Natya Abascal has been involved with fashion since she was in her 20’s, working in NYC as a model and muse for Valentino and Oscar de La Renta. Posing in magazines and ad campaigns, photographed by icons such as ; Richard Avedon. Her first shoots took place on tropical beaches in 1965. She was in Harpers Bazaar, wore the latest in haute couture and posed on the beaches of Capri and Ibiza. She attended the Met Galas, parties, runway and appeared in international fashion ads, Natya Abascal’s, younger years, show her wearing elegant dresses, at the top runway shows and on the beach with horses. Abascal has been on the International Best Dressed List, since the mid 80’s. Natya was in a commercial with Salvador Dali and had a role in Woody Allen’s; “Bananas”. Now, at 77, she is a consultant for Hola Magazine, getting style in the pages from the yearly fashion week shows and promoting current trends. Natya looks amazing with her dark hair and eyes, fresh face as well as trim body. She currently represents Elizabeth Arden’s : Ceramide Advanced. Natya Abacal married Fernando Medina, Duke Feria of Cordoba, and has two sons, Rafael and Luis. She travels throughout Spain, Portugal, Paris, London, Columbia and the Dominican Republic with fashion icons and long time friends; Joan Collins, Jane Seymour and Valentino. Life has kept her busy with fashion engagements, family, photography and exemplifying the culture of her native Spain. She has a tradtional, unique, colorful and fashion forward approach.
Brud is an entertainment, robotic, augmented reality and artificial intelligence company in LA. The company is a pioneer with the conception and technology of AI characters such as; Lil Miquela and commercial avatars. Chief Creative Officer, Nicole de Ayora, and Trevor McFedries, technical wizard and DJ, and Sara DeCou helped create a robotic hero product for the fashion and entertainment industry. A 19 year old digital apparition named Lil Miquela, is a an augmented reality femme fatale, developed in 2016. De Ayora says; “Lil Miquela acts alone.” She is the nouvelle avatar and a style visionary influencer. Originally, she was used as a fake CGI character with fictional personas; the couple: Bermuda and Blawko. Miquela appears in music videos; “Money” and “Hard Feelings” which were shown at Lollapalooza and Coachella. Consumers, at first, were perplexed by the pictures of an image with rubbery-smooth skin, dark hair, freckles and digitally rendered hair. Her persona is grafted onto the body of a teen Instagram model. Some wondered if she was real or the brainchild of the Brud Company. The new trend in marketing fashion and style seems to be a holographic pop star by augmented reality. Analog replaces digital for Millennials and Generation Z. Miquela has been in Prada, Burberry, Chanel, Fendi, Calvin Klein, Samsung Galaxy, Lauv and streetwear campaigns. How do people respond to this type of marketing, in many ways and we will grow used to the concept which will replace some traditional promotions. In a picture, Lil Miquela, can be seen wearing Louis Vuitton and NYX Créme Color Face and Body Paint in bold red. Makeup artists and stylists have worked to perfect the image and show products for a targeted demographic market. As of this year, she has 2.4 million Instagram followers and is popular on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Engineers, graphic designers, music producers, ex Spotify, AOL and Microsoft employees and new style “movie studios” have created fictional characters that are similar to a relatable friend. Japanese pop artists tend to also use avatar and anime themes. It is similar to a modern day Superman cartoon. The concept was modeled after the 1939 show: “The War of Worlds”, it is going trans-media. TechCrunch, CNBC, CNN Money, VOX, The Cut, WIRED, High Snobiety and Elle Magazine are covering the new sensation; Lil Miquela. The character has helped with causes such as; Black Girl Code, fundraising for the wildfires in California and LGBTQ issues. Miquela kisses model Bella Hadid in a Calvin Klein ad and a storyline depicts her as a sexual assault victim. All to help with today’s rapid pop culture changes. Her inspiration is influenced by the TV show; Will and Grace. Investors have put $125 million dollars into virtual reality star, Lil Miquela, and her success. Miquela Sousa or better known as; Lil Miquela, can earn up to $10,000 dollars an Instagram post, she is the coolest girl we know.
The annual Métiers d’ Art spring/summer 2019/2020 runway show was held in Paris. Coco Chanel or Gabrielle’s House of Chanel, is a French atelier and one of the most well recognized haute couture brands in the world. Chanel is legendary and has a distinctive heritage and legacy. As it is July 14th, Bastille Day, what better way to celebrate than to buy a Chanel tweed suit, layers of mode pearls, a black and white dress or chainlink accessory. Métier means craft in French and the workmanship and the designs have been perfected and adapted to the times. Artistic director, Virgine Viard, worked with Chanel and the Maison D’ Art to produce the fashion show. This year, Sophia Coppola, film producer, captures the behind the scenes of a runway show, the styles, Parisian chic, the models and the excitement around a new collection. The film was shot at The Grand Palais and scenes took place at 31 Rue de Cambon, Chanel’s Paris flagship store and her former apartment.
31 Rue de Cambon address is a piece of Chanel’s life and has been incorporated into the clothier’s label. One often sees the name emblazoned on cosmetic products, perfumes, makeup and clothing. It is synonymous with the the Chanel name. This season one can see the street name stitched into a black top with Chanel pearls and the signature flower, a camellia. Black and white dresses are a part of this collection in which the contrasting colors represent black as evening and a white silhouette, a more innocent color. Pink hues, from bright to pale, are a pop of color which are seen in dresses. It is a good color for the spring and summer season as well as feminine and chic. Chanel prides itself on detail and this can be seen throughout the runway show. The classic style “male” tweed has been updated with a modern twist, showing the fabric used in a cropped jacket and low waisted skirt. The tweed and fringe make their way down the aisle, showing models and ladies who lunch wearing the famous Chanel tweed fringe suits. The quilted pattern is a staple and is used for their leather bags, shoes and wallets. Sophia Coppola envisions a chic Parisian woman descending down Chanel’s spiraling staircase and attending a soiree or spending an evening at La Coupoule. Coppola and Viard work together and use the Chanel codes to bring out the brand’s traditional looks. A white camellia flower symbol is used on item such as; clothing, compacts and haute joaillerie. The floral look is feminine and one can spot the white flower on a black Chanel shopping bag with the stark white lettering. Chanel #5 and Rouge Chanel, in red, are the epitome of Chanel beauté.
The gold interlocking double C’s represent Coco Chanel’s signature name and are printed on everything from makeup cases and lipstick to shoes, bags and apparel. It is a status symbol and heritage, but carries the name of the icon, Coco Chanel. Another element which is incorporated into the show is wheat. Gabrielle Chanel commissioned goldsmith, Robert Goosens, to create an ageless base of lustrous wheat for an apartment table. The glowing golden color is embroidered by the House of Lesage and is pictured on a strapless dress and tulle skirt, representing a golden touch and whimsical aura. Bows are frequent on the runway which are playful and reminiscent of a school girl’s bow. Mixed with golden chain links, there is a creation of a sensual and proper lady like style. The famous pearls Chanel preferred are a milky white and and this year are seen as chokers, on cuff bracelets and a piaston necklace. Coco prided herself on a golden birdcage which she owned and it is seen on a minaudière clutch. The Hose of LaMaire uses flowers and embroidery to create clothes with ruffles and pleats, creating a dynamic look for their spring season. Check out the Chanel s/s 2019/2020 Métier d’Art Show and see the film.
At first one sees the picture of The Moulin Rouge (Red Windmill) cabaret in Paris, but looks can be deceiving. The new Hermès luxury lip line, Rouge Hermès, came on the market this spring. Hermès, the 183 year old Parisian house of fashion and style, has introduced a lip collection. Hermès is a traditional, yet stylish brand with a caleche or horse carriage logo. The family fashion house began as a saddle company and Hermès has many designs with equestrian themes. The company is known for its solid and graphic print silk, twill and cashmere scarves, leather goods, Birkin and Kelly handbags, prestigious men’s ties, perfume and high end clothing. The Hermès Rouge palette is based on 76,000 silk and leather shades which comprise the 24 lips colors. The line has ten matte colors and 14 stains and is modeled after the Kelly calf skin box bag. The lipstick tube architecture is the creation of Pierre Hardy, creative director for Hermès shoes and jewelry. The cases are made of lacquered polish and brushed metal like the permabrass material used in the bag’s hardware. They come with 3 vertical stripes of color blocking in: black, white and gold with a gold plated Hermès seal on the bottom. The limited edition color tube comes in white, blue and orange and a few other tri -color variations A lip pencil, lip brush, balm and poppy lip shine are available to enhance your pout. The lipstick is priced at $67 with refills at $42, there will be future limited edition colors for $72. An ad shows women holding orange cases, between their lips, wearing a multitude of lip colors. The tagline; une femme dit en un accent Français, (a woman in a French accent, says): “orange turns red”. The shades vary from beige to reds and corals to violets and the Hermès name is etched into the lipstick. Colors have names such as: Rouge Mexique, a bright pink shade reminiscent of a Mexican fiesta, Corail Fou, a bold coral, Violet Insensé, a plum hue and Orange Boîte/Box, the companies signature orange. A range of beige colors: Beige Tadelakt, with a sunny glow, named after Berber styled houses and Beige Kalahari, a color like the deserts in Namibia and Botswana. Rose Dakar is a shade reminiscent of Lake Retba in Senegal. Hermès Beauty is headed, by Jerome Touron, who collaborated on the collection. Bali Barret, artistic director for the women’s line says; “Color is a language for Hermes, nuanced, irrational and playful”. Hermès plans to expand its makeup line with foundation, blush and eye shadow palettes as well as skincare. This lip service is not the drugstore lipstick brand, it competes with brands such as; Yves St. Laurent’s Tatouage and the Christian Louboutin line. Tatouage Lip is an all day, high impact velvet cream lip stain with a range of berry to bold colors. Louboutin Lipsticks are shaped as a stiletto heel and have gold plated and black casing with a crown like top. They come in a jewel case and are put in a black velvet pouch tied with a ribbon. The rich colors and branding evoke glamour, coming in velvet matte, sheer voilè and silky satin formulas. They retail in the $90 price range.The lipstick market is fraught with competition and many will purchase lip shades in a time of a COVID 19 due recession, a less costly way to own a piece of haute couture. Hopefully, the design and colors of Hermès Rouge will brighten outfits and boost your mood. Accessorize with Hermès perfume; Un Jardin Sur Le Nil, (A Garden on the Nile) and get a sense of springtime green or a stroll down the island gardens along The Nile River at Aswan. Notes of lotus, green mango, sycamore wood, calamus root and grapefruit are calming, pair the fragrance with a newly colored lip and begin the summer.
The Cosmopolitan Compact 