Skeleton Mimosa

Stained Dates 

Lost in a forest of dates, I sink into the dark. Faces, sounds, scents and places, drip down from the past, filling the emptiness that consumes me. Ghosts, voices, memories and ruins, surround my body, I begin to disappear, let them take me - I do not belong here anymore. 

Drowning in memories, moments past that no longer exist. Still, I cannot let go and they will not release me. Immortalised, they are relived and refuse to die. Without beating hearts, they are stronger, cannot bleed and will not stop until I do. 

A separation, a division – four bruised bodies were torn apart and trapped between two worlds. Where do I belong, where is my home? 

Black silhouette with your merciless hands, your invasion visits me in my nightmares. Only I see your handprints on my body, your face haunts me, I cannot breathe. 

It is a battle of a starved soul that crunches on problems but never swallows them, a war of mind against body and body against mind. Reflection, I will love you when you are bones. 

Cruelty, you are a merciless visitor. Destroyer and murderer of hope, you stole a life before it’s time, leaving a hollow body and empty eyes. 

A thin line between light and darkness, open eyes or closed forever, heartbeat or silence. The noise drains away, I have escaped once more. As I lie in my stained coffin, I feel the marks on my skin, the reminders that those dates will return.

Photography & Text : Electra Tsois 

PURPLE LIPSTICK

Purple lips: For some it’s too much, for some too little, but for the rest it’s perfect. I happen to be ‘the rest’. I’m not talking about lilac, purple shimmer or violet shine - I’m talking about about heavy, dark, deep and downright gloomy purple. None of that in between business.

I’ve always loved the idea of purple lips, and have been through the personal transformation of wearing cheap looking sparkly purple lipstick at 16, to having some standards and opting for a shade/finish that hovered over edgy refinement.

The two middle photographs are from the S/S 2011 Giorgio Armani Prive show, backstage. The show was very much dedicated to jewel tones and purple was an ideal choice to give sophistication an essence of mystery and edge.

If you’re going to wear this colour, you need good quality. Here are the featured lipsticks above:

Illamasqua:

MAC: Fervent (glossy blackened berry)

Yves Saint Laurent: 101 Violet Singulier

If the colour of your purple lipstick looks borderline threatening on your face or some people think it looks wrong - then you know you’re doing something right.

Source (photographs): http://www.vogue.co.uk/

HEDI SLIMANE: FRANCES BEAN COBAIN

Just can’t get enough of these Frances Bean Cobain portraits, taken in July 2011. This portrait series belongs in Slimane’s ‘Rock Diary’ category, along with the likes of Pete Doherty and Amy Winehouse.

There is something about the way Slimane captures a moment in each of his photographs - from the subject’s expression to the way they have positioned themselves within their surroundings. This knowledge and timing is what transforms an average portrait to an engaging one. A beautiful black and white portrait that you cannot take your eyes off.

Source (Photographs): http://www.hedislimane.com/

GIL ELVGREN & JOYCE BALLANTYNE

Welcome to a visual tasting on pin-up art! It’s currently 5:12am and I’m half watching ‘Young at Heart’ (1954) - pretty much the only decent thing on tv at this hour. Watching this reminded me of a book I wanted that I saw in Urban Outfitters, which I can’t remember for the life of me what it was called. What I do know is that it was a huge, fat and heavy book! It’s pages were full of selected pin-up art (paintings/illustrations) from a variety of artists, including Joyce Ballantyne and ofcourse Gil Elvgren, who to me is the master of this style and my personal favourite.

The pictures above are a combination of Elvgren and Ballantyne. If you concentrate enough you can notice the differences in their style: Elvgren’s colour is striking and pops in each image whereas Ballantyne’s has a more muted effect, blending the colours in a fairly subtle manner. An example as to how the same content has been executed with a different strategy.

I love how the poses showcase the women’s curves in the most sexy yet flattering manner. Maybe I should take note, so next time a photograph is being taken I will be prepared. However, chances are I would stand out in the worst way possible if I were to do such a thing in a group photograph. Maybe leave it for Halloween or a drunken night.

In all honesty, if I lived on my own I’d like to wonder around the house in silk robes, lacy underwear and suspenders. But seeing as we’re being honest, I give it a day until I’d be back in my over-sized pyjamas.

Source (Images) : http://www.thepinupfiles.com/

MEADHAM KIRCHHOFF Spring/Summer 2012

There are many striking collections for this season, but a select few are eye-catching, literally. My first reaction to a backstage photograph was “What the HELL?” Possibly because it wasn’t a look I was expecting to see or the fact that it heavily stands out compared to most other collections. So despite the what-the-hell reaction, I increasingly became more interested to see more photographs from the show and to find out what it was all about.

In Elle ( February 2012) there is a short summary about what the ‘Ultragirl’ is all about: “She is pink, mostly, adores sugary colours, all things frilly and sweet. But know this: she’s meant to be an ironic statement about the way women feel hemmed in by the pressures of being pretty and sexy.” (Edited by: Rebecca Lowthorpe).

So after reading that, there was an understanding “Ahhh…”, because that’s the kind of irony I like to see/hear. And let’s face it, it doesn’t get any more ironic than this. It’s like a sarcastic, sugary, almost overwhelming visual statement that is impossible to go by unnoticed. Just by looking at photographs from the show, I wish I was there. Whether you are actively participating in the show or part of the audience, it would be equally exhilarating. You can almost taste the visuals: candy colours, pastel shades, vivid and fearless combinations that make their debut in the form of clothing, make-up, hair and accessories. All this is emphasised by the theatrical, picturesque props and performances that decorate the show.

So if you want to indulge in some sugary sweetness without rotting your teeth, here is your answer.

Photograph Sources

Top three: http://alexloves.com

Bottom three: http://www.londonfashionweek.co.uk