to turn a face into a legend.

Claudia Schiffer photographed by Mario Testino (German Vogue June 2008) source: vogue.de

He is not indifferent to what's going on in the world and those in need, contributing to different charity organisations such as Elton John Aids Foundation, Aid for Aids, Save the Children and Women to Women among many others.

Isabella Blow photographed by Mario Testino, source: npg.org.uk

He cares about people and one of his greatest pleasures in life is to make them laugh. Maybe this is the secret behind his magic, he connects with them on a deeper level and somehow brings out their inner self.

Today he celebrates his 57th birthday.


Other fashion birthdays:
Donna Karan
Karl Lagerfeld

Mario Testino was born in Lima, Peru. In 1976, after completing his studies in Peru, he arrived in London to pursue a career in photography.
Testino has become one of the world's most well known and celebrated fashion photographers. His work has been featured across the globe in magazines such as Vogue, Vanity Fair and V and he has crafted and contributed to the imagery of leading fashion houses such as Burberry, Gucci, Versace, Calvin Klein, Dolce & Gabbana, Salvatore Ferragamo, Estee Lauder, Hugo Boss, Miu Miu, Shiseido and Michael Kors, among many others. As well as having published nine books of his work and edited one other dedicated to contemporary art and artists from his native Peru, Mario Testino has had many successful exhibitions in galleries and museums around the world.

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Alice in Wonderland

When an Alice Temperley dress became one of the highlights of the Royal Wedding, beautifully worn by Pippa Middleton, the label reached a whole new level as a global empire.

Pippa Middleton in Alice Temperley at the Royal Wedding, source: mydaily.co.uk

Temperley London celebrates this year its 10th anniversary and is currently available in 35 countries worldwide. The label has devoted celebrity fans including Demi Moore, Claudia Schiffer, Heidi Klum, Jessica Biel and Beyonce.

It all started in her childhood... Alice Temperley's grandmother used to collect fabrics when she was travelling around the world and a very young Alice was seduced by their different colours and textures.

Alice Temperley, source: temperleylondon.com

This connection grew up with her and even today, when  she begins the research for a new collection, she always starts with the fabric, with the way it feels and how it moves. The romanticism of her clothes seduces so many brides that the brand operates a separate bridal department.

Like Christian Louboutin she works with people who know her best and when interviewing people for jobs she asks herself if she would bring that person home and if they could party together.  

This attitude reveals someone genuine who likes to be surrounded by people whom she feels comfortable with and be herself. And yes, she loves a good party, her annual summer party in Sommerset is renowned amongst celebrities and the fashion world.

But if you speak about Temperley London you have to mention her German husband and CEO of the company, Lars von Bennigsen, who helped to set up and develop the business.

Like Miuccia Prada and Frida Giannini (Gucci's Creative Director who has recently acknowledged her romantic relationship with the brands's CEO, Patrizio di Marco), Alice Temperley and her husband have an extraordinary bond, nurturing each other not only on a personal level but also professionally. 

Her creativity combined with his business acumen is key to the success of Temperley London. The British fashion industry was excited when she returned to London Fashion Week after a few seasons in New York.

Her latest catwalk show, held at the inspiring British Museum, captured the essence of the brand and her journey throughout the last decade. Timeless and feminine designs combined meticulous details and embellishments with an English eccentricity.

She was once told to only dedicate her energy to what really motivates her, this sound advice made her one of the most distinctive and celebrated British fashion designers and one of the highlights of London Fashion Week.

Alice Temperley launched a book which includes a foreword from Lucy Yeomans, Editor of Harper's Bazaar, images from leading international fashion magazines, advertising campaigns and star studded events.

You cannot help but being inspired by her path, a woman who followed and fought for her dreams to create a unique style, sharing her vision of the world with us: a universe populated by strong, romantic and incredibly feminine characters.

True British: Alice Temperly
By Alice Temperley
(£40, Rizzoli New York)



Other fashion books:
'Erotic Chic' Fashion Images by Carine Roitfeld
Homage to Diana Vreeland, a Fashion Icon
A Decade of Fashion and Style

Power Women: a Journey

When women in power stop being the news it means the fight for equal rights is over, but there is still a long way to go, particularly in China, India, Africa and the Middle East.



Anna Wintour, source: forbes.com

In the United States and Europe, we're far better but there are areas that need much attention including the differences in terms of salary and career progression opportunities.

But today, women's empowerment has given a big step in the UK, after the change of the succession laws by the Commonwealth leaders.

Sons and daughters of any future UK monarch will have equal right to the throne, which means the first-born child of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will take precedence even if it's a girl.

Queen Elizabeth II, source: forbes.com

I'm not a feminist but strongly believe in equal rights respecting the inherent differences of men and women. We act and think differently and therefore work in distinctive ways.

I find it sad when women try to copy men when managing people, ignoring their true nature and strongest skills or misusing them, favouring people instead of focusing on their competencies and being impartial.

Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen, source: forbes.com

If you want to find out how to achieve success, observe women who already made it, who are powerful and influential and discover who they really are and what makes them extraordinary.

Read a lot about them, you can only catch a glimpse of someone in the public eye if you do a lot of research.

Miuccia Prada, source: forbes.com

In an era of global information moving at the speed of light, there are vast amounts of information available so we need to make the most of it but with an inquisitive mind, not believing everything and having at least three reliable sources.

Diane Von Furstenberg, source: forbes.com

But who are the most prominent women in power today? Forbes selected The world's 100 most powerful women based not only on their money and might but also on their reach and influence.

Angela Merkel, Hillary Clinton, Dilma Rousseff, source: forbes.com

This year's number one in the ranking is the German Chanceller Angela Merkel, followed by the U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton and the Brazilian President, Dilma Rousseff.

Regarding the fashion industry, the Brazilian supermodel Gisela Bundchen is the 60th most influential woman, followed by the U.S. Vogue editor Anna Wintour, Miuccia Prada and Diane Von Furstenberg.

Lady Gaga and Beyonce, source: forbes.com

Music ladies are far ahead of the game, with Lady Gaga and Beyonce amongst the first 20 most powerful women in the world.

Kate Middleton is not on the Forbes list but she's recognised as a woman to watch. She does have all eyes on her, not only for the eagerly awaited pregnancy news, but also for her fashion choices, scrutinised and beloved.

The Duchess of Cambridge, source: forbes.com

She was radiant in a beautiful silk Jenny Packham dress when she arrived at the Foundation Polo Challenge in California and American Vogue called her U.S. visit a "Tour de Force", recognising the whole world was falling in love with the Duchess of Cambridge's style.

I'm sure she's very happy with the news that women have now equal right to the throne, it didn't make sense for men to have predominance just because of their gender when history proves a woman is perfectly capable of leading, remember Queen Victoria?


Other related posts:
Business Power in High Heels
Homage to Diana Vreeland, a Fashion Icon
The Power of a Dress

Christian Louboutin: Shoe Artist

As a young man he was a real night owl who loved to dress up to go out partying, always in an extravagant and eccentric way.

Farida Khelfa, a close friend since these wild nights at the most exclusive Parisian clubs, says he brings out the best in people and has an astonishing amount of self-confidence nurtured by his mother's love for him. 

She used to dress him up when he was a little boy in perfectly polished and smart clothes always finished off with a bow tie. Her influence can be felt not only in what he wears but also in the shoes he designs.

"Women's relationship to shoes is similar to women's relationship to men. We can't live without them, but living with them is so painful!" Rossy de Palma

Louboutin's love for women emerges from his shoes. Like the Spanish Director Pedro Almodovar, he captures the feminine essence and perceives who women are and what they want so much so that women keep falling in love with is shoes.

He plays with their inner character, making them feel a myriad of different moods and embody different characters through his poetic shoes. It's not surprising that his first job was at Folies Bergères, the famous French Music Hall, where he was surrounded by exuberant show girls.

Kristin Scott-Thomas, a friend of Louboutin for 17 years, says what she loves the most about him is his joie de vivre and his absolute refusal to let problems beat him down.

"His style is so unique that you can wear one of his shoes for over a decade!" Kristin Scott-Thomas

Christian Louboutin is celebrating his 20-year career with a coffee table tome evoking the artistry and theatricality of his shoe designs, from his iconic and glamorous stilettos to his fetishistic pieces.

There's a video about the making of the book featuring his close friends being photographed, including Mika, the talented music star, looking great with fantastic make up! Dita Von Teese is also on it, Louboutin has been designing shoes for her shows for the past 8 years.

"I would never wear any other shoe on stage except for Louboutin." Dita Von Teese

He also collaborates with a wide range of designers, from Alexis Mabille to Rouland Mouret, but the most renowned association of all is with Yves Saint Laurent. Louboutin created a shoe for the finale of Saint Laurent's farewell haute-couture show in 2002.

Sadly, at the moment there's pending court case between the two brands, Louboutin wants to stop Yves Saint Laurent from producing red-soled shoes and Tiffany & Co has just argued that a colour - like the blue of its boxes - can be trademarked and shouldn't be allowed to be copied.

Renowned for his beautifully crafted shoes with their signature lacquer-red soles, Christian Louboutin has achieved cult status with celebrities as well as fashionistas. The book is out now and a retrospective of his life and career will take place at the Design Museum from March 28 - July 1.

© CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN
By Christian Louboutin
Photography by Philippe Garcia
Contributions by Eric Reinhardt and John Malkovich
(£85, Rizzoli New York)  




Other Fashion books:
Business Power in High Heels
'Erotic Chic' Fashion Images by Carine Roitfeld
A Decade of Fashion and Style

Pencil Skirt, a Fashion Statement

It's only when a woman starts moving that the pencil skirt reveals all its splendour, sculpting the body as ceramic molds.

Who can forget the quiet storm Monica Bellucci embodies as Malena, a film directed and written by Giuseppe Tornatore, when she's walking down the street in a beautiful pencil skirt?

Or Penelope Cruz in the much acclaimed Volver directed by Pedro Almodovar, the pencil skirts she's wearing throughout the movie add up to her character as a voluptuous yet self-contained woman. 

This season, it makes a come back, probably the most emblematic skirt is from the influential Gucci catwalk show, when Frida Giannini decided to use colour and flowers for Autumn/Winter.

She gave her magic touch to this supposed contradiction and Anna Dello Russo, the Editor at Large and creative consultant for Vogue Japan, caused quite a stir amongst the fashion crowd when she wore the green python straight skirt during Milan Fashion Week.

Source: Harpersbazaar.com

Carine Roitfeld, former editor of French Vogue, also loves the sexy embrace of this tailored garment, in this picture in particular, she's wearing Alexander Wang.

Source: Circafashion.com

But my favorite version is from Proenza Shouler, in a bold colour and with the wrap effect, it's simply adorable!

Source: Net-a-porter.com

It's worth investing in one pencil skirt this season, it's a classic that keeps coming back to fashion and if you manage to be healthy and keep your weight you can wear it forever and always look smart.

When you see a woman wearing a pencil skirt you see someone dynamic, who moves around and has a successful career, it's ideal for a job interview. I leave you with other fabulous pencil skirts...

Balenciaga, Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors - Sources: Matchesfashion.com / Net-a-porter.com

If you love the leather skirt but cannot afford the designer price tag, Whistles has a less expensive version. If you're more edgy and love kinky fabrics, Marc Jacobs has a latex pencil skirt and both Maison Martin Margiela and Gucci have them in patent-leather.




Monica Bellucci in The Matrix Revolutions

Other styling posts:
All You Need to Know about Gettibg (Un)Dressed!
Hats off!
The Power of a Dress
Leather's Touch... A Styling Trend!

Business Power in High Heels

(Added note: Tamara Mellon has resigned from Jimmy Choo on the 14th November 2011.)

Tamara Mellon became almost as famous as the brand she has developed, Jimmy Choo, now worth a few hundred million. 15 years ago, she decided to leave a comfortable position at Vogue magazine to set up her own company.

Source: jimmychoo.com

The risk of venturing into a new business paid off and today she can have a private jet available within an hour, in her own words, " a useful extravagance"; Being at the helm of a multinational brand does demand a lot of traveling.  

Tamara Mellon's business acumen has received the recognition of the Queen, with an OBE for services to the fashion industry and she was recently in China as a Global Trade envoy of the Prime Minister, David Cameron.

Source: ibtimes.com

Regarding Jimmy Choo in particular, she came back with a plan to open 50 new Chinese stores by 2016 to respond to the growing demand for luxury goods by  the emerging young and super wealthy citizens.

For more information about this Asian giant, I do recommend China Shakes the World by James Kinge, winner of the 2006 Financial Times & Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year Award.

Tamara Mellon certainly embodies the Jimmy Choo woman and is a living proof that you can be feminine and sexy and still be successful in a male-dominated business world. After 15 years, she holds the reins of a fashion empire!

Source: jimmychoo.com

In conjunction with the brand's 15th anniversary, Jimmy Choo releases this October a coffee table book - Jimmy Choo XV - published by Rizzoli.


With a foreword by fashion Journalist Colin McDowell, it chronicles the 15 most significant  shoes from the company's archives and reflects on what has made them hallmarks of the brand style and renown.

Source: jimmychoo.com

It's a visual tour through captivating imagery shot by photographers such as Mario Testino and Terry Richardson, editorial from the world's top fashion magazines, paparazzi shots from the red carpet, design studio sketches and behind the scenes photography.

The company will donate 10% of the proceeds from Icons collection and 100% of the book to the Jimmy Choo Foundation, a charitable trust. The book will be launched exclusively at Jimmy Choo stores worldwide from 26th October. The perfect gift for Christmas!

Jimmy Choo XV
(£60, Rizzoli)


Other Fashion books:
'Erotic Chic' Fashion Images by Carine Roitfeld
A Decade of Fashion and Style

The Ultimate Wedding... Till Death Us Do Part?

It's the fantasy of almost every girl, to find the perfect match and get married. Your wedding is the day you'll remember for the rest of your life and the dress you'll wear only once becomes your most treasured possession.

Vera Wang (Browns Bride)

The marriage involves a compromise between each other assumed out loud in front of friends and family:

"To have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part." Book of Common Prayer

Vivienne Westwood

In the latest Lars Von Trier movie, Melancholia, the mother of the bride makes a toast in her daughter's wedding day: "I just have one thing to say: Enjoy it while it lasts!"

This is certainly more appropriate for today when so many marriages end up in  divorce. However, some people manage to succeed such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Heidi Klum, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Melanie Griffith and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Temperley London

I do believe in marriage but the most inspiring example comes from my parents, their vows are not just poetic but also pragmatic, and I've seen them supporting and loving each other in excruciating circumstances.

Their relationship is the result of many battles, sacrifices, respect and endurance, it's the whole story that starts where most movies end. My favourite wedding dress was designed by Viktor & Rolf, because it brings love to centre stage.

Viktor & Rolf

If you're planning your big day, visit the Saatchi Gallery this weekend. The Luxury Wedding Show covers every aspect of the event, from designer gowns to accessories through to top venues, honeymoon destinations, florists and photographers.

Upon purchase of your ticket you will be able to reserve a seat for the catwalk show which will be shown 7 times each day. Places are reserved on a first come first served basis.

Marchesa (Browns Bride)

The Luxury Wedding Show
Saatchi Gallery
22-23 October 2011

The Incredible Allure of an Actress

Today, actresses are almost like the religious leaders of the past, their emotional influence is vast, to say the least.

Everyone wants to know everything about them as if they were a close friend, probably because in the silver screen we develop a deep connection with them, living their fears, anxieties and dreams.

Gemma Arterton, The Actress Now

Even glossy magazines break the ethics of the untold off the record, being a bit too intrusive and giving away too many details instead of using them to portray the character behind the image. It's hardly surprising actresses are more and more cautious when they're being interviewed.

Just because they're beautiful, talented and wealthy we imagine they have a perfect life, free of sorrow and negative events or we may want them to descend into chaos just because we envy their privileged spot.

Rosamund Pikeby, The Actress Now

We scrutinise their red carpet look and their everyday clothes, always demanding nothing less than perfection. And some of us want to be them or probably just want our 15 minutes of fame as Warhol predicted.

But if today actresses entered the realm of Greek Goddesses fuelled by powerful image manipulation and our obsession with money and power, in the past they were discriminated as demi-monde women, their reputation was often questionable.

Eleanor Nell Gwyn by Simon Verelst c. 1680, The First Actresses

Elizabeth Ann Sheridan was a talented musician and singer renowned for her voice, intelligence and beauty but her husband banned her from performing in public after their marriage.

Her portrait can be admired at the National Portrait Gallery, which today opens the first exhibition exploring art and theatre in eighteenth century England - The First Actresses. 

Women were only permitted to perform on the English stage in the early 1660s. Before this, there were no professional actresses and female roles were played by men or boys.

The Three Witches from Macbeth by Daniel Gardner, 1775

The exhibition shows large paintings of actresses in their celebrated stage roles, intimate and sensual off-stage portraits, and explore how they contributed to the growing reputation and professional status of leading female performers.

Their lives outside of the theatre ranged from Royal mistresses to successful writers and businesswomen and the exhibition reveals the many ways in which these early celebrities used portraiture to enhance their reputations, deflect scandal and create their professional identities.

Mary Robinson as Perdita by John Hoppner, 1782

Don't miss the free accompanying display of portraits of contemporary British actresses performing in theater, film and television - The Actress Now. It includes paintings of Dame Judi Dench and Dame Helen Mirren and photographs of Keira Knightley, Kate Winslet and Thandie Newton.



The First Actresses
National Portrait Gallery
20 October 2011 - 8 January 2012


Other exhibitions
Postmodernism: Style and Subversion at V&A!
New Degas Exhibition at the Royal Academy of the Arts

Postmodernism Now?

Postmodernism & Trends Forecasting

I went to V&A last evening to attend a talk by Lucy Norris, the founder  and Creative Director of Pret-a-rever, an interactive online shopping magazine focused on trends.

Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, Sequin jacket, 1991

This talk was one of my highlights of the Postmodernism exhibition currently on display at the museum.

It has been quite a few years since I left the London College of Fashion but this is what I miss the most, having someone who really knows what they're talking about stimulating your mind with a series of thoughts and questions.

It was a comprehensive approach to postmodernism, from music and art direction to fashion, which also focused on the question raised by the co-curator, Glenn Adamson, is postmodernism still on today? 

Jean Paul Goude, Grace Jones Revised and Updated, 1978

Norris also gave Lady Gaga as an example, showing us a video on YouTube where she faces the press as her male alter-ego, Joe. But my favourite was definitely Grace Jones being interviewed in 1985.

It's not as shocking for us now as it was for the interviewer but the meaning of her words is as relevant today as it was back then. We tend to categorise ourselves and others into little draws with labels in order to figure each other out.

But this is a very limited approach and I was always amazed about marketing, are we that predictable? With the advance of technology and media, the individual is more and more prominent, being able to choose what to watch and what to listen according to a particular frame of mind and time.

Antonia San Juan, the transsexual in All About My Mother

Boundaries tend to blur and you can be whoever you choose to be. As you hear in All About My Mother, an Almodovar film, "you are as authentic as you are closer of becoming who you dreamt to be".

It's ironic that luxury brands promote exclusivity which by definition is being special and not conforming with the mainstream when in fact, they're global, they offer the same 'vision' whether you are in Asia, Europe or the Middle East, even if they make a few adjustments.

Chanel

It's all a representation and isn't this postmodernism? Playing up and subverting different concepts? And how does this translate into trends? According to Norris, you can expect geometric shapes, mixed up proportions and colour blocking in fashion. 

You can already see the postmodernist influence in the fashion editorial of How to Spend it magazine, of Financial Times.

Norris said "neon lights are the DNA of postmodernism", which I thought it was curious. Am I seduced by neon lights now because of what they bring to my mind or is it because I'm just capturing what is going on at the moment?

I came out of the talk just as I came out of the exhibition with quite a few unanswered questions, but it's definitely food for thought!   

Postmodernism exhibition at V&A

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