Inspiration

I recently purchased the May 2011 issue of Harper's Bazaar (UK version), on the basis of a single image.

 

Not for that one, although it is a lovely cover.

It was for this one.

(I am respecting the copyright owner's explicit request not to copy the photo, so I'm just including the link). The lower of the two images is the one in the magazine; the upper image is pretty fantastic too.

My admiration for Vivienne Westwood is something I have written about before.  She is an inspiration not only for her provocative and beautiful design, but for her personal style as well, the latter even more so as she ages. At 70 years old, she's more striking than ever, and not in a plastic surgery and youth obsessed way. I think she's gorgeous. That orange hair--she is a natural redhead, but the current color definitely comes from a bottle--the white, white skin, the spare but dramatic use of red eyeliner...it's so beautiful.

What appeals to me about her look is that she doesn't follow the rules about how women should present themselves after "a certain age".  For that matter, she doesn't follow the rules about how women should look at any age. She's not bronzed, her hair is not blown out (but it might be done up like this), she certainly isn't discreet. This independence makes her vastly more compelling, in my opinion, than the youthful, flavor of the month starlets that have come to dominate fashion magazines.

For more of the glory that is Vivienne, go here.