oh Daphne

Fashion icon goddess is  Daphne Guinness, was recently “laid in state” by  Gareth Pugh  to showcase her  most recent collaboration with jeweler, Shaun Leane.  Miss Guiness who loves to put on a show always, loves her theatrical installations. I think she has outdone herself this time!  In typical  Guinness fashion she was laid out in a see thru Alexander McQueen bodysuit with an antique veil.  The only exposed body part was her arm in a one-of-a-kind chain mail glove made of gold and diamonds. This piece is for sale for 1.7 million bucks!   It's made of 18 carat white gold.    To create the glove, the two used 5,000 pave white diamonds to make a flock of birds and branches. This “labor of love” as they refer to it, is their rendition of a 21st century decorative armor and is only the beginning. Guest to the unique experience event included Tom Ford, Gareth Pugh, Tom Bowles, Sara Buys, Lily Cole, Sarah Burton, Sabrina Guinness, Paul Simonon and Vicky Sarge.

Contra Mundum - is  Latin for “Against the World:" it took over five years for this to beauty to be created. , the pavé white diamonds, set in the shape of a bird formation, and weighing over a thousand grams in 18ct white gold are stunning. Made in two parts, the cuff can be worn alone as a hand glove, or extended into an evening glove. Every detail in the piece, including the chainmail, has been carefully constructed by hand to ensure a perfect fit to Ms. Guiness's arm. The glove was molded from Daphnes' own hand, and is a stylized armour made of precious metals, studded with gems.

Delicate chainmail forms the foundation of this highly fantastical gauntlet; each ring looped in one by one to create an exact formation tailored to the individual. Striking diamond birds cascade around the arm, as though caught in mid-flight. Skilfully supporting the framework is a shimmering diamond branch that elegantly wraps around the upper arm. The hand is protected with a bold metal cuff, hand-forged and beautifully engraved. Birds are layered on the surface of the cuff amongst the sculpted branches. Carved in gold and set with diamonds, they soar among the delicate engraving as though liberated by the blowing wind.

For them it has become less a fashion item, more a work of art, something that pushes the boundaries of fine jewellery and symbolises their friendships with each other, and with Blow and McQueen, who was to design a spectacular dress to go with the glove.  Contra Mundum: " It’s about wanting to watch, but not wanting to be seen. I feel it’s a pact, if that makes any sense. And I’m not sure I could wear it to go out now, because it means too much.’

Toniwood

There are a some things that get to me. When people don't believe in anything spiritual and when people say that they are not suitable for posing for a photo.  I feel like everyone is beautiful and I like to show people that they are beautiful just as god made them.   Here's one of my shoots with a truly beautiful individual in the inside and outside.... and she thought she couldn't take good photos!

Cahun

Before Lady Gaga, Madonna, David Bowie & Annie Lenox, there was  French artist who knew how to push the limits before anyone else did,  her name was Claude Cahun, who in the 1920's was already exploring ideas about gender role playing as well as being able to shift masculine vs feminine  thru her photographs.   Paris' Jue de Paume museum is  featuring a retrospective dedicated to the one and only from May 24 - Sept 25.  Her androgynous self portraits are elegant and a lot of people have compared her to an Isabella Blow, who actually looked a lot like her.  Cahun was known for her over the top dramatic entrances in outrageous one of a kind costumes.  Her look was amazing she often opted to shave off her head and eyebrows, which was very unheard of back then, she was also seen often sporting  a dyed pink head as well as gold, and  even green. She was proud of her sexuality and was able to blend the lines between art and life.

egg laying

We have a beautiful Veiled Chameleon named Trudy. She layed 25 eggs yesterday.Chameleons are very amazing.  I can't believe all these fit inside of her.  She's little.

the BARRETTE!

I can't wait to try this. It's just amazing!

Guido (Redken): They’re Goody barrettes! They sent me 6,000 barrettes…we’re not using all of them. Sarah [Burton] showed me pictures of the past and pictures of the future, and I wanted it to be a head that wasn’t too big…I wanted it to be very modern and hard, but kind of soft at the same time. I was thinking of reflection—plastics and metals—and that movie Tron, the original and the remake. So all those kind of things. I’d done a ponytail covered in barrettes before, but here I flipped it up and did the whole head. So that’s how I got here. It’s amazing that something so inexpensive—these drugstore things that you get on a card—can be made into something so beautiful. I always say to people about hair accessories: it’s not what you spend, it’s what you do with them.

relationships

One alpha.  The dominant person changes role every time it seems to fit.  If you have a straight relationship, it seems like you naturally fall into your role.  For the more evolved relations between same genders the roles can be tricky and its a good thing when you and him, or her and you figure out that both people must be completely different for it to work.  Its never good to always be one... its best to explore and know what you're roles are. Its always about power.

I want to display every kind of thing I want here.  I want to dedicate a day to a different thing.  Today is about things that inspire me.