fucked up name, huh?

I want to wear this all winter long

2010-10-25T22:29:00.000-07:00

For some inexplicable reason, I genuinely want to wear Oxford shirts under fair isle sweaters, even though I know that will make me sweat like a fiend and it will probably be uncomfortable and make me squirm like a kid in church. Also, I really want to wear shorts over tights, and I used to hate that look. What is happening to me?!

a few things i liked

2010-10-22T16:20:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I didn't hate absolutely everything at fashion week. I liked these things:

Well no surprise here: Proenza always does really interesting glasses, and I find these particularly intriguing for some reason. I love me some round glasses, and aviators, and these are the best of both. And I dug the red eyeliner at Derek Lam, though it could have been a wee bit less pink. As someone with goth friends, I'm no stranger to putting red eye makeup on, and this looked very classy and chic (unlike some of my own dabblings).

Phillip Lim

Jesus, could this have BEEN any more perfect? It's the right size, and it looks like an uber-fancy yet understated laptop/ipad case, but cooler (and more expensive). I wonder if it was actually designed just to be a handbag or if it has some other function I'm not aware of.

Well aren't these stiletto numbers a bit of a departure for our old friend Alber. Seriously, I expect chunky heels from Lanvin, not these terrifying (yet awesome) steel monsters.

I actually haven't really done much investigating into the accessories from Spring 2011, but from a few internet roundups, these are my favorites as far as makeup, shoes, and accessories go.

worst fashion week ever?

2010-10-16T00:10:00.000-07:00

I am probably entirely alone in this opinion, but I thought that Spring 2011 fashion was either heinous or unexciting. I tend to get burned out on fashion by the time fashion week rolls around, but I stuck around for this one, and I didn't really enjoy it. I am the only person alive who hated the clothes at Prada, I thought Raf Simons designs for Jil Sander were unwearable, and the preponderance of white ensembles on the runway became monotonous. Typically I save dozens upon dozens of photos each fashion week, and this time? Six. Six pictures.

Cacharel and Gareth Pugh

I couldn't even get excited by Proenza this season. Didn't care much for Marni, Lanvin, any of the shows I normally like. Ugh. Anyway. These were some of the only looks I liked from any of the shows.

unhealthy fixation

2010-10-03T00:16:00.000-07:00

Persol 714's, Adam cropped cable knit sweater, Proenza dress, Ann D. lock ring, Lanvin deer brooch, Proenza dress, Lanvin earrings, Kiki de Montparnasse bra, Rachel Comey underwear, Nars lipsticks in colors I don't know the names of, Lanvin ballet flats, Dolce & Gabbana oxfords (which we are pretending are really black), Marni socks, Lady Grey cuff earring, Kiki de Montparnasse bloomers, Nicholas Kirkwood heels, Lanvin owl brooch

I want these two Proenza dresses (but especially the green one) so badly that I physically ache. So if I could afford them, in fantasy land, this is how I'd style them (but really I'd just wear them with black tights and Converse). The black and white dress is more of a 50s cut and the black/blue/green one is more 20s, so I would try to keep the styling in line with those decades. I'd still probably pair the green dress with the lacy underwear, even though that's more of a 50s cut. I'd throw in the Lady Grey and Ann D jewelry to take the costumey edge off of it - same with the Kirkwoods. If I wore either of the Lanvin brooches, they would probably go on top of a Burberry Prorsum peacoat, like this one:

I can't seem to find any really 20s-style coats, single breasted, wide collars and cuffs, but if this Margiela fur thing were fake fur, then I could see wearing that with either of these dresses.

Anyway, I'd wear the black and white dress with the Persols and a super-tight, cropped sweater with the collar of the dress poking out. The Kirkwoods & patterned black and white Lanvin flats I'd throw on over black stockings and then add either the Lady Grey earrings (or maybe just one?) or the Ann D. ring. I'd wear the brighter red lipstick with it, for night I guess. As for nail polish, depending on how I styled it, I'd go with something like a deep red, light grey, black, or a shimmery purple color.

As for the green dress, I'd wear either the Lanvin flats or the D&G oxfords, which we are pretending are black, with it over tights and either the Lanvin earrings or the slightly tougher pieces. The berry lipstick probably wouldn't look that hot on me, but it looked great on the runway. I'd do this dress probably with black, dark green, maybe the purple color from above, maybe a wine colored red instead of the lip color.

So there you have it.

winter wardrobe

2010-09-07T15:33:00.000-07:00

Phillip Lim cropped sweater, Bassike asymmetrical white dress, Burberry Prorsum coat, Henry Holland for Pretty Polly super suspender tights, Fleet Ilya clutch, Made Her Think earrings, Barbara Bui mary janes, Alexander Wang goddess dress, Fleet Ilya belt, Mark Fast hot shorts, Lanvin ring, Miu Miu embellished knee socks, Ann D. earrings, Ann D. triple-laced boots, Bottega Veneta scarab ring, Ann D. bracelet

I've already got the black dress and the tights, I have some black knee socks I can embellish. I have a plain white t-shirt dress but it might be too transparent for winter, especially over black tights, and I refuse to wear a slip.

What I need is the super tight, cropped ski sweater (I've been stalking that grey Phillip Lim number for like four years), and those delicious Ann Demeulemeester triple-lace boots (if I can ever find them...). I'd take the Burberry coat, but I have a pretty sweet Rag & Bone equestrian coat that could stand in for it. My plan would be to wear the cropped sweater over the white dress with tights and boots, and the black dress with the mary janes. The knee socks I'd probably just wear over plain black tights with the mary janes or flats.

In reality, what I'll be wearing this winter is exactly what I wore last winter - black on black on black, with my Alexander Wang hobo jacket over it and Chucks. But I have good news - yesterday I wore a dress that was NOT black, so things maybe changing, one infinitesimal bit at a time.

makeup

2010-07-06T21:53:00.000-07:00

Some makeup I either own and love, or crave desperately. Clockwise: Guerlain Terracotta No. 2, Butter London Nail Polish in Union Jack Black (kind of a stupid name), Nars Matte Velvet lip crayon in Cruella, Mac Mineralize Eyeshadow in Hot Contrast, YSL Pur Black #49 gloss, Dior Diorshow mascara

yowza

2010-07-03T12:46:00.000-07:00

check out that bracelet in the middle. and ignore the eye-slanting. that is all.

blood milk

2010-06-30T10:28:00.000-07:00

Blood Milk is a jewelry designer (her name is J.L. Schnabel if we're splitting hairs here, and I rather enjoy her blog, which I discovered yesterday) based out of Philiadelphia whose collections at the moment are divided into several themes: Catholica Melancholia (lots of immaculate hearts, which, given my catholic school education at a school of the same name, I'm slightly less attracted to - bad memories and all), Surrealism, Ritual, and Victorian Mourning (my personal favorite).
I like her stuff because it hits the aesthetic I love while still being delicately wrought, unlike Pamela Love's jewelry, which I actually dislike in a lot of cases because it is so bulky and looks roughly hewn (which in my mind is the antithesis of jewelry). But Polyvore won't allow me to import photos from Etsy, because it's essentially just a huge marketing platform, fine, I get it. So, Pamela Love becomes the default jewelry in a lot of things, even though I'd probably never wear her stuff. Partially because it's so grotesquely overpriced.
I digress. Anyway, Blood Milk does some cool pieces, at reasonable prices. So check out her Etsy shop!

more more more

2010-06-29T18:23:00.000-07:00

balmain bullet belt, fifth ave shoe repair dress, iosselliani earrings, givenchy wedges, roland mouret belt, christopher kane dress, stephen webster ring, made her think earrings, fleet ilya armband, natalia brilli headband, delfina delettrez ring, botkier bag, kirkwood heels, aurelie bidermann lace cuff

i'm back bitches

2010-06-29T14:10:00.000-07:00

preen leggings, givenchy top, preen leather bag, pamela love stalactite (?) earring, proenza schouler bracelet, lanvin necklace, natalia brilli glove, alexander wang leather vest, givenchy shoe, harakiri jaw necklace, fleet ilya cuff, dries van noten bag, betony vernon 0-ring.

Time has flown. I graduated college and stopped caring about fashion for a while. But I'm back. For all none of you who read this, I've missed you. Things haven't changed much, I still like gothy looking shit, and will even when all magazines, runway shows, and uppity teen bloggers demand that I wear florals and pastels, or worse, anything from the early 1990s.

that jacket

2010-03-27T23:47:00.000-07:00

Astoundingly, I actually like it better in flesh-tone rather than in black. How did that happen?
I still love it. Ugh, those sleeves.

source: turned out

arm reliquary of st. blasius, c. 1077

2010-03-27T23:39:00.000-07:00

Okay, not strictly the best picture. I had to get it from one of the powerpoints from my art history lecture. It's nowhere to be found on the internet (except a wee tiny one on wikipedia). Anyway, I love the way this looks: the multitudinous rings (offerings from the faithful, amassed over centuries) and then the two jeweled bands, one at the wrist and the other at the elbow with a long, diagonal band connecting them. I feel compelled to make something like this (to wear, that is), it's so new-agey-looking with all the rings, but still so fundamentally Medieval...

shades of gray

2010-03-23T20:05:00.000-07:00

Rodarte hand-painted leather jacket, Preen gray tank dress, Preen patchwork top, Natalia Brilli necklace, bullet belt, Natalia Brilli pocket watches, Destin Surl silk cashmere scarft, Zoe & Morgan snake bangle, Preen silk and lace dress, Rika mini skirt, Rodarte jacket (side view), VPL ripcord tank, Sigerson Morrison gladiators, Proenza Schouler clutch, Cushnie et Ochs dress

and now, for something completely different...

2010-03-03T17:45:00.000-08:00

I'm kind of ... obsessed with home decor. Naturalist/Edwardiana/Steampunk home decor, specifically. Old bottles, geodes, shells, skulls, taxidermy, terrariums, moss, pitcher plants, maidenhair ferns, chesterfield couches, cage lights, etc. Every now and then I collect some small trifle that I will eventually be able to put next to my Albertus Seba prints when I finally have my own space to decorate.

From top left: cage lights, DL & Co. thorn apple candle, maidenhair fern, apothecary jars, butterfly, Lalique chandelier, bat plant, conichalcite, terrariums, 16th c. mounted nautilus shell, old medicine bottles, old books, chesterfield couch

where the devil is

2010-03-03T16:19:00.000-08:00

detail shots from Limi Feu

I DIE

2010-03-02T11:00:00.000-08:00

Christine Centenera in Celine

source: garance dore, jak & jil

2010-02-28T19:31:00.000-08:00

I have safety pins on the brain as of late. Just trying to come up with something good to embellish.

superstition & (butterf)lies

2010-02-27T21:52:00.000-08:00

Images from Damien Hirst's Superstition: series of butterfly mosaic pieces created by applying the butterflies to wet paint. Some of the most awesomely beautiful things I have ever seen. I wish I could find better pictures online (only the cream colored photos are any good), but alas, I cannot, and our scanner is broken, so the book itself (Superstition) is out of the question.

I'd die to have a skirt made out of the third detail shot.

laced tight

2010-02-27T20:56:00.000-08:00

Nicole Tran Ba Vang, Untitled 6, 2001

This image has kind of haunted me for a few years due to its use in a poster for an S&M in art exhibition (which I saw at 14). I have two copies of said poster.

eliasson

2010-02-27T20:51:00.000-08:00

Work by Olafur Eliasson, half-Iclelandic, Denmark-born, Berlin-based artist.

frankie morello

2010-02-26T18:08:00.000-08:00

Yes yes, very nice. Full-length moto trench, harnesses, zippers. The leather jacket in the first look is pretty Balmain-esque, but I'm very attracted to the whole look overall, including the bottoms, which are essentially see-through thermal pajamas. The second look is also quite nice - moto jacket with embellished shoulders, hoodie-dress thing going on over it, half-gloves. Look, it's all very on-trend, maybe a little contrived, but I don't care. I like it, I'd wear it. I'd even wear the hooded trench with the veil attached to it (not pictured).

spring sprang sprung

2010-02-26T17:35:00.000-08:00

Helmut Lang sheer pebbled top, Helmut Lang printed top, Alexander Wang cross-back vest (front and back views), VPL hook-and-eye top

Spring styles over at SSense. That A. Wang vest gives me a pang of longing in my stomach every time I see it. It will be mine, oh yes.

mas

2010-02-26T02:41:00.000-08:00

Hussein Chalayan dress, Pamela Love talon ring, Delfina Delettrez hands ring, Made Her Think pyramid stud ring, ThreeASFOUR dress, YSL bracelet, Balenciaga heels, Fleet Ilya bag, Rodarte x Kirkwood thigh-high boots, Alexander Wang suede moto jacket, Alexander Wang camera bag, Shanka fossil resin bangle

being broke blows.

brights

2010-02-26T01:46:00.000-08:00

YSL tribute heels, Stella McCartney satin clutch, Balenciaga skirt, Proenza Schouler dress, Marni cuff, Lanvin clutch, Dries van Noten clutch, Proenza skirt

I'd probably only wear about half of this: the Proenza, Dries, and Balenciaga. I weep for the Proenza (that dress!). I'm too afraid of leopard print, purple turns me off a little, and the yellow on the clutch is probably a little too bright for me.

black and white prints

2010-02-26T00:27:00.000-08:00

Helmut Lang, Alexander Wang, Helmut Lang, Alexander Wang, Helmut Lang, Zero + Maria Cornejo, Balenciaga, Zimmerman

yum

2010-02-25T23:51:00.000-08:00

Yukie Deuxpoints necklace, Proenza Schouler PS1 bag, VPL bra, Glynneth B bracelet, Eddie Borgo earrings, Falconiere epaulets, Givenchy studded flats, Ann D. buckle boots, Bijules ring, Fleet Ilya belt, Sigerson Morrison Gladiators, Madison Marcus buckle mini, YSL cuff, Darcy Miro for Unholy Matrimony cuff, Helmut Lang printed tank

I am so into buckles right now, it hurts. That and crazy, geological-looking jewelry. I wonder if the straps on the mini go all the way around, or are just sewn on the front. I'd feel gypped if they were.

yoshitoshi

2010-02-23T15:15:00.000-08:00

Twenty Eight Famous Murders With Verse, 1876

Okay, bear with me: this is a kind of gruesome image. BUT if you can get past the blood, there's almost something Dries about the combination of patterns and colors (including the red). Not quite, but almost.

white all over

2010-02-23T13:32:00.000-08:00

Ohne Titel SS10, Txell Miras SS08, Ohne Titel SS09, ThreeASFOUR SS10

Spring-ier options for all-white looks. I love the layers and draping in the first three looks and the ultra-sharp tailoring in the look from ThreeASFOUR. The pants look like hypermodern jodhpurs. I have a mission, and it is to look like these pictures.

source: style, nymag

winter white, part I

2010-02-23T13:15:00.000-08:00

Preen Fall 2008, Rue du Mail Fall 2009, ThreeASFOUR Fall 2009, Haider Ackermann Fall 2008

There's nothing fresher, to me, than an all-white outfit. As someone who wears all-black, the allure of crisp whites, and the textures they show (as we all know, a lot gets lost in black on black) is undeniable. I've been trying to wear more white all winter - which is somewhat easier in California, given that the weather really never drops far below 60. My main point of struggle is bottoms. I kind of hate white pants. They look so ... ugh gauche. They look like Vegas in the Summertime to me - worn with some kind of hot pink, sparkly halter top and spangly jewelry. Maybe the answer is in Rue du Mail's suggestion of light gray pants (which I could definitely get behind). I also lack a solid white coat. I have a cream cashmere blazer, but that would clash with all my other whites. I think mismatched whites would look almost worse than unmatched blacks (I struggle with this often). I have some white dresses, but I find them frighteningly transparent. I have to just keep trying, and stop buying black. (Oh no!)

source: style, nymag

vanitas

2010-02-22T15:43:00.000-08:00

top: Vanitas, Aelbert Jansz van der Schoor
bottom: unknown

Vanitas: genre of painting popular in the 16th and 17th centuries; served as a memento mori to viewers. Reflection on the transience of life and the inevitability of decay was meant to be evoked through the obvious use of skulls but also in the inclusion of symbols like the hourglass, burning candle, fruit and flowers, meat, and other ephemeral items.

On a fashion note, I think the bottom painting could be turned into a lovely print to be used in lieu of spring florals.

source: Rijksmuseum, myspace

2010-02-21T21:11:00.000-08:00

Bora Aksu's Fall collection is kind of... perfect. Delicate confections wrought in pastels, like elaborate sugar flowers. It's difficult to even describe the details of these dresses, the spidery overlay, the textured knits, the piping. I only wish I could find more detail shots.

2010-02-19T18:25:00.000-08:00

Aminaka Wilmont, Fall 2010

Ugh these prints are good. Just look at the enlarged photo above (left), it looks like the formation of a gaseous planet or the mist rising off of some glacial pool. I wish I could get bigger pictures, see the fabric in even more detail, take the dress dancing. I really like the black satin at the left chest bit of the dress, it gives it some...stability?

source: nymag, coutorture

preeeeeeeeen

2010-02-18T10:51:00.000-08:00

For the first time in a long time, Fashion Month has rolled around at a time when I'm not completely burned out on fashion. Normally I wait for the entire thing to be over before I even begin to look at the new offerings, which puts me way behind the fashion curve (oh no!). Anyway, I like what Preen has going on for fall: the very structured bustlines with draping coming off them, slashed stuff, heavy wool fabrics - the second and fourth dresses look like a very expensive cashmere coat. I just sort of want to rub my face in them. (Too much?)

source: nymag

well look what we have here

2010-02-18T01:51:00.000-08:00

Proenza Schouler Fall 2010

Why Jack and Lazaro, you've oudone yourselves. These prints are delightful (or in the parlance of our times, "sick"), and, with the exception of that second number (the black panel and high neckline are literally making me itch), the pieces are all cut beautifully. I really enjoy the pants from the first photo - as though someone has attacked a pair of innocent black jeans with an onslaught of ultramarine silly string. I'm a sucker for dark prints, thigh-highs, and long-sleeved mini dresses, so as a friend of mine would say, this collection is a melody. Plus the shoes look pretty cool.

source: nymag

judith and holofernes

2010-02-13T14:14:00.000-08:00

If for no other reason, this painting is great because of the gloves. But mostly it's amazing because Lucas Cranach was absurdly talented. Sigh.

more 3as4

2010-02-12T14:46:00.000-08:00

ThreeASFOUR's Spring collection was based largely on the dot drawing series by Yoko Ono, who I can't lie, I've always sort of dismissed as an artist. But these patterns are beautiful, and I haven't seen the original drawings, but I'm charmed. The runway show itself was a bit of a performance art piece, with the models successively cutting a spiral garment off of the first model to appear. I quite like the idea.

Photos of the studio while the Spring collection was under works

Ono's drawings were reflected back in the makeup on the models

The shoes are the one of the most interesting parts of the collection to me - the combination of what are essentially stripper shoes with interesting bands and straps across them in black fabric, leather, and god knows what else.

blue, part I

2010-02-11T15:01:00.000-08:00

Zero Maria Cornejo, Twinkle, Proenza Schouler, Dries van Noten

ZMC: I actually really love that this print is derived from an image of the ocean - it brings together the chaotic mixing of blue and white in a really visually appealing way without being at all like a hokey Hawaiian shirt. If anything it reminds me of the Great Wave off Kanagawa, but shinier. I also really love that the cut echoes the fluid movement evoked by the print.

Twinkle: Aside from hating the name of this label, I quite like the dress. The print reminds me of a Franz Marc painting, and I'm a big sucker for German Expressionism. I really love the inflections of yellow into the print as well.

PS: Okay, so I'm not the greatest Proenza fan out there. Frankly, I think they make some ugly stuff. But I like the texture here, and the juxtaposition of the black and white against the blue and yellow. I really can't tell what's going on in the skirt part, but from far away the effect is quite nice.

DVN: I love the use of color here. SO MUCH. Everyone knows that Dries is a master of color, and the contrasts here are striking. The Indian blue sari-esque skirt with the orange/red/black top, that (if I could see the print better) I think might be Japanese (bamboo and whatnot?). It looks so vibrant and so fresh. I also love the unexpected green clutch.

source: nymag

black & white, part I

2010-02-11T13:42:00.000-08:00

Erdem, Anna Sui, Wunderkind

Prada, Tony Cohen, ThreeASFOUR

bora aksu

2010-02-11T13:15:00.000-08:00

At left, two looks from Fall 2009, at right two from Spring 2010

I don't know how Bora Aksu has managed to escape my attention thus far, but I am officially enthralled. His work came up in a search I did for patterns (I've become obsessed since purchasing two patterned tops), and although I wouldn't call these pieces patterned in the traditional sense, I was compelled to investigate further.

I pretty much love everything. The laced shoes, the knitwork, even the leggings on the pieces from Spring. The first look is my favorite, I love the heavy inverted triangle at the neck, which looks to be corded or laced, and how it moves down to meet up with the tulle at the skirt. I suppose it could be said that it has a peculiar visual effect on the bust, making it look slightly low, small, and spherical. But you know, I'm into it. I'd wear it in a heartbeat.

source: nymag

the arnolfini wedding

2010-02-11T13:08:00.000-08:00

Jan van Eyck, 1434

I can't stop thinking about this painting. I've seen it before - at the National Gallery in London - but for some reason it's sticking in my mind now. It doesn't have anything to do with fashion, my interest in this, although the bright green of her dress - in real life anyway - is mesmerizingly vibrant. It's just a really beautiful, apparently haunting image.

eddie borgo

2010-01-29T16:18:00.000-08:00

Today Gilt had a sale on Eddie Borgo jewelry. I'm not overwhelmingly impressed with it, largely because, like Dominic Jones' work, it just feels like it's capitalizing on the spikes/studs/80s trend and has no real character of its own. But, I gave the sale a peruse, and there were a couple of interesting pieces (although only the last of which I'd consider buying).

The ring: I like the rose gold, it's an unusual choice, and the glass accents and general structure make it look like an early 20th century conception of something industrial. It's a little deco, possibly futurist, and Machine Age. It looks like a microchip modded by an overzealous Steampunk. I back it, but I don't think I'd wear it (rosegold doesn't flatter my skin tone).

The cuff: I like that it's squared, I don't love the rounded pyramids on it. That's about it.

The necklace: It's made of petrified wood!!! Wtf how is that possible? Not that wood petrifies, but that they managed to acquire it for jewelry-making purposes. Did they manufacture it? Did they get it from China, where environmental standards are a joke? Did they raid the petrified forest??!? Also, I like the graining.

source: gilt groupe

back brace

2010-01-27T22:37:00.000-08:00

Admittedly, this isn't strictly fashion, but it is meant to be worn. This is a piece by the (I think) Texas-based artist Rebekah Frank. It is meant to be a statement on gender normativity and forces the body into a more "confident" stance while keeping the arms pinioned (the title of the piece is, in fact, Pinion). As far as I'm concerned, this is just an interesting-looking piece, feminist statement or not. I also like that it imposes its will onto the body and alters its form, which is something that fashion has and continues to do (and explore). A garment (excluding shoes) that took on the challenge of good posture would be probably a difficult but productive endeavor. Just a thought

via NotCouture

sick kid post

2010-01-26T23:54:00.000-08:00

lanvin blue strapless dress, simona kaunaite porcelain (?) ear brooch, imogen belfield ring, lanvin earrings, jeffrey campbell clinic wedges, rodarte skirt, fleet ilya clutch, made her think spine knuckle ring, betony vernon sperm rings, siegerson morrison cut-out oxfords, lanvin cross-body bag, delfina delettrez hand cuff

Notes:
I don't care that I posted a version of the Delettrez hand jewelry yesterday, I love it, and that's enough. Originally I wanted to do a post on blue and yellow, but my incipient illness and inherent laziness prevented that from happening. I really like anatomical jewelry (duh), so the brooch fits right in, and I've taken a fancy to the idea of brooches as of late. I've been in love with that Rodarte skirt since back when Moses wore short pants, and I'll always have a soft spot for whatever weird shit Fleet Ilya dreams up.

As for the Jeffrey Campbell wedges: I have mixed feelings about these. They certainly look very cool but, as with all things Jeffery Campbell, they are not strictly an original design - the metal side plating is "borrowed" from boots by Akiko Ogawa. And J. Camp does have a boot version - minus the buckles and whatnot. So, while I like these, I'm not sure I could, in good conscience wear them. Besides that, I'm not sure I could pull them off. "Fierce" shoes are for braver, more coordinated souls.

the slow introduction of color

2010-01-25T15:55:00.000-08:00

from top left: natalia brilli necklace, vpl insertion bra, alexander wang sunglasses, helmut lang cotton moto jacket, lanvin tulle and pearl ring, repetto oil slick flats, proenza schouler metal cuff, delfina delettrez rubilie stone hand ring, marni top, givenchy brooch, nicholas kirkwood x rodarte heels

I tried on that Helmut Lang jacket at Bloomingdales about a week ago, right before I came back from break and I nearly swooned in the dressing room. It is so soft, the collar draped perfectly (not pictured), it was like a hug from Herr Lang himself. But it's also $400, so I parted ways with it with quiet grace and dignity. BUT THEN I found a fairly similar black version, also by Helmut Lang, for about 25% of the price, so I went for it. I am most pleased.

Anyway, everything else pretty much speaks for itself. Yves Klein blue leather-covered necklace? Delicious and would look fetching on top of one of my many all-black ensembles. VPL bra? Sure, why not. P.S. their stuff runs TIGHT in the chest. Delettrez hand ring? You had me at hello. Lanvin tulle/pearl ring? It kind of looks like an opulent bird's nest, and it's made from a somewhat non-traditional (although not for Alber Elbaz) jewelry material, so yes, I'll take it. The Proenza arm cuff looks like slightly modeled asphalt, which I love, I'll wear anything Givenchy and spiky, and I pine for Rodarte and Kirkwood to such a degree that I make myself slightly ill.

I can't promise anything more than a thank you note in return, but if you're feeling generous, my wishlist is above.

2010-01-16T11:19:00.000-08:00

I'm obsessed with the mini-cross-body bag. These are by Boyy, a brand I'd never heard of until literally moments ago, but of which I'm now a big fan. These bags are basically perfect for my purposes, which is something that can hold my cards and phone, maybe some chapstick, and that's it, while being something that I don't have to carry with my hands. They're entirely unintrusive because they hang off the body and can basically be ignored.

I have one cross-body bag now: a Carlos Falchi butterfly (or is it buffalo?) bag I got from ebay, which had the distinct advantage of being cheap as well as stylish. I love it to bits, but there's nothing wrong with having more than one bag, no?

tread carefully

2010-01-15T14:03:00.000-08:00

Tristan Webber shoe photographed by Helmut Newton and included in the volume put out by Taschen a few years ago.

speaking of which...

2009-12-30T03:15:00.001-08:00

I'm obsessed with finding these tights worn by one of the girls from Litter SF in this picture.
They're sheer, unlike every other pair of skeleton tights I've ever seen, and I like that the bones are rendered in outline rather than solidly. Given my recent obsession with tights (thank you pantsless wardrobe), there just can't be any way I can carry on without these. They are transcendent.

source: litter

boned and dethroned

2009-12-30T02:33:00.000-08:00

Honestly, what I've wanted, more than all of the jewelry I've featured, is these rings from the Bone Room, a store in Berkeley. They've been sold out for so long I'm ready to die over it. I guess they don't have a manufacturer anymore (?), not sure, not the point. The point is that I PINE for these rings. PINE, I tell you.

Another piece from the site, an anteater vertebrae & rib bracelet, I've largely ignored because of the other picture on the site was so unappealing. But this picture is much better: it shows two of the bracelets interlocked together, and I want it too, especially after having just bought vertebrae friendship necklaces with my friend Paris, and these interlock into each other too. I don't own a bracelet (literally, not a one), so these could be some excellent investment pieces for me.

source: the bone room

shoes

2009-12-26T01:02:00.000-08:00

I've made no secret that shoes just aren't my bag (, baby), but I must admit that I do like these few recent styles. It's a bit heavy on the Kirkwoods, and the shoes all share a few common elements: lacing, buckles, wedges, platforms, and the colors black and blue. And I'm okay with that.

From top: Kirkwood, Kirkwood, Jil Sander, Kirkwood, Ann D., Chloe Sevigny x Opening Ceremony, Ann D., YSL, Givenchy, Dolce & Gabbana, Kirkwood, YSL

2009-12-25T18:48:00.000-08:00

So I bought myself an early Xmas gift last week. It has yet to arrive, but I'm pretty stoked. I'll mostly be wearing it with black pencil skirts and opaque black tights and converse (which is what I wear every day, basically). I need to get back into wearing pants so that i can walk around in tight tight black skinny jeans again. I miss my old uniform.

goodbye phi

2009-12-24T13:28:00.000-08:00

Phi is no more! It has been lost to the recession. Quel tragique! No, but really, I'm sad. Phi did some cool shit. Let us mournfully look at their most recent collection:

This collection has everything I love: straps, buckles, zippers, FAN LACING. It actually looks a lot like the two medical corsets I bought at a vintage clothing store near school for $5 each a few months back. But, you know, better fitting and in nicer colors (pink and beige, anyone?). My new mission is just going to have to be finding and collecting any Phi pieces I possibly can (in all likelihood none).

Gah! Look at those straps! I die.

source: nymag.com

wishlist

2009-12-21T00:19:00.000-08:00

LuisaViaRoma has Spring 2010 items up. Lust.

Ann D. zip vest (absurdly easy DIY), Rick Owens dress, Ann D. belt

yeah i went there

2009-12-20T23:29:00.000-08:00

Much as I hate wearing or having what everyone else has (although all black is hardly individual), I caved and bought the yellow tulle and lace skirt and both the yellow and black lace cardigans from the Rodarte x Target collection. What I was most interested in was the lace tights, but almost NONE of the Targets in Los Angeles received any accessories, so it seems like I'm out of luck on those. I have yet to decide whether to wear the clothes now, hopefully wear them in an interesting way, or wait five years hoping that everyone else's will have dissolved into dust in the interim.

sources: target, nymag

which one is better??

2009-12-15T01:51:00.000-08:00

Oh dear god, the Christopher Kane atomic bomb collection has finally been produced for the masses. The question is: do I want green or black? SO HARD to choose: green would be more interesting, but black and white is so classic. Also there is the distinct possibility of people mistaking the print for simply an abstraction, which is something I know one of my Art History professor would lose it over (the conceptual part of it, not the actual dress. Although I must admit, he is quite the dresser himself. Red socks anyone?).

But ultimately, do I really have it in me to spend $300 on a cotton tank dress... eh, I think not.

why am i not nicola formichetti's assistant!?!?!?

2009-12-11T14:21:00.000-08:00

new mission, become someone's assistant.

source: jak & jil

harakiri

2009-12-09T13:02:00.000-08:00

I saved these in my fashion folder about a month ago with nothing remotely helpful as a title to help me remember where I found them. Thanks to some frantic searching of my browser history I managed to track it down: Harakiri, whose work I've written about before (double-ended mouse skull bangle, anyone?), available at NotJustALabel. Although I think the things above are supposed to be earrings (?), I think they'd function best as brooches. Ahhh, I can just picture one on my lapel right now... Apparently my fascination with dead-stuff jewelry will never die.

fall 2009 reconsidered

2009-12-09T11:54:00.000-08:00

You know, when I first saw this collection, D&G Fall 2009, I wasn't particularly impressed with it. The heavy fabric, the Marilyn Monroe references I think I remember seeing, I had very little feeling towards it either way, actually. It just was. And then today, while browsing through an interminable selection of white and cream runway looks from Fall (I am deeply invested in a winter white 2009), I came upon one of these looks again, and for some reason, they really appealed to me.

Maybe the collection resonates with me now, as opposed to this Spring when I dismissed it, is the fact that I've entirely divested my wardrobe of pants (ok, I still have them but don't wear them). Had I not moved into a co-op and gotten too... shall we say, voluptuous, for my many pairs of almost identical dark, skinny J Brand jeans, I wouldn't have moved entirely to wearing skirts, and thus wouldn't have taken such a fancy to these looks.

But since skirts compose essentially the entirety of my wardrobe now, I can't help but be enchanted by these looks. Or at least the silhouette. I love the rounded little belljar (not sure how to describe it really) skirts that sit at the waist and are so very short. They make the models' legs look miles long, and although I'm not exactly statuesque in height, I still love it. The dark colors, the heavy fabrics, now they just look like the sumptuous trappings of the Russian imperial period rather than stodgy and evoking musty old lace. I'm soooo into it. This could be a new look for me.

Of course, if I'm being honest with myself, this look, this silhouette is not entirely new for me. It's similar to the one Miuccia Prada put out for Miu Miu Spring 2008. And I'm fine with that.

i will never stop loving you

2009-12-09T11:18:00.000-08:00

on sale and sold out.
source: collete.fr

chain gang

2009-12-01T20:29:00.001-08:00

you had me at hello. well minus the street urchin fingerless part of it.

source: tommy ton for style.com

accessorize

2009-12-01T16:58:00.000-08:00

alexander wang mini brenda camera bag and givenchy wedge

my two favorite items from candy pratts price's interminable spring 2010 accessories report, that i actually clicked through. i'm having a bit of an "i die" moment over both of them, but quite frankly i'm a little more in love with the mini brenda because it's a little more attainable and because i don't wear heels, and because i think purses should be as minimal and tiny as possible. i've actually wanted a vintage camera bag for ages. perhaps perusing ebay is in order...

source: style.com

2009-11-30T23:36:00.000-08:00

surely kate lanphear. i have dreams about chainmail already, now this could just take me over the edge into a psychosis of longing

source: tommy ton for style.com

slash

2009-11-28T23:42:00.000-08:00

I've been admiring this Ann-Sofie Back slash sweatshirt over at Acrimony for at least a couple of months. I've been thinking what a fabulous DIY it would make, if I could get my hands on some nice thin gray sweatshirts. I just noticed the accompanying slash tank, which also makes me very happy. I'm a little slash-happy lately, but I have yet to produce anything. I should get on that.

source: acrimony

winter whites

2009-11-28T23:33:00.000-08:00

Being that I generally wear black all year round, I feel the need to stand out in some way when the winter rolls around and everyone else dons their darks. Every time I see a photograph of someone in copious amounts of white in the winter, I can't help but be mesmerized by the chicness. Especially if that person has white-blonde hair and they become a monochromatic vision. Actually, that might explain why I wear black so much (seeing that I am far from blonde).

Anyway: some fantasy winter whites for you

wangster one-shoulder dress, vivienne westwood anglomania sweater, jasmine di milo white dress, pleasure principle white scarf top, lanvin alpaca cardigan, delfina delettrez skull ring (this looks so much like a día de los muertos calavera de azucár), wool & the gang oversize scarf, wangster slit/cage shouldered top

winter wishlist

2009-11-13T18:08:00.000-08:00

unknown sleeveless cardigan from browns, preen skeleton vest, unknown black dress from browns, miu miu flats, ann d. belt corset thing, balenciaga print scarf, rodarte skirt, miu miu embellished flats, black thigh-high socks, made her think cuff, gareth pugh leather jacket

color me obsessed

2009-11-07T09:48:00.000-08:00

Hand ring by Daphne Guinness and Shaun Leane
from the Sunday Times Style Magazine, 21 October 2007

source: the fashion spot

mi piace

2009-11-06T01:20:00.000-08:00

I'm in love with these rings by Aoi Kotushuiroi. They remind me a lot of the pieces by Imogen Belfield that I posted about ages ago. Both artists have created rings that remind me of stone outcroppings - uneven jagged edges protruding from a softer matrix. In a way they also recall the studding mania that has had us all in a vise grip for months, but in a fresher, less distinctly 80s way.

This last piece on the right is by far my favorite, which is surprising because it seems so much less dynamic and raw compared to the other rings. It's a little more constrained, and in a way looks like the encrustations of barnacles on the hull of a ship.

wha?

2009-11-04T01:36:00.000-08:00

Could this be? A replacement for Polyvore? I think the answer might be yes. Looklet is, I would assume, just starting out, and consequently has fewer items than Polyvore does. It seems to be "curated" by an editorial staff since each piece has to be photographed on a mannequin (or whatever), so it's hard to be as specific since you can't import your own images. In spite of this, I'm still fairly impressed by the designers represented, like Dagmar, Txell Miras, Whyred, etc. I also must admit I do love the fact that one is able to see the clothes ON a person and see how they fall.

Here's a quick and dirty look I made earlier, just to test out the site. It's a bit confusing at first, but ultimately fairly simple. All they need to do is get more items and I'm sold.

sheer

2009-10-27T21:16:00.000-07:00

christina centenara. me likee.

via trendycrew

basic black

2009-10-27T00:24:00.000-07:00

ann demeulemeester asymmetrical shirt, alexander wang cutout jersey skirt, comme des garçons asymmetrical wool top, alexander wang sheer top, y's asymmetrical cardigan, alexander wang cage skirt, gareth pugh top, thakoon sheer dress

pieces of flair

2009-10-26T18:17:00.000-07:00

from left: bittersweets baby vamp rings, alexander wang x abraxas rex cuff, burberry barb wire ring, made her think chain rings, rando glasses, comme des garçons x stephen jones sunglasses, mark walsh & leslie chin x rodarte bracelet, natalia brilli bone bracelet, fleet ilya belts, miu miu patent flats, mark walsh & leslie chin x rodarte ring, natalia brilli chicken foot brooch, thakoon mosaic mirror shoes, natalia brilli heart bag

better medor

2009-10-14T14:35:00.000-07:00

I've always wanted a Medor watch, but maybe this is cooler? Definitely cheaper...

by unearthen, available at bona drag

bad day

2009-10-12T14:03:00.001-07:00

top: demeulemeester, leggings: rag and bone, ring: demeulemeester, earrings: a.wang, shoes: demeulemeester

vandevorst

2009-10-09T13:19:00.000-07:00

Vandevorst SS10
source: nymag

tim hamilton

2009-10-09T13:14:00.000-07:00

source: nymag

katie eary

2009-09-30T14:59:00.000-07:00

I am so in love with Katie Eary's Spring 2010 collection. SO so sosososososoosoooooo. It's everything I could have wanted out of a collection. I really have to look into making some kind of DIY version of the pearl and chain ribcage. UGH.

source: dazed digital, gq

pleasure principle

2009-09-29T16:49:00.000-07:00

Bondage belt with wrist straps

I can't even tell you how much I want this shirt.

Silk skull scarf (alliteration what what)

This is supposed to look a bit like garters I guess

I have this dress in black.

More random photos I have on my computer from Pleasure Principle. Nothing is as fucking cool as their Men's Spring 2010 lookbook though - but that's still under wraps for the moment

boned

2009-09-29T15:52:00.000-07:00

VPL's Spring 2010 collection was, I have to admit, largely uninteresting to me, but I did like these two looks quite a lot, and Victoria Bartlett wasn't even responsible for the bits I liked. Some kid named Aran Baik was, and he is proving difficult to google.

I mean, of course I did, they're ribcage-esque knits. I have to say though, they remind me a lot of our old friend Alena Akhmadullina. Really, I'd take any of these and wear them with pride. I'll have to see if my knitting virtuoso friend is up for the challenge...

source: nymag, alenaakmadullina.com

iris van herpen

2009-09-25T11:37:00.000-07:00

Here's the thing about Iris van Herpen: I don't really know a damn thing about her. But I LOVE her work. Although I'm super weirded out by the masks. Too much like gimp hoods. (Egh remember that awful scene in Pulp Fiction?)

SS 08: Fragile Futurity

This is SO much cooler than the Wangster's slit stuff out right now. I'm sorry, but REALLY. This is my favorite of her collections. The perfect allusion to the ribcage while being so much more.

This is all made out of leather and brass. I really like the skirt on the dress to the left.

FW 08: Chemical Crows

SS 09: Refinery Smoke

FW 09: Mummification

Dear God, look at the lacing on these. It's all leather, which somehow makes it so much more impressive.

And after all of these photos, I still haven't managed to capture half of what she does (including some interesting work with chain). Oh Iris.

well, i'm in love

2009-09-23T23:33:00.000-07:00

C Bailes, marry me. And shower me with glorious trench coats as a wedding present. Mmmm.

source: nymag

repeat after me

2009-09-23T15:34:00.001-07:00

i love my job.

Pleasure Principle Men's SS 09

dear god i'm tired

2009-09-23T15:29:00.000-07:00

proenza schouler glasses, tom binns (i think...) bracelet, rando feather skirt, givenchy necklace, wangster bag, lanvin organza and stone bracelet, chanel wedges, eddie borgo thorn bracelet

aaaaand i'm back.

Forgetting Nars Zulu

2009-08-24T21:11:00.000-07:00

Do you remember, perchance, two (?) years ago when Nars produced a special edition dark green jelly creme (these are technical nail polish terms fyi) polish with Sephora and then no one could get it? Except for like $70 on ebay? And then they never made it again!?!? Well, it's been difficult for me to accept that Zulu and I would never be together, and I've rebounded more or less with China Glaze's (shimmery) Gussied-up Green, but the void of a dark green creme has remained unfilled in my life.

But lo, what do I see when perusing through magazines the other day? Not one but two fantastic new dark green creme polishes! I kind of lost my shit.

OPI's Here Today...Aragon Tomorrow from their Espana collection. Apparently it has a bit of shimmer in it, but I can't see anything here.

Jin Soon Choi's Beyond Jealous for MAC - this one has been described as a blacked-out blue green. Yummmmm.

There are actually quite a few greens out on the market right now, and I'm only somewhat bittersweet about the news that dark green is going to be the big color for fall 09 - now that it's trendy (or will be), it will look like I'm trying too hard, and then it will just look dated. Great. Anyway, here are two from Zoya which I think have a lot of promise:

At the left, Verushka, at right, Envy. Verushka is from Zoya's Winter 09 collection, Mattevelvet, which has a supposedly matte yet velvety texture - perhaps the equivalent to OPI's Suede collection? I haven't seen any of the other Mattevelvet colors in real life - this one won't be released until September 15th. I'm ordering me some of that Verushka, yes I am.

sources: alllacqueredup.com, scrangie, polishaddict.com

pleasure principle

2009-07-30T09:49:00.000-07:00

So, if you didn't know, which, clearly you couldn't, I'm an intern over at Pleasure Principle for the summer. I'm a huge fan of Adrian and Diva's work, so being part of the label has been a huge pleasure (ha!) for me. Anyway, I just wanted to post a couple of pics from our FW09 lookbook (SS10 is already finished and there is a sick lookbook for it but it is very hush hush).

mr. richardson

2009-07-28T16:11:00.000-07:00

A really close friend of mine, Marcus Richardson, is a wonderfully talented designer who is heading off to University of Arts London this year. He's put a couple of his designs up on Etsy, and they're lovely, and were all massively labor-intensive.

His most recent project is taking saris and re-purposing them into sun dresses, which he makes cut to measure, so the pieces are all completely unique, and a lot cheaper than the couture gems above. Check his stuff out!

2009-07-15T20:44:00.000-07:00

sick dress.

Blow-Up, 1966.

in the details

2009-07-09T21:36:00.000-07:00

I just died and went to Givenchy heaven. The details and a couple of full looks.

holy lace-up deliciousness

2009-07-09T20:19:00.000-07:00

I just died and went to lace-up bondage heaven. I am moving to Brazil stat.
Luiza Bonadiman, marry me.

BONUS: fringe backs

source: fashion rio

i don't feel good today

2009-07-08T13:33:00.000-07:00

clockwise: Fendi military dress, Lanvin necklace, Delfina Delettrez hand ring, Lydia Courteille skull ring, Lanvin necklace, Kirkwood shoe

Exxon Valdez Chic

2009-07-08T10:40:00.000-07:00

I am so in love with Basso & Brooke's oil slick prints.

Half-naked New Look? Yes, Please.

2009-07-07T09:07:00.000-07:00

heavy metal

2009-07-06T17:10:00.000-07:00

I am LOVING these sweet arm cuffs.

Numero February 2007

source: the fashion spot

blast from the past

2009-07-03T23:08:00.000-07:00

Numero May 2005; who knew we were so stylish in the dark ages?

source: the fashion spot

straight-laced

2009-07-03T22:41:00.000-07:00

Purple, Spring 2009

Numero, May 2003

Numero May 2009

2009-07-03T20:52:00.000-07:00

I saw this photo as part of a piece called "Erotic Architecture" at the MUMOK (Museum of Modern Art) in Vienna. I couldn't help but notice that it reminded me of both fashion and Futurism.

Mary Katrantzou, Spring and Fall 2009

Holly Fulton

Johnathan Saunders Spring 2004

more more more

2009-07-03T16:01:00.000-07:00

This morning I watched a documentary about people who struggle with compulsive shopping, and I thought to myself, I really need to get to the mall. If that mall was Browns.

Anyway, sort of clockwise from left: YSL cage clutch, VPL fractional bra, YSL black stone ring, Jil Sander fringe dress, Lanvin cuff, Sandra Backlund dress, Maria Francesca Pepe nut ring, Preen double-layer mesh dress, Limi Feu mesh vest, Givenchy lace-up wedges, Nicholas Kirkwood heels.

2009-07-02T00:06:00.002-07:00

Jesus Christ I love those latex thigh-highs. Just ran across this ed again and became smitten all over again. This one is my favorite because I love ultramarine blue and yellow, probably too much.

W Magazine, August 2006

source: the fashion spot

collage

2009-07-02T00:06:00.001-07:00

Dazed & Confused July 2009

source: the fashion spot

stylish amish

2009-07-01T21:02:00.000-07:00

If I knew the Amish were this stylish, I'd have packed off to Pennsylvania ages ago. Rush July/August 2009.

source: the fashion spot

muggles

2009-07-01T20:20:00.000-07:00

Thierry Mugler special from Tush #2 2009

i hate all of these goddamn punny titles

2009-07-01T12:57:00.000-07:00

Check out the Thierry Mugler corset/girdle THING. I can't seem to find many pictures of his work on the internet. I just might have to resort to analog and scrounge up a book.

source: the fashion spot