water for elephants

 

Say you got lost in thick, tropical jungle, possibly somewhere in Thailand, and surprisingly only the kindness of a herd of elephants help leads you back to civilisation. If you were the gorgeous model Samantha Grandoville I wouldn't be surprised to hear that a pack of wolves assisted you 'Jungle Book' style. The animal interaction, lighting & photography really capture the deep, humid, sensual mood of the tropics. The retro hair and makeup is spot on sexy. And I love the styling, I want every outfit for my next island holiday!

buy at Topshop

buy at Topshop

Editorial images: POP SS11/Sean & Seng/Tamara Rothstein (stylist)/Samantha Grandoville (fashiongonerogue)

Sawatdi!

spring brings a bite from the east

The following editorial highlights the Spring '11 collections, and I think there is a strong modern-asian edge to many of the looks that is subtly sexy. There's inspiration here for everyone. Love the photography, lighting & shadow, styling and body language. I love the Dior.

 

Above editorial images: 'Spring Is On The Way' Harper's Bazaar Russia Feb '11/Luis Sanchis/Natalia Alaverdian (stylist)/Irina Lazareanu, Annabelle Tsaboukas & Wang Xiao (tfs)

fruit of my loins

Editorial images: ROUGE Magazine Spring 11/Stockton Johnson/Antoine Neufmars (art direction)/Miao Bin Si, Ma Jing (fashiongonerogue, author-made collage)

Take your cue from the fruit bowl at your high-end Singaporean hotel buffet breakfast, I'm talking for the uninitiated (from mid-left clockwise): mangosteen, dragonfruit, durian, rambutan, lychees, mangoes/papaya and persimmon. Don't be shy, the more in the colour cocktail the merrier.

Key features to note are the sculpted cheekbones and highlighted angles of the face, combined with strong eyebrows and black-rimmed, heavily mascara-ed eyes. These form the basis along with glowing skin for the bold, clashing looks. And personally, I think lining lips when using bright lippie is a must :)

nudie of the week: ming xi

  Warning: after viewing you may start to show signs of Asian fever. This is not gender specific.

Editorial images: Vs. Magazine SS11/Mark Squires/Alicia Lombardini (fashion editor)/Ming Xi (fashiongonerogue)

Quickie: Born '90 / Shanghai, China / 178cm / Eyes: Dark Brown / her real name is Meng Yao Xi / a finalist in the '09 international Elite Model Look Contest

tom ford the teaser

A preview of Tom Ford's opulent AW11 collection was released for us normal folk recently in a short look book video format which I've embedded below for your viewing pleasure. Featuring the top bevy of models the liberally accessorised collection has a distinctly elegant oriental feel, making it a perfect fit for our current theme.

"you have offended my family...

...and you have offended the Shaolin Temple." Famous words spoken by Bruce Lee to 'the bad guy', preceding an iconic and suspenseful fight to the death through mirror-filled rooms, in my all time favourite martial arts movie 'Enter The Dragon'. As a kid, being a bit of a tomboy, I chose karate over ballet when given the offer of an after-school sport and hence have watched my fair share of both good and bad films of this genre. This one is a good old classic. The poster in my room:

Theatrical release poster

'Enter The Dragon' was actually the first Chinese martial arts film to be produced by a major Hollywood studio, Warner Bros, and yet was also the last film in which Bruce Lee was to feature. He passed away on July 20, 1973 and the movie was released on the 26th in Hong Kong, where it was largely set. 

Without dragging in the plot, it is interesting that Lee had a major role in crafting the film and whilst making a darn good action flick he also had the focus of portraying the beauty of his Chinese culture. Aside from the morality of the storyline, I do think the sets, locations, props and costumes work well together to achieve that aim. There's a delicacy and regality to the background that contrasts well with the martial arts. Whilst many might call it clichéd and too retro I think it's ground-breaking for the era and pretty damn cool.

Two points of interest:

1. During one of the matches Lee delivers a running thrust kick to O'Hara, the opponent actor, which had been prearranged between the two for realism, resulting in O'Hara's sternum being broken and two extras in the crowd behind him breaking arms whilst trying to contain him. The video below shows the fight, fast-forward to 2:30min for the exact sequence.



2. Jackie Chan makes an appearance in the movie, very early on in his film career, and possibly one of the launchpads to his fame.

the new landscape

More often I notice models of Asian descent starring & featuring in top fashion editorials, designer catwalk shows & even Victoria's Secret, which I think is fantastic in itself - the increasing diversity - but also well-deserved because these top girls are absolutely divine. I'm talking naturally sculptured cheekbones, mesmerising gazes and long, lean elegant limbs that can contort into any character.

Editorial images: Wonderland Magazine Feb/Mar '11/Driu + Tiago/Grace Cobb (stylist)/Ming Xi (fashiongonerogue)

I love the 3 black and white shots shown for the shapes & shadows in the body and the display of each structured piece. With those glasses and styling they have a distinct Yoko-esque feel. But the 3 coloured shots are also beautiful for the stripped-back colour, set & props, and body language. Modern, edgy and oriental.

i'm going to a... TROPICAL ISLAND PARADISE

and I'm going to arrive home with...

Stills from ad campaign featuring Kate Moss (available at strawberrynet)

wafts of YSL's 'Parisienne' in the BIGGEST bottle I can get duty-free!

My fave, the only thing I've ever actually finished a bottle of. While I'm at it I might give the darker sister 'A L'Extreme' version a try:

(Available at strawberrynet)