Dark Blooms

Thanks to Hurricane Sandy trashing parts of New York City and rendering the subways completely useless (making it impossible for many of the commuters from NJ and Brooklyn to get to school) I haven't had any classes or work for the past week. While the combination of my roommate abandoning me for the comfort of her own home in New Jersey, the loss of internet, and my own unwillingness to go to any other floors of my dorm due to the threat of getting stuck in an elevator and my personal aversion to the stairs, I had very minimal social interaction for the better part of three days. The benefits of anti-social activities were quite visible in the (slow-but-sure) diminishment of my previously-intimidating stack of magazines (seriously, it was getting so tall that anytime anyone touched the dresser it resided on, it would tip around menacingly- tons of fun, I'm sure, for any of my guests who were forced to sleep on the floor right in its (forget Sandy's)  path of destruction) 

After spending hours upon hours studying editorials and articles, I grew less and less susceptible to being impressed by any of them in particular. Thus, it would be the mark of a truly good piece if any of them were to capture my attention by then end of the day. And while there were still great things to be said for certain ones by Tonne Goodman and Grace Coddington in American Vogue, the real winners in my mind were located in the fashion bible's British counterpart. Cue this one in the September issue entitled 'Dark Blooms' by Ryan McGinley featuring gap-toothed model Lara Stone styled by Francesca Burns. 

I generally like my location shots to feature more urban settings (Karlie Kloss + some dramatic lighting + one of my favorite restaurants = collage worthy goodness), but the drama and  angelic quality of this Vogue UK spread really brought something out in me.  Following a very McQueen-esq aesthetic, the mystical rainforest manages to be both enchanting and haunting at the same time. Lara, who is arguably one of the most beautiful women in the world, is, in my opinion, the perfect canvas for these ethereal looks as she signals a sort of lost-in-wonderland appeal the really benefits the clothes as well as the entire story that is being told through this editorial.