aesthetic amateur

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Happy Hour

High on my apartment lust list is a bar cart. I have been noticing them on some of my favorite design blogs, and I think they make the perfect decorative-yet-functional touch to any living room. Ideally, I'd want to thrift a unique, vintage cart, and fill it with an eclectic collection of funky glassware and expensive liquors in antiqued bottles (I'd keep my real stash of Svedka and Captain safely in the freezer, obviously). Cheers!

Images via 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Kara Mann Design

Dark. Sexy. Edgy. Pretty much sums up what I love about the work of Chicago-based designer Kara Mann, of Kara Mann Design. She fearlessly incorporates dark walls and exotic pieces into some of the most luxurious spaces in Chicago; definitely an unexpected aesthetic, but it totally works. I need to go check out her showroom at the Merchandise Mart for some serious inspiration. Below are my favorites from a Lake Shore Drive penthouse she did, but be sure to check out the rest of her work here.

Living Like a Supermodel

I absolutely LOVE seeing the spaces other people (particularly famous ones) live in, and I'm particularly loving the series Lauren Santo Domingo is doing for Vogue, "APT with LSD." In this series, she gives us glimpses into the homes of famous models, so far including Coco Rocha, Amanda Brooks, and most recently, Jessica Stam.

Below are some of the pics of Jessica's Manhattan pad. I'm especially obsessed with the hand-carved Moroccan sliding doors; I mean, could you ask for anything more unique and unexpected in an NYC apartment? Reminds me of the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain... Stunning.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Avedon Fashion

For Christmas this year, I asked for this book of Richard Avedon fashion photography. I have long been infatuated with his work, and wanted a physical collection that I can keep and admire for years to come. I highly recommend this book, but I'm sure any of his other books are equally as fabulous.

Avedon was a visionary and innovator of the portrait. Steering away from the traditional technique of showing models standing still and emotionless, he found his talent in capturing the soul and personality of the subject through emotion and movement.

What amazes me about these fashion photographs from as early as the 1940s is that most, if not all, of the clothing could be seamlessly worn today! I would KILL to get my hands on some of these vintage pieces!

Each and every shot just oozes the kind of effortless glamour I fear has been lost in decades past, but also gives the fleeting feeling that you could have (in my dreams!) very well been present during the shoots. I'm enamored.

Some of my favorites:

Homage to Munkacsi. Carmen, coat by Cardin, Place Francois-Premier, Paris, August 1957

Dovima in Egypt, 1950s

Naty Abascal and Ana-Maria Abascal with Helio Guerreiro. Bathing suit by Brigance. Ibiza, Spain, 1964

Dovima with elephants, evening dress by Dior. Cirque d'Hiver, August 1955

Friday, February 4, 2011

Coveted

One of my newest site obsessions gives us an intimate peek into the homes and closets of some of today's most influential tastemakers.

"The Coveteur takes you inside the closets of internationally influential cultural forecasters, showing us what culminates in their personal style- one item at a time."

The Coveteur provides some serious eye candy: from some of the season's most coveted pieces, to timeless, one-of-a-kind collector's items, every shot is more drool-worthy than the next, and all beautifully photographed by Jake Rosenberg.

My favorite closet so far belongs to Joanna Hillman, Senior Fashion Market Editor for Harper's Bazaar: