is it the first

happy vd!

2012-02-14T11:42:00.000-08:00

hope your heart is feeling sweet!

fit issues

2012-02-10T20:51:00.001-08:00

just wanted to give you a little update on the jason wu for target things that arrived today.

there have been reports of some quality issues, but i'm not sure what people are expecting in a blouse that sells for $35. i guess it's reasonable to expect it not to tear, but....

the stuff that i bought looks pretty good. the pointelle sweater is a standout, quality-wise, but the styling isn't SO amazing. the colors are good, tho.

the most questionable are the collared blouses. i ordered the red & gold, but i'm not sure i'll be keeping either one.... they just sit so flat across the chest that all of the little inconsistencies of the pleating and trims just stands out too much.

the dresses look much better- the two i got use pretty much the same pattern as the blouse, but the fact that they're printed, and gathered at the waist mean that the little flaws are not so glaring....

the photos were taken before i ironed. the dress looks much less crinkly now!

cute of the day

2012-02-08T19:37:00.000-08:00

here are the two cutest things that happened today.

i passed a super cute japanese girl riding a pink vespa..... in a sailor jacket!

and my husband brought me macarons from bottega louie!

black back

2012-02-07T17:18:00.000-08:00

hi. vest!

hi. bag!

(photo courtesy of le 21ème arrondissement)

vest. vest. vest.

vest!

wu for victory

2012-02-05T09:29:00.000-08:00

another benefit to living on the west coast?

not having to stay up past my bedtime to place my jason wu order on target.com, when it went live last night at 2 am-ish, eastern standard.

here's what i'm waiting for the postman to bring me:

if the items that i've (semi) recently saved to polyvore are any indication, i think these things will fit well into my wardrobe:

there's a definitely color story here.

fingers crossed on the quality of the wu stuff..... i'll let you know!

what i'm feelin....

2012-02-03T10:05:00.002-08:00

my style is definitely shifting a little bit, now that i make my home on the west coast.

weather has something to do with it, surely!

although these photos were taken in nyc, this girl's look perfectly reflects what i'd like to wear today.... particularly since converses* have been on much higher rotation for me since i've gotten here!

photos from vanessa jackman's lovely blog.

*hey, what's up with everyone calling converses "converse", as if the plural doesn't require the "s"? that word has a different meaning!

the blues

2012-01-31T17:41:00.000-08:00

fyi!

if you missed out on les jeans des chanel, i am here to tell you that....

revlon made pretty much the same shade in blue slate, as chanel did in

blue boy.

so there you go.

pour moi?

2012-01-25T16:09:00.000-08:00

if anyone has any reason to give me a gift in the future,

here is something that i would like:

le labo rose 31 signature detergent

or maybe you want to give a gift to yourself? or to someone other than yourself?

this is perfect, because most people i know would have a hard time justifying spending $45 on laundry soap. but also, most people really love the smell of le labo rose 31. i know, because i often wear the perfume....

so. why can't my clean clothes smell like the backs of my ears?

because my birthday is not until june.

but maybe yours comes sooner?

lucky you.....

los angeles download

2012-01-24T10:14:00.000-08:00

so, i've lived in los angeles for just over two months now. and i've intentionally resisted writing any posts about la vs nyc style, in order to try to get a more local perspective....

one of the things that i'm happy to report is that living in la doesn't feel the same as visiting la.

when i'd come to visit, previously, i'd usually be tagging along on a business trip of my husband's. we'd stay in hollywood, and do all the "typical" hip la visitor things- eat at animal, shop at maxfield, and drive down to venice to stroll and brunch at gjelina.

we were never really exposed to the "east side", which is where we now live. i've spent the last weeks exploring the neighborhoods of silver lake, los feliz, atwater village, echo park and koreatown as much as my schedule allows.

and i can tell you that style looks quite different over here. this is not the beach-y vibe of venice, with short short cut off denim, scrubby sneakers and streaky ombre blonde hair. venice kind of looks like a free people catalogue.....

nor is it the conspicuous consumption of hollywood. even the "hipsters" in hollywood wear heels at every occasion, the hair is perfectly done, ironic glasses are from oliver peoples.... it's a very studied look- all the elements in place, all logos subtly revealed.... not much experimenting, not much mystery.

the east side seems more comfortable to me.... it reminds me a bit of brooklyn. maybe a little too much, from time to time? silver lake is still fully entrenched in ironic dressing. yesterday, a "cool dude" in front of me in the coffee line was wearing dickies. dickies!! i haven't seen those in years....

as much as these folks take from the williamsburg aesthetic, a lot of the look also comes from the portland & seattle / pacific northwest vibe.... there's an outdoorsiness to a lot of the looks that is just not found in brooklyn.

the areas surrounding our neighborhood seem to be a good balance of many subcultures. you definitely do see the skinny "fashion" girl crossing the street, teetering in her jeffery campbell litas, the dirty-haired rocker dude, as well as the frances-mcdormand-in-laurel-canyon industry bitches. but you also see a fair number of your typical city-version of middle-manager dudes, soccer moms and young families.

it's a nice mix.

which was all a super-long prelude to the point that i came here to type about.

leggings.

the one thing that all of the areas and neighborhoods that i've mentioned above (and many that i haven't) all seem to have in common is an abiding obsession with leggings, in all their forms.

leggings, jeggings, drop crotch, high waisted, cropped short....

i honestly can't imagine what los angeles would be without them.

preferably black. and worn as clothing, not exercise attire.

and i think i've figured out the reason why...

it definitely has to do with that exercise element..... which angelenos love.

somehow, the prevailing trends in exercise all seem to lead to the same path, here in so cal. and at the end of that path is a pair of seriously muscular legs.

like this:

this girl's legs (and what she's wearing on them) literally epitomize the look of la at the moment.

i must admit that i don't love it. it's a little too athletic, and little too masculine for me. look at her quadriceps! too much, too much.....

i'm as against cellulite as the next girl, but this is too far in the other direction. i'd rather see a little jiggle, than be reminded of the incredible hulk, about to bust out of his pants all together!

i'm more a fan of a longer, leaner leg... something that i realize is not within every girl's genetic make up. but most of these girls could really benefit from a little more softness, a little more, well.... femininity.

a pair of thighs like these, peeking out of a soft & flow-y shorter skirt just do not do it for me. it's sort of scary!

it could be worse, certainly. in fact, i'd steeled myself for some pretty questionable sartorial choices in this town, and so far, i've been happily surprised by the place....

and of course, this is only the first of many observations. spring is coming!

stay tuned for more....

wu wu wu! it's collab time....

2012-01-23T10:15:00.000-08:00

it's true that i'm often disappointed by the design collaborations between mass-market retailers and luxury designers....

there are only a few things from these that have ever made it into my wardrobe, with any staying power... a silk evening trench coat from lanvin x h&m, two pair of sandals from swedish hasbeens x h&m, and a bikini from thakoon x target.

usually the quality of the clothing is just too bad to wear. yes, the styling is usually very good, but who wants to pay $80-150 for a piece of clothing that looks like it's worth about $35? even if the colors are right on, and the silhouette looks decent on a hanger?

however, there are a couple collaborations coming up that i'm feeling semi-confident about....

jason wu for target looks pretty damned adorable, and since these dresses don't look TOO challenging for target to manufacture, i'm hoping that a couple of them will be winners:

(my favorite looks from the collection. you can see them all here.)

ok, at a second glance, that one on the top left looks like it could be a bit of a challenge to target's factories, but the other three look definitely do-able...

the other collaboration that on my anticipatory radar is marni for h&m....

so far, the photos make it hard to tell what to expect, but consuelo castiglioni is such an exciting and fun designer that i've really got my hopes up....

are these pants part of the collection!? i hope so.... i really don't see how h&m could screw those up!

do you think they'll try to do shoes? sigh.... that might wind up to break my heart, to see marni shoes done in polyurethane....

so, the wu is out in just a couple of weeks, and the marni collection in march....

my fingers are crossed that one or both are worth waiting for!

----------

later breaking update:

they ARE doing shoes! and they're LEATHER.

giant smiley emoticon here.

new yorkers

2012-01-19T12:51:00.001-08:00

this video makes me so glad i don't live in nyc anymore and terribly homesick, all at the same time.

ah, the paradox of new york:

my favorite moments?

"you have to go to brooklyn! it's the law!"

"do you smell maple syrup?"

and the look on his face, after he says "aaaaaw, magnolia".

strangebeautiful

2012-01-17T10:07:00.001-08:00

i've mostly gotten over the crazy nail art trend that's been sweeping the nation.

(with this exception!)

so, personally, i'm back on the solid nail color tip.

(ha!)

although i've mostly left my gothic style sensibilities where they belong, back in high school in '91, my grown up (black) heart couldn't help but flutter a little, when i saw this totally luxurious range of inky polishes from...

strangebeautiful

love these, as i do, it seems a little indulgent to invest so deeply into the nether regions of color. i know that it's dark and cold in certain parts of the world, but here in southern california, it's still warm and sunny....

a little bit of sullen contrast is good for a girl, but ten different blacks? maybe this is not what i need for the start of 2012.

lucky for me, strangebeautiful has five different "volumes", all inspired by such influences as josef albers, oscar wilde, knoll fabrics, "the dull red color of a lobster shell immediately after it has been removed from boiling water", the belly of a pigeon & aged armagnac:

damn.

decisions, decisions.

i'm leaning toward "volume 2", at the top left of the grid, above.

what's your favorite?

brilliant

2012-01-08T18:42:00.001-08:00

italian vogue nails it:

how awesome, ironic, hilarious and nostalgic is that?

my perfect shoes?

2012-01-03T22:24:00.000-08:00

look now. i am a shoe designer.

so, i own a lot of shoes. and i wear a lot of them too. so, it's hard to declare one pair the absolute perfect, favorite pair....

but these are about as close as any pair have come:

they're ysl black suede "flatforms", which is a name i hate, but i think you'll all know what i mean...

i bought these second-hand at tokio 7.

does anyone have any idea what collection they're from?! they seem like production, so i'm pretty sure they weren't just samples....

they're such a perfect blend of luxury and comfort/ practicality that i find myself grabbing them out of the closet on a regular basis....

i wish i could point you in the direction of a pair for yourself, but i wouldn't have the first idea where to send you! if anyone tracks these suckers down, let me know! i may need to order a second pair....

especially if they came in brown... oh, or navy....

house proud

2011-12-29T21:44:00.000-08:00

i can't believe that i've never thought to write a little blog about my good friend, olga.

(photo courtesy of aparat)

olga is an event designer and interior stylist extraordinaire, and i've always been so impressed by her professional work, as well as her own living spaces (one of which you can see, here.)

i wish i had some photos of her current apartment, which i love, and has been the site of many a fun party....

she has designed for a number of publications, including the very much missed domino magazine, and does amazing events....

olga works regularly with cb2, and has just been featured on their website, with some cute ideas for celebrating....

check out her website to see more photos of some of her incredible work.

i can't wait to see what she gets up to next!

(photo by raymond adams, courtesy of aparat)

who's YOUR daddy?

2011-12-27T11:27:00.001-08:00

after a lovely christmas weekend, my family and i were ready for a little retail therapy yesterday....

my mom is a total remodelista junkie, and she'd read about big daddy's in culver city, so off we went...

and discovered a wonderland full of quirky, industrial, steam punk, classic americana, eastern influenced and impressively oversized antique things....

there's my mom!

i could literally sleep in this louis vuitton trunk.

my husband, trying to pick the combination lock of an old safe...

those who know me well know that i am not a fan of domestic birds. but, i have to say that big daddy's HUGE warehouse space, and the fact that this cage is about as large as my old kitchen in nyc means that i am a little more amenable than usual...

and what other store do you know that has birds!?

yes, those are, indeed an incredible vintage hermes bag and train case. gorgeous.

i had a really hard not taking home this amazing chest of drawers.

however, the huge space that big daddy's inhabits, combined with the fact that they literally have articles of furniture that seem more suited to giants meant that i was woefully over estimating the size of my entryway...

i'm glad my mom convinced me that this piece would never fit. (she was right!)

if you're in the los angeles area, definitely check out big daddy's..... it's a lovely way to spend an afternoon!

(oh, that's me!)

my perfect belt

2011-12-26T21:40:00.000-08:00

i have a lot of belts.

i find them extremely useful in influencing the style of my clothing- changing a particular look from grown up & classy to relaxed & casual is often as easy as changing my shoes and belt....

in the arsenal of little tricks & tips of wardrobe building, one of my favorites is to go lighter on your array of clothing, and build up a serious library of accessories from which to choose. belts are high on the priority list for me...

but, you may recall that i've recently moved from the east coast to the west... and for the first month of living here in los angeles, we waited for most of our belongings to arrive by truck.

due to some bad planning, i didn't manage to pack a good array of belts for our first, transitory month here in l.a, and found myself about to start a brand new job with no respectable belt in sight.

so, although i have no real need to add another belt to my overflowing collection...

i had a real opportunity!

but, not a whole lot of time to shop. i literally ran into confederacy on my last sunday afternoon of unemployment and was lucky enough to track down what has now become my numero uno, go to accessory for the past month or so... ladies and gentlemen, i give you....

3.1 phillip lim's braided belt!

it has been a real work horse, sprucing up simple jeans and ballet flats, as well as silk dresses whose "self" belts had been cast astray......

it's a great combination of being lady-like enough (gold hardware, refined matte black leather) and cool enough (not-so-refined buckle size, and whip-stitch style braided motif), that it has literally been a perfect, if accidental addition to my new west coast wardrobe....

if you're so inclined, you can pick yourself up one here (it's on sale. you're welcome), and if you're not, i highly recommend looking out for a similarly perfect fit to your own closet...

when everything in your life is new & unfamiliar (read: moving 3000 miles away, finding a new home and starting a new job), it's really surprising how comforting something like a reliable belt can be...

now, i just need a lipstick that will accomplish something similar!

(or, maybe the 31 hour bag?)

hey there, beauty....

2011-12-23T13:34:00.001-08:00

as i've mentioned in the past, i don't have much expertise in beauty...

(no matter what i do with makeup, it always kind of winds up looking like i barely put any on by mid day)

but i just came across this photo on vanessa jackman's site, and really loved the look:

i love the dark eye on this pale pale girl, and minimal everything else.....

it's kind of creepy.... but accessible!

overheard

2011-12-21T18:46:00.000-08:00

"i've pretty much stopped eating anything i can't make myself, or buy from a friend at the farmers market...... except donuts"

- hipster girl getting blue highlights in her jet black, square bangs haircut at the salon in culver city, where i'm getting my red revived.

los angeles on repeat

2011-12-20T20:14:00.001-08:00

take a closer look...

(this last one should be easily identifiable for movie going angelenos!)

i haven't forgotten about writing this blog. in fact i miss it very much!

but these days i have a new and exciting and busy day job, a new city to learn, and a new house to decorate!

and.... if you hadn't noticed (like me) that it's almost christmas....

well, then maybe you can sympathize.

i promise i'll be posting with more regularity as soon as i can!

moving to los angeles.... a visual diary:

2011-12-05T20:38:00.001-08:00

quick pick me up?

2011-12-04T17:21:00.001-08:00

j. crew's online outlet has some pretty good discounts for the next few hours, and there's some pretty cute stuff left....

maybe for you? for a gift? for me?

oh, obviously the shoes are not from j. crew. those are suggestions...

los angeles, the new colossus

2011-11-25T11:45:00.001-08:00

"Keep, ancient east coast cities, your storied pomp!" cries she
With bee-stung lips. "Give me your over-worked, your stressed-out,
Your corporate clones yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of the MTA system.
Send the apartment dwelling, recession-weary to me,
I lift my palm beside the golden shore!"

click here for the original, if you don't already know it....

this is uncommon

2011-11-10T05:45:00.000-08:00

i took a little break yesterday from packing & organizing, and wasted some time on the internets.

i found uncommon.

and immediately lost the next hour, creating mock ups of iphones.

uncommon allows you to upload photos or artwork, which they will print onto an iphone cover for you, for a pretty reasonable price....

so, i uploaded some of my favorite photos of the past few years.

which one do you like?

both photos taken in reykjavik, iceland

left- taken in venice, ca right- taken in copenhagen, dk

surprise! both of these were taken at hotel delmano, williamsburg brooklyn

do-in it right

2011-11-09T07:58:00.000-08:00

last night was the versace for h&m fashion show here in nyc.

versace is not really my thing, so it wasn't a collaboration that i was anticipating with any kind of excitement....

but of course, this morning the blogs are full of it.

one of the most consistant elements of many of the looks in the show were black leather do-rags, worn on the head:

which reminded me, immediately of a similar look that alexander wang showed for spring:

(all runway photos are courtesy of style.com)

i don't believe the wang pieces will be available for sale, although maybe if the versace ones blow out of h&m, they will consider making them for retail?

my first thought was to wonder what alex might have though.....

but he doesn't look too mad ;)

(above shot is courtesy of hanneli.com)

i read somewhere on twitter that their inclusion in the versace show was a reference to a show of gianni versace's, before his death.

i have no idea about that, since i was not a big follower of fashion in those days....

wang, or versace, these accessories are not for me, but....

maybe you'll be wearing them someday soon?

questioning lucky logic: don't wear pajamas to work, ever.

2011-11-08T07:14:00.000-08:00

the validity of the pajamas-as-street-wear trend is highly debatable.

you can check out this, this, this, this & this out in order to form your own opinion.

even if you decide that this trend is totally right on, i just cannot imagine a scenario where you're going to want to wear a pajama suit to work.

crazy comfortable???

no. that's just crazy.

you are always on my mind....

2011-11-07T11:35:00.002-08:00

you guys remember kat, right?

if you do, it won't surprise you to find out that she's got a new and awesome project that came out recently.

it's a super cute, cool comic called you are always on my mind.

i don't want to give too much away, but it's about some pretty awesome/ hilarious/ scary dreams that kat has had in her life. (like, actual sleeping dreams, not life-goals. kat has those, to be sure, but like most of us, i doubt she'd really want to publish a collection of them. weird sleeping dreams are way more entertaining.)

here's a little preview of one of my favorite parts of the story "i lost my virginity to jim morrison":

check out kat's etsy shop to buy a copy. it's SO worth the $6 price tag.

i'm psyched to read to the upcoming second issue!

(you can also check out kat's d.i.y. blog here, and keep your eye out for her posts on burdastyle's blog also!)

wishful shopping

2011-11-03T11:08:00.001-07:00

as you know, i'm moving.

the inevitable is happening in just over a week.....

in addition to the fact that this means i will be leaving the city, and many friends and family that i love.....

it also means that i am sorting through all of my things, and getting rid of anything that isn't guaranteed to be useful in los angeles.

and that also means that i can't buy anything new.

but it's fall, and that's my favorite time to shop.

here's a little group of some of the things i wish i could acquire in the next few weeks:

Tsumori Chisato striped dress, $345 Play Comme des Garçons printed t shirt, $150 Rag Bone jean, $297

TO co, 425 CAD Christophe lemaire, $140 The Only Son crossbody handbag, $291

ASOS White leather shoulder handbag, $261 The Only Son chunky ring, $295 Isabel Marant black jewelry, $155

Giles & Brother vintage style earrings, $60 Maison Martin Margiela chain necklace, £163 Tom Ford dark sunglasses, $360

farrah stripe ACNE - The Fashion House and Creative Collective from..., $950 Electric Feathers : Stand Up Comedy, $690 BLESS : Stand Up Comedy, $415

Comme des Garcons diamond embossed large zip pouch, $215

and here's the one thing that i actually can & will acquire:

hmmm....

life is weird.

late 90's polaroids

2011-11-01T07:17:00.000-07:00

i just ran across this series of polaroid self portraits, from the late 90's:

i'm not a huge fan of posting photos of myself on this blog, but these almost seem like they're photos of another person!

looking at these really makes me miss the heyday of the polaroid. among my friends, polaroids were hugely popular, and were a great source of inspiration, and excitement....

also... those baby bangs are looking sort of appealing. they might have a revival in the near future..... though, slightly longer?

theory

2011-10-30T14:46:00.000-07:00

these photos have been making the rounds on a lot of the fashion-watching blogs and websites:

you've probably seen them.

they're from the louis vuitton spring 12 show....

i'm pretty sure that i can explain what's going on here...

it's called crocking, and it's pretty common.

you've all seen it when you've put a bag with a red strap onto your white t-shirt clad shoulder, and gone for a walk on a warm summer's day....

i'm guessing that these girls were wearing a different style of shoe at another show earlier the same day, and that the shoe was of a red / purple / dark color. the simple fact is that there was probably a bit of sweat involved (i heard the temperatures during paris fashion week were off-the-charts hot), and the color rubbed off on her foot. once that happens, it can be pretty difficult to get off....

the fact that there are clearly two girls in the same show with similarly stained feet only strengthens my argument. it's very likely that the walked in the same show previously, and had similar colors rub off on their feet. the one on the left even looks like the shape of a boot!

also, since the shoes that the girls wear on the runway are not production quality, a lot of the materials used are not finished to prevent crocking.

don't worry. by the time the offending shoe gets on a selling floor, the materials will be perfected, and they won't make your feet look this way, i promise.

so, there... mystery solved.

i'm not going to argue that modeling is a dangerous & unhealthy profession. however, spending 5 minutes walking down a runway in sample shoes that are not meant to be worn on the street is not doing these girls any harm.

i'd spend more time making sure they are above the age of 16, and are eating decent meals every day, before we freak out about a couple of ugly photos of feet!!

baubles bangles and.... eh.

2011-10-25T08:10:00.001-07:00

do you guys like the jewelry line dannijo?

they've gotten a ton of attention recently, not least of which is because of their friendship and association with the man repeller (whose blog i love).

but i'm just not sure about them.

to me, it kind of looks like a couple of kids got access to some great hardware and stones, and started putting them together like puzzle pieces. the sum being worth less than the parts:

they're not bad looking, but they just look a bit slapped-together, rather than really considerately designed.

do you agree? or am i way off the mark here?

when i went to check out their site, i did find a couple of things that i liked. most notably, these clean, basic, minimal rings:

perhaps this just reflects my interest in more streamlined lines these days, and more architectural accessories?

but i don't know..... i just think maybe these two were happy accidents.

thoughts?

house dreaming

2011-10-23T15:48:00.000-07:00

do you know the difference between house hunting, and house dreaming?

if not, then feast your eyes on this:

now you know the difference.

if you want to cry a little more, then see the full site, here.

i'm hoping that i'll at least get to meet the person who rented this place (yes, it's a rental!), and that they have good parties, and i get invited.

because i'm basically requiring my l.a. existence to resemble the above, more or less exactly..

;)

eucalyptus, walnut, oak, jasmin

2011-10-21T06:44:00.000-07:00

yesterday, i told you about my fated visit to iko iko, in los angeles.

in addition to meeting kristin, i also had the pleasure of chatting with jasmin shokrian, another designer who happened to be in the store on that same day.

both of these ladies were so helpful to me, and really gave me a great overview on what is going on the world of fashion in l.a.

jasmin had just returned to her southern california roots, after a number of years in chicago. she was setting up home and shop in her new town, just as i met her.

her spring 12 collection leads me to think that the move has been good....

i love the cool-girl look of her clothing. it's all totally wearable, but just interesting and cool enough to make each piece feel special....

i hope i get the chance to run into jasmin again!

jocomo fi na ah nah ne, jocomo fi na ne

2011-10-20T07:32:00.000-07:00

a few months ago, on a short trip to los angeles, i was lucky to stumble upon two representatives of what i love about the l.a. fashion scene.

i found the lovely echo park store iko iko and in it, was introduced to one of the owners, kristin dickson, who designs the line rowena sartin.

both the store and the small clothing line are heavily inspired by japanese aesthetic & culture, and both really look at fashion, accessories and the home as artwork, rather than focusing on trend.

the store was quiet and cool, even on a blazing hot southern california day, and kristin was so friendly and helpful, chatting with me about the developing fashion scene in her city. she really inspired me to think that a fashion girl could be happy living in such a far flung location....

the store was since relocated from its (somewhat off the beaten path) echo park location to a new spot on n fairfax in west hollywood. although the location is a bit more central, it must still retain an allure of mystery- i drove by last weekend, and couldn't even find it!

iko iko is one of the first places that i will be checking out, once i become a full time l.a. resident....

next month!!

big things

2011-10-19T09:13:00.000-07:00

so, i have to apologize once again for the deafening blog silence.

but this time, i have a really good excuse.

i'm moving to los angeles.

you may remember that i have a slight obsession with the place, and particularly the difference between east and west coast style.

if you don't remember, you can read more here.

and here.

so, i'm very excited by the move, but also so sad to be leaving nyc, which does really feel like the city of my heart. thank god it's not going anywhere!

ok, i'll be posting more about what fun we'll have in the la fashion scene soon.... but now i have about a million things to do- call movers, find a place to live, get rid of al my winter coats, test drive cars (omg, i have to get a CAR!) etc...

phew!

love, me

2011-10-13T19:45:00.000-07:00

i'm in los angeles for the next few days....

it's HOT!

but over the weekend, i thought you should check out the launch of this website:

www.loveadorned.com

it's the online shop of one of my favorite stores in nyc to just wander and browse around....

and next time you're in nyc, go visit the store. it's just lovely.

marant forever

2011-10-11T07:21:00.000-07:00

yesterday, i stopped by the isabel marant store in soho.

there were about 15 things that i would have liked to pick up for myself, but i was pretty happy with just grabbing these two postcards.

i generally get a bit tired of a model when she's been as over exposed as freja beha erichsen has in the past few years. but she really seems very right for marant.

cool girl....

cool clothes.

hot stuff

2011-10-10T12:30:00.000-07:00

since it's spring weather in nyc, why not enjoy this cute & funny gif from miu miu's spring show?

(click on the image above for the animation, courtesy of bip ling)

indian summer

2011-10-10T07:58:00.002-07:00

we are having 80 degree weather in nyc right now.

although many of my city's residents are reveling in this indian summer, i can't help but admit that i am disappointed.

i want to be posting about nubby sweaters, leather boots and corduroys.

however, when i wore corduroys to brunch on saturday, i almost melted from heat stroke.

if any of you in the far off reaches of the world can send us some fall weather..... i'll be more more prolific in my writing about fall style.

in the meantime, i'll be sweaty and cranky.

boo.

werd.

2011-10-08T16:57:00.005-07:00

i don’t understand this marathon of fashion. today, designers are expected to produce work that is bigger, better, faster and – these days – cheaper. a singer can quit once he or she has made ten great songs, a director can finish once he or she has made five amazing films, a writer just needs to write three great books. now let’s look at designers – they produce six to eight shows a year, most designers have a 20-year-long career, so I need to create about 250 collections in that time. not even danielle steel could write 250 books.

- alber elbaz

mini me

2011-10-04T05:15:00.000-07:00

as i've mentioned over the past couple of weeks.....

i'm not really used to driving a car on a regular basis.

but, i have decided that if i ever need to drive a car in the near future, i've got one all picked out.....

the new fiat cinquecento.

it satisfies my need for small automotive mobility, and my italofile sensibilities.

and it's so cute!

style in the suburbs

2011-10-03T16:56:00.000-07:00

so, i was only supposed to be here in the boston burbs for about two weeks.

but, the design process is taking a little longer than expected, and i'm back here for the next few days. i got a much smaller car, which feels a lot more comfy... and i got a two bedroom suite, which is ridiculous.

one thing that i've learned here in the suburbs is the propensity to shop online. i never really thought about the fact that in most american towns, the boutiques are closed by the time work is over. so..... no shopping after work.

this offends my new york sensibilities.

so, i've joined the club, and started shopping online. here are a couple of the things i'm looking forward to unpacking, once i get home on wednesday:

(skirt only. from my favorite online vintage store. nope, not telling.)

(vivienne westwood skyscraper seditionary boots from zappos. an amazing deal. definitely sharing.)

i didn't plan it, but i guess i have been inspired by the marc jacobs and louis vuitton fall shows.

so sue me. i'm in a fashion wasteland, here!

a little late on the nyfw tip.....

2011-10-02T16:58:00.002-07:00

a little while back, i had the tremendous opportunity to do some freelance work for alexander wang.

i wanted to share with you the fruits of some of the work that i did there, in case you didn't happen to obsessively follow all of the press coverage of the runway shoes...

you can see all of the runway styles on style.com here.

but this is not the whole ss12 collection.... you'll have to wait a bit longer for those. and there are some goodies, for sure.

working with the team there, including alex himself was a treat. everyone there is talented and professional, and the design team are sweet and funny individuals.

i'm hoping that i'll have the chance to work with them again in the future!

greetings from the suburbs!

2011-09-25T08:46:00.000-07:00

i'm sorry that it's been a little bit quiet on the blog, here....

i'm currently holed up in a hotel room in andover, massachusetts, where i am trying out this sort of suburban life where you drive a car to work, and leave at 5 pm.

it's a strange, and foreign concept ;)

of course, the car rental place gave me the most enormous suv, so that i can really get a taste of what it's like to be a suburban soccer mom...

i must admit, i really enjoyed my trip to whole foods, where i stocked up on more beverages that a person could possibly drink in two weeks time.

which is how long i'm here.

i'm working with a small shoe company that is based in andover, where we are working together to design their fall 2012 line. the people are super nice, and it's fun to work with them to put together the line....

here's a super sneak peek at the design process, from my desk:

sorry for the low quality images.... they're from my iphone.

it's been a nice first week, although i must admit, i'm getting a bit homesick.

however, i've never had such a great view from my work room in nyc:

maybe i could be converted away from being a city girl, after all??

mmmm.... probably not. but it's nice to have a little break ;)

nyfw #15 - the end

2011-09-21T09:02:00.000-07:00

this is the very last of my street style photos from new york fashion week.

i wanted to give you guys an idea of what it's actually like outside the tents.

there are many little klatches of women, either looking very busy with their phones, or intensely discussing schedules (professional, extra curricular, personal), or both.

and even more groups of young girls rushing out of some of their first shows, and back to their offices. they're sort of giddy (these two on the left), and sort of trying to look cool (the two on the right, with the "fuck you, who are you taking my photo" faces).

and then there are the crowds of street style photographers.

when a show isn't just about to start, or just ending, the plaza is pretty quiet. the photographers actually wind up photographing each other, out of boredom.

then, when the show finishes, all the photographers rush to get the best subjects, pull them aside and start clicking away:

(not sure who the photographer is, but the subject is nadia, from froufrouu)

or, they just gang up and all photograph the same person at once....

(i had just finished taking this guy's photo, when all the other photographers started to gang up)

spending the day around this kind of craziness is definitely something that i enjoy doing for a few hours, a couple of times a year!

*** if you want to see some of my other street style photos from nyfw, check out my facebook page!

nyfw #14 - my favorite. favorite.

2011-09-20T04:15:00.000-07:00

the best. especially the look he's giving me.

wishful thinking

2011-09-19T11:46:00.000-07:00

i'm getting so excited for fall clothing...

here are some coats & jackets that i would LOVE to wear this season:

(acne farrah stripe coat)

(dries van noten renee coat)

(maison margiela 1 suede sports jacket)

(burberry folded panel wool coat)

(reed krakoff band collar coat)

and here's what i have bought, so far:

(uniqlo +j wool hooded coat)

(uniqlo +j trench coat)

and a vintage black wool military jacket.

sigh...... i love fall. it's my favorite season.

nyfw #13

2011-09-19T05:03:00.000-07:00

love the dress. i want.

oh! she's wearing the isabel marant sneakers that i blogged about! make the two people that i've seen wearing them....

black on black is probably one of the best ways to wear them, actually.

also, she's wearing the celine glasses from kelly's post!

nyfw #12

2011-09-18T09:04:00.000-07:00

my vote for best print mixing:

she's wearing the pants shown at rachel comey the day before i took this photo...

now that's fast fashion!

gorgeous - joe & nathan

2011-09-17T10:02:00.000-07:00

guys.

check this out:

jonathan bréchignac took 15 months to create an entire muslim prayer carpet - it's pencil on paper, and it's unbelievably gorgeous.

check it out here.

nyfw #11 - the rockers

2011-09-17T05:52:00.000-07:00

i don't have any mods coming up, so you'll have to just settle for these two:

i can't get down with this

2011-09-16T08:24:00.000-07:00

i think a lot of you know that i'm a shoe designer, as my "day job".

i'll just mention it again now, as an excuse for why i have such strong feelings about footwear.

and here's my latest vent- sneakers with hidden wedges...

isabel marant has been doing these for a number of seasons, and they must be selling like hotcakes for her to still be doing new versions of them:

(however, i've only seen them on the street once.)

the fashion crowd seems to love the "leg lengthening" aspects of these shoes, which may or may not be real. however, i just can't stand the proportions of them. it's a bit hard to describe, but i having that wedge in there just changes the way that it seems like your foot is shaped inside.

it makes the foot look shorter (in length) and smaller than the actual size of the wearer's foot, and really exaggerates the top of the arch. it sort of almost reminds me of foot binding.

you can kind of see it in this photo:

obviously i'm in the minority of not liking these. as i've said, they've been embraced by fashion editors and bloggers the world over.

and now, marc jacobs has gotten into the act. he showed a few colors of these shoes for spring 12:

the proportions here are even worse. i hate the slight bump at the toe that remind me of the stride rite sneakers that i wore as a kid. these shoes really look like a brick at the bottom of the leg.

i really think it's a shame, because i love sneakers. and i love high-end sneakers even more. but i just can't get down with this trend.

what do y'all think? do you like them? it's ok if you think i'm crazy.....

wanna know which sneakers i'd buy if i were planning on dropping a few hundred dollars? (and which ones i recommend to you, dear reader, as an alternative to the cement shoes above?)

pierre hardy.

toujours:

nyfw #10

2011-09-16T06:26:00.000-07:00

street style boys club:

huge huge fashion pet peeve

2011-09-15T08:48:00.000-07:00

as i've mentioned before, i spent most of my school years studying very seriously to become a professional ballet dancer...

like a lot of girls, when i got to be able 16 or 17 i realized that the likelihood of having a successful career in ballet was looking pretty slim, and that the other parts of life that i'd been missing out on were looking pretty good. i quit dancing, and have never regretted it.

but all of that training has left me with a huge pet peeve that comes up with regularity in fashion ads and editorials:

the non-dancer, styled to look like one.

yes, many fashion models are thin enough to fit into some of the same clothes as ballet dancers. generally, that is where the resemblance ends. dancers train for many many years to have the posture, flexibility, musculature and grace that they do.

most models skulk around town with some of the worst posture you've ever seen.

they just don't hold themselves like dancers.

here are a few images from a recent photo shoot featuring lingerie by john galliano, which highlight this perfectly (pay particular attention to the shoes):

(photos via stop stealing my look)

if you want a girl that looks comfortable in pointe shoes, then hire a dancer. or at the very least, a model who has SOME dance training.

pointe shoes aren't meant to fit anywhere nearly like street shoes. and they're incredibly uncomfortable. these are clearly too big on her, and are flopping around as if her foot is about to fall of her leg. it's terrible.

i know that stylists and editors will never stop requesting these kinds of shoots, so it's something i'm going to (continue to) live with....

but i'm not promising that i won't write another rant on it here.

nyfw #9

2011-09-15T06:14:00.000-07:00

love this girl's look. to me, it's so not nyc. which is refreshing.

nyfw #8 - the romantics

2011-09-14T08:49:00.000-07:00

nyfw #7

2011-09-14T06:38:00.000-07:00

fashion week solitude....

o.m.c.g.

2011-09-13T08:03:00.000-07:00

the "c" stands for camera:

(photo courtesy of the glamourai)

nyfw #6

2011-09-13T05:17:00.000-07:00

it's an influential blogger show down ;)

just kidding. their conversation was totally friendly.

(it's phil oh, from street peeper and scott schuman from the sartorialist)

nyfw #5 - the shoes

2011-09-12T08:37:00.000-07:00

nyfw #4

2011-09-12T08:32:00.000-07:00

i loved meeting this girl, who works for refinery 29. her tiny bag and cute sneakers are great!

i've forgotten her name.... does anyone know who she is?

nyfw #3

2011-09-12T05:41:00.000-07:00

well, hello dani stahl! aren't you looking all grown up?

ten years.....

2011-09-11T07:07:00.000-07:00

nyfw #2

2011-09-10T08:50:00.000-07:00

i've got a lot of good street style images for you guys from the lincoln center tents.

this guy is by far my favorite of the men:

i am always a fan of anyone who makes knitted pants somehow not look like pj's.