The fabulous Ms. Patricia Gannon...

One of America's and Acadiana's best writer the fabulous Ms. Patricia Gannon now with the "Acadiana Advocate" and twice per week! Congratulations Ms. Gannon! You will be follow... And thank you Acadiana Advocate...

http://theadvocate.com/home/7554046-125/patricia-gannon-to-cover-lafayette

Peridot color in Raoul Blanco's Fall 2014 Collection...

There will be few peridot color structured coats in my Fall 2014 Collection, so I decided to play with some crystals among that shade.  The big bead in the middle was given to me by my partner, he got this from a lady that claimed she design and create her own stones.  This one is beautiful and hard to see its details in this picture.  I had it for many years and finally now I got to use it...


Design by Raoul Blanco

Raoul Blanco's Fall 2014 Couture Collection - Jewelry

Glass pearls, ruby red crystals and glass gold seeds necklace and bracelet in Raoul Blanco's Fall 2014 Couture Collection.

Design by Raoul Blanco

Raoul Blanco Couture Circle presents the "Five Best Dressed Ladies of Louisiana 2013" - Ms. Nadine Carter Russell

Nadine Carter Russell

By Raoul Blanco

When I first met with Ms. Nadine Carter Russell in my office I noticed and amazing sparkle of taste for colors in her eyes, not knowing then that among other things this lady was and is all about arts, the real thing…  Wonderful lady, divine human being…

In our first interview I gave Ms. Russell a home assignment, I put in her hands few fashion magazines from Paris’ runway shows and asked her to take these home with her and mark all of those designs that she liked the most, just for me to have an idea about what she thought about herself and what she likes…  A couple of weeks later we met for a second time and her assignment was completed…  When I browsed over the pages that Ms. Russell marked with sticky note papers, I looked straight into her eyes and asked her, “Why did you marked these?  You know these are not you, why???  She was speechless and a moment later she replied, “Oh my, you’re correct Raoul!” 

See, all she chose were designs in white, beige or gold…  These are what I call “the absent of colors”, and so do black.  There’s nothing wrong with anyone liking these shades, but that was not Nadine…  I found out that during that time Ms. Russell’s matriarch, beloved Aunt Paula’s health was declining.  These two ladies were always together and the love for each other was very well known by everyone among them, they were like mother and daughter…  So that explained everything, there were color in her eyes but due to the circumstances Ms. Russell color’s palate was in a down mode.

For our next meeting, Ms. Russell extended an invitation to me to come to her house, I accepted immediately, that’s the best way to know someone, as I always say, “Your house is your temple and so do mine”…  When Ms. Russell open her home doors and welcomed me I just stood in one spot while my brain absorbed her marvelous world….  Oh my, I was indeed right!  I felt as I was part of this magnificent fresco and fabulous collage!  There was before my eyes an empire of colors and display of delightful pieces of art.  Cathedral ceilings that I know Michelangelo would’ve a marvelous time using for his frescos…  Real beauty all over, indeed…

Ms. Russell private closets, again, they proved me right, this part is completely out of this write-up…  Yes, I believe I say “private”…  Excellent taste is Ms. Russell second name, bravo!  I’m so very grateful that this lady allowed me into her life, thank you dear Nadine… 

So here I proudly present to you Ms. Nadine Carter Russell, one of my “Five Best Dressed Ladies of Louisiana 2013”…  

Nadine Carter Russell

By Ms. Patricia Gannon - Society writer

A youthful voice is her best accessory, yet there’s no trace of the New York she grew up in or the Baton Rouge she’s retired to. Nadine Carter Russell spent a lifetime in art galleries and her spare time as a volunteer for the arts, animals and hospitals. “A variety,” she says. It fits well with her style, which she characterizes as whatever she feels like at the time.  Russell goes in a lot of directions, a true fashion eclectic.

Her philosophy is the same one shared with art collectors over the years. “If it says ‘Take me home’, buy it. That’s how I am with both furnishings and fashion.”

For everyday she likes Eileen Fisher but custom couture is her preferred mode. “Chanel I love, even though I don’t always fit into it very well,” she quips.  “And I love seersucker and Eskandar sweaters.” Her style mentors were her mothers and aunts, and the fashion genetics were obviously passed down. “My mother had presence, when she walked into a room, people turned, and my aunts were elegant also.”

A traveler who has packing down to a science (“I don’t like to check luggage”) Russell is on her way to Europe with plans for Africa also. Not bad for turning 70. Why she was chosen?  She thinks it’s her accessories and perhaps her vitality. “I’m older and not skinny,” she said, planning to wear her seersucker pantsuit. “There’s one drawback. Now I can’t go to the grocery store without dressing.”

A best dressed...

As a stylist, fashion and technical designer, there are three main factors I take in consideration when defining the term “Best Dressed.”

There is no need to be a size “0” and absolutely no need to be in your 20s.  There are divine best dressed ladies in their grand 80s and other ones that possess full figures and healthy sizes.

To be a “best dressed,” you must be a natural and possess unique qualities.  The main factors are volume, balance and character.  And there are many very important categories under each of these factors.  As a style consultant and designer it is my duty to be honest and guide an individual properly throughout this process.

I take all these factors  a little further and mix them with my  technical knowledge, always taking into  consideration the individual “personal flair.”  I had seen many times how many individuals in the professional, artistic or high power ends are dressed and advise by many of these very costly personal stylists and the results at the end are sad flops…  That’s when these individuals end up in the “don’t” list.

A best-dressed woman or gentleman possesses their own very personal style; I call it “flair.”  If you wear or buy a specific item or color just because someone says, “That’s what’s in and everyone is wearing it,” then you’re not a best dressed, you’re just a follower.

Also, it is very important that you wear your ensemble; the ensemble shouldn’t wear you.

A personal stylist is a person who advises his or her clients about trends, colors, make-up and styles.  A style editor will copy and paste what personal stylists, buyers, merchandisers and designers dictate for the seasons.  Not many style editors or personal stylists possess the necessary flair to predict what designers are thinking about or what the next season is projected to be.

Many times a stylist is hired to help the client find and develop a look, and many times these stylists just take in consideration what they read, see in stores, or browse in fashion magazines. WRONG!  You will never be a real best dressed if you follow that approach. You just will be a great copycat, at best.

Remember, if you want to be a “Best Dressed,” you must find your own personal flair. Then be careful with the volume, study the balance and, finally, define the character.

You may just end up in the next “Best Dressed” list…

I’ll be watching…

Design by Raoul Blanco

Gia...

Gia......

There was no one like her in front of a camera... I remember this amazing human statue, covered hundreds of top fashion publications, desired by many designers and photographers worldwide... Breathless beauty taken away by the evil heroin addiction and AIDS... See, even the fashion world has its dark side, we must learn how to stay were there's always light and avoid the shadows, even at night... R.I.P. diva! And thank you for the marvelous years you had given us of beauty and stardom...

Raoul Blanco 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZqpkKvaZsQ

Raoul Blanco Couture Circle presents the "Five Best Dressed Ladies of Louisiana 2013" - Mrs. Mary Ann Mirian

Wife, mother, grandmother, business owner and incredible human being...  A rare, beautiful and fabulous gem very difficult to find...

Raoul Blanco

Mary Ann Mirian

by Patricia Gannon - Society writer

Mary Ann Mirian believes charity begins at home. A Realtor since 1994, she’s involved with work and family, a husband, and two daughters, the oldest of which is her business partner. “My youngest just graduated from UL cum laude,” Mirian adds proudly.  They enjoy weekly if not tri-weekly get-togethers still and she credits a career that allowed her to be a part of their lives growing up.  “I don’t think they thought I worked,” she said. “They also tell me I’m stuck in the 80s.”

Neither knows yet their mother’s one of Louisiana’s Five Best-Dressed Women.  “I want to tell them in person to see their faces,” she laughed.

Mirian is dramatic and makes no apology.  “I have one life to live,” she says. “If I get killed today, at least I’ll die looking the way I like.”

She also buys what she likes, but what Mirian ends up liking are designers, especially Italian and Brazilian. As she talks, she’s scouting a pair of Brazilian shoes online to see if she can get a better price. She shops a diverse set of stores—none of which are stuck in the 80s—and believes in expressing yourself through clothes. She admits this may have been a factor in her selection.

“My daughters laugh at me and tell me I stand out, even when I go to pick blueberries,” she said.

We’ll bet they’re not laughing now.