long time no blog

Sorry I've been m.i.a. recently. Life has been a little on the hectic side (I'm still trying to piece things together and refocus...) but I haven't forgotten about you all! I thought I'd take some time to share this little jem that I posted over on the JC Report the other day. It's a wonderful article on Newsweek which tackles the question of how the now global recession will impact our lives. More specifically, it digs deeper into the impact that clothing and fashion hold in our daily lives (something I've been thinking a lot about these days) and suggests that perhaps this recession is a blessing in disguise, a way to make us face the realities of the high consumption, image obsessed society in which we live. Recession as a moment of reflection, as a time to refocus and re-center ourselves... I don't know about you- but I'm into it. Click here to read the article and let me know what you think.

while we're on the subject...

i've been meaning to mention this INSANELY awesome new tattoo trend for some time now. 

UV tattoos caught my attention from the get-go. As an individual who loves and appreciates beautiful tattoos, but is perhaps a little wary of putting something on my body for life- they seem like the perfect middle ground. The tattoos are achieved through the use of a special UV ink, which is completely invisible to the eye in normal daylight. So your skin won't show any sign of being inked (after scarring of course) unless in the presence of a black light!

If you take the time to search this new phenomenon, you can find some truly exquisite examples of some amazing tattoos. My personal favorite is the skeleton tattoo, which apparently is one of the most common UV tattoos out there.  

Pretty nifty, if you ask me.

leanne won!

here are some images from her collection. how is everyone feeling about the choice?

vs kenley or korto:

stalk a lot

Are you a creepy McCreeperson like me?

Do you try to imagine what people's homes look like?
What color their bedspread is?
What their kitchen chairs look like?
What kind of shower curtain they have?

No?? Hmm.
Well, you still might enjoy The Selby. It's MTV Cribs, if the show actually showed people that you care about or alternately, have morbid curiosity about. It gives you a peek into the homes and studios of some of your favorite artists and designers. Trust me, once you start clicking around the site, you'll have a hard time stopping.

Alexander Wang
Mark The Cobra Snake
Mark The Cobra Snake's Grandma Renee
Erin Wasson
Chase Cohl

bespook

These skeletal delights can be found in the Sisters Of The Moon shop on Etsy.

I love the unexpected nature of these accessories, especially the sailor bow clip. They are fun, UV reactive and perfectly creepy- a great way to spruce up your costume or outfit


Death of a sailor Skeleton hand barrette, $12
Skeleton hands with metallic pink painted nails clips, $6 for a set of 2

silver screen

NYMAG is reporting that Kate Winslet is set to play Vivienne Westwood in an upcoming film about the legendary designer's life. I think this was a wonderful casting choice and can't wait to see this film. Westwood has led such an interesting life and is largely responsible for taking punk fashion mainstream so you know the end result won't be dull. I also expect there to be a fabulous soundtrack featuring the Sex Pistols!

holler.

EDIT: according to NY Mag's blog The Cut, Kate has not yet been confirmed to play Westwood- apparently, the film is far from being written, let alone cast. We can still hope though!

photo courtesy of stylefrizz

shop for the cure

Definition: Breast cancer is cancer that forms in tissues of the breast, usually the ducts (tubes that carry milk to the nipple) and lobules (glands that make milk). It occurs in both men and women, although male breast cancer is rare.
FACT: Estimated new cases and deaths from breast cancer in the United States in 2008:

New Cases: 182, 460 (female); 1,990 (male)
Deaths: 40, 480 (female); 450 (male)

Source: The National Cancer Institute

One of my favorite jewelery designers, Rachel Bravman of Rachel Leigh, is donating 50% of the proceeds from the "Audrey" bracelet to Susan G. Koemen for the Cure in honor of breast cancer awareness month. Audrey bracelets are $66 and come in several colors. Available here at Chick Downtown.

name to know: Junya Watanabe

Three cheers for Junya Watanabe! Once again, the Japanese designer delivers a killer collection inspired by African draping techniques. Some of you might recall that of his previous spring collection, Watanabe said “it all went back to Africa”. Vague? Yes. But did he take this inspiration and infuse it into something representative of his own unique design aesthetic? Absolutely.

With experience as a Comme des Garçons’ knitwear designer under his belt, one can expect nothing but the highest quality of work and innovation from Watanabe. This year his focus on West African textiles showed that he not only understands how to tailor and drape a variety of fabrics (the denim!) but that he also proved that he has an eye for color and pattern mixing.

I’m not going to lie, I have an affinity for West African prints (Tala can certainly attest to this) and so had the drapery been subpar, which it wasn’t, I might still have been won over but this collection was perfection from start to finish. The deliberate styling, particularly the intricate and no doubt time consuming head pieces, helped to bring the collection to life. It spoke of both restraint and excess. The natural and the synthetic. The old and the new- the tried and the true.

I found it comforting. The only thing that would have made this collection more enjoyable would have been to see it worn by more models of color. I believe that out of the 47 looks only 3 were worn by women of color. Otherwise, a brilliant effort.

(Click image to enlarge)

Photos courtesy of Style.com

and when the truth goes bang, the shouts splatter out (revolutionize your lives and find a way out)

in light of some of the comments said about iran during the presidential debates last friday and in expectation of some more offhand comments at tomorrow night's vice presidential debate, i thought i would post an interesting video i recently came across, made by a new organization called Voices for Peace, that is trying to shed light on this touchy subject and break the silence caused by the plethora of stereotypes and misinformation present in the media about iran. i hope you'll take the time to watch and that you'll also be open to learn and inform yourselves.

remember, education is key- we are all people, we are all connected.

peace & love

Breast Cancer Awareness

October is
Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Expect more information on what you should know about Breast Cancer and how you can help others to fight the good fight!

Thien Thu Thien Nhan

I had to share these videos, of Thien Thu Thien Nhan, with ya'll because they are so overwhelmingly beautiful. The dancers are from the Chinese Disabled Performing Arts Troupe and they are all hearing impaired. I've been trying to find out more about the organization and the dances but have come up with very little. While that is most unfortunate, I think you can still appreciate the beauty of what they have created without knowing anything else.

fringe benefits

after drooling over the beautiful fringe delicacies that walked down the runway at Jil Sander's spring 2009 RTW collection, I couldn't help but feel inspired. Obviously, my first instinct was to polyvore it up- I looked for key pieces (mostly fall items) that incorporated this breezy embellishment without looking too costume-y (I would hate to look like I walked out of a bad cowboy movie...). Fall (like any other season) is all about accessories; bold bags, jammin' jewels and everyone's favorite: boots! These key pieces can dress up any outfit, adding that extra oomph factor that looks and feels great. Unleash that inner sophista-funk and style, style, style! We all know you've got it in you.

Here are some of my picks:

name to know: Michelle Jank

 

Portrait of Jank, courtesy of news.com.au

If you haven't heard of her yet, Aussie darling, Michelle Jank is a name you're sure to be hearing a lot of in the near future. This former clothing designer started her career in Australia back in 2000 with a highly anticipated collection of lace dresses. However, after mediocre success in the fashion world, Jank traded in her dress forms and patterns in exchange for a career in jewelry design. She moved halfway around the world and set up atelier in Paris, the marais, no less, and began working on her unique collection.  

Another fabric necklace, photo courtesy of  Who Stole the High Street

Jank's jewelry is not your average glitz and glitter; textiles reign supreme throughout her collection of whimsical collars/bib necklaces.  And that, precisely, is what makes Jank's jewelry collections so interesting and sought after- her background in fashion is entirely evidenced in textured folds and flaps. Her garment perspective provides an interesting angle from which to design and wear jewelry: these pieces are the product of a perfect fusion of these two stylistic spheres. Using fabrics enables Jank to really play with volume and silhouettes with a freedom that conventional jewelry mediums do not allow. The neck pieces can be large, statement pieces that are interesting to the eye without fear of weighing the wearer down. 

 

 

Photos courtesy of The Fashion Spot

More recently, Jank has ventured into more structured jewelry pieces, experimenting with rigidity in mediums such as acrylic and Perspex. However, although these pieces are equally interesting aesthetically, I find her softer, more fluid jewelry a more stunning and creative example of her work. You can find Michelle Jank jewelry in a number of places- including Colette (Paris), Dover Street Market (London), Harrods, and Kima Zabete (New York), to name a few. Or check out her IQONS profile, here.

contest!

Handbag Planet is celebrating the launch of their website by giving away 24 handbags in 24 hours starting at noon on October 15th.

To sign up for the contest- visit www.handbagplanet.com

My Little Pony!

YES!

My Little Pony is celebrating 25 years of making lil kids happy!

Claw Money

I'm not sure about ya'll but I had myself a rack of these little guys when I was younger. Okay, more like I had three and I was always begging my parents for more but the fact of the matter is these little ponies marked the start of my love affair with horses. There was something kind of amazing about their soft plastic goodness. I can remember when scented plastic was all the rage and I somehow managed to get a hold on a fruity pony. Right now I'd love to get my hands on one of the 25th anniversary ponies.

Hasbro had twenty-five artists, celebrities, and musicians create their own ponies. The pony featured above was created by Claw Money and is by far my favorite of the herd. Could she be any more fly? Never thought I'd see the day when I was jealous of a pony.

The twenty-five designs were revealed at the Chelsea Art Museum and are up for autction through October 2. You can bid at Charity Folks and all proceeds are going to Give Kids the World Village.

LeAnn Rimes

Junko Mizuno

The Pony Project will be on exhibit at New York City's Milk Gallery, starting October 21st.

Check them out at TheMyLittlePonyProject

p.s.

"The Elizabeth" hand-knit wedding dress by Jemma Sykes for Butcher Couture

To get a feel for the new (and exciting!) direction knitwear has taken, take a look at this great blog, Knit Kicks, dedicated to all things knit/fashion. It's sure to keep you in the know and introduce you to some great designers and/or work that is being done!

photo courtesy of Knit Kicks

Make It Work! Puhlease!

There is no justice!

Okay, I'm being dramatic but this is incredibly disappointing news. The opening of Topshop's NYC store has been pushed back to March of 2009. WHAT?!? Its original opening date was October. Then, last week we heard it was being pushed back to November and we accepted that news. But March? Come now, this is getting a little ridiculous.

Realizing this delay makes the giant Topshop billboard over the (purported) store a dreadful tease, Sir Philip wants to deliver something to American fans. So Opening Ceremony might carry some Topshop products and Topshop might hold a contest on its Website to win shopping trips to the London store.

Green says, "America is a new territory for us and we have to get it exactly right. This store can’t be a nine out of 10 when it opens; it has to be a 10 out of 10." That's great, but being New Yorkers, we're impatient by nature, so we think we'll go down to the permit office and start whip cracking.

SIGH.
Until then. Topshop.com

Source: NY MAG

til victory crowns everyone

I haven't had a big up Wesleyan moment in a while.
So here it goes.

Courtesy of Hima's blog, Gordon Gartrelle:

10/31 Music Hall of Williamsburg

MGMT

Amazing Baby

Violens

Boy Crisis

Francis & the Lights

Out of control. Wesleyan Part 2. Can you handle it?

Are ya'll up on Francis & The Lights???

And while I'm shouting people out, I'm gonna take it back to the years '97-04,when I went to school with Emily, and tell you that you should go to this:

"New New York"
Photography exhibit

Curated by Rene Abdo

As New York was built by immigrants and it is taken everyday by new transplants the question was posed to these photographers. " Why New York? " The images submitted are true to form exposing why people, artist, dreamers and believers come to New York, Love it and become the quintessential New Yorkers thus making it their "NEW NEW YORK".

Featuring :

Emily Russell

The Agytators (theagytators.com)

Zolt Sarvary – Bene (sarvary.com)

and Larry Ossei-Mensah (myglobalhustle.com)

Soho D & H Gallery

155 Spring St BTW Wooster and W. Broadway
September 19^th, 7:30 – 9:30 pm

you got served!

I originally posted this on HoneyCrate:

"Last week a group of 30 Pixadores stormed the Choque Cultural Gallery in protest against the "marketing, institutionalization and domestication of Street Art" by the galleries and media. Paintings by Gerald Laing, Speto, Titi Freak and others were tagged by the Pixadores."

Source: Marc @ Wooster Collective

If anyone has any more info on this- let me know! Isa?? All I've seen so far is your standard response from US art blogs saying "they had it coming", "Brazil is so poor, what can you expect?" and "destruction of art is never okay". All pretty simplistic one liners with the occasional, "a war is coming" thrown in for good measure. Not a lot of substance. I wanna know who is snapping these pics? And let's talk about how these dudes are not even remotely trying to obscure their identity. So many questions...let me know if you have any answers.

badgley mischka

Here are pictures I took at the Badgley Mischka show this past Friday. The show was much larger than Naeem Khan's, which meant there were more random celebrities (like Nastia, Heather Graham, even Jason Biggs...) , but it also meant that my seat was further in the back- and that I had to scavenge the entire tent for something closer to claim just before the lights dimmed. Luckily, I was successful.

There's André!

The Badgley Mischka show definitely fell nicely into the prim and proper trend we saw at many of the spring New York shows. The clothes were all very feminine and flirty: airy pastels, ruffles and frills. Some of the structured looks that are so popular for fall did find their way onto the spring runways in the form of beautiful tailored jackets, coats and pants, however, the overall aesthetic was much more free and unrestricted.




For their evening looks, glitz and glimmer ruled the runway. Sequins, rhinestones and intricate bead work have popped up everywhere, giving night a glamorous and vintage feel. At Bagdley Mischka, they chose more subdued bead work, in the sense that the clothes were never dripping with sequins or beads. This achieved a more sophisticated and less flashy look, perfect for an older, more mature crowd. Their choice of textiles supported this choice also, as they played with sheer chiffons, tulles, and gauzy organzas. These fabrics tend to be breathtaking on their own, so bead work was used mostly as accent, not focus.

Black Satin and Tulle Dress, played with sheer fabric to create a sexy, there-but-not look.

Frilly, feminite detail work popped up all over the runways for Spring. This White/Fuschia Print Organza Blouse is a perfect example of this trend.

Another nice surprise were the random bursts of saturated color that appeared sporadically on the runway. The fuscias and turquoise blues were very refreshing and definitely helped to keep my attention. And as always, I really appreciated the use of texturing and volume, which was rare, but definitely beautiful.

Refreshing and unexpected pops of color definitely grabbed attention. Check out these great Turquoise gazar pants, worn with a white crepe de chine top.

By simply playing with texture and volume, designers can create dramatic and glamorous looks as seen with this Pink/Marigold print chiffon gown.

I must say, however, the highlight of the entire show was definitely the fact that I walked out of the tent, side by side with none other than Mr. André Leon Talley, himself. Let me tell you, the man is HUGE. I felt dwarfed next his gianormous stature! He was dressed pretty conservatively, which bummed me out, except for a pair of fantastic, open toe mens shoe/sandals. They were pretty spectacular.