muses and lenses: Sohail shoots Kara & John

Local photographer/graphic designer Sohail Akhavein just posted this glamour-trashy photo spread featuring stylistas Kara Nesvig and John Sand on his Facebook page, and I felt it deserving of a post of its own. I love the magazine-layout feel of it, and it gets extra points for taking advantage of the wintery Minnesotan landscape. Yes, Minnesota can be fabulous. For more photography by Sohail, check out this spread in the latest issue of NYC-based magazine Creem, and his tumblr at suffixhail.tumblr.com.

Local inspiration: muses and lenses

Another round of local fashion muses and fashion photography via Facebook uploads and the blogroll - a little taste of local inspiration.

Photographer Cayla Caul Field goes in front of the camera.

Cayla again, because two are better than one.

Hairstylist Jessie Quast steps in front of the lens.

Stylist/model/blogger Ines Kovacevic shows some bum.

Photographer/stylist/blogger Amy Gee steps into the light during a work trip in Dallas.

Stylista Ellie Schurter gets towel-turban fabulous.

Photographer/fashion designer/blogger Benjamin Fredrickson gets faintly nude.

Stylista/blogger Hina Khan poses at the Rogue Buddha during l'etoile's Jubilee holiday party.


Ellen Dahl Lawson snaps (formerly) local designer Emily Brygelson of Tender Cuts for The Minneapoline.

Local fashion link roundup

Voltage 2011 designer Rachel Blomgren shows her design process in her new blog. This week, it's her ingenious skeletal cut-out crop top (WANT) and a new sweater pattern. She's going to be one to watch.

Ignite Models favorites Whitney Fransway, Kelly Streigel, and Kristina Lezepekova are home for the holidays.

Local knitwear designer Annie Larson has new knits, coming soon to her e-shop.

Local jewelry line Carrier Pigeon just debuted new fall designs at her NYC outpost, Old Hollywood boutique, including leather cocktail rings, hand-carved and pierced arrow earrings, and fox tail earrings. Yum.

A look at local painter Nicholas Harper

Number 87 in City Pages' 100 Creatives interview series is my favorite local painter, Nicholas Harper. In 2007, CNN named Harper one of the top 10 up-and-coming artists from around the world, and his gallery Rogue Buddha has been named one of the top galleries in the country by GQ. I had the honor and distinct pleasure of sitting for a portrait for Harper, who told me he will be creating not one but two portraits of me in the coming months, wearing this custom Needle & Black by Kerry Riley design.

"Susannah"

There is definitely a connecting element to Harper's work to the world of fashion. I recently stumbled upon a photo spread by Swiss/Italian photographer Christian Tagliavini, which seems to emulate Harper's signature surrealist long necks and Victorian styling.

I wanted to take the occasion to share some of Harper's work, which definitely is a personal inspiration of mine.

"Collette"

"Paris"

"Odessa"

And for comparison sake, a photograph by Tagliavini:

Local fashion link roundup

[Photo via Supermarket Sarah]

Local knitwear designer Annie Larson's All For Everyone line has been picked up by a couple of national outposts. The first of which, Supermarket Sarah, consists of curated e-"walls" that feature one designer at a time; you can click on each item on the wall to purchase. (Pictured above with designers Annie Larson and collaborator Eric Carlson.) The second, Of A Kind, is a new New York-based online retailer specializing in limited edition runs of products from a selection of designers. Each product is exclusive to the site and made in editions ranging from 5 pieces to 50. Oh, and they posted this cute picture in their own Annie Larson hat on their tumblr:


Elizabeth Dehn offers her best bets for holiday beauty at her Beauty Bets blog.

Cliché's blog previews longtime Cliché designer Niki English's senior collection, debuting on the runway at the University of Minnesota's senior fashion show on February 19.

METRO Magazine fashion editor Mary O'Regan guest blogs for High Plains Thrifter on fall trend, shearling.

Mary O'Regan is also Ellen Dahl Lawson's "Style Star" in the Star Tribune.

The owners of vintage resale e-shop Teacup Vintage is launching an upcoming collection of original headbands made from vintage fabric on Etsy.

And finally, peep my weekly shopping blog for l'etoile magazine for details on Cliché's year-end sale, a "No Storefront" group sale in St. Paul, a Yigal Azrouël trunk show and more.

Local inspiration: muses and lenses

Another round of local fashion muses and fashion photography via Facebook uploads, Twitpics and the blogroll - a little taste of a week's worth local inspiration.

Etsy vintage clothing seller/stylist/blogger Kitty Cotten of Geisha Pearl Vintage gets snowed-in, in style.


Minneapolis-based personal style blogger Shannon Licari tries out the maxi skirt trend.


Model/muse/stylist Ines Kovacevic poses for local photographer Wing Ta.


Ellen Dahl Lawson shoots Vision model Nick Patnode at SCENEaSOTA for street style blog The Minneapoline.


Photographer and H&M visual stylist Amy Gee does a self portrait while on a business trip to H&M in Dallas.


Musician/actress/model Hannah von der Hoff posing for a photo shoot.


Event producer/stylist/trend forecaster Angie Hanson lookin' purdy.


Musician/sound experimentalist Mark McGee (aka MAKR) gets serious.


Brian Gioelli shoots local fashion icon/fashion designer/arts curator/mplsart director Emma Berg in Rodarte for Target at WAMarchy! last Saturday.

Refinery29 features Annie Larson leggings

Local knitwear designer Annie Larson certainly hasn't had any reprieve from attention since she decided to focus her design skills on knitwear and open an e-shop. All For Everyone stocks colorful patterned knitwear reminiscent of grade school in the early '90s - in the best way possible.


After getting some coverage in national style blog Daily Candy earlier this year, she's just gotten a shout out - this time in a post on national fashion blog Refinery29, for her striped "Colony" leggings. They're available at AllForEveryone.com for $200.

Read the article on "Best Fashion Leggings" at refinery29.com.

In other Annie Larson news, the designer announced that she has been given the 2011 Jerome Fiber Arts Grant, a very prestigious grant that happened to be awarded to another amazing knitwear designer, Kevin Kramp, in 2010. She says, "With my grant funds I will be traveling to Miami next year to briefly step inside the studio practice of Jim Drain, and will return to Minnesota to make a body of work to be exhibited at the Textile Center next fall."