Cover Up | Lela London – Lifestyle, Beauty and Fashion Blog

9 Jul 2012

The Reinvention of Katie Holmes

I believe this Scientology escapee is about two months from liaising with Taye Diggs in the sunshine: the rumours are true, Katie Holmes is getting her groove back.

With her marriage to Tom Cruise fading into the distance (until the media’s divorce debacle, of course), Katie has followed the announcement by nabbing the August cover of Elle and leaking a few pieces from the accompanying interview. Foreshadowing alert.

I definitely feel much more comfortable in my own skin. I feel sexier. I think in my 20s, it’s like you’re trying too hard to figure everything out . . . I’m starting to come into my own. It’s like a new phase.

Continuing on her upward trajectory, it has also been announced that the actress will be hosting the first New York Fashion Week presentation for Holmes & Yang – the label she launched in 2009 with stylist Jeanne Yang – this September. I’m not seeing Bridget Jones marathons and Ben and Jerrys binging in the future for this one.

13 Feb 2012

Blast From The Past: Thanks, Vanity Fair

I have no idea where I found this picture, but I saved it in my ‘Junk‘ files a couple of weeks ago because, well, it’s worth sharing. Almost nine years ago, in my first hints of teendom, I was obsessing over this magazine cover. Hang-on-your-wall obsessing. These were my (terribly Photoshopped) idols.

From left to right, you are seeing Amanda Bynes, Ashley Olsen, Mary-Kate Olsen, Mandy Moore, Hilary Duff, Alexis Bledel, Evan Rachel Wood, Raven Symone (formerly known as Raven), and Lindsay Lohan. (DO WERK, MKO and ERW – fashion goddesses through and through).

Does this not feel like a million years ago to anyone else? An era before TMZ, before Facebook fuhcrissakes, before “The Amanda Show” faded into oblivion, before The Row or Elizabeth & James, before anyone could co-star with John Krasinski and evoke mass female jealously, before anyone could co-star with Chad Michael Murray and evoke mass female jealously, before The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, before a second sexyfierceboomshakalaka female fell victim to Marilyn Manson’s charms (?!), before Mean Girls, and – yes – before the Kardashians.

Memory lane, over and out.

12 Dec 2011

Trentini and Kitty

I always seem to fall for the cute factor in Gui Paganini‘s photographs! In his cover and spread for Harper’s Bazaar Brazil‘s December issue, stylists Flávia Pommianosky and Davi Ramos somehow coaxed Caroline Trentini into playing with an adorable, fluffy white kitten. Someone on staff surely understands the viral effect of cats. This spread became a ‘must blog‘ as soon as I laid eyes on it.

In the immortal words of Sheldon Cooper;

Soft kitty, warm kitty
Little ball of furr
Lazy kitty, pretty kitty
Purr, purr, purr

7 Dec 2011

Fashion News – December 7, 2011

Karlie Kloss is having one hell of a good year. To top off many-a-model accomplishment, the Next model is werrrrking it on the cover of Numero‘s December/January issue – lensed by Greg Kadel and styled by Elizabeth Sulcer.

After her newest resort collection dropped this week, style icon Chloë Sevigny has kindly invited the interwebs into her East Village garden flat. The inadvertently promotional film weaves through her – very impressive – closet, and displays the original bunny ears from Gummo, sketches for Oscar dresses by Alber Elbaz, S&M dog collars, and lots of Chloë for Opening Ceremony (obviously).

With no reason given, Cynthia Steffe‘s creative director and executive vice-president – Shaun Kearney – has “amicably” stepped down from his position. No successor has been announced as of yet, though the label says it will definitely not stop here.

Bruce Weber has turned out a beautiful cover for the December issue of Vogue Spain. Though there is no rhyme or reason for it, model Dree Hemingway is codling a baby while wearing couture and a ripped t-shirt (Balmain or Target? Who knows).

H&M have been ‘found out’ in regards to using completely digitally-created bodies on their ads and website. H&M press officer Håcan Andersson confirmed that their new lingerie-clad bodies are “completely virtual“, and that they use “facial models” to superimpose normalcy onto the click-and-go body forms.

“It’s not about ideals or to show off a perfect body… we are doing this to show off the garments.”
- Hacan Andersson

Am I wrong to think this is better than photoshopping every image individually? This way, I feel the shopper would have a more ‘generic’ view of a garment, and appreciate that they are buying an item, as opposed to buying what a model looks like in an item.

Internet gossip alert. Nicole Richie is rumoured to take over Sarah Jessica Parker’s ex-place as the the face of Halston.

Prabal Gurung is one of my favourite fashion designers. We all know this. We all know, also, that I am nowhere near loaded enough to have my dream, Gurung-filled closet.

But I may just come close! And so can you! Prabal has just been named chief deisgner for ICB, the Japanese bridge label that launched in 1995 and stopped being distributed in the US in 2002. Previous designers have included Michael Kors and Viktor & Rolf. With the brand relaunching in the States – with Europe to follow – late next year, Prabal could not be a better choice. Expect lower price points with all of the same appeal.

1 Dec 2011

Fashion News – December 1, 2011

Alessandra Ambrosio and Rodrigo Santoro

I am lusting over the pairing of Alessandra Ambrosio and Rodrigo Santoro on the December covers of Vogue Brasil, as shot by Eric Guillemain.

Fashion Week’s Autumn/Winter 2012 drama seems to be making some headway! After the “Fashion Gods” in Milan threatened to show at the same time as both New York and London, New York have now offered to pull their September 2012 dates back a week to accommodate the new Italian schedule.

From there, Italy was said to have agreed to change their schedule to suit New York Fashion Week beginning on the second Thursday in September, going forward.

For the apparent ‘final’ decision, the statement below has been released:

Confirm the previous schedule for September 2012 with New York fashion week starting on Thursday 6 of September, followed by London, Milan and Paris Agree for the next two years ( September 2013 and September 2014) with the proposal of Diane Von Furstenberg, President of Council of Fashion Designers of America, to start New York Fashion Week on the second Thursday of September, that is to say on September 12th in 2013 and on September 11th in 2014.

2.a New York’s last day should be on September 18th in 2013 and on September 17th in 2014 in order to allow London an additional day for the presentation of the menswear collections.

2.b. Paris will accept this structure and follow Milan as always, starting on Wednesday 2nd of October in 2013 and on Wednesday 1st in 2014

In case those conditions didn’t happen, the above mentioned solution could not be applied.

Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana is looking forward to receiving a feedback(sic) from New York, London and Paris.

Drama, drama, drama…

Today, AdWeek have released some very interesting statistics on shoplifting, ie. 1 in every 11 shoppers shoplift. (Really?!)

Not only that, but 75% of shoplifters are said to be employed adults, and cost the U.S. $119 million dollars per year. Items that are often confused for a five-finger discount include alcohol, sneakers/trainers, women’s perfume, and – at the top of the list – filet mignon.

This has to be a joke.