Everything Old Is New Again...

Sometimes, inspiration comes in the form of nostalgia for the old days. Lately, magazine editors have been inspired out-of-sight by decades passed, and the result is a wide variety of retro photo shoots.

1940s

It's A Madcap World
Jourdan Dunn and Karlie Kloss in Vogue US Feb 09

1950s

Lady D

Diane Kruger in Amica Germany Jan 09

1960s

Mommie Dearest
Siri Tollerod in Numero 97

1970s

wild.

Behati Prinsloo and Alyona Osmanova in Russh Aus Jan/Feb 09

Astrology 2009
Alice Rausch in Russh Aus Jan/Feb 09

1980s

Milla Jovovich in Vogue Paris Jan 09

What do you all think? Love it? Or leave it?
Personally, my favourite era of fashion is the 70s. But I love all these shoots, so I can't decide which is my favourite. Which is your favourite?

Catch.

Romany

[photos courtesy of thefashionspot.com, fashionising.com, beautygirlmusings.blogspot.com, fashion-ation.net and fashionchips.com]

Mischa's comeback continues?

Mischa Barton's fashion choices fascinate me more than any others. I think it's simply because of the complete style-turnaround that occurred (and continued to occur) after her stint on one of TV's hottest teen shows ever, The OC (whose format, storyline, influence and success subsequent shows have tried so desperately to emulate), ended. As indicated in this post (Mischa should really have her own category on my blog, I talk about her enough, lol), once upon a time, Mischa Barton was the reigning queen of the fashion world. She had a hit TV show, impeccable style and a very bright future ahead of her, indeed. But then, Marissa Cooper died. Mischa seemed very happy with this turn of events (word has it, she was sick of The OC, believing it to be holding her back), and subsequently fired her stylist in favour of wanting to make her own individual mark in the fashion world. But it all went downhill from there. Mischa's movies went nowhere, and her style reached unbelievable levels of "what was she thinking?"-ness.
But the end of 2008 saw a slight change for the better in Mischa's fashion choices (can't say the same for her movies, though, unfortunately), and all of a sudden things were somewhat looking up for Ms. Barton. So far, she hasn't had any major slips to send her back to "what was she thinking?" status, but then again, it's early days. But I have nothing but hope for Mischa and wish her well on her journey back to the A-List.

Mischa Barton at the Christian Dior Haute Couture show in Paris.

Now what I want to know is your opinion. I don't know what to make of this look. When I first saw it, I absolutely loved it! But the more I look at it, the tackier it seems (the outfit itself is beautiful, but of course, it's Dior). If we look at the main elements of the look separately, it's gorgeous (smokey eyes with wavy hair vs. yellow Dior dress with white shrug), but the way Mischa has paired both elements together, well...to be honest, it's a little too Vegas show-girl for my liking. But I maintain that this a step forward, rather than a step back. She's slowly but surely getting back on track. I think.

EDIT: Mischa continues her stylish transformation with this gorgeous Elie Saab, straight from the runway, at the Fashion Dinner for AIDS in Paris.


What do you all think of Mischa's look? Step forward? Or step back?

Catch.

Romany

[photos courtesy of thesuperficial.com and popsugar.com]

Nastia Liukin for Max Azria Spring 2009

“For the Max Azria campaign, we wanted someone iconic — someone timeless," said a spokesman for the brand.

"The spring collection was inspired by movement and modern dance so she [Nastia] was perfect."

"It was meant to be, and the magic just sort of happened."

"There are no plans to run the campaign in magazines..."

No plans for magazine coverage? Why on earth not? In my honest opinion, a campaign as truly inspired as this would be a refreshing change from all those over-the-top sex-on-legs campaigns for various alcohol brands (I mean, honestly: vodka and Campari in fashion magazines?), and whatever else.
What do you think of Nastia Liukin for Max Azria Spring 2009? Love it, or leave it?

EDIT: Speaking of new ad campaigns...

Scarlett Johansson for Dolce & Gabban

Pamela Anderson for Vivienne Westwood

Thoughts?
Catch.

Romany

[photos courtesy of stylenews.peoplestylewatch.com 1 and 2, fashionising.com
and nitrolicious.com]

Quote of the Week

"We loved your US election spoofs. Ever thought of running for office?
One day I think that would be a great idea. Maybe in 20 years.
What would you do?
I'd stop the war and bring world peace by making all the world leaders best friends! Oh, and I'd paint the White House pink and build a cute doghouse for the First Dogs."
Paris Hilton, and her thoughts on American politics.

You know, sometimes I feel a little bit sorry for Paris Hilton. Wait, now give me a chance to explain myself. Haha. The thing is, Paris Hilton has this incredibly specific public image which she will never live down. She may appear air-headed almost all of the time, but deep down it seems as if the girl has a good heart. It may look like a stupid act, but I do genuinely believe that she wants the world to be a good place, and believes in the goodness of others. She may be "dumb" and "famous for nothing" (labels that the public seem determined to have her stuck with forever), but the simple fact is not everybody can be intelligent. In fact, I think people place far too much emphasis on intelligence -- once one is deemed "uninteliigent" they are simply and, in most cases permanently, written off.
But what about the other facets of human nature? Why is the emphasis only on the size of one's brain, when the size of one's heart is just as big a show of character?
At the risk of sounding totally self-righteous (I assure you, I'm not), I just have to say this:
I don't know Paris Hilton, so I'm not in any position to judge whether she truly is a good person or not, but the simple fact is nobody else is in the position to make the opposite judgement either.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that this doesn't just apply to Paris Hilton; we're living in a cynical and judgemental world, and it's a tragedy. I would love it if the focus shifted from negative to positive sometime soon...

Best Dressed: 2009 Golden Globes

Ah, awards season. It only gets better from here. I was genuinely surprised to see this amount of colour and volume on the red carpet of the 2009 Golden Globes. I was expecting the usual sexy variations of slim silhouettes and shades of black and gray, but then out comes the Rainbow Parade that was the Hollywood A-List.

Top of the list.
Drew is pure, dream-like heaven in this beautiful blue Dior. And the high hair and subtle makeup is a romantic homage to old Hollywood.
Elizabeth Banks may be new to the A-List scene but if this gorgeous look is any indication of things to come, I'm definitely looking forward to her star rising even higher.

Second place.

Amy Adams always gets it right, keeping it simply and sexy in this black De La Renta. I would have accessorized with a subtle necklace, though.
The surprise hit of Golden Globes, Slumdog Millionaire's Freida Pinto made a brave and effective choice of gown. The colour compliments her skin-tone prefectly.

Third Place.
Evan Rachel-Wood is well on her way to establishing herself as a fashion-force to be reckoned with. As far as I'm concerned, she looks fabulous 24/7.
I. Love. This. Dress. I never really thought of Rumer Willis as particularly fashion-forward, but hey, maybe I just wasn't paying enough attention?

Fourth Place.
America looks cute and pretty as usual in this De La Renta.
Wow, how popular was J. Mendel for dress choice at the Golden Globes? Taraji has been doing the award show circuit dressed to the nines, so far.

What do you all think? Love 'em or leave 'em?

Catch.

Romany

[photos courtesy of style.com]

Best Dresses of 2008

And so another year comes to a close, bringing with it a legacy of gorgeous gowns that simply cannot go unacknowledged for one final time. I found myself, once again, disagreeing with the big lists of Best Dresses of 2008, and decided to, once again, create my own (note: one will never find a Worst Dressed list on The 16 Diaries -- fashion is about expression, and while we may not all always agree on what's good and what's bad, it's fair enough that others don't get berated for their choices in how to express themselves).

Perfect. Just perfect.

The 2008 Costume Institute Gala had a really strong showing as far as fashion is concerned. These gorgeous gowns were among my favourites...

...as were these.

I couldn't explain it at the time, and I can do no better now, but there is just something about January Jones' Emmy look that I just love. The makeup could have been a little less gothic which such a soft, romantic dress, but the dress itself...And Olivia Wilde really pulled out all the stops, and came out on top with this gorgeous number.

Now, I'm not usually one to put Nicole Kidman on my Best Dressed lists (her style is usually too harsh for my personal liking), but this dazzling white L'Wren Scott just couldn't go unmentioned. Kristen Stewart outdid herself at the Twilight Premiere in LA. This dress is great because it's just a little bit different...

A last minute addition. I realised I didn't have any looks from the 2008 Oscars so I quickly scanned for my favourite. Luckily Heidi, being the fashion queen that she is, stood out from all the rest in this totally fierce, shocking red Dior gown (which was to be auctioned off for charity after the show).

And so the moment of truth. What did you all think? Love 'em? Or leave 'em?

Catch.

Romany

[photos courtesy of style.com 1, 2 and 3, justjared.buzznet.com , people.com and style.popcrunch.com]

Quelle Surprise!

The supplementary Vogue Paris calendar for 2009 (arrives annually with the December/January issue) is an homage to old fashioned pinup girls, with a naughty, modern twist. Fourteen different girls are featured, photographed by Terry Richardson and styled by Carine Roitfeld in Louis Vuitton lingerie and shoes.

(nsfw)

Very different to the 2008 calendar. I like them both, personally. I don't have a preference either way.
What do you think? Love it or leave it?
Oh and I apologise profusely for not only the lack of posts but for not replying to any comments. It's nothing personal, trust me -- I love all your comments (as all bloggers do), but a lot of the time I simply don't have the time to reply. I'm just trying to make sure that no one gets their feelings hurt, as that is the last thing I would want for my gorgeous readers.

Catch.

Romany

[photos courtesy of fashionologie.com]

Unexpected indeed...

Eccentric Helena Bonham Carter and her equally (if not, more) eccentric husband Tim Burton make a surprise appearance in Vogue UK's December issue. I absolutely adore these two. They're so quirky, breaking all the Hollywood societal rules (even the ones we didn't know about).

(click to enlarge)

(click to enlarge)

If there was a prize for Hollywood originality, these two would be shoe-ins.
What do you think? Helena and Tim, love 'em or leave 'em?
Oh and please don't forget to cast you vote(s) in this month's opinion poll on the right hand side of the page.

Catch.

Romany

[photos courtesy of mrs-lovett.org]

Scents and Sensibility

Perfume: a mixture of fragrant essential oils and aroma compounds, fixatives, and solvents used to give the human body, animals, objects, and living spaces a pleasant smell.

Smell is, essentially, subjective. One man's trash, is another man's treasure -- the exact same can be said for perfume. Recently, the idea of differing tastes (with regards to anything, really) has me amazed, as does almost anything to do with general human nature.
I am a sucker for perfumes. There's just something so glamorous about the whole industry. I must confess, I don't own as many as I'd like to (although, I believe it's important not to own too many; one must have a signature scent, after all), I have acquired my fair share over the years. But it wasn't until recently that I was able to sort my all-time favourites (and my just-for-comforts) into three categories.

MuskyPrada, a new favourite, is a fusion of tradition & innovation.
Narciso Rodriguez, my all-time favourite, conveys sophistication, intrigue & sensuality.
Lovely, a hand-me-down gem, is a scent with the exotic nature of a precious oil plus the sophistication of a fine perfume.

WarmDaisy, my compliment attractor, wraps you in comfort, warmth and a sparkling floral bouquet.
Paris, a classic romantic symphony, riches in the expression of warmth and affection.

SweetCool, the one that got away, is created for the active, sporty, energetic women (but attracts just about anyone).
Fantasy, the perfume that divides the nation, is playful, tempting and sensual.
Midnight Fantasy, though it may not be everybody's cup of tea, is made up of night flowers and exotic fruits to make it mysterious and appealing.

Old readers may have already assisted in this experiment, but for those of you new-ish to The 16 Diaries, I'd love to hear what some of your favourite perfumes are. Shock me like an electric eel (hehe), and show me just how varying all our tastes are!
I look forward to the results. Lol.
Oh and please don't forget to cast you vote(s) in this month's opinion poll on the right hand side of the page.

Catch.

Romany

[photos courtesy of strawberrynet.com]

Don't cry because it's over...

...smile because it happened. That's right, Fashion Week is officially over.
It's exam time here in the land of Aus, so updates have been, and will possibly continue to be few, unfortunately. But I thought I should at least post my favourites from the last collections of Fashion Week, before the updates become really sporadic (I say sporadic because I'm unsure of my timetable, therefore I may be posting more or a lot less, depending on the amount of time I have).
Enjoy!

I guess I have a weakness for political fashion...

Hopefully, exams won't continue to mess things up too much. It's rather annoying being away from the blogging world for so long.
Oh and please don't forget to cast you vote(s) in this month's opinion poll on the right hand side of the page.
Until next time, lovelies.

Catch.

Romany

[photos courtesy of style.com]

The week of fashion continues...

The international event that is Ready-to-Wear Fashion Week is almost over. But never fear, just a few more short months until the Resort and Couture collections. Here were some very special pieces that I came across whilst perusing the pages of Style.com's unbelievably extensive fashion week coverage.

Of course.

The general consensus last time was that the backstage Polaroids were a huge hit. So I thought I'd include a few more for your viewing pleasure.

Michael Kors and Heidi Klum backstage at Michael Kors

Kelly Osbourne and models backstage at Betsey Johnson

Leighton Meester and Juliette Lewis backstage at Zac Posen

The Hilfigers backstage at Tommy Hilfiger

Ah, the magic of Polaroid.
Oh and please don't forget to cast you vote(s) in this month's opinion poll on the right hand side of the page.

Catch.

Romany

[photos courtesy of style.com]