A Suicide Party BTS

Here are a behind the scene pictures from my shoot that I had yesterday with photographer Hiro. My good friends Dylan Chavles (hair) and Jeffrey Baum (makeup) were on set, which made the day that much more fun. I am so thankful for moments like these, like this day, where I was given the chance to express myself and create magic with others. I like to think of my work as more of a performance. 

Hopefully out soon! 

Underwater 

And of course, surrounded by Dylan's cats at the fitting. I love cats, so this was pretty exhilarating for me, as you can tell. They were certainly not afraid of me! 

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"Static" an Exhibition by Casey Baugh

A couple of months ago, i had the honor of being flown out to NYC to be a part of painter Casey Baugh's exhibition "Static" which is out today in NYC.

Behind the Scenes:

The Bloody Beetroots ft. Theophilus London " All the Girls" is OUT!

If you haven't already, you should check out the new Bloody Beetroots music video, " All the Girls". It's a happy tune with happy people in it! This was my first music video ever, and i loved how fun it was! A great day. Here are some screen-caps along with the video: 

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Dear Alex, in Ten Years.

Dear Alex,

 

Today, I can say that I am fully self-reliant about my health. I am healthy, meaning I eat healthily (clean) and I take care of my body- I work out consistently, but not obsessively. Today, I am happy with myself and I understand that my body is my temple, and it is the car that I need to fuel and take care of.

 

I know that you’ve struggled to find balance and love your body for what it is. You’re an extreme person- so either you’d fall into anorexia, or you’re constantly fighting it- so you retaliate with over eating (even if it is on healthy foods). You are turning in circles constantly, making excuses for yourself and sabotaging yourself with your ‘victim’ take towards getting slimmer and healthier. The key to your happiness toward yourself, and being in control of what you want, is self-reliance.

 

Self-reliance is something that I’ve learned to use more and more in my life, and I’ve quickly learned that the key to making things happen for yourself is by being self-reliant. Whether it’s in education, employment, goals, family, health- to advance and go beyond your limits is to be self-reliant. You’ve got to push yourself and WANT to go further, because no one will do it for you. And, to be self-reliant you’ve got to have motivation, discipline, and courage. It is courageous to gather yourself and push yourself out into this world on your own. However, in a world where many things are out of our control, the things that I listed can be if we are self-reliant and making decisions for ourselves.

 

To be self-reliant is to have self-respect. Respect yourself enough, Alex, to know that you deserve to achieve great things, and to have the courage to carry them out. You’ve struggled for years to become ‘fit’ or ‘slim’ like the industry wants- honestly it’s messed your mind up a bit. But deep down you know what you want- to be slim, but healthy. To be happy. So why don’t you do it? You have everything you need to succeed- a vision, a dream, friends, family, and spirituality. You’re rock solid and yet this one thing that you CAN control, your health, is holding you back.

 

I want you to stop holding yourself back, and realize what you’ve got, and what you can be. Ten years from now you’ll be so proud of yourself. But you can start now and make the journey easier for yourself. Love yourself. Take care of yourself. Respect yourself. And rely on yourself. Become your own best friend.  

 

See you in ten,  

                        Alex

(This was an assignment that my online course required. As I was typing I realized how profound it truly was. I am thankful for the little messages that the world sends out to be heard. )

A Kimono in Mexico

Last week I came back from a five day trip in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Really, we flew into Cabo and then took a Jeep car almost two hours out towards the coast, in the middle of nowhere. It was magical and I tried to keep a daily diary so that I could remember and share details of this trip.

 

The only instructions we had to the villa we were staying at was a piece of paper with very detailed writing- things like " drive a few miles until you see a cactus with a pink flower on it. Then, you'll know to turn right onto the second dirt road past it. Be careful not to go onto the first dirt road, it could be dangerous" and "watch out for cows and horses". I won't say who the person was that I went with on this trip, for I do not know that they would like to be mentioned. However that person was driving the Jeep, and this grown person was severely nervous, anxious and stiff- always worrying if we'd taken a wrong turn or if we were in the right area. I'd always say "Yes, we are. Do not worry. And, if we aren't, it's an adventure! It is why we are in Mexico, isn't it?" Now, I understand that we were in Mexico, and that It isn't always the safest of places to be in- however, sometimes it's important to let go, and have faith that you are where you're meant to be. Let's just say that after our arrival I was the self-designated Jeep-driver, the Indiana Jones who had to lead us through these jungle-like winding dirt  roads for the next five days. It was awesome.

 

 

We'd stocked up on groceries right before hitting the dirt roads- our instruction paper mentioned that it would be wise, as that market next to the airport was the only one available from the two-hour away villa. The first left that we took off of the main road was a dirt one, flooded with giant pools of murky water from the summer monsoons that the town had just had. Barely-there houses and wild dogs were surrounding this road and I could hear my friend's breathing getting louder- nerves were coming in, and I forget sometimes that people are not always as adventurous as I am, or that most have not seen what I've seen. My friends' eyes were masked under sunglasses however I could read every inch of doubt and fear in their tense mouth. There was nothing that I wanted more than to shake this somberness out and to make this person let go. We are alive and we have an opportunity to see LIFE and REALITY when the majority of our lives are consumed with WORRIES and FANTASIES (especially in the fashion/entertainment industry).
 

 

I soon realized my purpose for this trip- to be a model and muse, yes, but more so to be a light, to make this person live again, to open this person's eyes and change their perspective and outlook.

 

It wasn't easy. I'm someone who is genuinely happy, curious, content and in awe of the beauty that the Earth provides us with every day. The orange hued morning light that softly caresses my bed in the morning, the vast untouched miles of land that glow green because of the rains, the tart deep raspberry red fruit that I discovered, the humorous cows that couldn't give a care that I was coming towards them in a Jeep. My friend would say "why don't those cows move, how annoying" and I'd laugh and say "those cows are funny. Good for them. Character, I LIKE it!". There are always two ways of looking at things...I choose to be happy. There's a decision to be made.

 

It wasn't easy when everything I'd say was torn down and argued for the simple desire to argue. When someone is so stubborn, that they are holding themselves back. I could tell that my friend so badly wanted to change outlook, so badly wanted to rejoice instead of whine, so badly wanted to get out of their head, and I KNEW that that was why I was sent to be with this person for five days. It was my mission, to crack this person out of their comfortable bitterness. And if you know me, you know that I am stubborn and I will not give up. I didn't.

 

It's a tropical home-y mansion with tiles and woods and fairy-like white airy curtains, breathing in and out of each room, as the wind inhales and exhales - like a dream, or like that first scene with Daisy in The Great Gatsby. The main entrance is at once indoor and outdoor- it is a living room and yet birds come and go as they please, and branches of trees, vines are growing into it and onto the ceilings. It is a haven. The Villa is owned by three of the most generous women- who all grew up together and decided to build this dream location for their families. There are six houses. We had a house to ourselves, but basically had the whole Villa and beach to ourselves, because no one else was staying in this Villa, and there was no other Villa surrounding us within miles.

I'd never really been to a place like this. My half of the house was beautiful- with a bed (covered in Mexican colorful blankets) facing the two French-style open doors overlooking the purest blue ocean. Everything around me was silent; I could here the curtains whipping gently in the wind, brushing the doors. I could hear the crackles of little animals wandering in the nature surrounding me. I could hear little birds singing and waves crashing softly in a continuous mantra-like way. I could actually hear MYSELF and I quickly understood why moments like these are important, and why humans seclude themselves from time to time on 'vacation'. To come back to one's roots, to reground, to recharge peacefully.

Excerpts from my journal:

" I am falling asleep- a good sleep. I can barely keep my eyes open. Doors are wide open, as my soul is to the Earth. I am well. I hope my mom knows I'm alright. I have no reception. I am thankful"

"I wake up to the sound of the ocean, soft Bob Marley playing, and my friend singing along outside. People sing when they are happy. Life is good"

" Day 1 in Cabo. Let me just say, before explaining my day, that I couldn't receive any internet and it kills me! I want you to know that I want you. I want to be with you. I'm happy with you and it's a given, it is something so natural. I tried to have the internet work in the lobby for a couple of hours, to wish you happy birthday, with no success. However, I did find some wild cats and managed to receive scratches all over my arms! I didn't actually realize that they were wild until I started 'playing' with them, and soon after had to run up on the lobby couch to escape their gnaws around my ankles. Anyway, don't forget to smile. Big bisous partout, Alex"   ( so apparently I fell asleep after this message and I didn't explain my day. That happens the morning after)

"...I think throughout yesterday I changed outfits five times. Anyway- we decide to go snorkeling, and I take the wheel. I'm Jeeping through this one dirt road, zigzagging & sometimes hitting a flat stretch-miles of jungle green terrain (sorry but Donkey Kong's "home" seems to always pop up in my head). I can't help but have a giant smile on my face, my heart is pulsing and every inch of my body is alive and wired as I speed down these bumpy dirt roads, not knowing what lies ahead past each sharp turn...We climb aboard the Black Maria and stop at our first coral reef. I put my mask and flippers on and jump into the warm sea. The bubbles disperse and I am surrounded by a school of parrot fish- they are NOT afraid of me, and I am at once enamored and slightly frightened as I know that those strong bird-like beaks could totally chop off my finger. I was aware of that...On our way to the second reef we pass by a huge boulder of sea lions. They're just chilling in the sun, though my friend had the impulse to stop the boat and request that we dive and approach the lions. Awesome idea. 'Poof!' I'm in the water again. I see the colossal boulder in front of me and swim towards it, when suddenly those bubbles surround me again and as they begin to fade, a giant dark shadow slinks by me. I panic for a second- it's a sea lion. And it is HUGE. MASSIVE. And, I'm curious again. So, I decide to follow the massive sea lion and observe some sort of love dance that it was having with another lion. They were intertwined in a DNA-like structure, twirling and twirling in rhythmic circles. A good forty minutes go by of swimming with these sea lions. I sing to them under water, convinced that they can hear me. Though these creatures were massive they were gentle. And, they truly didn't care about us humans. That's the way it should be"

"My friend looked HAPPY today! It's working. My energy is transmitting to this person, finally. Thank goodness. I am doing my job. Also, I was in the lobby last night. It was dark, pitch-black, with night hawks and bats flying around, zipping up the staircases and hovering down over me. I was sitting on the floor with my cracked-screened Ipad, charging it in the only plug that I could find, under a lamp table. As I was waiting for my technology to awaken, I took my flashlight and shone it onto different spots all around in front of me. I stopped it on a Magic 8 ball, tucked and peeking out of a sand-colored basket, on a middle shelf across the room. I picked it up, then impulsively, without even thinking about it, asked a very important question. I wouldn't have been surprised with a 'No' or conflicting answer as obviously this was a Magic 8 ball and it is silly. However every single time I shook that ball, it came with the same answer. Every. Single. Time.  Coincidence? Or, do I take it partially to heart because in reality I know what I want, and the Magic ball is a reassurance of what I do want? Interesting to think about."

There are many details about this trip that I wish I could share- however by now I've written quite a bit and some things are better kept for ones self. Although you may want to beg to differ, I actually DID work and shoot, three different series of photos. Though I don't mention those because I know that that was not necessarily my true purpose for being sent to Mexico with this friend. This friend needed a light, even for a moment, and if I was able to instill some sort of mental peace in this person, then I am happy, because  that was my mission and I wanted for this person to feel alive. Like I do.

I am thankful for all of the blessings and opportunities that I have in my life.
And, I know that I have much to give.

X.
 

 



Set Daze pt. 2

 

 

Part Two.

Set Daze & Gloria Noto

 

- A Beauty Series-

 

 

PS. Check out my interview for Set Daze! Set Daze ft. Alex Noiret

 

TOUCH UPS // MODEL // ALEX NOIRET

Alex Noiret is one of the most special models I have worked with.  In her photos there is something in her eyes that tells you there is so much going on inside.  As a makeup artist, you are in the face of your subject, up close and personal.  Sometimes your model lets you into their world.  When I am doing Alex’s makeup, I find myself getting lost and surprised over and over again at her thought process, ideas, and perspective on the world and life as we know it.  She is a dreamer, she is a lover, and she is truth to herself.  I could sit and listen to her talk all day long.

What is your daily beauty routine like? Take me through a step by step picture of when you wake up to when you walk out the door with your routine starting from skin care, to makeup.

The first thing I do when I wake up is rinse my face with cold water. I let it dry for the most part on its own, to let some of the moisture sink in. Then, I always always always put sunscreen on -  I have really fair skin, so I use La Roche Posay 50+ or a sunscreen that protects it well and is creamy rather than oily.  I will even apply sunscreen every couple of hours or when I feel like I need to. Make-up wise I typically don’t do much, though I do carry in my purse with me Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua that I mix with sunscreen for a slightly fresher look, a dark brown eyeliner from Guerlain to draw on my usual little cat eye, and a red lipstick for going out at night- maybe a bright orange red YSL or 'Lune Rousse' from Chanel as a stain.

Do you have a strange or unique beauty secret?

I don’t know if it is ‘strange’ however I do believe that sunscreen works wonders in protecting the skin and I even will apply it at night before going out!  It gives a sort of glow to the face which I like, too. Also, I never use face scrubs (unless I just had a shoot where there’s impossibly hard paillettes/sparkles to get off)- I find that it most often than not is really harsh on the skin and causes it to dry out.

 

Do you have any things in your diet that you’ve included that aid in inner and outer beauty?

Eating right- lots of veggies, lean meats, vitamins, etc., shows not only on the outside, but you’ll feel much better on the inside, which in turn shows from within. I also think that it is important to nourish and take the time to prepare and savor each meal (if you can). Even if I’m alone I like to cook and make things look nice- just because it’s healthy doesn’t mean it has to be boring! Little things. Little joys.

 

If you could give someone one beauty tip to live by, what would it be?

Smile! You’ll always look better when you smile. A smile is charming and happiness is magnetic. Also, sunscreen.

What beauty Icon do you have?

My grandmother was and is my ultimate beauty icon- she was that woman that always took care of herself, always was presentable, always paid attention to detail, and always looked incredibly, effortlessly chic. Growing up she was the one that imbedded the desire for beauty in me- not only to seek and see beauty in personal physical ways, but the desire to seek and see these things in the world. I still to this day strive to be like her. She is an incredible woman.

What is your background? Do you think there are cultural difference between your heritage and American ways?

I am Franco- American. I was born and raised in France for most of my life, and yes, I’d definitely say that there are cultural differences! Both have their better or worse sides to them. The French pay a lot of attention to physical beauty (the stereotypes are wrong! haha) - I found that even my ex would be interested in using my crèmes and maybe even had more than me! The people take care of themselves- but it isn’t a glamorized or superficial thing- it is just engrained in the culture, it is just how people are brought up. Food and quality is important, I think the French live more day-to-day. Then, the Americans are very outgoing, very warm, on-the-go, and it seems to me are more so the dreamers. Which I find fantastic and it is true- in America there is opportunity. You can become anything.

Have you always been interested in beauty and fashion and design industry?

I’d say that I was aware of fashion and beauty at a pretty young age- my grandma would always take me window shopping with her and explain to me the different fabric materials and colors of clothing. Throughout the years she would always bring me into her room and show me her clothes and jewelry, she would explain to me the importance of a beautiful home, cooking, gardening, etc. She would always point out little beautiful details as we’d walk in town. So, I think part of that mentality stuck with me. My knowledge and love for actual fashion & the business grew with time- though I remember I had always wanted to be a model secretly, and I also remember that the first model that I ever followed was Karlie. I knew she was going to be big.

 

What does beauty mean to you?

As cheesy as it sounds, I do believe that beauty truly comes from within. A happy and confident person is automatically beautiful and glowing.

Then, there’s the world. Beauty is everywhere, in every one, every thing.  Recognizing those things makes me happy. I love beauty, or maybe I just love the world, in that case.

 

What makes you feel beautiful?

When I am surrounded by people that I love, when I am happy, when I am wearing nice clothes, I feel beautiful.

 

 

 

 

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MARIA DORA x ALEX NOIRET #2

 

MARIA DORA x ALEX NOIRET

A Self Portrait Series

 

 

See More

 

Set Daze pt. 1

 

Part One.

Set Daze & Gloria Noto

 

-A Beauty Series-



MARIA DORA x ALEX NOIRET #1

 

MARIA DORA x ALEX NOIRET

A Self Portrait Series

 

 

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John Ciamillo

   

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Set Daze BTS

First full day back in LA, today I shot for Set Daze with Eddie Chacon, Sissy Sainte-Marie, and
 Gloria Noto.  All lovely people whom I hadn't seen in a little bit. Photos will be leaked every week, for about a month. Excited about this!!!

 

                              Gloria                                                                                   One of my favorite looks

After the shoot I walked around Silver Lake for a second and found these amazing organic gluten dairy sugar free treats. It sounds ridiculous and extremely LA of me but I am a food lover and if I can not feel guilty about it, the better. It was a good day. 

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NYC

I just landed back in LA tonight after having spent around four days in New York. Four days of fun and it only took four to completely fall in love with this city. I'd been before, but never on my own and never with the mentality that I have now. Which changes everything.

 

Late nights, art, friends, discovering. It was magic and I am thankful.
 



Quote from my Journal:
""You attract what you put into this world" he said, and if so- the theory makes sense. I am in love, intrigued and fascinated with the world-and It too, seems to be with me. It is a beautiful romance disrupted one or two times a month with a tantrum- but other than that, I can't complain. So here I am, at Siggy's 'good food- all Organic' café, an amazing place that I found as I was completely lost walking around in Brooklyn. Though my theory is that it is only when we are lost that we find what is best for us and discover little treasures"

Purple DIARY- Inez & Vinoodh Gallery

Inez & Vinoodh Gallery at The Gagosian Gallery, Beverly Hills.

 

CASTING

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ELLE US

Check out the special edition of Elle US Weekly which launches today for Paris fashion week! It's an interactive beauty story for the new Elle US App on iPad, it's really cool, and you'll be able to mix and match makeup looks on my face! haha. Shot by Beautyisboring's Robin Black, a make-up artist and photographer with whom I've worked with now a few times. Love her!

Click on this link for more: http://visionlosangeles.com/vision-la-alex-noiret-for-elle-weekly/

Backstage Photos:

 

 

 

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