If there was one celebrity who could give me hope for mankind, that would have to be without question Paul Newman. At the age of 83, he passed away from lung cancer Friday, September 26 in his home near Westport Connecticut. Aside from being a great actor, a gorgeous man, he continually pushed himself throughout his life, He married his wife, Joanne Wooward in 1958, at the age of 47 he took up race car driving, his wife and him built an amazing salad dressing empire which donated all profits to charity. Newman was just a modern day superhero, though not in a cape and a blue spandex suit, but in real terms… staying true to himeself, helping others and keeping humble.  I’ll miss him… but thank goodness the salad dressing isn’t going anywhere.

My Favorite Paul Newman films

Cool Hand Luke (1967)

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)

The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)

The Sting (1973)

Screen test with James Dean

Two of the most beautiful men that ever lived… swoon….

Last week multi-talented and ultra stylish Nagi Noda passed away from complications in surgery. She was 35. I wrote about her amazing animal hair hats just a few months ago. Other than that I didn’t know much about her until articles surface like WendyB’s hat lady post, and BoingBoing’s final video post. I must have spent the better part of the afternoon looking at all videos directed the late Ms. Noda, each having a delightful sense of humor and an overwhelmingly lovely personality. It’s a shame that I’ve gotten to be a fan just as she’s gone.

The Final Video

Meg Precious, very cute… I think I’ll start listening to Japanese Pop…

How to get Poodle Arms

Workout video with poodles. Sweet.

Drinking Soda Nagi Noda

If they aired this commercial stateside, I would have never given up on Coke.
‘It’s the right thing to do’ Sang by Jack White

“I’m not perfect, but I’m perfect for you,” Grace sings…

Although her image overshadowed her work in music and film, it shouldn’t be understated. Her box haircut and androgynous clothing made for the perfect ‘powersuit’ of 1980’s, but as she projected a much more expressive, abstract image, she remains in the collective memory as one to transgress from fashion to art. Ah, the days before all the celebrities had stylists…

I stopped in my scrolling tracks when I came across Stehpen Meisel for Vogue Italia ‘Elegance as Form’ on Foto Decadent. It appeared to be directly inspired by Grace Jones herself.

Under the influence

I’m not trying to say that every short haired black woman in an ‘avant garde’ get up complete with Philip Treacy hats is trying to be like Grace Jones, but she was the first person to quantify that look. And did a very good job of it. I’m wondering why they didn’t mention her, because to me it seems like an homage.

The Real Thing

I’M LIKE AN OLD WINE THAT EVERYBODY TRIES TO COPY BUT CAN’T QUITE GET THAT TASTE, DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? TOO MANY PEOPLE CHEAT AND TAKE THE CREDIT FOR SOMETHING THEY HAVEN’T DONE. BUT I CAN SEE THROUGH IT. I SEE IF IT’S FALSE. ~ Grace Jones

Like a lot of people, in the early 90’s I was a huge Nirvana fan. I actually got to see them play in 1991, it was my first concert without my parents (my first concert with parents was New Kids on the Block in 1989). When Kurt Cobain committed suicide in 1994, I was genuinely saddened by the loss of a talented musician. Frances Bean was just a baby then, and Courtney Love was far from getting her life together(?). Having famous parents must be difficult. Having the watchful eye of celeb-obsessed public scrutinizing your every move, although many of us had a difficult time coming of age, for some reason we think money and fame should make one exempt.  Some children of famous parents rise into their own, Stella McCartney, Angelina Jolie,  Ivanka Trump. And the shaky ones I don’t want to talk about.

I don’t normally like to do ‘celebrity’ type posts, but when I came across these pictures, I thought Frances Bean was such a beautiful child. First off, I can’t believe how much time has passed since she was born. And secondly, I really hope she doesn’t fall into the same trap her parents did. Now 15 years old, Frances Bean Cobain gives an interview with Bazaar magazine.

She says, “These people are fascinated by me, but I haven’t done anything. If you’re a big Nirvana fan, a big Hole fan, then I understand why you would want to get to know me, but I’m not my parents.

“People need to wait until I’ve done something valid with my life.”

“I get it, I really do, but at the same time it’s creepy.”

“I am a fabric sensualist,” she said. “I love fabrics. Cashmere, velvet, silk chiffon. . . . If it feels good, it doesn’t have to be particularly beautiful. I buy clothes sometimes just because I like the way they feel.”

Style-wise she’s famous for her long flowing chiffon or velvet dresses, the wind blowing in her hair. Her look is very ethereal. One of her greatest inspirations was Janis Joplin, who wore silk blouses and feathers. The young Stevie would make trips up to San Francisco to shop at Velvet Underground where Grace Slick and Janis Joplin got their clothes. I don’t think that shop is still around, oh dear, it’s nice to know I’m not the only one who shamelessly copies my fashion heroes.

Quote taken from LA Times

According to model booker Sandra Robbins, “a style icon is someone who relates to ‘her time’ and dresses ‘in fashion’ with a personal twist/signature.”

It lead me to ask, who inspires me, style-wise? Admittedly I don’t know much about fashion, I’m learning every single day who designs what, or even about models (I just can’t keep up). I spent the majority of the morning contemplating who I find to be the most stylish, who, I would like to aspire to be like. It’s very difficult for me to chose an actress, or a model, simply because I’m not sure if they are the ones who make the decisions. They may be beautiful, but are they visually literate? With celebrity stylists and personal shoppers, I can admire the outfits, but with today it’s hard to tell
what’s real and what’s styled and Photoshop. (Even, I am Photoshopped… eh… sometimes).

The one person who I imagined could take my breath away, is Georgia O’Keefe. From early 20th Century Stieglitz portraits through her old age, she’s stunning. If ever there were a campaign for growing old naturally, she’s it… as I ponder how I can scrape the funds to start a botox habit, O’Keefe, shows me that beauty and style comes from something we can’t see. It’s a presence that permeates every section of our being. Of course, visual literacy helps… but those are only details.

So, I’ve shared my inspiration… who is yours? And why?