The Ladybug’s Wings of Wisdom: Tip #5 – “Coordinating The Perfect Wedding Guest Ensemble”

They say that nowadays people get married in their mid-thirties which explains why I’ve been invited to many-a-friend’s weddings in the last few years.
Let me begin by saying I’m not a “Bride magazines cutouts” kind of girl. I’m not saying that I don’t want to get married (…we’ll just say it’s not on top of my list!); still that’s not what this is about: I’m talking about going to weddings as a guest- which is really a full-time job, especially in Southern Italy! …Presents, trips, days off work and of course – the choice of the perfect outfit!
So over the last few years I created a very personal list of things to remember when I get to that question: “What shall I wear for the wedding?”
Rule #1: Avoid black! If you go to a wedding in Southern Italy (especially in winter) it often looks like a funeral. I know that black is considered the elegant color and that it makes us look thinner but really – a wedding is a moment of joy for someone else who’s probably your friend so… let’s celebrate it with joy!
Rule #2: Don’t get overdressed! It happens too often that I confuse the bride with other guests dressed with cocktail dresses perfect for an Oscars’ party! C’mon; it’s just a party. You won’t be awarded anything except maybe the bride’s bouquet, if you’re “lucky” enough!
Rule #3: Have fun! Don’t take yourself too seriously and don’t think about what other people may think of your outfit! Use a statement piece that can make you stand out of the crowd!
Rule #4: Don’t buy a new dress only for the wedding! Re-use your dresses, even if they’re not that elegant you can make them look fabulous with the right accessories! (Yes, I’m very recession-friendly!)
Rule #5: Wear vintage! Mix a vintage piece with the other pieces, because it’s something that only you will wear and you won’t find anyone else with the same piece!
Rule #6: Pay attention to hair and make-up! The importance of details: perfectly manicured hands, clean and nicely styled hair, nice make up!
Rule #7: Wear red lipstick! Period.
Last week was one of my BFFs weddings in the beautiful Basilicata (an awesome Italian region sadly not well known), so I decided that for her I needed to make a special effort and respect ALL the rules!
Here’s my outfit for the day:

I chose a silk light blue playsuit with a bow on the neck from Twenty8Twelve, a black short jacket from Anymoore, a vintage fur cape to keep me warm in the freezing weather, a pair of heeled platforms from Mark Ellis NY and big chained clutch from Vic Matié.

Here are the details:

I got myself a retro braid and added a retro headband with stones and feathers to give a retro touch to the whole outfit. I pushed a bit on makeup and I wore my favorite Chanel red lipstick!
Here’s my friend Carmen’s look for the wedding:

A color-block dress from Topshop, a vintage statement belt, and heels from Minelli. Love the lateral plait (yes, that’s my creation!) and her red-orange Mac lipstick!
Not to leave out the most honored attendant of the wedding: here’s the beautiful bride with her retro white fur cape:

And the newly-weds in their vintage car… the white Cinquecento is THE car!

PS: I also have some ideas and tips concerning my wedding; but as I don’t think it will happen soon, I’ll share those tips in another post… maybe just before Christ returns! LOL

The Ladybug’s infinite search for the Perfect Coat ends in Moscow!

As every year now for the last 15 years, Christmas is approaching and I have the same dilemma: the coat! I have a clear model now: I start the hunt for the Perfect Coat (yeah, you know, this one that you will have for the rest of your life, that suits you perfectly and makes you look like a queen in the lowest temperatures!) in September – just to make sure tourists won’t pick up the first models even if they’re coming back from the beach! – and when I realize that sales are coming right after Christmas, I still haven’t found it!

So I desperately buy some temporary fix because “I need it” and I sell it the year after on E-bay because it wasn’t “Mr. Right… Coat!” Yes…I could compare the search for the Perfect Coat to the Search for the Soul Mate…with the only difference being, the first one need only to keep me warm four months out of the year!

Too many doubts and questions surround the Perfect Coat: it’s like love, you know when you feel it, but you can’t describe it! Do I want it slim? Black? (Hey… I’m talking about the coat…Lol) Wide collar? Short? Camel? Belted? Long? Feminine? Round neck? Vintage? Furry? Duffle? I don’t know….which may explain why I have loads of them in different colors and shapes in my wardrobe, but none of them satisfy me 100% (Yes, I’m still talking about coats!)

And I know exactly I’m not the only one! I started wondering why, for us women, the coat is so important and what makes it completely different for the other clothing pieces. My answer is that it dresses us: we use it most of the time and it covers what we’re are wearing so- it is like a uniform that we know we will wear for more than one season and that will define us and our style more than anything else. It is a statement piece. Like the lipstick.

The other day I was surfing online looking for “Right Coat” when I landed on Max Mara’s site (where else?!). Then I had to stop for a minute: Not one, but loads of Perfect Coats were staring at me from their colorful enlightened backgrounds!

Those pictures came from an amazing exhibition to celebrate Max Mara’s 60 years of Fashion and, of course, coats are one the trademark pieces of this Italian brand. The event “Coats! Max Mara, 60 anni di Moda Italiana” curated by Adelheid Rasche is now in Moscow (until the 10^th of January 2012), after a long tour through the world: from Berlin to Tokyo and Beijing. This is an “all about coats” exposition: from the story of this piece (the first piece dates from the XVI century but it starts being considered a statement piece in the 50s thanks to Parisian Couturiers like Dior and it becomes a basic with the diffusion of the French prêt-à-porter) to the 70 models proposed by Max Mara since 1951, to the artistic side of the piece (many installations and photographs from different artists inspired by the Coat).

One of the most interesting pieces of art of the exhibition is Albatross, created by the Russian artist Valery Katsuba- who put the coat at the center of a white room with the dancers of the Bolshoi theatre in the background.

I also found this video (in russian) from Vogue Russia

The Ladybug’s Next “Must See” Movie: The Iron Lady

I need to start this post by saying something about me: I can barely remember the last time I went to the cinema to watch a movie! If I’m not wrong, it was the very disappointing sequel of Sex & the City… weird! I’m not saying that I don’t like cinema, I just don’t go to the cinema. It is a place where people show how disrespectful they can be, where they make themselves comfortable as if they are on their sofa in their house!

This is the main reason why I patiently wait until I can watch a movie on a rented DVD or I can buy it online or on pay-per-view. No rush!

The exception being when I REALLY want to watch a movie! And know, me wanting to REALLY watch a movie is a kind of rare event in itself and to do so through the cinematic experience means that either the plot is really intriguing me or I’m very curious about costumes (this second excuse is generally the most frequent).

This is the case of the next movie I want to see (probably in January 2012): The Iron Lady.

Now, I’m not interested in initiating a political debate about Thatcher’s role in modern English history […here], especially since I’m an adherent of Hanif Kureishi literature and quite the anti-conservative person, but let me wax a few words on the stormy talk around the movie over the last few weeks.

Viewers of both sides, less or more conservative, criticize the movie for different reasons: Margaret Thatcher’s supporters accuse that the movie shows her as a bullying monster and they focused too much on her miserable conditions after her disease (the Iron Lady has been suffering dementia), while her enemies consider the movie too light concerning some of her most disastrous political choices in favor of an “exclusive focus on Thatcher as a woman triumphing against the odds.” (Stuart Jeffries, journalist of The Guardian).

This makes me think that the movie really centered the target: making noise, of course, and giving a multifaceted image of Margaret Thatcher who is still one of the most complex personalities in recent European history.

But let’s go back to the costumes: being elected in 1979, the Iron Lady was also very popular during the 80s for her style. Pearls, hats and pussybow shirts were quite omnipresent. Margaret Thatcher was considered something of a style icon in her day, and even now is seen as representative of the 80s “power dressing.” Most of her clothes were made by British heritage firm Aquascutum. Her shoes, sometimes by Salvatore Ferragamo, were black court and low-heel. She often wore blue (considered as the Conservative party color!) and Thatcher’s most famous outfit was a two-piece suit in royal blue wool crepe from Aquascutum that she often mixed and matched with different length skirts. It was worn during her first term as Prime Minister, coming to symbolize the ‘Iron Lady’ moniker adopted for the film’s title. If Margaret Thatcher does not define power dressing, then with her padded shoulder jackets and slim pencil skirts, she certainly personified it.

I adored her hats and her colored jackets and blouses but also her granny jewels and now I’m very curious to see how her look is re-created for the movie.

The costume designer for the movie is Consolata Boyle (who already won an Oscar in 2006 with The Queen).

You can watch UK trailer here:

 

The Ladybug Falls in Love with a Woman (and her debut clothing collection)!

Ok, I must confess it: I’ve always considered Ulyana Sergeenko as another face, a very beautiful face, but still just another face of the crowded world of fashionistas. A Russian face- always present at every Paris Fashion Week, always well dressed and very stylish, but I never imagined she could have a talent that went beyond her great taste in styling her outfits. This is why, when I heard a few weeks ago that she re-invented herself as a designer creating her first clothing collection, I didn’t even take the time to see what it was all about.

Well???…

I was wrong! First of all I found out a lot of things about here… She’s a cultivated women with a great love for vintage; she is a photographer and at the person who inspirits her most when she gets dressed is her grandmother – can you believe it? Most of all I found out she is an incredible designer. I almost fell out of my chair with orgasmic enthusiasm after looking at the look-book of the Fall-Winter 2011!

She has a vintage inspired collection, with echoes of my beloved 40s and memories 50s Russian era, amazing accessories and to-die-for shoes! Perfect waved hair, coral red lips and vintage wallpaper give even more charm to this glamorous and very ladylike collection!

Don’t trust me? Have a look yourself and let me know what you think!

The Ladybug’s (late) Report on the Paloma Faith for La Senza UK Lingerie Collection

One of the feelings that I have most since having this blog is the feeling of being late. …Yes …late. I read things that I find interesting, and I think: Wow, I should write about it for the blog! Then I look for more information on the subject so that I can start writing about it, but sometimes the subjects are many, my daily life and work things to do get me so absorbed and it happens that I … (breath) … just forget!

This is what happened with Paloma Faith’s first lingerie collection for La Senza UK! The news was circulating on the net since late summer (when I read it!) and the release date being the 1^st of October was also sure so I was waiting to see the pieces to share them here. Today, quite two months later and only after talking about two interesting vintage lingerie and corsets’ expos in Italy, THIS came to my mind again!

As the collection is still on line and in stores and as it still for a very good cause (October was the month of Breast Cancer Awareness and about 10% of every item sold is devolved to Breast Cancer Care), I decided to post about it anyway.

Paloma, whose mother was affected by breast cancer, is not new to this kind of support: she has previously supported the Breast Cancer Care’s Pink Friday Campaign (http://www.breastcancercare.org.uk/fundraising-events/events/pink-fridays)

The range of the collection includes bras, french knickers, playsuits and sleepwear and is available in 30 of La Senza’s top stores and on its website (www.lasenza.co.uk). She designed a glamorous emerald green silk playsuit for £30, and a black halterneck bra and French knickers set, for £30 and £16 respectively.

I love Paloma’s music and I love her as an artist; I also love her very personal sense of style: she’s a hungry buyer of vintage clothes and she often features original and absolutely unique vintage pieces. I also spotted her once in London while buying in a lovely tiny vintage shop on Church Street (“The Girl Can’t Help It”, it is really worth a visit!). So when I read that she was preparing a vintage inspired collection I got so excited (yes, even if I forgot later! Lol) and expected to see some marvelous lingerie and loungewear pieces.

I must say that when I finally saw it I was a bit disappointed… Maybe I expected more (I mean, she was a sales assistant for the gorgeous lingerie label Agent Provocateur!) or I just expected something different, but this still lovely silky 40s inspired collection is just a bit too anonymous for someone like Paloma who’s not afraid of standing out in a crowd! Only positive point: the choice of emerald green as a lingerie color (very unusual, I love it!); this is the set that I prefer!

Anyway, this is what she said about the collection: “I’m really excited about my range of lingerie that I’ve designed for Breast Cancer Care this year. I’ve gone for a luxurious 1940s style and I can’t wait for you all to see it! It’s going to hit La Senza stores in October and every penny we raise will be used to help people affected by breast cancer. My Mum had breast cancer so this is a cause I am very passionate about. Without Breast Cancer Care some women would have nowhere to turn to. With one person diagnosed with breast cancer every 10 minutes, many of us will sadly know of someone dealing with the disease right now. Breast Cancer Care will use the money we raise together to ensure none of them face it alone.”

6 out of 10 for the collection, 10 out of 10 for the supporting cause (we love when our shopping is not that selfish, don’t we?)

Soul Sunday with KNAGUI: Window Shopping with The Ladybug

My boss and I have this dream of meeting in New York and checking out the city from both of our perspectives.  It’s great because we’d both learn so much about the city… and for me, I’m sure I’d see and experience things I’ve never known and even the places on my part of the plan would be seen with fresh eyes.

Alas, it’s a beautiful dream- as magical as the Night Before Christmas.

Last week I was sitting with Shirley in my lap (I just cracked myself up because I was trying to figure out if I wanted to call my new Shirley, “Li’l Shirley” which made me think of Cole’s girlfriend Big Shirley from the sitcom Martin) working on the tour and watching Good Morning America.  They presented a quick story about the unvailing of the Christmas Windows at Lord & Taylor.  Now, if I’m going to be perfectly honest, the TV only provides me company when I’m working at home so I don’t really pay attention to what’s on, but something was said to catch my attention and make me pay attention.  The words were, “we found a picture from 1941.” …DING!!! 1940s? That’s the Ladybug’s era! [rewind...record...what you talkin' about Willis?...play]

The inspiration came from an original Lord & Taylor advertisement of a Santa with elaborate drawings within his silhouette and the question, “What is Christmas made of?” Scott Divine, VP of Visuals set out to find what it is made of and even enlisted the help of local children attending school in the city.  You can find some of their artistic articulation answering this question throughout the store and woven into the art of the windows.

In searching for photos, I learned many things about the history and pride of illustrious Lord & Taylor Christmas window dressings.  Check out this photo of a window from a very special year.

Here’s the inspiration behind the scenes of the inspiration which inspired me:

If you’re in or going to NYC, check them out and share with us your impression of the windows and store decor.

Finally, I’d also like to thank Photographer and fellow WordPress Journalist, Lia Chang for these great photos. You can see more here: Lia Chang’s Lord & Taylor Xmas 2011 photo journal

ps I’ll be in Europe on tour doing The Soul of Gospel Revue featuring Quiet Place beginning next week so I won’t make any posts for about a month. But don’t fret, my stylist is planning to post the looks she put together for me for the tour and I’m beyond excite about it!  Oh, you don’t know who my stylist is… well, you’ll have to stay tuned to find out.

The Ladybug celebrates Audrey Hepburn in Rome

Exactly 50 years ago the unforgettable Audrey was showing her beauty, talent and class to the whole world with the movie that made her a style icon, “Breakfast at Tyffany’s” (1961).

Today and until the 4^th of December, “her”city, where she shot the movie that made her famous, “Roman Holiday” (1953) celebrates her at the Ara Pacis with an expo on her roman age.

The relationship between Audrey and Italy, Rome in particular, was very strong: not only did she shoot two movies there (the other was “The Nun’s story” in 1959), but she lived in the Eternal city after marrying the Italian psychologist Andrea Dotti in 1970 for about 30 years. She had a son with him, Luca, who is also the organizer of this fantastic expo “Audrey a Roma. Esterno, giorno”. The British actress lived there as an actress of course, as a wife and mother, and also as a goodwill ambassador for Unicef (which will receive part of the funds raised through ticket sales for the exposition -2,50 euros of the 10 euros entry ticket).

This is one of the most complete and interesting expos ever organized on Audrey. Many moments of her life in Rome can be admired as unseen pictures of her, videos and also personal objects of the actress. For example you can see images shot during her travels as ambassador for Unicef meeting kids in Somalia, Vietnam, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Sudan and Latin America. Also many unseen pictures of her daily life in Rome and a video where you get a glimpse of how Audrey lived when she was far from jet-setting and the movie lights!

Of course there will be a section related to Audrey’s great sense of style: Valentino, Givenchy and many others will exhibit beautiful dresses created for her that best represents her natural sense of fashion that made her the most famous style icon of all time, along with the dresses that she usually wore in her everyday life.

Comparing this expo to the one in New York on the same subject we can say, “if that one celebrated the Style Icon, the symbol of fashion and elegance during the 50s, this one allows us to get into Audrey’s private life and more intimate moments.”

If you want to take with you some of her “roman souvenirs” you can find the book in the bookstores now “Audrey a Roma” (Mondadori, 24,90 euros) where you can find some of her most interesting pictures.

Open every day except Mondays until the 4^th of December, from 9am to 7pm, more info at www.audreyhepburn.com or www.unicef.it/web/audrey