Showing posts with label Octavia St. Laurent. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Octavia St. Laurent. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

RIP Octavia Saint Laurent


From The New York Times:

R.I.P. Octavia Saint Laurent
By Horacio Silva

The world is a decidedly less chic place this week with the passing on Monday of the legendary transgendered beauty Octavia Saint Laurent, who won hearts and an honorary place in the pantheon of the fabulous with her star turn in Jennie Livingston’s 1990 voguing documentary, “Paris Is Burning.” Octavia, who later changed her name to Heavenly Angel Octavia Saint Laurent Manolo Blahnik before settling on the more recession-friendly Octavia Saint Laurent Mizrahi, will be remembered not only for her encyclopedic knowledge of feminine allure — her deconstruction of the many of the looks of Paulina Porizkova in “Paris Is Burning” should be required viewing for every drag artiste in training heels — but also for having lived a glamorous life worthy of tens across the board.


Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Speaking truth to power

Question of the day: Why are there no critical fashion magazines? There are many answers - email your best answer to James@WomenManagement.com.

Q:Why do I love a Cathy Horyn so much?
A:Because she tells it as she sees it, from her unique perspective. Cathy speaks truth to power in the New York Times

Every day I see so many uninspired fashion editorials. Even worse than that are editorials which are so blatantly inspired by recent editorials. It is one thing to copy elements of Herb Ritts' lighting for an editorial, it is quite another to make a career of mopping Bill King's style.

Paris is Burning (Dir:Jennie Livingston)says a lot aboout honesty, and living your life with dignity. It also defines two ways to speak truth to power: shade & reading.

Shade came from Reading. Reading came first. Reading is the art form of insult. When you are Reading someone you get in a smart crack, and everyone laughs. When you find a flaw and exagerrate it- then you've got a good Read going.

Shade is when I don't tell you you're ugly, but I don't have to tell you your ugly - Because you know your ugly - and thats Shade.
-Dorian Corey