Ad Musings: Louis Vuitton

Angelina Jolie in Cambodia.

My Mom was so cranky when she saw Angelina Jolie's new Louis Vuitton full-page ad in the New York Times. Mommy feels that it's in poor taste to sit in the middle of an impoverished country with a several thousand dollar handbag. I agree.  It is in poor taste, and feels very post-colonial. Especially since it's half-French woman with a bag from a French company in former French Indochina.

However, Jolie,  photographed by Annie Leibovitz, gave her fees to charity. Ironically, the specific bag she is posing with is discontinued.  That doesn't really matter, since they're advertising the brand and an idea, not a particular item.  You can read a bit more about Jolie's photo over at Huff Po.  Apparently this is the most recent in a campaign that I've mostly missed, or just didn't connect to one another. Here's Bono and his wife:

Read about Bono and Ali Hewson's spread in South Africa here.

After the jump, lots more about this campaign, including Sally Ride, Pelé, Gorby and more.

Bob Loblaw's Law Blog

I had another one of my submissions posted on Bob Loblaw's Law Blog today. It's a tumblr consisting of hipster (mostly) photos with Arrested Development quotes. Naturally I'm a fan, and I'm currently on a creative roll. Here's the one just posted:

And my previous ones:

Ensemble: Going Out IV

Old Navy skirt, Kimchi & Blue tank (possibly from Urban Outfitters, but maybe a boutique)

My Mom somehow ended up at at a home sale jewelry party where she felt obligated to buy something, but even under pressure she made a good choice with these multi-colored  faux pearls.

The back detail is the best part. You guys know how I love showing of my ink with one shoulder or racerback tops.

What I Wore: 4th of July

Target T, Old Navy Shorts, ON Espadrille Sandals, MICHAEL Michael Kors shades

7 Chi Purse

After writing two and reading probably a dozen blogs about patriotic themed dressing, I had raised the stakes for my 4th of July outfit. It was over 100 degrees here, so I had to be practical. I ended up going with an alienated Vietnam Vet turned anti-war "Born in the USA" theme. It was pretty high concept. I wore an American flag peace sign T (Target), dove earrings, red and white plastic bangles, army green cargo shorts and my dad's dog tag.

MARC by Marc Jacobs

I love these little studs, you can wear them with anything and they were only like $30.  I don't think these ones in particular are still available online (I got them from Piperlime), but there are lots of other similar dove pieces in the collection. I love that I could get in on Marc Jacobs' bird motif this season without a big investment on something from his mainline.

I'm no nail artist like everyone else on the internet, but I thought I did a pretty good job free-handing the tips of my nails. I should have probably gone out and gotten a truer blue glitter, instead of this blue green I had, which ended up looking more watermelon red and green than patriotic red and blue. Either way they're summery.

Happy Fourth of July!

A few patriotic images from my favorite fictional family of loyal Americans:

Lucille and Baby Buster at Motherboy II

 Also celebrating the Bicentennial: George Senior in 1976.

"Oh, Reggie, fighting for your country. You're such a pussy."

"It's all regulation, Michael. To get the top right, the pants had to be a little snug."

Banana Republic's Mad Men Collection

Last season, Banana Republic did a promotional campaign featuring Mad Men. This season, they are taking it a step further and  collaborating with costume designer Janie Bryant to release a limited edition collection inspired by the show. The collection will be in stores and online in August.  Here are some of my favorite pieces, head over to NY Mag's "The Cut" Blog for the full slideshow.

 

I really like the collection. I've seen some comment that it is a little boring, but it's not supposed to be a literal interpretation of the most dramatic looks from the show show. The point is to incorporate some of the vintage style into a modern work and evening wardrobe. Of course, if you're the type that wears full vintage head to toe, this may not be  the collection for you. But for the regular BR customer,  it is a  change of pace without deviating too far from their tried and true work staples. If I were small enough to fit into Banana clothing (size 16 is still a little ways off for me), I would definitely wear some of these pieces in my upcoming life as a teacher.