twenty-two

OUR LITTLE GIRL HAS COME SUCH A LONG WAY!

2011-09-01T16:44:00.000-07:00

So, like any other fan, I've been awaiting the world premiere of W.E., Madonna's much talked-about new directorial adventure. After reading how challenging she described making this movie was, and the many obstacles she had to face compared to the ones she has to deal with in musical projects, her smile throughout today's press conference and while walking the red carpet tonight only shows that she is very proud of her work.
The thought of Madonna in Venice inevitably reminded me of the Like A Virgin video. She must be marveled at the incredible journey her life has been up to now. Here are some pictures from tonight, thanks to Madonnarama.


WEEEERK!

JUST A LITTLE TOUCH OF STAR QUALITY...


NEVER FORGET HOW TO DREAM, BUTTERFLY.

PROUD

ADORABLE

I LIKE TO BELIEVE SHE IS THINKING OF HER MOTHER HERE.

And, speaking of coming a long way...

THINSPIRATION

2011-06-15T19:11:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Hudson looking absolutely fabulous at the AmFar Gala.

(pic via JustJared.com)

ON MY iPOD NOW

2011-06-15T19:03:00.000-07:00

LACROIX, SWEETIE...

2011-05-16T10:16:00.000-07:00

The first time I saw Madonna she was wearing Lacroix.

It was at the Reinvention Tour in Boston, back in 2004. A fantastic photoshoot by Steven Klein for W Magazine preceded the tour. Below are a few images of the Queen wearing some of the designer's amazing pieces. Happy 60th Birthday Monsieur.

C'EST UNE CHANSON QUI NOUS RESSEMBLE

2011-04-13T19:59:00.000-07:00

So, winter's practically here, though it was kind of sunny today. That didn't make much of a difference for me because I'm awfully ill and shut up at home. This must be karma for being so dramatic with past colds and pretending to be Violetta Valéry or Evita on her deathbed, 'cause this time I'm SERIOUSLY feeling it. My whole body aches, I'm extremely tired and even typing seems like an epic quest.
I was thinking about Piaf's bilingual version of Autumn Leaves a little while ago and then I ran into two other versions I liked a lot as well (though hers remains my favorite). The first one is by Yves Montand and it's a tiny clip from a movie, I had never seen him this young and I must say he was quite attractive (the beauty within youth...once again).

The other version is by my new favorite: Juliette Gréco. Though I had heard about her before, it wasn't until recently when I came across her while researching for a past collection, that I began to look more into her music. She sings the original version and the lyrics are just amazing. I love how these types of songs are powerful enough to set you in a particular mood. I love her whole look in the video too.

So here they go:

And then of course, I have to include hers:

SO, WHILE WE'RE ON THE SUBJECT OF ELECTIONS...

2011-04-04T08:24:00.000-07:00

ANIMAL INSTINCT

2011-03-16T23:08:00.000-07:00

OMG Japan. I cannot imagine what it must feel to go though such a traumatic experience and to be unable to be at peace even almost a week after it happened. News of a possible nuclear catastrophe and the continuous aftershocks that continue to strike this area of the world, are sparking fear and a sense of uncertainty that would drive anyone mad out of their senses.

My nearest earthquake-related experience was almost four years ago, when the southern city of Pisco literally fell to pieces after it was hit by a 7.9 magnitude quake. This was 230km. south of Lima, but GOD did we feel and GOD did it feel like it lasted forever (about 2:30 minutes). Though I managed to stay quite calm and to calm those around me (I was with a friend at her shop and with her salesgirl) while it happened, I was traumatized for months, thinking it could happen again at any moment.

Like many animal lovers, one of the things that worries me the most about tragedies like these, is the fate of most pets. I have read that in Japan, most shelters will not allow people to come in with their animals and that they have been faced with the tough choice of leaving them behind in order to guarantee their own safety.

But within this tragic situation, there is hope. People like Ashely Fruno, PETA Asia-Pacific senior campaigner, and Isabella Gallaon-Aoki of Animal Friends Niigata are taking care of those pets who have been abandoned amidst the mess of debris left by the quake and the tsunami that followed.

From PETA Asia-Pacific's blog, The Hot & Sour Scoop.

One of the first members of an international animal rights group to reach the disaster area, PETA Asia-Pacific senior campaigner Ashley Fruno has been in Japan with Isabella Gallaon-Aoki of Animal Friends Niigata since taking the first flight to Tokyo after the airport opened Saturday night. Ashley and Isabella are providing food, water, and care to animals abandoned when their guardians fled to evacuation centers, and are also providing food to animals whose guardians are having a hard time getting supplies of food because of long lines of hundreds of people waiting to get into stores. They've encountered many citizens who have stayed in their badly damaged homes for days because many evacuation centers are not allowing companion animals inside.

"The damage is absolutely horrific," Ashley says. "These dogs and cats need rescue for the sake of the anguished people who were forced to choose between seeking refuge in evacuation centers and taking their beloved animal companions with them."
Despite long waits at gas stations, Ashley and Isabella continue to visit the worst-affected areas in search of animals who need help, and their team remains in touch with the volunteer relief center, city office, and prefecture office, which plans to set up a temporary shelter for animals in the north of the city. Ashley is also talking to reporters and asking them to alert her if they spot animals in need.

Fortunately, there is a way WE can help too. PETA's ANIMAL EMERGENCY FUND provides grants to organizations that do rescue work in situations like the one going on in Japan right now. All you have to do is visit this link and make a donation.
To finish off, and in an attempt to make you click on the link above, here's the touching video of a dog who took care and would not leave his injured companion after they both survived the tsunami. For your mind's sake, both have already been rescued (the thought of them being left alone tortured me for quite a while).

DANCE ON AIR

2011-03-13T16:02:00.000-07:00

My dearest friend Jorge posted a link to Kylie's wardrobe fitting on his Facebook wall. He just flew back to Barcelona where he's been living for over five years and was lucky enough to score a ticket to her show. The fitting features Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana trying out the different combinations of dresses, shoes and headpieces for Kylie's Aprhodite: Les Folies Tour. The clothes look amazing of course, a lot of Grecian influence, and a lot of trademark Dolce & Gabbana details.

What I liked about this link in particular was how it showed Kylie moving and practicing a few dance moves in the outfits to see if they would actually work onstage and on the road. I must say I love Kylie, but she's not that much of a dancer really (though I was pleasantly surprised to see her move quite a lot when she came to Lima a couple of years ago), so I guess the clothes are pretty safe. My friend Paloma once told me that there were a few wardrobe malfunctions when the same duo designed the clothes for Madonna's Girlie Show Tour, but of course, if she's dancing 99% of the time, they are BOUND to happen

Back when I was in design school, one of our first extracurricular projects was to co-design a wardrobe for a modern dance group from a local university. Our head professor was in charge of the whole thing but we helped out and got to go to every show to make sure the dancers had the look we desired. Unfortunately, not all of them had real "dancers' bodies", but we managed pretty well. One of our main concerns was that they'd be able to move freely throughout the whole performance, and they did. I remember we also styled their hair into twig-like shapes covered in gold spray paint. Quite intoxicating.
So while I was pondering about the importance of wardrobe design in dance, I began thinking about that famous scene in Top Hat where Fred Astaire and Ginger Roger dance to Cheek To Cheek.

Any complaint regarding the excessive amount of marabou feathers used on her dress simply disappear once the couple begins to dance. I don't really have mention the fact that they are both excellent dancers, but the use of feathers in her dress adds so much movement that it actually manages to enhance their talent.

I love this song, I love Fred Astaire and this scene just makes me sigh. Here it is, enjoy.

VERY PIAF, NON?

2011-03-06T22:14:00.000-08:00

I have fallen for Adele. I can't say I loved her from the beginning, the truth is I never actually gave her a chance up until a couple of days ago. A friend on Facebook posted her video for Rolling In The Deep and I immediately loved the song (and the video as well).
I had become aware of her when her Chasing Pavements came out and especially when Anna Wintour took her under her wing, but I still was not amused. Yesterday I downloaded a podcast from one of my favorite blogs, and in it I found Someone Like You and I have to say I have not stopped listening to it since.
I searched for videos on youtube and found her UH-mazing performance from this year's Brit Awards (which I remember had been posted by another friend of mine on the exact day of the awards but I totally ignored it). I couldn't hold back the tears. I was even listening to it as I was sketching today, then I'd go back to watching the video, back to sketching, and so on.

In a time where songs have very poor lyrical content and a very predictable pattern, one can only appreciate a talent like Adele's twice as much. Not only are the words in Someone Like You something you can relate to immediately, but her voice and delivery manage to create a heart wrenching connection that gives you goosebumps and leaves you teary-eyed.
Whoever designed her performance deserves a round of applause. I love the simplicity of it. It makes her talent even more obvious. I mean, it could have gone cheesy with the wrong lighting effects or any other props, but this was just perfection. LOVED the rain of metallic confetti at the end. Adele will be turning 22 this year.

BENJAMIN UNBUTTONED

2011-03-03T05:47:00.000-08:00

My Peruvian ID expired (as well as my Uruguayan ID and passport), and so I feel like a character in a movie set in an Eastern European country during the Cold War, who, unable to speak the local language, is about to be detained by the police and then arrested.

Though I tried to fix my Uruguayan situation while I was vacationing in Punta del Este earlier this year, I wasn't able to for two reasons: 1. I took too long to start the whole renewal procedure (I was having too much fun) and 2. Uruguayan bureaucracy has not evolved, nor does it show any signs that it will any time soon (and their employees are apparently hell-sent). Pretty much like the Miss Argentina character in Beetlejuice, remember her?

IN BEETLEJUICE HELL, THOSE WHO COMMIT SUICIDE ARE CONDEMNED TO WORK IN PUBLIC SERVICE FOR ETERNITY. TIM BURTON IS A GENIUS.

Anyway, I must plan a quick trip to Montevideo some time soon in order to get all of this solved. You see, Uruguayan law has it that in order for me to renew my passport I FIRST have to renew my ID. Why not renew my ID at the Consulate in Lima? Because you simply can't. This is something that MUST be done in the actual country. I know, it's ridiculous. I cried, I wailed, I had a tantrum.
"Why bother so much for an Uruguayan passport?" you might ask, like some of my Argentine friends sneered back in Punta. Well, you see, there are a couple of reasons. One is that I actually want a physical element that makes the link to my mother's country of birth official. Two: there are benefits from having it, such as not needing a visa for the U.K., Italy, France,Spain and many other European countries. And believe me, having lost my diplomatic passport privileges when I turned 25 (someone hand me a tissue please), it COMES. IN. HANDY. I've never had to ask for a visa so I'm really unfamiliar with the whole process and I've heard it's usually an unpleasant experience.

IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING, I STILL KEEP MY DIPLOMATIC PASSPORT BECAUSE IT HOLDS MY US VISA.

So, back to Peru. I went to get my Peruvian ID renewed. There was a huge line. I left. I decided I'd come back another day, hopefully before the elections in April, ha! I already had my picture taken though, and on my way back home, as I stared at it and placed it next to the one on my expired ID I thought to myself : GOD have I AGED! Not that I am not happy with the way I look now (I think I'm more comfortable with myself today than I was then), but I the signs of this certain "maturity", so as to call it, were undeniable.
In a very 1989-1999-The-Next-Best-Thing-mirror-scene kind of way, I found a blog's (thank you Matt Rettenmund) side-by-side comparison of a picture of Madonna at the Vanity Fair party on Sunday and another one of her at a book signing in 2000, where she actually looks younger TODAY. I discussed the Madonna situation with a dear friend of mine from Buenos Aires and he said it was a case of "Benjamin Button", and that he too "suffered" from that syndrome. He kept me laughing for a while when he sent me some ridiculously, terribly photoshopped pictures of himself to prove his point. I then had to do my own side-by-side comparison and realized I do NOT have that condition. Unfortunately.

DARK CIRCLES! 2011 vs. 2005

I had another nostalgic moment today that took me back to a bit earlier than 2005, precisely to 2003. I had a wonderful cardio workout today to a song from that year. It was on repeat for a while, and as I listened to it, it brought back many memories: parties at my favorite restaurant, a silver Beetle, a rooftop party, the friends I used to hang out with back then, those who STILL hang out with me now, a hat party, etc. etc. I originally thought my picture had been taken in 2003 as well, so I thought "what a fortunate coincideeeeence...", but no, I was confused. So, just for confusion's sake, let me post the song. The End Starts Today (Tommi Sunshine Remix), by Bis .

AUX ARMES CITOYENS

2011-03-02T08:35:00.000-08:00

The Romantic in me has struck again after reading this morning's paper. The news of the people of Libya making progress on their way to democracy (hopefully) and overthrowing Gaddafi has sparked a certain excitement in me that immediately reminded me of the Romanian Revolution of 1989 and the end of a dictatorship that spanned over 20 years. I'm afraid Muamar Gaddafi's reluctance to give up his power will condemn him to a similar fate to that of Nicolae Ceaușescu's.

MADONNA MOMENT

2011-02-28T10:46:00.000-08:00

A RUNWAY LOOK FROM THE DOLCE&GABBANA SHOW YESTERDAY

FASTEN YOUR SEATBELTS, IT'S GONNA BE A BUMPY NIGHT.

2011-02-27T12:56:00.000-08:00

I've been looking forward to tonight's Academy Awards ceremony with a more-than-usual excitement for some reason. Maybe it's because this year I'm getting together with a group of friends to watch the whole thing from the start, from the pre-show, so we can check out all the outfits worn by tonight's guests.
One aspect that I am really looking forward to is the fact that Anne Hathaway and James Franco (also nominated for best actor in a leading role) will be hosting this year's show. I love both of them and from the short ABC promos I've seen on YouTube, I believe they will do a memorable job (though beating Hugh Jackman's performance two years ago will be somewhat hard).
If you recognized this post's title/first line, you can tell I couldn't help but think about All About Eve. I've been thinking about this movie lately for several reasons, and particularly now because it's awards season. I came across two scenes which I want to share. The first one that came to mind is actually the end scene, which I love for it's acting, art direction, and because its depiction of reality gives me the chills.
The second one is Margo Channing's monologue, I had almost forgotten what an INCREDIBLE piece of acting that was (Bette Davis, we love you).
So here they are, I'll leave you to them while I continue to resist eating the (surprise) fabulous cupcakes I had made for tonight and that my friends should -hopefully- get to taste.

Only a few more hours to go. Enjoy.

SOUL IS IN THE MUSICAL

2011-02-20T17:26:00.000-08:00

After two failed attempts at going to the movies last night - even trying two different movie theaters- a friend and I settled for a movie at his place. We decided to watch The Tourist despite ALL the negative reviews it had received. Half-way through the movie we couldn't agree more with everyone who held this position, but what struck me the most was the terrible choice in music throughout the whole film. It was AWFUL.

This immediately made me think of a scene in GASLIGHT which exemplifies the exact opposite: the perfect choice in music for one of the most dramatic moments in the film. This is one of my favorite movies, I believe I've mentioned this before on this blog, and it is one I would come back to all the time as child. Besides a couple other scenes, including one where the main character screams the name of her housekeeper a zillion times like a madwoman, this is a part I'd watch over and over again (and once again I am suprised my parents never sent me to therapy).

Here is Ingrid Bergman playing Paula Anton, the mentally tortured wife of Gregory Anton (played by Charles Boyer), suffering a crisis to the sound of one of Chopin's greatest pieces : Ballade No. 1, Op. 23 in G minor. Enjoy.

VOI DANSA CU TINE

2010-12-23T11:22:00.000-08:00

I was over at a friend's house a few days ago, after my lunch plans with two other friends got canceled after hours of waiting for them. We decided to have a chill afternoon, nibbling on sandwiches and munching on cookies while drinking coffee. All of this went on while we watched Casino Royale. Now, you might think I'm talking about the James Bond movie starring Daniel Craig, but no, this was a 60's satire based on Ian Fleming's famous character.

The movie had an incredible cast, including former Bond girl Ursula Andress, David Niven, Deborah Kerr, Peter Sellers, and even Woody Allen. The main reason why we chose to watch it was because my friend held it as something really close to his childhood, especially because of the movie's soundtrack, composed by Mr. Burt Bacharach himself. Though I wouldn't label the movie as a must-see, it does have certain visual and musical highlights (like the sultry Look Of Love sung by Dusty Sprinfield).

However, what was most important was the fact that my friend was able to share this film with me.
Getting to know your friends through what they like and what made them happy during their childhood years is probably one of the things I cherish the most, it's like catching up with them in retrospect. Photographs, movies, and music among other elements have the incredible ability to take us back and forth through time. I have just been witness to that today when I found a video of one of my favorite Romanian singers from when I was a kid. Though I didn't recognize it at first, once I heard the chorus I could not help myself from letting out a HUGE sigh. I remembered I actually owned this tape, that she -Angela Similea- had a daughter that went to the American school together with my older sister, and that I had spotted her on the street once.

I'm so happy I found this video. To top it off, she is introduced by none other that Corina Chiriac, my other super-duper favorite Romanian singer, whom I managed to see live at a concert back then (until I got an upset stomach and had to be taken out of the venue, ruining the moment for my parents). That's why I'm not having kids. Here it goes:

ON MY iPod NOW

2010-12-22T16:44:00.000-08:00

Pop à la française.

SANTA BABY

2010-12-21T14:50:00.000-08:00

So, Christmas is only a few days away and I'm not in a very Christmas-y spirit yet, though I am looking forward to cheating on my diet on the year's cheat-day par excellence. I had been thinking about what I'd want to get this year (somewhat inspired by the HILARIOUS videos by Drew Droege's impersonation of Chloë Sevigny) and so I came up with a list of things I would like to get and then narrowed them down to the following five (in no particular order):

NUMBER 1 : A TALL, DARK AND HANDSOME VEGETARIAN.
Santa MUST know I've been single for quite a while (insert Dalí's The Persistence of Memory here, or a video of a tumbleweed, or a cricket sound...or...never mind, I think I made it clear), and though I have broadened my standards, a friend recently reminded me that, once upon a time, being a vegetarian was an essential requirement.


EXAMPLE: CHRISTIAN BALE.

NUMBER 2: DINNER WITH MADONNA. Or lunch, or breakfast or brunch! Whatever it may be. Oh, and I need to be able to bring my friend Paloma along as well to make it complete. You see Santa?! I'm learning to share! (But let me figure out whether she really neeeeeds to sit with us at the same table or if she can just watch from afar).


I CAN SETTLE FOR PIZZA.

NUMBER 3: THE FABERGÉ EGG I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR SINCE I WAS 8.
I SO behaved that year, and I still didn't get it. I was so distraught. Of course, maybe Santa had a hard time deciding WHICH Fabergé egg to bring me. I was never able to make up my mind as to which one was my favorite and I never specified, so I'll give him that, but today I feel like I should probably have the one with the lily of the valley theme since they were, together with narcissus, my favorite flowers in my garden in Moscow (I think I'm just going to have to rush to the closest perfume shop and sniff some Diorissimo for nostalgia's sake).
Seriously, Santa, it's been 22 years...

(SIGH)


TINY PORTRAITS OF NICHOLAS II AND HIS FIRST TWO DAUGHTERS, OLGA AND TATIANA

NUMBER 4: MATTHEW MORRISON'S ABS.
No further explanation necessary.

NUMBER 5: NO MORE BULLFIGHTS.
This might sound like a party pooper to many, but it would make me SO happy. I would give up all of my other gifts just for this one.

So Santa, I've kept it VERY short this year. I'm not asking for much. Here's a little video that will help you realize how insignificant the things I'm asking for are. Please don't let me down...AGAIN.
Tootles.
ROGER

SMILE

2010-12-04T08:46:00.000-08:00

I was writing on my friend Paul's Wall on Facebook for his birthday, I always call him Paulette. Though this pseudo-nickname is not exclusively mine, whenever I do call him this way I always think of Paulette Godard. So I thought of her and then couldn't help but search for one of the most touching scenes in movie history (according to me): the ending of Modern Times.
This has been an EXTREMELY sensitive week. Blame it on the rain, the stars, the planets, the moon - or maybe just the lack of sugar- but it's been hard to deal with these past seven days. It's been somewhat comforting to watch this scene, even though it always manages to bring me to tears, just like the first time I saw it when I was about 8. The music, which you most likely will recognize, is just the best.

HAPPY 50TH DARYL!

2010-12-03T10:35:00.000-08:00

More on Daryl:
I have NEVER seen this movie, I've been hypnotized by this scene since I saw it a couple of years ago. I wanna dance like this.

PIRATE CHIC

2010-12-03T10:21:00.000-08:00

This is a post from quite a while ago that remained in draft-status instead of getting published for some unknown reason. Today is Daryl Hannah's 50th birthday, so I guess it's the perfect excuse to publish it, here it goes:

I'm in the last day of a four-day photoshoot, God knows I'm exhausted by now (missed the ABSOLUT GLIMMER party last night...) and I'm about to be officially sick, which will probably jeopardize my gym attendance yet another week (I went there last night after a 6-day absence and 6-day binge).
Two days ago, no, wait, was it yesterday? You see, this is what being locked up in a studio does to you (together with listening to Mariah Carey or other inhabitants of my iTunes whose presence I'm also ashamed to confess). Well anyway, whenever it was, I accidentally sprayed some cologne into my eyes that morning and I obviously had to tweet about it. Since my Twitter account is linked to my Facebook, two friends of mine decided to comment on my temporary cyclops-state. Though I had thought I'd go for Madonna's eyepatch look in the V Magazine editorial, one of my friends suggested a more Elle Driver kind of look and posted the famous trailer-fight scene from Kill Bill 2.

That reminded me of how much I was fascinated by Daryl Hannah back in the 80s. I bet almost everyone loved her in SPLASH, but the first time I saw her and where she really caught my attention was in the 1986 movie LEGAL EAGLES, where she starred alongside Robert Redford, Debra Winger, Brian Dennehy and the fabulous Terence Stamp. Her character was really intriguing, sort of like a previous version of Catherine Trammel: attractive blonde, possible murderer, gets involved with her lawyer. I also remember I was a bit disturbed by a pair of opera gloves she wore with a cocktail dress in one of the scenes, I never really liked that match, though I was hypnotized by her looks (loooong legs included).

BLONDE BEAUTY


OPERA GLOVE DRESS (THOUGH YOU CAN'T REALLY SEE THEM)

TERENCE STAMP LOOKING TERRIBLY DAPPER

LAWYER/DEFENDANT ROMANCE

After all these ideas went through my brain, the next inevitable thought was plastic surgery. I don't really like what's she's had done (though I really can't tell what precise touch-ups she has been through) but she's one of those celebrities whom you have sympathy for so you cover one eye, or squint, just so that you are not affected by the obvious changes.
I have to say, once again, that I'm not against plastic surgery AT ALL. I think it's totally worth it, especially if some doctor can keep you looking like Gloria Vanderbilt at EIGHTY SIX (!!!) :

GLORIA VANDERBILT TODAY.

Now back to Daryl, here's one of my favorite scenes from Legal Eagles:

ALL HALLOW'S EVE

2010-10-31T12:39:00.000-07:00

I have just come back from dressing a bride, a client of mine whose older sister also got married in one of my dresses and whose mother is a client as well, and I'm getting ready to go to the party, but I still wanted to write this post before I left.
This has been quite a touching morning. This HAS been a hectic week - I am well aware it is the month of Scorpio by now- so I guess I'm also extra sensitive, and therefore, the slightest things can affect me, like remembering Gianni Versace's violent death out of the blue. A friend of mine commented she'd be dressing up as a witch to go treat or treating with two other friends, one of them dressed up as Perseus. I couldn't help but suggest that she should dress up as Medusa and even said it would be "SO Gianni".
Though I could go on for quite a long while talking about Gianni Versace, I think he deserves a post of his own, so I'll save that idea for the future.
So after thinking about his death, how "you only live once" and questioning whether I will actually leave a footprint on this earth, I came across the following performance.

Just when you thought my mood could not descend any further, the final nerve in my system got struck by this girl's voice and this beautiful song.

CHER LLOYD PERFORMING "STAY" ON X-FACTOR LAST NIGHT
(picture from www.dailymail.co.uk)

Though I had heard of Shakespeare's Sister back in the 90's, I don't think I was ever exposed to any of their music, so I was pleasantly surprised when I heard Cher Lloyd perform their song STAY (thank you Perez Hilton once again) on X Factor.

SHAKESPEAR'S SISTER

After watching her amazing performance I had to check out the original version and I loved it as well. A powerful, haunting, goosebump-inducing song and an equally striking video. I NEED A DRINK NOW.

DANCING IS MY REMEDY

2010-10-28T14:52:00.000-07:00

After quite an uninspiring morning here are two music videos that have managed to cheer me up a bit Robyn's INDESTRUCTIBLE ( http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=106911853#pm_cmp=vid_OEV_P_P ) and Katy Perry's FIREWORK. I have to say I loved Robyn's dress, it reminded me a bit of a dress and purse collection I made when I made it through to the Paris finals of the Jeunes Créateurs de Mode contest. I also have to confess my eyes got a little watery while watching Katy Perry's video. I loved that it was filmed in Budapest.
Though I owe the title of this post to Little Boots, you know who was the first one to say you could dance for inspiration...

GYMSPIRATION!

2010-10-27T17:04:00.000-07:00

OCTOBER 20th: ARE YOU WEARING PURPLE TODAY?

2010-10-20T13:31:00.000-07:00

A tie, a scarf, a pin. Anything goes to show your support.
Here's an interesting link : http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20020164-504083.html
(I'm also wearing purple corduroy jeans just in case you were wondering).

CARDIO ANTHEMS

2010-10-19T09:11:00.000-07:00

BARBRA STREISAND by DUCK SAUCE

HOW RETRO

2010-10-19T08:32:00.000-07:00

I've talked about the 80's many times, I myself was one of those that thought they'd never be back and then fell for almost every single trend from that decade that has sneaked back into our lives. This morning's newspaper had the headline featured above, it reads "THE KREMLIN CONDECORATED SPIES WHO WERE EXPELLED". Isn't this just a bit TOO 80's?
I remember a whole family of kids from the U.S. at my school in Moscow were expelled and had to leave the country in a short time's notice when their parents had been accused of being spies (one of them was a really good friend of my sister's). We found it so unfair and thought it was just some sort of retaliation for a Soviet family that had been expelled from Washington weeks before. Their American nanny stayed and became a teacher's assistant at our school.
I also remember how our house there had been completely wired (is this the correct term?). A few months before we arrived in 1987, the Embassy had detected the places where the microphones had been placed, and when my sister and I found out where they were, we decided we place ourselves close enough in order to say nasty comments about the Russians and about living in the Soviet Union (God knows we actually LOVED it there). Even the staff at the house was in on this game. Our cook, Valia, was fluent in Spanish, yet she pretended to barely know the language.
We know fashion and its trends come up as a result or echo of our times, but today it just felt like it was the other way around.

IF YOU'RE IN LONDON THIS WEEK...

2010-10-19T08:11:00.000-07:00

Just got this delivered to my mailbox so...take a peek:

Thursday 21st October
6pm - 8pm
The World of Manolo Room
Ground Floor


Cancel any plans you might have this Thursday and head down to Liberty for the unique chance to meet fashion’s most illustrious shoe designer, Manolo Blahnik. To celebrate the launch of his new book, 'Manolo’s New Shoes', Blahnik will be in store signing purchases. Don't miss this rare opportunity to see the man behind some of the most well renowned and iconic shoes ever produced. 'Manolo’s New Shoes', published by Thames & Hudson, collects together previously unpublished sketches and designs including those for Sofia Coppola’s celebrated Marie Antoinette biopic, with accompanying text from fashion’s best known names including Suzy Menkes and Grace Coddington.

GET MANOLO'S NEW SHOES

THE NEXT GENERATION

2010-10-18T17:56:00.000-07:00

DISCUSS.

SHOW THEM YOU CARE

2010-10-01T14:33:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd be able to keep myself from posting other videos regarding Julie Andrews on the day of her birthday, but it's been impossible. I just watched the following bit from Mary Poppins three times straight, and though Feed The Birds is probably one of the saddest songs in the movie, it is also one of my favorites. The music is beautiful, as well as her voice and interpretation, but above all, the imagery and lyrics, are probably the most touching ingredients of this powerful combination. I guess they must have spoken to the young animal activist in me.

Early each day to the steps of Saint Paul's
The little old bird woman comes
In her own special way to the people she call,
"Come, buy my bags full of crumbs;
Come feed the little birds,
Show them you care
And you'll be glad if you do
Their young ones are hungry
Their nests are so bare
All it takes is tuppence from you
Feed the birds, tuppence a bag
Tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag
Feed the birds," that's what she cries
While overhead, her birds fill the skies

All around the cathedral the saints and apostles
Look down as she sells her wares
Although you can't see it,
You know they are smiling
Each time someone shows that he cares

Though her words are simple and few
Listen, listen, she's calling to you
"Feed the birds, tuppence a bag
Tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag"

Having lived in Eastern Europe as a child, I never felt the urge to travel to London (like I did for Paris), so my first time there was when I was 27, and I have to say I fell in love with the city.
Though stalking Madonna and a trip to her house in Marylebone were within my plans, they were not as important as going to Saint Paul's Here it goes.

A SPOONFUL OF JULIE

2010-10-01T13:27:00.000-07:00

What would our world be without Julie Andrews? I really don't know. So many people's childhood memories are inevitably linked to her I can't possibly think of anyone who doesn't hold a special place for her in their heart. Unlike what was said about Singin' In The Rain's Lina Lamont, she CAN act, she CAN dance and she CAN sing, she is perhaps the embodiment of the word "talent".
I was thinking about the videos I should post regarding her but there's an endless list in Mary Poppins alone, and then there's The Sound of Music, Victor Victoria, etc. etc.
Though we associate her name mostly to films that belong to the comedy and musical genres, what's special about Julie Andrews is that she is also an actress with range. Just a couple of weeks ago I was over a couple of friends' house and we were about to watch her in Hitchcock's Torn Curtain, alongside Paul Newman, but something, I dont' recall what, got in the way and we ended up watching something else.
I'm having a sort of hectic week, but I had to take a minute or two to sit down and write about her today. Happy 75th Birthday!

TWENTY

2010-09-19T21:37:00.001-07:00

Yes, it's been twenty years since Vogue came out as a single, though it was also included in the soundtrack for the movie Dick Tracy : I'm Breathless, and later that same year in the Immaculate Collection.

I became absolutely obsessed with this song and especially the video as soon as it came out. I was ten, but it just spoke to me, I've no idea what it was that captivated me, but in hindsight, the collection of Lempicka images and references to Horst and Mainbocher all put together and coming to life through a fabulous and intricate choreography were something that could just not go by unnoticed, even for my (yet) untrained eye.

Inspiration has become quite a frequent word lately, especially regarding current pop-stars' videos: How much is "inspired by" and how much of their work is just a blatant copy. I think Vogue is the perfect example of how to take references from different artists (the aforementioned ones), no matter how explicit they might be, to then mix them with something as current and not-so-mainstream as "voguing" was back in the day. I think it takes a lot of vision to be able to mix things that are so distant and that apparently have nothing in common (hedonism is the obvious common denominator) into something so new and unique, and what's even more difficult, into something of Madonna's own: it is virtually impossible to separate Madonna from voguing nowadays.
In 2004, I went to my first-ever Madonna concert. Vogue was the opening song, and she performed in a corset, not designed by Mainbocher, but by Monsieur Christian Lacroix himself.

However, I feel my favorite Vogue performances will always be the one at the 1990 MTV Music Awards and ESPECIALLY the one from The Girlie Show.

Here's the performance from the latter, and despite the cliché, here it goes : STRIKE A POSE!

BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO

2010-08-22T11:43:00.000-07:00

I was thinking about those VERY inspiring Robert Palmer videos with the beautiful girls, all uniformed in the same slick hair, red lipstick and skintight dresses. All so pretty. I had suggested the look for a styling project I have next week but my client didn't approve of it. Too bad.
A friend of mine on Facebook posted the videos a couple of days ago and I thought it was funny coincidence. Then this morning, I remembered the following video. Enjoy.

WHAT IF FEELS LIKE FOR A FAN

2010-08-15T21:58:00.000-07:00

"Because she's a non-conformist"
BLESS the girl who I'm quoting, whomever she may be. It's a phrase my best friend and I always go back to and that makes us giggle at first to then eventually break up into MAD laughter when we realize how silly we can be when it comes to our love for the one and only Queen of Pop.
The phrase comes from a teenager outside a Madonna performance in the 80's, most probably at a Virgin Tour concert, when asked by a news reporter WHY she loves Madonna. I've been asked that question myself and I haven't been able to answer it without going into an endless list of reasons which actually don't manage to express what it feels like for a fan.
It will be Madonna's birthday in about two minutes , and I could begin posting thousands of quotes, videos, pictures, etc. in order to celebrate, but this time I will limit my posting to two pieces.
Number one: a picture of myself and my newly acquired Interview magazine (brought to me by a dear friend) where she looks absolutely fantastic.

Number two: a video of Madonna at MTV'S New Music Seminar in 1984.
I love this video. There's no dancing, no singing, none of her usual physical abilities are exposed, but what we manage to see is one of Madonna's greatest talents: her vision. PLEASE watch, at least until the 1:26 mark, and OBSERVE how this newcomer gives the established artists of the time a huge lesson. I recently watched it for the nth time and I could not help but cheer, jump and clap. It makes me smile.
It makes me proud to be a fan.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MADONNA!

YOU BETTER KNOW WHAT YOU'RE FIGHTING FOR

2010-08-14T12:48:00.000-07:00

LOVING this.
I guess this is one of the examples when less is DEFINITELY more.

AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER

2010-07-08T23:18:00.000-07:00

It's half past midnight and although I have to be up early tomorrow and should be asleep by now, I can't avoid the fact that today is the fourth anniversary of the day Madonna grabbed my hand. Yes, four years ago I became one lucky fan. I travelled to Boston especially for this concert, I bought a ticket on ticketmaster and though I knew I had a pretty good seat, I had no idea I was to be located just by the end of the catwalk where the disco ball where Madonna would come out of would descend at the beginning of the show.
The minute the mirrored ball opened, right after she sang : Connect to the sky/Future lovers ride/There in mission style/Would you like to try, she turned to her left and stared at me, and I almost fainted. I had had a t-shirt made especially for the occasion, in black and white stripes and with the words "I CONFESS" emblazoned in fuchsia and purple sequins. I could hardly contain myself throughout the entire show, I had never been this close to her (I had been to the Reinvention Tour a couple of years before, but the stage design wasn't this fan friendly).
I was happy. Just too happy. I though my trip had been worth every bit, but little did I know that the best was yet to come. While singing La Isla Bonita, right when she went down the catwalk followed by her entourage of dancers, she knelt RIGHT in front of me towards the end of the song, and then it happened. A few seconds that have now become one of my most cherished memories ever. SHE grabbed my hand. MADONNA. The same person I'd been following since I was 5. The same person who danced on a Venetian gondola. The same person who walked up a staircase in a striped t-shirt and jeans while holding a leather jacket over her shoulder . The same girl whose voguing I tried to imitate at 10. The same woman who inspired my curiosity for Tamara de Lempicka (the subject of my first collection ever). Most importantly, the one whose voice had been the background music to much of my life. It was as if HER life had flashed before my eyes.
Though I held on, she let go, and I have to admit it was sort of a let-down. It was as if I expected her to recognize me or something. I know it sounds delusional, but I guess most fans feel we've had some sort of relationship with her for the past thirty years.
Though I thought everything I could possibly expect from this amazing experience had already happened, I was to be extremely and pleasantly surprised when I got back to Lima. Though I had taken my camera to the concert, I only took pictures of her and was too excited to even think about taking pictures of myself, so the last thing I expected was to find pictures where I show up jumping and dancing next to the stage, posted on flick.com by two guys to whom I'll be eternally grateful.
Here's my photographic homage on our 4th anniversary and the tiny clip I managed to film right before IT happened. Happy Anniversary darling.

THE HAND

THE TICKET

THE OUTFIT

THE SOUVENIR

THE MOMENT

MADONNA MOMENT

2010-07-06T23:22:00.000-07:00

YOU'RE SO FINE, AND YOU'RE MINE

Last look at Chanel Couture Fall 2010- July 6, 2010

COLOR ME BADD

2010-07-04T08:38:00.000-07:00

I'm kind of sick of people's so-called "re-interpretation" of pop art, especially in the local art scene. I mean, if I see another artist painting him/herself in the light of a pop star, a pin-up girl or painting comic icons and cartoons and calling them art by giving them a lousy twist, I'm seriously going to throw up (which given the few pounds I want to shed, might come in handy, ha!).
So when I came across the following video, I should have probably closed the window, but instead, I was caught up in it. Like I think I've mentioned before, beautiful or cool looking visuals rarely get away with being good enough unless they have an essence to them and a concept to back them up. In Marina and the Diamonds' new video for her song Oh No!, the lyrics, the song title and everything make a perfect match with the pop aesthetic given to it. Thank GOD for music videos. Had I heard the song on the radio I would have probably liked it but not paid much attention to it. This video actually enhances the power of the song by creating a living cartoon out of the lyrics, adding a much-to-my-delight comical drama (is that an oxymoron?). I KNOW I've mentioned thoughts on my life as a musical about a thousand times by now, and that's probably why I'm in love with the video. I felt it was a mix between Ally McBeal and Björk's It's Oh So Quiet in a Lichtenstein world.
I have to say I LOVE the choices in wardrobe, they are just perfect, both for her and the back-up dancers. I think they manage to give the video a more contemporary feel. I also love those Pantone-inspired outfits, which many might think were probably designed especially for this video, but they are actually part of Henry Holland's Fall collection. I just love when fashion and music share the same spirit and come together in work of art like this.

I'll watch the video again while I begin to write a letter asking her if she'll consider a name-change, it just happens to be shared by a most unfortunate person.
Here it is, enjoy:

HEAR HER ROAR

2010-07-03T23:26:00.000-07:00

So, after a couple of days or weeks of not posting anything, here I am again. I've actually had longer pauses than this, but the fact that this blog and myself were featured in widely read magazine, here in Lima, has added a litte more pressure to keep the posts coming up more frequently.

In my usual search for new music, I've become obsessed with an new song by a new artist, but the problem is I've only heard about a minute (precisely 58 seconds) of it, but I am HOOKED on it. I've been searching for a full version all over the web and I could find nothing, learning the album won't be released until August didn't help my anxiety much, until finally, last night, I found a little something: the full version in a video on youtube where sound quality is terrible because the song serves as the musical backdrop for a tiny little girl's performance. She actually knows some of the lyrics and is really into the whole thing, she even manages to imitate some of the gestures Lolene (Ooops! Just realized I never mentioned the song I'm talking about : Lion Heart by British newcomer Lolene http://www.lolenemusic.com) does in one live performance I also found on youtube. Watching this girl and her improvised, all-over-the-place but definitely heartfelt choreography reminded me of myself at her age.

When I lived in the former Soviet Union and my parents had to throw official dinner parties, my sister and I would have to stay upstairs all night, unable to go down, just like prisoners. Well, "prisoners" might be a bit of a stretch, but let's just say that my father wasn't too fond of the few occasions when I sneaked into the main living room and my 8 year-old self began to chat with some diplomat's wife out of the blue. The second reason why I am definitely exaggerating is because I hold some of the sweetest memories from those moments of "confinement". I remember we'd watch lots of movies, especially ones with plenty of music and dancing involved, while munching on the same food the grown-ups were having thanks to our cook who'd keep sending up the plates (I guess this is the moment when I began to put on weight). Then we'd create our own little dancefloor by rolling up the carpets in order to provide for a slippery and gliding-friendly surface. Many Flashdance moments were recreated there, soon to be followed during winter on the ice-skating rink.
So JUST because she's managed to take me back to this moment, I think Sydney deserves to be posted on my blog. Here she is, enjoy, while I keep on singing and waiting for this single to come out: This is the eeeeeeeend of the wooooooorld as we know iiiit...

SHE'S A GIRL

2010-06-22T10:05:00.000-07:00

Meryl Streep turns 61 today. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I think her greatest asset has been her versatility as an actress, it has been essential to becoming the icon she is today. With so many movies to choose from, here's a clip from one of my favorites:

BEAUTY IS WHERE YOU FIND IT PART II

2010-06-21T22:08:00.000-07:00

Part II of the show:

BEAUTY IS WHERE YOU FIND IT

2010-06-21T13:27:00.000-07:00

Or sometimes it's in your face, unavoidable and overwhelming. Such was the case at the Dolce & Gabbana Men's Spring show this week. It is rarely often that we see a men's show that is beautifully staged and that manages to carry the drama a women's show usually does, though, in comparison, a women's couture show is a very difficult rival when it comes to showtime. Unlike the lucky ones who managed to view the show LIVE through the Italian duo's website, I managed to catch it on youtube later on that day, but we were all witness to a moving show that was exquisitely orchestrated both visually and musically.
Opening the show to Mascagni's Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana was probably the best way to have the audience on the verge of tears. Those strings manage to strike every nerve in a person's body, and if it doesn't, have you asked yourself if you're alive at all? I hold this musical piece as one of my favorites and I've had it on repeat after the show. It brings memories from a recent trip to Buenos Aires, when I watched Raging Bull with a close friend (though we never made it to the end of the film). The movie opens with the same music, so when I heard it on the show, it immediately made me think of Italian immigrants in the U.S. and their background, and how Dolce&Gabbana have always worked on the heritage of Italian culture.

After this extremely touching introduction with the screens flashing images of Domenico and Stefano giving the finishing touches on the gorgeous models that were about to walk the runway, the curtains opened and there was Annie Lennox, sitting majestically at the piano, seconds before playing No More I Love You's. Later came Why, A Whiter Shade Of Pale and Must Be Talking To An Angel for the finale. Not only was the music beautiful, but everyone participating in this event, be it front row or backstage, was being treated to the presence of a great musical icon. As you can tell, this show was definitely designed to touch our hearts from beginning to end.
This gives you a clue on the musical beauty of the show, but then visually, the clothes, the models, everything was perfect. It was great to see Evandro Soldati (gorgeous), David Gandy (godly), André Ziehe though the major highlight for me was Enrique Palacios walking down the runway after quite a long time. They all strutted wearing outfits that just breathed ease. Who can resist such beauty?

ENRIQUE PALACIOS

EVANDRO SOLDATI

ANDRÉ ZIEHE

DAVID GANDY

JUSTIFY MY TONY WARD

STEFANO GABBANA AND DOMENICO DOLCE

I have written about beauty before, and it's power, and the thought struck me again. Here are these kids, young models, selected because of their physical features, becoming part of a memorable moment in fashion history where Annie Lennox was playing live while celebrating the 20th anniversary of the design team's men's line.
It has been a VERY touching show (and a true inspiration to working to be fit this summer). Here's the link to the show on the official Dolce & Gabbana website. The videos on youtube follow.
http://www.dolcegabbana.com/dg/fashion-show/man/video_runway

(Pics via style.com)

Part II of the show is in the next post.

MY HEART BELONGS TO DADDY

2010-06-20T09:46:00.000-07:00

So, I've been listening to a lot of Marilyn Monroe songs lately, I don't know why, but I've been in the mood for them, especially in the mornings. I think I first became aware of who she was after watching Madonna's Material Girl video back in the day and my parents explained where my beloved M had drawn the idea of wearing that pink dress and choreography. Given the recent controversy in the blogosphere regarding what is an "homage" and what is simply ripping-off another artist after Lady GaGa's Alejandro video, all I can say is Material Girl was definitely an homage, and a great one too.

To me the biggest difference between ripping-off and taking inspiration is that the first one uses/copies similar imagery just for the sake of a visual effect while taking actual inspiration requires further work and effort so that there is an actual purpose/message from this "borrowing of ideas". Material Girl wasn't based on just any Marilyn Monroe performance, it was based on her rendition of Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend in her 1953 movie Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. The reference to that song was a perfect match and essential to the final message in the video : Boys may come and boys may go but that's alright you see, experience has made me rich and now they're after me.

Back to Monroe now, it is Father's Day today, and like every year, I can't help but start singing My Heart Belongs To Daddy. Though this Cole Porter piece has been sung by many artists, the only version I've ever heard is Marilyn's. I remember how much my mom despised her singing skills when my dad used to play this when I was a kid, but there is such charm to her performance of this song that you just can't help but love it, especially because of the double-entendre and more so after you see the bit where she sings it in the movie Let's Make Love.
I love her outfit. I love the simplicity of it. 60's chic. A sweater and black tights. Isn't a sweater the typical Fathers' Day gift?

Here's the video, enjoy.

THE FUR THAT MURDERED LOVE PART II

2010-06-15T17:23:00.000-07:00

Here's a live performance of the song at The Graham Norton Show.
Enjoy.

THE FUR THAT MURDERED LOVE

2010-06-15T17:22:00.000-07:00

The former obnoxious environmentalist in me has appeared in the last couple of posts and apparently he's here to stay for a bit. I've been thinking about how difficult it is to draw an artist and his/her talents away from the person they really are. I know this is nothing new, and it's a fact we tend to want to know more and more about the pop stars, actors, and other kind of performers we admire, in order to sympathize more with them or just from plain curiosity.
I have never been too fond of Kelis, to be honest the only song I ever heard from her was Milkshake (and now that I remember, her vocal contribution to Timo Maas's Help Me some years ago), but after her recent comments to the press regarding the letters she received from PETA asking her not to wear fur, and her ridiculous, mocking, aggressive and tactless answers ("I would have fur walls if I could") stating her love of it (and therefore obvious insensitivity to animal suffering), have made me want to ignore and not even give a chance to her new album though I know it's been getting some good reviews. Personally, I hope it TANKS, no matter how childish that might sound, I just can't help the feeling. She really gets on my nerves. Too bad Robyn has decided to tour with her.

Well, while we're on the subject, there's this new catchy, poppy song that I've had on repeat since I downloaded it. I'm kind of infatuated with the lyrics and even though I was not seduced by the performer's voice at first, I'm liking it more and more each time. It's The Boy Who Murdered Love, by Diana Vickers, a British singer who was a semi-finalist in The X Factor two years ago.

She's VERY young, she'll be turning 19 at the end of July, and though I love the song, like I stated before, I can't get over the fact that she's wearing a fur jacket towards the end of the video (which has a pretty cute aesthetic to it involving a cartoon-interfered reality and a hard-to-ingore cute male model). I'm hoping it's fake, though I doubt it, just so that I don't have to hate her. I sound thirteen now, I know.
Here's the link to the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1wKCXbrK74

UNITED COLORS OF THE FUTURE

2010-06-03T18:03:00.000-07:00

I was recently called to have my picture taken for a magazine article on fashion bloggers in Lima. I was quite surprised I was actually chosen because I don't consider my blog to be solely about fashion, but as I was beginning to think about this entry, I realized most of my posts are inevitably fashion-related.
When I was about 11, I began a long-term love affair with Benetton. I think I still remember my first item from this brand, it was a green polo shirt, with UNITED COLORS OF BENETTON written in tiny fuchsia letters in the front. I had fallen in love with it at the store for some reason and had not been bothered by the fact that it was a size or two big. Suddenly, 90% of my wardrobe came from this brand and then most of my personal belongings: my wallet, my agenda, my cologne, my walkman-case, keychain, etc. It had become an unexplainable obsession. I mean, some people from high school remember my colorful Benetton backpack more than they remember me (of course, I did weigh about a ton back then too).
I also fell in love with their ad campaigns. LOVED THEM. I loved their thought-provoking, shocking, controversial images addressing social issues such as racism, AIDS, discrimination in general, and above all -at that period in my life- enviromental issues. I became a fan of Oliviero Toscani, the creative mind and photographer behind the ads, then wrote Luciano Benetton expressing my admiration and was happily surprised when I received a package containing poster-sized images of the campaigns from 1989 to 1995. I actually got to meet Luciano Benetton later on when he came to Lima to open a store.
It was at 12 that I became a vegetarian and that I got involved in school activities that promoted recycling and other eco-conscious activities. That is probably why one of the images that struck me the most back then, was that of the bird covered in thick, black oil, it's eyes red with irritation, swimming in the middle of a huge oil spill, and looking like something out of this world.

Thinking it was a species from another planet would have probably been the more comforting way of looking at it than knowing it belonged to our own planet Earth, and that the reason why this poor animal was condemned to such a horrific situation that would lead to it's premature death, was caused by our own kind. Or maybe it was a new species. Were we being witness to the birth of a new type of bird that would soon be populating our planet? I know this sounds a bit dramatic, but after seeing the following pictures from the affected wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico due to the UNBELIEVABLE irresponsibility of BRITISH PETROLEUM, one can only wonder if we will ever learn. Things haven't changed much.

(Pictures via Towleroad)

À LA FIN DE LA RUE

2010-06-03T17:36:00.000-07:00

I remember visually "quoting" the scene from the following video a few weeks ago. It is probably my favorite moment from GOLDEN GIRLS. Though I wasn't a die-hard fan of the show, I do have fond memories of watching it and having many laughs at Rose's stories of Saint Olaf and at the way Blanche Deveraux charmingly managed to address the vanity in each and everyone of us.
I have turned 30, I've said this over a million times, I know, and as "the physical interferes, everyday more..." (your daily dose of musical drama here), I couldn't help but recreate this scene in front of a couple of friends some time ago, like I said at the beginning of this short post.
I just found out Rue McLanahan has passed away today, leaving Betty White as the only living Golden Girl. I simply felt the need to post this video in her memory and as a tribute to her most memorable character. Simple and HYSTERICAL. Love it. Enjoy:

CELEBRITY SKIN

2010-06-02T13:08:00.001-07:00

My initial title for this post was BROOKE SHIELDS YOU SUCK, but then I decided I could be a bit more elaborate. Brooke Shields is probably a celebrity many people that belong to my generation hold as a childhood icon. Her 80's beauty, her star-status at such an early age and watching her grow in the limelight made her one VERY fascinating person. Fascination faded a bit, as she grew up and grew older but she still holds a strong place among other Hollywood stars.

I remember having dinner once at Cipriani's in Soho, back in 2008, with one of my closest friends from my high school in Montevideo, and minutes after we sat down, someone went by behind me. My friend is not as celebrity obsessed as I am (I had already recognized Carine Roitfeld's son when we entered but that's just because I'm a freak), but she did mention something along the lines of "hey, I think the girl that just went by you is kind of famous, she looks familiar" in her priceless Uruguayan accent in Spanish (she is from Taiwan so, visually, it's pretty surreal). As I turned to my right, two tables away from us it was her, Ms. Brooke Shields herself. I couldn't help but squeal to my friend "Those EYEBROWS!!! They're part of HISTORY!!!". She looked way prettier in person, slimmer too, and though I was immediately starstruck when I saw her, I didn't dare to go up to her and say hello. Two other people had already done that and asked for a picture, and she seemed rather annoyed by it. To tell you the truth however, there was a HUGE turn off : she was wearing a long fur vest. My initial excitement faded a bit, not completely, I have to be honest. I had been in NYC for about a week, LIPSTICK JUNGLE was about to premiere that weekend, and I remembered seeing Hilary Rhoda backstage at the Michael Kors show and thinking how the 80's were back EVEN when it came to physical features, so running into her seemed like a pretty cool way to end that trip.
Unfortunately, today, Brooke Shields has been the source of major disappointment. I just checked one of my favorite blogs and came across the following picture:

Has she no heart? Not only does Brooke Shields wear fur, she will actually be promoting the use of it by designing a fur coat herself together with a Danish fur company. I could soooooooooort of understand when people are just hypnotized by the texture of a fur coat and enjoy wearing one because they are able to ignore what goes into making one (I won't excuse them though), but to still be into it while being a witness to the process and to actually see the bodies of dead animals and to not be moved by it is beyond me. She has been quoted to say: "My only true love, darling. I live for furs. I worship furs! After all, is there a woman in all this wretched world who doesn't? ". PATHETIC. Could someone PLEASE slap some sense into her? I really hope PETA gets her.

SUDDENLY RELEVANT PART 2

2010-05-31T14:13:00.000-07:00

Though this may sound a bit obsessive, I've been taking a look at different performances by Sinéad O'Connor during creative breaks throughout the day (which, on a side note, has probably been very un-productive regardless of all the massive amounts of work I need to get done).
I found a video of the day she appeared at the Bob Dylan Tribute the same year of her scandal. I don't think we'll ever know how it must feel to receive such a mixed response from the audience but unfortunately dominantly negative. How can you deal with so much hate towards you? We've all had our shares of negative energy being directed towards us, but rarely this loud and massive. What I salute (my word of the day here) is how she managed to stand with her head held high, expecting her audience to be civil enough to allow her to sing a song in honor of Bob Dylan and yet when she realizes signs of hatred will not cease, she cancels her intended performance in order to quote Bob Marley's WAR lyrics, demonstrating how relevant they are once again.
Here's the clip from that day:

SUDDENLY RELEVANT

2010-05-31T08:51:00.000-07:00

It's crazy how one ridiculous and almost insignificant comment can start off a series of ideas that can actually lead to something important or, at least, thought provoking. A friend of mine will be crossing the border from Israel to Jordan in a few days, and mentioned he was planning on shaving his head to do so. Why? I have absolutely no idea, but I couldn't help but comment he'd be a Sinéad O'Connor look-alike.
This immediately made me go on youtube and search for that ultra-controversial performance of hers on Saturday Night Live back in 1992. I remember being in 8th grade when this happened and how it was a world shocker. Today I payed close attention to the whole performance since the only bit that got broadcast on the news around the world were the last few seconds where she tore the picture of the Pope. I had not realized how powerful the lyrics of the song she sang were and how everything was precise in making the performance come to a full circle.

After all the controversy surrounding the Catholic Church lately regarding the unveiling of stories of pedophilia commited by actual members of this entity, Sinéad's words come as quite relevant and make her look not as crazy as she did back then. Don't get me wrong, I was the only person in my grade not wanting to crucify her, probably because I was an atheist since then (though I was baptized in the Vatican and even have a picture with John Paul II). I actually thought it took some (pardon my French) BALLS to go up and do that on LIVE television, especially at TWENTY-THREE! Talk about standing up for what you believe in. Following is the LINK (embedding is disabled unfortunately) to the full performance of that night, 18 years ago, and then a short but very interesting news report on her before it all happened.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYw8JR1N90o

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BABY, YOU'LL BE FAMOUS.

2010-05-11T17:15:00.000-07:00

Watching the video at the end of this post reminded me of the following:
When I was in second grade I played Für Elise in front of my school at the auditorium on one of our weekly assemblies. I don't remember why there were musical numbers involved in this particular one, nor how I dared to have to the guts to go in front of an audience and play this piece by ear (our elementary school music teacher, Ms. Proctor, mus have convinced me). I had not had formal piano lessons yet but I had a very kind older sister who was willing to teach me how to play it, and so, I learned it. I never quite mastered my left hand on the second half, but I managed pretty well through the whole ordeal.
Later on, I began to take lessons, but I wanted things to be faster than they were, I had no patience and this whole Chopinesque-phase ended when my piano teacher stormed out the door saying : "Your son has no discipline!" (Please imagine that in a Russian accent).
I have often regretted not putting more effort into those lessons, having more patience, and realizing the importance of practice. After watching the following video, I am in absolute awe. This sixth grader has managed to give me goosebumps. I love the way he's given his own spin on the original GaGa song and the passion and confidence of his performance. It is absolutely inspiring. Please watch and enjoy.

SINGLE, BILINGUAL

2010-03-06T09:53:00.000-08:00

I have officially started out a new blog in Spanish as of today. I had been thinking about it for a while but I just didn't have the time nor had I come up with a name I found to be sufficiently humorous and precise. In the end, I followed a friend's advice and named it ME MUEROU. Though the correct way of writing this expression would be "me muero" (literally meaning "i'm dying" but used in Spanish as and expression of shock like "NO WAY!" or "OH MY GOD!"), I decided to add the extra "u" at the end just to give it the intonation a native English speaker would produce when saying the word. I actually use it that way, mockingly, on a daily basis.
Anyway, my post on my twin blog was regarding the publishing of my first article. Not that I intend to become a journalist (nor that the actual article is impressive enough to make anyone believe that for a second), but I was very happy to have been asked by Peru's leading newspaper's magazine, SOMOS, to cast my opinion on Lady GaGa, her style and her unavoidable comparison to Madonna. It was short and concise (and a bit of it was edited too), but I guess it's somewhat "reassuring" to have the local press choose me to give my opinion on the matter. I guess all this PDML (Public Display of Madonna Love) has been finally rewarding.
The coolest thing was that when I was asked to do this, my point of view was to be included only as a point of reference throughout the main article, I was only to be quoted regarding certain aspects of Lady GaGa's fashion and her similarities with Madonna, but then I got an e-mail saying they had really liked what I had written and that they were going to include it as a special feature in the spread.
Here's the link to my new blog and my first post : www.memuerou.blogspot.com

ALEXANDER THE GREAT

2010-02-12T05:52:00.001-08:00

I'm still a bit shocked from the sad news yesterday. I was in a meeting when I got a call from a fellow fashion designer friend who let me know about the terrible news regarding Alexander McQueen's death. We had JUST been talking about him a few minutes before, noting how the shoes I was wearing were very similar to a pair he had designed a few seasons ago but that I was too stingy to buy during a trip to London (and later bought the wallet-friendly version in Buenos Aires). I can't regret not having a piece designed by him any more right now.
Alexander McQueen was always the answer to the "Who's your favorite designer?" question during interviews for the local media. I'd always mention that though I did not agree with his use of fur and taxidermy in his shows, he was the one designer from our time that I truly admired. Watching a McQueen show was, like most fashionistas know, entering a whole new dimension, where the concept of the collection ruled over everything, even the clothes. The show told a story from beginning to end, the models were the characters in the play, and the catwalk was the setting for the plot to take place . I really don't know how to explain it, but the fact that he managed to create this universe for the few minutes a show may last, gave his clothes an extra value that, for me, represents what fashion should really be about.
Whenever I try to explain a collection of mine, I always mention there is a strong connection to the concept beneath it. There are some details that may come up out of the blue, but 90% of it comes from the storyline created by oneself. I think he managed to portray this beautifully every single time. I remember going to the Anglomania exhibit at the Costume Institute and being absolutely astounded by his amazing dresses and then seeing the famous Oyster Dress featured in the permanent exhibit. I think I even shed a tear. The fact that his work could move you to such deep emotions (many editors have been quoted to have cried at some of his fashions shows) comes to depict the POWER of his creations.

How will this gap be filled now? His collections were the ones I looked forward to the most. It is definitely a time for mourning in the fashion world, and I can't help but feel a little shiver just thinking about what might have been going through his mind in order to take such a tragic decision. Like I said yesterday on a post on my Facebook, he spelled out the word GENIUS. How many people can juxtapose the delicate and the aggressive, the macabre and the pretty, and whip it up into one tasteful confection while pushing boundaries and keeping the real spirit of fashion alive? I can't help but be moved to tears while I write this and I know that what I have written does not measure up to what he represented to all of us. I always hoped I'd be able to meet him or go to one of his shows. He was a true idol. All I can say is : WE LOVE YOU LEE.

Here's a landmark in fashion show history, over ten years ago, yet still avant-garde.

VANESSA DA MATA: DRAMA MODE À LA BRÉSILIENNE

2010-01-11T07:44:00.000-08:00

I just got back from an amazing trip to Salvador, Bahía in Brazil and I have to say I SO needed a trip like this. It was the perfect combination of friends, location and atmosphere. It had been over 10 years since I had last been to Brazil (I went to both Rio and Florianopolis at different times in the same year) and the main purpose of this trip was this New Years celebration.
Though I have many things to talk about this travelling experience (and hopefully most of them will make it to my blog), I'm going to concentrate on the New Years party we went to. I must admit, most of my friends (we were a bunch from Peru, others from Argentina and then another bunch from other cities in Brazil), were a bit uneasy regarding the musical entertainers for the actual party : Vanessa da Mata and Ivete Sangalo.

When I had originally signed up for this trip, I thought Daniela Mercury would be peforming, with whom I'm perfectly familiar (I have a couple of her cd's and have been to a concert of hers in my teens when I lived in Montevideo), but then realized she'd be peforming at the beach on January 1st.

I did some research, and concentrated on Ivete Sangalo, having heard a bit more of her than Vanessa da Mata, but I wasn't thrilled with what I found on youtube.
I have to say this changed COMPLETELY once we were at the party. We got there minutes before Vanessa da Mata appeared onstage and she totally ROCKED. It was impossible to sit still while she was there, performing like a true artist, fabulously styled hair (flower included) and flawless voice. Though Ivete was ENERGY personified,and managed to keep us dancing and jumping with a smile on our faces through the rest of the night (she appeared a bit before midnight and kept on going for an amazing THREE HOURS), I have totally fallen for da Mata.
There is one thing I've learned from this concert, and that is that when music is of a good, elaborate quality, it knows no boundaries. I had NEVER heard one of her songs before, neither did I understand 90% of the lyrics (I found out on this trip that my knowledge of portuguese was practically null), but I could not help myself from dancing and enjoying it.
I've become obsessed with one particular song, which struck me IMMEDIATELY as she performed it, it's already on my iPod (thanks to Cristian who let me download the songs from his cd). It's called Você Vai Me Destruir. It has become my new DRAMA MODE anthem. It couldn't be more dramatic, more divalicious, more 70's disco/funk inspired yet Brazilian by heart. Though the song is on repeat practically 24/7 ever since I got back (you should have seen me screaming the chorus out loud as I went for a run yesterday), I find it will be almost impossible to surpass the live performance she delivered on New Year's Eve.
I have found a video on youtube of another performance of hers (love the outfit and scenery), just so you can enjoy it as much as I did. Here it goes :

P.S: THE LYRICS! (English translation available at http://lyricstranslate.com/en/voce-vai-me-destruir-you-will-destroy-me.html)

Está acabando o amor
Você ainda não veio
Não disse, não ligou
Se vem viver comigo

Se me quer como amiga
Se não quer mais me ver
Você vai me esquecer
Você vai me fazer padecer

Está acabando o amor
Você já não me pertence
Eu vejo por aí
Você não está comigo

Nessa nossa disputa
Nesse seu jeito bom
Eu não quero saber
Você vai desdenhar
E vai sofrer

Você vai me destruir
Como uma faca cortando as etapas
Furando ao redor
Me indignando, me enchendo de tédio
Roubando o meu ar
Me deixa só e depois não consegue
Não me satisfaz

Está acabando o amor
Você já não me pertence
Eu sinto por aí
Você não está comigo

Nessa nossa disputa
Nesse seu jeito bom
Eu não quero saber
Você vai desdenhar
E vai perder

Você vai me destruir
Como uma faca cortando as etapas
Furando ao redor
Me indignando, me enchendo de tédio
Roubando o meu ar
Me deixa só e depois não consegue
Não me satisfaz

Pensando em te matar de amor ou de dor eu te espero calada

UPDATE: YAAAAY!!! I found a video from the actual New Year's Eve concert, here it goes.

HELEN SLATER

2009-12-15T08:19:00.000-08:00

I have JUST found out it is Helen Slater's birthday today! Ring a bell? To me she's the 80's beauty and Michael J. Fox's object of desire in The Secret of My Success (1987), but I guess most people will remember her as Supergirl.

However, I think I enjoyed watching her the most in the leading role in The Legend of Billie Jean, which has that wonderful hell of a song by Pat Benatar, Invincible.
Well she's turned 46 today, and I can say she has aged pretty well, don't you think?

Here's the video for her song, which includes tiny bits from the movie and then a clip from one of my favorite scenes in The Secret of My Success. Enjoy.

OUR DAUGHTERS' DAUGHTERS WILL ADORE US...RIGHT?

2009-12-14T22:17:00.000-08:00

As a result of my search for pictures for my last post, I naturally arrived at many that included Julie Andrews. Though I had downloaded quite a few songs from Mary Poppins I realized there were some I was missing. Among them was one that was sung not by Julie Andrews but by Glynnis Johns, the actress who plays Mrs. Banks. The song is called Sister Suffragette, and as the title suggests, it deals with women's votes, something that was forbidden during the period of time the movie was set in, early 20th century.
Though her character is portrayed as somewhat ridiculous, what comes across as ridiculous is the fact that women were not allowed to vote, especially when we come to think that this movie was made during the 1960's. The simple thought of women not being able to exercise their individual rights and have a say in political matters must have felt absolutely insane and unthinkable for the new generations at the time, yet interracial marriage was THEN a topic of social debate.

Well now, nearing 2010, about a hundred years after this fictional nanny changed the lives of the Banks family, some minorities continue to fight for their individual rights. Gay marriage is illegal in many countries, not to mention the fact that BEING gay is considered a crime in some countries too. Though some progress has been made, it is up to our generation to continue the strive for equal rights. Hopefully this WILL change in much less than a hundred years.

Anyway,back to my song-of-the-moment, I searched for the video and then had a little fun playing with the lyrics in the first verse, so as to update it:

ORIGINAL:
We're crearly soldiers in petticoats
And dauntless crusaders for womens'votes
Though we adore men individually
We agree that as a group they're rather stupid!

MY VERSION:
We're clearly soldiers in PRADA coats
And dauntless crusaders for GAY MEN'S votes
Though we adore STRAIGHTS individually
We agree that as a group they're rather stupid!

It's just a stereotypical joke! Here's the video, enjoy:

SEVENTY-NINE GOING ON EIGHTY

2009-12-13T10:18:00.000-08:00

This is a VERY short post, a virtual toast to Christopher Plummer on his birthday. One of my first crushes. I bet there are more people who found him attractive in The Sound of Music.
I mean, who else was there to like, right? OK. OK. I know we probably all related to Liesl (though I particularly liked Brigitta the BEST), but regarding the male characters? Friedrich? Kurt? That mailman-turned-Nazi just didn't cut it for me no matter how many times I watched the Sixteen Going On Seventeen scene.

I then watched him in The Fall of the Roman Empire, and I remember my seven year-old self having a hard time dealing with him as the bad guy....
I just found out he has published an autobiography last year, In Spite of Myself. It must be quite an interesting one, coming from a man whose acting career began in theater and who has been in movies since the 1950's. His latest production, Beginners, is in filming, yet to be released in 2011.

Well, that's it, Happy 80th Birthday Captain Von Trapp.

Edelweiss - Sound of Music - Christopher Plummer's own voice from Mark on Vimeo.

DÈJA VU

2009-12-03T20:15:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking about how the 80's haven't ceased to make their comeback just yet. It started in the late 90's with the Adidas trademark stripes on everything and then kept slowly creeping up on us until there was no more denying it and then suddenly we were all wearing leggings once again. OK, maybe not all of us, but all our girl friends. Believe me, I have nothing against men's leggings but you've got to have a killer physique to pull them off AND then of course, I DO live in Lima, Peru, where I get "Barney" yelled at for wearing purple jeans...Ah! The Third World!
Back to our main subject, regarding the 80's and stuff (yes, I said "stuff"), it is common knowledge music and fashion go hand in hand most of the time. From disco to rock to rap to the next thing, we've seen and heard it all happen. Gianni Versace was one of the first designers to take advantage of this by signing Madonna, Prince and Elton John among others to star in his ad campaigns and by having all of them front row at his shows. This also reminds me Gianni would have turned 63 this year had he miraculously avoided that fatal encounter twelve years ago.

MADONNA IN A 1995 VERSACE AD SHOT BY STEVEN MEISEL

OK, now seriously, back to what brought me to my blog once again. I was paying close attention at how Lady GaGa and, on a very different level (at least up to now), Adam Lambert were adding so much NEEDED glam to the musical scene. It had been a long while since we had seen such attention grabbing theatrics from pop newcomers, the trend had been quite the contrary lately, just remember when Britney came out, then Christina (though she was quick to break from her initial image), Mandy Moore, etc. They all pretty much filled the same pattern.
I think it's refreshing to see people who are willing to challenge an audience that had become numbed by a flatlined scene. Now, this only applies to mainstream pop, I'm in no way trying to ignore the fascinating and amazing talents of the likes of Roisin Murphy and others who HAVE been doing their own "thing", pushing musical and fashion boundaries for QUITE A WHILE but have gone unnoticed by the masses. I mean, Roisin has been wearing avant garde wardrobe (including shoulder pads) for a loooooooong time.

She's wearing a deer-shaped jacket for Christ's sake... (and I love it).

Anyway, this glam thing going on in music is once again VERY 80's. I was just humming "When You Were Mine", thinking it was a Cyndi Lauper original only to find out it was actually performed first (and written) by Prince. However, her version stood out, I think. I youtubed it immediately and found a live performance from the American Music Awards I was happy to recognize as one I had seen many times as a child. Now THAT was a true GENUINE performance. And to think it was over 20 years ago. I think that was probably more shocking back in the day than what our discussed boundary-pushers have done at the last award ceremony held two weeks ago.
It'll be interesting to see how this new wave of pop artists that are embracing louder images shall influence people around the world. Maybe they will let more people bring out their flashy side and enjoy fashion as the role-playing game it can be.
Cyndi Lauper SURE was an influence back in the day, we've seen that hair and make-up on the street, don't you remember?
Here's her UH-mazing performance at the 1985 AMA's for "When You Were Mine". Enjoy.

LOVE IS LIKE A STUBBORN YOUTH

2009-11-18T11:42:00.000-08:00

La Roux is FINALLY getting some airplay on cable tv in Lima, her Bulletproof video, mainly, and I've been happy to realize she has become quite popular with friends whose comments on Facebook have made their appreciation of her work pretty clear (it used to be only a couple of us who were aware of her). I even danced to a remix of this song las weekend at a party that had announced to have a setlist including the likes of her, Dragonette, Crystal Castles, Little Boots, etc. It was fabulous to be able to dance to this kind of music here in Lima. It hardly ever...scratch that...it NEVER gets played anywhere. Hope there's more of it soon.
Regarding La Roux, I just heard a remix of I'm Not Your Toy and I'm LOVING it. Loving it so much it might be taking over Lady Gaga's Bad Romance forever-on-repeat-during-gym-time spot on my iPod.
What I've loved the most about this song are her lyrics and how well they fit her voice and delivery. It's just pure VISUAL poetry. So descriptive, so right, so easy to relate to. Unfortunately, I haven't found a video featuring this remix, so all I have to post here is the original version which is still QUITE AMAZING, just like the video. I'm loving the fact that this is such an exciting time for female performers.
Here's the link to the video, followed by the lyrics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7IGE58IPgo&feature=fvst

UPDATE: HERE'S THE VIDEO!

Love, love is like a stubborn youth
That you'd rather just deny
I'm walking on a broken roof
While I'm looking at the sky

It's all false love and affection
You don't want me
You just like the attention
Yes it's all false love and affection
You don't like me
You just want the attention

I'm not your toy
This isn't another girl meets boy
I'm not your toy
This isn't another girl meets boy

Love, love hides in a smoky light
And I can never find the truth
Boy, your touches leave me mystified
And I wish I could believe in you

Yes it's all false love and affection
You don't want me
You just like the attention
Yes it's all false love and affection
You don't like me
You just want the attention

I'm not your toy
This isn't another girl meets boy
I'm not your toy
This isn't another girl meets boy

C'EST PAS MA FAUTE

2009-10-16T09:04:00.000-07:00

The search for a soundtrack for my upcoming show has accidentally brought me back to my francophile self. Not that I plan on using any of them for the actual show (well, I really don't know that yet), but as I discovered Guesch Patti and other songs performed by Desireless besides their major hit "Voyage, Voyage" (which has the ability to transport me back to communist Moscow, back when the first music channel came out over there, Telecanal 2x2...never understood that name), I started humming a song in my head I remember hearing all over the place on a trip to Paris in 2000.
Anyway, thank goodness for google, I only remembered part of the chorus and that the girl singing it was called Alizée, whom I've heard of more recently but haven't been able to really get into her at all. In fact, I haven't even made the effort to like her. Anyway, I typed in "c'est pas ma faute" and there it came : "Moi Lolita" by Alizée.
It's downloaded and, again, on repeat. I love it. It's a catchy, poppy song, nothing extraordinary, but what kind of got to me, is that this song was making me nostalgic for the year 2000. TWO THOUSAND. Not 80's or 90's like my constant status updates on Facebook, but TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO THOUSAND. GOD. Funny thing is, I was already complaining about aging back then, and no longer being a "teen"...I guess that'll be a constant in my life.
Then again Daft Punk's "One More Time" is also a song that brings back memories from this trip and I'm sure most people are unaware it's a nine-(soon-to-be-ten)year old song.
Here's "Moi Lolita". Enjoy.

ÉTIENNE! ÉTIENNE! ÉTIENNE! or AND THE AWARD FOR BEST ART DIRECTION GOES TO...

2009-10-12T21:13:00.000-07:00

I should probably be reviewing some of the things I still have pending for an upcoming show at the end of the month (www.cuscoalwaysin.org), but I've taken a little break, as usual. I've been searching for music for this show, and I haven't found anything that I'd consider the perfect fit up to now. I've created a playlist on my iPod with all the possible candidates and I listen to it every single day. Hopefully I'll make up my mind on time.
While I was searching for songs, I started downloading some old French songs I liked, some classics like "Et Si Tu N'Existais Pas" and then some pop songs from the 80's-90's like "C'est La Ouate", which I had not heard since I left Montevideo. When I decided to search for the video for this last song, I came across a song I had never heard before. I can't quite recall why I decided to open this link in particular out of all the "RELATED VIDEOS" list on youtube. WAIT. I just did. It was because of the name of the song: "ÉTIENNE". I've always loved that name for some reason, and I remember always mistaking it for a girl's name when I studied French back in high school. Anyway, I am SO grateful to have found this song. Not only is it on repeat as I write, but it also has an UH-mazing video with some really fabulous art direction. The singer and co-author, Guesch Patti (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guesch_Patti), manages to create a truly captivating performance. I'm stuck on it. She's great, and I'm really surprised I had not heard of her before.
Once again, I have made a video from 1987 my new obsession. I'm beginning to think there is a strange connection with that specific year.
Here it goes, enjoy.

KING & QUEEN

2009-09-14T09:03:00.000-07:00

I love being witness to important moments in history and last night I witnessed one of the most emotional MTV Video Music Awards ceremonies ever. On TV of course, like most us who weren't lucky enough to actually score tickets to such an amazing show.

It had been a long while since I actually looked forward to the VMA's, but this year the line-up of artists who were to perform was actually one I was excited about. Then when the show actually started, most of the performances had been taken up to a new level : Lady GaGa and her bleeding self, Pink hanging from the ceiling while performing "Sober", and then Taylor Swift singing on the NYC subway (riding on the meeeetro-o-o-oooooo....) right after her speech for Best Female Video award had been sabotaged by Kanye West's uncalled for intervention onstage. I must admit, I did miss Beyoncé's performance but just caught up with in on youtube and it was also top notch.

However, the highlight for me was the opening of the ceremony : Madonna walking down the stage to talk about Michael Jackson. So touching. So special. Like I told a friend of mine yesterday, there was no other person who could have qualified for the job. The way she pieced her speech by drawing parallels between his life and her own, the way she let us in on that one time they had dinner and how she felt close to him for the first time, her condemnation of those who began what she called a "witch hunt" against him and of the press. It all came across in such a powerful manner I wasn't able to hold back a couple of tears (I managed to hold back the rest because I didn't want to look like a mess in front of my friends). It was such a strong vision to watch THE Queen of Pop honoring THE King of Pop. She, like him, is also one of a kind, and today's artists have huge shoes to fill if they ever want to reach their status. As I watched her onstage, I couldn't help but remember an image I had seen of Marlene Dietrich (so often-a-reference for M) crying at Edith Piaf's funeral, acting like any other hurt human being. It isn't often we get to see a vulnerable Madonna and this just makes me love her more.
Here's a link (embedding is disabled unfortunately) to her speech in case you missed it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htpm8hidIPc

FOR EVERY DRAMA TO BE FOUND, THERE IS AN ELEMENT OF SOUND

2009-08-21T01:45:00.000-07:00

If the title of this post rings a bell (as I hope it will to most of you) it's because I'm trying to keep my cool by "Mary-Poppinizing" my actual state of mind. I just got back from a long night out, very diverse and very fun.
First out to watch the local mis-en-scène of La Traviata (I might comment on that later but I'd rather you check out my friend's opera blog and his critique at www.operaperu.com), then dinner at my favorite restaurant with my mother, then drinks with some friends (at this same restaurant's bar) and then to the local club : not precisely the coolest place on the planet.
Just so that you get the picture, two friends of mine told me my outfit was just too nice for that place (one actually said "classy", very cute of him) and that I didn't belong there tonight. I made an effort to stay, a whole group of friends were there, and even though I really have a hard time at ignoring things I dislike (such as the awful music on the loudspeakers) I was enjoying myself because I was surrounded by people I care for.
All of a sudden, the club got some sort of notice that it had to be shut down immediately (*). People rushed to the coat check and it was chaos. I was lucky enough to be one of the first ones at the counter and managed to get my jacket pretty quick.
As I walked past the huge line of people pushing their way towards the coat check I couldn't help but to show a smile that denoted triumph over everyone else. Unfortunately this smile would then dissolve on my way out of the club when I realized I lost my cell phone. I had kept it with me all night, been careful enough no to leave it inside my jacket, but at some point I just lost it, probably when I ordered a bottle of water at the bar (after giving the bartender a look of despise when he said he had no diet soft drinks at ALL, to which I responded " Is this a GAY BAR or NOT????!!!").
Anyway, the point of this post was that, once again, I think there is a song for every situation. I've already mentioned I have pictured my life as a musical many a time, and I guess tonight's events have lead to me singing the following song out of the blue just before going to bed, here it goes.

(*) It was impossible not to make a cinematic reference when we were forced out of the club. I couldn't help but remember the post-Marseillese scene in Casablanca when Rick's café gets shut down.

FABULOSITY

2009-08-17T07:45:00.000-07:00

I am absolutely OBSESSED with this video. I can't stop watching it over and over again. I love the lighting, the wardrobe, the choreography, and OF COURSE I love the song. Even though it's probably one of the most popular and signature songs of the 1970's, I had NEVER seen the video before. I can't get enough of it. I'm just overwhelmed by the visually amusing result of a mix of simple elements and by how utterly cool it can still look up until today, thirty-one years later.
I was listening to Paul Oakenfold's mix of Madonna's new single, Celebration, and there's a tiny bit that sounds just like the "your body, my body..." part. Couldn't help but google it, youtube-it I mean, and there it was.
I think hedonism is probably one the first words that comes to my mind when I think of the disco era, and this video is the perfect example. As usual when I get super excited over something, I can't quite express everything I'm feeling as clearly as I would want to (*insert flashback to that paper on Madonna for my English Media course in high school here*), so that's it. I need to dance to this SOON. Enjoy.

I VOGUED UP FROM BED TODAY

2009-08-16T21:41:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've been experimenting a new phase in...narcissism (?), I guess that's what I should call it. Most of these "exercises" have come out of boredom, a designer's-block in the middle of work, or something of the sort, but today's came out of my love of all things Madonna. Yes, I am one of those people that actually have August 16th marked on their calendar as a special date, not because I actually need a reminder, but just because I like to have it written down, I guess it keeps the fantasy alive, the fantasy that I actually know her. It also manages to ease the pain of having about 5 friends who share the same birth date as her...1,2,3,4,5...breathe....
Anyway, this is the first series of self-portraits I've decided to publish on my blog. I know that "self-portraits" may sound a bit pretentious, but I do need to stress the fact that all these pictures have been taken by none other than yours-truly. Either with the help of my laptop or my camera on self-timer, all done in private.
Since I already declared this an exercise in narcissism, I'll go all the way. I'm particularly proud (yes, proud) of this one because I think I managed to compose something visually pretty with the few elements my unshaven-self had around at 9am this morning. I will admit I changed into that t-shirt (the one I wore to my famous hand-grabbing moment at the Confessions Tour in 2006), but that was it. As I took the first three pictures I thought I should have done this in a sleep-walking version, but then I realized the first one looked sort of like a Tamara de Lempicka painting (again, in my very own private fantasy)that I like, so then I couldn't help but link that to the opening of the Vogue video where Madonna's own paintings by this artist mix with some of the dancers posing as sculptures.
Even though the whole set of pics is almost like a Vogue tutorial, I actually think my look came out to be very à la Jean Seberg, I guess it must be my short hair, the striped t-shirt and sunglasses. NOUVELLE VAGUE meets VOGUE. Or maybe it's just me. Voilà :

DREAMING OF: A LEMPICKA PAINTING...

...A FEATHERED FAN...

...AN ART-DECO SCULPTURE...

...GRACE KELLY, HARLOW JEAN, PICTURE OF A BEAUTY QUEEN... GENE KELLY, FRED ASTAIRE, GINGER ROGERS DANCE ON AIR...

...THEY HAD STYLE, THEY HAD GRACE, RITA HAYWORTH GAVE GOOD FACE, LAUREN, KATHARINE, LANA TOO, BETTE DAVIS WE LOVE YOU...

LADIES, LADIES, LADIES, LADIES...

LADIES WITH AN ATTITUDE...

...FELLAS THAT WERE IN THE MOOD...

...DON'T JUST STAND THERE...

...LET'S GET TO IT...

...STRIKE A POSE...

...THERE'S NOTHING TO IT...

...VOGUE!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE...

2009-07-17T17:02:00.000-07:00

This will be a short post. I promise. I've been having a couple of very emotional weeks. Just too emotional at times. Deception dominated the scene, and being the ridiculously-naive-person-for-my-age at almost thirty, the different events that lead to me feeling disappointed at people or situations have managed to linger in my head for quite more than I hoped for. Then, the tragic death of a friend, who was murdered exactly one week ago, was something that just set me off course.
I guess "vulnerable" is the word that would best describe how I feel right now. I don't think it's just me, this murder case has touched many of my friends in Lima, and I sense that everyone is feeling the need to be sheltered away from all this violence. It's as if Chaos had installed itself for a bit and decided to fool around with us just for amusement.
"Let's take a moment to appreciate life (...) we are all so blessed and so lucky to be alive..." Madonna said at her concert in Udine, Italy last night. Though it's probably something I've heard before, it has given me great comfort to hear it coming from her right at this moment. I guess, when in grief, we just desperately seek for empathy.
Here's a very moved Madonna and the rest of her touching speech regarding the recent tragedy in Marseille.

RETRO PLEASURE

2009-07-03T15:56:00.000-07:00

This is will be a short post, I think.

I had a crazy night out hier soir...lots of fun. I woke up today just to cancel all my appointments (dentist included) just so I could get back to sleep again. My voice was sounding pretty deep (masculinity points, yay! ok, that "yay" just blew it...anyway) this morning, but that was just about the only positive thing. I was dead tired and I decided to take the day off. Period.
SOME THINGS CANNOT BE BOUGHT.

Regardless of the free time I had today, I didn't manage to do what I had in mind. I skipped breakfast, had lunch, got a haircut, checked out some fabrics and then had great conversation over an "alfajor" with a friend in the afternoon. And I mean GREAT.
I CAN'T CARRY THESE SINS ON MY BACK/DON'T WANNA CARRY ANYMORE/I'M GONNA SWIM TO THE OCEAN FLOOR

As happy as I am that I was able to take this day with ease and no pressure, I still kind of regret (I don't know if this is the precise word right now, it sounds a little severe but I guess it'll do until I come up with another one) not getting away with my only PLANNED whim : listening to the Ray of Light album while sipping tea (from my Quentin Blake-illustrated mug, thank you very much). But I mean the PHYSICAL album.
All of a sudden, this visual idea of PLAYING an actual cd felt almost like playing a record or a cassette tape. It's been forever since I listened to anything that's not either on my computer nor on my iPod. I was actually pretty excited I'd be able to indulge in this newfound bizarre, ceremonious, "retro pleasure" of mine, but even on a quiet and calm day, I haven't been able to do it. I like to think I belong to the "tape generation", but the truth is I remember having records when I was a kid. They belonged to my parents or my older sister, who is six years my senior, but still, I do OWN the memory of playing these records. It's incredible how our interaction with music has changed from putting a needle on a circular base, then to pressing play and then just to touching a screen.
AND I FEEL LIKE I JUST GOT HOME

As I write this, I'm finally listening to it, but on my laptop. I had forgotten how much I loved it. The lyrical content still wows me, the music, the emotional highs and lows that (incredibly) manage to flow from beginning to end thanks to the perfect assembly of the songs.
TRAVELLING DOWN THIS ROAD/WATCHING THE SIGNS AS I GO/I THINK I'LL FOLLOW MY HEART/IT'S A VERY GOOD PLACE TO START

The artwork for the CD is also amazing: pictures by Mario Testino, Prada outfits, and Madonna's maternal beauty at its best.
I have to go to the gym now, and I'm not done with the whole album yet. All I know is I'll be cuddling my iPod in gratitude for allowing me to continue enjoying the rest on the way there.

OM SHANTI.

MOONWALKING ANGELS

2009-06-26T16:28:00.000-07:00

It's quite unfortunate that the reason why I am coming back to my blog after such a long time is, once again, the news of death.
Yesterday was very shocking. First, the death of Farrah Fawcett and then later during the afternoon, the news of Michael Jackson's sudden departure.
I was very sad when I read about Farrah. I have to be honest and admit I did not grow up watching Charlie's Angels nor was I a fan of hers during the 80's. I was, however, aware of who she was and attracted to her beauty and pop culture icon status. I know I'm actually not acknowledging any of her acting as part of her admirable qualities, I didn't think she was a bad actress (I actually thought she was great in Dr. T And The Women), but her importance lies within the two last aspects I mentioned before : she represents our society's fascination with beauty and the power that comes with it.
Regarding Michael's death, well now, it was just so unexpected. That came like a hard blow. I had been a fan of his when I was a kid. I remember trying to dress like him in the Beat It video (second outfit just in case...) and asking my mom for a black sequined jacket when I was in second grade, like the one he had worn a few years before in his legendary live performance of Billie Jean. Even though Madonna was already my number one infatuation, I guess this meant I was a fan. However, during the late 90's my interest in him waned, but my admiration for his talent never ceased.
It is sad. Very sad. Like the end of an era. A part of our lives gone, no matter how cliché and cheesy that might sound. I was not ready to watch him go yet. Of course you never want you lifetime icons to go, you naïvely expect them to be there forever, but what I mean is that I was still waiting for his comeback. I was thrilled to learn the tickets for his shows in London had sold out (a friend of mine was lucky enough to score one of them), and especially because I was happy to see these 750,000 (according to BBC) tickets were proof that there were many people who still saw beyond the scandal, the unfair treatment from the media and the controversy surrounding his personal life.
I was happy to see that, just like we were fascinated with Farrah's beauty, we could still appreciate talent, genius, and overall, being genuine and one of a kind.
Last night, I went dancing. Lots of Michael Jackson's songs were played. I asked the DJ for Tavares' Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel, just so we could remember the two of them on the dancefloor. It made my night. Though it was rather impossible to feather my short hair and my limited talent for coordination didn't let me moonwalk, I totally danced the night away.

Here's Farrah Fawcett, alongside Raquel Welch, in one of her first movie appearances :

During The Virgin Tour, Madonna did this wonderful bit of Billie Jean right in the middle of her performance of Like A Virgin. This is one of the images that came across my mind yesterday. Reading her personal statement on Michael's death killed me.

YOU MUST REMEMBER THIS

2009-04-06T11:02:00.000-07:00

I've been kind of stressed out lately with a lot of work. I had a very long day last Friday. Among other things I had to finish sketching a small collection for an alpaca company here in Lima. I had been shut up in my office all day, well, except for the occasional green tea at Starbucks. My iTunes playlist was on shuffle, and As Time Goes By came on, and out of the three versions I have, the original one from Casablanca was playing.
I couldn't help but grab a mannequin and start gliding across my studio, pretending to be dancing like in those Old Hollywood movies. I then decided I had to register it all, so I set my camera on self-timer and voilà! I'll probably publish the visual testament to this moment soon.
I hold Casablanca as one of my favorite movies, as I assume a bunch of people do. I practically know all the lines by heart. I probably watched it for the first time when I was seven and loved it ever since.
Here are two clips of from the movie. The first one, inspired my dancing. The second one has to be my favorite scene from the whole movie. It is just SO emotional, it's hard not to be moved by it. Tears. Enjoy.

AND YOU CAN DANCE...FOR INSPIRATION

2009-03-29T19:06:00.001-07:00

I'm in the middle of an inspiration block. I have a bunch of projects for this week including the re-vamping of a bank's current corporate image (just for the actually counter employees), a small collection for an alpaca company that wants to do a sort of joint venture and a very special client for a very special dress.
Number one is almost done, number 2 is on its way and number three has become the most difficult one up to now. I'm designing a dress for a local actress who will be travelling to the Málaga Film Festival in Spain in a couple of weeks, where the opening movie will be the one she acted in.
I loved the idea from the minute a photographer-friend-in-common suggested it and I've had a zillion dresses come to mind since then, but just now, as I've been putting them down on paper, I just can't seem to get to the "right" one. I guess part of all this doubting throughout my design process comes from the fact that I haven't met her yet ( I will do so tomorrow afternoon) and that maybe that's why I've been going all over the place.
I've been taking an excessive amount of breaks (including this one) from my sketching blaming it on a block. Natually, Madonna interfered (although I'm still mad at her for wearing all that fur lately) and I couldn't help but think of the opening lyrics for "Into The Groove". I'll try it right now, and see if it works. I've come up with a selection of songs by different artists and different genres (although most of it is very Pop).
Once again, as I was making my selection, I came across the video for one of my favorite songs from Summer of '96. It is a collaboration between Gypsy Kings and Ishtar of the group Alabina. I had never seen the video and even though I had seen pictures of her before, I'm quite captivated by her beauty. Here it goes. Join me in the dance, ha!

SEX IS KOSHER ON THE SABBATH and other great lyrics...

2009-03-19T07:16:00.001-07:00

My recent post on Lady Gaga brought me to the fact that I had almost forgotten how fabulous Army of Lovers was.
The Swedish band went to Buenos Aires while I was living in Uruguay (circa 1994) and I remember they performed live at a couple of TV shows. I loved their outrageous aesthetic and the Army-of-Lovers-Universe they created, where every single element of their performances or videos matched their personal Manifest. The toilet-cleaner shaped microphones (in gold) were unforgettable. I remember not having the best reactions from my friends in 8th grade when I suggested we should play their music at a party...can't imagine why.
Here's a couple of videos by Army of Lovers: Crucified, one of their greatest hits, and then a live performance of my favorite song, Israelism (too bad I couldn't find the actual video, but I will keep looking for it, I promise). Enjoy.

ISRAELISM LYRICS
Evenu shalom alechem
Evenu shalom alechem
Evenu shalom alechem
Evenu shalom shalom
Shalom alechem

Evenu shalom alechem
Evenu shalom alechem
Evenu shalom alechem
Evenu shalom shalom
Shalom alechem

Diamond market in the ghetto
Star of david on my chest
Sex is kosher on the sabbath
Jewish princess in my nest
Like aunt golda high on zion
Milk and honey are my drugs
Relic box of einsteins hairdo
Spring prediction cloud of bugs

The heavens cry loud in the open
I hear the angels sing
Shalom bisrael shalom bisrael
Shalom laolam shalom bisrael

Evenu shalom alechem
Evenu shalom alechem
Evenu shalom alechem
Evenu shalom shalom
Shalom alechem

Evenu shalom alechem
Evenu shalom alechem
Evenu shalom alechem
Evenu shalom shalom
Shalom alechem

Glory in the circumcision
Oops there goes a freudian slip
Army of lovers on a mission
Forty years of desert trips
Drinking from a stinking fountain
The kabbala and jezebel
Dancing horah on a mountain
Party like a bitch from hell

The heavens cry loud in the open
I hear the angels sing
Shalom bisrael shalom bisrael
Shalom laolam shalom bisrael

Evenu shalom alechem
Evenu shalom alechem
Evenu shalom alechem
Evenu shalom shalom
Shalom alechem

Evenu shalom alechem
Evenu shalom alechem
Evenu shalom alechem
Evenu shalom shalom
Shalom alechem

The heavens cry loud in the open
I hear the angels sing
Shalom bisrael shalom bisrael
Shalom laolam shalom bisrael

Evenu shalom alechem
Evenu shalom alechem
Evenu shalom alechem
Evenu shalom shalom
Shalom alechem

Evenu shalom alechem
Evenu shalom alechem
Evenu shalom alechem
Evenu shalom shalom
Shalom alechem
Evenu shalom shalom
Shalom alechem

NATASHA RICHARDSON

2009-03-19T06:57:00.000-07:00

I am very saddened by the sudden death of Natasha Richardson. Even though I can probably only mention a few of her movies, I have always had a lot of sympathy towards her. Part of it comes from the fact that she was Vanessa Redgrave's daughter, whom I adore, and that she came from a family of actors, that her sister Joely is also an actress and that she was probably on her way to creating a similar sort of fate for her family, having married Liam Neeson in 1994. This is just a short post meant to express my condolences to her family, wishing I could hug Ms. Redgrave.

NEUE-STALGIA

2009-02-22T06:59:00.000-08:00

One of Lady Gaga's best songs on her debut album finally gets a video. I really like it, not in love with it (yet), I just think it's a good video. I do LOVE the wardrobe though (some of it reminds me of my own stuff hehe..) the choreography, and the make-up. I love the fact that she has so many dancers and that this time they are all male. It has been a long while since we've seen a new, fresh pop star with such a well-achieved image.
I know she gets a lot of criticism for some of her wardrobe choices but I think it's all good. I love how she's created this pop-superheroine persona and how as her success increases her image gets more and more polished and continues to evolve. What I mean by polished is that it gets closer to what I believe she had in mind for herself from the start of her career which could have been a limited version of her actual self due to different factors such as getting the right people to work with her, and yes, budget too.
I like to think I was the first person to listen to her here in Lima haha...I got to know her through Perez Hilton. It took FOREVER until she finally got some airplay over here. I've liked her ever since the Just Dance video, I like the song itself, her look and how it represents this younger generation's fascination for the 80's. I love how something, such as the 80's in this case, can appeal to almost three different generations in two different ways : for teenagers it's something new while for us late twenty-something's and beyond it's pure nostalgia.
Here's the video for Love Games, I think this one really says she's arrived. Enjoy.

SHUT UP AND...you know the rest.

2009-01-25T15:18:00.000-08:00

Well you would know the rest if you grew up in the 90's. And if you had a taste for dance music. And odd videos. And very gay performers. Even though you were still in the closet. Oops.
I was remembering how I had a huge crush on one of my professors while I was in design school. I was absolutely infatuated with him, I was such a sad case. I had just come out of the closet and this man had become the embodiment of gay perfection (according to my 18 year-old brain). He was good looking, dressed nicely, had good taste, shared common interests, etc. etc. I had had no idea of how I was to make my move, no idea at all. My fear of rejection was just too big (well, things haven't changed much really...). I remember I asked a friend from that same school (who's become one of my closest friends) what I should do. She said she had noticed he also had an interest in me (she said it was pretty obvious because of the way he behaved during class), so she suggested something. She said : "Listen Roger, I've got this single, it's just PERFECT. I'll give it to you and then you can give it to him as a gift and it'll send the message right across. DONE!!" I thought it was a pretty cute idea, then I asked her what the single was and she answered "Closer, by Nine Inch Nails" and went along and described the chorus. Poor girl, she was probaly sick of having to deal with my indecision every day.
Of course I never did that and of course I never got any further with my intentions regarding the 17-years-my-senior guy of my dreams. Well, not right then, it actually did get way further after I was done with school.
Anyway, going back to the cd-gift, I should have considered this song instead. Enjoy.

SWEET DREAMS

2009-01-25T15:06:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I'm actually writing an entry about this, but I have this desperate need to have something sweet right NOW. It wouldn't be anything unusual except for the fact that I'm on a strict diet to try and shed off a few extra pounds that torture me day and night. It is a especially strict diet because I got a knee injury that keeps me from running, cycling or doing any other exercises that would help me burn what I want to get rid off in a much more fun way. My bikram yoga classes (which I only got to go to three) have been put to a halt until my teachers finish setting up a new place, so I'm fucked. Aarrrgh!!
Going back to my eternal craving for sweets, I swear I'm having visions. Pretty much like these:

But then if I do eat some sort of chocolate, dessert, ice-cream or whatever soothes my craving, I'll have the biggest guilt-trip afterwards. I'm beginning to wonder how mentally healthy this whole deal is because I've had nightmares where I dreamt I broke my diet by eating sweets or an extra dose of carbs. Waking up was the greatest relief.

Your daily/weekly/monthly dose of : DRAMA

2009-01-07T09:46:00.000-08:00

I don't know how many people share this feeling, but sometimes, like this morning for example, I just feel the need to be absolutely silly and have a dose of feigned drama involving a certain song. Not necessarily sad, it could be a happy song. I guess this goes along with my recent thoughts of what my life as a musical would be.

OK, this has to be the gayest thing I've posted up to now.

Anyway, I was in the mood for some of that singing, exaggerated gestures and face-making that goes along with this type of moment and scrolling down my playlists (don't worry, I don't have a playlist titled DRAMA) I found a song I've liked forever, ok, not forever, but since I was ten.
It's "Les Hommes Qui Passent" by Patricia Kaas. It was a song I immediately loved, especially because of her emotion-infused performance and the fact that she was (and still is) absolutely beautiful. I couldn't find the video of the first performance I saw but here's a pretty good one from a live perfomance in 1990.
And below that one, for a total mood change, I've posted a video that surely illustrates what I'm talking about regarding doses of feigned drama, one of my favorite scenes in a Cate Blanchett movie.
Bisous.

I actually used this song as part of a sountrack to one of my shows.

...more pics

2009-01-02T10:17:00.001-08:00

Here are some more pics from the collection.
Hope you like them.

BHUTTO BOLLYWOOD

2009-01-02T10:01:00.000-08:00

It's been a month!! Bad blogger, bad. I definitely need to increase the frequency of my posts....
OK. I haven't shown any of my work up to now, but a special date has come across and I think it's the perfect chance to do so and get away with a little personal homage I've had in mind for a while.
December 27 was the first year anniversary of Benazir Bhutto's tragic death. She was the starting point for my latest collection. I took elements of her personal style mixed with details of muslim women's traditional wardrobe and, to lighten it up a bit, a little Bollywood too (main reference : the Jimmy Ajja part of the 80's movie Disco Dancer). Oh yes, 80's elements too.
I was able to take this collection and show at the September edition of the Salon du Prêt-à-Porter this year where I got great reviews. This collection was also nominated for the Collection of the Year category by Peru's leading newspaper, El Comercio, in it's Best of 2008 survey.

BELATED NEWS

2008-11-30T17:10:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I just found out that Laura Branigan died FOUR years ago. I had absolutely no idea and I am quite shocked.
It's really sad, especially considering she was only 47. The first song I ever heard by Laura Branigan was her version of "Gloria" for Flashdance (even though I never understood why it wasn't included in the soundtrack) and then of course came "Imagination" which had just an incredible sound and was the background music for one of the most artistic shows performed by Alex during the movie.
I just found out about it while youtubing some of her videos, I was quite curious about the one for "Self Control" because I had never seen it before (remember, I used to live in a communist country in the 80's). I love how videos in the 80's were so artsy.
Regarding her looks, I'm not a fan of her wardrobe, but I think she had a beautiful face, incredible angles, typical of that era. Like the brunette version of Kim Wilde. Perhaps it would have been cool to see them perform together.

Eyes, hair, face, image, all must be preserved...

2008-11-30T15:47:00.000-08:00

Still life displayed forever, no less than she deserved.
Aging: it has come to be a frequent topic in my conversations. As I mentioned before, I am approaching thirty, I'll be turning 29 in April. Last night, at a birthday party, eye soothers, facial creams and other sorts of hope-infused ointments were part of what I discussed with my friends, along with Flashdance, nostalgia, remembering how all of us had met, and the breaking news of my blog (I haven't told that many people about it yet but I have now included it in my web info on Facebook).
To add on to the topic, I was watching a Madonna special on TV, and it included a recent post-plastic surgery interview. Now, in order to create some background for what I'm about to say, I need to make clear that I'm a HUGE Madonna fan. Ever since Dress You Up (which means I was about 4 then). I love her. I was lucky enough to see her up close during the Confessions Tour where she grabbed my hand at the end of her perfomance of La Isla Bonita and made my trip from Lima to Boston (especially for the concert) worth every penny and more.
OK, so I love her, and I will definitely have posts in the future just about her, but after watching this interview and her "new" face, I think she's made it clear that she is now officially old. It's a certain look, the high cheekbones, the eyebrows, something about this "young" appearance that comes across as a clear statement that she has reached a certain age. I don't know if I'm being clear here, but, I no longer look at her and say "wow, she looks amazing for her age" because plastic surgery just makes those calendar blocks evident. I'm not against plastic surgery AT ALL, I might go through it myself in the future, but I hoped Madonna would stay looking fabulous and plastic-surgery-free forever. That just goes on to show you how hard it is to please everyone when you're a public figure.
On the other hand, after thinking about all these things, I couldn't help but watch some clips of one of my favorite movies ever, Death Becomes Her. I seriously consider this movie a masterpiece, from the AMAZING performances to the script to the humor, I can't help but laugh like crazy every time I watch it. It's one of those movies that if you had to make a selection of highlights, you'd probably end up selecting 95% of it.
The opening is just hilarious and Meryl Streep confirms the fact that she is one of the greatest and most versatile actresses of our time. The set, the decoration, the choreography, the mix in musical styles and, of course, the lyrics to the opening song make this scene kitsch to the max (please pay attention to the feathers coming off her boa) and part of that 95% I was talking about.
Enjoy.

YMA FOREVER

2008-11-08T18:13:00.000-08:00

It's been almost a month since my last post, I've been extremely busy these last few weeks. What brings me back to my blog is a sad piece of news : the death of legendary Peruvian singer Yma Sumac.

It's been exactly once week since she passed away and I felt the need to write a post on her. I remember listening to her music when I was around seven or eight years old. My parents introduced me to her music and I remember one specific record (we're talking long play here...), I don't recall the actual album name, but I do remember listening to it and staring at the picture of this colorfully made-up woman and a parrot in the background. I think I stared at it mostly because the picture of her was the only sort of evidence I had that the amazing sounds I heard came from an actual human being. Her claim to fame is based on her amazing voice range (five octaves) and for being a pioneer in the mix of typical Peruvian music with jazz and other genres. Though she received a lot of criticism for this by musical purists who were unable to share her vision and appreciate the kind of exposure she would give Peru, her drive for innovation made her a star in the rest of the world. She is the only Peruvian artist to have her name on the Hollywood walk of fame.

I think Yma Sumac is probably Peru's most least-locally-recognized-icon (did that make any sense?). This is quite ironic, my parents used to tell me how back when we used to live in Europe, they'd introduce themselves as Peruvians to locals at dinner parties and one of the first things they'd mention would be her name, yet when I came back to Lima and mentioned her name to people I met, all I'd get in response would be an intrigued face.

Yma's music is one of the very few things that have kept me linked to Peru throughout my life. This may sound a little weird, but I've always had a sort of nationality-identity-crisis (if I keep on coming up with these hyphenated expressions I'm going to have to create a special dictionary for them). My father is Peruvian, my mother is Uruguayan and I was born in Romania, I've never felt 100% from just one place, but this will the the topic for a future post.

In 2006 Yma Sumac came to Peru for a series of belated homage ceremonies. It was at the one held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that I was actually able to meet her. This came as a totally unexpected gift, so as to call it, I had already come to terms with the fact I would never be able to see her perform and least of all even meet her.

She was dressed all in pink, hat included, and wore transparent lucite platform sandals. It was a very brief moment, a one I will cherish forever. I was finally meeting and holding the hands of the woman on that record cover.
For more information please visit www.yma-sumac.com.

RETROBSESSION

2008-10-13T08:59:00.000-07:00

I've definitely been going through a long phase of nostalgia lately. I don't know if it's because I'm approaching thirty (I'm holding on to 28 as hard as I can but I'm afraid there's not much more I'll be able to do by next April) but I've become obsessed with stuff that was around when I was a kid.
This has definitely shown up in my work, I had a She-Ra inspired collection two seasons ago. I looooooooved that cartoon when I was a kid and I had been wanting to work the theme out into clothes for a while until I finally did last September. I had the chance to show this collection at the Salon du Prêt-à-Porter in Paris in January and used one of my favorite songs from the 80's, Kim Wilde's version of "You Keep Me Hangin' On" as the soundtrack. That video was actually part of what convinced me I was going in the right direction. I mean, we've all dreaded the 80's after they were gone, but now, 20 years after we are in the middle of an absolute 80's explosion, strongly expressed through current music and fashion trends.
I mean, who thought leggings would EVER come back?
As a result of this nostalgic phase I mentioned, I've been googling and youtubing (does that word exist?) music that I used to listen to as a kid. Throughout this search I've re-discovered Italo-Disco. I think I just learned that was the actual name of the genre. I don't know if it was ever big in the States but I used to live in the former Soviet Union and the only kind of "cool" music that would make it through the Iron Curtain was this type, with performers such as Sandra, Sabrina and Modern Talking.
I think I heard most of this music from one of my chauffeur's tapes. Well, now, as I was searching for these songs from the past (including long-lost favorite "Here I Am" by Mike Mereen) I came across a true Italo-Disco jewel : Need Your Passion, performed by Sweet Connection. The song sounds incredibly familiar, but then again most songs has similar beats. I had never seen the video until now and I have become absolutely obsessed with everything in it. Starting from the "seductive" (hahaha) looks one of the performers gives the camera through 90% of the video, the hairstyles (!!!), the fake patent-leather outfits and then, to top it off, the choreography. It's just too much. I love it. I confess. I do. I love the song. I've downloaded it into my iPod and I do cardio to it on repeat every day. There, I said it. Here it goes.

TAKE YOUR PASSION AND MAKE IT HAPPEN

2008-09-15T16:16:00.001-07:00

Yes! I figured it out...I was about to post another video regarding my work and a recent trip but I definitely wanted this one to be the first. It's from one of my favorite movies ever, and my first tape. Yes I did say tape, I was about three when this movie came out ( damn I didn't want to give away my age at such an early posting-stage...) my family and I were in Rome and legend has it I had to be pulled out of my seat at the end of it because I wanted to stay and watch it again. When my three-year-old strength failed me and I was being dragged out, I caught onto some wall. Tantrum followed. We all stayed. Haha. Things were crystal clear back then, yet somehow it still took me another 15 years to come out of the closet.
Enjoy.

My first entry

2008-09-15T15:45:00.001-07:00

I had been considering having a blog for quite a while now, I just couldn't decide what it'd be about. I couldn't even decide whether it'd be in English or Spanish. You see, sometimes a thought will come in either one of them, so don't be surprised if I might switch back and forth (of course that's only if I actually get to have some readers...).
Anyway, back to the dilemma of the "blog theme", I just figured out it'd be about all of my interests, nothing specific, just fashion, music, art, life, animal rights, and most important, things I dislike. Hopefully it'll flourish into something cool enough to equal (or dare I say eliminate?) my addiction to constantly updating my status on Facebook.
Here it goes.