Hello, HighEnders! My name is Amelia, and I am a magazine addict. This is when you say, “DUH, Mimi! What fashionista isn’t?” Well, my addiction to the editorial stuff has moved me to create a new feature for the HighEnd family. Inspire Me will be a recurring post that focuses on the various sartorial inspirations in my life. Though sparked by my love for the glossies, this feature will highlight any&everything that makes me stop and take a moment ala moda. From art to film, friends&fam, architecture and design, expect to see a little bit of everything from Mimi’s Mad Style Mind.

My first installment focuses on a theme I have been seeing everywhere from runway to celebstyle to the small screen- Ultra Ladylike Lux. I’m talking slim sheaths, curve-hugging pencil skirts, elegant for day outerwear, luxurious accessories and equally polished hair and manis. This look is the perfect nose-in-the-air affront to the dirty rocker-girl aesthetic racing through the fashion world. Though it’s not annoyingly retro like so many faux Betty Boop hipsters. Project Runway’s Kenley Collins, anyone?  Femme Fatale Fashion is simply about showing off your lady lumps in a way that is timeless and classic, while also subtly sexy. It hearkens to a time when a hint of garter belt was enough to make a man’s heart race.

So, what, HighEnders, has Inspired Me to get a lil more ladylike? Feast your eyes on these femme fashions:

*images via fashionising.com/collage by mimi*

• What first intrigued me about this Max Mara ad campaign were the model’s impeccably manicured nails. That retro oval shape is unabashedly feminine, evoking images of a 1950’s vamp glamorously powdering her nose or applying an extra coat of red lipstick. I also adore the polished chicness of the side-parted waves- so classic, so sexy, and a nice alternative to the hippie crinkle that is the hair du jour.

*images via theinsider.com/collage by mimi*

• Salvatore Ferragamo’s Fall 09 campaign captivated me with its lux accessories and its perfectly saturated monochrome palette. The tortoiseshell sunglasses are total VickiB, while the jewel tone totes are the perfect extravagant extras. That port-hued slouchy number would elevate any outfit to a different level of femme-glam. And those pumps? Well, those pumps are just plain naughty with their classic shape, but very contemporary height. Talk about old meets new.
  

*images by style.com/collage by mimi*

• She’s a blue-blooded socialite who is never short on white(&black)-hot style. Though her signature aesthetic is comprised of classic, uber-feminine shapes, there is something Lady Havisham about the look. Her high-collared frocks are complimented by diamonds and spikes. While her updos are perfectly polished, the skunked hue adds a touch of avant garde. In Daphne’s case, we’re digging her lovely lady funk.

*images by people.com/collage by mimi.com*

• It took some awful 90s fashion and a few more recent faux pas, but Posh is finally living up to her name. She relies on a strict uniform of body-con sheaths, chic cardigans and sky-high stilettos to make her style mark. O, and how could I forget the Jackie. O shades? What I appreciate most about Mrs. Beckham is her incredibly discerning taste.  She not only knows exactly what she likes, but also what works for her. This keen sense of  editing is born, not made- a gift from the Style Gods.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this first edition of Inspire Me. Keep your peepers, ears and mind open to those things that truly move you. ;) Till next time!