Be Reckless Enough To Gamble All Or Nothing To Follow Your Dreams

-Monsieur John Galliano

"All life is an experiment." - Walt Whitman

A very special xmas present from my Momma was Influence, the gorgeous coffee table book by Ashley and Mary Kate Olsen and edited by Derek Blasberg. I'm being inspired not only by the Mary Kate's chunky thick eye lashes (below) and handful of rings, but also by the many thoughtful interviews with some beautiful artists, photographers and designers.

Fashion show producer Alexandre de Betak is "light obsessed." When it comes to sex, Lauren Hutton says nature is always looking to make a masterpiece. (So be careful who you make masterpieces with.) Terry Richardson, master of the stark, grainy, emotional photograph (Batman and Robin 1996) says: "Every day we feel different; sometimes we're happy; sometimes we're sad. But to photograph someone as they are is my favorite." Oh! And brilliant Giambattista Valli says he always uses an art reference in designing collections. Art like the entire collection of of Peggy Guggenheim, then Rembrandt, then for his Fall 2008 collection, the question "What would happen if Little Red Riding Hood ate the wolf?

Urban Princess

I gave you a preview (and another and another) of this shoot long ago last summer. These talented peeps all worked together to make some beautiful fashion/beauty/city magic: shot by Peter Greene, styled by Alison Nicole Grisé, makeup by me, hair by Megan Rabe and model Jillian Rabe with the Raw Action Bboys.

The Prettier The Flower The Farther From The Path

My dear friend Katie asked me to model in a shoot for a photography class at Oregon last summer, and despite being incredibly uncomfotable in front of the camera (at least in a formal setting), I agreed (but only because I love her). The feeling of adventurous summer took hold and we wandered around Eugene and stumbled upon abandoned trains and into the dynamic little peacock park up on Hendricks hill. While we were wandering the train tracks in the Whiteaker district, I grabbed the camera and got the photo of her above.

Katie hand developed these in the dark room, making them even more special in our time of over digitalization.

Finding The Courage To Reach Unreachable Stars

"I sometimes think that all you tell me of knighthood, kingdoms, empires and islands is all windy blather and lies." -Sancho Panzo

Don't ask me why it's taken so long to post these finals (photog Shaun Mendiola, beautiful work as usual) from Jasin Weiner's senior project, but anyway, here they are!! Maria Blandino and I rocked the makeup and Critter Pierce styled.

The Harder To Get The Better To Have

I'm really excited for this upcoming shoot, with my beautiful buddies Brittany Powers and Tim Shroyer (below). Shaun is shooting with stark, bright lighting like the W shoot with Ginnifer Goodwin (top), and I'm going to style them with leather and black and a lot of bling. Kate Hudson's makeup by Dick Page (above) is perfect, like black leather. But just like black nail polish, black lipstick needs to be taken down a notch so as not to scream 2007.

I'm thinking twilight colored, not midnight.

I See You.

A perfect photoshoot, with some crazy talent. Shaun (as good as they make'um) rocking it on the cam, and Kyla as beautiful and natural as ever. I used Arbonne concealer and pressed powder, and blended out M.A.C. Carbon eyeshadow around her eyes for that seductive smokey feeling.