"A couturier must be an architect for design, a sculptor for shape, a painter for color, a musician for harmony, and a philosopher for temperance." ~ Cristobal Balenciaga
So, at long last, after traveling through Spain, Italy, Turkey, & Egypt, I've returned to NYC! The lovely Hotel Belleclaire was kind enough to generously sponsor me again during my visit. Situated in the Upper West Side, their location is ideal. It's close to Lincoln Center, Central Park, the subway, & lots of restaurants & stores. It's also not too noisy a location, which is nice & unusual for NYC. It was such a nice place to come back to after the meetings of the day. I was so lucky to have the chance to partner with them again! Here are some photos of the visit, including one of my Corinne Monique pieces on display in the hotel lobby :)
It's finally Spring!!! & Summer will be soon approaching! In honour of the warmer weather, I thought I'd share a post on my Corinne Monique Spring/Summer 2014 collection with you :)
The collection, entitled 'Medusozoa' & shown during New York Fashion Week, was inspired by my trip to the tropical Caribbean last Spring for Tobago Fashion Week. It was my very first time visiting the Caribbean & it had a big impact on me. The 'Medusozoa' collection continued my debut 'Year of the Serpent' collection's focus on a sense of exoticism, but this time centered on the colourful and exuberant carnival celebrations or fetes of the islands. The collection also drew inspiration from the equally exotic & beautiful sea life in the Caribbean ocean, especially the jellyfish. Medusozoa is the scientific name for the strikingly exquisite yet fearsome & poisonous jellyfish, alluding to the powerful & intelligent mythological character Medusa. Medusa is the embodiment of all things feminine, having qualities & symbolism similar to the serpent, & the term also means ruler or queen. Like the jellyfish, Medusa is said to have been ravishingly beautiful as well as terrifying, turning men to stone with one glance.
Happy Cinco de Mayo! It's super duper hot here in Cairo (my current home-away-from-home), but I know it still feels like winter back in Canada, so here's a post for my peeps to heat things up :)
A while back, before I officially debuted my line, Corinne Monique, I designed and made a few capsule collections. This post features one of those collections entitled 'Latinada.' The collection was inspired by Spanish, Mexican, and South American painters and composers, by Latino and Hispanic artists who conjure up images of faraway terracotta-tiled, sunkissed villas and ladies with flowers in their hair, swaying in the breeze. Press play & close your eyes...
I've been going through all my photos & finding some little gems while tidying things up a bit. I came across a shoot I did with my uber-talented cellist sister, Kathleen Long, a while back, using a Corinne Monique dress from the Latinada capsule collection, shoes I inherited after a Greta Constantine runway show, & probably half the jewelry I own haha (ok, ok, I own more than that...but I'm just saying it was a lot of layering). It was a very last-minute, "hey, lets go do this before it gets dark out" kind of shoot we did for a poster for one of Kathleen's performances. We shot it in the last hours of daylight at the Toronto Music Garden, down by the Harbourfront, another location scouted by my ever-supportive mother, Norah Long. The shoot featured Kathleen with her cello, much like the Valentina, Valentino photoshoot we did together with the custom couture recycled gown made from curtains. But this time, the inspiration behind the shoot, & the end result, was much different from that sweet & sombre shoot.
For hair and makeup, as well as the set, I was inspired by Beyoncé's Run the World (Girls) video, directed by Francis Lawrence & shot in the Mojave Desert, California. I loved the smoky, post-apocalyptic look of things and Beyoncé's gladiator-esque armour-inspired looks, featuring pieces designed by Alexander McQueen, Givenchy, Jean Paul Gaultier, Gareth Pugh, & Emilio Pucci, among others. I also had Kathleen do a quick study on some of the poses which brought across a sense of power & authority in order to capture a similar aggressive, assertive image.
The thing that keeps fashion interesting is that it's a never-ending project. But that doesn't mean we don't like to strive for perfection anyway. Whether it be following your favorite fashion icons, saying no to the trends, or breaking cliches, style can always be stepped up even when we simplify our wardrobes. This week we have a solid round up of style related posts, so be sure to check them all out!
"There are things that we don't want to happen but have to accept, things we don't want to know but have to learn, and people we can't live without but have to let go." ~ Author Unknown
Cookie 'werking' the runway in the gown I designed and made just for her.
photos: Brooks Fotographie & Brian Branch Price
Yesterday, the world of fashion lost one of its brightest stars and greatest spirits, a true model in every sense of the word. I lost my great mentor, a beautiful model and muse, and a special friend whom I loved dearly. You may not know her, but you would have loved her too...everyone did.
Cookie, the amazing designer Willie Hall, and me at NYFW
I've been a traveling gypsy since September and I don't always have internet access, but I promise to update you all with my tales eventually :)
I've gone from Toronto to NYC to Virginia to Spain to Istanbul to Italy to Egypt! Crazy, I know! Anyway, since NYFW and VAFW last fall, I have been so inspired design-wise for my upcoming collections! I have experienced so many new and exciting places, cultures, and people. There are many photos to come of all my travels...I know it's been a bit of a dry spell (hey, I am in the desert, after all), but a monsoon of posts is about to happen, so get out your umbrellas! ;)
