My Interview with IBLOGFASHION

I was recently interviewed by Miss AnnMarie of IBLOGFASHION
A style writer who has worked with the likes of Dazed and Confused, Elle, Trace, The Dubliner, The Irish Independent, Prudence and iVenus.com. AnnMarie has been interviewing designers, chasing trends and lying about her spiralling shoe habit for many years. Her mantra?? - "burn the tracksuit honey and learn to walk in a pair of damn heels. Life's too short not to look tall and fabulous" Ok, so what's NOT to love about AnnMarie??

Here is the interview & my answers for AnnMarie!


1. What's your definition of style?
Well, if I was writing my own dictionary....my personal definition of style would have to somehow incorporate the two words: Audrey Hepburn. There's something about her energy & her sweet spirit which I adore, admire and constantly aspire to understand. But it is also about confidence. Confidence is the single most sexy thing a person can wear. In my opinion...Sophia Loren is the quintessential look of C O N F I D E N C E
Look at that Strength!!


2. Who would you kill to (un)dress?
Hmmmm... is this a trick question?? ;) Stylistically speaking I would love to take the very frocks from Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face!! From the fabulous skinny pants & ballerina flats in the club dance scene to the amazing strapless Givenchy gown she wore on the runway. She was just impeccable...in every imaginable way.

Realtime undressings would have to be Leigh Lezark (shown here with Agyness Deyn)She has such new wave attitude mixed with Classic grace.

& I just adore Selma Blair. Everything she does is pure brilliance & daring, carefree fun.


3. What fashion faux pas is the most unforgiving? Be ruthless.
Oooo for me, MY fashion faux pas has always been white dress shoes. I am fearful of them. I think this goes back to a girl in my elementary school who wore hideous scuffed white dress shoes in the winter with dark stockings. I always wondered why?? Didn't someone tell her that's a no no? As I've grown older I've realized that daring can be fabulous...but I STILL cannot make myself buy a pair of white dress shoes (no matter how fabulous or expensive) uhuh. Noway. Can't do it. Maybe I'll work on that fear this year...


4. What is your fashion weakness?
VINTAGE. I cannot stop with the vintage sickness. I have trunks full of vintage jackets and dresses and pieces which need to be tailored in order to fit me properly. Ooooo if only I would actually get it all done!! I'm desperately trying to stop the madness and only buy pieces which actually fit...but sometimes the temptation (and the FABRIC!!) is just too delightful to pass on.. ;)


AND Moschino. I can't get enough Moschino. It's getting bad...but the sense of style & whimsy is 2nd to none in my opinion.


5. How many models does it take to change a lightbulb?
OOooo these days I think maybe just one! :) Models seem to be more & more intelligent & more & more sophisticated. A trend I am happy to see. I am also quite happy with the bit more full figured models which keep popping up on the scene. Real women with real bodies and real thoughts...hmmmmmm
What a concept!!


Thank you Annmarie for your fabulous Blogs!! I am so honored to be a part of your fashion expertise.




Parachute Girl

StephenJones Millinery

Sorry I've been missing in action for a bit.
Funny how one week quickly turns into 2! I've been doing a bit of traveling & life is full & most grand at the moment. Today I wanted to share a newfound love of mine. Fabulous art in the form of HATS by the amazing Stephen Jones. I hope you are inspired by these whimsical & divine creations. Be sure to check out http://www.stephenjonesmillinery.com/ for his full bio & where to buy etc.

"Jones is a deft conjurer, who can draw whimsy from a hat. Steeped in couture lore and craft, he nevertheless propels his art into the future with his ceaseless invention and thistledown touch." His genius is to enhance the mystery, allure, and wit of the wearer." Hamish Bowles, VOGUE USA

"Stephen Jones is the maker of the most beautiful hats in the world."Anna Piaggi, Italian VOGUE

"Stephen Jones is possibly the most original milliner working today. His hats echo Schiaparelli's from the 1930s, but are always completely up to the minute in mood. He entirely understands the zeitgeist"Colin McDowell, HATS: STATUS, STYLE, GLAMOUR

and the Crush goes on...

xo

Parachute Girl

Sweet Inspiration & Interrogation

My new favorite thing is the Interrobang. Isn't it divine? How often have YOU felt the interrobang coming at you? Or, better yet, how often have you actually been guilty of throwing the interrobang around yourself? hmmmmmmm...I know I'm guilty of both. However, the former seems much more fun ;). Invented in 1962 by ad man Martin K. Specktor, the interrobang combines the functions of the exclamation mark (known as a "bang" by printers) and the question mark (also known as an interrogative point). Popular throughout the 1960s, the interrobang was included as a character in the Americana typeface, in some dictionaries, and as a key on some Remington typewriters. The interrobang was also featured in newspaper and magazine articles. However, the interrobang never truly caught on, and is now a little-known, nonstandard punctuation mark. BUT! It is now available in an array of fabu colors at mmadden Etsy Store PURE FUN

So, here's your Quest for today:
USE the Interrobang in a sentence. Ooooooooo & then report back to me & let me know how it goes!?!??! OK !?!?

And the Crush goes on...


xoxo


Parachute Girl

Grammy Glam

So many great 50th Grammy Award moments & I wanted to share a few of mine. In my opinion, a few of the more underrated stars of the night shined most brightly. Feist was in fabulous form. I truly loved & appreciated the heartfelt rendition of 1234. True class.

H E L L O Prince. Impeccable. Just Impeccable fabulous & fun.

Cyndi Lauper!!!!!!!! One of my all time most loveable icons. How gorgeous is she?
A true entertainer & humanitarian. It was soooo awesome to see her presenting.

YESS please more Herbie Hancock. I was elated when he was awarded album of the year.

Tina Turner is pure perfection. This woman is 68 years young & absolutely positively unstoppable. L O V E

Meet the real DELILAH! Plain White T's invited the namesake of their Grammy nominated song, 'hey there Delilah', along for the festivities. Although they are no longer dating, it was a promise once made & now kept. What a sweet Valentine.

Natasha Bedingfield was GLAM in this purple Reem Acra gown. Is it just me...? Or is she looking a bit Kylie Minogue inspired?

Ludacris in head to toe Giorgio Armani... Yess Please.
F A B

I'm all about the FOO & Dave Grohl never disappoints.
From the gum chewing on stage to the sweet mild manner mixed with the rocker rough
persona. I can't get enough of H I M . (ok I love me some TaylorHawkins too)

I loved this moment! I know a lot of reports are calling this a "cheese" moment, but I can't
help but adore anything which involves old blue eyes. I'll admit he still gets to me...

AGAIN...the FOO performance mmmm eat with a spoon.
WE NEED MORE OF THIS!!
Rock N Roll still reigns supreme.

Who is this?? Natasha Bedingfield!! At the Clive Davis Pre-Grammy party.
I am loving her new style trend...I hope it continues...

I wasn't too crazy about Rihanna's gowns at the Grammy's.
I am typically in adoration of her style. She is definitely a trend setter.
I did, however, LOVE the retro style outfit she wore to the Clive's
pre-Grammy shindig.

Faith Hill was divine in this one-shouldered Valentino black gown.
Such an elegant & sophisticated choice. She looks amazing.

My favorite dress of the night was this Giorgio Armani prive sapphire duchess satin gown worn by Miss Alicia Keyes. I wasn't won over by the other outfits worn by her thoughout the evening...but this Armani was a real show stopper. BRAVO

And although I have to tell you I have NO IDEA what Hayley Williams was thinking with the seethrough dress paired with socks....I do think it is awesome to see a new female fronted rock band making N O I S E in the industry!! But, ofcourse, I'm a bit biased. ;o)


& the Crush goes on...

xo

Parachute Girl

G R A C E

GRACE (according to Webster's Dictionary) is defined as 1. elegance or beauty of form, manner, motion, or action.
Wow, what's not to love about that?
As a child I was completely & utterly consumed with Grace Kelly. My mother was always a fan of the starlet & growing up watching old movies I soon fell under the Grace Kelly spell as well. I remember as a very young reader going to the library & asking the librarian to show me the "Grace Kelly" biography section. I also remember so many times being asked in amazement, "how on earth does a little girl your age know so much about Grace Kelly?" Ooooo & I did. Every single thing I could possibly find out about Grace was truly just never enough.
In 4th grade, I remember several assignments for "book of your choice" book reports. After about the 3rd report from yet another Grace Kelly novel, my teacher protested & said I would simply have to find new reading material or I would forever be lost in "Hollywood Simplicity" as she put it. I was truly appalled by her reprimands. How could she refer to Grace as frivolous or simple in nature?? How dare she!! I mean, Grace was an extraordinarily important figure who could have changed the entire universe with her princess wand!! ;)


As I look back now, I often wonder what attracted me to the idea of Grace. I think it had so much more to do with the strength & individuality she portrayed (although I'm sure the princess idea was also most intriguing), but I do believe there is something strong & powerful about a woman who is not afraid to be graceful. A woman who never shys away from delightful elegance for fear of weak perceptions. After all, only the strongest intellect & intelligence can actually carry Grace into action. :)

So today I wish you Grace.
Grace & Love

The Crush Goes on..

xo

Parachute Girl

Grammy Kiss

Just 2 more days until the 2008 Grammy's. The 50th Grammy Awards ceremony (to be exact) & I'm seriously looking forward to some much needed red carpet attention. The Golden Globes were such a serious disappointment. Let's just hope the Grammy's don't let us down. I must say the with scheduled performances from Amy Winehouse, Kanye West & Tina Turner...it should be a fabulous night.

Since I definitely plan to write my own little Amore Crush Daily review of the festivites after Sunday night's winners have been announced, I thought today would be the perfect time to share some of my favorite moments from last year's 49th Grammy's. I did indeed think it was a rather wonderful showing ..so travel with me now... down musical memory lane...

Timeless Style Moment? P R I N C E He is the quintessential entertainer & he does it all in the most amazing high heels... Impeccable style.

My favorite performance of that night? Miss Mary J Blige.
P O W E R F U L

And although I've never counted myself as a Shakira fan....I've got to admit she proved to
me with her 2007 Grammy showing that hips really don't lie.
Who could have possibly taken their eyes off of her during that performance?


Miss Furtado was on fire!! And who could forget that smile?
Y'know I truly believe a girl can turn dimestore duds into Haute Couture
with a million dollar S M I L E:)

and I was feeling Fergie! She was exceptionally lovely in this mod mini.
I thought the look was perfection.
A grand mixture of cute flirty fun with serious chic color & fit.
L O V E D

Christina was on target that night as well...
(& quite frankly she normally would fall into my "Huh?" category)
but the pipe princess was F A B U!! I think the 1940's starlet style was made for her & her curvyness. She was truly at her best.

& MOST memorable moment of the night??
Well, it just had to be the Dixie's. Clean Sweep!!
And, in my opinion, so richly deserved & long awaited.
Ooooo & on a very personal note: I'm very excited about Sunday!! I will be cheering for one of my favorite people on the planet. Mr Dave Darling... nominated in the "best classical crossover record" -for Brian Setzer's WOLFGANGS BIG NIGHT OUT


Happy Grammy & the crush goes on...

xo

Parachute Girl