On this day in history, one ill-fated socialite was born. The southern California heiress, Edie Sedgwick, became an iconic style icon, most notable for her blonde pixie cut and 60s mod ballerina style. Vogue's Diana Vreeland once called her "America's next It Girl."

The Cambridge art school dropout, turned Warhol superstar by her own look, Sedgwick epitomized beauty and poise.. albeit living fast and hard in 1960s New York City. While England had their Twiggy, New York had Edie. 

Edie's style was heavily accessorized. She exploited her family's money with jewelry, hats, sunglasses and of course, fur coats. Underneath she kept everything simple, usually with mini dresses, black tights, leotards or men's shirts. Her hair went from long to short, brown to silver, and in her downturn in life back to long brunette. She has been featured in Vogue, Time, Life and was Betsey Johnson's first model for Manhattan boutique Paraphernalia. 

Elle Magazine

Decades of celebrities, models and stylists (including myself!) have been inspired by her edgy hair to chop their own. Mia Farrow, Audrey Hepburn, Halle Berry, Agyness Deyn, Emma Watson, Jennifer Lawrence and many others have sported this look or currently rock it today.

"It's not that I'm rebelling. It's that I'm just trying to find another way." -Edie Sedgwick (4/20/1943 - 11/16/1971)

We're lucky that Las Vegas photographer Brandon Lundby has graced ShearCraft's website with his brilliant work.  And we're struck with his level of talent and attention to detail at such a young age - he's only 21!  We caught up with him to find out a bit about him and his creative process. 



You've definitely transcended the Las Vegas aesthetic. Are you really from here?
Brandon: Yes I am. I was actually born in the Midwest and came here one year after, so I definitely consider myself to be born and raised.

And you're entirely self taught?
Brandon: I am self taught. My interest for fashion and beauty photography peaked shortly after I began modeling. I then studied photography through books and websites.

I can't believe how young you are. How long have you been taking photos?
Brandon: I've been photographing for about 5 years now. I first started with landscape/film photography.

How would you describe your style?
Brandon: I would describe my style as classic, eclectic, conceptual, and maybe even slightly creepy. I always try to tell a story with my photos. If there isn't anything deeper than a girl in a dress, then it's just a snapshot to me.



Who or what inspires you most?
I can't quite pinpoint what inspires me. My concepts and ideas always come from nowhere in my head; I just think of them unwillingly. Of course all of the top fashions and top fashion photographers inspire me, but not nearly as much as my own thoughts. I love seeing my thoughts come alive through photography.

That sounds spiritual to me - the idea of drawing creativity from a place of "no mind" or mushin in Zen Buddhism. If you could photograph anyone, living or passed, who would you choose and why?
Brandon: I would really enjoy photographing Edith Piaf. I admire a model who can really emote; of course with a model it is acting. Photographing someone who has been through a real tragedy would be a new experience for me, and I'd love to maybe see that raw emotion. If anyone could give me raw emotion I feel that she could, as she did every time she sang.

That is brilliant. What is the best way that people can get in contact with you for your rates and availability?
Brandon: The best way to contact me is via e-mail at brandonlundby@gmail.com.

MORE BCL PHOTOGRAPHY His Website   |   His Facebook

Fashion Week may be over in New York, yet the scent of the rose still lingers by way of Chris Habana's collab with A-list designer Prabal Gurung.  Habana, a New York based jewelry designer we're bound to be seeing a lot more of, combined the cool edge of super polished sterling silver with the warmth of the rose in his latest collection. The tiny flowers made a huge impact as the ear cuffs worn by Gurung's models were detected by those with a keen eye for beauty and the unusual.

Sexy and feminine, edgy and soft; the devil is in the detail of the intricate perfection found here.  “What initially drew me to the beauty of Chris’ designs is that they are so raw yet painstakingly crafted,” Gurung told Style.com.  You really can't improve on that and why should anyone try? 

As beautiful as the clothing is during fashion week, each season brings additional facets to the stage--adding elements of sophistication and sparkle which beautifully ice the already flawless cake.

 

Chris is no stranger to the world of art, design and jewelry.  An avid artist since he started drawing as a child, his universe has continued expanding and we hope it never stops.  His self-expression feels like total personal freedom and it shows as he seems to manifest amazing pieces of jewelry from his soul. Sink your teeth into his entire collection.  See for yourself and visit Chris at his website and like him on Facebook.

VISIT CHRIS HABANA ON THE WEB His Website   |   His Store   |   His Facebook Image Sources Prabal Gurung, Chris Habana, and Xi Sinsong.

Fashion Week in New York is coming to a close today, and there is more to report than just the new clothing designs.  As dozens of designers unveiled their Spring 2014 collections, more than ever before attention to detail to the entire runway event was paramount.

This was strikingly evident in the breathtakingly (literally, a collective gasp was heard) stunning Spring 2014 fashion show by uber designer Prabal Gurung that I had the distict pleasure of seeing firsthard. He showcased his designs in a runway experience with perfumed air--yes, he personally attended to the custom scented ambiance--and so it was with the importance of the runway models’ hair in his overall design presentation.  He wanted perfection, and top stylist Paul Hanlon for Osis delivered.  "It's almost as if they've been sitting in formaldehyde and are stepping out to show their perfection just for a minute," he said.

Another Fashion Week hair trend was duly noted: flower hair accessories.  From fresh flowers designed by Zac Posen himself for the elegant updos in his show to hair accessories seen on stars off the runway.  Bella Thorne and Ariana Grande are just two of the celebs we've seen looking adorably chic with flowers in their hair this Fashion Week.  

Hair is always a factor of great consideration with regard to complementing a fashion statement.  In some cases the hair does steal the show as in this week's runway show for The Blonds.  Amazing and fabulous as always, the aspect of the hair--more precisely massive space age hair balls atop super slick-backed style does not disappoint.  

Image Sources IMAXtree, Nordstrom, Isidore Montag, and Nathaniel Dam.