GIRL FRIDAY ♥ VALENTINO (GIRL)

Not Valentino, though definitely everything I look for in Haute Couture...fun, fantasy, vision, and balls to the wall. No matter how weird some might think these pieces are, I have so much respect for the ladies who spend on these designs and the visionaries behind them. Even though, for me, this is definitely a far leap from Valentino genius...I still love a lot of these looks.  (And the shoes! Those bow-toed shoes!) I have heard this collection called Valentino Girl, Gamine, and even Valentino Teen. And all would be accurate.  And I'd say any girl into fashion would freak out if they actually got to own even one piece from this collection. I mean, what are we living for if it's not to relish in daydream dress? ♡

 A ballet jacket...or a birdcage? I'd die to have this in my collection. This is what couture is for...fantastic vision. I love how Hitchcock it is.

Anyone who's seen my dress collection knows how many pieces I have that are so similar to this, either with the colors or the big pink bow. I know it's sheer here, but the look is gorgeous. Not Valentino, really. But I love it. It's also very 60s wedding.

 This is fun. And very old movie again. And very doll, too.

  Too pretty to be ready-to-wear.

  A little red carpet ensemble for a fun party.

 This might look a little poodle at first. But no matter...
I'd still be ecstatic if it was hanging on my clothes rack.

 A deb coming out her own way, with a little tongue in cheek. 

more girl friday ♥ artist kelly tunstall

images from style.com

GIRL FRIDAY ♥ MAGAZINES AND MATERIAL GIRL ISSUE 19 ♥

I just love a magazine from Germany (I'm pretty sure) called Material Girl. Oh how I love this magazine. I was thinking the other day about how much time I used to spend standing at a magazine/news stand, combing through magazine after magazine and spending loads of cash on them. And how I never do that anymore. It's not because of the blogs. I'm a former magazine writer and editor (from some of the best in my opinion)...I love magazines. I even love the word "magazine". I love how it looks. I love how it sounds. (I love the word "mascara", too, in the same way as I love "magazine"). :)  But even when I go through Fashion Gone Rogue posts (and FGR is very very good), I don't feel inspired. I don't see anything new too often, even from photographers and stylists that I love. I mean...I want to feel the same way I felt the first time I was allowed to buy Seventeen (and Seventeen back in the 80s was a-ma-zing...especially the covers). I'll see if I can find some of those covers and add them here.

Material Girl sometimes gives me that same Tween-feeling when you fall in love (Tween as in between child and teen...11, 12). Maybe because I see new things. Sometimes I think that's because it's from Germany and not New York. But mainly it's because the editors really follow their hearts. And they aren't worried about dressing girls up like nuns and putting them on a cover. And then mixing it up with some metallic sheen. I would love to do something with them or even better, have them do something with my novel! Below are some gorgeous pages from Material Girl issue 19. I can't believe I missed issue 18! :) It's not a cheap magazine overseas, but it's very easy to order online from their site. I wish I owned them all. Look at the cover below...is that a butterfly or a bird she's just eaten? Absolutely genius. ♡

amazing. issue 19 material girl

more freak film friday ♥ pig death machine

GIRL FRIDAY ♥ HELEN GURLEY BROWN :(

This week, we lost one of my all-time favorite heroes, Cosmopolitan editor Helen Gurley Brown. I love so much about this woman. I love what she did in an era where little wife-y was the way women were being portrayed (not that it's horrible, but not every girl wants to wear an apron and have a kid and make dinner for her mate every day). I love Sex and The Single Girl; I own a very old 60s paperback copy of it and I love it so much (though the film has good fashion and good actors, it does not resemble the book in any way). I love love love all those old Cosmopolitan magazines (as you can see from the posts on this blog). She had strong opinions on where women stood in the world and gave a face to the woman who was sexy, strong and driven at the same time. What's also interesting is that she was a copywriter in the advertising world before she took Cosmopolitan on...and that was only after she proposed another magazine to the Hearst corporation. They turned it down but offered her the Editor in Chief gig at Cosmo.

Cosmo has no sexiness left in it anymore. It's so boring and bleh these days. It would have been nice if they had given the magazine back to her. She ruled it for around 30 years! It's very hard when you lose one of your heroes...some of them really helped you get where you wanted to go and/or inspired you to figure out what it is you want to do.

RIP Helen Gurley Brown. And thank you. :( xxx♡

from The New Yorker

A very vintage Cosmopolitan cover with Linda Evangelista from the early 90s and HGB in her Pucci.

more girl friday ♥ makeup artist alex box

♥ GIRL FRIDAY ♥ NEW KIM BAXTER (ALL GIRL SUMMER FUN BAND) RECORD! ♥

ALL GIRL SUMMER FUN BAND is one of the best all-female bands out there. We did a big story on them when I was the US editor for Oyster magazine a couple of years ago. And I managed to keep in touch with them. Recently one of the girls, Kim Baxter, got in touch with me to tell me about her new solo album. I should have gotten this up way sooner, but I've been so swamped with all the preparations for my novel's launch (so sorry, Kim!)...but better late than never, right? 

Her new album, THE TALE OF ME AND YOU, is AMAZING. I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE IT. If you're looking for a great summer soundtrack to your life, check it out! You can sample the songs below and then pick up the album afterwards because of course you are going to love it. It's as good as some of my favorite Japanese bands. And more. I love her voice! Here is the link to her site where you can buy the record: http://kimbaxter.bandcamp.com. I especially love "Tallest Tourist", but all of the songs rule! And I am SUPER PICKY when it comes to music. Because I still get loads of new records every week. I also love "Arc de Triomphe". I dunno. I can't choose. I love all the songs!♡

Here's Kim's facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/kimbaxtermusic

more girl friday ♥ iris van herpen 2012

♥ GIRL FRIDAY ♥ STYLIST MASAYO KISHI & HER JUNKO SHIMADA STORY ♥

I have been dying to have one of my favorite stylist and friends, MASAYO KISHI, be a part of Nancy Girl...well, now she is! She offered a very gorgeous story about JUNKO SHIMADA, and I took it! If you're in the industry and looking for genius stylists, she's someone to keep at the top of your list...enjoy! CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM...it's worth it!♡

INTERVIEW WITH JUNKO SHIMADA 

Inspiration for design 

Chinos are what General of The Army Douglas MacArthur used to wear. Shirts from the Army, uniforms from Pan Am airlines and French marine hats. I usually get inspired from traditional items. Textiles for marine looks, gingham checks and stripes are Junko Shimada's basic look. I also use a lot of snake prints. I believe that snakes protect our lives and homes from evil spirits which are ancient beliefs.

In Paris

When I arrived in Paris, it was right in the middle of French New Wave: Jeanne Moreau, who played Elevator to the Gallows, Anita Ekberg, in La Dolce Vita, especially the love scene at the Trevi Fountain with Marcello Mastroianni and Monica Vitti in The Eclipse who performed with Alain Delon.  They are perfect for Junko Shimada.

Photographers

After being in this industry for decades, I have two favorites that I have worked with. One is Guy Bourdin who shot numerous iconic pictures with a french essence.  Sometimes eccentric yet strong and sexy. The other is Arthur Elgort who is strong but a different type of atmosphere from Guy within natural light. He surely understands women and extracts sophisticated beauty.

What is your future and expectation after 30 years of working in fashion?

I always believe that I will make better clothes tomorrow.

Collage and Interview Credits

Illustration: Tsuyoshi Hirano
Art works: Kazunori Izumiya
Contributor: Naohiro Tanaka 

Fashion Story Credits

Photography: Makoto Nakagawa

Styling: Masayo Kishi

Hair: Matsukaz (3rd)

Make up: Sadafumi Ito (Nars)

Models:

Iryna R .@Bravo Models 　

Magda S. @Stage Tokyo Model Agency

more girl friday ♥ curly girl

GIRL FRIDAY ♥ LIZ TAYLOR IN IRAN EXHIBIT

An exhibit I am definitely going to go see is at the LA County Museum of Art. It's a collection of photographs of the late and great RIP Elizabeth Taylor in Iran, taken by then-young-art-student Firooz Zahedi on a trip sponsored by Iran Air in the 70s. For me, a Persian girl into glamour, these images are amazing. Really and truly. Especially the ones where she is wearing a traditional tribal outifit . Can't wait to see this show. There is a video below where the photographer, Firooz Zahedi, talks about the images and the experience.♡

at the tomb of Persian poet Hafez

taking pics at Persepolis in her awesome bellbottoms and peasant top

that's elizabeth in the upper left wearing a traditional "chador"... love that pic.

in front of Shah Chirag Shrine

the tomb of the poet Sa’di

outside of a mosque in Shiraz

having tea in an old tea house in Isfahan

what a gorgeous gorgeous pic with liz taylor wearing the gorgeous colorful outfits of the villagers...look at the color of those eyes. insane.

gorgeous tribal outfit that villagers wear...on liz taylor...in iran...in the 70s. too amazing.

more girl friday ♥ funny girl and chanel

images from vanity fair

♥ GIRL FRIDAY ♥ RAQUEL ZIMMERMAN IS A CURLY GIRL ♥

Ever since I looked at the Ann Ward shoot in Vogue Italia, I've been thinking this is indeed the new route I'm going with for my own hair....some blonde color and some big big crazy curls. Will I do it? If I have the cash flow to keep it up, probably yes. It's a great look and it's totally my speed. My hair is pretty much feathered in a very Joan Jett or Suzi Quatro way. But I think some crazy Italian-inspired curls might be the thing to catapult me into my future. Make sense? Non? Well, of course because we attract what what we focus on, I also found this other Vogue Italia shoot to be equally inspiring. It's shot by Mario Sorrenti and the model is none other than Raquel Zimmermann...and she has the curl girl thing I keep telling you all about. And it looks AWESOME. :) Have a look-see and I'll let you know when and if I go there. But plan on seeing more girly curls for a while...unless something else turns me on way way more. x♡

I'd go a bit longer, though...more like the Ann Ward shoot.

more girl friday ♥ the queen of chinatown

images from vogue italia

♥♥♥ GIRL FRIDAY ♥♥♥ SEBASTIAN'S BRAIDED HAIR TUTORIALS ♥♥♥

I love this boy's channel. His name is Sebastian Simon and I totally support his scene. I'm actually subscribed to a lot of those androgynous channels, because those boys are interesting and they really know how to use makeup and hair products...I mean, they're boys...and they end up looking like the cutest girls ever! It's an art really. Plus, Sebastian is just a sweet/nice person. And I love his videos. Especially this one on braided hair tutorials (I think he's actually a hair dresser/stylist).

Check it out. It's perfect for Nancy Girl. And if you like it, go subscribe to his channel...xxx♥

more girl friday ♥ helen gurley brown :(

♥ GIRL FRIDAY ♥ WHERE MY HEAD IS AT TODAY THRU A FEW TUMBLR PIX ♥

more girl friday ♥ all girl summer fun band kim baxter record