{favourite five: artist photographer romina shama}

It is true that a picture can convey a thousand words through just one still image -- but what if that image is so divine it simply takes your breath away and there are no words?

Romina Shama is a Swiss-born, Egyptian-Italian fashion photographer and film director whose works will leave you utterly speechless, for she does not merely photograph her subjects, but rather, it would almost seem that she is illuminating their thoughts. Romina, who lives and works in Paris, combines the raw beauty of natural light along with the classic style of an analog camera to produce a strikingly delicate and cinematic effect in her photos. Her photography leaves us wondering about the romantic daydreams of her subjects and makes us long for the heavenly, dream-like escapes portrayed therein.



Having studied film in addition to photography at Central St. Martin's School in London, Romina and the work she produces have undoubtedly been impacted by aspects of cinema. This week, we asked her:

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{what are the five most intriguing ways the study of film has influenced your photography?}

1. Roland Barthes wrote: "... an image produces death while trying to preserve life". This very feeling is exactly what attracted me to photography. I started thinking that in avoiding life, I may be able to portray it. I started focusing on capturing "absence", or the "let go" feeling in all my subjects and landscapes. I decided I wouldn't "take" them.

2. There's a cinematographic feel to my photographs and a very photographic feel to my films. They are linked. Together they help me avoid the fact that we perceive time as linear.

3. Films that are made for the sole purpose of creation inspire me very much. To me, they make time feel dimensional. Sometimes, they make me want to capture every frame of them.

4. The timelessness of great films.

5. The fact that I always wished I could pause life and rewind it at times.

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{p.s.} previous favourite fives:
* interior designer: tricia foley
* jeweler: camille eddera
* artist: kimia kline
* actress & fashion muse: chloë sevigny
* floral stylist: denise porcaro
* entrepreneurs: rent the runway
* designer: rachel ashwell
* fashion photographer & illustrator: garance doré

~ laily

{images: all photography by romina shama}

{favourite five: photographer garance doré}

The New York Times refers to her as “the guardian of all style”, her beau calls her the “Illustratoriste” for her commended work as a fashion illustrator, Vogue.com named her one of the 40 women of the decade . . . clearly, French fashion blogger and photographer Garance Doré’s ultra-stylish influence has been felt by not only the fashion world, but the world at large.



Whether she is covering fashion week in Milan, snapping portraits of fashionistas in New York, posting personal chatty, witty -- yet simply charming -- monologues, sharing her photographs from the latest French Vogue editorial she shot, or displaying her collages and fashion illustrations, the street-style photographer & fashion illustrator's blog evokes a style that goes far beyond trends: the scope of her work is timeless and chic; it is for this reason, the fashion world is at her feet.


above: snaps of doré & a feature in interview magazine

Garance’s musings give us a rare glimpse into the thoughts of a fabulously stylish Parisian woman, and even though her posts imply French women are the masters when it comes to effortless style, they still have a few tricks up their sleeves, and this week, she lets us in on some of her style secrets . . .

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{the top five things french women never leave home without:}

1. Baume Crème de Rose from Dior, for the pot & the perfectly pouty lips.

2. A pair of sunglasses -- to provide mystery!

3. A book by Françoise Sagan because she has an incredible perspective on life and was so rock'n roll -- in the French way, of course.

4. A pair of Repetto ballet flats (the real dancer ones with very soft soles) -- great after long hours in heels.

5. A pen. To write, of course, but also to put your hair up when you're tired of having it in your face. I don't know why, but every French girl does that!

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{p.s.} previous favourite fives:
* interior designer: tricia foley
* jeweler: camille eddera
* artist: kimia kline
* actress & fashion muse: chloë sevigny
* floral stylist: denise porcaro
* entrepreneurs: rent the runway
* designer: rachel ashwell

~ laily

{images: from garance doré's blog, as well as previous posts, here & here; all collages compiled by this is glamorous}

{photography: salt caramels}

. . . a few weeks ago, glamorous reader bonnie sent along a link to a few photographs she had taken of cherry blossoms in washington, and while gazing at all the beautiful blossoms, also discovered this utterly lovely salted caramel series, with its wonderfully hazy, dreamy, soft-flowing light . . .








{images: all photography by bonnie sen}

{décor inspiration: patterns & textures}

. . . there is something so wonderfully absorbing about this room -- the luxuriously rich colours and mix of patterns & textures -- perhaps it is the royal blue silk settee and elegant leopard print walls, the dazzling chandelier and bits of gold, the dusky streams of light and beautifully set table for two, or perhaps is is a combination of all these things . . .


{image: photography by brie williams, discovered via moodboard}

{photographer: patric shaw}

. . . positivity enchanted with these photographs by fashion photographer, patric shaw . . . the softness of light with its dreamy cast on every billowy pleat and ruche of delicate tulle, turning bare shoulders and cheekbones into gold, the insanely lovely pinkish lavender walls and the utterly perfect play of light and shadow . . .

{p.s.} the first dress is j.mendel & the second is chloé


{roza gough by patric shaw for vogue russia brides, S/S 2011 via oh fashion models}

{on the market: stockholm, sweden}

. . . there has been a warm and woodsy victorian in australia, a bright and modern apartment in sweden, and even a look at the differences between magazine and real estate photography for a townhouse in new york, but until now, there has never been such a perfect intermingling of the two . . . swedish real estate firm, fantastic frank, photographs homes for their listings in much the same way as interior design magazines; working with photographers who do not usually shoot houses, but work in fashion, art and architecture, they have developed a beautiful new photographic style that will forever change the way one thinks of real estate listings: for here, a light-filled home in östermalm, an upscale borough in stockholm, sweden, glittering with chandeliers and positively strewn with roses . . .























{images: photography by anders lindén for fantastic frank via trendey story}

{have an enchanting november weekend}

. . . can hardly believe it's already mid-november -- and happily -- sunny, sunny days and unseasonably warm and it's off to the countryside for a short while, eggs benedict and cozy fires, socks & heels and cashmere camel coats, vanilla scented candles and impossibly romantic long, late-night conversations . . .

wishing you a stunningly wonderful weekend & hope it's beautiful where you are, roséline xo

{a few lovely links:}
* sweet paul: fabulous fall & winter white
* deep fuchsia & everything beautiful
* recipe: crepes with honey lavender roasted persimmons
* cire trudon: a history & fun candle projects
* design: wooden frames
* architecture: barthelemy & ifrah
* pretty, pretty: laser cut bunting
* at home: black walls for every room
* perfect for gift-wrapping: paper carnations
* colour inspiration: golden days
* design: delishop take-away
* vignette: memories of autumn {via aged & gilded}
* vintage packaging: listerine
* autumn to winter: grey & black
* just for fun: a video
* holiday inspiration 1: floating candle centerpieces
* holiday inspiration 2: bay & square boxwood {via stephmodo}

{as always, a few things you may have missed:}
* travel: the south of france
* colour inspiration: red wine & ripe cranberry
* at the shops: the perfect leopard print coat
* lookbook: elizabeth & james
* table for two: an espresso & cinnamon sugar biscotti
* hello & a few things
* happy november & the promise of things to come

{& new for the weekend:}
* beautiful details: patterns & textures
* photographer: michael paul, london

{images: a glamorous little side project}

{photographer: michael paul, london}

. . . happened upon the portfolio of lifestyle photographer and london-based new zealander, michael paul, and fell in to a world of chevron floors and beds with silk canopies, champagne and pearls on gilt marble tables and the most beautifully atmospheric play of light and shadow . . .

{p.s.} you may have recognized some of these stunning rooms from the pages of vogue entertaining + travel, gourmet, martha stewart living, real simple, food and wine, vogue living, other favourites

{images: photography by michael paul discovered via the diversion project}

{photographer: jamie beck, new york}

I would love to live
Like a rivers flows.
Carried by the surprise
Of its own unfolding.

~ John O'Donohue

. . . late in may, what seems like an eternity ago, received the most charming letter from new york-based blogger/photographer jamie beck, who had the most beautiful idea to collaborate on a fashion photo shoot; unfortunately, was not to be in new york for another three months . . . and so jamie had the wonderful thought for a shoot exclusively for {this is glamorous}, and what resulted was the utterly captivating romance of upswept hair and fluttery gowns, bare shoulders and opera gloves, and the always enchanting central park in the fleeting moments before nightfall, capturing the quiet spells of what could be a moment of repose before the night's festivities, {perhaps an elegant dinner party and dancing until the early morning light}, at the very instant when daydreams & fairytales have been known to float along in the dusky and magical evening air . . .

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{p.s.} these images were shot on black & white film with an hasselblad, then hand processed and edited, the entire project taking four months to complete; this shoot also features the lovely styling work of anne of the city sage; more of jamie's wonderful work can be viewed on her blog, from me to you

{images: photography by jamie beck; styling by anne sage; makeup by alex almeida; accessories by bando; dresses by ashley cheeks & jenny yoo; model theresa berenato; quote via julia}