LuShea Jewelry Photoshoot/ Product Review!

Recently, a reader of the Meggasus Peggasus and Katie Lu blog sent us a wonderful gift in the mail all the way from California...a pair of Amethyst Dew Drop earrings from her jewelry line, LuShea Jewelry. We were given an opportunity to pick out a complimentary item off of her website and were thrilled that the dangle earrings we had chosen arrived within only 3 short days of our order....

We find the classic design of these earrings to be very versatile, which is why we decided to photograph them in two separate settings. Meggasus paired the earrings with a vintage floral dress to complete her relaxed daytime look while Katie-Lu wore them with a classic black cocktail dress perfect for a night out.

Take a look at these earrings on Meggasus!



The Amethyst Dew Drop earrings are so sparkly and feminine. We really loved how the top and bottom stone were different shades of purple. The topmost gem is is a brighter purple and caught the sunlight beautifully, drawing all attention towards the face.



We found the Lushae Jewlery collection to be very elegant and refined, perfect for when you're looking to add some class and sophistication to an outfit. We found the majority of the earring and bracelet designs to be simple and clean, whereas the ring and pendent collections on the site had more of a mix between classic and spunky pieces with bold color and intricate design.







Earrings are by far our favorite accessory because they never fail to complete an outfit. We found these earrings to do exactly that; the deep purple stones really pulled together both of our looks. In Katie-Lu's black evening dress photographed below, the purple stones add just the right touch of color to the look. On the other hand, the purple color of the earrings really enhanced the blues, purples, and greens found in Meggasus's floral dress.

Here are some pictures of Katie-Lu wearing the earrings...





Typically, we are drawn to wearing more fashion forward jewelry and we like to take risks when it comes to accessorizing. We found the Lushae jewelry to be geared more towards people who have a more traditional style. But hey, who doesn't love investing in a few timeless pieces every now and then? LuShea jewelry offers exactly that.





We hope you will take a look at the LuShae jewelry website here, and hopefully make a few lovely purchases. Let us know what you think!

We are very proud to say that this was the first time we were asked to do a product review and we really enjoyed it! Please feel free to contact us if you'd like us to feature any of your clothing or jewelry for a photoshoot/product review on our blog!



xx Katie-Lu and Meggasus

ANTM Winner to be on Italian Vogue!

Tyra Banks

According to New York Magazine's Fashion blog, The Cut, America's Next Top Model will be making many changes in the near future which will transform the reality show from extremely commercial to the highest of high fashion.

An ANTM winner on the cover of Seventeen

Before I started modeling, I would be glued to the television every Thursday night watching America's Next Top Model. When I finally broke into the business, I was highly disappointed when I realized the winners of every cycle never actually amounted to anything beyond their Cover Girl contract.

Recently, former editor at large for Vogue magazine, André Leon Talley, signed on to be the newest judge on ANTM for at least the next three seasons.

André Leon Talley

In case you don't understand the significance of this new judge, the Cut couldn't have said it any better:

"What Tyra is to 12-year-old girls, Talley is to the fashion industry. He appears at her side like a shepherd guiding her back to sophistication."

So, what's in store for ANTM as we know it? Well for one thing, the winner will no longer appear on the back cover of Seventeen magazine. Instead, Talley has arranged for the newest winner to be featured on the cover of Italian Vogue and have two editorials inside. Yes, you are not imagining things, I said Italian Vogue. Better yet, the winner may in fact be shot by Steven Meisel for Italian Vogue. And If I do say so myself, claiming yourself as a "top" model after being shot by Meisel for Italian Vogue has some definite legitimacy. With this said, I guess it will be safe to consider the winner of the next cycle an actual top model.

Italian Vogue by Steven Meisel

I have not watched ANTM since I was about sixteen but now I'm going to start watching it again! I wonder if our this show can actually produce our newest runway
star!

xox Meggasus

Crystal Renn Takes over the Fashion World

I was browsing the Ford Models website and stumbled upon some photos of plus size model Crystal Renn in this month's Tush Magazine. You probably recognize her from the infamous "One Size Fits All" editorial found in V Magazine we blogged about earlier this year. As a teen Crystal suffered from anorexia and forced herself to loose 90lbs so she could become a model! However, in 2003 she decided to give up the excessive dieting and switched to plus size modeling, in which her success came almost instantly! (Read her full bio here.)

Here are some shots of Crystal... I love how confident and strong she appears in every single one of her photos.


Crystal Renn | Tush (Photography: Armin Morbach)

This next one is so elegant...



I'm lovin the attitude in this last one!

These gorgeous images make me feel sad to think that Crystal was originally told to shed ten inches off her hips. Why would you want to change someone who is so beautiful?

Recently, Crystal Renn took the fashion world by surprise when she walked for the Chanel Resort 2011 show. This news came somewhat of a shock to me since it was Karl Lagerfeld who notably stated "No one wants to see round women." Here are some photos from the show...






At the moment, the fashion world seems to be obsessed with the return of curves. Let's just hope this switch towards a healthier ideal sticks around. In the future I hope that seeing a plus sized model in a high fashion setting will not be as much of a surprise......

The Ford website says that 2010 is Crystal's year... So I look forward to seeing more of her work!

xox Katie-Lu

The Lady Dior Universe

The "Lady Dior Universe" is a series of short films featuring model/actress Marion Cotillard... A new film is released as each new installment of Lady Dior's handbag line is revealed. What I love about these mini movies is how they are far from typical online commercials. These films contain drama, action and suspense... and every shot looks as though it could be found straight out of a campaign in a high fashion magazine. The newest video was released on Saturday, entitled "Lady Blue Shanghai." Here are the videos in order of their release! You may want to grab a seat on a comfy couch and pop some popcorn before watching these mini movies...

1) Lady Noire Affair- This film is the most action packed! Marion ends up on the Eiffel Tower...





2) Lady Rouge- They made this one into a music video... I'm not sure how I feel about it yet.




3) Lady Blue Shanghai (NEWEST EPISODE!!)- This one comes in two parts...The 2nd part is pretty trippy!






This is such a clever way to advertise... After watching these films, viewers have an emotional attachment to not only to Marion and the story lines, but to the handbags themselves. Personally, I wish the story lines of each movie connected. I think this would build suspense and generate more excitement for when each new film was released...Do you agree ? Or do you think that each bag deserves its own different film? If I weren't a poor college student, I would probably buy the Lady Blue Shanghai bag because it was my favorite film ;)

What are your thoughts on these films?

xx Katie-Lu

Inez and Vinoodh are my newest obsession.

Recently I've been very inspired by the fashion photography team Inez and Vinoodh. I've seen their work everywhere, from Vogue Paris to W, and I've always wondered how they work together on set. Usually, a single photographer will run the show and call the shots during a shoot, but this husband and wife team have managed to build a highly successful career by collaborating their artistic views as a team. Please excuse the "newscast" vibe of this video.

In the video, Inez said that things are more relaxed on set because between the two of them, someone will always get the shot. This confidence they have on set reminds me of the feeling we have when Katie-Lu and I are together. If Katie-Lu and I were a photography team I wonder what kind of technique we would bring to the shoot.

Here are some photos I'm guessing were taken by Vinoodh, the photo "stealer" because the models are looking away from the camera, possibly at Inez's lens.

Hope you enjoyed the video and photos! I highly suggest looking up more of their work on the web....it's incredible!

xox Meggasus

Finally Reunited: Thrift Store Adventure #1

The best people go to the thrift store....check out the dude who walked in right before we did!


So, now that's we're reunited for the summer we've been spending a lot of time doing our favorite things, like driving in our jeep Nelly Furtado, blogging and of course, THRIFTING! Here's a little video Katie-Lu took yesterday at the start of our Thrift Store adventure.



Whenever we go to the Thrift Store, we sort of take over the only two dressing rooms they have....and then have photoshoots in the clothes. We sometimes cause a scene, but it's all for the sake of the blog so it's ok. Check out some outfits we found!

First up is Katie-Lu, in a floral shirt and an Ann Taylor satchel...the earrings are from forever 21.

Staring contest!! I win.... =P



Next, Meggasus found herself in a neon pink jumper....and a polka dot blouse...kind of "out there", we know.




Then, Katie found a high waisted, black and blue skirt....she paired that with a basic strappy tank top. Katie is really workin' those tags!



The next outfit that Meggasus wears is a full length floral dress, very prairie chic. She is also wearing her newest double finger ring from Forever21. :)



Then, Meggasus actually found a classic button down shirt that looks good on her! That never happens. Now, all she has to do is go meet Muffin and Savannah down at the country club.



Oh, and the best part about the entire day was that it was FAMILY DAY! Which means that everything in the store (that didn't have a white tag) was 1/2 off!! Wooot! We made out like bandits...Meggasus bought the button down and the Ann Taylor satchel for $3.57. Katie-Lu was the big spender of the day....she bought the black and blue skirt, the strappy tank top and 2 pairs of earrings, all for $8.30. Happy Family Day!

We will be having many more Thrift Store outings this summer, so stay tuned.


xox, Meggasus and Katie-Lu

P.S- If you like what you see slash read, follow us! We are trying to pick up some momentum in this blogosphere.

"Hitchcock Blondes" by Richard Warren

Richard Warren is quickly becoming one of my favorite fashion photographers. While looking through his homepage I came across this an editorial called "Hitchcock Blondes." What caught my attention about this editorial was its vintage feel, and its focus on "classic beauty."

Hitchcock was notorious for casting blondes in his films...he explained this once in an interview with Francois Truffaut. Hitchcock stated, "You know why I favor sophisticated blondes in my films? We're after the drawing-room type, the real ladies, who become whores once they're in the bedroom."

Classy. That is all I have to say.

Here are the photos from Warren's Portfolio...






The last photo in the sequence is very unexpected to see... especially following the glamorous photos that proceed it! It is definitely a "twist"... just like the ones in the plot lines Albert's films!

xox Katie-Lu

This Girl Can Dance

While browsing some of my favorite threads on The Fashion Spot, I found this amazing editorial of Irina Lazareanu by David Bellemere for Marie Clare Italia May 2010 .

This editorial is seems different from all others I've ever seen. It's just very raw....brimming with emotion and life. It's like you're watching a performance as you turn the pages. (or uhhh, scroll down the tfs thread...)

Notice how the powder swirling in the air just adds visible energy to the photograph above. Beautiful!

Irina has been described as the muse for designers such as Karl Lagerfeld and Nicolas Ghesquière. After you see this editorial you realize....who wouldn't find inspiration in this girl?

ighting in these images is fantastic.....it gives the entire shoot an on-stage feeling.






There is so much grace in the photo above, especially in Irina's neck and shoulders. Does anyone know if Irina has ever had professional dance training? I think she has but I'm no ballerina, so I can't tell for sure.

xo Meggasus

Happy Mother's Day!

In honor of Mother's Day, we've decided to post one of our favorite editorials from US Vogue, featuring supermodel Natalia Vondianova and her three adorable children.

Photographed by Mario Testino and styled by Grace Coddington, this editorial really captures the special connection a mother has with her children.









We really love our mom and have been trying to make this day special for her. Try to make it a memorable holiday for your mom too!

Enjoy the photographs and Happy Mother's Day!

Sasha Pivovarova for H&M

Whenever I go to the mall I look forward to shopping in H&M because they always cast the best models to be in the campaigns! The other day I saw this photo of Sasha Pivovarova for H&M and I was blown away.



Despite how "commercial" H&M campaigns are, the most high fashion supermodels always book the job. Sasha, who is known as the "editorial queen" of the high fashion world has been photographed for H&M several times. In fact, I find her H&M ads to be my favorite.






It's amazing how Sasha can go from super edgy on the cover of Italian Vogue to super smiley on the walls of H&M. It just goes to show how versatile of a model she is.

Sasha on the cover of Italian Vogue in 2005:




Here are a few more images of Sasha for H&M:







I love the image above because Sasha's silly personality just bursts out of the page. I just want to goof around with her!



These campaigns are just incredible. Every time I see them in a magazine I am highly impressed by Sasha's diverse talent. When it comes to modeling, Sasha is unstoppable.