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Eniko Mihalik (Marilyn NY)

jacket by Alexander Wang

Model dresser: Barbara Martelo (stylist)

In January she styled an editorial for VOGUE Spain with model Coco Rocha and photographer Arthur Elgort and in March, also for VOGUE Spain, she styled a shoot with model Chanel Iman and photographer Thomas Schenk. Don't know if anyone saw these, but the motion in the editorials was very Richard Avedonesque.

Regardless, Barbara always looks good at the Paris shows. :)

Style Icon Iekeliene Stange (MARILYN New York)

Hannah Holman (Elite NY) en route to the gym

Yeah Hannah did a Miu Miu campaign, yeah she had a great runway season, yeah it's official news that she's doing a Burberry campaign and 10 magazine editorial, but what about Hannah as a person?

What about all those "strangers" who friend request her on facebook?

"...they always want to talk about modeling and I have a life besides modeling"  

For the best interview that I could find that gets inside Hannah as a person, as a baker, and as an avid reader, click over to Modelinia's interview.

British VOGUE'S December 2009 Cover Girl: Lara Stone (IMG NY)

Q & A with NEXT Model Management Founder Faith Kates

photo by me, Craig Arend

Faith Kates is a modeling industry legend. She started NEXT Model Management in 1989. Recently, we sat down to talk all things modeling.  Needless to say, it was a great learning experience.   Enclosed are  few snippets from our conversation.  And to Faith and the people at NEXT, thank you!

WHY THE SECOND SEASON IN A MODELS CAREER IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE FIRST

Faith, "Realistically, there's so many girls that have gotten ruined because they come the first season, they're not ready to do those shows and they do them. And the second season they're like, 'but she couldn't walk last season.'  You know our job as agents is to prepare these models to get them out there, so that they do their job perfectly. ...we want to get them out there and we want them to know how to walk.  I always say if you can get them a couple of good shows so they have some confidence. Think about being young from Latvia...this is the first time you've ever been on airplane and you walk out from behind the stage. You walk out and you're in shoes this high (gestures to a 5" stiletto) and there's a thousand people looking at you with cameras flashing. Think about that very first moment. See that's the story you should start talking to the girls about is, 'What do you fee like?' So it's a lot easier to do that exact thing in a smaller show and then another show and another show and then by the time you get to Prada, you got it.

Craig, "So you might not necessarily try and book her for all the big shows?"

Faith, "Exactly. The first season is important but the second season is more important. Because the first season, lets say you got all the shows.  You've got to keep them the second time. It's easy to get the first time. Now you have to do the editorial. Now you have to be out there the whole time.   Because your only new once. (pause)

You are only a new girl once.

...you have to really know how to pace it. You have to know what you'll be able to sustain and not sustain."

ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE EDITORIAL IN A MODELS CAREER

Craig, "How important is editorial?"

Faith, "Very important."

Craig, "More important than campaigns?"

Faith, "It's all about VOGUE. If you are a VOGUE girl you are everywhere. Go into VOGUE magazine. You want to learn something, go in Vogue look at all the girls that are in the well. Go in Anna J, any one of them, Catherine, those are the girls that are doing all the campaigns. Those are girls that are in all the shows."

WHY GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH KEY PHOTOGRAPHERS ARE IMPORTANT

Faith, "...I think that in our world...when a girl starts, if you have one of the three or 4 really important photographers behind you, that's the girls that are making it. So if you have Steven Meisel, you have Mario Testino, you have a Craig McDean, you have a David Sims... you have one of those guys behind you, you're in."

Craig, "So that's the goal then?"

Faith, "That's the goal."

Craig, "Is that how you view your goal, moreso the photographer?"

Faith, "It is. You could walk in 1 show. I could get you to walk in Prada, you can walk in Gucci, you can walk in 1 show. But you didn't do good in that show. Or you know. You had the exclusive for the good show. I've seen girls have an exclusive to Prada and you never see them again. They weren't so great in the show.   But at least if you are in a picture, it's out there. and it's out there for at least a couple of months and people keep seeing it.  It's different.  It's on the shelf its always there...with magazines while they're sitting out there, people are able to take them home and they keep looking and looking and looking at them...."

Craig, "The photographers are the key then?

Faith, "The photographers and the magazines have all the power. Designers are important, don't get me wrong. They are very important. But I think it goes first with if you can get to the photographer. There are some girls that are really photographers girls."

ON THE IMPORTANCE OF A MODEL LIKING CLOTHES AND FASHION AS A NECESSITY TO SUCCEED

Craig, "Does a girl with a genuine appreciation for fashion and clothing fare better in this industry?"

Faith, "You don't have to care about clothes...I don't think you have to love clothes. I don't think you have to dislike clothes. I just think you have to know how to wear clothes and know what feels good and right on you."

Craig, "But like a girl who can get in touch with the artistic aesthetic of a Yohji Yamamoto because she's interested in style?

Faith, "I don't think that matters."

Craig, "It doesn't matter?"

Faith, "Not at all. I don't think it matters at all. I think that girl understands better what, and appreciate more what she's wearing but I don't think that that makes her a better model or makes her any better at what she does because she understands the dress"

ON TWO TYPES OF FAME FOR A MODEL

Craig, "How important is press as opposed to campaigns, editorials in magazines, and runways to a models career?"

Faith, "It depends upon the model. So there's a "high fashion model" lets call her that's doing all the campaigns and doing Vogue and doing all the shows. It doesn't matter. Because for her, her bible is the editorial, the Vogues of the world, and doing runway.

Then there's a whole other group of girls that, they are famous because of the press. They probably were not really famous models. But they became famous because they dated somebody that was famous, they were in the right place at the right time, they dated a basketball player, there was something about them that made them famous.

...There's 2 different kinds of famous. There's fashion famous which is what every model, I hate to say it , aspires to. They aspire to being in the well of American Vogue, they aspire to being photographed by Craig McDean, and David Sims, Steven Meisel, photographers Bruce Weber, like that.

And then there are girls that you know that their dream was to be in Sports Illustrated or to be in Victoria's Secret. Its a very different kind of famous and its a different kind of fashion. So its completely different. So there's two types of fame."

ON THE INTERNET AND PRINT

Craig, "...how important is the internet going to be to a models career as opposed to print publications?"

Faith, "I think we've all been struggling through it for the last 7 or 8 years. I don't see the print magazine or the newspaper or even the written book going away. As hard as I try to read and kindle it was the same as turning the pages. I think the internet becomes important because every day you can change it.

I do believe that the print magazine never goes away. I don't think VOGUE ever goes. I think that they are going to do business a bit differently."

AND FINALLY: THE BIGGEST NAMES NEXT HAS DEVELOPED FROM SCRATCH

Craig, "The biggest names you've developed from scratch?"

Faith, "Milla Jovovich, Molly Sims, Joy Bryant, Diane Kruger (the actress), Angie Everhart, Anja Rubick, Anna Jagodzinka, Catherine McNeil, and Jessica Miller."

Fashion By Bkstone Design

safari blook

baby doll dress

dust bcoat

Ece Sukan: model, entrepreneur, and Editor-at-Large for VOGUE Turkey

Ece Sükan, model, stylist, and owner of one of Turkey's most famous vintage shops.   She's also Editor-at-Large for VOGUE Turkey, the first issue which is due out in March of 2010 (last I heard).

Siri Tollerod (DNA) leaves Chloé

Siri Tollerød, 1 of 25 girls fortunate to walk Chloé.

Dorothea Barth Jorgensen (WOMEN NY) and Amanda Norgaard (SUPREME)

Dorothea Barth Jorgensen (left) and Amanda Norgaard (right) outside of Miu Miu.  Out of the hundreds of girls I shot during fashion month, none had a fun spirit as contagious as Dorothea's.   

EDIT/NOTE: the braids are hair extensions as designed by the lead Hair Stylist Guido Palau.  The difference between the extensions he designed for Miu Miu and Alexander Wang that I can see is that the extensions at Miu Miu were worn from the middle where the extensions from Alexander Wang were worn from the side.

VOGUE Brazil's August 2009 Cover Girl Aline Weber (WOMEN NY)

Brazilian born Aline spotted at Milan Fashion Week.

Constance Jablonski (MARILYN NY) The "Solo" Editorial Wonder

Hope for those of you that celebrate Thanksgiving, you were able to enjoy it with your loved ones! It was the Thanksgiving holiday here in the U.S. this last weekend, which is why I didn't post.  Now back to "regularly scheduled programming."  

While Constance may have walked more shows than any other model during the s/s 2010 season (72), she's one of the few who is maintaining that prominence in the right magazines during the off season as well.  

Harpers Bazaar Russia--cover November 2009--editorial 12 solo pages
VOGUE Paris--October 2009--2 eds, 7 solo pages
VOGUE Germany--October 2009--ed. alongside Baptiste Giabiconi, shot by Karl Lagerfeld
VOGUE Russia--November 2009--ed. 10 solo pages
VOGUE Nippon--December 2009--ed. 10 solo pages
W--January 2010--editorial

I'm curious to see what the future holds in store for her.

Laura Blokhina (DNA NY) in London as discussed by Brian Fee

Downtown avant-garde aesthete Brian Fee took a few minutes to discuss Laura Blokhina's style. In his own words, "she epitomizes effortless chic. It looks like she's out enjoying an early fall day in London while looking fierce, simply adorned but entirely captivating. The leather jacket and sandels add structure to a flowy easy look...however, she frees up the structure by rolling up the sleeves."

Paul Rowland: from 1 desk in the corner of an apartment to a global modeling empire

Photo by me, Craig Arend

Paul Rowland. A name that strikes reverence from anyone within the modeling industry. Paul is the founder of Women Model Management and Supreme Models, a visionaire extraordinaire, who can single handedly turn the course of the modeling industry at will.

His story is as interesting as are his accomplishments. Having managed some of the biggest names in modeling from Kate Moss to Iris Strubegger his success didn't come by accident, nor did it happen overnight.

Modeling found Paul. Over 20 years ago.

Originally, he came from Arkansas to New York City with the dream to be a painter. He had no close friends, no family, and no job when he arrived to New York. Working part time as a waiter, he was spotted by Click Models, the leading male modeling agency at the time.

In a common move, his agent left Click to start her own agency and Paul left with her. Then one fateful day, the birth of an empire began.

Paul's agent had to leave for Europe and she asked if he would be willing to man the phone. He said yes. Soon, he realized he was good at booking appointments. The businessman in Paul wanted to go where the money was at and when his booker came back from Europe, he asked if he and his partner John Gnerre could start up a womens division for the agency.

She said yes and in an unoccupied corner of the apartment, Paul made a desk from a piece of wood and set it on two sawhorses, set up a phone (there was no call waiting at the time) and got to work. It was 1988.

Two people, two phones, tons of passion and two decades later Paul's empire includes offices in New York, Paris, Milan and hundreds of people on his payroll.

Paul made it clear to me that he really doesn't care what other people think. He must've said this at least two or three times during the course of our brief conversation. While many will claim they don't care what others think, few will actually live it. From the art direction of his  personal photography to the girls they choose to bring into their New York office, he will not compromise his artistic integrity for the sake of winning the approval of another.

It's a life lesson we all need to be reminded of from time to time. In an industry where outer beauty is common, people with a great passion like Paul, who have the courage to live life by their own convictions and who live with a sincerity to themself are a rare breed and worth working to follow.

I know I'm following, how about you?

p.s. one question I did ask Paul was, "With print media struggling like it is right now in terms of getting advertising and pages being cut across the board among some of the finest magazines, what impact do you see blogs and the internet having on the modeling industry in the future?" He answered, "….the internet will definitely have a huge impact on magazine sales…but there will always be a place for publishing."

Hanne Gaby Odiele (SUPREME NY)

Amanda Norgaard (SUPREME NY)

Danish newcomer Amanda Norgaard as spotted in London. Check out the buttons on her coat by clicking or double clicking the photo above.

Destined for Greatness: Mirte Maas (WOMEN NY)

Mirte is one of the few girls who is going to turn an exceptional Spring/Summer 2010 catwalk season into an equally exceptional off season of high end campaigns and editorials.   Opening Alexander Wang and YSL was just the beginning.

Make no mistake of it, this  is a face to get acquainted with now.

EDIT:  you can now see these photos on  WOMEN Management's Blog!  

Fall colors on Mott Street with Hyoni Kang (FORD NY)

Her client list includes a VOGUE Korea cover, numerous V editorials, Victoria's Secret PINK work, and a Lacoste campaign among others.   She's even partners in a new vintage reworking business aptly named REBORN PROCESS which will be located in Soho and will have an online home within weeks.  

jacket -- vintage

cardigan -- Twinkle by Wenlan

heels -- Terra Plana

BAG -- REBORN PROCESS

EDIT: this series of shots is now also on the offficial  FORD models blog.

"Mixing It Up" with Russian Designer Vika Gazinskaya

I thought I'd throw some variety into the mix of Models Off Duty, so here is Russian designer Vika Gazinskaya applying make up while at New York Fashion Week. Back to regular street style shots tomorrow.

Sideways: Eva Jay Kubatova and Kelli Lumi (DNA NY)

Eva Jay Kubatova, VOGUE Italia's solo cover girl,  Feb. 2002 shot by Steven Meisel

Kelli Lumi, walked a select list of shows for S/S 10, including Christian Dior and John Galliano

Anja Rubik (NEXT NY)

Constance Jablonski (MARILYN NY) and Peter Dundas

AFTER the Celine show at Paris Fashion Week: Constance!  

BEFORE the Celine show at Paris Fashion Week: Peter Dundas in mid flight, the designer behind Emilio Pucci.

Snejana Onopka (WOMEN NY)

Isabel Marant studded boots

For the benefit of those who don't know, within her first year Snejana graced two VOGUE Italia covers both shot by Steven Meisel, a Prada campaign shot by Meisel and a Dolce & Gabbana campaign also shot by Meisel.   The rest is history.

I think her style here is simple, yet effective.

Lindsay Ellingson (DNA NY) and Chanel Iman (FORD NY)

Lindsay Ellingson (DNA NY)

Chanel Iman (FORD NY)

VOGUE Korea's June 2009 cover girl: Lee Hyun Yi (MAJOR NY)

On Via Senato, as seen after the Moschino show on Day 4 of Milan Fashion Week.

Edita Vilkeviciute (DNA New York)

NEW YORK - This was one time Martha Stewart wasn’t trying to set any fashion trends -- but she may have done so.

As she was welcomed back to work by employees at her media company in New York Monday, Stewart showed them the gray-and-white knit poncho she wore when she left prison in West Virginia on Friday.

She said it didn’t come from a fancy store -- but had been crocheted for her by a fellow inmate, who gave it to her the night before she left.

It was seen live on television around the world, as Stewart boarded a plane for New York following her release. Since then, Stewart says, there’s been a flood of e-mail and other messages, asking about the poncho and the pattern.

She says she’ll try to get that pattern from the prison inmate, who worked with yarn from the prison commissary.

Here are few simple tips on how you can style yourself, regardless of the body type and image.

Dress for yourself:

Stop worrying about what other people think of you. It is not going to take you anywhere. Your clothes reflect your state of mind, hence confidence is essential. Today clothes do maketh a man. It's all about being unique, different and positive - remember, style and comfort should go hand in hand.

Understand what colors suit you the best:

To know what color suits you, take an outfit and wrap it around your face to check if it looks good on you. If you feel you appear dull, avoid the color on the upper half of your body. Instead team a skirt, trouser, handbag or any accessory in that color.

Experiment:

Unless you experiment, you will not know what suits your body type. Experiment with as many as styles possible. You will be amazed at the variety of clothes that you can adorn. The key is to highlight your assets and camouflage the parts you prefer to hide. But never experiment for a job interview ,or perhaps for an important meeting as you tend to feel a bit self-conscious. You need to first understand if it works for you.

It's been over a year and 358 posts since Mrs Fashion started wittering and sharing her style tips with all you impeccably fashionable types around the globe. I've been thrilled to gain so many loyal readers and to discover a glut of thought-provoking, chic and excellently executed blogs in the process but I have run out of steam.

I had hoped to go out with a bang (instead of a whimpering trickle of non-posts) but the news is: I'm leaving you.

Or rather, Mrs Fashion is going on hiatus.

I used to find that long weekends away from Blogger made me tetchy so who knows what a self-imposed chasm of non-blogging may do to my nerves, therefore I may continue to post sporadically (when I am shocked by a particularly bad outfit seen on the street, say, or am privy to a particularly juicy piece of gossip). So please don't delete your links to this page just yet and do continue to check back ocassionally.

It's not goodbye, simply au revoir. Mwah, mwah. And anyway I'll see you in the Wolseley for breakfast tomorrow, won't I? BTW that colour looks fabulous on you.

If you've spent your entire life growing up under the wing of a Vogue editor-in-chief, you're bound to turn out fabulous. And Julia Restoin-Roitfeld, daughter of French Vogue editrix Carine Roitfeld, is no exception. The French art director/socialite splits her time between Paris and New York, and her style truly exemplifies such. She mixes classic Parisian chic with a more urban New York aesthetic, which has made her a style icon for every American girl who wishes she had that innate French fashion sense. Of course it doesn't hurt that she has unlimited access to mommy's extensive designer-filled closet, either.

The other day, I came across this quote from Julia from an interview with the UK Times Online back in 2006. I found it extremely interesting, coming from her Parisian perspective. She says:

"Living in New York. I can dress pretty much how I want to and people are less judgmental than they are in France. In Paris, women have this very classic touch that perhaps some New Yorkers envy, but it is very, very conservative. People have such fun with their clothes here and they are open to new ideas."

Shall we say, the grass is always greener on the other side? I guess after all this time I've spent envying the innate stylish sensibility of the French, I should take a step back and appreciate the freedom that New Yorkers have in the way they express themselves through their sartorial choices. But I still wouldn't mind having the best of both worlds like Julia.

I've been eagerly waiting my entire life (well, since I was like 10) to attend Fashion Week, so this past NYC Fashion Week for the spring 2010 collections was quite a milestone. And the good news is, I survived! I've never understood how editors can complain about Fashion Week being so tiring and all, but after witnessing the madness first hand, I'd say I'm a bit more sympathetic after the fact. But then again, it's Fashion Week, baby! Most definitely the best week of the year. Now that I've had the weekend to recuperate from the craziness and exhaustion, it's finally time to recap the highlights. Ok, here we go:


The ultimate highlight of the week was most definitely sitting front row at the 3.1 Phillip Lim show for AmEx cardmembers with bestie Courtney Peterson (see photos above). Andre Leon Talley and Linda Fargo hosted and did a Q&A with Lim on the runway before the show began. The collection was beautiful, wearable, and very versatile; looks ranged from a red lizard print trench to a pair of lavender, sequined slouchy trousers that could double as pajamas, to disco ball sequined shorts, to a machine washable red pant suit. The dresses Lim showcased were works of art in themselves; each a unique creation composed of some combination of lace, rhinestones, sequins, tight knife pleats, and leather panels. My favorite look was a metallic bronze disco ball of a dress (or was it a jumpsuit?) Either way, it was swishy, sparkly, and fabulous. The only misstep (literally) came when one of the models who had been struggling to strut in her heels the entire time, finally collapsed during the run of show. Not only that, but she couldn't get up, until another model finally latched onto her arm and practically carried her backstage. Yikes. And did I spot Erin Lucas from The City, sitting above the front row? Double yikes. But all in all, another great collection from Phillip.


So let's backtrack a bit. The greatly anticipated first-ever Fashion's Night Out was of course an amazing kick-off to the week. I started my night at the M Missoni store in SoHo where I mingled and snacked on one too many candy colored mini macaroons from Paris with the amazing StyleCaster crew and Kelly Bensimon who joint hosted the event. Bravo was there filming the party for Real Housewives and I was asked to sign a release form...eek! Praying I get cut out of the final edit. After several hours of champagne and shopping, we picked up and headed over to the Vivienne Tam store to celebrate the launch of Tam's newly designed HP Digital Clutch and to promote StyleCaster's live stream of the Vivienne Tam runway show. There was so much partying going on on the streets of SoHo that I'm not sure anyone was actually shopping. I mean, shopping under the influence? Never a good idea.

Earlier in the week, I also got to interview Ted Gibson, Bobbi Brown, and Nonie Creme from Butter London who is super nice and totally British (always have a weakness for the Brits!). And Ted Gibson is absolutely adorable. Loved sitting next to editor-in-chief of Style Republic Magazine, Brittany Law, at the Gottex show and StyleCaster's Jessica Karcher at Anna Sui. Watching Natasha, Lily, Sasha, Chanel, and Jess Stam walk the catwalk in person was beyond amazing--Natasha is just as fierce as I always imagined her to be! Oh, and the safety pin details at Vena

Violet is associated with religion and spirituality. It is the darkest color on the color wheel. Positively, the qualities of violet are concentration, spiritual inspiration and insightful discernment. In fact, those attracted to this color often have artistic, creative and spiritual interests. The energy of violet has very much to do with inner searching and seeking of a deeper understanding. Because of its associations, it is not an easy color to wear for daily events. However, when carefully worn, it can add considerable distinction and deepness to the appearance.

Care needs to be taken in choosing the right shade to suit one´s own personal complexion. If you have very dark colorings, you will look better in a strong, primal violet. This will set of your own dark and expressive colorings beautifully. Apart from the primal shade, ash blonds and most brunettes will look superb in this hue, including all of it´s amazing shades, from lavender to lilac and muted purples. Natural redheads and brunettes with reddish highlights in their hair and warm complexions will look great in muted violets or indigo blues. The freckled blond person with a warm complexion will look superb in violet-blue hues.

Because of its religious connotations, it needs care when wearing this color effectively, unless you are working in a spiritual or artistic environment. In business, it can be a very good color to wear to suggest refinement and depth of thought. It should only be worn in smaller amounts: as an accent for a tie, scarf, belt or jewelry. People with darker complexions will look excellent and most dignified in pale, icy shades of violet for shirts or blouses. All shades of violet add a distinguished and elite quality to the appearance. The lighter the shades, the more they lose their religious connotation and can be worn more freely. All shades, pale and medium, will echo a composed, subtle and dignified quality. They are also good to wear if you wish to increase your own sense of value.

The Dolce and Gabbana brand and sunglasses are designed by Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. Their eyewear and fashionable items are known for their modern use of color and contemporary design. The other products and fashion items they design are; clothes, handbags, watches and even mobile phones.

Dolce & Gabbana has two main product lines, one known as: Dolce and Gabbana which is mainly luxurious items. This line is apparently more formal and looks at long-term trends rather than regular seasonal changes. The other line is known as D&G, which is more flashy or young trendsetting brand.

Dolce and Gabbana have the designer tag and are made in Italy. They are found in high end department stores around the globe and have store in Milan.

The brand name has gone from strength to strength and known worldwide.

But, it hasn't always been a easy ride for Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, as there has been a couple of advertising campaigns that have been labelled sexist and degrading to women. There is also alleged tax evasion from the Italian government, which got the pair and company a lot of media exposure.

All that talk aside, the Dolce and Gabbana fashion brand, states both sophistication and style and the sunglass collections are carefully crafted of high quality materials. Such as one model of eyewear, offers high durability titanium materials in the frame for a signature look.

The Dolce & Gabbana glasses are a high end design. Hollywood celebrities, rock stars and well known sportsman all over the world wear them. Brad Pitt has been spotted in his the Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses and they do look pretty cool, although is that Brad or the eyewear making them look good?

Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana have turned the idea of wearing dark glasses into something chic and pleasurable. Dolce and Gabbana glasses are among the most up-to-the-minute eyewear available anywhere. For the fashion conscious these sunglasses will leave just the right concept.

Don't you just love it when something you wear all the time suddenly becomes 'fashionable'? I feel so ahead of the curve, when really it's a mixture of dumb luck and consistent dressing. All these long skirts everywhere, i can have my pick from full, sleek, black, white, chiffon, cotton... All paired with a flat leather sandal. Long skirts are perfect for summer, what with their easy, breezy vibe. After seeing the Chloe show I'm on a search for the perfect white silk skirt, summery and sleek.

My question is, how much of this idea of Opium - of any perfume - is informed by the advertising campaigns that saturate our society? And, then, how much is informed by our own olfactory experience of the scent? Undoubtedly the exotic orientalism is present within Opium in the patchouli, the bergamot, the amber, the myrhh, but it begs the question whether the advertising images constantly reinforcing it through headscarves, reclining day beds, expensive silks and oriental patterns emphasised what was really just present. Similarly, do we identify Opium with sex because of the musk, the wood, the tobacco (favoured post-coital vice, one hears) and the earthy undertones, or because we've seen that Sophie Dahl ad, or the Kate Moss one, or the Maria-Carla Boscono one, where flesh is the currency and you're getting your money's worth.

With Opium, the kind of perfume where everyone has a story and just the merest whiff can take you reeling back to another time, I suppose the real question is why. It has been written that the reason Opium has such a potent effect is because when it was first released women wore far too much of it, soaking themselves in it and striding forth to conquer the world. The effect was nothing short of horrible, as Opium is worn by far too many people who really shouldn't wear it. And in large amounts you can only imagine the impact it would make. It's the kind of perfume that anecdotes surrounding entering lifts and being hit in the face with a huge wall of sticky scent are referring to.
I do bad things whilst wearing Opium. I sneak out of my house, I dance on tables, I flirt incessantly (which i never, never do), I fight with my friends. It's like the alpha female within me comes out to play, and I can't ward her off until the base notes, with their tobacco-y pungent-ness, die off. But do I do it because my brain is addled by the amber and I'm driven to all sorts of lip-biting insanity. Or do i do it because I've seen the advertisements, they've been absorbed into my subcobscious, and I'm forever trying to recreate that image (just as how Chanel number 5 drives me to a search for chic, and Stella by Stella McCartney inspires me to wear flirty little dresses and flash knowing little smiles). Or do I do it because I just want to, dammit?

Who knows. That's the mystery of Opium. I've written this whole blog post, and if you go home and spritz a little on you you're going to have a completely different experience to me. You'll smell things like Taragon and cloves, minty lily notes, and sticky honey. And then it begins. Well, enjoy the ride. Opium takes no prisoners.