REBIRTH. RESURRECTION. REAWAKENING.- The Female Dandy

You wouldn’t normally see Lord Byron and Tom Ford ranked in the same category. One being a great poet in the 1800’s and the other a major fashion designer in the noughties. Nevertheless both are Dandies - men who have placed particular interest in the way they look, and “who elevate aesthetics to a living religion.”

The term Dandy has been mostly used for the male gender but was first linked to female devotees in 1869 by Charles Dickens, who referred to us as ‘Dandizettes.’ Classically, the male term overpowered us, and the reference soon faded...

It is now the Autumn/Winter 2010 ready-to-wear, and it’s clear to see that the historical inspiration has dates before the 1900’s and back to the old Dandy days. Catwalks swarmed with the androgynous look of sharp tailoring, waist coats and high collars - but all with a touch of femininity. Stereotypically masculine clothes are spiced up by designers such as Ralph Lauren, Rag & Bone and Karl Lagerfeld by cinching waists in all the right places to accentuate the female body.

Equality between genders has been seen in many forms, but from the moment Coco Chanel first introduced trousers to our sex, things started to change for the good. So whip on a shirt with a Prince of Wales collar, and you will feel like royalty.

REBIRTH. RESURRECTION. REAWAKENING.- The Faces

“It all started when five guys walked into a bar...” and they soon made history. Formed in 1969, Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood joined The Small Faces - the band of Ronnie Lane, Ian McLagan and Kenney Jones; since the newcomers were significantly taller, they dropped the ‘small’ and created The Faces.

Their success soared in the 70’s, earning them a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Teens were obsessed and in love with the crazy members singing about passion and their crazy shenanigans. In 1975 the group fell apart when Wood wanted a bigger bang with The Rolling Stones, so everyone went their own way.

Today, 34 years later, our Faces are back! Playing for the ‘Helping the Heart of Music’ at the Royal Albert Hall, thousands of fans sang along in nostalgia. Three original members rocked away in memory of the late Lane, as lead singer Stewart was absent, but was replaced by ex - Rolling Stone guitarist Bill Wyman who sang his heart out.

October 25th was a chance to re-live british lads letting go. In the true spirit of our Faces “I was glad to come, I’ll be sad to go, so while I’m here I’ll have me a real good time.”

REBIRTH. RESURRECTION. REAWAKENING.- Alice in WOnderland

On the surface, we all saw Alice in Wonderland as a story full of fantasy, animals and crazy parties. We grew up loving the famous book by Lewis Caroll, and the Disney Movie in 1951 brought us all closer to our favourite innocent blonde.

Dozens of adaptations have been made of the colourful and often chaotic script, with silent versions, anime adaptations to pornographic films - each one depicting the psychedelic story in its own way.

Written in 1865 by English author Charles Lutwidge Dogson - under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll - it told the story of a girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole and meets peculiar characters, and experiences insane adventures. In 1966 Jefferson Airplane dug deeper into the ‘hookah smoking caterpiller’ and ‘Red Queen’ by associating Alice’s escapades with her tripping due to the use of psychedelic drugs, and i must say the story fits perfectly to the song.

Quriky director, producer and writer Tim Burton is introducing us to a new side of our dearest Alice, bringing a remake due in 2010, and letting us see the story through his dark eyes. With Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter and Helena Bonham Carter as the Queen of Hearts, Burton is unleashing the evil, adult side to the enigmatic tale full of obscure encounters, and sinister characters.

So make sure you don’t miss the date and fall down a rabbit hole, and be prepared to enter a world of surreal images - after all the Cheshire cat did tell Alice “We’re all mad here.”

REBIRTH. RESURRECTION. REAWAKENING.- Faberge

‘Faberge egg’ has become a synonym of luxury. The Imperial Easter eggs made by Peter Carl Faberge, were annual gifts from the Czar to his empress for 32 years- and these launched Faberge’s success.

By 1900, Faberge was the largest jeweler in Russia reaching London 3 years later. His work showed exquisite craftsmanship, making each egg a fairy-tale encasing a surprise. Spending months to perfect each technical and visual detail, he succeeded in producing timeless pieces.

Sadly Peter Carl died in 1920, and with the Faberge name being sold to an American perfumer for $25,000 in 1951, so did the prodigious company.

Now Faberge has flown back to stardom, with Pallinghurst Resources acquiring the Faberge trademarks unveiling a new collection on the 9.09.09 and presenting the world with Faberge’s original dedication to perfection, with a menagerie of gorgeous jewels.

Purchasing these wonders comes with a 21st century twist - Online ordering. You can browse through the official website and decide if its the $70,000 Red Hibiscus bracelet, or the $2 million Black Tulip ring that you want. Sounds simple? Tricky, as you can’t touch it, but don’t fret! You can organise a personal viewing.

So browse around the incredible website, witness the new collection that has “...instantly recognisable Faberge characteristics of a cohesive visual vocabulary...” and why not go ahead and ‘add to cart’.

REBIRTH. RESURRECTION. REAWAKENING.- Vibe.

In 1995 Michael Jackson was seen gracing the cover of Vibe Magazine wearing a mustard yellow sweater and a blue dude lid. This was clearly NOT his classic suit and sparkly gloves, but he posed in true Vibe Style.

Founded in 1993 by producer Quincy Jones, Vibe was known as the “Black version of Rolling Stone” and featured R&B and Hip Hop artists, entertainers and actors. It held interviews with all the biggest names in the industry from Beyonce, Tupac to Eminem and Notorious B.I.G. and featured models of all ethnicities. Even though it was one of the main music magazines, in June 2009 - on the eve of its 16th anniversary (ouch!)- it announced its end due to financial problems. Instantly forums and blogs mourned over the folding of this great magazine, as it was the latest victim of the media recession.

Thanks to Intermedia Partners, Vibe Magazine has been resurrected! Intermedia’s luxury magazine publisher has given Vibe a breath of life, placing greater emphasis on Vibe’s roots and pimping up the website. We can once again browse through the pages of the colourful magazine, and discover how Vibe has “chronicled celebrities, sounds, fashion, lifestyle, culture and the urban music movement.”