Lady Gaga for Vogue March

There are many reasons the world has paid so much attention to the antics, the style, and the brand that is Lady Gaga. Her modus operandi of constantly breaking set within fashion and pop culture and synthesizing them into new forms and ideas is a skill she has beautifully mastered. Like most great artists, her work often evokes misunderstanding, perplexity, and fear to those who do not understand it. But I feel that the greatest thing about Lady Gaga is she does exactly as she thinks. She is one of the few people who know how to turn the dreams and ideas in her head, no mater how scandalous or surreal and turn them into realities. It is this magic that shows in her feature spread in Vogue's March Power Issue. And a subject to choose indeed. Her otherworldly creativity and desire to unite completely with popular culture can be nothing short of magical. With her single "Born This Way" released earlier this month, Gaga is beginning to unveil to the world her newest creation. Check out the photos of this little monster from the spread after the break.

Model Madness: Brandon Espy

Ah, the power of Google. Who knew such technology could be used to find out som much about beautiful people? Well we certainly snagged a big one this time and he comes by the name of Brandon Espy. A rising star who prefers to selectively solicit his beauty rather than settle for overexposure, he strikes your eyes with that "Where have you been all this time?" thought. Also, through my Google exploits, our model of the week, a native of Diamond Bar, California, played football for the University of San Diego in 2005 to 2007 where he majored in Communications. He was a three-sport high school performer in football, basketball, and track, hence the impeccable Spartan physique. It's interesting how Brandon's history has led him to the world of fashion modeling but he's definitely smart enough to know he's got the looks. Check out why he's out model of the week and you'll see why we're mad for him.

The Elegant Animus

The universe of fashion is a place where ideas are constantly being created, changed, thrown away, recycled, and picked up. In this infinite manufacturing of creativity, one person's trash is another's treasure and subsequently becomes someone else's trash or treasure. And as we come into contact with these ideas in fashion, whether old or new, we are inevitably changed by them. Suddenly a light of inspiration in a dark tunnel becomes clearer, or perhaps a new path suddenly springs up from the other new path we just took. To document this amazing and wonderful phenomenon, I created a new blog, Elegant Animus, to document all of the inspiration that hits me and how it has and continues to change me.

Guerre de Style

If fashion really is everywhere, as Coco Chanel once said, then Karl-Edwin Guerre, creator of the men's fashion blog Swagger 360, can find it. His site's slogan, "Where Lifestyle and Attitude Connect", sums it up perfectly; fashion isn't just made up of what we wear or where we wear it, it's made of how we live and how we think. His reputation for maintaining a Wildean-crisp style has earned him attention from many fashion watchers especially his impecable impresario skills. It's especially pleasing to me to see so many images of men of color, for these are oft scarce in other blogs. It's wonderful to see a culture of stylish, ambitious, and refined men using their creativity and showcasing their style. Check out Swagger 360 here.

The Eyes of a Dandy

I love scouring the web looking for people who love fashion as passionately as I do and who have found ingenious ways of expressing their creativity. When I came upon DapperLou, the blog of notoriously stylish urban dandy Ludget Delcy, I knew I had found my style soul brother. His effortless classical American style and his eye for catching it is what attracts me most to his blog. He could certainly have composed a blog just on his own personal style but Ludget chooses to use his erudite taste to feature gentlemen both young and old who are mastering the art of dressing the man. I first noticed Ludget's style on LookBook.nu, my favorite haunt for fashion inspiration but I had no idea the man had such an impressive portfolio of street personalities. I also noticed his blogroll is quite short, especially when many fashion bloggers including myself tend to prefer to give their readers a great deal of places to find other great content. But then again, Ludget understands that too many cooks spoil the broth. Most of all Ludget gives me what I want: pure, unadulterated sharp-dressed people. See all about Ludget Delcy and his site here.

Model Madness: Hidetoshi Nakata

This week's model comes in the form of a Japanese footballer whose career led him into the world of modeling. Hidetoshi Nakata has been hailed as one of Japan's greatest soccer players. But his lens has moved from the field in recent years to the runways. His avid interest in fashion has always been apparent and his statuesque physique makes him a perfect candidate for the modeling world. He's hit the US previously with his appearance in GQ's 2007 fall fashion issue and he is currently holding down a spot in Calvin Klein's notorious underwear line while simultaneously serving as the editor-in-chief of Monocle magazine, a global culture magazine. Check out more photos of Hidetoshi after the jump.

An Homage To Black Style

In light of Black History Month, I must stop and pay tribute to the numerous Black icons that have and still contribute so much to fashion and what Black American style really is. In a history that often calls for much more sadness than celebration, in spite of our oppression and in light of our achievements, we have managed to create a style that is distinctly ours. Whether it is the dashikis, afros, and kente cloth that hearken images of Black is Beautiful, or whether it is the smooth, crisp, and classic style of a 1940s Stacy Adams suit, or even the bold, expressive, and unrestrained hip-hop style, Black Americans have always found a way to make their voices heard and have created our own definition of luxury and elegance that is as rich and varied as the colors we are. Check out a slideshow featuring the icons that have shaped Black fashion.

Don't Get Mad, Get Inside

If you're still messing around with keg stands, dorm parties, and the free-before-11 fare of parties, then you'll definitely want to step your game--and connections up with the host-with-the most Marquis Phifer. The man behind the LateBoots brand is launching an exclusive group catering to the more sophisticated bacchanalian set, titled Inside Socializing. If you're lucky enough to get on the list.