Category Archives: Designer

Fashion’s Dirty Little Secret

“If I wanted to be in an innovative industry, I wouldn’t pick fashion.”

The dirty secret of fashion is that there is nothing new. I suppose the cool thing is how we re-invent it, but when people act like something’s so new and fresh in fashion, they immediately lose me. If I wanted to be in an innovative industry, I wouldn’t pick fashion. On the other hand, I’d pick fashion if I wanted to be a historian with creative liberties. I’ve kept a skeptical eye on fashion week this season in NYC, because I honestly haven’t been that interested. More and more it seems the more things change the more they stay the same. This season (like the last) is all about contrasts, and I’m beginning to think that’s the trick to fashion in general. Call it fusion, contrasts, or a blending of complete opposites, it’s all the same concept – they all mean the same thing. Whether it’s pulling together two different styles like leather and lace (circa Alexander Wang Spring Summer 2013) or playing with different eras by pairing vintage with more contemporary pieces. Fashion is fusion, and I say that knowing that that’s both simple and complex because fashion has such a rich history of ideas to pull from.

Pick of the Week: 30.01.12

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Claudia Embroidered Suede Pumps – Brian Atwood; net-a-porter.com – $2,115.00

Forget blue suede shoes, It’d be a cardinal sin if someone stepped on these aqua pumps from Brian Atwood. They’re positively stunning and embroidered details on the back add a little added dimension that any fashion junkie can appreciate. It’s sort of delicate but bold, a mix of contraries I’m obsessed with.

Pick of the Week: 18.11.11

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Chanel No. 19, 3.4 fl oz; Nordstrom – $115.00

“A women who doesn’t wear perfume has no future.”
- Coco Chanel

Chanel may have been taking it to an extreme when she uttered those words, nevertheless there’s something very powerful about the scent of a woman. My first bottle of Chanel No. 5 was a Christmas gift from a high school boyfriend, and although that relationship didn’t last very long – my love for Chanel No. 5 never waned. Since then, there hasn’t been a perfume able to capture my heart quite like it. A part of me believes that Chanel has this innate hold on me, perhaps it’s because I was named after her. After all – my recent visit to Paris wasn’t complete until I’d made a stop at 31 Rue Cambon, the Chanel Flagship Boutique that Coco herself acquired in 1910. Chanel No.5 has become one of those infamous fragrances that have become emblematic of femininity, and although it may be the most famous perfume in the world – I’m more enraptured by the scent of Chanel No. 19. The pale green liquid beckons to me, and while No. 5 is the essence of femininity – No. 19 is bolder, did I mention it was Chanel’s signature scent?

Coveted Deeply

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Five picks of things I’m coveting deeply.

[1] I have quite a few coats, from pea coats to leather jackets to trenches, and I love each and every one of them. The full skirt and cinched waist on this Azzedine Alaia princess coat makes it outwear I wouldn’t want to take off inside. Perhaps the Duchess of Cambridge would be a fan of the silhouette, it’s regal and a little bit sexy.

[2] Vintage Chanel can make just about every fashion loving girl swoon, case in point – this WGACA Vintage Chanel watch. Thinking about slipping this on by itself or with a stack of leather and beaded bracelets gives me chills. It’s a work of art.

[3] When I was younger, my mother couldn’t get me into a bra without padding, and now that I’ve got a pair of DD boobs, I’m always on a never-ending search for the opposite. The neon green french lace on this bra from Deborah Marquit is exactly that kind of bra.

[4] I’ve got an obsession with chandeliers, whether its earrings or the ones that hang from the ceiling. The Lambent Sphere Chandelier is sort of ethereal and woodland-y. I imagine it hanging in my living room, with the sparkle of crystal combated by the iron hand-wiring.

[5] While Yankee Doodle stuck a feather in his hat and called it macaroni, I much prefer the ring that this Eugenia Kim Hunter Green Lauren Velour Felt Hat has to it. It’s a fedora with just enough masculine authority and a little bit or nursery rhyme zing to polish off any ensemble, especially if your pairing it with my new favorite jacket (see [1])

Pick Three: Lanvin

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If a girl’s got a closet to play around it might as well stocked with Lanvin. What started as a mother making clothes for her daughter has become a runway favorite with a selection of pieces some of us would give anything to live in. Lanvin has an effortlessly French approach to fashion that combines this impeccably tailored way of making clothing and bags, with a stunning knack for luxury footwear. I love the exquisitely draped dresses, and the array of colors and shades that Lanvin likes to play with.

#1	Court Shoes; These shoes are kick ass right down to the heel. While style stalking at fashion week I noticed a girl stumbling along in wedges with gold cuffs strapped to her ankles and these give me that style equivalent without capturing the accessories I love to have on hand. Available at Colette.fr for $1,087.22.
#2	Tie Waist Dress; Chic and simple, the ‘English Green’ hue is the perfect nearly black shade to contrast with something bright and vibrant. The cowl neck and tie waist also make it super flattering that’ll emphasize all the right assets of the femme silhouette. Available at Barneys.com for $1,650.00.
#3	Happy Tangerine Bag; The Lanvin iconic Happy bag makes me all kinds of giddy in this shade of tangerine. The stunning shade makes this classic a go to for fall color blocking for the bold and the beautiful style maven that lurks somewhere in my closet. Available at CultStatus.com.au for $2,195.00 AUD.

Betsey Johnson Spring Summer 2012 Goes for Tits & Ass

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Betsey Johnson’s a woman after my own heart, she’s not afraid of color, doesn’t need to care about trends, and for her Spring Summer 2012, line she’s all about tits and ass. Betsey’s collections radiate a no apologies, I’m going to wear whatever the hell I want attitude that creates the persona every woman needs a little bit of. I’ll admit I chuckled a little when I heard her theme for the show was tits and ass, and I greeted the female figure with ample respect. Sequins, flowy and short skirts, with a heavy dose of cleavage made for tons of fun. It’s her non-stop love of color that really gets me going every season and this collection is no different. But what I really want a little bit of is that hair, and Peter Gray of Cutler Salon has bestowed all the details on how to get it:

• Apply Redken Rootful 06 Root Lifting Spray (or whatever root-lifting spray you’ve got) all over at the root.
• Divide the hair in a diagonal part from front left to back right.
• Take hair under left part and sweep it around for a tight ponytail on the lower right nape of the neck.
• Gather hair on the right side of the part. Pin curl section by section and let set. Spray vigorously with Redken Fashion Work 12 Versatile Working Spray on the top and inside each of the curls to lock into place.
• Once hair has dried, take the clips out and brush through to create dramatic waves.
• Spray Cutler Shine Tattoo to add glossy finish.
• Apply Redken Rootful 06 Root Lifting Spray all over at the root.
• Divide the hair in a diagonal part from front left to back right.
• Take hair under left part and sweep it around for a tight ponytail on the lower right nape of the neck.
• Gather hair on the right side of the part. Pin curl section by section and let set. Sprayvigorously with Redken Fashion Work 12 Versatile Working Spray on the top and insideeach of the curls to lock into place.
• Once hair has dried, take the clips out and brush through to create dramatic waves.
• Spray Cutler Shine Tattoo to add glossy finish.

Pick of the Week: 05.09.11

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Globus Ariera Pendant Necklace, by Joyce Makitalo; Vivre.com, $585.00

Something about this necklace is totally Xena Warrior Princess. It’s rough, yet beautiful, and it possesses that element of strength that will balance out even the most overtly feminine frock.
The piece is remnant of a different age, like someone took a shrink ray to a roman museum and miniaturized one of the curators favorite shields. Laced on a double strand of grey rice pearls lies a captivating pendant with a single osmena pearl for its heart, surrounded by white turquoise, agate, aquamarine, and mookite. It’s the kind of piece that carries the power to instantly elevate any ensemble, the strong silent type that’s very presence can’t help but soak up the attention. It’s as if Joyce Makitalo captured the very soul of a female warrior in it.

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