Burgeoning acting career acclamation aside, thanks to her role in the much-hyped English big screen adaptation of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Rooney Mara's seemingly effortless style is swiftly conquering the hearts of many, including my own. A reincarnated Snow White, her sleek ebony crop (a product of her role as pierced, tattooed, computer hacking introvert Lisbeth Salander) contrasts strikingly against her alabaster complexion.
Mara's minimalist choice of attire works so well with her unique, more innocent Dita von Teese looks. She disregards accessories. She knows what colours work for her (a winter palette of bold blues, blacks, whites and jewel tones) and an oh so subtle, blink-and-you'll-miss-it nod to the silent screen era infiltrates into her much coveted wardrobe. At every event, she ticks all the right boxes, although some would argue this is merely down to her playing it too near the "safe" margin. Ostensibly, it would appear Givenchy is Mara's go-to designer when it comes to red carpet events.
As the hoo-hah of the consecutive Fashion Weeks prevail, my religious and consistent following of it have resulted in my more "general" posts taking a backseat. This is half of the excuse for my delay in manifesting this particular post. The other half is down to the fact that the subject matter is something of a, well, controversial nature. It is a more recent debate, which has divided opinions right down the middle - the Marmite effect. And no, I'm not distributing my views on whether or not the wearing of fur should be deemed acceptable or if Marc Jacobs took things too far by permitting 14 year old models to walk in his f/w '12 show last week. No. The hot topic I am addressing in this post is the enigmatic Lizzy Grant, alias Lana Del Rey.
Over the years there have been many celebrity folk who have been filed under the "Marmite" section of the filing cabinet in the office that is pop culture. Some self-confessed, a la Lily Allen, and others, like Lana, are automatically chucked in due to the whirlwind of mixed opinions that seems to arise out of nowhere regarding them.
Lana propelled to stardom after the video for her song Video Games (a home-made video montage of herself and other miscellaneous clips soundtracked by the wounded love song) went viral on YouTube. The song continued to provide the musical accompaniment for Christopher Kane's s/s '12 show at London Fashion Week last September and now, she adorns the cover of the March 2012 issue of British Vogue. Alexandra Shulman, Vogue editor, says of Lana's acquisition of such a, to many, prestigious honour of gracing the cover: "She is probably one of the newest stars in her field that the magazine has ever had on the cover".
So why the controversy?
Like a bully in a school yard, there are bands of keyboard warriors skulking around their natural habitat (the internet) in search of new victims (in this case, Del Rey) to latch onto and devote the best of their time to trying to drag said victim down - be it to boost their, possibly critically low, self esteems or simply for their own sadistic amusement. On my own Twitter timeline, I've witnessed crude variations of the singer's name being tossed about in a carefree manner but for no reason whatsoever other than the people in question don't like her. They don't even bother specifying as to why that is. Some claim they don't like her music or the intense hype revolving around her. Fair enough, but is childish and, frankly, ridiculously nasty name-calling necessary? I don't particularly like Bucks Fizz but I wouldn't spiral off into a fury of malicious insults - partially because nobody would know who on earth I was talking about.
There is no doubt Lana is a beautiful woman - a reincarnation of the sultry, seductive pin-ups of the mid-century era who blew flirty, playful kisses from their photo on the page of a young army soldier's Playboy magazine, stuffed at the bottom of his mattress to avoid confiscation from the General. Her barrelwaves of fox tail-auburn hair that tumble loosely down her back, the sparkling sapphires behind the extravagant lashes and those lips (the lips - the Jolie-esque smackers that fuel the ongoing quest of the internet trolls to prove they are pseudo) all contribute to create this captivating, sad-eyed siren, crooning tales of heartbreak in that hauntingly endearing manner of hers.
From the point of view of style, Lana's Vogue shoot accentuates her pin-up image. A lemonade yellow sleeveless blouse and complementing collar from Louis Vuitton's impossibly girly, pretty and appropriate s/s '12 collection serve as the cover shot's ensemble. Lana's subtle, yet flashy, diamante jewellery are all her own, as are the elaborate, red-tipped talons at the ends of her fingers.
The remainder of the shoot is very feminine and I found it to be very Valentinesy which may have been the approach as this was all in the run up to V-Day (I also included this shoot in my Valentine's Day 2012 Inspiration post) - the pinks and reds that made up the basis of the shoot's colour scheme, the use of luxe textiles, clothing and decor, of satin, silk, fur and glitter, right down to the handwritten signature on the double page spread in her flirty, curvy print: "Lots of love, Lana Del Rey xxx".
The garments in question are, primarily, from the s/s '12 collections of Prada, Viktor & Rolf and Meadham Kirchhoff - overly girly, emphasising Lana's femininity and coquettish charm. Not forgetting, of course, the trademark wreath of flowers that crown her head.
Lana describes her look as a fusion of "Lolita got lost in the hood" and my personal favourite, "I live in Monaco but don't fuck with me". She insists that this image in which the world perceives her is how she naturally is - however, she doesn't see it as tangible, that she doesn't dress to fit a certain image of herself. Her ethos on clothing is that "If I'm going on television, I guess I should wear something nice, but that's as far as it goes". Interviewer and fashion editor of The Guardian, Jess Cartner-Morley observes Lana's inability to think of someone who she believes dresses exceptionally and offers Grace Kelly when pressured. She also includes her theories as to Lana's reluctance to reveal too much, and that it could relate to "the internet trolls who have it in for her".
As it would seem, the haters are the driving force for Lana's ascending success. She was chosen to supply the musical entertainment for SNL on the 18th of February (I was aghast at the vindictive tweets that are still surfacing in response to this when I scanned through her name's tagged tweets on Twitter this morning) and as an even bigger middle finger gesture to the Anti-Lana mob, Mulberry has launched a new bag, the Del Rey, in her honour.
"I love the design" Lana mused, "A perfect mix between old school Hollywood and contemporary style. It's such an honour that such a classic and prestigious brand would name a bag after me".
2012 will be the year of Lana Del Rey - whether you like it or not. The world is her oyster-studded knuckleduster.
I apologise in advance if this post may be a little smug-sounding, but as a firm believer in being different and a sucker for an underdog, I am ecstatic to see the success Nicola Roberts has been getting over the past while. Shunned in Girls Aloud, and was given an obvious backseat behind her bronzed, big-haired counterparts, I'm so glad to see her finally get the recognition she deserves.
While the rest of Girls Aloud have been booted off reality shows, been cheated on by husbands, enjoyed stints in rehab and fizzled back into obscurity, Nicola's career has blossomed, in a positive way. Her solo music career has taken off, she's launched her own pale makeup range, Dainty Doll, and become a budding fashionista, with Naomi Campbell as one of her admirers.
Nicola was given the pin-up look for this shoot by Catherine Servel, featuring Louis Vuitton and an aptly chosen Miu Miu dress from their very 40's FW 2011 collection. It's about time people are starting to realize the beauty that she is.
The ignored little ginger one is now the one making the headlines for all the right reasons. Cheryl Cole, who?
This is a very delayed post but then again, it's always excuses, excuses with me. Emma Watson has graced Elle magazine's front cover (UK version, mind you) for it's November issue. Emma is currently promoting her new film with My Week With Marilyn with Michelle Williams, although the ever-humble Emma only mentions it when she is asked.
The shoot itself captures Emma's youthfulness, with it's bright use of colours and fun materials. Two big trends for this season are also incorporated - the 60's and clashing textures. Feathers, faux fur, knits and silk are thrown around in girly hues, adding to Emma's innocent air.
The knitted 60's ski-style hood by Jil Sander looks like it a well preserved photo from a holiday in the Alps from the Swingin' Decade and Emma's natural skin, with prominent freckles, complete with Twiggy-esque lashes add to the time-warp feel.
(Note the Louis Vuitton knit playsuit and playful bunny ears).
Of course, Emma's lead role in one of the most famous book-to-film successes means this interview does not escape a few Harry Potter based questions and insights, but it is not the basis of the interview. Her upcoming part as Sam in The Perks of Being a Wallflower gets a nod too, but there is more emphasis on her style and the kind of person she is herself - not the characters she plays. Emma says what she thinks about the shoot and also an acumen into her style icons and preferences.
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"When I'm away for photo shoots, I tend to be very low-key. I tend to wear either navy blue or gray or white. So wearing all this bright pink and fluorescent colours is fun. It's like dress up. I love the 50's. I love Marilyn Monroe with her big red lips and that incredible cat eye, it's amazing. The 60's...Edie Sedgwick, I love".
After that last line, my respect for her quadrupled.
