and the award goes to....

I always get disappointed at awards shows because in my mind, forget the acting, the best dresses should win! Here are my two Academy Award (of style) winners for this evening.

Mila Kunis in Elie Saab Spring Couture '11

I think I have a girl crush on Mila Kunis, she can do no wrong in my eyes. From the McQueen she sashayed in to the Golden Globes to this triumph, I hope that she is in a film as acclaimed as this next year, just so I can see what she pulls off.

Cate Blanchett in Givenchy Spring Couture '11

Proving once again that Australians have more fashion sense than just board-shorts, bikinis and thongs (flips-flops for the linguistically challenged), Cate Blanchett looked like an ethereal goddess from the future. I was so disappointed when I was reading through Twitter all this hate towards the dress. It's a triumph of construction and form, and I think a stronger piece from the collection than the bird gown we saw at the Grammys on Florence Welch.

Ricardo Tisci, I support you.

bisoux

k

the pioneer of street style.

Bill Cunningham New York

When followers of fashion think of street style, bloggers such as The Satorialist or Tommy Ton come to mind. However, most people don't realize that the originator of documenting street style is New York Times photographer Bill Cunningham. This documentary finally gives Cunningham the recognition he deserves, revealing the intimate detail he puts into capturing fashion's finest moments.

xoxo

j

omfg moment of the week: Andrej Pejic.

We could type an entire novel on how we feel about this Australian pretty-boy/disaster/hero/who-the-hell-knows-what-to-think-he-is but really, there is no better way to encapsulate Andrej Pelic than in his own words.

The current "it" model in fashion is used in both mens and women's shows. Yes we wondered "wtf how?!" at first as well. But seriously, he is gorgeous and if you weren't told, you would not be able to tell that that was a boy in a semi see-through haute couture dress. And he "uhh likes to read about politics" too.

Please enjoy below videos and decide for yourselves.

Bisouxxx

j&k

spaß in wien.

Panorama from gardens of Schönbrunn Palace

Two weeks ago I set off to visit one of my good friends in Vienna. I've been several times before and I keep going back because I love the charm of this cosmopolitan European city.

Shopping

Vienna has a lot to offer but the "Shoes Paradise" on the 6TH Floor of the department store Steffl on Kärntner Straße in the centre was just about my definition of heaven. Forget the Selfridges Shoe Galleries, Shoes Paradise the greatest selection of luxury shoes I've ever seen for, wait for it, 50-70% mark down!! We're not talking stuff that's two years old or no one's opinion of taste, there was an incredible collection of some of the season most popular styles.

YSL Hortense Sandal

EXAMPLE: the YSL Hortense Black wedge, whose summer plum coloured counterpart has just about sold out everywhere. Imagine my surprise when I found 6 pairs of them just chilling on the display. I bought these lovely for just 285£, 50% of the original price!

YSL Easy Ankleboot

That's the other YSL pair I snatched up but the hard part was tearing myself away from a pair of Celine heels and another pair of Givenchy booties. I mean, you can never have too many black heels, can you?

Steffl

Kärnter Straße 19

A-1010 Wien

U-bahn: Stephansplatz (U1, U3)

Culture

There are three excellent exhibitions currently the museums of Vienna. The first is a retrospective of the Der Blaue Reiter at the Albertina Museum feating works of the artists in the early 20th century movement, including Kandinsky, Klee, Marc and more. Then when you are done with that, there is a small showing of Lichtenstein's black and white works in the same museum as well! Both exhibits close May 15TH, 2011.

MARC, Franz. Rotes und blaues Pferd. (1912)

Albertina

Albertinaplatz 1

1010 Wien

U-bahn: Karlsplatz (U1, U2, U4)

The other exhibition of note is Dynamik! which just opened at the Belvedere palace.

ULLMANN, Marianne. Bescheiden. (1925)

Belvedere

Renweg 6

1030 Wien

U-bahn: Stadtpark (U1)

Straßenbahn: D, 71 (Unteres Belvedere)

Food!

Wiener Küche or Viennese cuisine is world famous for being a mish-mash of all the cultures surrounding the country, kind of making it the original "fusion" food. In my opinion, there are 3 must try dishes that I encourage anyone who visits to go out and find:

1. WIENERSCHNITZEL

WARNING: Wienerschnitzel are normally MUCH larger than this

A favourite of tourists Vienna, the tender pan-fried escalopes of pork, veal or chicken are world famous and available at just about every restaurant/sandwich bar in the city. Personally, I recommend Figlmüller in the Center. It's always full of locals and tourists alike because the quality cannot be beaten.

Figlmüller

Wollezeile 5

1010 Wien

U-bahn: Stephansplatz

2. KAISERSCHMARRN

Kaiserschmarrn in pan with cranberry compote

Kaiserschmarrn was an accidental find of mine the first time I visited Vienna. Directly translating to "the Emperor's mishmash", it is basically torn-up, fluffy pancakes with raisins, cranberry compote and a sprinkling of icing sugar. At Heindl's however, the range of condiments and flavourings is seemingly endless, making it well worth the visit.

Heindl's Palatschinken Pfandl

Köllnerhofgasse 4

1010 Wien

U-bahn: Schwedenplatz (U1)

3. SACHERTORTE

The Demel Sachertore

The origin of the famous Sachertorte is actually the subject of a contentious debate between the Hotel Sacher and Demel patisserie. Supposedly the chef created the cake at Demel defected and started up the Hotel Sacher, the later now claiming total rights over the recipe. Whatever the truth, the Sachertorte at Demel's with their afternoon tea service is difficult to beat.

Demel

Kohlmarkt 14

A-1010 Wien

U-bahn: Herrengasse (U3)

I love Vienna so much and cannot wait until my next chance travel there.

Tschüs!

k

annonce chanel inspiré.

Just a quick post, I was cruising around YouTube and found this adorable little video Chanel have put together to promote their cosmetics range and I feel the need to share.

I love the little robot and the fumeuse at the very end. Leave to the French to make smoking look super cool again.

k

ethereal beauty.

The Curve of Forgotten Things

Elle Fanning, the little sister of Dakota Fanning and the breakthrough star from Sophia Coppola's Somewhere, is rapidly making her mark in the film and fashion world. Her beauty and delicate nature gives her an angelic quality, making her perfect for quirky and whimsical films. This is captured in Rodarte's short film "The Curve of Forgotten Things" directed by Todd Cole.

She has an impeccable classy fashion sense for a 12 year old, donning beautifully styled outfits by designers such as Valentino, Marc Jacobs, Marchesa, and Chanel. They are all utterly age appropriate (something that many other young celebrity's have failed to accomplish) and still totally trendy. Not only is her red carpet style immaculate, but her street style is also unique and laid back. It's almost unfair that she seemed to completely skip over the typical pre-teen awkward phase. (Jealous!!!)

Her elegance is almost eery for somewhere of her age, and it makes it hard to keep your eyes off her when she's on screen. Rodarte couldn't have chosen someone more perfect to showcase their Spring '11 collection. There is no doubt that she is a star on the rise and is someone to lookout for in the near future.

Marc Jacobs (elle-fanning.net)

Valentino (elle-fanning.net)

xx
j

i'm feeling a little queasy: vomit-inducing S/S '11 trends.

FANNYPACKS

I don't care if you call them "waist purses" or "belt purses", they are FANNY PACKS. They may have traded up the polyester for leather from Hermes or Diane von Furstenberg but those neon yellows and greens from the 90s have permanently damaged my retinas. I can still hear the crinkles from the cheap polyester as someone with a Everest fanny pack walked by...EEEEEEK

For simplicity, comfort, and practicality I'll give it an A, but guess what else is? Crocs! Besides, since when do fashionistas really care about what's practical anyway?

(Image from buzzfeed.com)

(Image from buzzfeed.com)

(Image from buzzfeed.com)

S/S '11 Hermes

S/S '11 Diane von Furstenberg

FLATFORMS

Some things are just plain obscene/abhorrent/repulsive/atrocious/vile/heinous/however many more synonyms need I conjure from my mental thesaurus to illustrate to you my utter disgust with this next so-called trend. They look like grandmother shoes, and not is the "Oh if you wear it the right way, it a cool vintage piece" type of way. It's UGLY. 'Nuff said.

S/S '11 Chanel

S/S '11 Chanel

S/S '11 Prada

I hope all these horrors haven't left you as queasy as I'm feeling.
j

the dissemination of the letterman jacket.

So in the spirit of the Superbowl...

The letterman jacket that has been traditionally worn by athletes who have excelled in sports has become the symbol of the traditional and imbedded "jock stereotype". There is probably no other item that soley defines you in American high schools like this jacket. The garment has come to represent strength, masculinity, and popularity. It is a shining beacon of hope for hormonally unstable, soul-searching teens. Like a fur coat gives instant glamour, the letterman jacket gives instant cool that whips girls into a "verbal frenzy" and welcomes you into the warm embrace of a bro-mance (weird).

Freddie Prince Jr in She's All That

Azimio and Karofsky on Glee

However in urban culture, the letterman jacket has been slightly robbed of it's athletic symbolism. In some ways it's streetwear's equivalent of the little black dress. In hip-hop/urban music community, the jacket is a favourite for bringing a little bit of prep to grungy street style.

Kanye in Pastelle

Drake in Supreme (dericks.com)

Justin Bieber at EMA rehearsals (billboard.com)

The fact is now, even if you aren't a typical American high schooler, the popularity of the jacket due to urbanization means replicas are available worldwide, from retailers such H&M to Balenciaga!

Hümor at Urban Outfitters

Ladies cardigan at H&M

Ice Cream

Louis Vuitton

Balenciaga

Letterman's have transcended their classical significance and place in American society. Whether you choose a vintage throw out from a store in Shoreditch or shell out for the luxury interpretations (although I can't imagine why), you can be assured that it's a piece that is going to stay in style for many, many years to come. 

Congratulations Packers!

j & k

neophytes.

When it comes to style and culture blogging there are more sites out there than you could shake a stick at. It seems everyone has their own opinion on what's à la mode, and there is nothing wrong with that. Fashion and culture is a discourse and everyone is entitled to individual preferences. 

the catalyst is the concept of starting an idea that can precipitate a movement. Like the Japanese youth and Balenciaga turned the Arabian kuffiyeh into one of the biggest scarf trends of the late 2000s, the catalyst can be an idea, trend or event that generates a cultural shift.

The pair of us are not usually this serious, but for a first post we need to outline our mission for our foray into cyber space:

• our views on style and culture as we see it (obviously...)
• international perspectives as two very nationality confused individuals
• multi-lingual posts
• street-style and reports from our extensive travels
• a love of large words, so grab a dictionary
• and always with a large sprinkling of sarcasm and irony, or occasionally just plain mean

bisoux, chu, besos, puss, bousa

j & k