Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Fabulous Encounters #3


Hi you guys, it's Marina Hermanovna writing in her sleep. You read me.
Yesterday night I thought I'd write this post about my relationship with male models ('cuz I have one, you know!). But it was pretty late, so the Self Appointed Queen of Procrastination went to bed to try get some sleep. That was around midnight. Two hours and a half later I was still staring at the ceiling. Damn it!
Insomnia, here we go again.
There must be something about counting your cat's hair, surfing gossip websites and eating stuff that's been dwelling in the fridge way before Cher's first facelift... I've tried it all. I've tried melatonin. I've tried cat cuddling sessions (it didn't work, but now I know how to purr). I also tried banging my head against the wall in the hopes of fainting. Nothing worked.

So what I do when I can't get no sleep is styling. I open my closet and let the nightspiration do the magic. Sometimes I came up with some good ideas. Some other times - mostly when the moon is black - I turn into Marina Scissors Hands (all of my cutoffs lost their legs right before dawn). What worries me is that laltely I've started cutting T-shirts in a post-modern deconstructionist frenzy. Soon enough I'll be dressing like a homeless person, and ask you for some spare change.
Let's just focus on the positive - Blake. I met him in Hollywood Blvd with Rachel.
He said "Hey, nice hat!"- I said "I do!"
Later we went to some place where the stars eat veggie burgers that cost like cattle. We talked about his paintings and then he popped out something that made me choke on my ice green tea. Something about a several million dollars house, and he wanting me to get his picture taken over there.

Let me break this down for you:
- a hotter-than-lava male model stops me in Hollywood Blvd to compliment my outfit
- he wants to hang out (does this make me a cougar?!)
- he wants me to take his picture in a f**** gazillion dollar house
What's a girl photographer to do? Shoot him! Shoot him 'till he bleeds! So without further ado, let's bring to you the all-american sweetheart Blake Hardy.

- Blake Hardy -
Model @ Wilhelmina
Interview and pics by Marina Hermanovna



click onto the pictures to enlarge them
- It makes a HUGE difference -



1. Job/age/City your were born/City you live in?

I'm 21, from Cincinnati Ohio, the queen city as we like to call it… I live in L.A. now but I consider myself a gypsy. I feel like I have more to offer than just one title so I guess I'm an artist/model/stylist/jewlery maker/professional idiot.

2. When/how did you decide fashion was your business?
I think I've always known I would end up working in the fashion industry; I've been dressing men in my family and friends alike for a few years now and clothing is just another medium to express myself…. when I started modelling is when I got my foot in the door.


3. Favorite designers?
Marc Jacobs. I love a girl in a good Vivienne Westwood vintage piece. Prada is perfect for my body type, Ferragamo makes some nice shoes and Alexander McQueen is great at what he does; for everyday wear I love my close friend Lauren's line LnA. They have some dope high end knit tees that I can wear with anything. I also love pants by an L.A. company called "end of an era".
4. Last purchase, future purchase…
Ferragamo black leather dress shoes and "end of an era" high ankle rise black pants.

5. If your style was a city/a movie/a dish what would it be?
If N.Y. slept with L.A. and had a baby he would wear my clothes. Movie.. "Boondock Saints" mixed with a Spike Jonze skate video. Dish... ha umm steak and plantaines?

6. Name a style trend you could never follow or understand.
Abercrombie and Fitch and every other brand they've influenced. There is nothing wrong with a preppy look but being branded by one label and such a boring label is tragic, especially when you're paying them for the clothing. They'd have to give me a good rate to wear their name in giant letters across my chest.


7. If your house took fire and you had 30 seconds to pack before escaping, what would you take?
My Creativerec high top sneakers, the closest pair of jeans and my "end of an era" cashmere hoodie..and my medical marijuana jar so I can burn one down while I watch my house burn down!


To tan or not to tan, that's the question

8. What do you build your style around?
Whatever pants I put on that morning.

9. I could live my life in...
...love is all you need (but if you are speaking about clothing then any pair of grey jeans and an electric blue deep v-neck).

10. Name three items or trends you’ll never be caught wearing.
You'll never see me wear Sketchers shoes. Anything created by Christian Audigier…and I hate how most men have a «"Friday night button down shirt" for whatever shitty club theyre going to.

11. Some girls buy too may shoes, others are bagaholics. I know one who has 100 bras. What’s your fashion bulimia?
Jackets. I've got way too many for living in southern California.

12. Tell me the three colors, three fabrics and the three brands you wear more often.
Black/white yellow and blue; I love cashemere but fabric isn't much of a concern to me. I just wear what I think looks good.


How am I supposed to change that bulb?

13. My youth fashion faux pas I’m not ashamed to reveal
Fake platinum chains and oversized Tommy Hilfiger shirts, ha!

14. The best fashion advice I was given
F**k what people think; if it makes you feel good wearing it then wear it.

15. Personal style icon?
Sinatra and I'll go with Johnny Depp for modern day; he pulls off the trashy sheek look pretty well.

16. Tell me the name of someone famous whose style is overrated and one whose style is underrated.
I don't pay much attention to the famous but Christian Audigier himself is the most pretentious person I've had to hear about in a long time. I love Gwen Stefani's style on girls, but you better own it to pull it off otherwise you just look like you're trying too hard.

17. Name a young designer off the chain.
All my boys over at "Creative Recreation" are taking over the shoe world.


click on the cuckoo clock to see the birdy come out*
T-shirt: LnA

18. When you’re designing (or painting !) you find inspiration in..
I take what the world gives me each day and reinterpret it in my art.. if not for my own personal amusement then just for anyone to see how I feel about life since putting it into words tends to be a difficult thing sometimes.

19. Tell me a funny fashion anecdote so we can laugh a little.
I had a casting once with a couple of friends from Wilhelmina (modeling angency, ndr) and it was for a denim brand. There was 5 people from the brand at the casting and it was in a big open space.
While the clients were looking at each of our portfolios and pulling us each a pair of jeans from the rack to try on, my friend leans over to me and says « dude… I didn' t wear underwear ! » and I give him an « are-you-kidding » look and start laughing.
I can see his eyes wandering the room looking for a place to change and there is nothing since the client and us both are used to changing in front of everyone; so as they're walking us over our jeans I just hear him mumble « f**k it » and in front of his 2 good friends and 5 strangers who he is basically interviewing for a job for, he just drops his pants with no underwear and all in front of these people and changes like it was nothing at all.
The clients jaws dropped and I heard a couple laughs and finally one of them asks « do you usually go without underwear or was that a special show just for us ? ».
He said he just forgot, and we finished changing and left but we all had a great laugh once we were out of there.

20. A fashion advice you want to give women?
Don't be afraid to dress down more. You don't always have to wear a dress or a skirt and sometimes when a girl dresses a little more unisex it can be attractive (Marina Hermanovna just loves this answer: thank you darling, +1000 points for this)


can you see the ladybug on my cheek? click to see it!**

21. Miniskirt past 40, what are your feelings?
If you got the body and your children aren't in the room :)

22. How do you do your makeup; what about yout hair, how do you wear it/take care of it?
I dont think this question is meant for me but sometimes for fun me and friends will put on black stripes under the eyes like war paint and go rage it at a dance club.



23. All time favorite beauty products?
American Crew hair wax.

24. Cheap & chic : your feelings towards vintage and thrift shops.
F***n love them! Something doesn't have to be expensive or have a label everyone knows for it to be cool or look good. I go to thrift shops once a month to buy sell and trade clothes, and I enjoy it.

25. H&M or Zara?
H&M.

26. What’s the best and the worst part of your job?
Best part is travelling and being surrounded by other creative people and the money, I won't lie. The worst part is the stereotypes that people label you with but even worse is when the stereotypes are true and you have to deal with ignorant close-minded vain people.

**of course there's no birdy /ladybug to be seen, c'mon! :D


love,


Marina Hermanovna