Drawing with René Gruau

René Gruau’s sketches for Diorissimo (1956) are paintings to be framed! 

This particular illustration depicts a neo-Louis XVI chair upholstered in the shade of pink that Dior applied to his dress design. It's for a perfume called "Diorama". An unseen wearer has tossed a pair of long white gloves and a spectacular black dress on the seat, leaving the audience to believe that whoever was in that dress is now naked.

Fancy brush strokes and fine fashion illustrations are the mood for the day. We research and curate René Gruau’s traditional poster-art graphics that inspire us.

René Gruau’s works were a favourite of the haute couture world in 1940’s and are pieces to be framed for the fashion appreciators. He worked for the most coveted fashion houses such as Dior, Givenchy, Balenciaga, Lanvin, and Schiaperelli. After sketching for Parisian magazines and newspapers like Femina and Le Figaro he soon began working with high style magazines such as Marie-Claire and L’Officiel. He moved to America and contributed to Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue and became the exclusive artist for Flair magazine. His advertising campaigns for Moulin Rouge and Lido de Paris involved an old-world aesthetic, celebrating the fashion art graphics of Toulouse-Lautrec, Bonnard and the pre-1900 Parisian artists. And the ‘IT’ poster at the time of the comedy drama film La Dolce Vita was designed by the artist too. 

Scroll down to view our favourite picks by the Italian artist. And click here to buy these vintage collectibles for a poster-full room!

Image courtesy: Google images

Throwback Thursdays: Marc's Fixation on Jammies

Marc Jacobs refusing to come out of his jammies precisely during the shows for Fall 2013, whether on the runways, red carpets or the streets and propagating the same in his collections with full support from model extraordinaire Kate Moss.

Images via style.com, gimmegoodstyle.files.wordpress.com, cpp-luxury.com, chicityfashion.com

In Focus: Gucci Fall 2014

When we talk about the potential and capabilities of a great like Frida Giannini there would be ample to vouch for it. There is no newness to the statement ‘how she makes things beautiful’. But the most recent runway presentation for fall 2014 by the designer for the design house Gucci calls to attention and renews this statement. How she makes things beautiful? The answers come from within the fall 2014 showing: its leather, fur and color; elements that she made all the more delectable and imposing. Leather and fur are indeed having a standout moment last couple seasons and Giannini brought about more than a tinge of ingenuity and freshness to the same. This albeit was manifested throughout but stood out more than any in the green and brown of leather on Anja Rubik and the fur sweatshirt on Joan Smalls. Then there were the blues and the yellows of a pastel variety, all in line with the aforementioned exquisiteness. The silhouettes, a bit androgynous (cropped pants and blazers), made it all the more exhilarating; the pea coats and the knee length dresses were the fashion ethos of the swinging sixties. And it all came full circle when the lady herself took a bow dressed in a classic all black ensemble comprised of a rodeo shirt in black leather complimented by pants cropped to the T.

Images via style.com

A Crafty Fall (2014)

With fall shows you are always in for something different. Honestly, spring is my favorite season but when I tried to pick my favourites from the winter runways it was as much fun.

One of the fun things of the fall season is that it gives us a lot to play with - intense layering, oversize silhouettes, boxy jackets, stiff structures and deeper palettes. I was particularly amused by Jeremy Scott's bold animation and Alexander Wang's well cut woolens for Balenciaga. Olivier Rousteing's pronounced safari-chic collection was absolutely razor-sharp and Altuzarra was bristly patterned. Fausto Puglisi's dangerous short dresses were vividly graphic and had high impact. It was a collective parade of striking combinations, animated logos, military shapes and immaculate detailing. 

Art-inspired dots at Valentino and peculiar details at Chanel left us all baffled. The leggy lasses in raised hemlines at Dsquared² were a complete treat too. However, this season truly belonged to Nicolas Ghesquiere, who made his debut at Louis Vuitton. We have picked our favorite looks from all designer runways of the much coveted fall 2014 season. 

Scroll down to view the stand up moments and stay tuned to read more about the trends we love. 

Images courtesy: Style.com

Fashion Eccentrics Part 1: Inspire, Propel, Rouse and Challenge

Those who have challenged convention and created more than a mark and forged norms of their own. These are the mavericks of fashion that inspire, propel, rouse and challenge from times gone by and the times that prevail.  


Diana Vreeland: Fashion Editor Harper’s Bazaar, Editor-in-Chief Vogue, Special Consultant for Metropolitan Museum of Art

This seminal fashion editor could very well be described as a sobriquet for an original fashion eccentric.  Her well-rounded singular style arising from the pedigree of first-hand experience of the roaring 20’s,  a peculiar work dynamic- the sharp-witted and blunt memos- are the distinguishing attributes that made her the fashionably notorious “high priestess of fashion”. Discovering Laurell Bacall and Eddie Sedgewick, making famous the lips of Mick Jagger, the neck of Cher and scouting Twiggy the ineffaceable model, this model editrix had an eye for all that is contrary to stereotype and will always hold the highest of ranks amongst all time fashion royalty.

Lynn Yaeger: Fashion columnist for The Village Voice, contributor for the New York Times, American Vogue and Style Magazine

Oddity at its best, Lynn Yaeger the renowned fashion reporter and critic, the voice that held the fashion viewpoint for the newspaper Village Voice through her coloumn ‘Elements of Style’ for three decades. The idiosyncrasies manifest just the same in the peculiar dolled up face she wears and in the individualistic plus intelligent character of her writing.

Iris Apfel: Interior Designer, Businesswoman and Fashion icon

Not a fashion personality per se but a fashion icon in all her form and being; outrageous and veritable. The queen of kitsch exudes eccentricity and quirks that account majorly from thrift rather than luxurious labels that galore. The chunky jewellery, slouchy layers of clothes and the flying saucer glasses being a signature, “throwaway chic” as she calls it. The interior designer extraordinaire has received many a laurel for her taste in fashion and very aptly been referred to as Rara Avis for a 2005 exhibition by Metropolitan museum of art; a rare bird indeed. 

Tout Sweet, Tout Sporty

Sports and lady-like have never been so close.

There's something so charming and carefree about spring. Before the starting days of summer we want to hoard on all the goodies that come with this season. Pastel palettes and sorbet colours add much needed freshness. 

Denim has re-emerged with fascinating details and quilted textures perfect for the in-between months. The much coveted sporty silhouettes are roaring on all runways. And we are definitely dotting on the three-dimensional floral sunnies for the really bright days. Metallic shoes, cut-out bikinis, flippy skirts and mono-chromes are all so playfully serious. We were thinking no bling and no fuss while creating our look-board for March 2014.

 Image credits: Style.com, Net-A-Porter

A-la-Couture

While clicking through Haute couture 2014 shows I couldn't pause for a minute. 

Counting every detail - the glass fabrics, elbow pads, shining hoodies, ballerina shapes were all so consuming. Musical notes at Valentino amused my imagination while the sneakers at Chanel brought about an almost radical and time-conforming kick. It's no more about floor lengths and cupcake shapes but rising micro-minis, sporty details, acid palettes and powerful silhouettes. The line-ups were rather appealing be it naked or nearly so. An appropriate mix of sexy and day-time couture made complete sense on the runways. 

Every couture collection exhibited a show and we attempt on bringing to you the spotlight moments. Here's a curation of the top twenty looks of the SS '14 haute couture week. 

  

Images via style.com and vogue.co.uk