New York Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2011 Mara Hoffman

This exotic and mysterious collection of floor sweeping dresses and Peruvian knits, tribal prints, hooded gowns and chunky separates was both powerful and alluring.

Intricate details such as braiding and tassels met with turbans and a bohemian/tribal mix of bronze jewelery were perfectly offset by soft messy hair, glowing skin and a middle eastern nod with a kohled black eye.

And the finger tips!

This was one of those collections that stops you in your tracks. I want it all!

Check out the review (with fabulous pictures) from The Clothes Whisperer

and the interview on FabTV

New York Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2011 Libertine

The Libertine Show was one of my favorites so far. Bold, exciting colors, fun prints and some really fabulous pieces. Dresses reminiscent of the Kennedy era, hitting just above the knee, full coats with movement - the cuts were classic and clean, but the colors and prints made them so modern and alive.
Makeup Forever artist Lottie Stannard designed the makeup around a strong, bold eye and a soft yet strong hued lip.

New York Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2011 #2

Vena Cava designers Sophie Buhai and Lisa Mayock took inspiration from 90's music for their fall/winter 2011 runway show. Specifically Veruca Salt, Elastica, The Breeders and Fiona Apple.
Grunge lengths paired with cropped tops had some fairly unflattering cuts, but the long dresses were pretty cool.

Eva Minge showed some bold pops of color. I loved the makeup and the softly pulled back hair. 

New York Fashion Week F/W 2011 HIghlights Day 1

At Tadashi Shoji, makeup was created by Luc Bouchard for MAC

Christian Siriano took inspiration from plant life, in particular dark black orchids, also known as Dracula Orchids.

 He premiered his 5 inch platform shoes, which will be available at Payless (??)
Hair and makeup were somewhat bland.

At Luca Luca there was an infusion of bright color, in winter based golds and burnt oranges. Hair was pulled back in soft buns, makeup artist Gucci Westman showed bold brows, contoured eyes and full, bright lips.

images courtesy of fashionising.com

For fall 2011 Richard Chai Love showed looks inspired by menwear. Pieces in creams and grays dominated his runway with oversized trousers, blazers and coats as the essentials.
Ruffled blouses, silk tanks and metallic embroidery gave the feminine touch.

Kim Kardashian Harpers Bazaar Cleopatra

I actually had something else planned for today, more Valentines stuff, but got completely sidetracked when I saw this Kim Kardashian Harpers Bazaar cover.

Oddly enough, the cover image is virtually identical to the Harpers Bazaar Christina Hendricks cover, pose and all.

Both were shot by Terry Richardson.

In this issue, Kim Kardashian interviews her idol, Elizabeth Taylor.
Which I thought was quite odd, but of course I'm reading every line of the story.

Kim also did a photoshoot to go with the piece, dressed as a Liz Taylor inspired Cleopatra.

 Kim talks about plastic surgery:
 ‘Some people say, ‘You’ve definitely had your nose done.’ If I had, I would say, ‘Here’s the doctor, he’s amazing, and I’ll make the appointment for you.’ Sometimes I’ll see pictures that say I’ve had my nose done, and the before pic is after the after.’ She adds, ‘Someone saw me last night and my nose was so contoured. And they were like, ‘You’ve had your nose done?’ And I was like, ‘No, wait until I wash my face.”

On getting botox:
 ‘All my friends had done it, and I was curious. But I saw such a change in what my face looked like. It didn’t work for me. Someone told me yesterday that I needed it. That is so ridiculous.’

I love this shot.
Apparently Kim is wearing one of Liz Taylor's original Cleopatra robes.

There's even a behind the scenes video...


The March 2011 issue of Harpers Bazaar hits newstands on February 22nd

Single Girl's Survival Guide To Valentines Day, Day 3

Single for Valentines day?
Flowers and chocolates not coming your way? Well heck. Guess we better find some fun to get into to make up for the lack of romance.
Instead of eating yourself into a sugar coma (which you're only going to regret later anyway) shop yourself into a shoe coma! Its like the gift that keeps giving. Men come and go, but a great pair of shoes is forever.
Or something like that.

Anyway, lets entertain ourselves with some of the new seasons delectables, and indulge our (my) inner shoe fetish...

We'll pretend there's no Valentines day, and instead plan a  fab outing for Easter. No sensible shoes allowed, the gratification only works when we lean to extremes.

First up, the closest thing to sensible is a platform Tory Burch sandal.
This one is a lovely blend of height and comfort (the two don't always ride together)
The strap will make your ankle look edible, and will burn that fool man who let you go.
Or didn't snap you up.

Gucci's Mira sandal is gorgeous with pants that have movement in the lower leg, gorgeous with capris for spring, gorgeous with a skirt that moves. Gorgeous with pretty much anything.
Put it on the "cant go wrong with" list.
You'll wear it for years.

 

While we're at Gucci, lets look at the Kelis sandal. Nothing sensible about this one, but the gratification is extreme.
 Easter Sunday will be so much more fun with these on! They look like they'd hurt, but then love hurts, doesn't it?

Now lets add a little excitement to the equation with some spring love from genius Nicholas Kirkwood. Not for the faint of heart, this man is all about height. Towering, sexy slingbacks, perfect for leaning against things in, or sitting down in. Aren't they fabulous???

Still with Nicholas Kirkwood, lets bring a little crazy to Easter (or Valentines Day) with these:

Aren't they amazing??? I'm sure over at The Man Repeller they would call these, um, Man Repellers, but so what? Its high fashion meets single girl, and it works soooo well!

Saving the best for last, I die a thousand glorious deaths over these

Christian Louboutin (I whisper his name in reverence) Toutenkaboucle.
Brings tears to my eyes.
Honestly single girls, if you have to choose between a man and a shoe this Valentines day, take the shoe.
There are not enough words to describe the ecstatic paroxyms this shoe sends me into.
Just looking at it makes my heart race. Who cares if they cost as much as a house payment??
Oh the fun to be had in this shoe!!

Single Girl's Survival Guide To Valentines Day, Sweet Tips

We all know how lovely it is to receive chocolates and flowers, especially on Valentines Day.

If you happen to be meandering through a dude-free spell in your life, or maybe like my friends, you are suddenly single, and hurting, the lack of said flowers and chocolates can leave a wide, gaping hole in your day.
Traditional wisdom would say "Go buy your own" . Corinna's wisdom says "chocolate consumed during moments of misery goes straight to your thighs. And stays there."

My twitter friend @Immachocoholic has a whole different spin on the food category, and its really quite fabulous...

The following has been (quite liberally) lifted from their website Gourmet Healthy Chocolates.com

Chocolate is good for you

“Chemically speaking, chocolate really is the world’s perfect food.”  (Michael Levine)

Chocolate is good for you and I am NOT talking about the ‘candy’ that has chocolate in it. Many people associate chocolate with candy and most do not know the difference. Chocolate candy contains refined white sugar and other fillers including wax. Chocolate in its truest form is a nutrient powerhouse that really is good for your body.

 

Chocolate contains several minerals and vitamins. Dark chocolate is higher in cacao content and contains magnesium which helps muscles relax, aids nerve conduction and energy production as well as bone and teeth development. Women who lack magnesium experience greater PMS (premenstrual syndrome) symptoms. Dark chocolate also contains Copper that is directly involved in the chemical processes of the body. And, dark chocolate is also high in potassium that is vital to your cardiovascular health.

I've never tried this Xocai stuff, but they have it on their website

 Dark chocolate is also high in fiber! A diet high in fiber contributes to lowering cholesterol, is beneficial in lowering colon cancer, and improves metabolism  Studies on dark chocolate have shown that it is very high in antioxidants and prevents oxidation of the ‘bad cholesterol’ that implicates your cardiovascular health.

Chocolate Facts:

 

 It is estimated that approximately 1 billion people eat chocolate every day. The average American consumes 12 pounds of chocolate a year.The average European consumes 15 pounds of chocolate a year.

Nine out of ten people love chocolate.
Fifty percent of the population cannot live without chocolate every day.
Chocolate is known to increase serotonin and dopamine.
The topic of chocolate is universal.
Chocolate in its raw form is the highest antioxidant food on the planet.
When chocolate is processed or heated 60-80% of the beneficial antioxidants are killed.
Gourmet healthy chocolate promotes a healthier body by helping it come into balance naturally.
Chocolate that is not processed is a whole clean food that contains beneficial compounds called Flavanoids.
Theobromine is a natural ingredient that is a safer alternative as compared to caffeine.
It is a vasodilator which opens the blood vessels that helps reduce blood pressure and may even help with high cholesterol.
Chocolate helps curb your appetite and has been proven to help you lose weight.

I am so excited about any chocolate that helps you lose weight!
For fun and interesting tips on chocolate follow them on twitter @Immachocoholic
For more makeup fun follow me @Corinnamakeup
Check out www.gourmethealthychocolate.com for some Valentines Day chocolate options.
At least that way if you're going to do some chocolate damage this Valentines day, you'll be doing it the right way :)

And as for flowers? 

I found this fun item on "What His Flowers Really Mean..." 
Just between you and me, I never thought they put that much thought into it???