Tomboy Style

Yves Saint Laurent and his "twin sister" and YSL muse Betty Catroux from Tomboy Style

Women who dress boldly, androgynously – sometimes mixing in men's styles – will resurface and recede as an iconic and oft referenced trend, but never does it go out of style. A new book by journalist Lizzie Garrett Mettler entitled Tomboy: Beyond the Boundaries of Fashion is a "visual history that chronicles the past eighty years of women who blur the line between masculinity and femininity [and] explores the evolution of the style and its icons."

Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk

Dubbed fashion’s enfant terrible, Jean Paul Gaultier launched his first prêt-à-porter collection in 1976 and founded his own couture house in 1997. Emerging as a designer in the 1970s, he developed his own dress codes that reflected the changing world around him. This dynamic, multimedia exhibition will include 140 haute couture and prêt-à-porter designs created between the mid-1970s and 2010, along with numerous sketches, archival documents, fashion photographs, and video clips that spotlight Gaultier’s collaborations with filmmakers, choreographers, and musicians, most notably Madonna. Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalkwill be on view until August 19, 2012. Photography by Oliver Maxwell Kupper. 

Schiaparelli and Prada

An amazing, rare pair of vintage Elsa Schiaparelli sunglasses will be on sale May 2 as part of a vintage jewelry sale timed to the opening of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's opening of Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations explores the striking affinities between Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada, two Italian designers from different eras. Sunglasses like the ones above were made in 1957 for American Optical bear a resemblance to Prada's Spring 2012 collection which also includes pieces decorated with enamel roses. Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations will be on view starting May 10 at the Met in NYC.

Un-Self Portrait

London based designer Gabriella Marina Gonzalez presents her amazing Autumn/Winter 2012 collection entitled Un-Self Portrait which was designed, hand made and shot by the designer while traveling abroad in the United States. Using material she pick up along the way, the collection includes vintage monkey fur reassembled from a 1920’s coat to form part of the showpiece dress. In the designer’s signature style, shredded silk appliqué was made from discontinued chiffon. Vinyl from a 1950’s table cover manufacturer’s dead stock was used to create metal like tubes and a new take on the GMG harness. Silk rope from home decor was used to create luxury straps on high gloss wooden platform shoes.

Love, Life, & Fashion

Two of the most important people in fashion and design today, Ruben and Isabel Toledo have just released a book which "is a rare look into the mind, life, and journey of one of our generation’s most coveted fashion designers, Isabel Toledo. From the nostalgic and permanent in­fluence of her upbringing in Cuba and the serendipitous love that materialized her vision and fueled her conviction, to the timeless mark she continues to make on the fashion industry....." Ruben who translates Isabel's visions into illustration which then bring her designs to life, first laid eyes on each other since they were thirteen, have been collaborating for over two decades and their romance and love has offered an explosion of creativity. The book, entitled Roots of Style: Weaving Together Life, Love, and Fashion is available now.