Roses, Glamour and Demarchelier

Even though my birthday was yesterday, it feels like I started celebrating back in April when I was vacationing in the Bahamas.

One afternoon while my husband and three-year-old (his birthday was Tuesday) were napping, I received an e-mail from Maggie Mann of Glamour U.S. asking if I would be interested in participating in a denim story that she was developing and which would be shot by Patrick Demarchelier. Did you lose your breath too? Well I did. Me, a new and aspiring photographer offered the opportunity to be shot by one of the most talented fashion photographers ever. I still get goose bumps when I replay the scene in my head.

My response: "Hello Maggie, how are you? I am so flattered! I am really lucky that I am sitting right now because my cheeks are burning, and I would faint if I were standing! I would love to! This is amazing!!!!!!"

Fast forward to the shoot. Every single person that I met that day was marvelous. Maggie, a personal style inspiration of mine, was a rock-star-of-a-stylist; Jillian, her assistant was super -sweet; and Monsieur Demarchelier- pleasant, cordial, and charming in that older European-man way. How does he work? He's a master- superbly precise.

So after waiting about a month for the August issue to arrive on Italian newsstands, my neighborhood newspaper dealer dropped of my copy two days ago. I am beyond over the moon over the experience. To be included in a group of such stylish women is a lovely and generous compliment.

The editorial, combined with the 34 (that's my age) long-stem roses that my incredible husband sent me, an afternoon walk to get gelato with my beloved son, and a decadent-dining experience planned by my extraordinary husband, makes for the best birthday ever!!! xx, Tamu

Lovely mix-n-match

I wasn't able to catch the name or style info for this lovely girl, but I had to post her pic because I think she's sooo cute, and I love her mix-n-match look. It's so fun and easy.

Maxi Dress, Maxi Smile

Model Ajak Deng after the Valentino Fall 2010 Haute Couture Show.

Personality

Vanessa's ladylike look is fun, full of delicious details and blooming with personality. Her straw boater and vintage handbag are totally enviable, and her woven sandals are a really nice touch.

Cropped version II

I love Vanna's look. Her Zara top is so inspiring, a cropped top is definitely on my must radar. Definitely with a high-waist bottom of some sort. Also ideal for the next few months, her silky, aubergine Top Shop short-shorts are divine. And loving her handmade multi-strap sandals.

lace and suede

Here's another favorite lace look of mine. I love how Victoria, of Stiletterne, pairs this excellent vintage skirt with this adorable suede bomber. The skirt is brilliant. Its weight is perfect- not too transparent not too heavy. I also love that she layers it over this black bodysuit. So discrete. And I also love her bag. I have to find some more mini-vintage handbags with long shoulder straps.

Back in Liguria

Although we were having an amazing time in St. Moritz, my family and I decided that we would head back across the border and visit our best friends in Santa Margherita, Ligure. Santa, as my Milanese friends call the seaside town is about a 15 minute drive from Portofino. The image above is the view from our room.

I love sitting in front of the rose and rosemary bushes in my friend's garden. The fragrance is so refreshing. My dress is an old, treasured favorite by Koi Suwannagate and my gladiator sandals are by Lanvin.

The images above and below are different views from the garden.

Hope you're having an amazing weekend! xx, Tamu

Black Shift

Anya Ziourova in a Balenciaga shift outside the Armani Privé Couture show.

chic-n-easy

Silvia's outfit is the kind of look that I would love to just to throw on. It's easy, it's chic. But I guess that's precisely the beauty of an Alaïa dress- designed to make women look chic in an effortless way, and the wit of anything Comme des Garçon- her cropped trench is the perfect touch of sporty.

Olivia, before and after Valentino Haute Couture

Olivia Palermo in Valentino Spring 2010 Ready-to-Wear before and after the houses' Fall 2010 Haute Couture show. So glamorous!

Hey Vika!

That Vika, she really knows how to stand out in a crowd. She shines in this bold maxi-dress. The print is commanding!

Update! Thanks to Mashinka, this lovely dress is courtesy of the Russian fashion brand Nina Donis' Fall 2010 collection.

"diamonds are forever"

Whenever I see these Prada Spring/Summer 2010 chandelier sandals the song "Diamonds are Forever" always comes to mind. It's definitely all the bling. I love the way Aurora pairs them with this intense green shift; the intense tone makes the sandals pop even more, if that is possible. And I love that she and other stylish women have been wearing them, considering they are ballroom worthy, around town during the day- and having tons of fun doing so. I've witnessed the charge that some ladies get when people realize where the ting-ting sound is coming from. Serious Fun!

Nature

I know, I know, I'm pushing it with these two images. I shot the one of Frida after the Christian Dior Fall 2010 Haute Couture show, and the other one yesterday in front of the lake at St. Moritz. But aren't you floored by the striking similarities of the color palette? Nature never ceases to amaze me. Neither does fashion. Not on the same level of course, and we are of course influenced by the colors that we see around us. No doubt this view from St. Moritz lake would have been a notable source of inspiration for the textile designers who created the print of Frida's gorgeous late-sixties, vintage dress.

Utterly Adorable

I love Wish Teoh's outfit for a what feels like a billion reasons- even though she's only wearing four items. But the four pieces are fantastic:
Breton stripe long sleeve t-shirt- Love!
Pastel trousers with diagonal stripe waistband- Adore!
Silver and white Church's brogues- Super Want!
Mini-bag with long shoulder strap in cobalt blue- Uhh! The girl has captured my heart!

This is effortlessly cool!

Wish is an editor at Numéro China.

Denim and the mountain

O.K. I know that denim has pretty much been an obsession for me this summer. But I promise you that it is totally a coincidence that I follow up my post about Giulia with this image of me. You see, to spare my darling child from the sweltering heat in Milan, I relocated us to St. Moritz for a week. And what did I pack for our getaway? Three denim shirts and five pairs of jeans which I will rotate for the duration of my stay. A friend of mine snapped this image of me this morning during a short hike up the Muottas Muragl Alp Languard mountain. It's really nice to be here. Even though we've had a full morning, it still feels like a lazy Saturday. In case you're wondering, my shirt is from the Gap and my overalls are by Madewell. Hope you guys are enjoying your weekend!

aaah-mazing

Gosh, how much do I love Giulia's look? Where do I start? The turban? Or, the denim shirt layered over a delicate summer dress and cinched with a woven leather belt? The color palette? The mix of casual and elegant? There is so much to admire. Giulia, designer of the accessories line Madame Framboise, really inspires me.

La Dolce Vita

Spending time with Hanneli last week for the Haute Couture collections was a lovely treat. This morning I was looking through some pics that I snapped of her and came across this white and cream look. She looks so fresh, totally inspiring on a sultry day like the one we are experiencing here in Milan- it's 34°C/93°F outside. Uffffa!

baby lace

From the runway to the pavé and cobble stone streets of Milan and Paris, lace proved that it is not to be taken delicately this season. ADR, Caroline, Shala, and the adorably preggers Miroslava Duma are a testament to its allure. Miroslava is radiant in this black multi-tiered mini. Also, love her straw hat and beaded headband combo. Very sweet.

Spotlight on

Last month I had the huge pleasure of spending the day with Vogue.it and filming an interview for their Vogue Black site. We played dress up at my apartment, had lunch together at biancopensare, did a little shopping at Antonioli, and visited my favorite store Understate. Click here to check out the video. And many thanks to Beniamino, Barbara and Sandro for a terrific day.

"go 'head, baby"

Do you know the LL Cool J song "Jingling Baby", the chorus of which is "go 'head, baby"? Well the song popped into my head last Wednesday when I spotted Shala arriving at the Valentino Fall 2010 couture show. Looking stunning as always in a Valentino mini, she was jingling along in a breathtaking pair of Azzedine Alaïa python sandals with multiple tiers of bells.

Blood Orange

I love monochromatic silk, especially in intense shades like photographer Alexia Niedzielski's look. Last night I wore a raspberry short/racer tank combo for a sushi dinner. The look never fails to tickle my color fancy because of its fluidity. When you move for instance, it looks as if you are being poured into a crystal highball. Your color rolling elegantly against the walls of the glass.

black and white lace

Model Natasha Poly in a Miu Miu Pre-Fall 2010 dress.

"Love" and admiration

Some of the most amazing stylists on the face of the planet, I greatly admire the talent of team Love. I also admire the level of camaraderie that they share. Their giggles and laughter always make me smile (you know I'm a sucker for happy moments). Thus, snapping images of them has become quite a treat for me during fashion week. Here are a few of my favorite pics from recent fashion weeks.

Victoria and Katie arrive at D&G Men's Spring 2011. The first image of a fashion week is always exciting. About three months pass during each fashion week, so there is always a certain level of excitement when you first see favorite subjects after such an extended period.

Victoria and Katie have a "grand" time outside Armani- pun totally intended.



Cool custom jacket painted by a friend.

Paris Fall 2010 was my first season covering the Paris shows. This is my first image of part of the team walking through the infamous Tuileries.

A freshly platinum Francesca outside D&G's Women's Fall 2010. I shot this image moments after dodging an oncoming tram. The things you do for Love.

Total girl crush moment. She is fierce!



See you next season ladies! I'll miss you much!

Opulent

Daphne Guinness outside the Armani Privé Fall 2010 couture show. Perfect for a couture outing, the details of Daphne's look are superb. From her ear clips and ribbon choker, to her oriental -style jacket draped over her white corseted dress, to her heelless, mary jane platforms and green crocodile Birkin handbag, her look is exquisite.

Floating under a cloud of rose petals

Seeing the stunning Shala Monroque outside the Chanel Fall 2010 couture show was the highlight of my day yesterday. She is beyond gracious and is super charming!

Sheathed in beige

Barbara Martello outside the Givenchy Fall 2010 couture presentation in a top-stitched leather Celine sheath dress and Emilio Pucci boots.

Gold Leaf

Hello Darlings! I made it to Paris for the couture shows. So excited about being here and so excited to shoot the gorgeous people who attend the shows. Here's an image that I shot this evening of Caroline. She shines in this little gold number. I'm off to get some rest now. Until tomorrow, a big kiss.

Happy Fourth of July!!!

Melanie wears a pair of short shorts by Top Shop.

Fireworks

I've been wanting to post this image of Ester for a few days now. And since tomorrow is the Fourth of July in the U.S., I thought it was the perfect time. I love Ester's dress and I think that she wears it with total gusto. By now you guys probably know that I am a total print girl. So no surprise that I find this print spectacular. It's so bright and even festive. Brings me back to good times that I spent around the grill back in N.Y. The bright smiles, the laughter... and the fireworks. Enjoy your weekend!!!