Style crush

When it comes to Japanese fashion it's anything but boring. Street fashion is going wild with crazy, but oddly great looking, combinations of designers' and Japanese brands, vintage clothes, over the top accessories, and platform shoes. While going through Harajuku street snaps, we instantly noticed one person whose eccentricity and, let's be honest, gorgeous face, made us wonder in awe- who is that?      

           

                                                 

Ikeda Hirari, one of the most recognizable faces of Tokyo street fashion. What we like about her, among other things, is her ability to transform, while still staying true to herself. Colorful hair, pixie cut, undercut, colorful eyebrows, or no eyebrows, whatever she does, she stuns.  Maybe we should just let the pictures talk for themselves.

Wisdom of the Day

A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one. 

George R.R. Martin, A Dance with Dragons

Beauty icons of the past

 

Isabella Rossellini

In the fashion industry, a "slightly" misogynistic one, some decades before appeared a woman with strong feminist believes,  setting up a model of living worth of admiration. She is mostly known as a spokesperson for Lancome, a cosmetic house, which fired her, basically for getting older, after what she raised her voice about the treatment of women in this in so many ways cruel industry. She, a daughter of yet another icon, Ingrid Bergman, is surely a woman of exceptional beauty, with uncommon face features and classic posture and style, and that is why she earned a place in our modest blog. But, she took our hearts with activism and smart remarks about the world surrounding her. Make sure to check her  documentary  "Green Porno" ;) It's not what you think.

Be inspired- flower power

Flowers in the hair not only make a exceptional accessory, especially for some particular events in life, such as wedding (don't mind us wearing them a bit more often) but also have a strong cultural aspect. For example, in some areas of the world, such as Polynesia, it  may hold an information about your love life (a flower behind the right ear - looking for a lover). In any way, it makes you look ethereal and somewhat fairy-like.
Some people's visual identity is partially or solely based on using these mother nature's gifts, as we can see in the cases Frida Kahlo or Carmen Miranda. It can not be a coincidence that these two great women were also great artists, unique, different from the rest in their expression. 
Today, so it seems, flower power is mostly seen in fashion editorials and runway, and not as a part of every day style, perhaps because it is always easier to be a part of the crowd than to stand out, thus more uniformed trends now prevail. But, guess what, hippy way of looking at life still survives this world full of conformists.
Notion: because of the longevity, many choose to go with no-natural hairpieces, but if you decide to go for the real one, be informed about the symbolism of it. for example, Dahlia flower can symbolize a warning or wildness, while Camellia is a sign of deep longing for your beloved.

 

Carmen Miranda

Josephine Baker

Frida Kahlo

Anne Hathaway

Keri Russel

Wisdom of the Day

 

 

"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Be inspired: pixie haircut

As we mentioned in our previous post, both of us are fans of Emma Watson's pixie cut look- especially Margarite, who's sporting one ever since Emma cut her locks.
It's sad how much negativity can a change of hairstyle get- you don't have long hair and automatically you're not feminine enough, you look like a boy, you're a lesbian (ooh, so offensive!), nobody would like to date you. One of the silliest comments we heard from a guy- oh, I'd feel like I'm kissing a man (??).
Today we'd like to take a look at some of the ladies who helped promote the cut and liberate a number of people from the 'what a real woman should look like' nonsense.

Audrey Hepburn, 1953

Jean Seberg, 1960.

Edie Sedgwick, 1965.

                                         

Twiggy, 1966.

Mia Farrow, 1968

Winona Ryder, 1994

Keri Russell, 1999

Keira Knightley, 2005

Audrey Tautou, 2006

Carey Mulligan, 2010

Emma Watson, 2010 (had to be included again :D)

Rihanna, 2012

Miley Cyrus, 2013.

Miley Cyrus, 2014 (shh added twice, cos we like both of the looks)

There are, of course, many many more celebrities with brilliant pixie cuts we didn't include in this post, but we'd like you to share with us your inspirations and experiences, if you ventured into the pixie cut wonderland.

Style crush

Emma Watson

What more can a person expect from a true English rose with a drop of French blood, other than pure perfection? For us, Emma Watson is the epitome of statement less is more, although, she is not estranged from more avagardish style choices. Her most crushing-worthy moment  to date, on our modest opinion, is cutting her hair pixie short, very similar to Mia Farrow's from Rosemary's baby period. Of course, non of these would be of matter if she didn't have that cute, lively personality she does.

Music- July Special Edition

So, in the field of music, this July is dedicated to one of the most original and sentimental movie soundtracks, that of Frida, a film about a famous Mexican painter, her difficult life full of la tortura and her ever-lasting love with fellow artist and comrade, Mexican muralist. Diego Rivera. The soundtrack is a superb work of art, as well as the film. warm recommendation to anyone in love with Mexican culture and Spanish language in general.

These bloggers' favorite : Alcoba Azul by Lila Downs

The link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=wX2A3VmSOsI

The soundtrack list:

Cabecita Loca
Written by Lauro Aguilar Palma
Performed by Guty Cárdenas
 

 Soledad

Written by Carlos Gardel and Alfredo Le Pera
Performed by Carlos Gardel
 

Dios Nunca Muere

Written by Héctor Córdoba
Performed by Organillero

Clarinet Marmalade
(1918)
Written by Larry Shields (as Larry Schields) & Henry Ragas
Performed by Fletcher Henderson

Lagrimas
Written by Luis Martínez Serrano
Performed by Guty Cárdenas & Adolfo Hayes

Alcoba Azul (Tango)
(2002)
Music by Elliot Goldenthal
Lyrics by Hernán Bravo Varela
Performed by Lila Downs

Carabina 30/30
Corrido tradicional
Performed by Poder del Norte

El Gusto
Son huasteco tradicional
Performed by Trio Huasteco Caimanes de Tamui  

Ven Chamaquito
Written by Joseph M. LaCalle (as J.M. Lacalle)
Performed by Guty Cárdenas 

 

La Borrachita
Written by Ignacio Fernández Esperón (as Tata Nacho)
Performed by Lila Downs
 

La Bruja
Son jarocho tradicional
Performed by Salma Hayek & Los Vega

El Cascabel
Son jarocho tradicional
Performed by Salma Hayek & Los Vega

Jumping at the Woodside
Written by Count Basie (as William Count Basie)
Performed by Count Basie and His Orchestra
 

Battle to the Death
Written by Harry Bluestone and Emil Cadkin

El Antifaz
Written by Luis Arcaraz (as Luis Arcaraz Torras)
Performed by Liberación, Miguel Galindo, Alejandro Matehuala and Gerardo García

La Rielera
Tradicional
Performed by Cilindros

Paloma Negra
Written by Tomás Méndez
Performed by Chavela Vargas

Barrio de San Francisco
Written by Trio Los Chapás
Performed by Trio Los Chapás

El Conejo
Written by Los Cojolites
Performed by Los Cojolites

C'est lui
(1934)
Performed by Josephine Baker
Written by Roger Bernstein
Composed by Georges Van Parys

La Llorona
Written by Luis Mars
Performed by Chavela Vargas & Lila Downs

Viva La Vida
(2002)
Music by Elliot Goldenthal
Lyrics by Hernán Bravo Varela
Performed by Trio Marimberos

Burn It Blue
(2002)
Music by Elliot Goldenthal
Lyrics by Julie Taymor
Performed by Caetano Veloso & Lila Downs

La Llorona
Written by Luis Mars
Performed by Chavela Vargas

Wisdom of the Day

“Feet, what do I need you for when I have wings to fly?” 

Frida Kahlo

Wisdom of the Day

One shouldn't be afraid of the humans. Well, I am not afraid of the humans, but of what is inhuman in them.

 Ivo Andric, Serbian Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature

Movies and TV series to check out (that you might never heard of)

Circle of Friends

Circle of Friends is a sweet British movie set in conservative 1950's Ireland, which introduced Minnie Driver to wider audience.  Its a coming of age story, which follows the paths of three girl friends, who come from different social background. The theme of the movie revolves around strict moral demands of catholic church, and society in general after WWII, which burdened young people looking to explore their bodies, minds and souls. It falls under romantic drama category, with lots of humorous parts, but diversity comes from the fact that the main character is not typically extremely beautiful woman who men cannot resist, which is a stereotype repeated throughout movie history. The movie focuses on the relationship between Benny and Jack, which represents, in fact, its main flaw, cause the supportive characters (ex. Aidan Gillan and Geraldine O'Rawe as Aidan Lynch and Eve Malone, not to mention the Colin Firth cameo) give a true spark to the story.  The movie somewhat seems unfinished, but that may not be as bad as it sounds, because the lack of the true Hollywood-like happy ending,can leave room for imagination. Still Aidan Gillan (Littlefinger in Game of Thrones) should have been given more screen time.  :P