Vanessa Jackman: February 2013

Tuesday, 26 February 2013

New York Fashion Week SS 2013....Maria

Danish model Maria Palm, after Ruffian, NYC, September 2012.

@Asha - thanks for letting me know Maria's name!

New York Fashion Week AW 2013....Joanna

Harper's Bazaar (US) Style Director, Joanna Hillman, before Tory Burch, NYC, February 2013.

Recreate Joanna's look (kind of):

Leopard print jacket: Stella McCartney leopard print jacket, Alice + Olivia leopard print blazer, or elbow-patch blazer, or Thakoon Addition Angry leopard blazer

Slightly flared cropped leather pants: Elizabeth and James Allen leather pants, Vince cropped leather leggings, The Row flared leather leggings, or Friend of Mine Dizzy leather pants

Heels: Alexander Wang Emma ankle strap pumps, Tibi Shane clear strap pumps, ASOS Sonic heels, or Alexander Wang Johanna ankle cuff sandal

Alexander Wang tri-fold bag in black croc-print, mahogany croc print or textured leather

Studded gloves: Burberry studded gloves, Miu Miu studded leather gloves, or Portolano Nappa studded leather gloves

Paris Fashion Week SS 2013....Peony

Peony Lim, before Viktor and Rolf, Tuileries, Paris, September 2012.

You can read about Peony's exquisite Vietnamese traditional coat on her blog here.

Recreate Peony's look (kind of):

Even if you aren't able to travel to East Asia to buy your own glorious coat, adding a beautiful Oriental-inspired piece to your wardrobe will at least have you imagining a wonderfully exotic adventure.

Temperley London Kimono coat, Matthew Williamson Kyoto printed dress, Alexander McQueen Dragonfly print cape, Topshop Dotty floral kimono, Just Female printed kimono, Preen Akiko printed silk dress, Marni dress, Anna Sui Chrysanthemum floral jacket , Maison Martin Margiela Obi belt

Tess Giberson Reassembled top, Kaufmanfranco leather top, PJK Patterson J.Kincaid leather tank, Mason by Michelle Mason leather front peplum top, Oasis cutwork leather top or Warehouse leather top

Joe's Jeans Renah rolled skinny ripped jeans, Sass&Bide Roll The Dice boyfriend jeans, Current/Elliott The Skinny jeans, or Rag & Bone/JEAN The Skinny jeans

Bottega Veneta sandals, Charlotte Olympia sandals, B Brian Atwood Laplata sandals

New York Fashion Week AW 2013....Sam

British model Sam Rollinson (Select), after Tory Burch, NYC, February 2013.

Recreate Sam's look (kind of):

Add a colourful print sweater underneath a heavy winter coat: Wildfox The Great Catsby Party sweater, Madewell star pullover, Equipment Sloane dot cashmere sweater, ASOS sweater with embroidered boats, J.W. Anderson for Topshop sweater or Chinti and Parker Rainbow hearts sweater

Monday, 25 February 2013

New York Fashion Week AW 2013....Bonnie

The oh-so-breathtakingly-beautiful and elegant model Bonnie Chen, (wearing Tory Burch SS13) before Tory Burch, NYC, February 2013.

Recreate Bonnie's look (kind of):

Striped blazer/jacket: Tory Burch Elaina coat, Tory Burch Kamilla striped jacket, Boy. by Band of Outsiders striped jacket, Madewell Short Garcon blazer, Nanette Lepore Whaam striped jacket, Topshop stripe ponte blazer, Moschino Cheap and Chic knit biker jacket, or River Island stripe blazer

Tory Burch Ozzy sweater

Tory Burch Donovan skirt

Tan flats: Matt Bernson Galoise perforated flats, Frye Dalia Perf penny loafers, Rag & Bone Loafers, Tory Burch Daria driver moccasins, or Dune Lancer tan moccasins

Paris Fashion Week SS 2013....Before Chloe

Before Chloe, Paris, October 2012.

A super example of how to wear a slouchy jumpsuit and look fresh, pretty, polished (love her rich red lipstick) and casual all at once! (p.s. I think maybe she is a French actor??? Does anyone know?)

Recreate her look (kind of):

Slouchy jumpsuit: Mulberry printed jumpsuit, Maison Martin Margiela jumpsuit, Enza Costa Challis jumpsuit, Joseph Harlem two-tone jumpsuit, Mason by Michelle Mason lace insert jumpsuit, Just Female jumpsuit, A.L.C. May jumpsuit, 3.1 Phillip Lim leopard jumpsuit or Nasty Gal Eye Candy jumpsuit

Cross-body bag (add a pop of contrasting/clashing colour to your jumpsuit): Tory Burch Robinson cross-body bag, Mulberry Valentines Bayswater clutch, Rebecca Minkoff box bag, Tory Burch Amanda mini cross body bag, Jason Wu Daphnie mini cross body bag or ASOS Rabbit cross-body bag

Nude sandals: Chloe two-tone sandals, Kors Michael Kors sandals, Elizabeth and James Brit wedge sandals, Isa Tapia Lia sandals

New York Fashion Week SS 2013....Irina

Russian model Irina Kulikova (IMG), after A Show, NYC, September 2012.

Recreate Irina's look (kind of):

Leather skirt: Rag & Bone Paris skirt, Susana Monaco leather mini, Diane von Furstenberg Daria quilted leather mini, ASOS leather mini skirt, Theory Brookelle leather skirt, or Alexander Wang croc leather skirt

Equipment Ashton sweater, Cheap Monday Ripley sweater, Enza Costa angora crew sweater, or Raquel Allegra laddered cashmere sweater

Rag & Bone classic Newbury booties, Acne Pistol leather boots, Whistles Kir Royale black suede ankle boots, or Topshop Mighty black leather zip boots

Paris Fashion Week SS 2013....Ji Hye

South Korean model Ji Hye Park (Elite), after Louis Vuitton, Paris, October 2012.

Recreate Ji Hye's look (kind of):

After seeing Elsa's and Carlotta's quilted leather jackets, and then Ji Hye's after Louis Vuitton, I am rather smitten by this alternative to the biker jacket. It reminds me of an edgy classic Chanel jacket....

Quilted leather jacket: Diane von Furstenberg Delilah quilted leather jacket, Christopher Kane cracked-leather biker jacket, Michael Michael Kors chain-trimmed quilted leather jacket, Urban Code quilted leather jacket, Max Fowles biker jacket with quilted sleeves, or Catherine Malandrino quilted leather jacket

Printed tee: Zoe Karssen Boy Scouts tee, WGACA Vintage George Michael t-shirt, Horseworship Apparel We Commune tee, ASOS Head in the Clouds tee

Black jeans: Rag & Bone/JEAN high rise skinny jeans, Citizens of Humanity Elson straight leg jeans, Cheap Monday Second Skin jeans

Proenza Schouler PS1 Keep All leather bag

Sunday, 24 February 2013

Weekend Life....Hermosa Inn, Scottsdale, Arizona

Hermosa Inn, Paradise Valley, Arizona, late January 2013.

Staggering sleepily off the plane at Phoenix, Arizona airport (it was the wee hours of the morning UK-time) into an agonisingly long and slow-moving immigration line, I was just about ready to curl up on the floor of the airport for the night. Fortunately, my desire for a warm, comfortable night’s sleep won out over a “coat and pile of M&S knickers” makeshift bed, and we were soon piled into our Chevy SUV and heading to our destination for two nights: The Hermosa Inn.

Tucked away in the affluent suburb of Paradise Valley, The Hermosa Inn is the antithesis of the large resorts which dominate the Scottsdale, Arizona luxury accommodation scene. Hand-built in the 1930’s as a traditional adobe hacienda by accomplished cowboy artist Lon Megargee as his home and studio, The Hermosa Inn is a treasure of a boutique hotel where, as the hotel brochure states “Tomorrow…Starts Tonight with Cowboy Dreams At The Hermosa Inn”.

Despite it being past 10pm by the time we arrived at the Inn, we were greeted warmly at reception and guided to our Deluxe Casita along paths slick and glossy with freshly fallen rain. Um, yep, rain! It doesn’t rain very often in Phoenix (which boasts an average of 306 days of sunshine a year hence the proliferation of golf courses and celebrities who call Phoenix home), but our visit just happened to coincide with some unstable weather. Luckily the thoughtful staff at The Hermosa Inn had anticipated the weather, (and our late check-in) and our beautiful suite was toasty warm for our arrival. With Spanish guitar music playing softly in the background, dimly lit lamps casting golden shadows, a tiny plate of homemade lavender infused chocolates on the side-table together with a welcome note setting out the weather and suggested activities for the next day, all thoughts of the long flight and delays were swept from our minds. Eyes pouncing on the gas fireplace, I couldn’t resist cranking it up while we explored our accommodation.

Decorated simply and tastefully with subtle nods to the Inn’s Southwestern heritage (apart from an artist, Lon Megargee was a cowboy, broncobuster, exhibition roper, and stud poker dealer!) with high, exposed timber beam ceilings, vintage cowboy posters on the walls, rawhide lampshades, a Mexican-tiled fireplace and king-size wrought-iron bed, our casita opened through wooden plantation shuttered French doors onto a private terrace (which came in handy in the early hours of the morning as my enthusiastic usage of the fireplace had rather overheated the room!). A small hallway led to a dressing room/walk-in wardrobe, and an enormous bathroom....and I do mean enormous! A beautiful Waterworks freestanding roll-top bath plus a shower large enough for a party of five had me squealing (quietly!) for joy. A quick splash about in the bath, fragrant with the Hermosa Inn’s signature organic citrus toiletries, and I was ready to drift off to sleep. I am not quite sure that I can attest to cowboy dreams (those came later in our Arizona trip!), but I woke early the next morning refreshed and ready to explore.

Having arrived under cover of darkness, it was so exciting to finally see the property (and indeed our first glimpse of Arizona) in the daylight. Even with ominous grey clouds rolling in, the beauty of the manicured grounds and the surrounding area blew me away. Impossibly tall palm trees, dozens of variety of cacti, lush green lawns, desert flower gardens and in the distance, the magnificent Camelback Mountain and Piestewa Peak (formerly Squaw Peak). The Hermosa Inn has also collaborated with a local art gallery to create a fine-art sculpture garden featuring life-sized sculptures by artists such as Allan Houser and Paul Moore which are dotted throughout the grounds (one of which – a magnificent bronze of a Native American called Finger That Kills - gave me a terrific fright as I wandered past it in the darkness on the first night!).

In the middle of the property, sits a lovely pool area (the pool is heated during the winter months) with cabanas and lounges, together with a hot tub. Pool towels and bottled water are provided free of charge. I forgot my swimsuit so had to be content with lounging about under a cabana with my book and willing the sun to come out (it sort of did!). There is also a spa on-site, but I didn’t have time to try that out unfortunately.

Eat:

Lon’s Restaurant, Hermosa Inn: If you are staying at The Hermosa Inn (or even if you aren’t!) you must eat at least once in Lon’s restaurant. The food was wonderful. It was also really busy on the night we ate there (Sunday evening) so I would advise booking in advance if you plan on going. The highlights of our meal were the fried Dungeness crab on a bed of micro sprouts served with slivers of giant clam, braised beef short ribs with roasted root vegetables and truffled ricotta gnocchi (so unctuous and melt-in-the-mouth, perfect for a winter’s evening in the desert), spit roasted prime rib with fire roasted poblano pesto (we watched the chef roasting the beef over the fire pit in the afternoon so couldn’t resist ordering it), and the moist, I-can-not-possibly-fit-another-thing-in-but-it-is-too-good-to-leave Mexican chocolate pudding cake with raspberry mint compote.

We ate inside because of the weather, but during the summer month’s Lon’s has a fabulous terrace with fire pits and adobe fireplace, with magnificent views towards Camelback Mountain.

Joe’s Farm Grill: Great for a burger stop if you are driving towards Tucson (like we did after we left The Hermosa Inn)

Over Easy: A fun place for breakfast/brunch if only to say you have eaten The Wolfpack and waffle dogs (as seen on The Food Network).

Coffee:

Cartel Coffee Lab – We visited all four of the Cartel locations during our trip to Arizona. Excellent coffee. We even brought home a bag of whole beans (roasted in their Tempe store) and a mug.

Press Coffee (Scottsdale Quarter) – Another place for great coffee in Scottsdale.

Each room at The Hermosa Inn has a Keurig coffee maker, and there is one in the Reception area as well should you need something to conquer jet lag on-site ;) Each time we visited Reception, there were also little treaties to tempt: chocolate brownies and teeny caramel tartlets in the afternoon, and mini croissants and pastries at breakfast.

To Do:

We only had one full day in Scottsdale due to our flight arrival time from the UK so barely scratched the surface of things to do. I would go back to Scottsdale, and The Hermosa Inn, in a heartbeat….and stay for at least a week (hello golf, hiking….or simply lazing by the pool!)

We managed a small hike on Camelback Mountain plus spent a good hour just driving around ogling the incredible houses nestled into the side of the mountains.

Our stay at The Hermosa Inn was compliments of the hotel.

Paris Fashion Week SS 2013....Tamu

The gorgeous Tamu, before A Show, Paris, October 2012.

Recreate Tamu's look (kind of):

Easy-peasy shirt/tunic dress (layer with a sweater or cardi like Tamu has for spring/early summer and wear alone for the warmer months): 10 Crosby Derek Lam Seersucker tunic dress, T by Alexander Wang paneled silk shirt dress, Topshop pinstripe placket shirt dress, MM6 Maison Martin Margiela tunic dress, Jenni Kayne sleeveless shirtdress, Mara Hoffman sleeveless shirtdress, Vince shirtdress, Versace printed silk shirt dress or RDM by Rue du Mail poplin tunic dress

Black sweater: Miu Miu sweater, Vince oversized boatneck slub sweater, or ASOS pocket sweater

Statement necklace: J.Crew crystal and resin tile necklace (I think this would look amazing with a white tunic dress and a lightly sunkissed summer skin), Marc by Marc Jacobs Paste and Print necklace, J.Crew crystal color mix necklace, or Adia Kibur blue crystal necklace

Lace-up booties: McQ Alexander McQueen Neon-trimmed lace up booties, Fendi Shagreen panel ankle boot (these aren't lace-up but they have the two-tone thing going on!), McQ Alexander McQueen cutout booties, or ASOS Artful ankle boots

New York Fashion Week AW 2013....Anna

Anna Dello Russo, before Tory Burch, NYC, February 2013.

To see Anna striding across the street, navigating the snow and traffic at 9am in the morning, dressed in this amazing Prada outfit made me happy :)

Friday, 22 February 2013

New York Fashion Week SS 2013....Maja

Polish model Maja Salamon (Next), after A Show, NYC, September 2012.

Recreate Maja's look (kind of):

Bowler hat: Topshop roller bowler hat, Brixton Pack Bowler hat, or Silence & Noise Grosgrain bowler hat

p.s. The gorgeous Yasmin Sewell was sporting a very chic bowler hat at LFW....

New York Fashion Week SS 2013....Mary Kate

Teen Vogue's Senior Fashion Market Editor, Mary Kate Steinmiller, after Karen Walker, NYC, September 2012.

LOVE this look on Mary Kate.....cute, feminine, wearable (I know I use that word a lot but when I am photographing people at the fashion week's I kind of always think "Would that work in "real" life, outside of fashion week") and chic.

Recreate Mary Kate's look (kind of):