August 2008 Archives

Nicholas Kirkwood designs some of the most architecturally beautiful and SEXY shoes I've ever seen in my life. This man understands what it takes to make a woman feel sexy, and it starts with a five inch heel. Nicholas Kirkwood came out of no where in Spring 2008 and I am so excited for Fashion Week to begin so that I can see more of what genius designs he has to offer. Can you imagine slipping your foot into one of these creations? Talk about shoe HEAVEN.
     

The Painted Bird, at 1201A Guerrero Street (X Street is 24th) in the Mission, is a one stop shop when you need new used-clothes. Their selection is ridiculously awesome. Their prices are amazing too. Like, boots are $25. Shirts can go for $5. And everything is pre-selected to be majorly wearable. While it takes eons to dig through the racks at Thrift Town and Community Thrift, going to a second-hand vintage store like the Painted Bird is worth it, because the value of your money should also account for the time it takes to find something, and while you may go through thrift stores and dig for hours and come up with nothing, one stop at a vintage gem like The Painted Bird will yield major results. MAJOR. Trust. Their look is heavily 60s and 70s (which means: fantastic prints) and everything here, even if you don't want to buy it, is fun to look at - this store really captures the imagination, and for those like me who live in a cloud of nostalgia, this store is perfect. Everyday should be a day you dress in a schoolteacher or secretary or psychedelic grandma costume.

Look at the gorgeous and ethereal model, Tanya D, wearing Giambattista Valli's angelic frock. She's got the face of a Valentine's Day cupid, and the delicately perfect feature needed to pull off this dress. Now, brace yourselves, and glance at the horror below.
 


While I applaud Victoria for putting her, um, unique twist on things, you do not wear a dress that is intended to evoke ANGELS in a manner like this. The sky high silver Louboutin "Pigalles"? Really? And the oppressive make-up, that ludicrous pose, and the strange thing in her hair that makes her look more like an alien with an antenna coming out of her head than ever before? Ugh. I know she's selling her jeans at Harvey Nichols now and she's trying to be more high fashion, but she's doing a really bad job at it. For someone with all the money in the world to buy beautiful Giambattista Valli dresses, she doesn't have a clue how to pull it off. Poor (rich) thing.

I read an interesting article in The New Yorker yesterday - "Sole Sisters" by Patricia Marx - where she lists more types of shoes (the article is literally six magazine pages long) than I've ever seen in one article before, in my entire life. She talks about Roger Vivier kitten heels, Dolce & Gabbana gladiator sandals, Tod's loafers, Masai Barefoot Technology sandals, Cole Haan tortoise-patterned patent leather OT Air Pumps, d'Orsay pumps at Dusica Dusica, Taryn Rose chocolate-colored ankle boots with a padded foot bed, a whole slew of Louboutins, John Fluevog's upturned booties, R. Crumb capitalist oxfords, Sigerson Morrison desert boots, trompe l'oeil patched shoes at Berluti, ribboned heels from Irregular Choice, Guiseppe Zanotti silver stiletto sandals, Jimmy Choo lizzie pierced-toe pumps, millions of dollars worth of Blahnik strappy sandals, Mobius shoes by Rem Koolhaas that are formed by a single band of carbon fibre, Belgian Shoes from the Upper East Side Belgian shoe boutique, Swarovski-crystal-studded sneakers by Christian Audigier, and even shoes from Payless -- AMONG MUCH MUCH MORE.

When I think of lace-up boots, I think:

(1) cyberpunk - envision Neo in the Matrix in those metal-rimmed sunglasses, that overly-serious black trench, and those 'fighting' boots. Sadly, the Bay Area has not yet shrugged off the cyberpunk trend. Go to any Burning Man type party and you'll see people dressed like they're in the Matrix for no apparent reason.

(2) goth - think Marilyn Manson in the heyday of his leather-panted, dog-collared, combat booted over-the-top-ness. Goth can be chic if done correctly (Leigh Lezark) but wearing combat boots with grunge clothing tears down the chic factor in my opinion. If I'm wearing a corseted Alexander McQueen gown, you better believe it won't be with combat boots but with spikey, sky-high Louboutins.

(3) military - a primarily hip hop centered fashion trend... remember that awful Destiny's Child video for "Survivor" where they get washed up on the shore of some island and suddenly appear in these combat boot accessorized outfits, dancing on what looks to be Mayan ruins? Yeah.

(4) grunge - perhaps the ONLY acceptable way to wear combat boots in my opinion, grunge brings to mind flannels, Doc Martins, My So-Called Life... such a wealth of 90s nostalgia and anti-fashion, I LOVE LOVE LOVE this fashion movement. Just thinking about it makes me want to dig up my Pearl Jam CDs and write poetry in my Mead notebook with the Marvin the Martian doodles on the cover.

For just one shoe, lace up boots are quite versatile, no? However, most of the variations in which they are worn are unattractive and unappealing.

Combat boots are, however, coming through a reinvention period. They're being transformed, through the mysteries of fashion and taste-making, into a haute accessory. Here are some of my favorite combat boots for Fall 2008.


Ann Demeulemeester triple lace up flat boots. A lot chic, a little scary, and super hip.

 
Alexander McQueen's Victorian lace-up heel boots. I'm getting a witchy vibe from these and I love it. So Salem witch trials, I'd wear these with a long black dress and a scowl.



Marc by Marc Jacobs gray lace up patent leather booties. Subtle, simple, youthful. These plus black tights plus a little baby doll dress and you're channeling Debbie Harry.



Prada lace-up booties. Bronzed leather, cut at the ankle, sculpted heel, enough said.

In a sea of Ebay vintage boutiques, Fancy Finds is one of my favorites. Fancy Finds specializes in super feminine and flirty clothing that fulfills the psychedelic schoolgirl in all of us. I recently had the chance to sit down with Jamie O (the owner and headmistress of the Fancy Finds establishment) and ask her ten questions about running her business. Here's what Jamie had to say about a love of bows, her own fascination with clothes from the 50s, and being inspired by Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz! Read it, and then check out Jamie's unique wares. Snatch up the pretty suede cape she bought with Kate Moss in mind before I do - I dare you.

10. How/why did you decide to start going into the Ebay vintage business?
-- First off, fashion is an industry that excites me terribly and is my field of study. After working for a major retailer for years and learning a lot about the business, I decided to try to start my own venture with an online vintage business. Yes, it's no new concept, but I thought that I could bring my own concept to the table and at least have some fun along the way! And it truly has been nothing but!

9. How would you describe the aesthetic, or 'look,' of Fancy Finds? Who is the Fancy Finds girl?
--Having a shoot yesterday, I was joking with a model that Fancy Finds was all about BOWS. But really, aside from my love for styling with bows and ties, it's about an ultra-feminine look with a touch of storybook fantasy. Mixing oversized bows and bright colors with a feminine silhouette gives a modern update to a classic retro look. The Fancy Finds girl is someone who appreciates this feminine fantasy and wears it confidently.

8. When you go on buying trips, what sorts of clothes catch your eye? How do you decide what to buy?
--I always look for special pieces in great quality. I look for things that have a really great fit, great color, trend sensibility, and also for unique pieces that make a great statement. Almost everything I buy is going to be a statement piece in someone's wardrobe.

7. What are some of your favorite aspects of running Fancy Finds?
--There really is so much to love about running an online shop! I love doing photoshoots and styling models, collaborating on future projects with creative people, coming up with concepts for design and presentation...it goes on. The best part is working with a great team and having no boundries with how I want to direct the shop: start a blog, do fashion shows, meet people all over the world...

6. What era or eras inspire you the most?
--I love the buttoned-up style and silhouette of the 1950s with a little mix of the 1960s in color, proportion, and print. I love all of the great classic accessories from the 1940s like detailed wire floral brooches, feather hats, and sweater guards!

5. Why should we keep wearing vintage clothing? What are the advantages of recycling past styles?
--Vintage clothing will always be relevant and modern! That is the greatest thing about fashion: it always goes in cycles. In today's disposable clothing era, it's easy to look chic simply by wearing classic vintage pieces. Vintage pieces are usually made well and have lots of great detail and charm.

4. How do you keep vintage clothing new again? How do you keep it fresh?
--To update vintage clothing, it's easy: just infuse your own style! Add print and color to give some funk to classic pieces, and with the louder pieces like avant garde jackets or loud skirts, just honor the volume by pairing them with tailored denim or well-cut knit tops. If you love a piece but the fit is off, take it in on the sides in a 10-minute project or a $10 alteration. Same goes with long dresses, most can have some length taken off for an instant update. Find what you like and make it work! It makes the clothes you wear that much more special and your style of your own signature.

3. My own fascination with vintage clothing is deeply rooted in film and music, and past fashionistas like Jane Birkin and Penelope Treet who remain my style icons to this day. Who are your icons?
--Oh I am not sure my inspirations are so much people, but characters like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, Alice from Wonderland, and Mary Poppins. To me, the fantasy is much more iconic than reality.

2. Who are some celebrities you'd like to dress in Fancy Finds? What would you put them in?
--I would DEFINITELY put Mary-Kate in this oversized crochet cardigan because I bought the piece with her in mind! There is so much detail in the cardigan, you don't need to wear much else but some great platform booties and dark shades with some leather leggings. I can see Mary Kate adding some chunky bracelets and a Venti Latte into the look, too.

After that, I would put Blake Lively, as Serena van der Woodsen, in these great grey gauchos! It fits in cozily with her school attire and she can prep-it-up properly with a button-up under a short sleeve v-neck cardigan and a pair of her infamous sky-high boots a la Marc by Marc Jacobs.

Finally, I would like to see Kate Moss photographed in this suede cape while walking with Lila through the wood. She can it wear it effortlessly with some cut-off Calvins and dusty cognac motorcycle boots.

1. Anything else you'd like to tell us?
--Fancy Finds is just getting warmed up! There is so much to expect from us! We are in the works of two fabulous editorial-style photoshoots, some fashion shows in San Francisco and San Jose, and a great Fancy Finds Autumn/Winter Presentation video. We would also love to interact with our clients worldwide by doing a styling advice column in the blog.

How can one man be so quotable in just one article?

• "I'm mad for books. It is a disease I won't recover from. They are the tragedy of my life. I want to learn about everything. I want to know everything, but I'm not an intellectual, and I don't like their company. I'm the most superficial man on Earth."
• "I buy my shoes a size too small. I like the way it feels."
• "I have no problem with journalists - many are friends. Only if they are really stupid, or if they've got bad breath, or if they smell. Yesterday I had a problem. I said, 'I'm sorry, you've got to tell this woman that she needs to be taken away. Her smell is not possible.' "
• "They sent a private jet. I said, 'It's too small. I need a bigger plane.' It's fun, no?"
• "My sisters were sent away because my mother thought they were boring. I was not boring."
• "Chanel is an institution, and you have to treat an institution like a whore - and then you get something out of her."
• "My mentality has a touch of the professional killer. I'm like a mercenary, hired to kill."
• "I don't need meetings. I'm only interested in my own opinion anyway."

This man is insane. I loves!!!!

...she was this.
 

Too bad she still looks adorable, even with that ridiculous hat. Nevertheless, I'm glad she's transformed from that to...THIS:

"Hey Upper East Siders, Justin here. And I'm seriously inspired by Ed Westwick's character from Gossip Girl - Chuck Bass if you didn't know - so much that I'm going to pose myself as him in a William Rast blazer (William Rast is the LA-based clothing company I founded, FYI) on my new cover of Vanity Fair's Fashion Rocks supplement!"

Is it me, or does this cover SERIOUSLY channel Chuck Bass? Look at the dandified bow tie, the tuxedo shirt, and even that sexy squinty pout thing Justin as going on... CHUCK BASS!

I've been seeing Chuck Bass inspired clothing everywhere lately. And it's a good thing. Men, keep it coming.

And in case you didn't know - which you DO know - season 2 of Gossip Girl airs next Monday.

Party at my house?

Question: would you want to wear a dress you saw on a cartoon? Especially a cartoon who needs to get her teeth fixed?

Answer: actually, yes!

Wallace, Gromit, and Lady Campanula Trottington are the newly signed models for Harvey Nichols' upcoming fashion campaign, and the result is pretty damn cute. Doesn't the Lady look hot in her Alexander McQueen black draped dress, patent leather Loubs and a metallic Zagliani bag?

To be honest, it's refreshing seeing these claymation characters model some of these clothes. They're all so charming and unthreatening - it's great!

The department store chose to use the cartoon characters for a new store they're opening in Bristol, the city where the cartoons were created by Nick Park.

This is the new cover of the upcoming Purple magazine for Fall 08/Winter 09, photographed by Mario Sorrenti.

The website Tights Are Not Pants is funny. On it, you can even download a press kit with printable fliers, decrying the cause that tights are not pants. According to the site, "Tights as pants leave nothing to the imagination. Tights as pants are an affront to those who prefer not to know the intimate details of their neighbors' bodies. Tights as pants are the fashion equivalent of too much information."

These people must hate me because I wear tights as pants all the time. I know tights might fall into the "non-native clothing category" but I can't help it. I did ballet as a child. My parents dragged me to Shakespeare theater where men wore tights as pants. I was obsessed with Cher and Madonna when I was an impressionable age, and they wore tights as pants all the time. I am part of that generation of lost souls raised in the 80s with the "tights ARE pants" tattoo in my brain. I can't change. I can't transform. Short of submitting myself to electroshock therapy, I will probably always think tights are pants. And I'm proud to admit it!

Whoa. According to NY Mag, this is an "ass bra". This piece of machinery is made by a company called Bubbles, and they've labeled this the "OO push-up control brief." According to the Bubbles website: The "OO-Brief" provides maximum push-up effect with minimum booty coverage. Features a pretty lace detail at the base of each leg piece.

Hrmph. Okaaaay. I was still puzlzing over this garment when I realized there is an entire OO collection of undergarments, like the OO push-up High-Waisted Girdle Thong, the OO push-up control panty thong, OO butt booster derriere bands booty capris, and the OO butt bra bands thigh shapers, among others.

Aggressive! But smart too, in a way. Find a niche clientele of people with saggy butts, and squeeze every last dime out of them.

Have you ever wondered what it is like to go into some of your favorite fashion peoples' homes? Like Alexander Wang, for instance?



Or Erin Wasson?


Or Brian Lichtenberg?


Then check out The Selby. Voyeurism as art.

Women's Wear Daily is reporting that CVS is planning to open upscale beauty superstores, which they've named Beauty 360, where they will sell upscale department store brands. Basically, Beauty 360 will be something like a Sephora, attached to a CVS.

WWD states: The Beauty 360 units will range between 2,500 and 4,000 square feet in size, and will either be housed in an adjacent store, accessible to CVS shoppers via a breezeway, or a separate store within a CVS store.

StyleBayArea states: YESYESYES. I live across from a CVS. Think about how great it would be if all CVS' came with makeup counters where you could get your Lorac, your Makeup Forever, your Bare Minerals, your Guerlain and Chanel and Christian Dior makeup, all in one trip along with the toilet paper, the toothpaste, and the Advil. We are coming into a time of uber-convenience. I'm a slave to convenience, and this makes life so much easier for me. Another great thing about Beauty 360 is that you can get your drugstore brands AND your department store brands together. Makeup should be democratic and why should people have to make 2 trips, one to a Rite Aid to get their Maybeline mascara and another to Nordstrom's to get their Philosophy face scrub? This is better for customers as a whole. "Consumers may see gray when shopping for beauty products -- democratically filling their makeup bags with items from Target, CVS and Neiman Marcus, for instance." I think this is a great idea!

This YSL Mombasa murse, in buffalo Africa leather with deer horn handle, is beyond cute.

I remember back when murses were considered to be silly - but now, if I were to see a guy carrying this $995 bag around town, I wouldn't even blink an eye. Men with purses have entered our collective consciousness to such a degree that their presence is not only expected, but actually comforting. I wouldn't feel so bad spending so much on my own purse if I knew men out there were willing to do the same.

Sometimes, I even cannot tell the difference between a "guy" bag and a "girl" bag. This D & G embellished bag, on sale at Saks for $1519.42, would not strike me as a "guy" bag, though it is on sale in the men's department.

I think the next trend in murses is that men will start carrying women's handbags all together. Any why shouldn't they? Women's handbags are cuter. They're smaller and more portable. They come in a wider variety of colors. Men, take note.

Would you pay $198 for a boater hat? This Brooks Brothers hat is so cute - I'd totally wear it, except I don't want to pay $198 and I'd definitely not want to shop at Brooks Brothers prepster central.



















I just think boater hats are so cute on girls like Filippa Berg at right. That outfit is like fancy pants Great Gatsby meets I-want-to-look-like-I-am-really-broke and it just works. I'm a total fan of the everything at the kitchen sink aesthetic, so if I can pile on a scarf and necklaces and a huge back and a jacket over a cardigan AND a boater hat, I'd do it.

I just need to find the perfect boater hat first!

I think this will be one of those things on my wishlist that I'll just have to sit on until that perfect day I'm walking through Thrift Town in the middle of the afternoon and WHAM it's just there, in all its glory, for my greedy eyes and mine alone. Because I'm not going to Brooks Brothers.

Hahahaha! From Purseblog.

I am literally obsessed with bracelets. I love bangles, cuffs, charm bracelets, and arm bands all. I like to pile on bracelets until my arm looks like a robot arm.

That's why I'm super sad I don't have a CHANEL bangle, but not really all that sad because if I had one, it'd mean I'd have paid $140 for a plastic bracelet.

I will, however, pay $5 for a black plastic bracelet at Forever 21 and write stuff on it in French with a white out pen and pretend... DIY right?

Helena Christensen looks ferosh on the new cover of Dansk. At 40, she looks simply amazing.

Helena is one of my favorite models because (1) she was one of the founders of Nylon magazine - bet you didn't know that! and (2) because she epitomizes bohemian chic and even sells antique furniture in her own New York boutique and (3) because in the 90s she didn't quite have the fame meter of models like Cindy or Christy or Naomi but her career has had greater longevity anyway and at 40 she's still totally still in the biz!

According to Dansk: "We say NO NO" is the theme of the next issue of Dansk, out 14 August 2008. From the very first page, the word no rules supreme. We love to say no. A big no to all things we really didn't want to do -- and to all those situations it's normally considered polite to say yes to.

Rather than featuring yet another teenage model with next to no life experience, our chosen cover girl is supermodel/mother/photographer and shop owner, Helena Christensen. In a personal interview, Helena talks about the things she's had to say no to, and what it's like to always be the centre of attention.

I don't know about you, but I personally say YES to Helena.

Did you read the hipster hookers article in Radar today? It caught me off guard. Hipster hookers??? What is that?!?!?!? So juicy!! Also, the article came with photographs by Jessica-Craig Martin, whom I gushed about last week.

 

Are there hipster hookers in San Francisco?

Fashionista has transcribed the entire Kate Moss interview in this month's Interview magazine. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!

Highlights:

"I wasn't the Amazonian girl that everyone in fashion was used to, with the big tits, all curvy and tall. I was small in comparison. It's funny, though, because I always thought I was as tall as, like, Christy, and then I'd be doing her makeup in the mirror and realize that I was 5 inches shorter."

"I wouldn't know what to do with a B cup."

"I hate dentists. That's why my tooth fell out. I was in the middle of a root canal and wouldn't go back, so it just dropped out when I was in the middle of Fifth Avenue. I had to do the Calvin Klein show without the tooth."

"I met James Brown! I danced with him on the runway at one of Thierry Mugler's shows. He was singing "Sex Machine" and I was dancing in a ball gown, and he turned around and danced with me. It took me a second to realize I was dancing with James Brown, I froze. His teeth were so white. He wasn't really singing. He was lip-synching. But he was incredible. And he was so nice. He said later, " You've got to come to my 50th-birthday party." I was thinking, Fifty? Right? I think he had lost count."

Carine Roitfeld. She epitomizes bad gal radiance. Such a different style than our own Anna Wintour! These images are via Jak & Jil, one of my new favorite websites out there documenting high street fashion.

  

Carine Roitfeld is possibly the best dressed woman on the planet. I adore her rigid, intellectual approach to fashion that is still 100% body conscious and sensual despite the severity. I also love how she speaks her mind. On Anna Wintour: "Anna becomes so iconic that she becomes like a puppet. I don't want to be like that. I don't want to wear this uniform. I don't want to be just an envelope." Another favorite quote? "I love pills. I cannot sleep, so I love pills. My doctor, he tells me that I begin to lose my vision because of the pills."

Artist Terence Koh is a huge fashion inspiration for me. His style is avant-garde but still accessible, and his clothes are just over-the-top enough without going over the edge. He's definitely one of the best dressed men out there.