Lanvin Autumn/Winter 2012 campaign video

Lanvin's Fall 2011 campaign video featuring Karen Elson, Raquel Zimmermann and even designer Alber Elbaz dancing to Pitbull's I Know You Want Me was a viral hit. So, understandably, this year's Fall campaign had a lot to live up to.  Shot again by Steven Meisel, this time it features 'real' and unique people - from 82-year-old Apollo Theatre dancer Jacquie 'Tajah' Murdock, to a cool kid discussing 'phone-misplace-ia', to a man with an odd obsession with frozen blueberries... all combined by the wonderful Alber Elbaz's delightful sense of humour.

So many amusing characters, so many beautiful pieces from Lanvin, another killer campaign.

 Check it out below.

Words of Wisdom

Wise words. Via Nick Wooster.

Elusive Style

As much as I enjoy seeing photos of fun, frivolous fashion, nothing captures my attention more than those mysterious creatures who manage to stun us time and time again with outfits untouched by trends.

I used to be one for trends. Back when I was fifteen years old, I felt I needed one piece from each trend page in Elle or Vogue. These days, you can find me hunting for the perfect white t-shirt (it's an elusive creature), a fail-safe pair of jeans (Topshop or Zara), an every-day black leather bag (it has escaped my grasp for 22 years).... To add to the basics, there are some chic women whom inspire me- Solange Knowles and her pink lipstick, Clemence Poesy and her penchant for trilbies and fedoras, the Olsens and their massive array of jewellery (I love how they wear a ring on almost every finger). I couldn't possibly list every stylish woman and then there are the ones I see in street style photographs, whose names I don't know- their mystery adds to their appeal. And to my frustration. Because we all know that the key to chic isn't in the cream blouse they're wearing, or the bangle they chose to leave off their wrist that morning. Proportions are key, quality essential and I don't think a sense of humour and fun goes astray either. I sometimes wonder if their seeming disregard of trends, in a world obsessed by them, is another element that subconsciously adds to my fascination.

No matter how out of my grasp, I'll never tire of admiring these rare beauties from afar. Here are just a recent few of my favourite shots.

                                 

Killing Them Softly

Palme D'Or-nominated Killing Them Softly comes from director Andrew Dominik, once again pairing up with Brad Pitt, who played the lead of his 2007 movie, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Based on the George V. Higgins novel, Cogan's Tale, it tells the story of Jackie Cogan (Pitt) who is investigating a heist that took place during a mob-protected poker game. One hopes Ray Liotta returns to his best form, having never really living up to the hype since Goodfellas, having  starred in the likes of Miley Cyrus' Hannah Montana in recent years. The Sopranos' James Gandolfini plays the part of 'New York Mickey' alongside a cast of lesser-known faces. The trailer alone provides many scenes of beating and bloody violence- in contrast to the line that gives the movie its name; 'I like to kill them softly, from a distance.' Pale blue, murky green and steel tones give the movie an eerie sort of atmosphere, enhanced with shots of coroners' tags on grubby big toes and slow-moving glimpses of sawn-off shotguns. The film is not without a couple of twisted gags too though- jump to one minute into the trailer to see what I mean.

Cinematography comes courtesy of Greig Fraser (Snow White and The Huntsman), while previous Dominick collaborator John Paul Horstmann takes care of editing and the formidable Francine Maisler heads up casting. Brad Pitt's slick shades and the rest of the wardrobe come from Scarface costume and production designer Patricia Norris who also, amusingly, worked on TV show The Waltons. With Johnny Cash forebodingly singing 'There's a man going round taking names..', it seems we have a pretty cool and apt soundtrack to look forward to too. Perhaps this will be the Drive of 2012? A lot to live up to, but the bar has been set. Take a look at the trailer below and judge for yourselves... Release is set for October 19th.

If I were a boy...

It takes a lot to make me lift my eyelids after work on the tube. I usually half-heartedly flick through the Metro, just to make me feel like I'm up to date with current affairs but then I stop when I realise all I'm doing is educating myself on what Kate's wearing that particular day. Anyways, so there I was, trying not to fall asleep or make awkward eye contact with my fellow passengers, when I spotted a rare beast- a well dressed passenger. What first struck me was his flint grey hair, speckled with some slate and charcoal strands- offset by his younger face (and when I say young, I mean young for grey hair, as opposed to too young to be riding the tube alone). Next up was his grey linen-mix blazer- the natural yarns of the linen with discrepancies in grey shades just like his hair. The collar and lapel were so crisp and fresh- in the sort of way that makes you want to reach out and crush them in your hand, yet commanding a respect that puts that sort of idea right back out of your head. He wore it with a white shirt, collar open just-so, faded red softly-tailored chinos and some dusty pale blue suede loafers.

I wish I could have taken a photo because the combination looked way better than it sounds. The easy elegance of his outfit and his amazing hair have really stuck in my mind the past week and now I can't seem to avoid photos of men in crisp tailored summer jackets. They make me want to be a man. Them and the characterful panache of tucking a printed handkerchief into one's breast pocket... And then there's Don Draper. Sure, as a woman, you more want to be with him than be him, but hey he's fictional so emulating him is more realistic. There's those moments when he sits in his office, brandy in hand and loosens his tie. Women have no ties to loosen (loosening your scarf doesn't quite have the same effect). It's unfair really. No crisp collars to demand respect, no ties to loosen dramatically after a hard days work... I guess I'll just have to console myself by enjoying photos of such stylish men. Take a look below for some street shots from Nam over at STREETFSN. Oh if I were a boy...