MyScoop.us| Spring Fashion Vacation Shoot, March 2011.| Photography by Andrew Hester

MyScoop.us| Spring Fashion Shoot, March 2011.| Photography by Andrew Hester

(...for more shots & still-lifes from the shoot, view them on my Flickr!)

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Art of Androgyny

Androgyny : (an.drodg.a-knee) -

simply means having the physical or natural characteristics

of both a male and a female.

(ALSO: the word androgyny is derived from the Greek words,

'andros' meaning man, and 'gyne' meaning woman.) WEBSTER

Fashion is all about form and how a vision is expressed from the artist's/designer's mind and translating it onto their canvas or in most cases their muse or model. In the real world there seems to be a pretty defined line between what is appropriate for the male and female sexes to wear and be 'expected' to wear to fit the social norms.

Over time this art form has been accepted more and more and well understood in the artistic community and those in the world of fashion. The appeal behind this interesting idea is based on the art of beauty and marketing. By using a form that can be viewed as both male and female it is more likely to be drawn to by more of those who see it other than eliminating the gender line. In 2010 and into 2011, two have taken the runway and ad campaign world by storm, House of Givenchy transsexual model, Lea T, and very pretty boy, Andrej Pejic.

Lea T was featured in Givenchy's FW10 ad campaign and has become a muse like for Riccardo Tisci the past few seasons. Andrej Pejic more recently walked in Jean Paul Gaultier's Couture show and in his Menswear FW11, (both in heels)! He also is in the SS11 Marc by Marc Jacobs & Jean Paul Gaultier SS11 ad campaigns.

Lea T in GIVENCHY's FW 10 ad campaign.

(L to R) Andrej Pejic finale-ing out the JPG FW 11 Menswear show with JPG himself - Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture Spring 11.

(Top to bottom : Andrej appearing in JPG SS11 ad campaign, Andrej again in Marc by Marc Jacobs SS11 ad campaign.)

The androgynous look is so different and hard to forget that it has become iconic over time and has brought some models into the mainstream light and famous because of their intriguing and gender bending look. Such as Cole Mohr, who Marc Jacobs snagged to wear some dresses for his FW08 ad campaign or Agyness Deyn, who can pull off just about anything from a dress to a suit - even channel Michael Jackson in Harper's Bazaar's Sept 09 issue.

Cole Mohr in Marc by Marc Jacobs FW08 ad campaign in drag.

Agyness Deyn in Harper's Bazaar Sept. 09 tribute to the King of Pop in both masculine and feminine looks just like Michael Jackson himself who was a lover of the marching band/military jacket that has made its mark on Menswear and Womenswear over time.

Probably the most recognizable model who became a large influence on androgyny in the industry is Linda Evangelista, who is still modeling ever since she started in 1978. A favorite of the 1990's Chanel shows and campaigns of Karl Lagerfeld and even during his years at Chloe'. Evangelista brought her short hairstyle to womenswear and added a powerful and strong hold onto the top spot during her prime. She gave herself an edge with that bob and now it is all over the fashion world!

Linda Evangelista in 1990's Chloe and Chanel ad campaigns under while Chloe was still under the reign of KLag and Chanel was very on 90's trend electric and Cher Horowitz-like.

'The Andrew Network'

Andrew Garfield covers DETAILS' February 2011 cover....whether it's for his performance in blockbuster of 2010, 'The Social Network' or because he has taken the reigns as the next 'action-hero' as the new 'Spider-Man'. I feel like I should have added him to one of my 2010 Obsession posts because ever since I saw him in 'Imaginarium of Doctor Parnanssus' in January 2010, I have been a fan.

Starring alongside all of this year's leading ladies from Lily Cole, Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley, and now Emma Stone in 'Spider-Man' and being the face of 'Band of Outsiders' Fall 2010 Look Book...I am ready for a full-on-action-packed 2011 of Andrew Garfield.

Obsessions of 2010. PART II.

Emma Stone. House Bunny, Superbad, ZombieLand,...and then Easy A. (!!!) Red heads never looked so good or sounded so sexy until she came along. A classic look and an improvised humor that comes so natural she has become the 'It" girl for my 2010. She hosted SNL and even got her own Digital short written by Andy Samberg himself!

Sarah Burton's first (Spring 2011) collection under McQueen. Elegant, with all the right effect and without the theatrics of Alexander McQueen, which Burton said she wanted to keep out of it because that was his to keep. Flowing prints, gold woven wheat-grass corsets, and leather laser-cute leaf dresses gave the closure and breath of fresh air McQueen's followers needed to go on.

The Death of Lee Alexander McQueen. This was not exactly an obsession of mine, but it was a major part of my 2010. In February 2010, the fashion world and world alike as a whole lost a man with a mind on a creative roller coaster with no speed-limit. He inspired me for my first piece in my Poetry Tour class of Fall 2010 and my creative decisions since his passing as well.

Now not a day goes by that I don't think "What would McQueen do?"

Prada Spring 2011. Baroque, Baroque, Baroque!!! Made me feel like I was looking at tops with Velvet Underground/Warhol inspired collages all over and barrels of monkeys around the neckline. Spring fashion is all about color and being able to use the clothing to express the season and it did just that. It brought the fun and color back with technicolor fur tails and bright woven bags to excite fashion insiders from the slump of the past's recession-depression.

Florence Welch. aka. Florence and the Machine. Florence has become an icon by her name alone. The drummer of her own beat in her music and fashion has made her a household name in 2010. Another fiery red head that has gotten my creative juices pumping through the year. Lyrics flowing like poems with punches of love and emotion she has a voice physically and within her wordplay that is like no other. A powerful woman who knows what she wants in her music and classic fashion choices is exactly what I loved seeing from her in 2010.

The realization from EVERYONE ELSE that I've been telling since I saw him, that Kanye West is in fact an asshole. Taylor Swift, VMA's, granted I don't enjoy Taylor Swift's choice of music style and methods of working out her repressed post-break-up anger through song, she did not deserve a public and very barbaric interruption at the 2009 VMA's. Wast came out with his "Runaway" as an "apology" and a re-introduction to himself with his new album "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy", which I do enjoy the introduction piece and "Monster" but that is all. Thank you, (rest of the world) for finally agreeing with me on this in 2010.

Tom Ford's return to Womenswear. Bringing sexy back. It really never left because Tom Ford never left, with his Menswear and scandalous Eyewear ad campaigns to his amazing artistic and dramatic film, A Single Man, Tom Ford proved that he is always relevant. I love the sexiness that exudes from every thing this man touches from his clothing on men and women and his ads that push the limit to the everyday person. Not afraid of an exposed nipple and showing a little too much skin. Natural sex appeal flows through his work and this year during his private viewing of his highly anticipated Spring 2011 collection he proved that he is at the top.