Lighten Up, It's a New Year

Unfortunately, I haven't been posting as regularly lately - between the holidays and my travels back to Texas, the last few weeks of 2009 have been a whirlwind.

Get amped for a new decade with gorgeous pastels - after a crazy year, I think most people are ready to lighten up. Check out my weekly post on Urban Darling, and take a peek at Mark Fast's Spring RTW 2010 for a some inspiration.

Cheers!

All images via Style.com.

New Year's Resolution: Channel the Motherland

I have been quietly obsessing over Naeem Khan's "punk raj" Spring 2010 RTW collection for sometime now. I love it. It's fun, intricate, and channels traditional Indian adornment with a distinct edge. It's much more than your typical East-meets-West fare: it's so rocker-ready, and I can't get enough.

Images via Style.com.

WANTED: Christopher Kane, NYE 2010

Check out my post on Urban Darling - and get ready for 2010!

Pick Your Decade: 70s or 80s

After a strong wave of 80s revival, Jak & Jil's Tommy Ton Predicts a resurgance of softer 70s glam. Check out my post on Urban Darling!

New Year's Resolution: Go Bold

I think anyone who knows me can testify to the fact that I spent the early half of 2009 donning more lady-like ensembles: bustiers with full skirts and soft lines. In 2010, I'm looking forward to keeping some aspects of this flattering silhouette for my day-to-day, but beefing it up with a far stronger & bolder visual elements. My inspirations? Beyonce in her recent music videos, Manish Arora's RTW Spring 2010 line, and the very positive and strong people in my life. Cheers!

Manish Arora images courtesy of WWD.com, Videophone stills via Gossiponthis.com.

Do Some Good

This is a cause I really believe in supporting. Do some good!

The DC Rape Crisis Center is looking for a little help this holiday season. Funding has been cut significantly for the Center, so they have started raising money to buy underwear for victims after they leave their medical exams. Amazingly, the Crisis Center no longer has money for something as small (but important) as undies.

Its $1/pair, a small contribution that might make a significant difference to someone in a truly traumatic situation. OR you can go out and choose some [new] spiffy undies and donate them yourself!

To donate: send checks (even just $1) to:
Volunteer Office, DC Rape Crisis Center, PO Box 34125, Washington DC 20043 (only send checks payable to "DC Rape Crisis Center").

If you have any questions, or would like to speak to a contact person at the Center, feel free to comment on the post, and I'll get you in touch with someone who can help! Thanks!

Hook It Up - REBELDNCE

Sick DJs, sample sales, and sweet photography. Sounds like a solid Wednesday night to me.

When: Wednesday, December 9, Happy Hour 6pm - 8pm
Where: Gallery Bar, 120 Orchard Street, New York, NY
What: REBELDNCE & Princess of the Posse sales, Mike Schreiber Photography.

Gracias to Lyss for the tip, via Jackie Johnson.

Erica Weiner Jewelry

I have a crush on Erica Weiner's Steel Pen Nib Necklaces. These pieces look both delicate and dangerous (the website even warns that they're sharp enough to ever-so-slightly stab a fool). According to the website, the designer found the nibs in a barn in Maine, soldered on brass rings, and put them on chains. The result is charming coupled with bad ass. At $45, they make for extremely affordable and original gifts (especially for the writer in your life).

Images via Erica Weiner Online.

Big thanks to Christina for the tip! Check out more tips like this on Daily Candy.

WANTED: Robert Rodriguez Black Label 2009

I have spent the better part of my evening concocting schemes to wear Robert Rodriguez's Naomi dress for New Year's Eve. The front is gorgeous, elegant, and current - and the back is ridiculously sexy. The perfect combination to kick-start a new year, and a fresh decade, no?

Images via Robert Rodriguez Online.

Get Your Rodarte for Target Early

Huzzah! From Friday, December 11 till Sunday, December 13, you can buy select Rodarte clothes at the Target To Go pop-up store, which will be located at Gansevoort and Washington (at the Highline entrance).

This isn't a presale - it's more of a holiday shop-a-thon, so you walk in, pick the pieces you want, and buy them pre-wrapped. Probably not the best for someone who likes to feel fabrics and try things on for hours (guilty), but great for someone hoping to get a much-coveted Rodarte dress before everyone else. There are all sorts of items at this event, so be prepared to square off with stressed parents and last-minute shoppers.

Target To Go
Friday, December 11 - Sunday, December 13
10am - 8pm
Gansevoort and Washington (at the Highline entrance), New York, NY

Source: The Cut
Image via The Cut.

Rachel Roy Pre-Fall 2010

Rachel-Roy's Pre-Fall 2010 collection includes a subtle palette of soft neutrals and Moroccan influences. Check out the stunning Casablanca-reminiscent clothes, and my review, on Urban Darling this week!

Curiosities Trunk Show - This Friday, December 4

Curiosities Trunk Show
When: Friday, December 4, 6.30pm - 9.30pm
Where: Audrey Bar - W Tuscany Hotel, 120 E. 39th St, New York, NY
(btwn Park & Lexington)

I have known Brooklyn-based artist Valerie Feingold for years now, and I've become a huge fan of her handcrafted, nature-inspired jewelry. She's got a wide array of looks, but in particular, I'm obsessed with her elemental cuffs: from a distance they make a bold statement, but up close you can see the delicate work and craftsmanship involved. Her Treeleaf Cuff is one of my staples (and it looks even hotter when I have a tan). This year, I'm hoping to snag the large Art Deco Cuff in brass or gold.

Her trunk shows have been huge successes, so I'm excited to see what's new this season. I've found that Curiosities pieces make perfect holiday gifts: everything is incredibly affordable, and the handmade factor ups the ante.

About Valerie Feingold:

Curiosities Jewelry, run by Valerie Feingold, has been selling individually handcrafted work in NYC at private trunk shows and boutiques, including Tiburon, a fashionable forerunner in Redhook. The intersection point between the natural world and the man-made inspires the collection, made from combinations of brass, gold, silver, precious gemstones, fibers, and feathers. Curiosities Jewelry reflects the modern woman's desire for both elegance and whimsy.

Valerie has also apprenticed under designer Judith Haas.

All images courtesy of Curiosities Jewelry.

Congrats to Behind the Seam's Trang Huyen!

Fashion blogger Trang Huyen, who writes Behind the Seams, is the winner of the StyleList.com/Bluefly.com search for America's Most Stylish Blogger. Huyen will be curating a Bluefly storefront and writing a column for StyleList. The girl's got great style - I've been following her blog, and she came up with some pretty original, but totally wearable, looks. Good for her!

Zac Posen for Target (or, a Holiday Miracle)

After gushing incessantly about Rodarte for Target, the mega-chain has given me another reason to swoon: Zac Posen is slated to design a collection for Target's Go International series. According to WWD, the collection will be available April 25 till May 30, 2010, both in-store and online.

Just recently, Posen unveiled his Z Spoke line at Saks, a "budget-friendly" collection, starting with t-shirts retailing at $78. As The Cut points out, the Target line may further spike the rumors that the label is suffering financially.

Regardless, I'm stoked. I fell quite blissfully in love with the designer in college, when I was fortunate enough to snag a last-minute ticket to the Zac Posen Spring 2008 RTW show during Fashion Week (who knew interning could have such exquisite perks?). Although that particular collection was heavily criticized, Posen's creations, and the runway show, reflected the designer's knack for totally transforming the viewer's experience into a fantastical dream.

Not a lot has been revealed about the Target collection, i.e. price point or design influences, but I'm sure something will leak online sooner or later. I'll keep you posted.

Top image, Zac Posen RTW Spring 2010. Bottom image, Z Spoke Spring 2010. Both Images via WWD.com.

Change Is Good

In the tradition of all great fashion moments, I have given my blog a makeover (Agyness Deyn's new brunette look is on my mind right now). Regardless, I'd like to thank my ever-patient and enthusiastic family and friends for helping me put it together. Most of all, I'd like to thank the queen of ridiculously awesome makeovers, Sam - my very dear friend who decided to show up to our prom (in Texas) rocking a golden tan and a bright pink updo. To this date, it's still one of the most inspiring, and utterly ballsy, looks I've ever seen.

Cheers!


Image of Agyness Deyn via ry.com.au

Happy Thanksgiving - Schlump in Style

Check out my post on Urban Darling this week - dedicated to all of you who would rather spend the holidays watching movies on your couch (don't get me wrong, that's my m.o. as well). Happy Thanksgiving!

Michelle Obama Wears Rachel Roy and Naeem Khan

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife Gursharan Kaur arrived at the White House yesterday. When speaking about the evening's reception, Michelle Obama wore a dress by American-born Indian designer Rachel Roy, and in the evening, she wore a dress by Indian-American designer, Naeem Khan. According to Mrs. O/The Cut:

"The strapless gown features hand cut sterling silver sequins sewn on nude silk chiffon, which create an abstract floral pattern. The dress is entirely handmade, requiring three weeks of work by 40 people, completed in Naeem Kahn's family workshop in India."

Supposedly Khan's instructions were to create something "Indian, chic, simple, but very glamorous."

I think this dress looks stunning on Michelle Obama, as most clothes do on her, and I love that she made the effort to patron American-Indian designers for the occasion (shout out to the motherland). While the dress doesn't necessarily speak to the brightly-hued glittery saris of the western imagination, the intricate, delicate work, the craftsmanship, and the fluid fabrics are key factors in Indian eveningwear, both modern and traditional.

Top Image via The Cut, bottom Images via Mrs. O.

Ballet & Bolts: Thank You, Alexander McQueen

Today, I received the link to this Interview post, penned by Ana Finel Honigman. Yet again, I'm overwhelmed by Alexander McQueen's distinct vision, particularly when designing unrivaled accessories.

McQueen's Titanic Ballet Pump, from the Spring 2010 collection, is an incredible piece: on one hand, the shade of soft pink leather is perfectly in sync with a ballerina's first pair of slippers, and yet the platform is reminiscent of the box of a pointe shoe. And then, of course, there's that heel... made of hardware.

Honigman acutely points out, "Few non-dancers watch The Nutcracker and think about hip replacement surgery, which is why Alexander McQueen's Titanic Ballerina pump has such uncanny erotic allure. Its overtly sexy silhouette is like a direct flick of the finger to death, decay and the consequences of decadence."

I think she's on the mark. But since art is open to interpretation, I have a slightly different reading of this shoe: the stunning heel is an obvious nod to architectural grace, and with all its parts revealed, it seems like a piece of the Eiffel Tower was glued to the bottom of a ballet shoe. Beauty has taken two forms, one is the effortless charm of the the pink ballet shoe, and another is the intricate - and almost frightening - mechanical elegance of the heel. The Titanic, heralded for its technology and unsurpassed luxury, is a prime example of mankind's hubris inciting nature's wrath. Check out McQueen's full Spring 2010 collection on Style.com - man vs. wild seems to be the central theme.

But over-analyzing aside, I can't get over these shoes. Maybe it's because I was a ballerina in my teens? I don't think I ever felt cooler than when rocking a leotard, tights, and pointe shoes (I'm quite the dork, I know).

When I Was Thirteen, I Wasn't as Cool as Tavi Gevinson

At thirteen years old, Style Rookie's blogger Tavi Gevinson is making quite a name for herself on the fashion scene. Gevinson started her blog at the age of eleven (seriously) and has developed an impressive following. In Teen Vogue, the Mulleavy sisters reportedly said, "Tavi defines Rodarte for Target... she's curious and discerning."

She was recently on the cover of Pop magazine, designed by Damien Hirst. Now, the the quirky teenager is traveling to Tokyo, where she will be the guest of honor at the Comme des Garçons' holiday party this Friday, November 27th, and where she will meet Rei Kawakubo. On Style Rookie, Gevinson describes herself at the type of girl who "scatters black petals on Rei Kawakubo's doorsteps and serenades her in rap."

I love this blog. She's a surprisingly good writer, and she's got a whimsical personal style. Reading Gevinson's blog reminds me of how I felt about fashion when I was growing up - something liberating that helped me escape to a far more exciting world.

Top Image via The Cut, bottom images via TeenVogue.com and Celebglitz.com.

The Countdown Begins: Rodarte for Target

A couple of months ago, I saw some images of the Rodarte for Target collection via nitro:licious, and while the designs were appealing, the images made it difficult to tell whether or not the pieces would look chic or cheap (you can see what I mean by checking the bottom image consisting of twelve looks - the clothes piqued my interest, but the styling needs reworking).

Now that the collection has been photographed by several magazines, a) it seems absolutely fabulous and b) it's an editorial darling. In Vogue's December 2009 issue, the two looks featured are perfect Holiday ensembles. In particular, I've been salivating over the black lace dress, although the I'm quite partial to the mustard hue in the second look. I hope to snag several of the cardigans and the skeleton dress as well. I like the range, too - delicate dresses, rocker-inspired skeleton and leopard dresses, versatile cardigans, and casual vests and tops. There's plenty to work with!

Kate and Laura Mulleavy (the designing sisters behind Rodarte) are fast becoming my heroines. More exciting news: according to another nitro:licious report, Eugenia Kim and Cynthia Vincent will each be launching a limited-edition collection at Target - details to come.

The collection drops on December 20th, 2009, and will be available till February 6, 2010. And, thankfully, you can avoid the sartorial maelstrom by shopping online!

Top image via You Betta Work, Bottom images via nitro:licious and Rackk and Ruin.

Victoria Beckham Collection's Latest Model: Blake Lively?

Do you think Blake Lively would be the right model for Victoria Beckham's collection? Check out my latest post on Urban Darling!

Jolie-Pitt: Saving the World, One Designer Accessory at a Time

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are launching an accessories line this week with Asprey. According to WWD, the snake-inspired collection of gold and silver jewelry, dubbed "The Protector", starts at $525...for a baby spoon. All net proceeds will go to Jolie's charity, the Education Partnership for Children of Conflict. Jolie supposedly favored the serpent theme because, when pregnant with daughter Shiloh, Jolie wore a ring in the shape of a snake, and now she believes that they serve as a family talisman.

Frankly, I'm less impressed by the rings and necklaces, which are attractive but have been done already, and more interested in the unique design of the baby spoon and the silver cup. These pieces are incredibly sculptural, and pretty bad ass for a baby.

Images via WWD

NYC Sunday Sample Sales

NYC Sample Sales for Sunday, November 15

-Surface to Air, 5 Crosby Street, 6th Floor, 12pm - 7pm
-Refinery29's Save Fashion event, popup at INVEN.TORY (with 90% of brands including Dunderdon, Steven Alan, Pact, Rag & Bone, Filippa K, and Rogan), 37 Lafayette Street, 10am-9pm, savefashion.com
-Maven Collective Multi-Designer Sample Sale, 65 Spring Street, 10am-7pm
-Elie Tahari warehouse sale. Chelsea Market, 75 Ninth Avenue, 10am–7pm

Enjoy!

(I'll start posting for other cities during the week, too - so check back soon!)

McQueen's Muse: Lady Gaga in her "Bad Romance" Video

Alexander McQueen's Spring 2010 Ready-to-Wear collection was incontestably the most memorable show of the season. Love it or hate it, the over-the-top line exploring mankind's doomed relationship with earth, in which we all end in a watery chaos and morph into creepy mutants, was fascinating.

Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" premiered at the show, and now that the video has finally dropped, it's pretty evident that McQueen and LG have their own love affair going. LG eerily skulks around in McQueen's ten inch stilettos, reminiscent of camel hoofs, and totally owns it.

Check the video






Images via Media.lunch.com, Starcasm.com, and Fashism.com

God Save Luella

I am a huge fan of Luella Bartley's ladylike, incredibly fun and fresh take on clothes, so I was really disappointed to hear that her label has been forced out of business since her distributor, VSQ, withdrew its backing. Only a year ago, Bartley was named Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards.

Luella's Spring 2010 Ready-to-Wear collection was fantastic: 60s-inspired, ultra-feminine puff-bell silhouettes and sweetheart necklines with a distinctly British edge. I really hope someone steps in and helps the label out!

The former Vogue journalist once described her clothes as "the kind you can get drunk and fall over in", and accordingly, some of Britain's most famous It-Girls have been seen romping and raving in her creations. Maybe they should take up Luella's cause - I'd personally love to see Lily Allen and Peaches Geldof hosting a bake sale, but that's just me (Note: I'm a huge fan of both).

Image via WWD.com.

Shameless Self-Promotion Is Not a Crime

I'm going to be guest blogging on Urban Darling once a week, so look out for me -today was my inaugural post!

This week, check out Christian Louboutin!

I Thank Victoria's Secret For Giving Me Role Models

Victoria's Secret held a nation-wide model search, and the results are in: ten bodacious ladies are currently competing for America's...heart and soul.

NY Magazine's daily blog, The Cut, reports that these young women will be in "Angel Bootcamp". This is a magical and inspiring place, in which model-hopefuls are sure to participate in "a series of challenges where the contestants will show their photogenic qualities, prove their abilities as a spokesmodel, show off their red carpet star quality and radiate charisma while walking a runway in lingerie."

I'm not sure how one radiates charisma while strutting down a runway in underwear, but I believe that Victoria's Secret will find a way. I really hope they broadcast the interview segment!

I hate to beat up on these girls. Of course, they are lovely women. But I have some difficulty hearing young Kylie, an Angel Aspirant, giggle into a microphone, stating, "I should be the next Victoria Secret Runway Angel [giggle] because I could be out there, I'll bring a sexiness to the runway, a flirtiness, and a fun personality..."

I'm curious to know what she thinks Giselle, Heidi, and Adriana brought to the VS Runway. Advancements in sociopolitical theory?


Top image via The Cut.

I Feel So Awkward: The December Issue of Harper's Bazaar

Prepubescent girls (and quite a honestly, a lot of my twenty-something friends) are going to be gawking at the cover of December's Harper's Bazaar. The magazine features Twilight heartthrobs Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart on the cover, with a full goth-glam fashion spread. Yay, more vampires!

In the tradition of all cheesy vampire narratives, the shoot features two star-crossed lovers in lots of black, crimson roses to denote true love, and, naturally, lots of eyeliner to underscore brooding, fervent eye-love-making. Pattinson looks quite handsome in his Dior Homme, and Stewart rocks an Alexander Wang dress as she clings to Pattinson on a motorcycle - because vampires are bad boys. Get it? Good.

But in an Alexander McQueen gown, the nineteen-year-old looks like a teenager who's just lost in a big expensive dress. Maybe Beyonce could pull it off? The gown commands a presence that the seemingly shy, evasive Stewart just isn't ready to give us. But then again, maybe it's not her fault - maybe it's the intensely awkward Pattinson, who's trying to seduce the camera while blatantly ignoring his beloved.

Images via HarpersBazaar.com.