Rihanna for Emporio Armani

Emporio Armani:
Rihanna Capsule Collection

I'm not normally a huge fan of Rihanna if I'm totally honest: I don't know what it is, but I just don't particularly warm to her or her music. However, having said that, I do like the look of her capsule collection for Emporio Armani. 

Distressed denim jumpsuits, bleached skinny jeans, tartan-edged shorts and white T's with Rihanna's eagle and R logo are all looks which appear to be basic staples in Rihanna's own wardrobe, so it is easy to say that her fans will be snapping said pieces up for themselves in no time at all. 

In a release, Giorgio Armani had this to say about Rihanna's creativity:

“Rihanna is a great artist, she has personality, charisma and energy, and has been a pleasure to work with. She captures the young and contemporary essence of Emporio Armani Underwear and Armani Jeans perfectly.”

You've seen her collection for Armani Jeans, but what do you think of her shoot for Armani Underwear? Apparently she lost two dress sizes to get to a size 8 by working out for 25 minutes, 5 times a day: I've got to hand it to her - she looks pretty good, no?




What are your thoughts on Rihanna being the new face for Armani? Do you approve? 




Photo Credit: Images found on www.fashionetc.com

British Vogue: June 2012

British Vogue - May 2012

Paper Plates

With the London Olympics coming up soon (July to be precise) it is no wonder that British Vogue used said event to be the main focus in their June issue. With the Olympics and Paralympic games being held in London this year, there was no better reason than this to feature all that Britain had to offer in a feature named "London Pride": from the comical David Walliams to cover star Kate Moss, Sir Ian McKellen, Alexa Chung, Dame Vivienne Westwood, Agyness Deyn, Katy B, Cara Delevigne, The XX, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Pixie Geldof and many more. It really is a great feeling to be part of the UK when such a major event is happening right on our doorstep - although, I don't think I'd like to be travelling in London whilst the games are on mind you.

Out of all the features in Vogue this month, my favourite would have to be the portrayal of sports through fashion in "Paper Plates". We really do have to give our thanks to Coco Chanel when she showed the world that sport could be worn and portrayed in a fashionable way back in her prime.

Images taken by myself from a copy of Vogue UK June 2012

I always love seeing features in magazines where they take something not necessarily related to fashion and completely change it through clothes and styling to make it appear lavish and avant-gard. Kudos to Shona Heath for creating such a spectacular set design and Tim Gutt for his photography for British Vogue.

What do you think of this take on the Olympics? Do you like the feature?

In The Spotlight: Kate Moss British Vogue - June 2012

In The Spotlight

Kate Moss

Up until now, I would never have put Kate Moss on my list of likable top models: she just never came across as somebody that I would aspire to in life. Well, at least in her early years anyway - however having said this, I couldn't deny the fact that she happens to look pretty amazing dressed in Versace for the cover of this months British Vogue.

When I heard that Kate Moss would be covering this months Vogue, my initial thought was a rather sarcastic one: "Oh, the joys..." However, when my copy came in the post this week and I had a good look at it, I was actually pleasantly surprised: She looks great - Photoshop ever present obviously - and not as skinny as I last remembered her looking. Oh and that Versace stud dress she's wearing? to die for! I definitely approve of the styling on this shoot - She should sport some Versace more often in my opinion.

Images from the editorial & Copyright by Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott for British Vogue

I have to say, the above images are definitely now included in my list of favourite editorials: especially the one second from the bottom, where Kate is in full blown colour and looking fantastic with that red lippy.

What do you think of Kate gracing Vogue for the 32nd time? Do you approve? Let me know in the comments below!

Introducing: SS'12 by Vita di Moda

SS12 by Vita di Moda

&
UnitedStyles at Fashiolista

First of all, let me just apologize for not giving you guys a style post with my new W118 by Walter Baker trench like I had previously promised. I ended up absolutely swamped with things to do for college, then I went to the cinema to see The Avengers, so I didn't have much time to write/take photos! Due to this, I'd like to make it up to you by sharing some design illustrations that I made over at United Styles.

The designs came about when I was introduced to the website Fashiolista (my profile button is in the right hand bar, why not go check it out?): A website that brings you a difference in how you shop. Yourself and other users are invited to create a profile and start 'loving' various fashion items, on both the website and various other shopping sites through the use of their heart button which you can add to your web browser next to the URL tab. It works just like the Polyvore 'Clip To' and Pinterest's 'Pin It' buttons. On the website, you can check out various competitions that Fashiolista currently have on with various retailers: At the moment, you can create your own pair of jeans with Getwear or, like me, create a collection of designs for style bloggers with United Styles. I really love the UI for creating the designs and you can even preview your design in a realistic 3D showroom with the option to buy your design! I got a little carried away with it, so let me show you some of the illustration idea's I've came up with.

I was inspired by the abundance of print this season and the colour palette just came from what I thought looked good together. What do you guys think? Would you wear any of the pieces I designed? 

My personal favourite is the baby pink polka dot trench. It comes in at $159.95, or about £99 - I'm actually a little obsessed with it. If you want to buy any of the pieces, you can view the images on my Fashiolista profile and click the source: that will then take you to the United Styles page!


Remember to 'like'/follow Vita di Moda on Facebook & Twitter!

Tuesday's Top Ten

This Weeks Picks:

Tuesday's Top Ten

Well, this week I managed to stick to ten items - compared to last weeks eleven - and boy, are they ten sexy items that I have for you! I would say about 90% are items that I have been considering buying and not what I have worn like last weeks, but I think I've made up for that with my sudden burst of style posts this week - I hope, anyway! So, without further adieu, here are this week's top 10!

1. W118 by Walter Baker Eileen Beaded Mesh Dress

2. W118 by Walter Baker Keanu Faux Leather Sleeved Trench

3. Vivienne Westwood Derby (MacOxford) Bag

4. White Fox Label Prairie Rose Lennon Sweater

5. ASOS Sleeveless Peplum Blouse w/Daisy Print

6. ASOS Patent Colour Watch
7. DVF Relaxed Straight Leg Jean
8. Richard Nicoll Metallic-knit Sweater
9. Dolce Vita Baxter Suede T Strap Sandals
10. W118 by Walter Baker Eileen Chiffon Tank

Item number 2. Faux-leather sleeve trench is an item which I bought this weekend and all I can say about it is that it fits like a glove. It's unbelievably comfortable, soft, warm and above all: oh, so stylish! I definitely recommend it as a must buy for Spring/Summer 2012 - and every season after that, actually. I will be featuring it in tomorrow's style post, so make sure you come back tomorrow for that!

Pink, Pink & Oh, Pink!

As Inspired By:

Minnie Mouse

I'm getting addicted to this whole, outfit post scenario, i'm not going to pretend that I'm not. I lay in bed last night just thinking about today's outfit and what I was going to wear. It's no longer a case of what will be suitable for the weather, or college or anything like that: it's now a case of "what is going to look good enough to put up on Vita di Moda!?" Maybe it's the fact I've been wearing an abundance of colour and pattern over the last couple of weeks, instead of my usual black, grey and any other dark colour that I can get my hands on: but the confidence I now have in myself, as well as what I put together outfit wise has sky-rocketed. I love it!

Crop top & Scarf: Primark // Shorts: New Look // Waist Belt: ASOS

The inspiration behind today's look came from my sister. She ordered some holiday clothes online - the shorts included - and decided that she didn't actually like them as much as she had previously thought once they had arrived. This is where it comes in handy to have sisters who wear the same size clothes as you, because said shorts ended up in my wardrobe. Oh, yes.
I teamed the shorts with my neon pink crop shirt, patent turquoise waist belt, rose gold watch, shamballa bracelet, crystal key necklace - three pieces of jewellery that I almost always wear, no matter what outfit I have on - floral skull print scarf and my trusty nude leather jacket. I felt like I should have had some mouse ears on, seeing as I had pretty much every other aspect of Minnie Mouse nailed to a T.

P.S: My W118 by Walter Baker trench arrived today - remember to check back for the post on that tomorrow!

It's All Sunshine & Sparkles

"I like being a woman, even in a man’s world. After all, men can’t wear dresses, but we can wear the pants."

— Whitney Houston

Sunshine & Sparkles + Fairy is exactly how I felt when I put on today's outfit. Although the weather didn't exactly match my look - think strong winds, a broken umbrella and rain all at once - I felt very Spring-like with my peach sheer skirt (the fairy part), white tee and light denim jacket - oh yeah, I had my studded loafers on as well. You'll learn this about me: once I'm obsessed with an item of clothing, I'll wear it with everything until I can no longer stand to look at it for a little while. 

Sheer skirt - Missguided.co.uk
T-shirt - True Blood 'Merlottes Bar & Grill' Tee
Tartan Scarf - Mr Ben's Vintage Glasgow

Denim Jacket - Primark
Studded Loafers -Topshop
Belt - ASOS
Rose Gold Watch - Seksy by Sekonda

Shamballa Bracelet - ROX

Words cannot express how happy I will be when it's actually warm enough to ditch the tights. I'm being fairly optimistic with that "when" right enough - it's more like I'm hopelessly praying that it's going to be warm in the next few weeks. At least I have my trips to Italy on Sunday and again in June to get my dose of Vitamin D, eh?

Oh, on a side note: I ordered a jacket for Spring from The Outnet yesterday. It's this gorgeous nude trench from W118 by Walter Baker. It got dispatched today, so look out for the post later on in the week when it arrives. So excited!

Get The Look: Office Chic

Get The Look:

Office Chic

FYI: My dream job would be working as a magazine editor or, more recently, working at Independent Fashion Bloggers in NYC. What do both of these jobs have in common? Working in an office - a very chic office at that. Due to this fact, I find myself more often than not, day dreaming about what I would wear to a normal work day. Now, you think of an office and a suit comes to mind, but working within the HQ of a top fashion magazine or with IFB means having a more relaxed, yet fashionable and sophisticated look. So, because of this, I decided to put a little set together on Polyvore to show the kinds of looks that I would wear: 

Those of you who know me and are reading this might think, "Pink? Maria, are you serious? I would never in a million years put you down for someone who wore pink" Well, my friends, times are a-changing. This SS12 has brought it's set of trends and with that, changed my entire view on how I dress and how I want to present myself to those around me. I have decided to embrace colour, pattern and texture from now on and there is no time like the present to start doing so. 

The inspiration behind the pink tones came from the neon crop blouse that I have on today. I decided that I liked how the colour looked against my skin and thought it would be a good colour to base an office look around. I spotted the DVF twill skinny pants and automatically thought of pairing them with a sheer, cobalt blue blouse, just to brighten the look up a little more and give it a bit of a kick. I finally paired the look off with a Helmut Lang draped jacket, Gianmarco Lorenzi white heels, chunky gold jewellery and, of course, a white Hermes bag.
The second look I put together is for those warmer days in Summer (surely it's going to get warmer than it is now?) when you're feeling brave enough to show a little leg. The Rochelle peplum crepe dress is bang on trend this season, so there's a tick right there. A Talula Kent white blazer adds a professional, yet casual look to the outfit and lends a little warmth if there happens to be a chill in the air. ASOS Santo point court shoes in pink compliments the pink outlines on the Rochelle dress and keeps in with the pastel trend this season too - tick, tick and tick. The gold chunky jewellery from look one can be transferred to this look as well, making them both versatile and a great investment from your wallets point of view - they would even look great paired with jeans and a loose silk tee!

If you want to purchase any of the items featured in the above set, you can click THIS link here and it will take you to my polyvore page where each item is shown :)

What do you think of these looks? Would you wear something like it to the office?

In The Spotlight..

In The Spotlight:
Noctis Magazine

That's right folks, it's Saturday and that can only mean one thing: It's time for my "In The Spotlight" feature! This week I have scoured the internet and magazines with the aim to bring you to find this weeks inspiration. For a while, I almost thought this feature wouldn't, however that was before I came across the London-based digital magazine Noctis.

Founded in 2011, Noctis Magazine aims to become thee platform to showcase fresh, new talent in various fields: From photography to writing, fashion and music, Noctis encourages people from all of these fields to get in touch and contribute to each issue.

What they look for in contributors for their Summer 2012 issue:

"The Summer 2012 issue of Noctis magazine is going to be themed around Youth and Coming of Age.
Imagine your emotions when you experienced something for the first time – be it a festival, a gig, happiness, sex, excitement, drugs, or even sad- ness. Then capture that feeling in whatever work you produce for us. We want our readers to feel what you were feeling and understand why your shoot, writing, illustration, styling or makeup looks and feels the way it does. Transport our readers to wherever your mind is/was and show them through your work the experiences and emotions we all feel when we are coming of age!

Think about your youth and what feelings and new experiences you were seeing / going through and try to project that into your work. We want to see creative moodboards and ideas of shoots / illustrations before hand, as we want the concept to be apparent.

Features wise we want to hear about things which are about to blow up. Think nights, events, people or places which have been in their infancy workwise but are on the cusp of making it big. Maybe an artist who has just had their first proper exhibition, a night which is just starting to get queues going round the block or a producer who has worked with a big artist for the first time."

There are currently three issues available to read at the moment, however it is issue II that inspired me to feature the magazine. The photography featured in that particular magazine had a gothic, grungy feel to it and just had such an aesthetic appeal for me. Tattoo's, dark make-up, sex appeal - it's all there. Have a look at what I mean;

Personally, I feel that this magazine is what our creative industry needs. Far too often we see our dream jobs - or even jobs in general -  listed with requirements such as "2+ years experience writing with a publishing company" or something similar. Young, fresh faces need a chance and a place to show the world what they can offer, especially in the grips of a recession. An outlet for new talent is what is needed and Noctis, in my opinion, has arrived in the nick of time. A magazine with an aim to showcase new talent gets a gold star in my books any day.


Find out more info on Noctis via their website, Facebook and Twitter.


Photo Credit: www.noctismag.com - Issue II - All rights reserved at Noctis 2011

Prom: Marilyn Monroe Whites

What To Wear: 

Prom!

With the abundance of prom styling tips filling the internet just now, I've been feeling rather nostalgic and remembering my own prom: I hated it. My dress was too big, my shoes uncomfortable, my hair just looked lack-luster...I just didn't look the way that I had imagined I would when I was younger. If only I could turn back the time and know what I know now - and by that, I mean that I wish I would have had the styling tips and taste that I have now. So, seeing as I don't have a time machine, or the desire to repeat my senior year at high school again, I have decided to re-live my prom night vicariously through the lovely ladies reading this right now and thinking about what they are going to wear to their own prom.

When I choose outfits, more often than not, it'll revolve around one piece to begin with: it could be the shoes, the accessories, the dress or even a certain look that I want to portray. For the look I've put together today, I've decided to surround my outfit around a timeless elegance - Marilyn Monroe Whites to be precise. If I could have worn the following outfit to my prom back in 2009, I would have been a very happy chappy, if I do say so myself.

Want this look?
I've done the hard part for you:

Babs Bib Maxi Gown
Swarovski Loubouin Heels
Emitations Ruby Cocktail Ring
Emitations Ruby Pear Drop Necklace
Talula Kent Blazer
Harlow Reptile Print Clutch

The above look should be completed with a classic up-do like Marilyn's, natural-looking make-up and a classic red lip. What do you think of this look? Would you wear it to prom?

Pick Of The Day

Looking for a little pick me up?

Twitter really is my preference in terms of social media: especially for networking. In the last few weeks, I have had many designer boutiques, brands and stores pop up on my dash, however one boutique which stood out from the crowd was Glass Boutique. An online shopping experience aimed at both men and women who have a particular taste for the finer things in life. They stock fashion, accessories and shoes from various designers including: Won Hundred, Something Else and Libertine-Libertine.

After a spot of online window shopping, I came across the designer Mark McNairy: An English and American influenced footwear range, widely recognised for their red-brick sole. Each collection brings sophistication and tradition back into footwear with careful attention to detail and use of the finest materials and fabrics available. One pair of shoes which caught my attention and are now today's little pick me up, are these amazing gold brogues:

These brogues are just so magical, don't you think? My mind starts to wonder towards the new Snow White and the Huntsman movie whenever I look at them! They would look absolutely amazing worn with a pair of white cigarette trousers, ombre rave t-shirt, nude suede aviator jacket and neon patent watch. Trying to visualize it? Don't worry, I did the hard part for you:

Get This Look!

White Cigarette Pants
Suede Aviator Jacket
Gold Brogues
Ombre Neon T-shirtASOS Neon Watch

What do you think of this look? Would you wear it?

Photo Credit: Gold Brogues images via Adam Gaworski @ Glass Boutique.