Rihanna Travels in Style through the Holy Land

When traveling abroad, there is one thing that must always trump fashion, and that is respect to local customs, religion, and values. I was happy to see that Rihanna managed to observe local traditions in Jerusalem (by donning a head covering) and look incredibly fashionable at the same time. That is no easy feat!

I really love this look, which earned Rihanna a place in this week's Best Dressed List on Vogue.com, because she embodies style, respect, and consideration. The colors may be a little bold, but she is still properly covered from head to toe. It is also obvious that she was cognizant of the proper ways for a woman to dress in the Middle East.

Decorum before Dior, as I always say.

(** this Vogue photo is courtesy of:http://www.vogue.com/bestdressed/060710/)

Vogue Australia Chats Up Sarah Mower

There's an episode in Will & Grace where Jack is stalking Kevin Bacon, in hopes that the stalking might lead to a friendship that leads to dancing (surely, you've seen this episode). Well, instead of Jack having the opportunity to bust a move with Kevin Bacon, Will is the one who is offered the Hydrox, Shasta, and chance to dance with Kevin. Jack then walks in on the pair dancing, much to his chagrin, to "Footloose."

I've often imagined a similar scene with me and Vogue contributing editor/ fashion icon Sarah Mower. Though, instead of dancing there would be hardcore fashion conversations about Poiret, Patou, Galliano, Lanvin, Balenciaga, et al. We gossip about Vogue staffers and what it's really like to work for Anna. We chat about her experiences at the University of the Arts. So impressed she is with my enthusiasm and knowledge of fashion, she insists I come to Vogue and work as her assistant. Then the celebrating begins and, ok, maybe a little dancing, too.

Since the above events won't be happening anytime soon, I'll have to content myself with Sarah Mower's interview profile in the April issue of Vogue Australia. Why am I only on the April issue, you're wondering? Because not even the May issue of Vogue Australia has hit newsstands here. Yet another reason why I must visit Australia!

In the one-page profile, Mower explained how she was influenced by legendary fashion editor Liz Tilberis (who tragically passed away after battling cancer) and, of course, Anna Wintour. She didn't fall into fashion, but rather won the British Vogue Talent Contest while at university. This, combined with her fervent passion for fashion, led to a career with Vogue. Mower has made her mark outside of Vogue, too, having discovered Christopher Kane while he was still at Central Saint Martins. We can all be thankful for that discovery! In order to be successful at your craft, she explained, one must study one's subject for 10,000 hours or more. For wannabe fashion writers, she advises to "concentrate on your reader, be light and deep, and colorful and informative."

I found her life motto the most poignant, though: Dressing well is the best revenge. Spoken like a true fashion icon!

Is Caroline Sieber Vogue's Newest Golden Girl?

I can't help but wonder if Caroline Sieber is beginning to edge out Lauren Santo Domingo as Vogue's socialite du jour. For awhile it was Jessica Joffe. Then LSD. And now Caroline Sieber? She's been featured in the past two Best Dressed Lists compiled by Alexandra Kotur (including the special edition from Cannes), she attended the premier of Karl's new short film, and her name has been popping up all over vogue.com. I don't think LSD will be going anywhere anytime soon (she is a contributing editor, after all), but she might have some new competition in the form of London It Girl Ms. Sieber. Those British girls do have some serious style!

Stolen Treasures from the British Museum

The British Museum in London is one of the most contentious houses of antiquity. This is mainly because the museum contains treasures of cultural and ethnic significance from the empire's former colonies. Room after room, one encounters items that were stolen or looted. Case in point- the Elgin Marbles. The Greek government built the New Acropolis Museum (www.theacropolismuseum.gr) specifically to house the Elgin Marbles...if the British Museum would be so kind as to relinquish them. Those disputes aside, the British Museum is a veritable wonderland for culture, art, and history buffs the world over. It also houses the famous Rosetta Stone, something I missed on my first visit to the museum (so, don't forget to ask where it is!). I always make a point to visit this museum, and here are some of the treasures I viewed this time:

The imposing main entrance to the museum.

Chess boards were originally in red and white, not black and white. I'd love to own a remake of this!

The Lewis chessmen. Half of the hoard is in the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh and the other half is, of course, in the British Museum. Neither Scotland nor England technically have a right to claim the pieces, though, as they originated from Scandinavia. So, Sweden or Norway should be duking it out over who gets to house the pieces.

Greek vase depicting a scene from the Odyssey.

The Tring tiles from Hertfordshire, England. Hey, something that wasn't stolen or looted! How about that?

These busts are not Greek, but Cypriot, as evidenced by the facial features and curly beards and hair. I became fascinated by Cypriot art and antiquity after viewing these and others in the museum.

A map showing the dominance of the Roman Empire.

The bust of the Emperor Trajan. Born in modern-day Spain, he was the thirteenth emperor and reigned over the empire during a time of great expansion (hence the map above).

Another traditional Cypriot statue. I really love these!

The British Museum has a world-class collection of Egyptian antiquities. One could spend an entire day just viewing those rooms, though they are, not surprisingly, the rooms with the heaviest traffic.

The aquamarine color of these little figures is particularly unique.

Bookshelves in one of the Great Rooms. My home library will resemble this one day.

My dream flat, located just across the street from the British Museum. If I ever win the lottery, you can bet I'll be buying a flat in this building. Located in the fashionably literate Bloomsbury neighborhood of London, it's surrounded by museums, bookstores, and galleries.

Visual Delights at the Tate Britain

London is filled with enough exciting museums to keep one coming back for years and years, or, in my case, a lifetime. Having explored a good portion of the city's famed historical attractions (National Gallery, Portrait Gallery, the British Museum, Victoria & Albert Museum, Tate Modern, Science Museum) on past trips, I thought I would focus my attention on some of the lesser-explored museums. After just one visit to the Tate Britain in Pimlico, it easily garnered a place on my "must-see museum list." Here are some of the reasons why:

This is the front entrance to the Tate Britain. I love the columns and neoclassical facade. The best part about the inside of the museum, though? Very few visitors. I usually had entire rooms to myself, which made for excellent viewing opportunities.

The Cholmondeley Sisters, circa 1600. This is arguably the most famous painting in the museum. However, when I asked the assistant behind the Info Desk where the painting was located, I was met with a blank stare. That would be akin to walking into the Louvre and being met with a confused look upon asking where one might find the Mona Lisa. Fortunately, it was very easy to find this painting. Although the sisters look as if they are wearing the same outfit, there are actually tiny differences in their clothing if seen close-up.

"Titania and Bottom," depicting a scene from a Midsummer Night's Dream. Here, Titania has fallen under the influence of Bottom. This painting is one in a series of works illustrating scenes from the play by artist Henry Fuseli.

This is another painting illustrating a character from a Shakespeare play. It is Ariel in The Tempest, a character that I had the pleasure of portraying in a small classroom production of The Tempest in college. I was the best sprite ever.

I love this painting of two dogs because it was painted by observing the real-life dogs in a formal sitting. I'm already looking to commission a similarly talented artist to paint a portrait of my beloved chihuahua.

Sheep grazing in the countryside. Is there anything more quintessentially English than that?

"The Annunciation," depicted in a new interpretation by Dante Gabriel Rossetti. His sister, the poet Christina Rossetti ("The Goblin Market"), posed as Mary.

"Ophelia" by Sir John Everett Millais, depicting Ophelia allowing herself to drown after slipping while picking flowers. The flowers have special symbolism: the poppies represent death, daisies innocence, and pansies love in vain. I love this painting.

The times are a'changing at Hermes and McQueen

Buckingham Palace is not the only place where a changing of the guard will be happening this summer. Two of Europe's most distinguished fashion houses will be undergoing enormous changes on the creative front.

Yesterday afternoon, The Cut announced that Jean Paul Gaultier would be departing Hermes after his Spring 2011 show. I wasn't even aware that JPG was thinking of leaving Hermes, but apparently he is leaving to spend more time on his namesake line. Fortunately the folks at Hermes have already figured out who will be replacing him, so fashion enthusiasts need not worry that Lindsay Lohan will be stepping in (insert audible sigh here). According to the ladies at The Cut, Christophe Lemaire, the man behind women's ready-to-wear at Hermes, will be taking over. I'm sad to see JPG go, but not entirely surprised. His work always seemed like an odd fit for Hermes to me. I guess we'll have to see what Mr. Lemaire has in store for us!

And, over in London, Sarah Burton has been given the arduous task of replacing the irreplaceable Alexander McQueen at his namesake line. British Vogue announced this morning that the Central Saint Martins grad (is there any other design school?), who had worked with McQueen for sixteen years and who had served as head of womenswear design since 2000 would be taking the reins. We have already seen a glimpse of Ms. Burton's work, as she was credited with completing the autumn-winter 2010/11 collection following McQueen's suicide. That collection was highly lauded.

Both Mr. Lemaire and Ms. Burton have their work cut out for them in continuing the creative genius of the Hermes and Alexander McQueen visions, respectively. Let us not forget, though, that it was a young Yves Saint Laurent who was called to step up to the plate at Dior after Monsieur Dior himself had passed. And look how well that turned out. Christophe Lemaire and Sarah Burton, I'll be cheering for you!

(** photo of Sarah Burton is courtesy of British Vogue**)

Churches, Cathedrals, and Basilicas of Europe

There is a popular comic-strip postcard that circulates in England where the main character visits the big tourist spots, chiefly cathedrals, colleges, castles, and cash points. That postcard always makes me laugh (because it is so true!), but it also inspired me to share some pictures I took of the many churches, cathedrals, and basilicas I encountered in Europe. Though I certainly visited my fair share of cash points during my travels, I'll spare my dear readers the excitement of seeing countless pictures of ATMs.

The Hallgrimskirkja in Reykjavik, Iceland. The architectural landscape of this church was certainly the most unique one I encountered.

St. Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland. We actually took part in a Polish mass here.

Cathedral in Geneva, Switzerland. I wish I knew the name, but this picture was taken during our three-hour quest to find accommodations within our budget. Not an easy thing to do in Switzerland, where we often laughed that you must be Rodger Federer in order to live comfortably.

The church of San Petronio in Piazza Maggiore, Bologna, Italy. This church, which dates from 1390, is one of the best examples of brick medieval buildings in all of Italy. The inside of the church was simply awe-inspiring.

The Basilica di San Marco, Venice, Italy. It seemed like all of Europe was under renovation this past trip, including the Basilica. Nevertheless, this was probably the most amazing building that I have ever been inside. Photo-taking was strictly forbidden, so you'll have to venture to Venice if you want to see some of the most spectacular Byzantine art outside of Istanbul.

A side view of the Basilica. I especially love the facade mosaics, dating from the 17th-century.

Front door to the Franciscan Monastery in Pula, Croatia. This was encountered totally by happenstance, one of the many things I love about intrepid travel.

Fans of "The Sound of Music" no doubt recognize this beautiful basilica, as the Basilica of Mondsee is where Maria wed Captain Von Trapp. It is also where I procured holy water that was ironically housed in a Jaeger bottle. Odd...

Temple Church in London, which is the only round church in all of England.

I love the tall statue of the Knights Templar riding past the church. The entirety of the church surroundings make for a most unique experience. The effigies on the floor inside the church are evocative, the side entrance is mesmerizing, and the church itself is located in a part of London that makes you feel as if you have stepped back in time. I highly recommend visiting Temple Church.