Let LOVE Rule

LOVE like everything else in our diverse world comes in many different forms, in various scenarios and under atypical circumstances.

The news broke yesterday that Playboy founder Hugh Hefner is engaged to Crystal Harris. The BIG deal appears to be the issue of age (Hef is 84 and Crystal is 24). The news made me smile and genuinely happy for them, ageism is the last thing I thought of. I was saddened however to see that the news was "trending" on twitter but many of the tweets were negative. The terms "cradle robber", "grave robber" and "gold digger" were being thrown around as hundreds of tweeps made a feeble attempt at comedy. This public display of negativity and judgement really got me thinking. As a society have we become so jaded, pessimistic and negative that we cannot accept the fact that the pair simply LOVE each other? they as consenting adults have chosen to spend their lives together? and make a commitment to one another? If we put aside all the labels such as age, status and wealth I feel there is LOVE there, regardless of its origin.

"A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams" John Barrymore






I applaud anyone who has the courage to live an unconventional life, create their life the way they envision and live on their own terms. So, BRAVO Mr. Hefner for not only creating your own vision and dreams but living your life in the way YOU want to no matter what. I must confess however I am happy to see you drop the barrage of tacky "girlfriends" and spend your time and energy on just one special one. I must be clear however, I LOVED the original 3 GND and they are not the "tacky" girls I am referring to at all. XO Imagine how boring our lives would be if we were all society's version of cookie cutter, homogenized, generic versions of human beings. I love that there are extremes in life and in love.



We are all entitled to our opinions (thankfully) in this free world but I guess my idealistic and human self would love not to see everyones reactions immediately default to the negative. Let's make "love" and "happiness" the trending topic on twitter for a change.

There is such awful, tragic and depressing items in the news, why as a society do we try to turn even the most beautiful one, such as a marriage into a joke, or have a rude comment that one feels the need to share with the world via twitter or any other form? Lenny Kravitz said it best "Let LOVE rule" and we will all be better off as a society. Let's try to evolve our humanity shall we instead of being terrible negative examples of the human races devolution.

Good Luck to you and Crystal. May you enjoy each moment together.






"Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being "in love" which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident." St. Augustine (from the film: Captain Corelli's Mandolin)

**Fashion Note: CRYSTAL Evolution Vintage would be HAPPY to provide you with Vintage Aurora Borealis crystal necklace & bracelet for your BIG day! or a fabulous Vintage clutch (that can be your "something old" or borrowed)













www.evolution-vintage.com

Life In The Fab Lane: Kimora's Evolution

The hit Style network reality show "Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane" returns with an ALL NEW SEASON!! Set your DVR's for Sunday January 9th @ 9/8c

I'm looking forward to this season of the show as I have every season BUT this one is extra special as I will be in one of the episodes. You will all have to tune in to see why!


See the trailer for the season HERE:






I have to honestly say that Kimora in person is STUNNING. Seriously have you ever been in the presence of someone and you felt your proverbial "jaw drop"? that's how I felt when Kimora entered the room. She is truly beautiful and exotic.





I also have to also take this opportunity to call bullshit on those folks at Kellwood Corp. (you know the people who purchased Baby Phat from Kimora and Russell Simmons back in 2004). They complained that "It costs thousands of dollars to airbrush her because she's a size 10". Besides the fact that Kellwood is representing sizeism by implying that there is something wrong with being a size 10, I feel compelled to call them out on their unprofessional statement about Kimora's recent departure from Baby Phat. That's right kids: SHE IS NO LONGER WITH BABY PHAT! Kimora herself has never denied the use of airbrushing and I can say from personal experience she is not a size 10. However she would be just as beautiful as a size 16 or at any size. I personally feel that her departure from the Baby Phat brand she created is a creative blessing in disguise for Kimora who is now on the path of evolution. Personal, professional and creative evolution that seems to have no limits for her.





Expect to see a re-launch of her web site http://www.kls.com/ , a new fragrance and much much more to come in 2011. I am interested to see where this Style Maven, Modelling pioneer, Mommy and mogul will go next. Tune in to see my first ride (of many I hope) in the Fab lane and I must say, I really enjoyed it.

You have come a long way baby from the CHANEL runways in the late 1980's (where by the way she made history as the youngest model to grace the catwalk at that time and be the finale bride!).





She and I are contemporaries, she on the catwalk at 14 and me a student of fashion since the tender age of 10 (we are close in age). I remember taping on my VHS machine Kimora on the Chanel runways Spring/Summer 1991. She has a deep history in fashion, can you even imagine being Karl Lagerfeld's MUSE at the age of 14?? or at any age? With her creativity, dedication, kindness, compassion, resources, honesty and take-no-shit attitude the sky is really the limit for Kimora! Love her or hate her there is no denying her true place in the FAB LANE!

When we met in person finally it was as if I have known her for a lifetime. She is very personable, warm, funny, intelligent and no BS ~ Which I LOVE!!

Thanks Kimora for my day in the fab lane, may it be the first of many!


Kimora & I (wearing a Vintage Asian jacket - http://www.evolution-vintage.com/ )

FOLLOW KIMORA ON TWITTER: www.twitter.com/OfficialKimora

Style Maven Series: Kathy Ireland

Kathy Ireland is known to many as the face (and body) of Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition and model through the decade of the 1980's. To me she is the ultimate MOMpreneur and Mogul.

She started her company, Kathy Ireland Worldwide in 1993 with a line of socks by Moretz. Now Ireland, who is the CEO, sells complete lines of clothing, home furnishings, books, exercise videos, flooring, lighting, and window treatments that are all meant to be stylish yet affordable for working women and mothers. Collaborating with other corporate partners, Ireland's $1.4 billion dollar (in annual gross sales) label offers 15,000 different products. Visit www.kathyireland.com

Most recently she has added a bridal collection of gowns and a line of hair extensions to her list. Her motto/vision: "finding solutions for families, especially busy moms.”™

Kathy is a married mother of 3 children and is one of the most generous and kind celebrities. She uses her time, money and resources to genuinely help others. This video is but a fraction of what she does and who she helps via her philanthropic efforts.

Philanthropic Work of Kathy Ireland - Click here for more home videos

I had the chance to ask Kathy my Style Maven Questions:

LISA: Can you describe your personal Style aesthetic AND attitude about fashion?

KATHY: Because in the last century, I worked as a model, my fashion aesthetic is eclectic. My passion for fashion comes from a desire to serve. So many women feel left out of the fashion world. My goal is to make fashion inclusive. Beauty lives in every shape, size, color and age. Lets celebrate that truth! When I designed my very first collection, there was a battle to include products for women to who larger in size. That made me furious. Why should choices be limited? There is no shame in weight gain. When my weight is higher than I wanted to be… my fashion style doesn’t’ change. I always support body cooperative dressing. I love fabrics that flatter and forgive. I embrace my body and it’s curves. They are God given. I love color. I wear beige, but it’s not my passion. If the outfit is beige… accessorize with bold jewelry, tops of color from hand bag to shoes and scarf! Whatever your size or shape, please, don’t be afraid of color. Colors make us radiant. Don’t ever try to use fashion to make yourself disappear. Love your body as it is and never hide, be proud of who you are. That doesn’t mean, we can’t always be healthier and make progress… but, love yourself as you are, starting now.

LISA: What are the key components / pieces in your closet?

KATHY: Jeans with a touch of lycra… a blazer, a simple white dress, a vintage sweater coat and colorful blouses that will take me anywhere at any time. I love to layer. Sometimes I’ll wear a blouse over a dress to give it a jacket feel. Jewelry, handbags and shoes change everything. I have some cherished clothing and accessories that are vintage and precious. A boa, a 1920’s dress that makes me feel as though I just walked out of a George Hurrell portrait and again, our collection of jewelry and hand bags which freshened everything, and I always have pairs and pairs of socks. In boots, socks are so comfortable!

LISA: How do you feel about Vintage Clothing and Accessories?

KATHY: You already know I love vintage. I adore it! We cannot have an appreciation for that which is new, without paying respect to vintage. Timeless. Classic. Inspiring. Forever. Those are the adjectives that vintage congers up for me. You will always find vintage inspiration in everything I design.

LISA: What are your favorite Vintage pieces (Clothing and/or Accessories)? Do you only wear designer vintage?

KATHY: I wear vintage wherever I find it. I love mixing it with things that are new. As I said at the beginning, my fashion style is eclectic. Long live vintage and hopefully our designs today will become vintage tomorrow. Thank you so much for walking with me on twitter and allowing me to participate in your glorious blog.

LISA: What are you wearing this fall? Tell our readers the key elements for your Fall/Winter wardrobe .

KATHY: Knit dresses, long sweaters, two belted cashmere coats, linen shirt and a few great pairs of jeans. I also love some short vintage, print dresses and our entire new collection of social occasion dresses from kathy ireland Weddings by 2be My favorite colors this season include… purple, olive green, beige, camel and jewelry to add that special sparkle.

Kathy also pulled Vintage items from her personal collection and supplied Evolution Revolution with these exclusive photographs. She is VERY Vintage Glam and reminds me of the silver screen siren Ava Gardner --

KATHY (Click on images to enlarge):

Here are some of Kathy's Looks:

Kathy you inspire MOMpreneurs and women worldwide with your dedication, hard work, style and kindness ~ A Mother, a Mogul and a MAVEN.

EVOLUTION VINTAGE'S PICKS FOR KATHY:

1960's sheath dress w ornate sleeves

VINTAGE Yves St Laurent (YSL) skirt

Vintage baby blue semi-metallic clutch

SHOP EVOLUTION VINTAGE

My Mamma's "DREAM BARS"

Tis the season to over indulge. I this spirit and mind set I felt compelled to share my Mamma's recipe for her "Dream Bars". They are an amazing mix of sweet and salty and perfect for any holiday gathering or Christmas goodie basket. It is simple to make solo or with the kids.



What you need:

1/2 cup (125ml) BUTTER

1 1/2 cups (375ml) Graham wafer crumbs

1 can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 cup (250 ml) semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 1/4 cups (300ml) flaked coconut

1 cup (250ml) chopped nuts. You can use mixed nuts or just your fav's like cashews. I use the MIX


What to do:


Preheat oven to 350 degrees (180C)

In a 13X9 inch (3.5L) baking pan melt the butter in oven (or microwave it then pour into the pan)

Pour butter into the pan.

Sprinkle gram wafer crumbs over the butter, mix together and press flat into pan.

Pour Eagle Brand milk evenly over crumbs (it's super thick and takes a few minutes to get it all covered)

Bake 25-30mins or until lightly browned.

Cool well before cutting into squares.

Store loosely covered at room temp. or in the fridge. It also FREEZES well so you can make it now, eat it later!

I just literally baked it. It is stil lcooling so I could not cut it yet to show the squares! AMAZING. One of my favorite holiday treats!!

LENNON LEGEND

30 years ago today the world suffered a great loss in John Lennon. We all know about his achievements in music as a Beatle but I feel that his most important achievement on this earth was trying to spread the message of love and peace. He was part of a dialogue of words that everyone was thinking but no one publicly said. He used his fame and platform to spread his message of Peace and Love and protest his disdain for all the violence, killing and war. Love is the answer ...




People can say what they like about Yoko Ono but I have to hand it to her. She has carried on her mission with John for 30 YEARS. Today marks the day I married the love of my life, 2 years ago. I really feel for Yoko. I could not imagine the suffering and pain the loss of John has caused her. I admire her that she has kept his memory alive and continued, unwavering, doing the work they started together. Her dream of peace on earth has never died, and neither has John really. We can all honor his memory by living loving and peaceful lives and standing up for what we believe in.

Imagine, dream and act; maybe one day and one day the world will live as one.



CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE


Save and print this image for display around your home, in your car or hand it out to friends and family. Spread John's message of PEACE. It is all up to US now.


Send your wishes, memories to the IMAGINE PEACE TOWER!! www.imaginepeace.com

Learn about the concept and significance of the tower here:



Yoko gave this statement to the press yesterday (Tuesday Dec 7, 2010): "On this tragic anniversary please join me in remembering John with deep love and respect," Ono said. "In his short lived life of 40 years, he has given so much to the world. The world was lucky to have known him. We still learn so much from him today. John, I love you!"



Gone but NEVER forgotten. IMAGINE PEACE ~ REMEMBER LOVE XO

Style Maven Series: Dita Von Teese

If I could use only 2 words to describe Dita Von Teese they would be Timeless and GLAMOUR. To me Miss Dita is like a live avante guard runway show, a Hollywood silver screen film in Technicolor and a Swarovski crystal swathed enduring piece of artwork. I have to say that she is the ULTIMATE vintage style maven, a fashion icon and a true style inspiration for me. I love the bold colors, the hats, the accessories and the mixing of the vintage with the contemporary. Her display of fashion forwardness by highlighting and paying homage to fashions past is second to none. She is one of the only people who can pull of a head-to-toe vintage look to any event, with the hair, makeup AND accessories.

3 things you may not know about Dita:

*She is a natural blond

*Given name at birth: Heather Sweet

*Her Christmas Tree: “I have a pink foil tree that has chandelier pieces. It’s not bubblegum pink, but real Victorian, shiny pink. I like pink lights—I think it’s really romantic and flattering.” (www.fashionmagazine.com)

She is as famous for her Burlesque numbers as she is for her fashion. She is a fashion designers dream and a darling at several of the world’s most famous fashion houses ~ Jean Paul Gaultier, Elie Saab, Christian Laboutin, Dior, Louis Vuitton and Swarovski. She is the extraordinary showgirl on and off the red carpet. Her costumes are like a jewel encrusted dream. Dita has been compared to the Burlesque strip-teaser Gypsy Rose Lee but I think that Dita is in a class all her own.

(CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE)

Her world is not just garter belts and feathers; she is a self styled, self created fashion icon and brand. She brought her style to contemporary lingerie, with Wonderbra by Dita Von Teese. This vintage-inspired, limited edition lingerie collection for Wonderbra was a bestseller, and her 2nd season, the "Party Edition," was launched in 2009 all over Europe. Dita also has her own collection of full-fashioned seamed stockings with Secrets in Lace, which are available through their catalog and her website. She has teamed up with Perrier mineral water and limited edition bottles and cans with Dita’s images are now available.

She is the face of Cointreau with a signature drink: Cointreau Teese

1 1/2 oz. Cointreau

3/4 oz. Apple juice

1/2 oz. Violet syrup

1/2 oz. Lemon juice

Ginger

1 Violet

Preparation

Combine all ingredients and frost ginger around the rim of the glass. Garnish with a violet.

You can take a piece of Dita home with her many AMAZING products: Clothing, books, cosmetics, lingerie, fragrance, and MORE. Visit her BOUTIQUE

I had a chance to ask the princess of the pasties my style maven questions.

LISAG: Can you describe your personal Style aesthetic AND attitude about fashion

DITA: I admire people that have a personal sense of style that does not falter according to the trends, and I especially love those that dare to be different and take risks! Some of my personal icons are Isabella Blow, Anna Piaggi, Chantal Thomass and Marlene Dietrich.

LISAG: What are the key components / pieces in your closet?

DITA: Shapely black dresses with perfect tailoring, classic shapes, with the perfect amount of cleavage and the right hemline. I like to style these dresses with vintage jewelry, gloves and hats. A beautiful coat is also essential!

LISAG: How do you feel about Vintage Clothing and Accessories?

DITA: Most of my wardrobe is vintage! I began dressing in vintage when I was a teenager because I was never able to afford designer clothes. I would see similarities between looks I saw in magazines from designers like Vivienne Westwood, and vintage 1940's suits and dresses. I would seek out vintage bullet bras to get the look of Jean-Paul Gaultier. My aim was to get the look for less by scouring flea markets and vintage stores, and that is how my love affair with vintage style began!

LISAG: What are your favorite Vintage pieces (Clothing and/or Accessories)? Do you only wear designer vintage?

DITA: I wear what I like, regardless of the value. I do own some spectacular vintage designer pieces, like a 1954 Dior Paris Haute Couture suit which is labeled with the season and year, and it's in a famous book about Dior. But the majority of my collection is comprised of no-name dresses, or lesser-known designers. It's all about how you wear it, not how expensive it is.

LISAG: What are you wearing this fall/winter? Tell our readers the key elements for your Fall/Winter wardrobe

DITA: Wearing a fabulous coat is always my favorite thing about the fall and winter. I love bringing out my coats! I don't always have a new one every year, but when you invest in a great style, it doesn't matter. A great coat is THE key to looking chic in the winter! This year I am wearing a fit and flare black Dior, a 1950's Lilli Ann Princess coat, and my favorite, a Dior trench coat with strict shoulders that is dripping in black bugle beads at the hemline. The way I see it, if I can't wear bugle beads in the daytime, what good is it being a showgirl anyway?!?

You are a show girl supreme Dita! 

Here are some of my favorite looks:

(CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE)

You have personally inspired me Dita to even push my own fashion boundaries even further than I normally do. I LOVE cage veiling even more now!! XO

EVOLUTION VINTAGE'S PICKS FOR DITA:

1950's Black Velvet Dress

Feather hat w black cage veil

SHOP: http://www.evolution-vintage.com/

Gianni Versace ~ Fashion ICON

December 2 would have marked the 64th birthday for the Italian born fashion designer Gianni Versace. Since he was violently and senselessly taken from us in 1997 the fashion world has never been the same. I chose to start my tribute series on the day he was born in honor of the amazingly creative life he shared with all of us.

To me there is no possible way to sum up Gianni Versace in one blog or an article. He has been my favourite designer since I was a little girl secretly thumbing through my older sisters VOGUE collection and taping Fashion Television segments onto VHS. Imagine my wonderment at the age of 9 and 10 at the colorful images presented in the ad campaigns, the over the top, star studded runway shows packed with the most beautiful faces in the world. Then there is the clothes themselves.




Words alone can not convey the impact the world of Gainni Versace has had on me creatively. He was my very first "Hero" or "Icon". Looking back I'm sure my parents and friends found it odd for a 10 year old girl to idolize a fashion designer but he was my version of a superhero. My love affair with fashion can be attributed to Gianni Versace. I wish I had the opportunity to meet him in person but I will do my best in this blog seires in the coming weeks to take you on a journey that started 64years ago today in a small town in Reggio, Calabria, Italy in 1946 all the way to the steps of his Miami mansion in 1997.




We will take a look at each creative facet and season of his career, his family & personal life as well as the man himself.


With Younger sister Donatella and older brother Santo


He pushed boundaries.

He loved beauty.

He designed dreams.

Enjoy the colourful ride.


LisaG
XO