A girl, a style : Tank Girl

 These days, I'm a bit tired of the girls I see in the magazines and in the streets. They are all replicas of each others, with stripes, colours and vintage clothes. Conversely, some prefers a rock attitude, implying the addiction to some very trendy brands which have little to do with rock but with a clever marketing, such as The Kooples or Zadig&Voltaire. I didn't want to focus on one of those grunge trainee, and suddenly, I've thought about the comic's heroine, Tank Girl. This odd creature was created by Jamie Hewlett and Alan Martin at the end of the 80's. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, the comic focus on a nonconformist (it's the very least you can say...) tank pilot (hence her name, Tank Girl) whose adventures are mostly absurd, but hilarious. Now, Hewlett takes care of music band Gorillaz, and his punk heroine has quite fallen to oblivion. But her unique style still influence many indie girls, and could seriously kick the ass of all the punk-wanabees out there, starting with Taylor Momsen : Girl, dressing with black underwear is not original and cool as you suppose, so at least, put a mischievous smile on your drunkard head ...

Boots Nicolas Andreas Taralis £705 - Jean Eleven Paris 89euros - Sweater AllSaints £63

As a resident of an Australian desert, Tank Girl is not really keen on covering clothes, but she sometimes slips on tees and sweaters. If she would make some shopping, I'm sure she would fall for British designer Eudon Choi, whose designs seem to fit a post-apocalyptic world a la Luis Royo, another artist who could have a fresh influences on all those neo-punks. I also imagine that Tank Girl would not resist to the clothes of brands Obesity&Speed (they have an hilarious t-shirt with 70s former punk goddess Poly Styrene, and many other destroy garments), DimePiece (I'm in love with their collars, slightly less with their shipping costs) or French brand Eleven Paris, whose ambassadors are Lizzy Jagger, daughter of Mike, and Zoe Krawitz, daughter of Lenny, two potential Tank girls.

Charm Helen Ficalora $35 - Bra Urban Outfitter 24euros - Belt Boy London $8 on Ebay - Short Bitching&Junkfood 72euros - Boots AllSaints £185 - Watch La Mer Collections $198

But, most of the times, Tank Girl is hanging out with crosses taped on her boobs, or if she wants to be a bit classier, in some dark bras. She howled with laughter when she saw Katy Perry's video California Gurls, because, obviously, rockets bras are outweighing chantilly cream bottles ones ... For the bottom, she would certainly fancy a legging by Aguri Sagimori, but her preference would mostly head for a destroyed jean short, such as those of Evil Twin. Also, she is a bit fetishistic when it comes to crosses, and jewels in general. She has got a lot of them, badges, bangles, rosaries, and she would certainly love the cuffes and belts of Givenchy by Riccardo Tischi and the bullets pendants of Akillis. And if she wanted to be a bit sexy for her boyfriend Booga, she could puts fake suspenders panty hoses by Henry Holland.

Ellery Fall 2011

A tank is definitely classier than a motorbike, but if you would like to channel your inner Rebecca Buck (her real name) in a colder country, you would adopt the brand Ellery, which made a very appealing campaign for its Fall collection. A bit too aristocratic for Tank Girl though, but she would steal the  belts for sure. She would also kidnap Britney Spears and forces her to give her the Burberry Prorsum jacket she's wearing in her latest video, Liv Tyler, for her Givenchy dog sweater and obviously Kate Lanphear, for her integral wardrobe. I guess she would also appreciate the editor's do. Singer Cassie and Brit It girl Alice Dellal have also tried the Tank Girl's hairdo, in a more feminine version. Alice, incidentally, would be a recommended cast for the role of Tank Girl in a movie (one which doesn't suck, as the previous attempts did), much more than Ellen Page, as some geeks have suggested.

Alice Dellal

Courtney Love and Kate Moss have their adepts, so why not Tank Girl ? At least, her attitude is much more real and funky than all those IT girls who think that wearing a dark tee at the last MTV Push Party with CK One would make you a rock star. Neither does a Schott jacket, even a great red one. First, it is in the head. In the freedom of your thought. That's why a look at the Tank Girl's comic could not kill you (remastered edition from £6,48 at Amazon.co.uk). Alcohol and drugs could, however, so remember that you're not a comic heroine.

http://www.obesityandspeed.com
http://www.elevenparis.com
http://dimepiecedesigns.com
http://www.allsaints.com
http://www.urbanoutfitters.com
http://www.elleryland.com
http://www.layerslondon.com
http://www.shopbop.com

Decoding : The artist, the editor and the blogger

 Some weeks ago, a picture surfaced on the web have created such a sensation. We could see Anna Wintour, the editor in chief of American Vogue with her iconic pageboy bob cut, except that it has been dyed, and she was now sporting animal print hair with some odd bunny hears.
But soon, viewers have realized that this picture was merely a very faithful painting, coming from the exuberant imagination of a Swiss artist, Saul Zanolari.
This 33 years old phenomenon is an already renowned digital magician, who excels in merging photos and paint and whose world would have amazed Sigmund Freud. Zanolari's creatures are insolent dollies with gigantic plastic heads, fake eyelashes which would make Katy Perry green with envy, and moustaches. Yes, you've read it right, moustaches, even pornstaches, especially worn by the most famous models of the world.

 The surprising vision of Linda Evangelista as a udder with a moustache, which ranks directly after the work of Salvador Dali, will leave you flabbergasted, and quite excited. The burlesque and exhilarating show goes on with Kate Moss as a bird eating a worm, a devilish Marilyn and other funky fashion icons and drag-queens.
But what led the artist to strike at Anna Wintour ?
Sure, after all those years, the boss of Vogue needed a good make-over, she who has already been decked out with horns because she was suspected to be the devil out of the Devil wears Prada. But I am tempted to put another theory forward, purely far-fetched I admit.
Maybe Master Zanolari was celebrating the new Anna, the 2010's live wire vintage. Indeed, this year, the 61 years old editor has let her hair down ( everything is in the hair ) and offered us some memorable times, such as this delicious photo, taken during the Fashion Week.

 But my favourite remains her speech at the Teen Vogue's Fashion University, the last 24 October, in New York. There, the most famous fashionista of the world told the kids that the best thing that could happen to them is to be fired. Ah. Oh, said the world.
But no, Anna Wintour didn't go berzek, nor is developing the first symptoms of Alzheimer, as some tactless journalists have murmured. Neither she is the devil, advising people to loose an insecure job they have struggled to get, in a period of crisis and unemployment. I think that the piece of advice was good and of the best intentions. Sure, life is challenging and the more challenge you get, the stronger you become. But that was working in the 80s, when the population was smaller, when there still was job offers and when the bosses weren't afraid that hiring would ruin their budget. Now that half of the graduates are unemployed after university, as well as almost 10% of the population, I think that Anna's tirade is very outdated.
But don't misunderstand me : I respect her.
I think that Anna Wintour is the grandmother every fashion blogger dreams to have. Ah, watching her knitting a D&G sweater under our Christmas tree, while eating the foie gras ice cream she has prepared just for us ...

But as every grandmother, we are nodding to her pieces of advice with a tender smile which means "That's cute, granny, but the world has changed, things are not the same anymore !".
I'd love to be fired. You know why ? Because it would mean that I have actually managed to get a first job. And by job, I mean a real one, with a salary and health insurance, not another internship. A job that would not lead me to precariousness because I have to pay a scandalously high rent just to live in the city, because all the good jobs are only in big and expensive cities. Being fired would mean that I have had the opportunity to prove my value at work. No, instead, all I can do is the photocopies, and writing the more I can, waiting for someone to have the courage to give me a chance. It is not as easy as Anna thinks. My father is not a tycoon of the British press, I didn't grow up in London nor get prestigious first jobs thanks to my family. I couldn't even pay the school of journalism !
But I don't complain, I am not jealous. I am aware that I have to work harder, to surpass myself everyday. I am an hard liner. Just like Anna Wintour. And I am also an agitator. Just like Saul Zanolari.
So, it is my time to give a piece of advice to Lady Wintour : you should consider following the make over tips of Saul because it would give you a brand new step into modernity and reality.
Oh, and perhaps you could also think about hiring more young writers ? My curriculum vitae can be found in the "Who's Sam ?" section under the header ...

http://www.saulzanolari.com/
Saul Zanolari's artwork is used with the agreement of the artist.
This article is featured on Saul's website here : http://www.saulzanolari.com/decoding-the-artist-the-editor-and-the-blogger/

Tribute : Fashion Illustration, the Lost and Found Art



Cédric Rivrain

  Life is full of coincidences. While I was looking for material for my article on illustration, I realized that my last follower was incidentally one ! His name is David McGrievey ( http://www.davidmcgrieveyillustration.com/ ) and his old-fashioned drawings have illustrated W, Glamour, Spanish Vogue and Bloomingdale. Oh my, that's a follower I'm proud to have. I am always very humble in front of illustrators, because drawing is an art I adore, I would love to master. That's why I wanted to make an article on this under-appreciated genre.
Once upon a time, when cameras didn't exist, magazines used illustrators to recreate trendy outfits for their readers. I was the time of elegant silhouettes, Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, Jacqueline Kennedy, and other "black and white" icons.

David Downton - Lauralaine

 During these hours of glory, the great names were Rene Gruau, most famous for the adds of Miss Dior perfume and Rouge Baiser lipstick, Joe Eula, Yves Saint Laurent's illustrator, Tony Viramonte, Antonio Lopez, a regular of Vogue, Elle and Harper's Bazzar, and the famous Jacqueline Bissett. But, with the development of technicity, photography became almighty, and the illustrations were relegated to the horoscope pages or to art classes teens. But, now, Fashion tries to find itself, and is experimenting through art. In spite of digital art, fashion illustration insinuates itself back into the pages of the magazines.

ëlodie

 The new generation is torn between old-world aesthetics and modern lines. David Downton ( http://www.daviddownton.com/fashion.html ) prefered 50s women, with their hats and tiny waists.
Others are mixing academic drawing with modern designs, such as Frenchies Cédric Rivrain ( http://www.cedricrivrain.com/ ), inspired by models such as Kate Moss, Monsieur Qui ( http://www.myspace.com/monsieurqui ), who invade streets with melancholic beauties, or ëlodie ( http://www.elodie-illustrations.net/ ) and her gorgeous women.

Monsieur Qui

 But, illustration can overtake photography by its power to show what eyes can't see, and only imagination can. So, they are numerous to follow the path of contemporary art, and to offer us silhouettes that comes from the universe of dream and fantasy. My favourite among us is definitely Finnish artist Lauralaine ( http://www.lauralaine.net/ ) and her tiny feet/big hair figures, which are closer to poetry than anything. She took magazines by storm, and I hope to see more of her art in the future.

Petra Dufkova

In order to continue this travel in the world of beauty at the point of a pencil, I suggest you to look at :
- Book 100 Years of Fashion Illustration, Cally Blackman
- Nina Borowski's article http://nina-borowski.livejournal.com/558.html
- Illustrator Sophie Griotto's website http://www.sophiegriotto.com/
- Illustrator Petra Dufkova's artwork http://www.illustrationweb.com/illustrators/home_large.asp?artist_id=3348
- Illustrator Akari Inoguchi's gallery http://www.akariinoguchi.com/
- Illustrator Cécile Mancion's blog http://www.cecilemancion.com/blog/
- The Fashion Week Illustrée, French website http://www.fashionweekillustree.fr/
- http://www.fashionillustrationgallery.com/
- http://www.antoinettefleur.fr/
- http://www.erlikh.com/