So they say beauty lies within the eye of the beholder right…? Which suggests that everything and everyone is beautiful to something or someone. The perception of our own beauty is a different beast altogether, it is marred and contaminated by ideologies. Can you truly look at yourself through your own eyes and ACTUALLY see the extent of your own beauty and self worth? This is almost impossible in most cases as things like insecurities come into play and warp your overall perception. However the true beauty that resides within is reflected on the outside. For example a physically beautiful person is capable of turning monsterish when his/her inner ugliness starts to taint his/her perceived physical beauty, like a poorly authored book camouflaged by a beautiful cover. These are equivocations that have been concocted to lure you in like a spider’s web.
Having said that, physical beauty remains a vital issue within the rules of attraction, since every person has an initial idea of what they are attracted to. Nonetheless this physical pre-perception of beauty may later transform when personality is introduced and the extent of inner beauty starts to unravel. This either diminishes pre-established flaws, making them appear insignificant or vice versa, make them more prominent and unbearable enough to abandon this exchange altogether. So the initial focus on physical beauty should not necessarily be viewed as a negative or shallow concept, as without it the inner beauty that lies within may never be discovered. Continue reading BEAUTY AND THE BEHOLDER’S EYE→
Christmas in New York City is other worldly. With a reputation of being ‘The city that never sleeps’ New York City truly comes alive around christmas time. Manhattan is so obscenely crowded that places like Times Square are ‘approach at your own risk’, due to every block being packed to a point where it feels like the whole square is one massive painfully slow moving queue. Its not surprising that people want to spend christmas here. At night the city dazzles, but around christmas, even more so. It is full of beauty and wonder, as thousands of lights dance blissfully in the dark.
Competition is peak amongst retailers during the christmas period. Many establishments splurge in hopes creating the most innovative and compelling visual presentations. This period is one of the most revenue generating periods throughout the year, so visual merchandising is more critical than ever. Christmas window displays for successful retailers such as Saks Fifth Avenue are coveted. Crowds subject themselves to a guard controlled queue all day and night for the opportunity to view the windows up close and the chance to take pictures.
Having been conveniently scheduled to work in Saks Fifth Avenue during the week leading up to christmas, I had the opportunity to peruse the windows in person. These windows were absolutely mesmerising. I tried my best to capture them on camera, but although these pictures may speak a thousand words, you really have to see in person to fully appreciate…
The 2014 Hugo Boss Christmas Party took place at ‘Queen of the Night’, the immersive theatrical spectacle at the Diamond Horseshoe Supper club in the basement of New York’s Paramount Hotel. As I descended the hotel’s slow moving intricate staircase, I was offered ‘the blood of the queen’ and at my startled expression, the mystery man behind the ‘blood’ offering explained ‘its mulled wine’. It was delicious and warming, especially after having been out in the cold. As I reached the bottom of the stairs I was whisked away into a dimly lit room overflowing with elements of sexuality. At first glance, the room looked hauntingly beautiful, I felt like I was in an expensive high class, 1930s or 1940s ballroom.
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As a guest I was was able to experience a show loosely based on Mozart’s ‘The Magic Flute’ where cast members roamed the room inviting guests to participate in one-on-one intimacies that usually began with an unsettling and prolonged stare. I noted that the line between the audience and the stage was porous and often filled with approaches from the cast members doubling as ‘butlers’. An anonymous hand may be slipped around the waist, kisses to the fingertips or an invitation to a private room where one can engage in flirtatious games, whispered intimacies or even a ritual bath!Continue reading Queen of the Night→
We snuck into Macy’s and worked our magic to produce this overall stunning visual display from scratch! Hugo Boss’ new shop on Macy’s fifth floor is looking impeccable. After hours of hard work, this is what I helped to construct from an empty space!
“Yin and yang can be thought of as complementary (rather than opposing) forces that interact to form a dynamic system in which the whole is greater than the assembled parts. Everything has both yin and yang aspects, (for instance shadow cannot exist without light). Either of the two major aspects may manifest more strongly in a particular object, depending on the criterion of the observation”
It is said that in order to maintain universal balance, good must exist alongside evil. Although the way in which each of these is translated varies depending on the subject. Since each individual is capable or both qualities, it is reasonable to surmise that we all endure an internal battle between personal or societal views of these traits. Whichever the case, we feel balance must always reign for no good deed goes by without an equally bad one.
Taking the definition above into perspective, it seems every situation has several alternative endings. These endings are subjective and usually get translated in various different ways depending on the translator. The idealistic perceptions of good and evil emerge from these alternative paths and become the two main defining categories. However since good and evil is dependent on the ‘criterion of the observation, it becomes quite difficult to elucidate.
Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC Manhattan 2014
Whilst perusing Manhattan’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, I stumbled upon this beauty. This sculpture really encapsulates the point I am striving to make. At first glance it seems as though the standing figure is the victor, he has full advantage and his stance emanates power and dominance. However, when you rotate around the sculpture, it becomes clear that the reclining figure equally possesses the same dominance and power. This suggests that despite the initial quality that a person may exhibit, looks can be deceiving…
Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC Manhattan 2014
So who’s definition of good and bad do we live by? Society offers basic guidelines that help to decipher the true nature of good and evil, but it is really up to each individual to translate and select a reality they feel is tolerable. This is an extremely tricky subject, and no one has the right to prescribe what society should perceive to be good or evil, since this compromises the basic fundamentals of free will. In short, it is up to each individual to decide how these traits will be balanced.
We have all heard the tale of Cinderella and how her dashing Prince Charming searched high and low, in persuit of the fair maiden who’s foot would fit the glass slipper. Cinderella’s slippers were magically designed for her feet alone, which meant the prince’s quest could not be complete until he found her. As a society, we all have our own perfect glass slippers, and it’s fair to say that at times these can be difficult to find, so we settle for second best. Unlike Cinderella, we are not all privileged enough to have a magic fairy godmother, so we compromise, since second best is better than nothing at all.
Inspired by Charming’s determination to find the perfect fit amidst countless feet, I embarked on a quest to find the perfect slippers for my best friend, whose US size 4.5 feet were made to accommodate specific slippers, ones which most shoe design companies have deemed too rare to make a decent profit out of.
Consequently, up until recently, I had always felt that the shoe size struggle was mainly limited to ladies with big feet, who in turn find it difficult to shop for high heeled shoes. I had not really paused to consider the possibility that small shoe sized ladies might endure the same difficulties. The solution for my best friend’s shoe size dilemma came from a charming little shoe shop that sorely caters for women with small feet.
The Little Shoe Store, situated on Clinton Street in Lower Manhattan, sells the most gorgeous small sized shoes. It was founded by two small shoe sized friends, who shared the same frustration as many other small footed ladies. These two friends saw an opportunity to utilise this disadvantage and transform it into something positive. They bridged a gap in the shoe market and became the answer to many women’s prayers. Women with small feet can now choose from the many shoes at their disposal and rest assured that style and comfort can co-exist without compromise.
The Little Shoe Store, NYC, 2014
Upon arrival at The Little Shoe Store, the inner visual merchandiser in me disapproved of the chaos that spilled out when I opened the store’s doors. In all fairness the store had just received several boxes from a vintage warehouse, so were in the process of organising everything. In a way, the store’s overall set up makes finding a pair of shoes more like treasure hunting, which in turn makes finding the perfect pair of shoes more precious.
The store’s chaotic set up meant that it took nearly half an hour to pair up the shoes. This could be easily overlooked, as once found, the shoes were amazing. Whilst my friend revelled in her newly found shoe heaven, I explored the store’s bag collection since the average US size 5 shoes remained far too small for my US size 7 feet, regardless of the many times I double checked. The bag collection included some precious vintage pieces, a couple of which would have been perfect if not for the short straps that had been clearly designed for their era.
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My friend tried on countless pairs of shoes and modelled them for me while I took pictures. The store’s owners provided fantastic customer service, they were very attentive and went out of their way to accommodate my friend’s particular needs. For a discounted $125, my friend emerged from the store with 5 gorgeous pairs of leather high heeled shoes, which were originally on sale for $50-80 each!
It seemed that by accident my friend had stumbled upon a treasure trove. It wasn’t until later when she was flaunting her new slippers, that she found out that four of her five new shoes emerged from high fashion. These leather shoes are the works of legendary shoe designer Joseph La Rose, who designed for countless stars including Marilyn Monroe! I believe my best friend when she tells me that she will love these shoes forever. This whole experience led me to believe that The Little Shoe Store is truly a hidden gem and a wonderful solution for those who crave vintage bags and small sized shoes at affordable prices.
As a society we are bound by countless addictions, some healthier than others. But how can one identify a terrible addiction let alone combat it? It’s a sad realisation that for some it may take years if not forever to defeat an addiction, in which case another would most likely take its place. However this also tends to either be for the better or worse…
Today I met the craziest looking man dressed in the most outrageous clothes, so colourful he stuck out like a sore thumb! Now having lived in New York City for several months, I immediately realised that this man was one of the many found on street corners and in parks, making a living of off generous donations from the public. This particular man was hoping to attract passersby with his vibrant and unusual clothing, allowing them to photograph him in exchange for a small donation.
The Colourful-man, Union Square, NYC 2014
The Colourful-man, Union Square, NYC 2014
The Colourful-man, Union Square, NYC 2014
The Colourful-man and his companion, Union Square, NYC 2014
Having mainly experienced visual merchandising for women’s accessories, I was both excited and nervous when Hugo Boss’ influential Visual Merchandiser Christie Rotter offered me the chance to merchandise a couple of the Hugo Boss menswear tables in Bloomingdales! I’ve always known that I am a bit of a perfectionist, one can even go as far as to say I have a bit of OCD, so it took me a little while to complete the first table. However having Christie and the Hugo Boss Visual Standards Guide (HB VM Bible) to assist me was very reassuring and helpful. The following pictures illustrate my first ever visual display at Hugo Boss. The best part of this was getting Christie’s stamp of approval! it was extremely motivating and exciting!
Some people tend to get their faces drawn or painted by talented artists who reside on street corners. This is the norm so I tend to filter past it as I walk down such streets, occasionally a drawing would catch my eye and I’d pause to observe. As I walked through Broadway on my way to Century 21, I came to a standing halt when I spotted this talented man sculpting the face of a girl.
Girl getting her face sculpted, 2014 New York City, Broadway.
I was mesmerised for a moment as I watched the man with increasing fascination, as he expertly worked on his subject.
I didn’t have enough time to wait for the face sculpture to be complete, but I managed to see the artist’s previous masterpieces. I thought these were very interesting and unique, the man is clearly talented.
This Sunglass hut window display at Macy’s caught my attention! I love the clever play with words in the accompanying vinyl ‘Make It Reign’ window decal. The lighting in this window is particularly effective. It draws attention to the throne, the main focal point of the display where most of the light seems to be targeted. Overall, I love this concept and feel that it is a very strong visual display.
Moon Coated 