Posts from — March 2010

I love this shot, it looks exactly like Greenwich, (London’s Greenwich)
I have never been to the Greenwich in the USA but I love our Greenwich
here in London, which is exactly where I have been busy moving back to,
hence the lack of posts. Sorry!

I noticed the difference this morning when I woke up to the sound of
birds singing, as opposed to the noise of the 16 train tracks that were
right outside my window in my ex flat in central London, Victoria.

They say that some places are magnetic, that they pull you towards them,
Greenwich is definitely one of those places for me. I have lived pretty much
everywhere else in London but I always end up coming back here, there is
something so amazing and indescribable in the air… I shall do a full post on
Greenwich soon for all of you to see why I love this area so much.

I am typing this in between a million boxes which look at me with an “unpack
me” face but I can’t bring myself to do that yet. I am still dealing with the post
trauma of “packing” to even think about the “unpacking”. I devised a brilliant
strategy: to leave them alone and see what happens, see if magically their flaps
will open and the stuff will start flying and laying itself neatly in its place, a la
Mary Poppins… failing that, I could resort to doing what Carrie Bradshaw did
when she got back her apartment to re-start her life after Big – Hire an assistant.
I can see the ad in my mind: Assistant needed, must be able to unpack boxes,
lift and move furniture around and not complain over how many times I need to
move the furniture – Feng Shui remember? It must “feel” like that is the right
position. No experience necessary, only requirement is that you look like Gerard
Butler in 300 Spartans. Salary negotiable. Inquire within.

Anyways, this was meant to be a short post but hey! I am back to catch up with
work, I leave you with some lovely things that are very close to my heart…

Matilda…

No more miss nice girl…

If I was a wicked witch…

Favourite book…

Undress me…

My girlfriends and I will dress like this one day:

Matilda again…

Taxidermy obsession…

Caperucita roja…

Don’t say that I never warned you…

The signs are always there.

XO
Nonita

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Nope I aint takin’ the Gypsy Kiss, or the Mickey bliss, this Beans on Toast
is dedicated ter mickey mouse fashion but it comes wif a twist… it is written
in Robin Hood old English Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Oh ‘a I wish that me uncle josh English teacher Cuddle and Kiss Victoria Williams
‘ad kindly included sum lessons on cockney Matheson Lang in ‘er Cambridge English
classes which I studied for carpet Donkey’s Ears in university alongside me
International Relations degree prior ter comin’ ter the chuffin’ UK.

I imagine wot me Chevy Chase must ‘ave looked loike ter the chuffin’ grasshopper
whom I asked on the field of wheat for directions ter me new gaff round Canary
Wharf. And the Boat Race of the customers ‘oo would ask me for a pint o Jekyll and
Hyde Hairy Biscuits and Cheese Briny Marlin cheers China Plate ta golden dove and
I was loike pardon me sir? Rob Roy oh Rob Roy the days chicken pen I did not kna
me uncle Gus, woman who does, from me plates of meat.

Just so ya know I didn’t tickle and bite this by myself, as much as I would golden
dove ya ter adam ‘n eve so, there is this lil’ fin’ called Chitty Chitty Bang Bang translator
for aw of ya Hoppin’ Pot ‘oo don’t kna your jockey’s whips from your apples ‘n’ pears.
Donald duck I golden dove livin’ in England!

You get me? Ha! that was cockney rhyming slang. Now if I was to say all that in
“posh English” aka BBC English it would sound like:

Nope one is not taking the tinkle, this post is dedicated to Mickey Mouse fashion
but it comes with ah twist… it is written in spiffing old English Cockney rhyming
slang. oh hoh one wish that one’s well spoken English teachah miss Victoriah Williams
had kindly included some lessons ohn Cockney slang in hah Cambridge English classes
which one studied for three yeaaars in Oxford alongside one’s International Relations
caaareah prior to coming to the uk. I imagine what one’s face must have loohked
fancy to the bobby whom one asked ohn the street for directions to one’s new hice
round Canaaary Whaaarf. and the face of the customers whoh would ask myself for
ah pint oh Pride please dahling thanking yourselves greatly old boy tah love and one
was fancy paaardohn myself sir? boy oh boy the days when one did not knoh one’s
bus mwah mwah sweetie one’s feet. Disclaimer: one didn’t write this by one’s self,
as much as one would love you, one’s old bean, to believe soh, there is this little
thing called Cockney rhyming slang translator for all of you, one’s old bean, lot
whoh don’t knoh your chips mwah mwah sweetie your stairs. Fuck one loves living
in England! Jolly good show old bean!

Nope? well they don’t call it “wonderland” fer nothing ya know? Sanity is not
an option here… we are all mad as a box of frogs.

Alice: But I don’t want to go among mad people.
The Cat: Oh, you can’t help that. We’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.
Alice: How do you know I’m mad?
The Cat: You must be. Or you wouldn’t have come here.

Me, you, yeah, yeah
Everyone we’ve had what in days miss away you cannot relate
I’m a star, I’m an individual, an educated example of intelligence
I’m considered to be cool

Hot bodies, offended people
The mood of age bitten on innocent people
Anyways, things change always at the hotel always
I’ll be gone again in four days

I’ve been waiting hours for this
I’ve made myself so sick
I wish to stay and sleep today, yeah

I’m so human, yeah, yeah
It’s okay, yeah, yeah
For me to feel this way, yeah, yeah

I’m still human, yeah, yeah
It’s okay, yeah, yeah
For me to feel this way, yeah, yeah

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Yeah, you, me, everyone, I got a little temper but I’m a funny one
Yeah, and when the beat went on
And it really ain’t fucking hot enough
You shoulda seen me runnin’ out the studio like Forest Gump

Jo-jobs sugar, taxi getaway
Trapped in the U.S., my accent is my give away
I need a bag of green to make you go away
And this is another day of my life and so I say

I’ve been waiting hours for this
I’ve made myself so sick
I wish to stay and sleep today, yeah

I’m so human, yeah, yeah
It’s okay, yeah, yeah
For me to feel this way, yeah, yeah

I’m still human, yeah, yeah
It’s okay, yeah, yeah
For me to feel this way

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Doesn’t it feel much better, aha
When you’ve had a better day than yesterday?
Doesn’t it feel much better, aha
When you’ve had a better day than yesterday?

Doesn’t it feel much better, aha
When you’ve had a better day than yesterday?

Doesn’t it feel much better, aha
When you’ve had a better day than yesterday?

Yesterday, yesterday, yesterday, yesterday

Yesterday, yesterday, yesterday, yesterday

Yesterday, yesterday, yesterday, yesterday

Yesterday, yesterday, yesterday, yesterday

I’m so human, yeah, yeah
It’s okay, yeah, yeah
For me to feel this way, yeah, yeah

I’m still human, yeah, yeah
It’s okay, yeah, yeah
For me to feel this way

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Me, you, yeah, yeah

Everyone we’ve had what in days miss away you cannot relate
I’m a star, I’m an individual, an educated example of intelligence

Now, I know that unless you live in Britain, you must be wondering WTF?
about the Cockney bit. Exactly! But don’t worry we all had to go through
that when first setting foot in what we thought was BBC England. So, before
you travel to Landon for the first time, along with your Mickey Mouse Ears,
don’t forget to bring a cockney dictionary to get you by or even learning
a word or two of the ole Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. It will come handy when
you have to, for example, use an ATM to take some bangers and mash (cash)
out and you get asked for your Huckleberry Finn (pin). And no, I am not havin
a giraffe (laugh) have a butchers (look) for yourself:

I know! so get knowing your apples: http://www.funtrivia.com/en/Humanities/Cockney-4564.html

Wouldn’t it be cool if they made a Cockney version of Alice in Wonderland?

Lady Sovereign – So Human
Cargado por ko222. – Videos de música, entrevistas a los artistas, conciertos y más.

Curioser and curioser…

XO
-Nonita

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Wasted and wounded, it ain’t what the moon did
I’ve got what I paid for now
see ya tomorrow, hey Frank, can I borrow
a couple of bucks from you, to go
Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda, you’ll go waltzing
Matilda with me

and it’s a battered old suitcase to a hotel someplace
and a wound that will never heal
no prima donna, the perfume is on
an old shirt that is stained with blood and whiskey
and goodnight to the street sweepers
the night watchman flame keepers
and goodnight to Matilda too.

XO
-Nonita

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“Oh, my friend, it’s not what they take away from you that counts. It’s what you do with what you have left.” – Hubert Humphrey, 38th Vice President of the United States

“Don’t cry because its over, smile because it happened.” — Dr. Seuss.

“Some of us think holding on makes us strong; but sometimes it is letting go.” — Herman Hesse.

“A dead end is just an opportunity to take a different direction.” — Terry McManus.

“When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.” — Alexander Graham Bell.

“When the world says, “Give up,” Hope whispers, “Try it one more time.” — Unknown Author

“Don’t be discouraged. It’s often the last key in the bunch that opens the lock.” – Unknown Author

“There will come a time when you believe everything is finished.That will be the beginning.” – Louis L’Amour.

“Everyone who got where he is has had to begin where he was.” – Robert Louis Stevenson.

“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” — Seneca.

“The difference between perseverance and obstinacy is that one comes from a strong will, and the other from a strong won’t.” — Henry Ward Beecher.

“Fall seven times, stand up eight.” — Japanese Proverb

“The major difference between the big shot and the little shot is the big shot is just a little shot who kept on shooting.” — Zig Ziglar.

“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.” — Albert Einstein.

Images via Google image search.

Seen the latest Chanel collection yet?

XO
- Nonita

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-”In order to have an enemy, one must be somebody. One must be a force before he can be resisted by another force. A malicious enemy is better than a clumsy friend”.

-”Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.”

-”You can discover what your enemy fears most by observing the means he uses to frighten you.”

-”Last guys don’t finish nice.”

-”Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names.”

Unlike friends who talk to each other sincerely, with words, enemies talk to each other
with coded messages hidden away in songs, movies and poems…

This is how this story goes:

Him:

Her:

Him:

Her:

Him:

Her:

Him:

Her:

Him:
I KEEP six honest serving-men
(They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who.
I send them over land and sea,
I send them east and west;
But after they have worked for me,
I give them all a rest.

I let them rest from nine till five,
For I am busy then,
As well as breakfast, lunch, and tea,
For they are hungry men.
But different folk have different views;
I know a person small-
She keeps ten million serving-men,
Who get no rest at all!

She sends’em abroad on her own affairs,
From the second she opens her eyes-
One million Hows, two million Wheres,
And seven million Whys!

Her:
Break me if you can’t love me

Make me yell
pull my hair
and bite my skin until it bleeds so hard
until it colours your lips
until it colours your hands.

Bite a piece of me
eat me
feast on my flesh
and suck on my bones
until you are satisfied.

And when I am gone
forever
sleep with my blood stained dress
which still smells of my perfume
and do it again to my memory
breaking my soul the second time.

Him:

Her:

Him:

Her:

Him:

Her:

Him:

Her:

Him: I can´t believe you just quoted Titanic…

Her:

Him:

Her:

Him:

Him:

Her:

Her:

Him:

Her:

Him:
… but I got that one a minute ago – there must be a penalty for repeating your messages

Her:

Him:
that’s the third time you’ve posted: Tom Waits – Chritmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis

Her: Oh

Her: This is what I ment…

Him:

Him:

Her:

Him:

Her:

Him:

Her: Ha! more like…

Her: and what’s more:

Him:

Her:

Him:

XO
-Nonita

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darling doesnt know
where the wind blows
cos no one ever told her that song

should have gone and told her
this aint no normal love
shes crying on my shoulder
falling to the grain
like tears in welcome rain

Lyrics from´Welcome Rains´by the fabulous Will Miles.
You can listen to this gorgeous song here:

http://www.myspace.com/willmilesmusic

If you love it like me and you are in London, don´t miss seeing
the man playing it live at:

WILL MILES
PANGEA PROJECT with band
28/03/2010 @ 20:00
Stoke Newington opp Morrisons,
Hackney,
London
Cost: free

See you there?
XO
-Nonita

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If I had it my way, all men would have to dress like Pete… and be as romantic.

He appears next to all my favourite things at the Joseph’s Avenue Montaigne store
party on Monday night in Paris. Ballerinas, tutus, the Union Jack, his trademark hat,
dandy suit and those fabulous tan leather shoes. When I see men dressed like Pete,
I wish I was a man too.

I love the fact that everyone takes him so seriously. Upon being asked what set he’d
play he says: “A cappella. I lost my guitar.” You can imagine the faces of the French
people who were actually wondering if he would turn up or not ’til the last minute.

Much has been said and is still said about the guy. We are too quick to judge
sometimes and thus we become blind to the fact that we might sometimes be
missing the huge talent that a person has, basing our assumptions on what the
media puts out there for us to read.

As soon as you get over what you have heard of him and watch him sing and play
his guitar and see his beautiful heart pouring through his music, it all makes sense.

I am one of the ones who went from misjudging, to falling head over heels for him
and adore him for who he is, the same way his best pal (and one of my favourite
muses and style icons) Irina Lazareanu does. She was there cheering him and dancing to his music all night long.

Pete is said to be working on a “little film” based on Alfred de Musset’s “La Confession
d’un enfant du siècle” which sounds pretty cool. He is also working on a jewelry line he’s
designing with my favourite British jewellery designer: Hannah Martin, which will go on sale at Joseph stores come fall.

We can’t wait.

We love you PETE ♥

PS- I just wrote an article about McQueen´s last collection in Paris for the Model Management Blog. His collection is so incredible! You can read it here.

XO
-Nonita
Nonita Rosello | Create your badge

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… there was a little girl who loved fashion, just as much as she loved the ballet
and the theatre. She craved the drama, the storytelling, the music, the spectacle
that is often involved in the presentation of a new fashion collection. For her, first
came the drama, then came the clothes. It was the drama that made her want the
clothes in the first place, she wanted to know the story behind the clothes and then
play dress up and be the girl in that story.

She wanted to be the girl who lived under a tree. She wanted to be the human
chess piece who wears an incredible dress and has her movements controlled by
a robotic voice that commands her to move onto the next position. She wanted to
be the Scottish heroine who fought and survived the rape of the highlands, helping
her beloved escape. She wanted to be the punk version of Lady Macbeth, wearing
a fabulous dress inspired in the India dominated by the British empire. She wanted
to be the ghostly vision of a woman who floats away magically, wrapped in hundreds
and hundreds of layers of soft rippling fabric, who fades away into a bullet of light.
She wanted to be the delicate girl who wears a pretty white dress and is viciously
attacked by a pair of robotic creatures who shoot paint at her, splashing it all over
her face and her beautiful white dress. She wanted to be the ghost of Marie Antoinette,
disguised under the layers of beautiful dresses, accompanied by howling wolves that
celebrate her presence with their haunting chants. She wanted to be the girl who
after spending so much time underwater, mutated into this fantastic deep sea goddess,
stealing all the colours and shapes from all the fishes and creatures that lived with her,
down in the depths of the profound and endless ocean.

She craved the drama, the storytelling, the passion, the tears…..she craved to feel.

That girl is you and me and everyone else who loves a good story and that fantastic
element of drama, romanticism, theatricality and storytelling that fashion is also able
to encompass.

Over the past decade, Alexander McQueen had been filling this need in our
hearts and that is why we adored him. Not only did we love and admire his
genius craftsmanship but also, his ability to put on an unforgetable show.
He had the gift of making his clothes speak and his shows always had the
perfect backdrop to allow them to do so. He was not only a fashion designer
or a genius tailor, he was an artist, a great theatre director, a showman,
the ultimate ringmaster of the incredible fashion circus that he brought to us
each season. He filled our lives with his magic, inspiring millions, not only with
his outstanding work but with the way he thought, felt and saw the world…
Shows that we couldn’t wait to see, shows that we wished they’d never end,
shows that are impossible to forget and -hard to swallow but- shows that we
will never see again.

So, come new season time, I found myself completely disoriented, a little depressed
and totally drama-starved and I asked myself: is there any drama left in fashion after
McQueen? and if so, where is it? who is doing it and how? where can I find it?

I decided to embark in a voyage around the world, looking at each and every fashion
week, in a desperate quest to find the drama in fashion. So I hang a huge ‘DO NOT
DISTURB’ sign outside my door and spent the next two nights scrutinizing each fashion
collection, seeking desperately to feel the same way that I felt watching a McQueen
show. It was then when I realized that I shouldn’t even need to try this hard. That an
incredible show should speak for itself right from the beginning, making you fall for it
like a spell, it should mesmerize you like the enchanting song of a siren from which you
can’t nor want to escape; it should slap you hard, right across the face on the first few
seconds that you lay your eyes on it, and continue the same way right through ’til the
end, whilst the only words that you are able to mutter are: God please let this show
never end, I want to live in it forever.

So…after Milan, New York, London and Paris… after Takhoon, Zac Posen, Vera
Wang, Rodarte, Proenza Schouler, Oscar de la Renta, Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs,
Donna Karan, Diane von Fustenberg, Calvin Klein, Anna Sui, Alexander Wang, Lanvin,
Carolina Herrera, Versace, Gucci, Roberto Cavalli, Mani, Armani, Fendi, Dsquared2,
Dolce & Gabanna, Botega Venetta, Gareth Pugh, Balenciaga, Balmain, Nina Ricci,
Rick Owens, Christian Dior, Vivienne Westwood, Christopher Kane, Julien MacDonald,
Missoni, Jil Sander, Stella McCartney, Paul Smith, Burberry, Erdem, Prada, Ziad Ghanem,
Junya Watanabe, Dolce & Gabanna, Issey Miyake, Hussein Chalayan, Comme des
Garcons, Antonio Berardi, Jason Wu, Viktor and Rolph & Ann Valerie Hash…

…these are the people who in my opinion delivered a show filled with drama
and entertainment value, not just models wearing pretty clothes. These are
the people who gave me the drama that I was craving, the spectacle, the
romance. These are the people who surprised me with their creativity, the
people who not only made me see but also think and feel…

LONDON
Ziad Ghanem – Fall/Winter 2010

Ziad’s show froze me dead in my tracks. I was not at all prepared to see all that.
The cynical in me was slapped hard, right from the very first outfit that appeared
on the catwalk, I was hooked, non-stop, all the way until the last one. Pure genius.
Literally my words were: “Wow”:

Words had escaped me whilst my brain was taken to another level. To a level
that it had never been before. His collection stroke a chord inside me, I am not
quite sure what chord or where it is, but I can still hear it and I am loving the
sound of it. I found myself totally smitten and utterly seduced by Ziad.

The clothes, the amazing music, the simplicity yet intricate architecture of all the
details of Ziad’s spectacle, is more than worthy of the applause and standing ovation
that the public gave him at the end for bringing us, a magnificent burlesque inspired
show, revealing more layers than we thought it could possibly have.

Immodesty Blaize stripping was just the cherry on top of a delicious show, which I shall
continue to savour and remember for more than just this season. Clap, clap, clap Ziad.

I can’t help but think of him like the next: Alexander McQueen. He reminds me a lot
of Lee. He has the same tailoring and couture exquisiteness, the same sensibility and
poetic romanticism, the same enfant terrible aggressive-sexy edge, fantastic musical
taste and his complete passion for drama and for giving his audience quality time. Ziad
won my heart, to me his is one of the best shows around this season.

NEW YORK
Jason Wu – Fall 2010

As sceptic as I was to even press the play button to start watching Jason Wu’s
show, it hit me right from the beginning. “Wu did what?” – asks Tim Blanks, “Wu did
what? Wu Wowed!” – says a sincerely sounding, astonished, Kerry Washington.

“He picks good teachers” quite rigtly asserts Tim Blanks. The inspiration behind his
collection? The late and beyong great: Irving Penn.

“The daywear was inspired by Irving’s personal style”- a sweet Jason Wu explains with
evident love and admiration for the photographer -“I found some rare pictures of him
shooting in this white collar button downs and slouchy trousers and that resulted in a
very menswear inspired day look. Throwing a big menswear jacket over the top of one
of the biggest dresses in the collection”.

“Irvings platinum prints were so beautiful, they looked like a veil had gone through
them, and I did that through veiling feather with silk tulle, or veiling tafetta with silk
hose, with embroidery”. – Says Jason.

The beautiful prints and detail on the dresses and clothes in Wu’s collection remind
us of the people who Penn took pictures of, artists like the fantastic Cy Twombly,
travellers wearing big plaid coats, Penn’s famous pictures of cigarette ends, which
appear dabbed all over Jason’s dreamy huge dresses. The metallic gold leafing inspired
on the paints of the New Guinea people.

Wearing Wu this season means not only wearing a beautiful piece, but wearing a
work of art, inspired in the beautiful images of one of the most iconic and prolific
photographers of our century. And it is all delivered in the most romantic and
eerie show, which seems to talk about the profound admiration that the designer
feels for the photographer, who this season becomes his muse.

PARIS
Viktor and Rolf – Fall 2010

I always expect to see something of a freak show performance when I tune
into the Viktor and Rolf channel. They are the safety net that I know I can throw
myself blindy at, and I will always bounce back safely onto the ground, remembering
the experience. The Willy Wonka brothers of fashion always know how to put on
an entertaining show.

This time, they play with the idea of layering but not layering in the old boring
way of layering, but a new idea of layering, that of actually constructing their
entire collection by piling all the pieces, one of top of the other, on one single
“older model”, who then teeters into the centre of the stage, wearing three times
her body weight in clothes!

The pair of fashion maverics then appear on the stage and become part of the
performance by proceeding to scientifically remove each piece from the “mother
model” to then dress with it the other “younger models” and so the show takes form.
What a Fabulous idea!

MILAN
Dolce & Gabanna – Fall 2010

Stefano and Domenico are the ones who always seem to make more of an effort
when it comes to showtime in Italy, in my opinion. This time, they take the humble
avenue and they surrender themselves completely to their public. “What sold the
most is black, which means that what our customer wants is black so we give you
black” – say Stefano and Domenico. “What sold the most is tailoring, so we give you
tailoring. What sold the most was leopard print so…” Ok, you get the idea.

I have never seen so many tailored black jackets in the catwalk, in fact the show
ends with a strutting parade of eightysomething models dressed in black tailored jackets…

I like these guys and although I don’t like the collection, I like them for trying
and I like the video that they showed in the background of their show, it was
surprisingly romantic and emotional to see the designers and their team at work,
drawing, cutting and sewing each piece, as the models strutted wearing the finished
piece on the catwalk. That did it for me, the whole: ‘this is us, you can see us,
we are transparent’. Very humbling. Like when you see a chef working on an open
kitchen at a very expensive restaurant, and you get to see how he makes his art
in the open. It makes a great impact in the mind I think, it’s like you trust it blindly
and you don’t even feel the need to question it because it is all right there for you
too see.

This show is Italian romantic drama at its very best:

And then there is another kind of show of its own: Hussein Chalayan.

Interesting choice of music-zapping in his show, where suddenly you find yourself
hardly coping to keep up with all the action that seems to be going on in the catwalk.
Although all you can see all the time are just models strutting and the lights of the
ghost car that keeps re-appearing in the background, his show seems to have another
layer, that of a weird movie of a disturbing journey…

His clothes always seem to be questioning us: “Where the hell is the human
race going and why the hell is it going there so fast?”

I liked his show but he is a category of his own, he is too far beyond fashion,
his verse always talks about something else.

So, there is where I found the drama that I was craving to see in fashion this season.

‘Why shouldn’t – why couldn’t – fashion be emotional?’ – Alexander McQueen.

XO
Nonita

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© Image courtesy of Paula Harrowing

Want to know who absolutely everyone in London is going totally crazy for?
Two words: Ziad Ghanem.

After being hit by the news of McQueen, I had resigned myself to the thought
that fashion had become a sombre place and that it would never be the same
again.

Just when I thought that it was all lost, that all the magic and drama was gone,
that nothing or no-one after Lee would ever be capable of making my heart skip
a beat… he appeared.

Suddenly, without previous warning, a parade of the most fantastic fashion
creatures was unfolding right in front of my eyes, pouring more fabulousness
and drama than what I was actually prepared to see again. Refraining from
blinking so as to not miss a second of his incredibly sublime spectacle, I felt
compelled to stand up and start clapping vigorously at the end of the show.

I held my breath as each piece that appeared on the catwalk looked like it was going
to be the grand finale, but it was merely the beginning. Here is Part two and Part three (where the official grand finale takes place), standing ovation from the audience included and trust me, that crowd is one very tough crowd to please.

Ever since Ziad Ghanem and the Maiden Britain collective presented their fabulous A/W collection during London Fashion Week last February, press requests at VOGUE are said to be pouring in, in particular for the amazing leopard print ‘Vogue’ outfit that stylists and editors went crazy for.

The piece was exclusively shot for the October issue of British Vogue. ‘A British Style Celebration’ photographed by no other than Mario Testino and the model? This lovely lady called Naomi Campbell.

VOGUE October 2009 - Naomi Campell in Ziad Ghanem shot by Mario Testino

Need I say more?

World… I have a new favourite fashion designer: Le cult couturier Ziad Ghanem.

© Image courtesy of Paula Harrowing

-Ziad, where have you been all my life? Kidding. I have just recently discovered your work and I am so excited that I get carried away…
-I am like a cult movie I like the enigma of it. Also I am a one to one person and a fashion whore sometimes too.

© Image courtesy of Paula Harrowing

-Where are you from originally and how long have you been living in London for?
I am Lebanese and I moved to london in the late 90’s.

© Image courtesy of Paula Harrowing

-How and when did you start designing?
When I was 5 years old I started making drawings of my mum in different dresses. All my life I designed and made clothes without having a title of a designer. I started my label few years ago and I am still experimenting.

© Image courtesy of Paula Harrowing

-I see a lot of theatricality, art and drama in your shows, where does your inspiration come from in that sense?
I am inspired from my surroundings. From Life and people. From films Music and reality and the simple matters. I believe we do not need to explore another planet … What men needs to be inspired is a mirror.

© Image courtesy of Paula Harrowing

-What was your first collection about? What was the inspiration behind it?
My first collection was called ‘Support your local Hooker’ the inspiration was the lack of money and plenty of ambition and determination. My flat mates in Soho at the time helped me make the clothes on their ‘NIGHT’ off.

© Image courtesy of Paula Harrowing

-And in your latest collection? – which I am so blown away with by the way, so much drama! – what’s the inspiration?
Thank you. The Inspiration is the optimism and the fading world of glamour that emerged from the couture salons of the 1950s and the drama of taking off the jacket in a show. I feel nostalgic about fashion shows where models worked the clothes, pulled collars up and did the Parisian swirls on catwalks.

© Image courtesy of Paula Harrowing

With the internet anyone can see the new collections online, and all is so dull. You see one you’ve seen all of them… Where is the show factor? Hello!!!! that is why my shows have theatre and drama I wanna give time value to my audience . Also the collection is about the art of Undressing. I find Burlesque have a certain magic in undressing, that is why I wanted Miss Immodesty Blaize to model in my show.

© Image courtesy of Paula Harrowing

-I love the idea of dressing those fabulous seemingly transgender models (please correct if that is the wrong term) whom you worked with in your latest show. Your incredible gowns look all the more mind blowing on their bodies. Do you always work with these type of models? where did this fabulous idea came from?
Thank you so much. My clothes are gender free, I refuse to be called a man because I have a penis and a woman needs more than a pair of tits and a vagina to become a woman.

© Image courtesy of Paula Harrowing

My models are my inspiration and they are in my show because they love dressing up and love my work. I refuse to force my clothes on any odd model from an agency. My clothes are made on my model sizes, an exaggeration of their character and looks. Without the people in my show there would be no clothes, I am grateful for their inspiration.

© Image courtesy of Paula Harrowing

-How would you define your style?
Sophisticated underground full of Realistic Drama.

© Image courtesy of Paula Harrowing

-In your eyes who are the ultimate style icons?
On a rainy day: the lady who is sat next to me on the bus with an immaculate hair.
I find her majesty Queen Elizabeth II fascinating.

© Image courtesy of Annie Leibovitz

-Do you have any muses in mind when you construct those amazing dresses? Who do you see wearing your designs?
My designs are made for people not my ego. My muse changes all the time, my models are my muse. My Mum is my ultimate inspiration.

© Image courtesy of Paula Harrowing

-If you could dress anyone, (even people from history, from the past or from other eras) who would you like to dress and what would you make for them?
Dead or Alive it does not matter, as long as they pay cash. I love to dress all people but I can only dress few because my team is small and my prices are very high. So anyone is welcome but the waiting list is ’til August 2010.

© Image courtesy of Paula Harrowing

-Which designers do you admire the work of and does any of them influence you?
Alexander Mcqueen, his work will be missed.

-Would you like to design for a major fashion house or would you rather continue working on your own label, under your own name?
I am open and receptive or all the good things that comes my way.

© Image courtesy of Paula Harrowing

-How much does your very own Lebanese culture and background inspire you and how does that reflect in your work?
Lebanese culture is very rich, I am a citizen of the world and I am inspired by all cultures. I am a typical Lebanese when it comes to being a snob and the love for Gibran Khalil Gibran. I am proud to be born Lebanese but I am grateful to have the luxury of freedom, to be able to live where I wanna be – London.

© Image courtesy of Paula Harrowing

-If you could invite 3 people from any era to come and have dinner with you, who would they be and where would you take them?
Eating is very intimate I am very selective with who I dine with. I would like to invite three people who are hungry and can not afford food and I will make them a home made chicken and vegetable soup.

© Image courtesy of Paula Harrowing

- If you were a work of art which one would you be and why?
Jeff koons’s‘Dirty Jeff on top’ from ‘Made in Heaven’. there are no hidden meanings and it is straight to the point.

-For you, what’s the hardest thing about being a designer?
The self destructive ego of some of the people that make my clothes.
Lack of communication and some nasty fashion trends.

-Favourite film?
A Short Film About Love (Polish: Krótki film o miłości)

-Favourite music?
Scarlett Etienne who compelled the music for my show… And forever I love ‘I just can’t get enough’ by Depeche Mode. To be played at my funeral please.

© Image courtesy of Paula Harrowing

-Favourite book?
Tintin et Milou.

-Favourite London hangout?
Outside the Job center in Hackney, there is some real hotties.

© Image courtesy of Paula Harrowing

-Thank you so much Ziad and finally please choose the song of the day.
Thank you Nona for your support, I am grateful. The song of the day is ‘I FEEL GOOD’ Live version by James Brown in a blue silver and brocade suit.

To know more about the fabulous Ziad Ghanem and see his amazing previous
collection visit his website: www.ziadghanem.co.uk

You can also see some fab behind the scenes pics at Dazed Digital, stills from his previous S/S 2010 show at VOGUE.com and much more on his Facebook fan page:
ZIAD GHANEM

All Ziad Ghanem’s images courtesy of the fabulous Paula Harrowing: www.paulaharrowing.com

This post was reblogged from: The Blog at ModelManagement.com.

XO
—Nonita

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