Rave- Charlotte Gainsbourg for Balenciaga

I think Balenciaga got this one soo right. Leaving aside the fact who Charlotte Gainsbourg actually is (daughter of the legendary Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg - I mean hello!) she is the perfect French woman - the understated yet extremely sensual french chic and beauty is what she conveys in this ad - I don't think they could have picked a better person for an iconic house like Balenciaga. She is sooo much better suited to this than just the next pretty face model with luscious lips and empty/sexy eyes. Bravo Balenciaga! Love your work.

Lacoste - Unconventional Chic, Thoughts

I have been thinking about this campaign for a little while and I have decided that I actually don't like it. I understand what they are getting at with this but something is just not working about it. I understand that Lacoste is trying to take a different spin on glamour and chic and break out of the 'polo shirt' niche that the brand is currently in but I'm not entirely sure that such a literal interpretation is necessarily the most effective way to expand the brand perception beyond sports chic.

ID magazine cover - Thoughts

I don't know why I like this cover.. I think it might be her hair... or more specifically the hair colour. It's grey. As in the colour it turns when you age... I like the juxtaposition of her young face against the long grey hair. Something interesting in that... I guess that's because we hardly ever see grey hair on a magazine cover, it's nice for a change.. May be if we saw grey hair portrayed as cool more often we wouldnt all be so petrified of ageing. That is all. 

Kate Moss for Parisienne by YSL - Rant



Parisienne - 2011 ad campaign



I actually had the exact same thoughts last year when the first Parisienne fragrance came out, except back then I didn't have this blog. Well now I do, and Parisienne is having a re-run.

Kate Moss, aka ‘the love of my life’, the most stylish, my most admired is once again the face of Parisienne by YSL fragrance campaign.

I had mixed feelings when I saw this last year and I have the same feelings about it now. On the one hand, I love Kate Moss and she can do no wrong. On the other hand, I laugh at the fact that Kate, the ultimate Brit, the ex-face of Burberry (i mean, how more Brit can you get?!) is now also the "ultimate Parisienne"?!

I don’t really care if the message YSL is trying to send is ‘anyone can be a Parisian’ or ‘its your style that makes you Parisian’ or whatever it might be… I say – DOWN WITH THIS FASHION GLOBALISATION! Why is it that stereotypes are bad?? Some times they can be good.. Like the stereotypical French/Parisian lady.. the one who is meant to ooze elegance and chic and the je-ne-sais-qoui.

Like Audrey Tatou.. or Melanie Laurent.. or Marion Cotillard...

Kate Moss is a legend - not doubt about that. But in my humble opinion she was a wrong choice for this particular campaign. That is all. 

Parisienne - 2010 ad campaign

Elisa Sednaoui for Chanel - Rave

Really like that Chanel got the gorgeous Elisa Sednaoui for this season's sunglasses campaign. Now that makes sense - French brand working with a gorgeous French actress. I just think it reminds people (not that anyone has forgotten) where Chanel came from and that it is a quintessentially French maison whilst also PRing an up-and-coming Frenchie. Well done I say! 

Rave - Ksubi Kolors video

Ksubi is a really funky Australian brand that makes great jeans amongst other things. I own a couple of pairs and sadly gave away my old yellow ones in a garage sale (who knew they would come back into fashion?!). Anyway, I'm pretty sure Ksubi went into voluntary administration due to financial difficulties last year (or maybe a year before that). It is so great to see the brand is back in the game. They are truly funky and Aussie, and I love their new ad - weird and quirky.. just the way i like it :)


ksubi kolors from ksubi on Vimeo.

Tiffany & Co - new engagement ring ads - Thoughts

We all love Tiffany & Co. We not only love it because of Breakfast at Tiffany's or the statement blue box but because the jewellery is actually great. Tiffany & Co has something for everyone - if you don't have enough money to buy the gold Paloma Picasso necklace, you can get hooked by buying a keyring. Buy something cheap now so you feel like you are 'in' and then come back when you have the money - marketing genius really. 

Anyhow, this particular post is about the new ad for Tiffany engagement rings. It is perfect. So sweet. So sweet that it in fact looks too perfect and too sweet. In effect, there is nothing wrong with this ad - a perfect New Yorker couple (NB I appreciated the attempt not to pick Barbie & Ken so as to make it more 'real'), getting married in Central Park with the closest family and friends.

Firstly the concept. We all know that Tiffany is a quintessential New York brand. It has been in a hella lotta movies, Breakfast at Tiffany's and Sex And The City being the obvious ones. We already know that Park Avenue, 5th Avenue and Tiffany's is the holly trinity of the Upper East Side. We have been told the same thing since 1837. It's tradition, it's values, it's solid. Don't think it's time to tell us something we don't already know??? I mean, is it just me who is not appreciating the cheesiness of this ad? I mean, the yellow cab? Since when do brides get into yellow cabs? And why are people throwing confetti at them when they are coming out from under an arch in Central Park? And why is it that all guests are male in the third picture? 

I'm pretty sure that Tiffany already has a strong following amongst the Park Avenue ladies. It seems strange that they wouldn't want to modernise it a little and tap into a slightly different market. That is all.