Step Into Spring with a Fashion Stylist

Corporate Fashion Styling by Gessica

Melbourne, Barcelona, Dubai, Milan, Sydney

From this……

To this…..

Spring is here, stand out and ooze your authentic style. 

                     

Having a strong, authentic personal and professional brand is imperative for success and important for building influence and reach.

                       

That means embodying your brand on every level including how you dress.

Achieving that has little to do with chance. Just like your career you need to consciously develop a polished, professional style that sends the right message about your worth.

As author and connected brand expert Trevor Young says be “conscious of how you want others to perceive your brand… and ensure that perception is consistent across all touchpoints.”

With spring upon us (this is to my Australian clients - but the rules apply regardless), now is a perfect time to jazz up your existing wardrobe and turn something like this classy and simple dress into an individual style statement.

Dressing well at work is a professional investment that lifts your company image, self worth and confidence.

Book me in for a

• One-hour express workshop – gather a group of colleagues during lunch and I will show you how to turn core, classic pieces into statements that ooze confidence and power. (A longer after work session of two hours is also available). I can also incorporate men's style into the presentation.

• Two-hour personal styling session – I work with you one-on-one in your home to sort through the good, the bad and the ugly, show you new ways to pull together what you’ve got and transform it by choosing the right accessories, highlight colours and accents.  

Workshop Highlights

• What's appropriate - and not- at work - the right lengths, sizes, prints and colours
• Making the most of what you've got - versatile looks for every day at work
• Confidence dressing for important meetings
• Stylish looks that transform from work to social events
• Dressing for your body shape and personality
• Accessories, hair and make- up

Contact: stylebygessica@gmail.com

About Me
Gessica Marmotta is a personal fashion consultant who has worked around the world including Barcelona, Dubai, Milan and Sydney with professionals to develop their corporate style and professional brand. She blogs at stylebygessica and ObsessionsByGessica

Design Supremo Verner Panton

Interior and furniture designer Verner Panton (1926-1998) could be described as the god of colour. Hailing from Denmark, he was one of the most remarkable innovative designers of the 20th century. Re-known for his futuristic furniture made of plastics and vibrant colours: you may recognise his Panton and Cone chairs around the world. He then ventured into designing complete interior spaces using a mixture of psychedelic colours and radical designs. Verner maintained a childlike vision to his designs through out his career, experimenting and pushing boundaries. His work is awe inspiring.

I wanted to share one of his works with you, the 1969 fit out of 'Spiegel Publishing House' in Hamburg. Here he designed everything from the colour schemes, textiles, lamps, ceiling lights to wall claddings. Only the furniture was not his, it was ordered from Knoll International.
  
The Entrance

Lounge Area

Canteen One

Canteen Two

Staff swimming Pool

Light fittings

The great man himself Verner Panton in his famous Cone Chair

How lucky are those that work in the Spiegel Publishing House. And if the colours become to overwhelming you could escape by going for a dip in the pool. Then again it looks pretty bright in there too. Or you could sit in the green lounge area and meditate. Happy hour in one of the several canteens wouldn't be a bad idea either. It's all fabulous. I hope it turns into a hotel one day....then I can go and stay. 

If you loved this, then you are sure to like the rest of Verner Panton's work. Click on his website  or here to see more of his interiors work.

Ciao for now

Gessica X

Colour and Print Forecasters

As a general rule I tend not to follow trends. However part of my job is to be informed on what is coming up in the future with styles, patterns, prints and themes. There are only a few forecasters I look to for some inspiration and guidance on this. Pattern Curator is one of them and hence this post on their creative eye. I like their simple(and not so serious) take on the upcoming seasons. 'Each board is created visually in a way that is directional, relevant and trend-right'.

Below are only a handful of my personal highlights for the Spring/Summer 2014(already upon us) and ahead in 2015. These are the more colourful pick of the bunch. 

I have had many images in my head on how I would place these prints and in what form i.e. scarves, pants, jackets etc and mixed with this and that. I could go on forever, however I will leave it to your imagination to decide what best suits you. I am always an email away at stylebygessica@gmail.com if you would like my advice on what suits you.   

Diablos Rojos: Spring/Summer 2014. Very much inspired by Brazil. Love the mixture of textiles, multi prints and of course colour. 

Ebony & Ivory: Let's not forget that abstract patterns in black and white are still a great fashion statement (especially if mixed with a signature colour). 

Flower Power: I can't go passed flowers for any spring/summer season.  Some Mexican inspiration here.

Mix Master:  The mix of different prints together is an art and if you get it right, looks amazing. 

Welcome to the Jungle: large images of animals and jungle leaves printed on fabrics in colours of deep greens and blues are big this season. Has to be one of my favourites. Can be loads of fun.

Tribal: African inspired prints and colours. This is on trend now. 

Copacabana: A mixture  of jungle + botanical....just a little more intense with pattern and colour. 

I have so much fun reading/looking at what forecasters have to suggest. Some I feel hit the mark, and some don't.  It is in the end all personal preference. 

Warm Regards

Gessica

The Visions of Gregory Colbert

"I have been tusked by an elephant, almost eaten by a sperm whale, knocked off my feet by a rhinoceros, embraced by a jaguar, given a haircut by a tiger shark, chased by a hippo and a black mamba, brought to my knees by malaria and dengue. But I was able to avoid the greatest danger of all. Never stop exploring the things that open you, or that you love."

Gregory Colbert. 

Gregory Colbert  is a Canadian photographer/film maker who created Ashes and Snow, an ongoing travelling exhibition of photographs and films focusing on the exquisite interaction of humans and animals. Better known as the nomadic museum, these images and films are displayed in purposely built temporary structures that travel the world.

Each exhibition consists of more than fifty photographs measuring approx 3.5m by 2.5m. All created on special handmade Japanese paper.  His exhibitions also consist of three film installations. His films are stunning imagery, more poetic rather than documentaries, edited by two time oscar winner Pietro Scalia and narrated in various languages by well known actors.   What is incredible with his work,is that none of the photographic or film images have been digitally collaged or superimposed. I feel calm, inspired and engrossed in his story when viewing his images that speak a thousand words. This post focuses on his most recent 'elephant series'.

Ashes and Snow is a  project Gregory has been working on for thirty years, with each exhibition honouring the connection of humans and animals. 

Extract From his website; ' Ashes and Snow first opened at the Arsenale in Venice, Italy, in 2002. The Nomadic Museum, the traveling home of Ashes and Snow, debuted in New York in 2005 and then migrated to Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Mexico City, and is charted to travel the globe with no final destination. Ashes and Snow has welcomed more than ten million visitors to date, making it the most attended exhibition by any living artist in history.

"I think of my life's work as a celebration of all of nature, an orchestra that plays not the sounds of one musician, the music of one species, but rather an expression of all of nature's songs".

“When I started Ashes and Snow in 1992, I set out to explore the relationship between man and animals from the inside out. In discovering the shared language and poetic sensibilities of all animals, I am working towards restoring the common ground that once existed when people lived in harmony with animals.”

Enticing you with more of his work......

I'm obsessed. If you are, click on the links above and these photos to see more of his work. Please visit his website to find out more about Gregory and sign up to receive notification on when and where his next nomadic museum will be constructed. 

Love your work Gregory. 

I hope you enjoy his work as much as I do.

Warm regards

Gessica

Wearing the Maxi Skirt

Are we creatures of habit, fearful of showing the world our true selves? Or do we dance as though no-one is watching?

If I was wearing this skirt, I'd be dancing and sleeping in it. 

I see very few women wearing the maxi skirt. My belief is a 'fear' of standing out too much if they wear this long, flowing, statement piece. For many it looks too formal, or the opposite, bohemian.  
As you may be very well aware, I try and steer women away from wearing what fashion dictates and instead help them to shine with what works on them. The maxi skirt is one of those trends that comes and goes. For me it has always been 'in'. I think I still have a skirt from 20 years ago. 
Well as it turns out, the long skirt is having a come back which you will see in coming months.  
The maxi skirt suits many body shapes purely because 'it' in itself is not just of one cut. It is either flared, straight and narrow, pleated, high waisted, asymmetrical etc. In other words it is not limited to only tall, thin women. If you wear it well, it can look sensational. Trust me. 

I say, get out of your jeans and into a maxi for some fun, femininity, sexiness and originality. 

Below are my suggestions on wearing the maxi skirt all year round. This feminine skirt can be worn during the day or evening, casual or formal, summer or winter. At work may be a little tricky, but it depends on the type of work.

Divine forest green chiffon skirt worn with either a patterned cardigan or gorgeous silk blouse can transform it from day into night. Colour your world with shoes and accessories.

Stand out in a bright skirt worn with stripe jacket or feminine camisole. Wonderful spring/summer look.

Love a bright maxi skirt with wrap tops. Wear them with boots for the colder months or nice little flats in the spring/summer. Just so versatile. 

Speaking of Green 

The tulle flared maxi skirt worn with a silk camisole and flats or a stand out jacket and high bold coloured shoes is great look for those daring enough.

Pattern and lace skirts are fun and feminine. Don't be afraid to mix various patterns together, as you can see above with the edgy combination of paisley skirt and stripe blouse. Experiment to see what suits you. The lace skirt is soft and stylish worn with a silk wrap top. To give a casual feel, a denim jacket fits the part. Again add a jolt of colour in there with the accessories.

Lace skirt, patterned jacket, bright accessories.  The 21st century Boho woman.

Continuing on the subject of lace and pattern skirts. Worn with fur(or faux fur) vests, this is super stylish. Combined with sexy boots, vintage handbags and earrings.....yum.  Again  as you will see above on the right, the multi patterned mix of the skirt, vest and shoes can all work well together if you get the 'pattern mix' right. Don't be afraid.

Winter Chic

The neutral effect. It's not always about bright colour. I love wearing a long white or beige skirt with a soft blouse in the summer. In the winter wear it with a wrap cardigan or belted coat. Can't go wrong here.

Lusting after this polka dot lace skirt. I'd wear it with a belted wrap cardigan in the winter or with a silk lace camisole in the summer. Like the first image, wearing this skirt would make me want to dance, eat and sleep in it.  

I hope you enjoyed this latest post on How to wear a maxi skirt all year round. 

All garments in my styling pages were sourced from Polyvore, Net-a-Porter, Farfetch, etsy, asos and pinterest.  Browse these websites to find your perfect maxi, blouse, jacket, shoes and accessories. 

Like all of my fashion posts, I could have gone on for ever with various ways to wear garments, in this instance the maxi skirt. I find it hard to stop.  The maxi skirt is certainly a piece that is versatile enough to have many different looks. I do highly recommend experimenting to see what works on you. And more importantly be a little darling. My belief is, you only have to do it 'once' to break the fear factor. 

Should you require, I would be delighted to help you with putting maxi skirt outfits together, or any look for that matter. I can be booked for a personal styling and image consultation either in person or on line.

For all enquiries please email me on stylebygessica@gmail.com 

And of course I would love to hear your feedback. 

With Love

Gessica 

Iconic Photographer Melvin Sokolsky

"With the awareness that I was prone to live in my own head much of the time, and inclined to severe self-criticism, I began to have doubts whether I could create images on film that reflected the images in my mind's eye." Melvin Sokolsky

The 1963 Bubble series shot in Paris over ten days, and created for the Harper's Bazaar Spring collection by New York photographer Melvin Sokolsky, is still to this day one of the more innovative photography experiments ever.
Although Melvin never had formal training in photography, using his father's box camera at the age of ten gave him a head start in producing exquisite work.  

His Inspiration of the bubble series came from a re-occuring dream where he saw himself floating in a bubble across exotic landscapes. 

At the same time he was fascinated with the intricate design and shape of the faberge egg: hence the bubble was formulated, made of plexi glass and aircraft aluminium.  

The challenge however was to position a telescopic crane at each location from which the bubble would be suspended. 

The model Simone d'Aillencourt would hop into the bubble that was suspended a few feet off the ground. After being locked in safely with an air vent for her to breathe, the bubble was raised into position. 

In his own words, "there were times when this choreographeed dance turned into a Laurel and Hardy comedy. The morning we shot on the Seine, the bubble was lowered overzealously into the water, flooding it up to Simone's ankles, and in turn ruining an important pair of designer shoes."

Various locations through the streets of Paris

 In the Making

Purchase his Paris Art book 1963-1965 

Stunning photographs.....Enjoy

Gessica