Today's guest is the Beautiful Barb. Her black on black style is also well reflected in her living space. Minimal and tasteful. Sharp and clean. She always finishes the composition with a red or gold accent piece.
Black has infinite expressions of brightness, lightness and temperature, delivered by the material's reaction to lighting and gravity. Black on black is about the details and nuances of each item that contribute to the whole balance. One black item paired with another can look or feel warm or cool, light or heavy, soft or hard. If trying different colours and styles means to explore the width of fashion, then Barb has mastered the depth of it! What makes her style extra special is that most of her belongings (clothing, jewelry, kitchenware, decoration etc.) are vintage, gifts from friends, or made by local designers. Her collections are unique, diverse, and in complete harmony.
From the comfy outfit in the first photo, Barb switched the turtleneck sweater to a short-sleeved shirt with a triangle cutout on the back, added a lady hat, and there is a cute outfit for a sunny day stroll. She is carrying the Big Black Bag by bliue! The accent points here are the gold watch and her bright red lips.
This simple and playful outfit works for both day and night. Transparency of the inner layer and the white on black abstract pattern of the outer layer introduce brightness and lightness to the look. Barb chose gray booties to balance with the lightness of the tops. The transparency, the white and the gray soften the black and create a warm feel.
Finally, here is her sharp look for the night. The leather leggings and boots make the look hard and crisp, while the shirt adds rhythm and flow. The shoulder line of the jacket keeps the overall clean and square. The leather leggings are from our favourite shop Victoire, and other items are vintage. Barb can put together any black items from different times and places to compose the right look for the occasion. And of course the finishing touch is her red lips! Her lips' red and the Bauhaus posters made perfect sense in this picture. You know she is an amazing artist when you see her and her living space are in unison.
A couple of bonus peeks of her living space. These items in the two photos especially intrigued my eyes. A black sheer curtain and the hanging pot against the white wall are so calming yet dynamic that my eyes kept traveling back and forth between the two. It is not easy to make black objects in the air look weightless!
The glasses are also in the same language of style: black with gold accent. I very much respect the coherency in Barb's aesthetics. I always knew, but today I was delighted to see all the details!