>> FASH INSTITUTE —Nina Garcia's follow-up to her Little Black Book of Style comes out later this month — Aug. 26, to be exact. Her newest outing, The One Hundred: A Guide to the Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own, is already available for pre-order, and is illustrated by Ruben Toledo, just like her first book. [Amazon.com]
Spring brings floral prints, bare legs . . . and a new kind of ad campaign for Nordstrom.
The retailer, who has in recent years used the illustrations of one of my favorite artists, Ruben Toledo, for their ads, has decided to go a new direction and have Toledo collaborate with fashion photographer Ruven Afanador.
Ruben painted 20-by-30 foot wall murals in black and white to function as the ad's backdrop, and then took his paintbrush to a new canvas: the models' faces and bodies. Afanador captured the result with his lens, producing beautiful images of Lily Cole, Jenny Sweeny, and Kiera Gormley. Do you dig the new look?
Here is an oldie but goodie. I got this Style Dictionary illustrated by Ruben Toledo, $23, for Christmas years ago. If you have been enjoying our Style Glossary this is up your fashion education alley.
The illustrator, Ruben Toledo, is one of my favorite fashion illustrators. You may recognize his unique style from the Nordstrom ads and their clever whimsical illustrations. He is married to the designer Isabel Toledo who is the new designer at Anne Klein. Page-by-page Toledo illustrates fashion terms through colorful imagery; I received it as a gift and it is indeed a great gift to give!
