Mad Men Movie

Have you seen Mad Men's new poster?
I know its being subjected to all sorts of bs controversy regarding some apparent insensitive relevance to 9/11 and the Falling Man picture taken back then and apparently the internet is deeply hurt and what not. Its quite pointless so you don't really need to look it up. Just people looking for ainween type issues and being successful in finding them. Congratulations! Job Well Done. Now you can sleep easy knowing that you have accomplished nothing.
No bs controversy can taint my Mad Men glory.
Nope.Not even a little bit.

I personally think the poster is real cool. If you think duh she's gonna say that she's a raging fanatic, you are right.It would have to be real ugly or terrible for me to not like it, but thankfully, its neither of those.Its minimalistic, does'nt say much but the image isn't strangely resonant and instantly recognizable.Also very mystery inducing (mysterious?) if I may add.My favorite part is that in the poster, they haven't even written the name of the show, they've just written in their typical format the date that it will be premiering. Its really restrained you know? Is not overly eager etc. Just enough to pique your curosity and get you excited. A little teaser for all those of us who are dying to see the show return. I dunno about you, but the more I look at the poster the more I really like it.No?
BTW.
Most most important. The premiere- is literally a movie. It will be  a two hour episode, which is longer than most movies- just think of it as most Oscar nominated films that seem to have no discernible beginning / moral of the story / happy ending- type of plot lines , know what I mean? If you've seen The Descendants you will know. And its not like two episodes sandwiched together , its just one really long episode i.e a movie. I can't wait...am thinking of throwing a Mad Men viewing party, but I'm afraid that there will be no viewing and just chattering and that kinda defeats the purpose. Or. or or or. I could keep it on the day its premiering March 25th, when it will not have premiered here in Pk but in honor if it happening soon enough.
 I can almost here the opening soundtrack.

The Perks of being a Sample Sized Starlet

So the SAG awards took place last night, and I think I enjoyed the fashion more than the Golden Globes.
Maybe it was more out-there, maybe its me , maybe its because I was very pleasantly surprised to see gowns by Givenchy and Giambattista Valli (my faves) worn by Zoe Saldana and Natalie Portman. And you know what's really cool? they both wore gowns from the latest collections. Yep, the one week old spring couture collections from Paris Couture Week. How fast was that? I'm thoroughly impressed, I didn't anticipate this in the very least; oh the perks of being thin and famous.
Khair I'm really excited about this, because you know how much I love both these labels, and that the gowns were worn by starlets who I kinda like, and am okay with them. Imagine if it was worn by someone who I find annoying (Rachel Berry) it just wouldn't sit well.Nope, it wouldn't. Either way I'm the type A jealous sort who finds it hard to digest the starlet brigade having it so easy when it comes to fashion, Rachel Berry or Blake Lively would be like knives through my heart. Thank you God for sparing me.

So what do you think?pretty cool na? I kinda like the Valli look with the head-dress but obv that can't happen.The collection had other pieces that I would have liked to see more than this one, but who am I to be ungrateful- I'm just happy to see Valli on the red carpet.As for the Givenchy, it was'nt my favorite out of the collection, and does look a bit lackluster here (blasphemy!) in the day light, but in the auditorium it really sparkled. I Also wish she had more of a bust for this dress, it looks awfully flat- especially compared to Natalie Portman- as I'm sure you can see.Having said that, I do think ZS carries it off better than the model.

Elie Saab Spring Couture 2012

Today, while mistakenly seeing Elie Saab's spring/summer RTW collection instead of Couture, it came to me-the reason for the Label's success: He is the Zara of  high end fashion labels. I mean this in the best possible way.
The thing with the Lebanese designer's clothes is that they are simple and gorgeous. They are complication free, you don't look at them and think 'what is this?'- not that that's a bad thing, I mean I do find that range of clothing interesting- but with Elie Saab- his creations are immensely likable for a much wider audience than most couture creations. Classy, elegant, sexy, glamorous and pretty all at the same time. The primary aesthetic rule with his gowns is that the woman has to look good, and feel good- his fashion isn't imposing and intimidating- that's why he is such a success on the Red Carpets; his clothes work and you don't have to try very hard for them to work.With Haute Couture, sometimes you have to 'get' the piece- with him, he doesn't bother you with such details. And they are gorgeous- no two ways about that. Effortlessly glamorous.
For his Spring Couture collection, the dresses displayed some brilliant handiwork, inspired by floral patterns, with a few appearances by full skirted printed gowns as well. Slim evening gowns with intricate, crystal embellished embroidery were the most prominently featured though.
The entire collection was in beautiful pastels of mint green, peach, yellow, baby blue and ink. Its a much welcomed change after all the bright, bold colors we have become accustomed to seeing in the past few years. This was very delicate, fairy like, shimmery and sheer. The entire collection presented us with the same look, essentially the difference was just in the color, the sleeves, neckline etc, but in essence most of them were different compositions of the same gown, Not that I mind, it s a visual treat- one that is not hard to digest. That's the thing with Elie Saab, you know you'll like something or the other in his collections- like Zara. His clothes may not make the editorial crowd and the fashion insiders to get too excited, but the rest of us- we're happy with him.

Miracle? I Think So.

Last night something miraculous happened.
My headphones, long pronounced defected by me, thanks to my sister's curse of ruining every headphone she lays her hands on, started working again. Perfectly fine.
Now you can imagine my disbelief, it was only a few months back that one of the speakers stopped working.I clearly remember it- I was quite annoyed when it happened. I had been left without a pair of headphones; how would I now workout? I replaced them promptly due to this dilemma- asked my father to bring me a new pair, as those nippy little bud-like ear phones that could be found in every drawer in my house just don't work for me. I think I haven't discovered the science behind them yet, especially when it comes to working out because they keep falling of my ear,or becoming loose- and so the sound isn't so loud and pumpy, and I'm permanently trying to plug them in properly. But head phones- they never become looser, you don't have to constantly plug them back in, and they cushion your ear so that all you hear is music and none of the other stuff around you. You get the picture, right?
Last night, my old headphones , which are identical to the new pair my sister got yesterday were lying on my table. I had put them away, declared them incompetent, hadn't seen them in months- what were they doing outside in all their tarnished glory? I had even forgotten what the defect was in them- thought the headband had been broken (the fate of another pair of headphones ruined by my sister)... nope, the headband was fine. I plugged them in my phone recalling the problem had something to do with the sound. The sound was good, both the speakers worked, I did multiple tests to confirm it.Nothing was wrong- they worked absolutely fine.
HOW???

I figured that maybe my little sister left her new pair upstairs due to some godforsaken reason. I called her and asked her if they were hers,since  they couldn't possibly be mine- mine were kharaab. She denied it, hers were right next to her. What? No. This couldn't be. How could this be? I demanded my little sister to show me hers, suspecting this to be some cruel joke, where I got my hopes up only to be told they weren't mine after all. It wasn't. They really were fine. They worked. Both the speakers. So weird na?
It's a post-Christmas miracle. The little glowing light in the cold/dark/timewaster month of January. Right at the end.
Things can get fixed, on their own ,long after you think that they will never be the same again- you just have to let them be for a bit.

I Miss the Original Valentino Woman.

I told you about the G's, how I was excited about Giambattista Valli and Givenchy for Spring Couture 2012.
They delivered fully.
I was also excited about Valentino. Being a big fan of the label and the man himself(who has retired now, and doesn't design for the label anymore) , I expect a lot from it. I have written previously about how Chiuri and Piccioli have reinvented the Valentino women. She's more demure, she's more coy- she doesn't need for her femininity to be validated and celebrated like the Valentino Woman of the past.
That's all great, but I propose that the sexiness be reinstated.
We miss it.
I miss it.
The recent couture collection was extremely girly,light, graceful and weightless. But that's not what we look for with Valentino. Yes- new designers need to bring in a new perspective, and of course to try and emulate  Valentino himself would be no good, because legends cannot be imitated- so perhaps it would be best to close that chapter when he left, and start a new one afresh. I get the sentiment, I really do. But from what I remember, Valentino has always been sexy, and known for it celebration of the female form. Its not shy, it never was- why deviate so drastically from the USP? I truly believe Valli would have been a good continuation for Valentino-because he follows the same direction. Chiuri and Piccioli could perhaps explore that gorgeous confidence that Valentino provides for his women in a different way, in a subtler or brasher way- whatever the case; but to complete change the identity of the iconic Valentino woman? It does'nt really sit well. Maybe I'm too fond of the old to accept the new.
The spring couture collection shown in Paris a few days back, runs in the same vein as the Valentino spring/summer collection shown back in October (September?). The same poeticness is there- and I appreciate it, I really do. The collection is very romantic, subdued,prairie,wood nymph like.You'd associate it with with purity and chastity. But again- This is the Valentino woman we are talking about. I really wonder what Valentino thinks of this. I'm not saying it snot a good collection- it really is, if I didn't look for Valentino in it I would probably be head over heels in love. Its beautiful, some of the work is surreal. But again it comes down to the same thing, I would not see it and say aha! Valentino! Maybe they are drastically trying to break away from its previous image, but why? Its like the age old adage- if its not broken, why fix it?  I miss those gorgeous gowns that would make every person sit up and notice the woman who walked in them. I miss the confidence those clothes gave to the woman wearing them, how she oozed out self assurance and glory. I miss the effect she had on others. The new Valentino woman is pretty much a wall flower- intimate, shy,evanescent. She does not want to be seen.

Okay, enough lamenting- tbh- the collection is a must-see, but I guess when you are looking for something, its very disappointing to not find it. I must add, the collection has been recieved very well- some reviews have said that its the duo's best collection yet, others have said it was the best collection of the entire Couture week.Only Cathy Horyn from NYT seems to want more womanliness as opposed to girliness from the label, like me.

What was I looking for? :http://challengedaesthetics.blogspot.com/2011/12/valentino-museum.html

 Gorgeous, I know- remember I never said the stuff wasn't beautiful.

Wizard of Oz quote

 Another great quote I found, while again going through my DP - but this time with the source:

Wizard of Oz

"Hearts will never be made practical until they can be made unbreakable"

- Tinman, Wizard of Oz

Anonymous Currently

I have a habit of writing anything I come across that amuses me in some way or the other in my day planner. So few days ago I found this quote in there from a few months back, for which I failed to write down the name of the author ,and now I obviously don't remember. But I like it enough to share it, maybe this way I can find out who the author really is.

We expect these big answers about life from our experiences, but we only manage to get vague hints.We look for too much around us,and we fail to recognize truth when we see it. We expect one thing to be everything and everything to be one thing.; with these kind of expectations its not surprising that it all amounts to nothing.