Something to Celebrate

Woohoo!  I made IFB's Links a la Mode roundup again!  Thank you Independent Fashion Bloggers!  And Happy Bithday Jess!  Now I feel like it's my birthday too!

Be sure to check out all of the amazing blog posts in the list!

Birthday Gifts

Edited by: Jess of Fresh Jess

It’s my birthday today! What better way to kick this day off than seeing what’s bringing IFB wardrobes to life lately? Your latest Links a la Mode round up features style icons Stevie Nicks and First Lady Michelle Obama; Earth Day-inspired tips on being green; avant-garde accessories; trend reports; quick & easy DIY tutorials and some of the most beautiful outfit style posts around. Need some help figuring out what to wear for your next bike trip or spring business conference? We’ve got you covered there too. This week’s posts are like presents for my Google Reader. Now let’s celebrate!

Valentina, Valentino

Hello Lovelies,

Spring is in the air!  Ahh, Spring...a time for flowers, baby animals, and new fashion ad campaigns!

Has everyone seen the beautiful Spring 2012 ad campaign for Valentino?!  The elegant and feminine Spring collection by Maria Grazia  Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli was photographed by Deborah Turbeville, featuring models Bette Franke, Fei Fei Sun, Maud Welzen, Zuzanna Bijoch, and Clement Chabernaud.  The pretty campaign was shot near Turbeville's home in Mexico, although the setting's textures and colours makes me think of sunwashed stones and romantic ruins in Italy.  The exquisitely delicate and graceful designs against the unrefined backdrop, punctuated by sunlight or shade, made for an ethereal and slightly distant tableau.

I was so struck by the gorgeous Valentino images that I was inspired to create a photoshoot of my own for my sister's upcoming cello concerts this Spring and Summer.  I regularly use my lovely sister, Kathleen, as a model, and you may remember her from a previous cello photoshoot we did a while ago.  For this shoot, it was difficult to create a background that gave the feeling of a sun-drenched Rome here in Toronto, but with some assistance from my location-scout-extraordinare Mother, I think the suggestion is there :)  Kathleen didn't really have a dress she wanted to use for the shoot, so I designed and made a gown for her.  It's actually eco-friendly - I didn't have any material around that quite fit the bill for the colour/texture she was after, so I used some old curtains of hers that were lying around (and were on their way to be given away!) that were just right.  If curtains are good enough for Scarlett O'Hara or Maria von Trapp to sew into something to wear, they're good enough for me!  Anyway, I hope you enjoy the photos!!

Here is a sample of the original Valentino ad campaign: