October 2008 Archives

• Michelle Williams looks stunning at the premiere of Synecdoche. Fashion Week Daily.
• Love Rihanna's new hair! Props to her stylist. Perez Hilton.
• Super chic Obama t-shirt. W Magazine Editor's Blog.
• Shannon Doherty opens up. Radar.
• Indie Fashion is alive and well in San Francisco. SF Bay Style.
• Estee Lauder claims it can take 10 years off your appearance. WWD.
• Danny Rozen's wooden mirrors are absolutely amazing! Trendhunter.
• Guns plus models? Bang Ban fashion in Numero. Fashionation.
  

While it's still roasting in San Francisco during the day (oh how I love the eternal spring of the Bay... and I did not mean for that to rhyme...), it's definitely getting colder here at night. And yay for that, because the cold air means I get to wear one of Mischa Lampert's ridiculously over-the-top but ridiculously adorable hats.

These handbag cakes are all the masterwork of San Francisco based cake designer, Debbie, of Debbie Does Cakes. I wonder if the title of her company is a veiled reference to Debbie Does Dallas. If it is, I love this all the more. Her handbag cakes are the most delicious and stylish looking cakes I've ever seen. Her cakes are all done by Debbie herself, and she meets with clients to design each individual treat. Her cakes are priced per specific commission and start at around $200. Not bad for a Chanel cake, if you consider how much an actual Chanel bag costs! If you don't want to fork over $200 plus for a cake, why not try a cupcake? She does those too, and they're $2 each, with an additional $1.50 per design. Sounds like a reasonable deal to me! I think I'll be calling Debbie up next time I have a birthday bash. Maybe she can whip me up a sugar shoe. What's a sugar shoe, you might wonder? Look below. Scrumptious.

 

Trendhunter has put me onto these RGB glasses that can be whatever color you want them to be. Neato! They're clear plastic sunglasses that you can fill with colorful water-based inks to coordinate them with whatever outfit you happen to be wearing that day. Fill them up with the ink or alcohol of your choice!

• The "oops I crapped my pants" style. Hipster Runoff.
• Amazing shoulder pads. The Sartorialist.
• Olivier Theyskins and Reese Witherspoon are a quite a collaborative pair. Fashionologie.
• Why do feminists love assholes? Jezebel.
• Tanning your face with a towelette is just weird. I Am Getting Fit.
• 1920s fashion is still inspiring to this day. 1920-30.com.
• Dr. Ruth talks Sex with Emily. 7x7 SF.
• Check out Iekeliene Stange's backstage photography. Style.com.
  

Free Gold Watch's "Best Friends" tee! So cute! Free Gold Watch is a San Francisco t-shirt label. Check their site to see where it's available.

Baggu's reusable shopping bags are the perfect way to be eco-friendly and extremely hip at the same time. These bags are so cute and versatile - and inexpensive at the same time! For $8, you get a bag and a pouch, and they come in a bunch of different, cute colors. One Baggu holds what 2-3 plastic grocery bags hold, and they're made of rip-stop Nylon so they're way stronger. Also, WAY WAY cuter. Shop for them here!

I am in love with Rich-in-Craft's antler bag, named the "Folie a Deux" bag. The bags are 100% wool with a silk lining, and the antlers are polyurethane and glass, made from a mold custom made by the desigers themselves. Rich-in-Craft is co-owned by L.A. designers, Tiffani Anne Williams and Parker Todd Brooks. The Folie-a-Deux bag is their first design available to the public. Only 36 of these bags have been made! Extraordinarily lovely.

Band of Outsiders is one of my favorite lines. Their pieces are classic with a twist - amazing staples that are versatile, unique, and interesting. Somehow, Band of Outsiders makes preppy cool again.



While their menswear is what got Band of Outsiders famous, I especially love Boy by Band of Outsiders, their womenswear line. These clothes are for low maintenance, high cool chicks like Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams, both of whom lended their faces to the line. Below, Michelle Williams looking super in Boy.

 

This is why the Sex and the City movie is not at all like real life. Cuz your feet are a size 13. Jezebel.

Discover the amazing style of designer Peter Horstein. Fashionindie.

NY Mag has Spencer Pratt's phone number. Wanna play "dial the douche"? The Cut.

Is Gerard Butler really Anna Wintour's "obsession"? Fashionologie.

Angelina Jolie talks about Brad in a new W Magazine cover and article. Gag. Just Jared.

COACD's top 10 new faces of SS2009. COACD.

Why Japanese women don't get fat. Huffington Post.

Scarlett Johansson's fugly new Cosmo Girl cover. Go Fug Yourself.

Edun has a pop-up store in SF in one of my favorite Hayes Valley boutiques: Azalea! Some history behind the brand: Edun was started by U2's Bono and his wife, Ali Hewson. Edun is a socially conscious fashion label that uses environmentally sound manufacturing techniques and donates 15% of all proceeds to charity. It exists also to provide employment for people in developing regions, particularly Sub-Saharan Africa, by using the fair trade business model. Anyway, point of the story: Edun makes really cute clothes, it's a ethical company, and they'll be selling stuff at Azalea until the 20th of October. Get you there, lady! Below, a video of Ali from Nylon TV, talking about Edun. Enjoy.

 

Who says fashion doesn't have a uniform? Because they lied. There's a uniform, and it's ALL black. I could stare at these photos from Jak & Jil all day.
 

Will it hurry up and get cold already? I want to wear a black coat, black scarf, black skirt, black blouse, black purse, black nailpolish, black underwear, black tights, black stiletto boots, and a soul as black as night! San Francisco may be a city of perpetual spring, but it's October already, and fall is all about the color black. Now, memo to the sun: you are just too damn sunny here in SF. Go away already. You don't match with my existential crisis and my black Louboutins.

• Here are some of the cutest colorful chairs from San Francisco's best antique stores. Apartment Therapy.
  
• Asian boys look good in ruffles. Bryan Boy.
• Bowler hats are the new fedoras. Who What Wear.
• Tales from Clarion Alley aka Crack Alley, here in San Francisco. I Am Not A Book Of Answers.
• I need an Alexander McQueen all-in-one tuxedo. Momist.
• TopShop Pacman leggings are tres cute. Fashionista.
• Sean Connery is in a Louis Vuitton ad!!! Frillr.
  

Abbey Lee's newest editorial in Dazed & Confused is as beautiful as it is terrifying. She looks like the ghost villain in a Japanese horror film.



I love it when fashion editorials take art to the next level with cool innovation. Check out the rest of the awesome photos, here.

Michelle looked lovely last night in Narcisco Rodriguez. That's all.

What are you going to be for Halloween? If you're searching for ideas and can't come up with anything on your own, American Apparel has a great DIY Halloween guide that outlines some pretty kooky ideas for October 31. Some of my favorites include the 'naked' people and the "90s pregger". The only downside is that, come Halloween, everyone will have seen these ads. I always try to be original on Halloween except, in the end, I can never think of anything cool. Maybe this year I'll go as Victoria Beckham in those crazy Marc Jacobs ads. Or maybe I'll just go as a naked person in an American Apparel unitard.

Crazy unfair. Not only is model Jessica Stam tall, thin, and gorgeous, but she also lives here. Elle Decor goes inside the charming home of Miss Stam and induces the envy of women everywhere.
 

The creepy plastered hair and over-the-face hairnets at Alexander McQueen SS 2009 are as beautiful as they are macabre. There is definitely something almost funereal about this look - the pallid faces, the wispy hair, the tubercular paleness of the entire effect. It almost looks as if these models drowned in a lake somewhere, only to turn back to life as beautiful, thin, six-feet-tall zombies wearing some pretty fabulous McQueen clothes. Hey, there are worse ways to die.

The Little House on the Prairie boot is one of the biggest shoe trends for fall. At first, the look was predominantly adopted by pretty brown-haired indie rock girls in flannel shirts and cut off jean shorts, but the trend has evolved into not just mainstream womenswear, but menswear as well. I've seen lace-up boots on the feet of fashionable young men in San Francisco and it's always surprised me that it actually looks good - and not at all feminine on a boy! Super. Can you tell which of these shoes are for the ladies and which of these shoes are for the gents?



Top row, from left to right: Chronicles of Never men's boot and Jeffrey Campbell women's boot.

Bottom row, from left to right: We Who See women's boot and Schmoove men's boot.

The fashion world loves Barack Obama and so do we. Above, a look which debuted at Sonia Rykiel's SS 2009 show, designed for the house by Rodarte.

Highlights:

"We've become a little spoiled with menswear in particular because, of course, we've come off a period in the '70s and '80s when Armani, which is very soft, dominated menswear. And we've become obsessed with comfort. I actually don't like that. I think you should suffer sometimes to be attractive and beautiful, so I cut the clothes very slim because I like to feel the clothes on my body." -Tom Ford

"But if you see those movies with Cary Grant, they are chic, but I am not sure I would like the clothes. I'm not sure I'd like the cut. I'm not sure they would be that great for the average man of the street. For me, American fashion and the look of American elegance with an updated image is Tom [Ford]. There may be others, but I don't wear those." -Karl Lagerfeld

This interview in TIME is part of a larger feature on the American menswear market. An interesting read.

I love the new collection from Hood by Air. It's edgy, modern, conceptual, and photographs beautifully. The glasses are especially cool; I'd totally rock these updated Jordi LaForges. I love HbA because they buck all the current trends. When the other boys are wearing skinny jeans, HbA makes parachute pants that look even cooler. If I were a boy, I'd be wearing stuff like this. Fo sho.
 

Pierre Cardin's SS 2009 line is a disaster. There is a fine line between 'homage' and 'parody' and he enters the dangerous realm of parody in his obnoxiously literal take on mod fashion. Pierre Cardin used to be relevant back in the 1960s, and it's obvious he's let fame get to his head because his designs have made no discernible progression since the days of the bubble dress. Between the rubber placemat hat, the bathmat that doubles as a shoulder harness, or the telletubby cape thing, I don't know what I hate the most. Is this the sign of an unraveling mind? Someone really needs to retire...

Whether you're going to Underground SF for Gemini Disco, or to the Knock Out for Debaser, or to the Great American Music Hall for Deerhoof, or to Smut at the Matador, or to your friend's house party, or if you stay in and watch SNL and go to bed early cuz you wanna work out tomorrow, BE SAFE. Happy LoveFest, SF. And don't wear anything you'll regret (leather bondage gear, fake fur burning man duds, legwarmers and fuzzy platform boots) because I will post pictures of questionable ensembles come Monday and call you out, publically. In good fun, of course.

For those of you who saw Sigur Ros last night at the Greek Theater in Berkeley, I'm sure we can all agree that it was an epic, amazing show. The set was spectacular, the setting was perfect, but the best part of the whole show happened when the band came out for their encore. At that very moment, it actually started to rain. We all got completely drenched in the outdoor amphitheater, but it felt beautiful and natural. Everyone was lifting faces and hands to the rain, and it was such a momentous, perfect finale to the haunting, eerie, nearly spiritual experience that was listening to Sigur Ros in a sudden downpour, as if somehow the rain was caused by the music and we were all just witnesses to the event.

So, Doc Martins are actually super cute, and I am really digging the return of these iconic boots. After nearly a decade of being disregarded as passe, the Doc Martin is back and gaining in popularity. FYI, I need to get my hands on a pair of authentic vintage floral Doc Martins.

There are a host of amazing new Doc Martins on their website. Some of my favorites include Marceaux Pascal's monochromatic Doc boots and the "Made in Colour" collection of bright neon boots.

Speaking of Doc Martins, I need to host an early 90s party at my house. Some bad 90s alt rock (STP or PJ anyone?), an assortment of 90s food like Gushers and Dunkaroos, and as much Capri-Sun as you can drink. See you there.

Agyness Deyn looks beautiful in these photos from French Vogue. This is a true "fashion" spread - these clothes are cutting edge, super progressive, sinfully expensive, and nearly unwearable except in the context of art. I love it. I also love Aggy. She may be overexposed, she may be last year's news, she may be phasing out, but you have to admit, the woman is a talented model.
 

No one does masculin feminin quite like Miss Deyn. Despite her boyish looks, she never comes across as mannish. She's a total lady, and she's probably the only model right now who can pull this off.

A first of its kind, Viktor & Rolf decided to eschew the notion of a traditional show and present their clothes from SS 2009 in an online only format that transports the viewer front and center. The beauty of this is that you can watch the fashion show from anywhere - including your work station while you procrastinate. Watch it here.

Watching this, I came up with a few observations. I think these online shows definitely are the wave of the future, as you can do a lot of things online that you can't with just a traditional show. For instance, there are lots of close up and detail shots of the clothing that allows the viewer to pause and look at the clothes while the model walks down the runway. Such a level of detail would never be possible at a real show, not even from the front row. Furthermore, the designers accomplished this entire show with the use of only one model - the inimitable Shalom Harlow. In certain shots, multiple Shalom Harlows walked down the runway one after the other, a creepy yet interesting effect. I also like the universality of this format, and the democratic nature of a show where everyone, no matter who they are, is ostensibly invited. Viktor & Rolf's online show definitely addresses the question whether fashion shows are still relevant in the age of the web, and from what I see here, they are skeptical.

On the other hand, I don't see how a traditional show and an online show couldn't exist simultaneously. There's something magical about seeing clothes in person - even if it's from far away. You get sensory effects from live viewing that you simply can't get from looking at a screen. In person, you get a sense of immedicacy, for one. You have the ability to judge the weight of the clothes. You can see the clothes move and float in person. You can watch the clothes against a live human body, and judge how they look on a real person. These things cannot be replaced.

I'm interested in seeing what happens next season. Will Viktor & Rolf return to form with a live show? Or will they use this as a precedent for their future showings? Only time will tell. In the meantime, we can all agree the web is a very exciting prospect for the future of fashion.

The feet above belong to Miss Victoria Beckham, who wore these Antonio Berardi heel-less ankle boots to a fragrance launch in New York a week ago. Apparently they are extremely easy to walk in. Because of the weight of the shoe, the heaviness of the toe, and the platform under the ball of the foot, the shoe forces your weight forward and then downward, so it's literally impossible to teeter backwards. Apparently they're easier to walk in than actual heels! I've never actually tried a pair on so I can't say for certain if this claim in true, but my feet hurt just by looking at them. I don't know if heel-less shoes will be in my near or far future, despite them being touted as the future of shoes.

EW. I have nothing against Lily Cole, but this cover from French Playboy just puts a bad taste in my mouth. Creepy, infantilized, and styled like a terrible 80s teen movie? Apparently, the Playboy cover was inspired by Serge Gainsbourg's album cover for the 1971 classic Histoire de Melody Nelson, but after comparing the two covers, I have come to the conclusion that this is not a true statement at all. They look nothing alike.

What happened to the classy Lily Cole that stormed the runways all over the world? The Lily Cole who goes to deferred at Cambridge U? I'm not one to compare models but Gemma Ward would never pose for Playboy. That's all I'm saying.

Oh well. At least it's not your typical American Playboy cover. But do you think this will be good or bad for her career? Lily hasn't been on the runways in any of the 2009 shows, and I'm curious to see where her career goes if/when she returns to the catwalk. I'm skeptical - who goes from posing for Playboy to walking for Miuccia Prada? The same Miuccia who famously said, "The more sexy you make yourself appear, the less you'll have sex." Amen.

Last week, he stormed the runway at the Agatha Ruiz de la Prada show in Milan, wearing a huge green cape with an Ugg boot strapped to his outer thigh. Then, he tried getting into Versace but was denied by security, even though he was dressed head-to-toe in Alexander McQueen and looked completely different. This week, he made it to Stella McCartney's show, and caused some chaos. According to Vogue UK, 'With his red thong clearly visible above his jeans, the comedian - who was virtually unrecognisable in a flamboyant leather gilet, with his slicked-down hair dyed blonde and brown - sucked Tampax, clapped along to the music and generally disgruntled the front row by continually pushing aside those sitting in front of him for a better look at the models." Bruno has become the latest fixture in the fashion crowd! Now, I wanna see the video of him at Stella McCartney. Anyone have video footage??

Chanel gun heels from Lagerfeld's Cruise 2009 collection. Shoes to die for, shoes to kill for, shoes that murder. When I first heard about these shoes, I thought they were kind of silly, but these feet belong to Leigh Lezark, and on her, they're strangely appropriate. Would you  Chanel guns on your feet? What about Chanel lightbulbs?

The leather dress is a trend I am definitely embracing. I love the tough girl vibe of black leather, and it's such a perfect texture and weight for a fall to winter fabric. Not to mention it's sinfully sexy. Leather wears so well that these dresses can be worn season upon season - if it's high quality stuff, it will seriously last. Here are some of my favorite leather dresses for the season. From left to right, top to bottom: Vince, Rag and Bone, Marc Jacobs, Helmut Lang, Alice and Olivia, Alice and Olivia

Penny loafers are one of my favorite shoe trends for fall. There's something so bookish about them, paired with a wool skirt and a conservative blouse. But for those who aren't so into the psychadelic schoolgirl look, there are many ways to wear penny loafers - more than people realize. Just look at Michael Jackson! Penny loafers have been gracing the feet of young celebrities like Katie Holmes, Alexa Chung, and Kirsten Dunst, and they're gonna be huge in the upcoming season. My favorite variety? Classic, like those to the right. Why mess with a classic? Penny loafers will be for cool chicks what Sperry Topsiders were for the cool dudes - two years ago. Trust.

Sofia Coppola will add a new title to her already formidable list of accomplishments! The very artistic Sofia has been tapped by Marc Jacobs to design a line of handbags for Louis Vuitton. Sofia is Marc's friend and muse, and I think the collaboration between these two will be great for the brand. Having starred in many MJ campaigns, and currently starring with her father in Louis Vuitton's "core values" campaign, Sofia is a familiar face to the company. Lending her artistic hand to the design house seems the next logical step in her already extensive collaboration with MJ and his design team. According to WWD, the bags will launch in Japan and then be sold worldwide.