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Showing posts with label david bowie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label david bowie. Show all posts

Stephen Webster's Thumbs Up!

This story begins in Beverly Hills (which means it's going to be good) and deals with the notion that more is always more.
So if you're one of those minimal 'I paint everything white and love clear acrylic furniture' types, well, this probably isn't going to be your thing. But don't click away just yet. You might surprise yourself - I know I did. 

In fact I only recently became interested in the idea of layering rings, probably because I've been stacking bracelets for a while and things always seem to creep-up on me (that is to say my fingers were becoming insanely jealous of the outrageously fun wrist parties I was hosting just a couple of inches away). So in an effort to satisfy every last extremity and in the name of pavé, pierced skulls and studs I ventured back to Stephen Webster's flagship on Rodeo Drive and got a-stacking. The result? A resounding (and quite literal) two thumbs up! 

For starters the various black rhodium pavé 'spinner' rings are clever in that they give you something to do in moments of boredom (aside from twiddling your thumbs). Each is part of the 'Highwayman' collection and features black, blue or yellow pavé sapphires. Also I will forever be partial to a solid studded band. Why? Any grouped-stud situation will inevitably remind me of a belt I once owned (a nod to a fleeting Blink-182 style moment - don't ask). But when push comes to shove (which often is the case when shopping for jewelry) I'm always going to be drawn to the skull. It's the whole overtly and unapologetically badass thing, which is entirely not me and therefore completely alluring. I mean who doesn't like a pierced skull ring? This one features a black rhodium plated shank and a rose gold plated Union Jack motif, so that's something. 

A quick Google search unanimously dictates Stephen Webster as putting the rocks in rock'n'roll, but his reality is actually far more romantic (albeit dark, moody and mysterious). And while an on-going courtship of the Ferry's and Bowie's of the world serves to satisfy his deep-rooted obsession of glam-rock, for me Webster's aesthetic boils down to two fundamental things: careful craftsmanship and exceptional design. Both are executed with ease. 

- Photos by Jessica Craig and Alexander Atkins. 






Stephen Webster Beverly Hills is located at 202 North Rodeo Drive. Call 310 246 9500 for information.

The Look: The Great Bowie (Sorry Gatsby)

So I guess I'm supposed to be all about Gatsby. I mean I tried (for a sec) but I just can't. Instead I'm still all about Bowie.
Don't get me wrong, Baz Luhrmann's whole visual overload-to-the-max thing was impressive and excessively indulgent (thing's I usually enjoy), but I just need something more, well, me. Enter the completely unrelated Bowie alter-ego of Ziggy Stardust (the original Sasha Fierce?). Essentially it's like how can you not be inspired? A mullet-wearing, lightening bolt-ed original gender benderer from the 70s! It's all incredibly fun.

Let's chat hair. Now I'm not saying I've given-up on my most recent bout of hairspiration (the whole long and wavy thing is slowly happening for me). All I'm saying is I'm into getting funky (just like Major Tom) - besides there are many a theme party to attend these days, and I'm over onesie's. I vaguely remember the mullet being cool in 2004, when, on my first solo venture to Toni & Guy I kind-of ended up with one. Needless to say it was scary (if not a tad lesbisch). But I'm older, potentially wiser now, and I'm thinking about things. If I were to venture into mullet-land I would definitely use a great volumizer, like Bumble and Bumble's Thickening Full Form Mousse and then seal the deal with some Thickening Hairspray - just to be sure, you know?

Now this may sound slightly intense (if not extremely opulent) but La Mer's The Concentrate is the best primer ever. Its smooth, rich consistency means skin is left feeling undeniably silky and treated (ie makeup application is a breeze). Also a high-consistency of the coveted and very secret 'miracle broth' means your basically getting a facial underneath your Ziggy-glam. For the perfect lightening bolt I'd use Giorgio Armani's All in One No 2 Palette. We're looking for strong color, and that red means business. The use of an eye-patch is completely optional, but always a great idea if face-paint sounds a bit daunting.

Here's to a Ziggy Stardust-infused Memorial Day Weekend!


*Click the arrows above to browse the products mentioned and get the look.


- David Bowie, performing 'Ziggy Stardust' at the Hammersmith Odeon, 1973.