Valentine's Day Gift Guide: Attention boys!

For all the guys out there, pay attention please! Valentine's Day is coming up in a little over a week. That means there's something you need to buy for you beautiful and sweet girlfriends. I know it can be difficult to think of nice gifts, but here are the things I'd like to give to my girlfriend:

Marni AT H&M

It's just been weeks ago Versace's H&M cruise collection was released. It's actually not even sold out! But now already the Marni at H&M (not until today did I find out it's not Marni for H&M, but Marni at H&M) campaign video, directed by Sofia Coppola and starring the beautiful Imogen Poots, has been released. I like the video, so I'm really looking forward to see the lookbook. Can't believe that it's just a month until the collection will hit stores!

Video: H&M

Always a pleasure

It's never too late for couture, so no one can possibly blame me on not writing a couture week post earlier. Those things happen when you have half a dozen of examinations, for which you have to know like half the buildings ever build by humans!

But now the examinations are over and for just a few days I have nothing to do but just relaxing, paying some extra attention to Just Sammthing and maybe freaking out about the hysterious winter weather. At least I have those beautiful couture week photos to look back too! Because yes, it was very, very, very beautiful again, as always actually! Please enjoy a few beautiful shots from the best shows, I have carefully selected for you:

Armani Privé, Chanel, Christian Dior, Elie Saab, Giambattista Valli, Givenchy, Valentino

Photos: style.com

G.G.

As you may know Gossip Girl is my all time favourite series. I love the actors, the storylines, the quotes, the music and the clothes. Everything seems so perfect to me! Last monday night Gossip Girl celebrated their 100th episode with a very special one.

Watch out for spoilers after the break!

Suit up!

Even though I haven't been able to watch a lot of menswear shows and view a lot of pictures it's quite :obviously that there's one MAJOR trend coming up this fall: suits! Almost all designer showed suits: double breasted suits, single breasted suits, formal suits, casual suits, classic suits, avant-gardistic suits, suits combined with tees, suits combined with turtle necks and actually everything you could imagine when hearing the word SUIT has been shown in the past couple of weeks. Look at my personal favourites:

From left to right: Alexander McQueen, Balmain, Bottega Veneta, Burberry Prorsum, Dior Homme, Costume National, Hermès, Lanvin, Marc Jacobs, Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo and Yves Saint Laurent

Photos: style.com

Taylor...? Is that you?!

When I saw this beautiful cover of Vogue US for the February issue, I couldn't believe that girl is Taylor Swift. I'm not exactly a Taylor Swift fan, so I was kind of surprised to hear that gorgeous, bohemian mix of Brigitte Bardot and Twiggy was actually her. That doesn't make the cover less good however!

Photo: Mario Testino for Vogue 

Award Season: 69th Golden Globe Awards

It's that time of the year again, the season of red carpets, Haute Couture that's actually worn, loads of pre-parties and even more afterparties: Award Season! As you may know the Golden Globes kick off the season which will come to it's climax february 26 when the Oscars will crown some lucky people.

I'd like to congratulate all of the winners, but Octavia Spencer, who won the award for best supporting actress in The Help, in particular. For I adored her in that movie, that made such an impact on me.

Back to the red carpet, who do I think looked good or even better?

Tilda Swinton wearing Haider Ackermann, Jessica Alba in Gucci, Nicole Kidman in Atelier Versace and  Jessica Biel wearing Elie Saab Haute Couture

Emma Stone in custom Lanvin, Viola Davis wearing Emilio Pucci, Octavia Spencer in Tadashi Shoji and Jessica Chastain wearing Givenchy Haute Couture

Mila Kunis wearing Christian Dior, Lea Michele wearing Marchesa, Melissa McCarthy in Badgley Mischka Couture and Jane Lynch wearing David Meister Signature

Photos: style.com

What's another year

I know we're over a week into this new year, but I'd like to wish everybody the very best for the new year! I felt like writing a look-back-and-forward post like I did last year. I set some goals at the beginning of 2011, so what happened? And of course I need to look forward too.

As I said a year ago, 2011 would be a year of changes for me. Harry Potter, Oprah ánd my high school career came all to their conclusion, so what's up next. Last year was very special to me. It has been stressful and difficult sometimes, but most of all fun, exciting and the beginning of a new life. My dearest moment last year was, cheesy but true, my senior prom. I can't describe how much I enjoyed that night! It was exactly like it should be and more. Something I will look back to with lots and lots of joy.

When I look to my goals for 2011, I think I did pretty well:

-         I want to make this blog more personal. Write a little more about myself and a little less “just” about others. Though I don’t want it to change into a diary!
I think I did make my blog more personal, so this one's a 'check' I guess?!

-         I’d like to get a nice job in a cool boutique or something like that.
It wasn't a cool boutique, but I worked in a book store (which means lots of fashion magazines, haha) this summer.

-         I want to buy a leather jacket.
Does faux leather count? Of course!

-         I want to write a novel (yes, I have been trying to write one for a few years already, but this year I finally will do it, haha!)
I actually started writing last summer. I think I have a good idea, but due to a chronic lack of time it's still in a VERY early stage, haha.

-         Get into the university of my choice!
This is an absolute 'check'! I graduated from high school with marks high enough to get immediately into my university of choice! Honestly I think most applicants got in this year, but still! It felt good! I didn't really move though, due to some idiot roommates who kicked me out of the house before I even lived there. I have a pied-â-terre in The Hague now however, where I can live when I'm too busy to travel back and forth. I'm studying architecture now and it's really intersting and fun. I got to learn some cool and lovely new people and I'm happy to say that Serena van der Woodsen is absolutely right: "College is just High School with more expensive books"

So what do I expect from 2012? Call me naïve or desperately positive, but at the beginning of the year I always feel like the year is going to be another great one. It won't be as special or 'important' as last year was for me, but does that mean it won't be good? I don't think so. So let's say I expect this year to be really fun!

What do I want to reach this year? Uhm... Let me think, haha. It's actually pretty much the same! Here are my goals for 2012:

-         Successfully finish my first year of university

-         Write a novel (AGAIN!)

-         Start working out, to get rid of my ridiculously skinny body

-         Make Just Sammthing grow!

-         Get a job in a fashion store

I hope I will succeed in reaching my goals and much, much more this year and I hope so will you!

Love,
Sam

It's quite scandalous...

Tonight I went to see 'The Help' based upon the novel of the same name in cinema with my mother. I know in America it was released almost six months ago,  but not until last week, the movie landed here in the Netherlands too.

I could write stories about the huge succes of the film. It got good reviews, is named one of the best (THE best by some) movies of 2011 and is tipped to be an oscar-favourite. Yeah, that's all true. And for a reason!

But that's not why I write this. No, it's because I was truly touched and amazed and I got one of the biggest Aha-moments in my life. For the first time in my life I understand why the whole black-and-white-thing is so much of a deal in the USA. I honestly never really got it. Mostly because I never actually learned about it during history class or so but also because I thought it was overrated and blown up by the African American community itself. I now have to admit that I was totally wrong and I feel like I have to say sorry for that. I'm truly shocked that slavery didn't actually end after it was abolished, it's as wrong and inhumane as it can be.

Actually I'm surprised that I didn't realize all this before. I have read both 'If Beale Street Could Talk' and 'To Kill A Mockingbird', heard and read about 'The Little Rock Nine' ánd have seen a dozen of Oprah shows about these kind of racism issues. Just a few weeks ago I didn't understand the whole Rihanna-'Niggabitch' controversy in this Dutch magazine 'Jackie'. Now I do.

Sam

Best of 2011: Fashion

Fashion obviously is one of my main topics on this blog. That's why I saved this category a while, haha. Due to a chronic lack of time I think I have missed a lot in fashion. I wasn't able to do a full fashion week coverage and 'missed' some events. Nonetheless I think I can give my opinion about this year in fashion.

Shoe of the year!

I'm not even a woman and I'm crazy about women's shoes. Which shoes were THE shoes of the year? Actually I have predicted this in march already, it's the Loubutin Daffodile! Victoria Beckham wore customized Daffodiles to The Royal Wedding, Lady Gaga has worn them on numerous occasions in all colours and prints you could think of and actually everyone who's considered a style icon has worn them.

Model of the year!
She's got a baby this year, but that didn't stop her for being very successful as a commercial model as well as a fashion model: Miranda Kerr. She walked shows for Lanvin, Christian Dior, Loewe, Balenciaga, Viktor & Rolf, Chanel, Stella McCartney, John Galliano and of course Victoria's Secret. She had covers on Elle, the Australian version of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar, editorials in Industrie Magazine and Vogue and is the face of Bally, Kora and Rag & Bone.

Magazine Cover of the year!
Lots of fashion magazines, means lots of covers. Not all of them are really good, but lots them are actually really beautiful. For me there's one cover this year that's more beautiful than all the others: Vogue Paris' September Issue with Charlotte Casiraghi!

Fashion Show of the year!
It was quite a scandalous year for former creative director of Christian Dior John Galliano. He was fired after antisemetic comments he made on a Parisian terrace. His last couture show for the fashion house, was a beautiful goodbye.

Best New Brand!
With fashion icons such as Blake Lively and Keira Knightley wearing your designs, you're doing good. And that's exactly what Mary Katrantzou did this year. The new British brand is gaining popularity and for a reason. Her beautiful, colourful designs are rich, trendy and ultra fashionable. They are a hit among celebrities and on covers of magazines (see: Miranda Kerr on Harper's Bazaar Australia). Will this brand be able to grow in 2012?

Fashion Moment of the year!
After months of speculating the search for the designer of Kate Middleton's wedding gown came to its climax when the bride stepped out of her car. At that moment it was announced that Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen designed it. I still enjoy watching this video and hear those ladies go crazy for hearing the news of the designer:


Brand of the year!
The tragic death of its head designer didn't mean the end of Alexander McQueen. Not at all. The royal wedding dress was the crown to Alexander McQueen's new succes. Sarah Burton does nothing but good to the late Alexander McQueen's legacy. Her collections all get fantastic reviews and the Alexander McQueen exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute was a record-breaking succes.  Who could have imagined this after all that happened?