Pretty On The Outside

What are your three favorite trends?

I sadly am without any new fiercely-styled photos from my 11 year old nephew of his mannequin Martinique.  Bummer.  I get that creativity is fluid and styling his mannequin isn't always where his interests lay.  As I semi-patiently await new pictures, I'd like to share this story about him as relayed via my sister.  Picking her son up from a play date, the first words out of his mouth were, "What are your three favorite trends?"  My sister who's seldom stumped replied,  "Hmmmmm.... well...... ahhhhhhh...... I'm going to have to think that over and get back to you on that.  What are yours?"  Without missing a beat, he answered, "Shrunken jackets, high waisted skirts, and ankle boots."  Do I hear a snap, snap, snap?  Here's a visual.

I googled those three items along with Forever 21: shrunken jacket/ Forever 21, high waisted skirt/ Forever 21....... as that's his favorite store.  :)  I should mention that my sister shared this story about six weeks ago so these trends may have already come and gone, but that's fashion.  As Heidi Klum says, "One minute you're in and the next you're out!"  My nephew and his mannequin Martinique clearly will always be in and ahead of fashion. 

What are your three favorite trends?

 

My 11 year old nephew and his mannequin Martinique.

It has sadly been an eternity since I've posted about my nephew and his mannequin muse Martinique.  For those of you who are new to my site or if you'd like a refresher than just click here to get all caught up.  As a super quick reminder--- my nephew is what I'd like to call glamor-focused meaning he's well versed in the fine art of fabulousness meaning he's a mega fashion designer in training. He'll take stray bits of fabric mix with pieces from his favorite store, Forever 21, and create perfectly styled outfits on Martinique, snap a photo, and then send me the results.... all to my great pleasure.  It's nearly impossible to wipe the smile off my face after I see one of his creations. 

Martinique is C.U.T.E.!.

Back to back postings about my 11 year old nephew and his mannequin muse Martinique.  Woo hoo!!!  As I was writing up yesterday's posting, I received five new Martinique photos and couldn't wait to share them.  But before I do, it's with a bit of hesitation that I write this next part.  I've touched on this once previously and I'm mentioning it again now as I hope it will make you appreciate his talent and perseverance even more.  My nephew has been struggling with an especially nasty illness for about the last six years.  It comes and goes but it's presence lingers.  I've referred to it as the bad bunnies and will continue to do so.  Those bunnies have been especially bad of late and they're trying to nibble away at him and his creativity.  Very, very bad bunnies.  I don't mean to make light of his situation and the gravity of it by assigning such a silly name but somehow it's easier to type bad bunnies than the real illness.  So when those darn bunnies are up to no good, my nephew finds joy and light in creating outfits for Martinique and his favorite place to shop is Forever 21.  My sister being the great mom she is happily takes her son to a women's clothing store and let's him get a number of items from time to time.  Bravo sis!  I said it yesterday and I'll say it again here.... putting it out there to the blog-o-sphere,  I want Martinique to be the face of Forever 21.  I want her to be in their catalogs as styled by my nephew.  I want her to receive at least 30 new outfits per month.  Are you listening cooperate Forever 21?  We'll be awaiting your response.....

I received five separate emails yesterday each other beginning with a single letter. 

Here goes the first one titled "C".

The second image was titled "U".

The third was labeled "T".

And the forth was titled "E".

And the last was given an "!".

I will absolutely call that CUTE!  Cute, chic, wonderful, creative, bright, bold, and full of talent--- that's my nephew. 

Bad bunnies be gone! 

Previous postings about Martinique and my nephew can be seen here.

Thanks everyone for your nice comments and messages about my nephew.

Martinique is back and she's as chic as ever!

It's been forever since I've posted about my talented 11 year nephew and his mannequin muse Martinique or Martini for short.  As it's been an eternity, I'll try and briefly get you all caught up.  My brother had a summer restaurant job at the mall in town when he was 16 and one afternoon while taking the trash out, he discovered a female-display mannequin in the dumpster area.  A department store deemed her garbage.  The nerve!  My brother who was always in some sort of a band kept the mannequin in his room and whenever his band would play, she would be on the stage usually wearing nothing but a tie or baseball cap.  The nerve!  At a certain point he grew tired of her and that's when I swept in to treat her in the respectful manner she deserved.  I was 10.  No longer was she to be referred to as "the mannequin" as I named her Jennifer and while other boys my age were trying to perfect their baseball pitching ability or dribbling/ layup/ free throw skills, I was busy in my bedroom applying lipstick I'd snuck from my mom's purse onto her.  It was something I hid at first but as time passed, I'd share with my family how I'd dressed her or if I'd executed an especially successful smokey eye.  My dad would look at me with a mix of confusion and honestly a bit of disappointment as I proudly presented Jennifer in my mom's swimsuit, head scarf, and flawless makeup.  My father would ask, "Don't you want to learn how to kick a field goal?"  My answer was always something like, "Why would I want to do that?"  As my nephew said when he was about five, "I like what I like."  Amen.  I dressed up/ made up Jennifer for years and years.  Now it seems the mannequin baton has been passed along.

My sister's younger son has an affinity for glamor.  He's glamor-focused.  Glamor-centered.  Glamorific.  When he was 9 his mom purchased him a mannequin at a store which was going out of business.  Their loss was a significant gain for my nephew.  He named her Martinique and over nearly the last two years, I've been getting emailed photos of her in various perfectly styled outfits. 

That's Martinique.  All the photos are taken by him with his mom's iPhone.  The photo quality can be a bit off with the iPhone indoors so I've boosted the colors a bit here and there.  My nephew's favorite store is Forever 21 and every so often he gets to go on a small shopping spree.  And then I fortunately get sent some pictures.  

My sister and her two sons were in town recently and we met up at The Grove in LA-- a fun and kooky Disneyland-ish shopping area.  Very L.A.  Anyway, my sis and her older son went off to Nordstroms to get him a tshirt while the younger glamor-grounded son and I beelined to Forever 21.  He got $25 to spend and it was like I was with Rachel Zoe or some high-power stylist as my nephew scoured that store for the absolute perfect outfit that fit his budget and sensibilities.  I wish that spree was caught on camera because you all would have loved watching his design aesthetic and clothing evaluation skills in full force.  In no time he'd picked: a flowery-flirty top, leggings, a head band, fake eyelashes (poor girl got no lashes), bracelets, and a nail polish all for $25.  Giving away the glamor I say!!!  I went back to their hotel and as my older nephew boasted about the giant dump he'd just taken (you're welcome) my younger nephew unfazed presented the new items on the bed and began the styling magic.

 

We took turns trying on the headbands and I said I couldn't wait to see that outfit on Martinique.  The next day shortly after they returned, this photo came in........

 

The photo was a bit dark so I took some liberties with the lighting as I felt this looked more like a page from a fashion mag.  It's just a matter of time........

My 11 year old nephew and his mannequin Martinique!

Typically I get email via my iPhone. When a new message comes from my nephew with an attached photo, I know I'm in for a good time.  Usually it takes about 5 to 10 seconds for said attachment to open revealing some well-designed treat.  Oh and the subject titles are the best!  Often the words "Cutest outfit ever" or "Sparkly from head to toe" will accompany the message.  A new batch of glamor came in last week.  Here's what......

 

My nephew wanted me to take note of the detailing.  He liked how the earrings resembled the zippers on the corset.

Love it!  Fashion is all about the details after all.  So besides these great Martinique photos, my iPhone also allows my nephew and I to engage in some silly texting.  He'll get a hold of his mom's phone and text, "Hi, this is (his name). What are you wearing?"  Then the goofy flood gates open.  My nephew is the white balloon and I'm the green.

 

Care to read another, longer, and dare I say even sillier conversation.....

My 11 year old nephew and his mannequin Martinique

I've been graced with two new photos of the lovely Martinique and couldn't wait to share them with you.  Without further ado.......

Above we have Martinique as a kicky foreign exchange student studying fashion design in Paris.  Oh La La!  When not in class, I imagine she fills her days strolling through the Picasso Museum or Musee Picasso in the fashionable Marais district.  Or perhaps she sips espresso and nibbles pain au chocolat with friends at a trendy outdoor bistro.  I believe my nephew titled this "Sparkly from head to toe."  And I'd respond, "Oui, c'est vrai."

 

That above photo about made my head pop off.  Martinique and my nephew have clearly outdone themselves here.  The short hair/ short dress combo, the blue bow in the hair perfectly echoing the bows on the shoes, and just a pinch of bling is what I'd call genius styling.  Martinique is ready to own the red carpet at the Grammys or be the star at some swank soiree.  Brah-voh!

I was wondering how it is that Martinique seemingly got an entirely brand new wardrobe overnight?  Well, I was just catching up with my sister and she shared a pretty great story with me.  It's one of support, compassion, and $hopping. 

My 11 year old nephew and his mannequin Martinique.

This first posting of 2010 is dedicated to my nephew who turned 11 last week.  If you are new to my blog, let me quickly say that about a year and a half ago, my sister bought a female display mannequin for her son who let's just say has a flair for fashion.  You can click here and read previous entries.  He dresses and styles that mannequin, which he named Martinique, in an amazing array of designs and then takes and emails me photos via his dad's iphone.  Over the last few months, sadly the number of those photos has greatly dropped off.  And there's a reason.  It's with a bit of hesitation that I share this next part.....  Without going into too much detail, I will say that my nephew has a health issue which he's been dealing with for a long time now.  I'll refer to that issue as the "bad bunnies".  The bad bunnies, unfortunately, have been around a lot lately and have been especially bad causing him to miss a month or so of school and even spend several days in the hospital during Christmas.  I would guess the only thing worse than being a child with an illness would be being the parent of a child who isn't well.  My sister is a strong woman and she's dealt with the situation remarkably well.

While in the hospital, the right solution and course of action was found to battle the bad bunnies.  A sign the treatment was working and working well came in the form of a photo of Martinique sent the day after his release from the hospital.  I was flipping through a magazine at my brother's house and heard a new email beep come from my phone.  Turning the phone on and scrolling to the email, I saw the best Christmas gift possible--- an email from my nephew titled "Martinique in the 80's".  HOORAY!!!  It took a few seconds for the attached photo to open and I could not have been any more excited.  This is what came through.

He's back!  And as great as ever.  My response email was a blizzard of exclamation points cheering his return to health and creativity.  Just look at that Martinique in all her modern interpreted version of the 80's glory.  It makes an uncle proud.  Spring boarding off his concept, I added a little extra 80's fun to the background.

 

Happy early Birthday to my nephew

I just had a gigantic brain fart.   I thought today was my nephew's birthday.  You know, my nephew who has a flair for glamor.  Turns out I haven't completely lost my mind, just partially.  Today's the 3rd and his birthday isn't until the 30th.  Done in by 3s!  Sadly, I've never had a head for numbers.  Before I realized my blunder, I was creating this side by side image with two recent photos my nephew sent me.  I was going to turn it into a birthday card, but I figured out my goof midway through.  So instead I'll just feature the dazzling stylings of my still 10 year old nephew.  Typically with the sort of layout below I would be asking you to choose which outfit you like best.  Clearly both of these are winning looks!

 

On the left we have his "Rock Star" look as he titled it in his email.  The image on the right came in with the title "An afternoon of shopping." 

It's just too good!

Happy early birthday my talented nephew.

My 10 year old nephew and his mannequin Martinique. They're back!

Goodness gracious!  It has been an eternity since I've posted anything about my talented 10 year old nephew and his mannequin muse Martinique or Martini for short.  Creativity is something that can't be forced--- sometimes you just have to wait until inspiration strikes.  Well, my nephew's keen designing eye was certainly inspired when he saw some hidden potential in the following piece of floral fabric.

 

I tell ya, I just see a lot of flowers and leaves in a rather controlled color palette.  And you?  My nephew saw two fab designs which were hiding in that swirl of patterned foliage.  Just the other day, my phone made a new message alert beep and upon opening my email, I saw something from my nephew titled "Martinique fabric option 1", and my jaw hit the floor.  Just as I was replying how much I loved the look, hair, styling.... I got a second email titled, "Martinique fabric option 2", and I passed out from excitement.

 

Option 1 is on the left and Option 2 on the right.  One piece of fabric + my nephew = snap, snap, and a round of applause.  Remember, he's just 10.  The styling is absolutely perfect.  The short hair with the long dress is spot on for an afternoon of leisurely lunching and shopping in St Tropez whereas the long hair/ short dress is ideal for a sizzling evening on the town in Miami with gal pals.  Fun, fun!  Both looks are so runway-ready that I had to add a little photoshop fun.

 

Flawless.  Stunning.  Martinique!

 

Flirty.  Dazzling.  Martini!  Are you all ready to place your orders?

Well done my super talented nephew!  Thanks for the photos. 

I've received some other truly inspired photos of Martinique recently and will be sharing those soon.

In case you've stumbled across this site and wondering what's this all about--- just click here and read all the past entries.  Certainly you'll become a fan of nephew's work too.

My 10 year old nephew and his mannequin Martinique. Martinique, is there something you'd like to tell us?

About a year and a half ago, my then 9 year old nephew called me excitedly one afternoon saying his mom had just bought him a female display mannequin.  He went on and on about the outfits he'd create for her, the photos he'd take of her, the wigs he's style for her, where he'd display her.......  I think my smile burst out of both sides of my face as he spoke.  I too had a mannequin around that same age, her name was Jennifer, and she was definitely my muse for many years.  During that time of dressing her up, putting makeup on her, and placing in various rooms in my parent's home, I never once wondered about my mannequin's past?  Selfish of me?  Maybe. Has my nephew given any thought as to what Martinique was up to earlier this decade?  Hmmmmmm.......  I don't know. 
Here's the lovely and elegant Martinique as we're used to seeing her presently in a variety of astonishing looks all created by my talented nephew.  Click on this link to get all caught up on Martinique and my nephew.