I want so badly to believe...

You know how it's supposedly impossible to be the best at anything because someone out there will always be better and because so much in life is subject to objectivity? Somethings go without questioning... Fire burns, cottons feels soft, if you go outside when it's raining, you'll get wet. These are irrefutable facts, while other matters are opinions- opinions on design, any and every type of design. Since everyone has their personal taste, some styles of design appeal to certain people whereas different forms appeal to others. This makes the task of deeming anyone "the best" impossible, no?

Yes, it is not possible to be the absolute best. You can be better then someone else, but then someone will be better then you. Then go ask a different set of people and the ranking will realign all over, so it goes.

I want to be the best. Or, I formerly did. Today I am very miserable and I feel like the woman in the photo above taken by Rankin. I could settle for being average at the moment, seeing as I lately cannot do a single thing correctly. I hate questioning myself and my ability to do what I love most. I really believe the goal of mankind is to progress constantly by making everything more intelligent, beautiful, just, and efficient. I'm just making a whole lot of ugly recently when I want so badly to design well, to contribute to the progress of the world into the more elegant state she constantly needs to evolve into. I think people underestimate the power of aesthetics, they are not vain or futile. They actually affect much, much more then we probably realize.

I hope I have it. I hope I am not like someone who merely loves music yet cannot play single note, or loves gourmet food but can hardly cook pasta. I don't merely want to love design, recognize good design, or be around good design as a hobby. I want to be fluent in it. I want it ooze from my pores. I want recognition, but I want to deserve it.

Another photo by Rankin.

Fell in love with this man's work today.

The color contrast in this is gorgeous.

So memorable, but such a simple composition.

Well good for you, I'm still seeking refuge.

Un bacio from Lini the Refugee ♥

Music is my favorite mistress.

lalalala.

It's been a good year for music.

I have personally suffered a great loss as I have been living iTunes free for 4 months now [Thank you Toshiba for crashing. I have now converted to Macism and practice devoutly.] I some how survive via Youtube and I hope I've managed to stay semi-in touch with the music world and it's happenings. Here's my favorite songs of 2009.

Some come from breakout artists, some from artists with solid careers, some come from albums which contain excellent song after excellent song, while some albums sadly only managed to have one or two great ones. Whatever the reason, these have a place on my list.

10. She Loves Everybody.

Chester French.

I suppose I would describe this duo as alternative indie pop. She Loves Everybody is off the album Love the Future, and it's pretty much the best track on it... Though they did record this while taking study breaks during their studies at Harvard, whereas I mostly go on Facebook during my study breaks, when I bother to study at all. I do love these two though, and I hope they continue making good music. Filthy song, catchy.

9. Uprising.

Muse.

I honestly don't know how Muse does it. Their music is just so... emotional. I cannot even describe it in any other way, listening to them is honestly just intense. Their new album Resistance, released this year, was not any different.

8. Did it Again.

Shakira.

This lady is just sexy. I wish She Wolf did better as an album. Produced by Pharell, this is the second single released from it, and I like it just as much as She Wolf. And no, I have no shame in putting Shakira on my Top Ten list.

7. No You Girls.

Franz Ferdinand.

These cheeky Scottish fuckers also did it again. The album Tonight was just as good as You Could Have It So Much Better, the track Ulysses also brings a smile to my face every time.

6. The Fear.

Lily Allen.

Music that sounds good and has cool lyrics is an instant winner by mean. This girl, though a crazy bitch, has a brain in her head and I like that. It's Not me, It's You is clever, fun, cute, and sharp, like I imagine Lily herself to be.

5. Rain.

Mika.

Hate to repeat myself, but The Boy who Knew too Much also didn't fall victim to the sophomore slump. The music video for this is awesome. I forgive him for being an artsy, full 0f himself diva solely for how gorgeous this video turned out. Seriously, go watch it.

4. Pursuit of Happiness.

Up, Up, & Away.

Soundtrack 2 My Life.

Kid Cudi.

Props to him for wearing his heart on his sleeve and being experimental with hip hop. I really love his style, and I really love him for working with MGMT and Ratatat. Definitely a cool guy, I couldn't pick one track from Man on the Moon, it is all good.

3. I Want You Back [In Discovery].

Can You Discover?

So Insane.

Osaka Loop Line.

Discovery

Oh. My. God. Musical candy. Ra Ra Riot and Vampire Weekend got together to form this musical project and it formed one of my biggest obsessions of 2009. Their cover of Jackson 5's I want you back is EPIC. I cannot get enough of this. Again, it would be a CRIME to choose one track from LP.

2. Gimme Sympathy.

Metric.

Metric always reminds me of high school. I've been listening to them for quite some time, and they only get better. It's a shame they are underrated. Their 2009 album Fantasies is all-around great, but Gimme Sympathy stands out the most to me. [Sick Muse, Help I'm Alive, and Twilight Galaxy are also good if you'd like suggestions].

1. Speechless.

Lady GaGa.

Do I need to write about her anymore? Please spare me. Fame Monster is great, The Fame is Great. It's all great, obviously the amount I talk about this woman and the amount of press coverage she gets says enough. She is a goddess. I love her. If you are for some reason living in a cave and haven't heard her new stuff yet, please do, NOW.

Siamo Numero Uno.

Does anyone wonder why foreign publications can push the envelope so much further with out anyone flinching? Take this editorial from L'Uomo Vogue [Men's Vogue Italia], for example.

Sacrilegious much?

The homoerotic undertones [maybe overtones] in this are just in your face.

I wrote up a little narrative in my mind for this scenario.

I like to think the wealthy yet otherwise unattractive husband is leaving his frumpy middle-aged wife for the pool boy who's actually also sleeping with the wife, unknown to both parties. The whole thing is just a clever plot to milk the couple dry so the pool boy can return to his home in Tijuana and live happily ever after, pants-free of course.

Homoeroticism continues, this time with an added nod to all the Asian tourists in the Eternal City, Rome, perhaps?

I have given this some thought. Why are our magazines so watered down? We have pretty images, but nothing too scandalous. Any hint of naughty body bits gets edited out, risque poses are kept to a minimum in mainstream publications, and editorials generally don't openly toy with such avant-garde themes. I find this disappointing, we could do better. Italy contains Vatican City, the mecca of all Catholicism, and even its generally religious public accepts these images, so why can't ours?

What differentiates the creative process between an American fashion editorial and a European one? Originally, my first theory was simply European publications worked with open-minded European people, whereas American ones were limited to conservative, narrow minded staff members. So, I attributed all these marvelous visions to European photographers, editors, designers, etc...BUT- the photo shoot above was shot by Steve Klein, straight up Americano. I then rethought my aforementioned theory. American creative minds are not to blame. I blame the American public. We are so afraid of anything new, we'd rather throw away our money on basics rather then invest in anything innovative.

I'm tired of people thinking Americans don't know anything about art or beauty- that's actually a complete myth. I do think creative minds often sell out because the general public doesn't often appreciate things outside their accepted realms of thought. So Dear Europe and General International Community, The people making your clothes, taking your photos, and designing your products are frequently from the land of Lady Liberty herself. So before you crucify me, us, or anyone else please keep in mind we cannot be responsible for our public's mindset. [Have you seen heard of MTV's The Jersey Shore? I REALLY do not want to be responsible for our public's mindset.] There's brilliant people chilling in the U-S-of-A, we're just stifled within the parameters which confine us, that's all.

"These days most people have replaced almost all their emotions with fear, and everyone has dreams but only a few realize them... It makes cowards of the rest of us."

-Veronika Decides to Die

Lini.

I'm nobody, who are you?

Sometimes I have ideas for things I want to write about, and I keep saving them for later. I hope I'll develop them better, have more time to expand upon them, or find more images to add on to complete whatever I've already stockpiled.

Why though? What's gonna happen later? Time isn't going to increase and I may never find the perfect set of images unless I take them myself. So, here's a post about nothing, as opposed to my general posts which are about nothing but cleverly disguise themselves as something. This one is up front. I am nothing, here I am.

I really want to meet someone who will catch every reference I make in everything I say and post. I know they're out there.

"It is possible," said the fox. "On earth one sees all sorts of things."

Some ladies in Sydney looking good. I wouldn't usually look to Australia for fashion photography, but I love this image.

These animals are not to be fucked with. I'm not sure where this beautiful, gracious animal rumor came from. They captivate me- but up close? TERRIFYING.

Apples.

3 Graces.

I wish I was eating this.

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN.

Let them eat cake and let me have this ring!

♥

♥

♥

Never seen an asshole or gay man I haven't fallen for. Cursed life I lead.

See the cat?

See the cradle?

Lini ♥

Je deteste que Je t'aime.

I'll admit my animosity toward Paris results entirely from my total obsession with anything and everything French. I loved French historical figures [Hello, name of my blog...] French fashion, the French language, French Literature- specifically French Romanticism and Realism. For me, the French could do no wrong. So, J'ai reve of going to France for years and years, until finally I did. Reality fell short, obviously. Nothing can ever match your expectations when you set them up so high. I secretly still love French things though, I wish I could speak perfect, fluent Parisian French, and twice a year Paris Fashion Week takes my breath away. So, though I am still bitter toward Paris and how much it let me down, I will hesitantly admit sometimes the French do get it right and manage to remind of why I loved them in the first place.

Stamp designed by Lanvin.

Do your stamps look this cute? Mine don't.

Even the French postal service acknowledges the importance and beauty of fashion design.

Rebirth of Spongebob by Karl Lagerfeld.

Did anyone think plain, ol' Bob was ever gonna bust out of his pineapple and look this good? I mean the sponge is rocking Chanel here.

Please don't even get me started on how deeply in love I am with this.

Campanas + Lacoste, Holiday Edition Polo, 4th year.

Campanas is pair of designers from Brazil, and this was inspired by the was alligators lay on top of each other in the mud in the Pantanal.

I just love Lacoste, it's a semi-guilty pleasure. Sorry, I'm not even gonna hide it.

Women's Special Edition Campanas + Lacoste Polo.

I JUST WANT YOU NOW.

A friend took this in Interlaken, Switzerland over the weekend.

It's not really French at all, but I fell in love with his pictures.

I hadn't even heard much about this city, never had any interest in visiting. It's the strangest things that end up surprising you in the best ways. Who would think I would hate Paris, and then discover Interlaken of all places could be an amazing city to explore?

... Then again, it is cold as shit.

MIAMI

En douze jours!

Je t'aime ♥

J'aime le soleil!

Je vodrais ma maison maintenant, s'il vous plait.

Au revoir, et paix, et amor.

Lini ♥

I dedicate this to the person I supposedly stole the expression "I reject..." from.

Sometimes, I simply reject things, reasons varying. Occasionally I would like to accept them but I simply cannot. In other instances, I just flat out completely reject them in their entirety. Whether it be a poorly done combination of things I would normally embrace or simply an all around explosion of things which should never happen under any circumstances sometimes happenings occur which really shouldn't have. Ever.

I currently reject these recent happenings. I hope you do too, if you have any pride in your taste.

1. Rated R Album launch party in NYC, November 2009.

Look, I like this girl's style. I loved that military style jacket. The whole world imitated her haircut. Wearing a dress which will most likely draw blood from anyone who embraces you to your album release party? Perhaps not her best choice. Those spikes are SERIOUS. I might appreciate this outfit under other circumstances, however.

2. I may or may not reject this. I do think you could probably find someone to spank you for free though, and personally, I find crepes perfectly enjoyable without being beaten.

3. This is one of those times when things I love should not be combined.

Teeth.

Jewelry.

Take it from personal experience, you cannot just stick teeth onto things and expect it to work. Plus people tend to be alarmed.

4. I love you Marc Jacobs, but I reject this pose. I think. I might change my mind. For the moment, I just find it a tad absurd, and clearly not very useful in the displaying your clothes department... aka, the purpose of a pose?

5. ULTIMATE REJECTION.

Stop throwing your trash on the fucking street.

Pigs.

No fuck that, pigs don't throw their trash on the street, PEOPLE do.

This is honestly disgusting. This bird thanks you and your inability to walk a few extra steps and extend your arm into a trash can.

That is all.

2 weeks from today I will be home.

Do I reject that?

♥

Lini.

Te gusta mi estilo?

Sometimes I wish I could just wander about the streets, snapping shots of interesting people by day, getting to know their life by night. By sometimes of course I mean I wish this on a daily basis. But alas, my camera is currently galavanting with an unidentified Spaniard in Barcelona.

[Lessons Learned Abroad #37: When in Spain, limit your sangria consumption to ounces, not gallons, and maybe you'll be able to leave with some of your belongings still in your possession- maybe.]

So, here are some images someone else, no one hugely important or anything, snapped during their own fashionable worldy adventures. Enjoy.

*Disclaimer: Not all European motherfuckers look this hip, but I'd say a good amount do.

Just dirty enough that I am not questioning this man's gender. When did someone decide menswear needs to always be androgynous? IIIII, for one, like to spot men as men- at least on occasion.

Dressed obnoxiously, with erratic prints and colors?

Pairing bizarre hemlines with each other?

Unbrushed hair?

Clearly this woman and I would be friends.

Different, but the same. I like this a lot.

Where are you! Can we meet? Can you take me to some art gallery and then on a boat ride down the Seine?

Check the collar detail on this man's shirt.

Combined with his attitude.

Love him. Winner fo sho.

You ladies are exactly like a billion others. Yet you're fashionable because you're able to observe and imitate what you see has been deemed in vogue at the moment. I still like you though, you're cute.

And I want to say, "Here's to me, to go change the world!"

And I want to play 'til they're kickin' down the door.

And I'll be alright long as I ain't seen it all.

And I'm holding tight to that night we had a ball... We had a ball.

Here's to the kids out there smoking in the streets.

They're way too young, but I'm way too old to preach.

They know it all, but they ain't seen the truth.

Just play my song, and I'll show it all to you.

-Kings of Leon.

♥ Lini

Forse.

What right do I have to complain?

Maybe it's fucked up and broken, but at least I still have a heart that isn't exploded on the side of the road in some war-ridden nation.

I hate the world.