Drest Shot

Test shots are an amazing combination of photography and film that unravel layers of personality.
Here are Jake Davis' Test Shots of the incomparable Drake.

Jake Davis Test Shots: Drake from Jake Davis on Vimeo.

Jessie J.

She is actually beyond phenomenal. I wish I was at the subway station.

Boombox Series // Jessie J from Arcade44.tv on Vimeo.

"I am... World Tour" DVD

Last year in my Music Humanities class, the professor asked us to write a 10-page paper (unheard of in these required core classes) about the song of our choice. While others scrambled to find some obscure piece that fit the mold of our curriculum, I was pretty much set on my song from the very beginning. If you, faithful reader, know anything about me, you know that I am a HUGE Beyonce fan. Therefore, writing 10 pages about her exceptional delivery in Halo was more of a field day than it was homework. Needless to say, it is probably the most productive piece I will have from my time at Columbia.

Upon hearing that the Queen (that is what i call her, because that is what she is) was coming out with a DVD chronicling the journey to and through her World Tour, my heart started to race. Ask any of my friends and they will tell you that the Beyonce DVD was pretty much all I talked about throughout the month of November. When I finally received the beautifully wrapped package (with a booklet filled with pictures of the Queen) I threw aside my economics textbooks and prepared myself to experience the magic.

I was legitimately blown away.

The "I am... World Tour" DVD portrays Beyonce as a dynamic combination of a human being and an other-worldly icon. Rare glimpses into her personal life (which she keeps very very very personal) provide her fans with irreplacable pieces to the intricate puzzle that is the mega superstar. Throughout the DVD, the viewer is taken on a whirlwind of an adventure through a compilation of 108 shows set in 78 different cities around the world. Though the DVD itself does not highlight her experience in any one particular country, it does offer a message about the consistency of the artist's drive and performance. The fact that she directed and produced the DVD is perhaps the most mind-blowing thing of it all. Is there anything Beyonce CAN'T do?!

Here are a few of my favorite moments from the DVD (which you all have to run out and buy or order online here NOW!):

The Intro + Crazy in Love: The music emerges through the shrills and screams coming from the thousands of people in the fully packed stadiums. All of a sudden, smoke is everywhere and then BAM. There she is. She starts singing and then BOOM the curtain drops behind her to reveal hundreds of gleaming lights. This precise moment sent chills down every inch of my body.
Just as you think it can't get any better ( mind you, this all happens in the first 3 minutes) she moves into her performance of Crazy in Love and breaks out into her unbelievable dance moves. The singing progresses into an intricate dance routine where the lights dim and then the mother of all surprises.
HOVA.
I can't even begin to explain my initial reaction to this part. There is something about the way they look at each other when they are on stage that speaks volumes about their relationship. I truly think that they are one of the happiest couples in the world.

Smash into You: Amazing. I loved the sequence of vidoes of her with with Jay and the countdown to the next time she was going to see him (2 Day-Z to Jay-Z... BRILLIANT!) The simplicity of the performance is precisely what made it so admirable.

Say My Name: I've seen hundreds of videos on Youtube uploaded by fans who have caught the moment when Beyonce asks one lucky fan "What's your name?" right before this song. I'm glad she decided to include a variety of these responses in the DVD. It was really cute.

Baby Boy: okay, okay, okay. can someone please give me a D-I-V-A. When she started moving into the air, I couldn't take it. I had to stop the DVD and take a breather before I continued. SHUT IT DOWN BEY. Shut. It. Down.

I could honestly say that each of her performances in the DVD were my favorite without lying. These are the ones that I chose because they are the ones that stand out the most to me.

Brava Beyonce. Once again you prove that you are THE Queen.

Ringing out,
D.

TEEN VOGUE!

Hey everyone!
It's been a while (per usual)! Since we've last spoken, I have returned to the beautiful offices of Teen Vogue magazine, this time for an intership in the web department! It has been such an amazing experience so far and I'm really enjoying having physical proof that the work I'm doing is meaningful!

SOOO

Here is my first post for TeenVogue.com! Check out the link below and let me know what you think!

http://www.teenvogue.com/style/blogs/fashion/2010/09/leighton-meester-and-kelly-osbournes-belly-baring-battle.html#comments

ringing out,
Donia.

Feet.

Anyone who knows me knows how much I dislike feet. Though they are incredibly useful (duh!), something about the way they are shaped and the various ailments that can fall upon them repulse me.However, they do serve as a mold to fill the beautiful creations that are SHOES. For this, I am eternally grateful.

Since being in Egypt, I have come to realize the incredible power of shoes. Not only do they serve as a protective barrier between your feet and the crazy things that surround them, but they serve as an indication of place in society.

The other day, I was parading around my house in my 6 inch platforms (naturally) when my uncle stopped me and jokingly said "what are you doing?! you look like a street girl!" (chuckles). Now before I go any further let me just say that my uncle is probably one of the most liberal people I know (by Middle Eastern standards at least) and so this isn't just a conservative person ranting away.

After my conversation with him, it occurred to me that these black suede entities on my feet could potentially ruin someone's reputation if/when worn in public.

In the States/the West in general, being tall is associated with grandeur, beauty, and wealth. Of course, this originates partially from the media's portrayal of beauty in the form of 6 foot tall models in awe-inspired heels. Therefore, when you see a woman walking down Fifth Avenue in sky-high heels with a trendy outfit on, your mind immediately jumps to that photo of Adriana Lima walking down the runway that you saw in VOGUE a few months ago.

Givenchy.

However, in the Middle East, there comes a lot more baggage with high heels. In a culture somewhat obsessed with marriage and securing a good future for their daughters, high heels are sometimes a curse. A girl who is tall by nature runs the risk of not finding a partner who is taller than her (something that has been embedded in the minds of the people by culture). Moreover, one has to consider that sexuality is suppressed a lot more here than it is in the West. Girls wearing high heels are often associated with call-girls. I'm sure some of you will say "D, its totally the same in the West. If you saw a girl dressed kinda skanky with 6 inch heels you would think she was a prostitute too." You're absolutely right. What I'm saying is that the generalization of being a 'call-girl' here is a lot more serious than it is in the West.

I've been thinking about how to put this for a few days now, in fear that I may hurt someones feelings/get angry responses about my portrayal of the Eastern world. I am by no means in objection of either side, I am just commenting on what I see.

Let me know what you guys think/ if you have any questions.

ringing out,

D.

G'Day

My ability to continuously write on this blog has progressively dwindled since the start of the new year. For this, I apologize.

I'm on vacation in Egypt for the rest of the summer. This means limited internet access (sometimes) and days without sleep. I see this as an opportunity to do something different. something interesting.
Why do I focus on Western style when the world is full of so many beautiful and interesting patterns and colors?
The initiation of this question has started a crazy mini revolution in my mind and will thus change the way that I bring you whatever it is I'm bringing you (to this day, I'm still not 100% sure). You will hopefully be seeing a bit more of an intellectual take on fashion.
A philosophy of fashion, if you will.

So stay tuned avid readers, I hope none of you have given up on this endeavour.

ringing out,
D.

Color.

I went to Bloomingdales the other day to buy the new Chanel Nouvelle Vague($23) nail polish and my dreams were crushed when they told me that both branches in the city were sold out.
crushed.
Thankfully, I called up the Chanel boutique down in SoHo and rushed downtown upon hearing that they had my goods.
My nails are now Frenchly turquoise

To add to my color trip, I then headed to my local Duane Reade where I picked up a bottle of Essie's Chinchilly ($8). This color is the perfect mix between mud brown and murky grey, a must have neutral for color-popping spring outfits.

ringing out,
D.