Cover Story | January 2014

Happy New Year, Everybody!! What better way to bring in the new year than to shout out the world's top model, Joan Smalls?!

Joan's elegance and striking beauty grace the cover of Elle Magazine this month. I had my mail forwarded to WA and hadn't received my subscriber copy yet, so when I saw this cover in Safeway, I just HAD to pick it up. (Hey, I'm a part of the "now" generation-- I couldn't wait!)

Can you blame me? The number one model in the world. Overall stunning photo. AND a person of color! This doesn't happen often. Even the 25 year old mentions the lack of diversity in the fashion industry as, campaign after campaign, designers choose the monochromatic "aesthetic" to send down the runway. But thanks to several multi-cultural visionaries, including the genius that is Riccardo Tisci, Smalls went from the low-end to the high-end almost overnight. A night, however, that wasn't necessarily storm-free.

Joan had to use her book smarts and her street smarts to navigate her way through the trenches of the model world. Early on she was told that she needed to fix her teeth otherwise it'd be difficult to get gigs because "you're a black model. And it's already a challenge." So, she accepted the advice graciously, went back home to Puerto Rico, and visited an orthodontist. All while earning a degree-- magna cum laude. And, yes, she's only 25.

She's got the look and talent, the number one spot, and a gracious spirit to not only knock down the doors to the most sought after runways, but open and close the show. That right there is star power, folks.

Here are a few shots from Joan's Elle spread. For the full spread, be sure to pick up your January copy of Elle on newsstands now. [Isn't she stunning?!]

xo | din

PxSx 2013 was a great year for code name: drédin, and we're so grateful to all of our readers! Looking forward to sharing our 2014 fashion adventures with you! Cheers!

Newsstand cover - Elle January 2014

joan wears:

top | Jacquard jumpsuit
bottom | Chanel
cover | (newsstand) Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci, (subscriber) Céline
stylist | Joe Zee
original article | Molly Young
photos | elle.com, Michael Thompson

Subscriber cover - Elle January 2014

Cover Story | November 2013

I have loved watching Marion Cotillard on screen since her legendary performance in La Vie en Rose in 2007. From start to finish, I kept thinking how can anyone be this good?

And yet she was. And continues to be as her global star glows across silver screens every year.

The French actress's latest project, The Immigrant, has been receiving strong reviews at film festivals across the country and in Europe. It's scheduled for a wider U.S. release in 2014, and I am hoping that a local independent theater picks it up.

For the cover, Cotillard wears a knit bra top and wool shorts by Dior, and bracelets by David Yurman. She's 37 and looks amazing. For the story, she tells friend and fellow actress, Jessica Chastain, that she not only loves being an actress for the story telling aspect, but because it allows her "to explore what a human being is." Well, I'd say she's doing a pretty darn good job at both!

Elle's November issue features 8 women on Hollywood's It list. Pick up your copy [ cover may vary ] to deCODE more interviews on the women making waves on set.

xo | din

photo courtesy | Thomas Whiteside, elle.com

[ Street Walker ]

Last Saturday, I met with Liz from Honest Fashion at Le Pain Quotidien in DuPont for coffee and pain du chocolat. It's fun to talk fashion inspiration with other folks who might find the latest Jeffrey Campbell chain wedge sneakers in Elle just as swoon-worthy.

Are you a local blogger? We'd love to hear from you! [ Be sure to dish on what you thought of Amanda Seyfried's August 2013 Elle spread! ]

xo | din



top | h.i.p [ more of a purple indigo than the blue shown here ]
moto jacket | JouJou

skinny jeans | Loft
belt | Nine West
bag | JustFab
heels | Stuart Weitzman

Cover Story - { Jun13 }

Kerry wears Balmain skirt, earrings, & belt; A|X Armani Exchange crewneck; Louboutin pumps

The Scandal + The Fixer.

Kerry Washington is this month's cover story. Her humbleness is infectious in the most desirable way [ her co-workers vouch! ]. If you don't watch the hit series Scandal, pick up a copy of Elle and let this article be the window into why this starlette is the "luckiest broad in Hollywood."

Unlike other American favorites, Kerry's journey to her big break comes after appearing in over 30 major and indie projects. As her work has mostly been in supporting roles-- most recently Quentin Tarantino's highest grossing box office hit 'Django Unchained'-- it is a testament to her perseverance and aptitude as an actor that she is now a lead on primetime television.

She's smart. Ultra talented. And Gorgeous to say the least. Even the Pope will tell you that when it comes to Washington, you're sure to get Kerry-ed away!

xo | din

{CoverStory} -- Kerry Washington -- Elle Magazine, June 2013
photo courtesy | Horst Diekgerdes; styled by | Samira Nasr

Kerry's Cover Look [ deCODEd ]: Marc Jacobs cardigan & plaid hot shorts; Carine Gilson Lingerie Couture bra; Harold Winston earrings.

Catch the [Cover Girl] behind the scenes of her ELLE Magazine shoot, here.

photo courtesy | elle.com
original article | Ben Austen