fashion4queen

Margo Selski Painting

Fri, 25 May 2012 06:56:15 +0100

Margo Selski is known for creating lush Surrealist paintings that quote Flemish painting and 19th century portraiture.

Born in Minnesota, Selski was raised in Kentucky. One moment she jokingly refers to herself as a hillbilly, the next she says she was inspired by Shakespeare's "The Tempest" and Prospero's book of mirrors.

She only started Paint by number kits in college. A stay-at-home mom, Selski cares for her three young children in a studio loft filled with toys, pets and a climbing wall. While the kids play, she hangs laundry on a pulley system she created. Then she takes out her brushes and canvass, and gets busy painting finely detailed mythological pictures.

Selski’s work deconstructs the continuing appeal of realistic painting in a contemporary art landscape where such work is often considered irrelevant. “Realistic painting offers the artist the ultimate control because everything in the world depicted is handmade by the artist,” states Selski. “My paintings are not so much portraits of figures, but portraits of the human desire for control that is often futile but deeply irresistible.”

Margo Selski's Paint by number kits -- with ball gowns made of eyes, braids of hair with agency of their own and the pointiest feet you've ever seen -- look like the stuff of fairy tales.

This is not totally false. Selksi was inspired by "The Tempest" and "Prospero's Book of Mirrors." Yet these fanciful and mysterious other worlds are not the product of pure imagination; Selski paints true stories of family secrets from her Kentucky youth. We seriously wonder what her family reunions are like.

"The twins are like the animus and the anima, or the dark side and the light side. And the skirt with all the animals and the snakes on it. I just... I'm almost agitated!" Grubbs laughs.

She's looking at Margo Selski's paintings. They depict sirens, angels, babies and sea creatures, as well as a pair of twins named Flora and Fauna. Flora is surrounded by flowers, while Fauna has paws instead of hands and feet.

The paintings evoke the style of the Flemish renaissance but are also suffused with magical realism. They are purposely aged to create fine cracks on the surface.

Selski says she wants to lure people to the paintings with playful images and a balanced composition. Then as they continue to stare, they begin to comprehend and explore the uneasy nature of this world. Selski is the mother of three children, two of whom were colicky babies.

"After having children, I wanted to deal with finding some kind of stability in a threatening world," says Selski. "Having children accentuated that, and having these small screaming sirens accentuated that need for balance."

How Fashion models organize their Life?

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 07:54:16 +0100

Many Fashion Models are just teenagers far from home, in some cases earning as much in a day as their poor families back in Russia and Eastern Europe do in a month. As a result, many fear speaking out about sexual harassment, unscrupulous booking agencies, demands to alter their bodies, lack of backstage privacy and punishing stretches with little sleep.

Fashion Models not only have pretty faces and pretty well-tailored dresses. They're always overworked, underfed and underage independent contractors with nothing to say when have problem behind the scenes.

In hopes of changing things, Ziff has founded The Model Alliance, dedicated to improving the working conditions of models and persuading the industry to take better care of its young.

"Modeling is precarious freelance labor," said model Sara Ziff, who was discovered at 14 walking home from her New York City high school. "We have very little job security. It's also a winner-takes-all market. There's only one Gisele. Basically, it's a labor force of children who are working in a very grown-up business."

Backed for now by anonymous donors, the Alliance was launched Monday and has a board of directors and an advisory board drawn from the worlds of law, labor and entertainment

Among other things, Ziff has set up a confidential system for models to report inappropriate conduct or other abuses during New York fashion week, which opened Thursday. She is also working on a Models' Bill of Rights.

The Best Dresses In Golden Globes Carbet

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 08:37:28 +0100

Golden Globes are a very big deal in celebrity circles. The likes of Michelle Williams and Emma Stone will have spent weeks preparing for the big night, slathering on tonnes of St Tropez tan, booking emergency appointments with their private dermatologists (y’all) and strapping ‘invisible’ underwear (read scaffolding) as required.

In fact we just thinking about the gowns, the shoes, the *jewels*…something.

The First...The best one should be Angelina Jolie. She rarely disappoints when it comes to red carpet glamour. She may steer close to casual black slacks and tees for day, she may rarely switch up her hairstyle - but when it comes to taking style up an octane or five, no one does it better than Ange. Jolie by name, jolie by style – Angelina wins the top spot in Atelier Versace simply because no other cocktail dress in the history of (well, today) has made us so green with envy…

People's Choice Awards Desses

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 04:34:21 +0100

This is People's Choice Awards. A small awards. But it is not easy for the celebrities to dress.

a well rated network media event, the awards have little cred, and fashion insiders have no interest in them. But plenty of folks at home are watching them. And the photos till run all over the net, right?

Not surprising, then, that we saw an across-the-board spectrum of looks there: Emma Stone in a stunningly chic Gucci spring 2012 tuxedo suit with an emerald green jacket (from one of Gucci's best collections ever), Jennifer Lawrence a bit more dressed up in a cute cobalt Viktor & Rolf blue lace shift -- and Lea Michele in one of the most over the top cocktail dress we've EVER seen: this full on white fringed Evening Gown from Marchesa.

Prada Cocktail Dresses is a true stunner

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 05:20:07 +0100

We all know Prada is great at creating cocktail dresses, not so great at gowns. Structured evening gowns are simply not the house's speciality. So while we're more likely to see the Italian label on men at upcoming awards shows, two of the chicer women at Palm Springs were wearingMiuccia Prada's creations. Bejo said "Orange is my favorite color, so I was very happy."3

At the same time,Michelle Williams' silver satin and bead embellished Prada cocktail dress was a true stunner - certainly the standout dress from the crowd. It was a short cocktail number with a tiny waist, but the bodice portion was covered in silver and crystal large embellishments, looking like slivers of shiney gems and rocks. The effect was dazzling, and worked well with the fact that the skirt of the dress was embellishment-free, and very simple.

Williams looked both very dressed up, and very comfortable and girlish. Bejo, likewise, looked comfortable and relaxed. In fact, the entire affair wound up being all cocktail and no black tie looks for women. Looks like 2012's awards season is going to do the gradual build up. Most of the major women at the Palm Springs Gala: Charlize Theron, Jessica Chastain and Bejo and Williams - were in cocktail dress. Only Glenn Close and Angelina Jolie wore full length gowns.

Beyonce and Rihanna

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 07:39:21 +0100

The mermaid dress is a hard look to pull off, but Beyonce and Rihanna have the bods to do it! Beyonce wore an emerald satin Zac Posen Resort Evening Gown to the Conde Nast Movies Rock bash in Hollywood in December, while Rihanna donned a very similar green Evening Gown -- but with ruching -- to the World Music Awards in Monte Carlo in November. Great minds think alike, we guess!

Both Beyonce and Rihanna have glowing skin tones that prove to be the perfect complement to an all-white dress. Check out Beyonce, who struck a fashionable pose while hosting a Lorraine Schwartz jewelry event in New York in 2010, in this sleek, sleeveless all-white cocktail dress by Antonio Berardi. Meanwhile, Rihanna rocked a bodice-hugging sleeveless number at a Gucci and Roc Nation pre-Grammy brunch in 2011

When you've got bodies like these ladies, you've gotta show 'em off! Who else can wear skintight bodysuits? Beyonce rocked one with a black belt and dangly earrings while performing "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" on "Today" in 2008. Rihannas catsuit from the Vevo laugh party in 2009 was a bit more fashion-forward, with strong, exaggerated shoulders, a plunging neckline and a gold belt.

Both Beyonce and Rihannahave gold statues lining their mantles, and they also have gold dresses hanging in their closets. B wore this shimmery belted frock to the J.Crew fashion presentation during Spring 2012 New York Fashion Week. Rihanna took a very different, more dangerous turn on the trend, wearing a spiky gold dress by The Blonds to her "Rated R" album release party in November 2009, complete with matching shoes.

Vera Wang's Wedding Dress Is The Most Popular

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 08:19:40 +0100

Aretha Franklin wants Vera Wang to design her wedding dress.
The iconic singer - who announced she would be wedding her long-term friend William Wilkerson earlier this month - has a number of designers in mind for her special gown, but is said to be particularly keen to have iconic dressmaker Vera do the task.
Her representative confirmed: 'Ms. Franklin is considering Donna Karen, Valentino and the queen of wedding dresses, Vera Wang, to design her Evening Gown.'
Aretha, who is 69, joked when she revealed her nuptials she was not doing it because she was pregnant.
She said in a statement: 'We're looking at June or July for our date, and no, I'm not pregnant, LOL! '
This will be the third time Aretha has married - she wed former manager Ted White in the 1960s, and her second to Glynn Turman ended in 1984.
Vera Wang is famed for some of the most beautiful wedding dresses in the world, creating gowns for stars including Kim Kardashian, Victoria Beckham and Mariah Carey.

2011 Top fashion Events

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 10:38:14 +0100

The temptation to make a list is hard to resist at this time of year. But with attention spans considerably shortened by the aftermath of the holidays, we’ve decided to shorten it from the standard 10 to six – three trends and trendsetters of 2011 and three things to look for in 2012, some national, some local.

Kate Middleton
for proving that you don’t have to go all Gaga to make a style statement worth emulating. From your perfect wedding Evening Gown to the way you wore affordable frocks from Reiss, it was refreshing to see a young woman so self-possessed and dare we say it, proper. You looked both gorgeous and appropriately dressed for everything from trips to the grocery store to royal visits to the U.S. and Canada. Please continue.

What’s in a name? Not as much as you might hope
The proliferation of celebrity fashion labels continued in 2011, and not with spectacular results. While JLopez and Marc Anthony made a better showing at Kohl’s with their respective women’s and men’s sportswear collections than they did of their marriage, we can’t say the same for the looks released by the Kardashian sisters for Sears or Sofia Vegara for Kmart. Consumers could shop for Karl Lagerfeld at Macy’s, lines by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen at both Neiman Marcus and JC Penney, and while people wanted to buy the Missoni collection at Target, huge demand shut down the retailer’s e-commerce site and caused a lot of ill will. Meanwhile, now that Vera Wang has announced a men’s tuxedo line — in addition to her collections of cocktail dresses, china and mattresses — what part of the wedding is there left to cover? Maybe the catering crew. Finally, given the bad reviews that Kanye West got for his spring 2012 collection, here’s hoping other celebrities will be less likely to supplement their day jobs with stints on the runway!

John Galliano’s firing from the house of Christian Dior early in the year for anti-Semitic rants and other unseemly behavior has caused endless speculation about who his successor will be – Marc Jacob was an early pick, but that name is now off the table, while talk of Raf Simons,Alexander Wang and others swirl. In London, Sarah Burton has been doing a good job at Alevander Mcqueen and we hope that will last. Stateside, the house of Halston may be finally at the end of its useful life. The latest effort to try to inject life into it – Sarah Jessica Parker – was short-lived. Sometimes it’s better to move on and let the new labels breathe life into the scene.

In 2012, we’re looking forward to:

All about Yves
The Denver Art Museum scored a coup in securing “Yves Saint Laurent: The Retrospective,” the only North American venue for the show. We predict big crowds for the March 25-July 7 exhibition of some 200 haute couture garments as well as photos, drawings and films spanning YSL’s 40-year career. And the gala should be amazing, so prepare your Le Smoking outfit now; details at denverartmuseum.org

Shopping list
Signs that the Colorado economy is improving were evident in retail expansion in 2011 and that will continue with the opening of a second area H&M in Cherry Creek Shopping Center in 2012. We’re also excited to see the further development of indie stores on Broadway — with Fancy Tiger and Buffalo Exchange anchoring new side-by-side digs opening soon, shopping continues to get more interesting in Denver.

Orange you happy?
The color tangerine – tasty, warm, energetic – should look good on store shelves, but will people embrace it? Like it or not, the vibrant reddish-orange Tangerine Tango is the color of the year. “Sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive, Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to it,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, which named the shade 2012′s top pick. Designers such as Tommy Hilfiger and Elie Tahari have been using it in fashion, and it’s also appearing in everything from cosmetics to housewares. It’s not quite Broncos orange, but Denverites have been known to embrace such a vibrant shade.

Brilliant dresses for a Tonight

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 04:55:10 +0100

Don’t know what to wear to that New Year’s Eve bash? Take a cue from celebrities who have perfected the party dresses trend.

The shape and color of Scarlett Johansson's dress for the Golden Globes kept the heavy beading classic without weighing her down or aging the look.

Angelina Jolie stunned in this emerald dress at the Golden Globes. The rich color is a welcomed change from the metallic shades generally found on sparkling Evening Gown

A tiny tube dress like actress Teri Polo's would be spot on for spending New Year's Eve at a club or dance hall.

To show a little skin, try replicating Stacy Keibler's smoking-hot halter from the premiere of "The Ides Of March."

Singer Nicole Scherzinger's gown is reminiscent of an art deco style, ideal for a swanky lounge this holiday season.

Michelle Obama's lavish Hawaii wardrobe revealed

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 03:51:40 +0100

Michelle Obama successfully managed to rile U.S. taxpayers with her lavish $4m family jaunt to Hawaii this Christmas.

But it seems her expensive taste has not stopped there, as her vacation wardrobe has proved to be equally lavish.

Though the First Lady has only been spotted on a couple of occasions since arriving in Kailua, Oahu, some sartorial analysis of her fashion choices has revealed that her outfits have been consistently high-end.

A classic example, was the seemingly simple sundress she chose for a church service at the Kaneohe Bay Marine Base on Christmas Day.

The white frock with red and yellow stripes was certainly pretty and occasion-appropriate, but cheap, it most certainly was not.

A design by French-born, U.S.-based designer Sophie Theallet, who is a favourite with fashion insiders, it would have set Mrs Obama back almost $2,000 when she bought it in 2009.

More recent creations by Theallet sell for even higher figures, a mark-up likely triggered by demand following the First Lady's endorsement of the label.

She deemed it necessary to change for her second photo op later that day, perhaps an opportunity to show off another pricey purchase.

Though the low-key event was just a meet-and-greet with service members and their families in a nearby mess hall, Mrs Obama chose to dress up in a Comme des Garcons skirt. And they don't come cheap - a similar one might cost around $950.

'For someone who says she understands the troubles of the American people... she certainly fails to show it'

Many consider Mrs Obama's penchant for expensive fashion labels at odds with her position as an everywoman who identifies with the average woman.

One comment on the Naked DC site read: 'She claims to be a champion of the poor and a fellow bargain shopper, but yet, here she is, sporting a dress that no unemployed American can afford.

'For someone who says she understands the troubles of the American people, who claims to shop at Target, she certainly fails to show it.'

Others, though, believe it is up to the First Lady what she spends on her wardrobe.

Fellow commenter Sharon argued: 'While I hate the way she dress, I must admit that the cost of her clothing is her own affair and none of ours. Taxpayers are not paying for her wardrobe the last I heard.'