hints

if you don't know about weltenbuerger, well, you should.

(especially if you live in the la area)

if you don't know about the palatines, well, you will.

(especially if you watch this space)

stay tuned!

give me liberty!

i have mixed feelings about the globalization of retail.

i will admit that it is really convenient to be able to pop into a uniqlo, an h&m, an american apparel or a sephora in almost any city you happen to be in, and know exactly what you'll find.

same thing goes, i'm sure, for designer boutiques as well. if you want chanel, you can find it in most major cities.

however, it also makes traveling much less interesting, when searching for souvenirs, and unusual pieces. it's nice to be able to say "oh, i got it in berlin/ tokyo/ istanbul/ wherever" and know that it can't be found at home....

one of my favorite stand-alone store is liberty of london. the history of the store and the brand are undeniable. i wager that most fashion enthusiasts have a soft spot in their hearts for liberty prints. there certainly are enough of them for everyone to find a favorite!

and, one of the best things about the store is that they apply these prints to every category of merchandise... from classic oxford shirts and proper english 'brellies to sneakers and satchels....

although you can purchase through their website, in order to get a taste of london.....

i highly recommend making a trip, in order to explore the beautiful "mock tudor" store, and all of it's nooks & crannies.

however, since i don't have a london trip planned at the mo' (damn it!), here are some of the things that are getting me in the spirit of london town.....

the classic.

i'm kind of tired of the cambridge satchel, but with a liberty print, it looks pretty fresh!

i'm obsessed with pointed toe dr. martens. pretty flowers are a cherry on top!

my morning coffee would look so pretty on this tray...

i suck at keeping journals, but this one sure is pretty...

fun shades!

liberty print ties always remind me of my dad....

one of these is always good to have for a london trip...

a classic scarf...

and some scarf print throw pillows!

i think these nikes are my favorite liberty collab. i don't know if i could pick a favorite!

some pretty dresses for a tea party!

here's hoping that some of you are heading to london soon....... there's tons of great shopping in london, but liberty is definitely one not to miss.....

cheerio!

wu for victory

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!

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

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!

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later breaking update:

they ARE doing shoes! and they're LEATHER.

giant smiley emoticon here.