DS {SS13 MUUSE Special Edition}

Posted on May 15, 2013 by chicalarusse

DS2 Saying it’s been one hell of a journey would be a definite understatement when it comes to the immense progress my close friend Daniel Silverstain has made in such a staggering-short-period of time. And now to top of all his previous conquests (showing at the New York fashion week as a finalist for ELLE NEXT and making the cut for the 10 most promising designers selected by VOGUE Talents’ senior editor Sara Maino for the MUUSE x VOGUE Talents Award 2011 only to name a few…!) he has joined forces with MUUSE for a special capsule collection YOU will be able to purchase online right away via the Kickstarter web-site (for an incredibly affordable wholesale price available only in the first month of the launch! After that the price goes up to retail…) and throughout Skandinavia in selected boutiques! An important detail that grabbed my attention is how exclusive this line is; Each style is created in limited editions of just 50 – 100 pieces. In other words, if you haven’t yet, rush away and get your hands on a grid denim or a signature a-symetric tailored jacket! One thing I can say for sure- supply won’t last!

For a little tease watch the Kickstarter trailer;

Thanks to MUUSE I got “first dibs” on a head to toe Daniel Silverstain limited edition in white denim, and from my test-drive on the shoot with Greg I can tell you the street’s reaction to that “Proper Attire” was simply unforgettable. A sound decision was made. I must have the blue denim look TOO.

Oh, and I don’t want to spoil the surprise but let’s just say there’s more from where that came from But in the meantime shop shop shop!!!

Photos by Greg Adams

{NIC+ZOE}

Posted on April 27, 2013 by chicalarusse

They say prospective is everything in life; Well, sipping Champagne on the 44th floor, with the city to my heels, life doesn’t seem too bad after all… This week, as a refreshing change of scenery I attended a live fashion presentation hosted by Harper’s BAZAAR for a brand that you may not all be aware of just yet, but is certainly worthy of a note. NIC+ZOE, the Boston based knitwear company is named after Dorian’s children, the brand’s founder and visionary. After looking at the end product up close I can say that NZ offers a quality solution for today’s demanding schedules most women have. Long days we are all familiar with call for comfort and the balance between the above and looking your best is quite tricky to find. What I like the most about Dorian’s lines is the fact she never sacrifices looks or quality in her quest for comfort, and while keeping silhouettes simple and flattering color and texture are constantly explored. For this evening I was lucky enough to snatch Noa Rennert’s latest creation; hand knit coat intertwined with Marabou feathers and a rib pencil skirt. Clockwise; My chaperon for the evening, Daniel Silverstain, Hearst Corporation Loby, Model wearing a look from the NIC+ZOE Summer Collection and Zoe Chafield-Taylor of NIC+ZOE.My favorite look from the presentation is the “Twirl Dress” which you can also find on the company’s web-site in iconic black and white (surely on my Spring Shopping List!) along many other pieces (I also like the Tipped Mix Top) that will find their way to your wardrobe, after all – at that price – it really is hard to resist…

Thank you for a lovely evening and a little bit prospective

{Ambassador’s Treat} Hermès

Posted on February 1, 2013 by chicalarusse

Last week as a perfect finale to my winter break a package landed on my doorstep, wrapped in festive orange along with a greeting card embossed with a familiar emblem of chic. You can imagine how ecstatic I was to discover Harper’s Bazaar had chosen my post as a winner on our latest Ambassador’s “duty” and a pair of my very first Hermès sandals was my treat! Hermès had always been a synonym for timeless allure in my world, a brand I always look up to as a designer simply because it’s always this impeccable combination of a super tangible product, a high standard of quality and attention to details. As you all know by now, I’m in my senior year and the countdown for my graduation has begun along with the relentless preparations for the launch of my senior collection… And in my world, when it comes to design (or perhaps, when it comes to pretty much anything…) God is in the details, and there are only a few names up there I take an admiring example from, the house of Hermès is undoubtedly one of them. So, with a wide grin on my face (a pleasant side effect that came with the package) I decided to pay a visit to the Madison Avenue boutique and see how it’s done, because when it comes to execution of your own ideas it’s always good to learn from the best; To let your hands float on the stitches, seamlessly learn a thing or two you can never pick up sitting in a classroom… So although my primary goal was market research I didn’t leave empty handed. After I lost my favorite silver ring in the craziness we recall as hurricane Sandy I had to find a worthy substitute and this darling (below) surely fits the bill! I don’t know how about you, but I certainly am waiting with anticipation to their next Fall collection…!Top image courtesy of Hermès and the rest are my Instagram concoctions…

{Unexpected Boost of Inspiration}

Posted on January 17, 2013 by chicalarusse

So, I don’t know if I shared the fact that I’m devoting my winter break to educating myself about American History (as you can imagine, my boyfriend is thrilled…!) but in a rather surprising manner it proved to be a refreshing experience that truly arouses my “grey matter”. Yesterday, as part of my collegial obligations I crafted together a presentation about an odd “couple” in history (well it’s kind of the point) Eleanor Roosevelt and Halston. Although at this point of my life, I am well familiar with the glamorous creations of the later (Halston was an American fashion designer prominent in the 70′s) I was incredibly inspired by the feisty longest serving first lady that perhaps didn’t fulfill the fashionable quota but surely “made-up” for it in many incredible ways… I don’t know if there will ever be a first lady that will be able to compare to Eleanor but there sure hasn’t been one like her since. I think that many of us, in complete disregard to our gender, give ourselves an occasional “discount” and blame reality on circumstances, where we came from, our appearances or society’s expectations as for what we should be. Eleanor lead truly grand life despite the fact she had lost both of her parents at a young age and never really knew maternal affection (the story tell her mother society belle Anna Hall, was disappointed by her daughter’s “plain looks and lack of manners”…) or got to grow up with a father figure (her dad passed away when she was only 10 due to acute alcoholism…). Her passionate ways to pursue her beliefs for equality, women’s and civil rights touched something in me, and the fact she was so bluntly oblivious to any criticism upon her ways suggests a lesson I was fast to catch… It might sound strange, coming from someone that paid a fair share of bills with appearances, but I feel that today, side by side with women’s obvious progression in the race for power and on the career front, there’s an increasing focus on our looks and what doors these may open for us. And although I’ll probably forever stay enthralled by the spell of true splendor, I can’t help but seriously considering removing beauty from it’s fast placement as a condition for success. Surely, it can’t hurt but cultivating our other talents seems more crucial today then ever before… If you’d like to read further about Eleanor check out this article, perhaps it will spike your inspiration as well…

{M.Miles} Beaded Grace

Posted on January 15, 2013 by chicalarusse

One of the highlights of 2012 for me were our trip to Arizona this summer, and alongside rediscovered inspiration that came from the Grand Nature this area is abundant with, I found myself falling for an unexpected object of desire. Beaded jewelry was one of my favorite adornments during my high school days, in fact, when I first received my very first piece from this brand (a gift from my boyfriend, when we first started dating…) I though to myself, if only I could hear about this jewel back then! Anyhow, to sum up the matter, after meeting Marianne, and going through the endless amounts of lustrous merchandise (the owner of the company and also the woman that inspired it’s creation the first place) I knew this brand’s stock will soar in no time. We decided to bring the jewels to New York and shoot a look-book that will do justice to a rare product of hand made craftsmanship and attention. Every piece is gathered by hand in an undisclosed location in South America from glass beads imported from the Czech Republic (considered the highest quality in the world). But to be completely honest, what impressed me the most was the amount of light these reflect, what can I say? Every girl has a soft spot for the shiny! So here’s a little taste of what we depicted… As this is still work in progress while we try to find ways to offer these beauties to private customers (Marianne’s company operates solely with boutiques at this point) if you too have fallen for the beads and would like to receive the full look-book and place an order contact me in private and I will make the arrangements to contact you with the head quarters is Arizona.

A huge thank you to our talented cast Greg J Konop the photographer, Connie Hau in the make-up front and off course our lovely Natalie Yegorova that joined me on the modeling task!

{Uptown Girl}

Posted on January 11, 2013 by chicalarusse

Head to Toe CHIC. Model Cora Emmanuel in ’Uptown Girl’, Harper’s Bazaar UK February 2013, Photographed by Yelena Yemchuk. Found here

New Year {Style} Resolutions !!!

Posted on January 6, 2013 by chicalarusse

Okay so we all know that along with a new year come all kinds of resolutions, promises we make to our selves (or perhaps to others as well…), assessments of all sorts and certain changes we simply can’t proceed without applying to our day to day lives… After having a second look at my 2012 post, I realized just how much black I wore this year. Which is completely fine since I do love it quite a bit, but sometimes I crave just a little bit of color but on the other side, I don’t want to “give up” the black completely, it always feels CHIC and makes me feel confident day or night. So first style resolution- More COLOR please! I like how both Joanna Hillman and Taylor Tomasi Hill (two of my favorite gals from the New York fashion scene) incorporated dark colors with some color, not too much, but just enough to make things interesting…

Another soft spot I’d like to revisit in 2013 is Black and White. Timeless and oozing of style this combination has always been a top choice in my book.Resolution #3 would have to be Hats. I couldn’t help but notice I slowly aquired a small collection of caps and fedoras, but the trouble is I rarely wear the beauties, well, there’s no better time then the present!#4 Embrace yourself. One thing I can live without is self-judgment, especially when it comes to fashion, and I think that this year I’ve finally come to terms with my own sense of style. Of course it will evolve and change till the day I die, but the general gist of things is that I’m a true classic… I’ll never design or wear clown-like look at me type of fashion, it’s just not who I am and that is okay. So, whatever it is you are, be it, just do it well. And most chances are I’ll never stop loving black or monochrome outfits, however I will always strive to improve the two, I think Anya Ziourova and Arizona Muse (below) done pretty well to say the least…#5 Dare a little. So although I’m not a fan of people who get dressed to have their picture taken (at all cost) I do think that pushing ourselves a little is essential, walk on unknown territories, even if only for a short run! I’ve always admired Vika Gazinskaya and her elaborate yet sophisticated sense of style, it’s never an over-kill but always chic!All images courtesy of Harper’s Bazaar.com (excluding the above right – stockholm streetstyle)

{Denim Zone}

Posted on January 3, 2013 by chicalarusse

Mmmmm denim denim denim… I remember the day I first laid my eyes on my very own brand new jean-jacket in the 90′s (not a given in post-communist Russia I must add) I didn’t know much about fashion or anything of that sort but I can tell you that much, even though I was only 5 I could tell I looked pretty cool… Goes without saying, the rest is history So beyond the fact that I’m simply in love with the image below (I mean head to toe frosty chic! The Jacket? And the cap?! I want it all.) here’s a peak at Teen Vogue’s Denim Zone spread from the latest issue…

Images via Teen Vogue ,February 2013 Photographed by Mark Segal, Fashion Editor Heathermary Jackson.

Home {CHIC} Home

Posted on January 2, 2013 by chicalarusse

I guess it’s this time of the year again, ever since I escaped a catastrophic roommate situation 3 years ago circa December, I was doomed for a pre-Christmas lease-signing fiasco. Luckily, this year the odds were in our favor and we’ve managed to prolong our stay in our current flat, which I quite like. And despite this aura of a constant “maybe” (we’re going to move in a bit again) hanging in the air, a part of me hopes that perhaps this year our ‘Home’ will be on a bit more of a solid ground… And you know what that means? Decorating of course! I was doing a bit of brainstorming via Pinterest… A girl can dream…! I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I’m really into black and white at the moment, but only as a touch, not as an entire theme… I love me color in my rooms! Oh, and by the way, Happy New Year my chic readers!!! It’s official, 2013 has landed…!

{2012}

Posted on December 30, 2012 by chicalarusse

What a year. It’s funny, it seems as though it was so long and eventful (to say the least!) but at the same time, the memory of this very day last year stands so fresh in my mind… I think that more than anything for me this year was all about pondering. The last 3 years were probably the most hectic {and game-changing} in my entire life and within all the commotion I rarely had the luxury to pause and just think about it all for a moment… This year I forced myself to reflect, to have a close look at who I’ve become, who I aspire to be and how long is the distance between the two. I think that this year, sort of against all odds -ironically- something clicked into placed and perhaps that’s just part of maturing but I’ve realized that some things just are what they are and that is ALRIGHT. It won’t come as a shock to you all when I say we live in a very competitive world in so many different aspects of life; our looks, our intelligence, our pockets, our fashionable taste buds, the amounts of our creativity, our endurance under the stress and our talent persistence are all put to the test of “fair” competition, day after day. And that is alright too, but the point is no matter how hard you try, you can never beat “the hand” and the cards you’ve been handed are the only ones you can use for your victory.The question is are you willing to learn the trade and use what you’ve got to produce the best outcome under the circumstances. I won’t sugar coat it guys, it’s been a tough one for me but at times also simply wonderful. Looking back on it all I can’t find the words to express my gratitude for all the incredible people life has sent my way; my talented friends without whom I could never make it through the year ,my handsome beau that challenges me every single day to be the best version of myself, my dear family that I miss so terribly and all the contributors I had the great honor working with this year under operation CHIC a’ la RUSSE! So before we move forward and set the tone for what’s to come, let’s have a look, shall we?

This year started out in Israel with a series of reunion collaborations with a dear friends, Eldad Carin and Alona Bell that I’ve known for years from my modeling days back home. Goes without saying these are a few of my favorite posts ever shot for the blog (see the full posts here, here, here and here) I can’t wait for the next time! Along with good friends I had the chance to work with new collaborators, up and coming young Photographers from the industry in Israel. Shooting in my hometown with Amir Weiss (above) and with Guy Prives in Rabin Square in Tel-Aviv (see full posts here and here)Another promising collaborator which I foresee a great demand for is Julie Teitler that I had the pleasure joining forces with for our Open Field post (below)Back in the city working with established collaborators from 2011 like Greg Adams (below)And opening the summer season in NYC with Mario Delgado in *Eye Candy* (below) How can I forget our {Elecrtic Blue} incounter with Jacob Skoglund, probably the youngest collaborator in the history of CHIC a’ la RUSSE! (below)And off course our Brazilian wonder, Barbara Raso, in Neon Touch and Snake Skinned (Below) Barbara I miss you!Also the two latest additions to the CHIC a’ la RUSSE family Jaehee Hwang (below)And Oren R Cohen that was a sweet chaperon for a few CHIC events this year…(below)Including TLV Fashion Gala, a first event of it’s kind in the big apple celebrating the new crop of Israeli Fashion Designers, including Maria Berman, a personal favorite! The Gala was gracefully orchestrated by Galit Reismann, in collaboration with Dor Chadash. I was sporting a young Israeli designer of my own, Daniel Silverstain, wearing a fresh frock from the Runway (below) tlv-fashion-gala-instgram 20121115-_dsc03982 Speaking of runways, there’s no way I can wrap up this year without mentioning the colossal success Daniel had this year, starting of with a VOGUE Italy top 10 “MUUSE’s most promising designer acknowledgment and followed by an ELLE Fashion Next runway show in Lincoln Center NYC!!! (below) And I don’t want to spoil any exciting surprises but let’s just say much more is coming your way in 2013! However to conclude 2012, the cherry on the top for me is an exclusive partnership with Harper’s BAZAAR as a Style Ambassador! Thank you for considering me to be worthy of the title, I hope the new year will bring along many more exciting endeavors! Below is a peak into my first assignment with DIOR, at the launch of the Dressy Nudes palette…As I said- what a year…! Thank you all for accompanying me in that journey, I hope we all have an epic 2013 that will top any plans we have in mind! Stop by in 2013…!