The Roving Gnome

Dearest Friends,
For a lot of reasons, I've decided to try to move my blog from Blogger to Wordpress. And so, without further ado, I would like to unveil my slightly improved site: www.sufferforfash.wordpress.com (ok, so it's pretty much the same. ha.)! I went and had some photoshopping fun to create a new header, but it's still far from perfect. There are just some features on Wordpress that I like, so I'm moving over. One thing about a wordpress page is you can search for things! I know that when I read other blogs and want to find a specific post and can't search for it, I get really annoyed scrolling through archives trying to find it. So I'm glad to have that feature. Update your bookmarks! Honestly, I'm stil in awe that anyone reads this. Keep reading, friends!

Lace, Lace, and More Lace

I have to say I'm really liking the Christian Lacroix couture show. There was just a lot of...everything. A lot of historical references mashed in, a lot of decadence, a lot of colors, a lot of lace, a lot of details. Somehow it all works, and I just can't stop looking. Stylistically, it's not forward-thinking, but it's still beautiful. There's just so much to look at. They were the type of clothes that are really pretty from far away, and from inches away. With all the different references would have easy to make it look discombobulated and random, but Lacroix made it all work surprisingly well. But what I immediately liked was the headpieces and lace veils. All this lace this week is really making me crave lace. The question is, how crazy will I look wearing a lace veil?
image:source

Vogue Italia July 2008

Anyone who hasn't been stuck under a very unfashionable rock probably knows about the infamous issue of Vogue Italia coming out today in Italy (whoo!) that features all black models. Just for you, K, since we were talking about this earlier, here is one of the shots from the mag. I obviously haven't seen all the pictures in the magazine, but this is definitely one of my favorites so far. It is so just so gorgeous. I know the "smoking is bad, why does fashion glamorize it" blah, blah, blah. I know, I know, smoking is bad for you, yes, yes, but if you look beyond all that, this is just a beautiful, striking image. The satin, the gloves, the jewelry, the way the smoke curls around her face, her expression all make this a great shot. It blends the classic and the modern in a beautiful way. I love her hat with the net veil. Such a great image, and from a newcomer, too (Sessilee Lopez)!
image:source

Lanvin SS09...Men's

It's pretty hard to receive a standing ovation from the jaded fashion crowd, and even harder to earn that kind of response for the men's shows. But last week, just as the men's shows in Paris were coming to a close, Alber Elbaz and Lucas Ossendrijver garnered just that. I have to admit, for a fashion junkie I don't think I pay enough attention to the men's shows, but this show caught my eye. It was definitely a great collection for the rising star Ossendrijver, who has been making a name for himself with his collections for Lanvin. The slouchy elegance and great shapes kind of make me wish I could buy men's Lanvin. Bravo!

Quote of the Day

"Yes, Alber can bust a move." -The Moment

This is why I love him.

R.I.P. Ruslana

By now, most people have heard about the tragic death of model Ruslana Korshunova, who purportedly commited suicide in New York just last weekend. So sad. She will be missed.
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Musicology

Stuck in my head: Again With the Subtitles by Yppah

Nooooooo...

Man, I never get any slack, do I? I signed on an hour late to a sample sale this morning, and practically everything was sold out. Despite the fact that I shouldn't be buying any more clothes, there was some good stuff to be had, if I had only woken up at the crack of 9! I guess it just goes to show, sample-sale goers are as crazy as me when it comes to shopping. Oof.

Givenchy Fall 08 Couture

I look forward to Ricardo Tisci's couture collection every season at Givenchy. His dark, gothic collection from a few seasons ago was perhaps the first couture collection I really fell hard for, especially when I saw the detail shots of the show itself. Breathtaking. So I'm always really excited for Givenchy's couture presentations, and although I don't love it quite as much as that mermaid collection, it maintains that dark, detailed quality I love about Tisci's work. My favorites for sure were the lace and fringe gowns, some with jackets over them, and the fur-hooded dresses. The colors were typical Givenchy dark colors with some shocking pink thrown in for good measure (just like at Chanel...hmm...), but this time around there was less black and more brown. Keep up the good work, Msr. Tisci.
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AMFI Individuals

For no particular reason (I think I was reminiscing about things I wish I had bought and will now never have...sad, I know) I was thinking about this amazing shop I stumbled upon last summer in Amsterdam. First of all, I absolutely love Amsterdam. Such a picturesque and interesting city. One of my favorite places I've ever been. Anyway, I happened on this store called Individuals, which showcases a rotating cycle of some of the Amersterdam Fashion Institute's students' work. I definitely don't get a chance to own some of the future generation's clothing (my generation!), so I got pretty excited when I found it. The store is well-edited, very cute, and pretty well priced, considering the pieces are very limited in quantity. The pieces are, in general, subtle, and their beauty lies in the details and interesting cuts, yet they manage to have the little weirdness that I love in clothes. They have that effortlessly cool vibe that makes them pretty easy to wear. I wanted this pair of pants made out of a kind of a grey (of course) sweatpant-like material, so they were incredibly soft and comfortable, but definitely did not look at all like sweatpants. Unfortunately, when I tried to go get them at the last minute, the store was closed! I was really distressed. One day I will return and raid that store again!

Quote of the Day

What should every woman have in her closet?
"Alexander Wang. And black tights." - James Worthington DeMolet (an awesome stylist, if I do say so myself)

Chanel Fall 08 Couture

Ah, Chanel. I always look forward to Chanel's couture show, and it's usually one of my favorites. Karl Lagerfeld may be controversial, a lot of people might hate him, but I have a lot of respect for him. He's good at what he does. He takes a few old symbols and manages to make them look fresh and new every. single. season. He's made countless variations on tweed suits, quilted bags, camellias, and they always look new. I mean, tweed jackets? I don't even like tweed! And yet, every season he marches out his latest variation on that classic boxy jacket, and I always think it looks fantastic. This season was no different, although it was quite different from the spring couture show inspired by seashells. The tweed suits had really cool, bold shapes, but what I really loved were the dresses (this is couture we're talking about). The color palette was my favorite black, white, navy, and grey, with some really cool, stiff, architectural shapes. The embroidery and crystal details were absolutely breathtaking, and I really liked the pleating around the waist, skirts, and hems of dresses. There were just a lot of really great elements executed perfectly. It also helps that Karl Lagerfeld's inspiration is so interesting and wide-ranging. Using the organ as inspiration. Only he would ever think to do that. And it worked so well, from the gigantic metal pipes that formed the centerpiece of the space to the tubular pleat-like details that used his inspiration but wasn't completely obvious. And the Anna Wintour bobs were hilarious.

Dior Fall 2008 Couture

Nowadays, the shows never seem to end, with the fall couture shows in Paris starting hot on the heels of the resort collections. I like couture because it is really a dying art form that is fading off scarily, and it really embraces the art of fashion and exquisite craftsmanship. But I was a little unimpressed with yesterday's Dior show. That's not to say I was disappointed, there are plenty of amazing clothes here, but it didn't immediately capture me the way that amazing spring show did. The silhouettes mostly favored large flared skirts and other classic Dior shapes, and there were some really pretty pieces, but the elements were ones that were seen a lot on the spring and fall ready-to-wear runways: lace, sheer fabrics, tailoring (although what is a Dior show without tailoring, really). There wasn't any forward-leaping trend that I could latch onto and obsess over. Just some pretty spectacular workmanship and line. So overall it doesn't inspire me much, but it's definitely not bad. Maybe it's not dark enough for me. I'm currently obsessed with a darker vibe than this decadent show put on (Rodarte, anyone?).
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From the Shows

Apparently fellow Paris Vogue-rs Emmanuelle Alt and Carine Roitfeld were seen sitting next to each other sporting the same Alaia stilettos! Mais non!

Wearing Today

Broke out my new Balenciagas for lunch with some friends. I stopped by Nordstrom afterwards to look for shoes for a friend, and one of the sales associates complimented them and then asked if I was trying them on. I almost laughed out loud. How I wish Nordstrom was cool enough to carry Balenciaga. In any case, it was pretty warm so I didn't get to get creative with layers or anything. Warm weather makes dressing such a boring task. Or maybe I should look at it as a challenge, something to test my creative skills.

Chanel Fw08 Ads

I've seen two of the new Chanel ads fullsize, and I have to say I kind of like it. It's not absolutely stunning, but it's a different direction than the shiny high-polish feeling I get from their older ads. What I like about these new imagines is that they're kind of gritty and pretty in that not-quite-so-perfect way. The images aren't so squeaky-clean and glossy, they're a little grainy and hazy-looking, which I love. It's a different aesthetic, but I've always been drawn to that style of fashion photography. And I like how they took the lace motif and really ran with it. Smart of them, since lace is going to be big for fall. And I loved those gloves (are they gloves?) and tights on the runway. And the short hair. Kind of makes me want to cut even more of my hair off.
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Ballet and Fashion!

I found this fun little bit of information floating around in various places and thought I would share it because my roommate is a ballet fanatic. It seems that designer Magda Berliner created special costumes for a piece in the New York City Ballet's first annual Dancers' Choice program. The performance was last night, and raised money for the Ballet Dancers' Emergency Fund. The clip doesn't really have anything to do with the costumes, but I thought it was kind of cool.

P.S. S- One of the pieces they did was Gerome Robbins' "Dances at a Gathering."

So What If I'm Not Leaving the House?

I've finally motivated myself enough to snap a picture of what I'm wearing on this particular day. I love seeing other people's style diaries, but I've always been to lazy to do the same. And I'm not like the now reclusive Agathe of Style Bytes, who always managed to take pretty pictures with interesting backgrounds. Anyway, I'm not even wearing anything at all interesting or nice, mostly because I'm probably not going to even leave the house today. But I wanted an excuse to debut my new Fendis. Please excuse the horrible photography skills, lack of hairstyle, and general mediocre-ness of it all.

Daily Double

I am a little addicted to Jeopardy. So I was overjoyed yesterday when one of the categories was "Christian." Msr. Lacroix was one answer, as was my favorite Christian, Msr. Louboutin! None of the contestants got the answer. They obviously know nothing about shoes. Tsk, tsk.

Let's Get Some Shoes!

Yesterday I made a little run over to San Francisco to do some late afternoon shopping and have dinner with my parents. Well, a couple quick hours of shopping turned into a veritable shoe-fest, and I did something unprecedented in my shopping career: I got four pairs of (amazing) shoes in one night. Here they are in all their badly photographed at 1 in the morning because I just could not stop obsessing over them:
A pair of gorgeous gorgeous Lanvin sandals in a dark navy blue. I finally have some Lanvin in my life! Joy! They're a lot darker than they appear in the picture. Did I mention they're gorgeous?
A pair of awesome Pierre Hardy neoprene sandals. They're fun and a little crazy, just the way I like them. And I just love that signature architectural heel.
A pair of cute but (especially compared to the others) basic Fendi sandals. I've been searching for a nice pair of sandals to wear during the summer months, and these fit the bill perfectly.
And, last but certainly not least, a pair of Balenciagas with the crazy neon floral-ish print! They are so amazing that I changed into them last night so I could wear them to dinner. Hooray!
They make me want to play around with my wardrobe to see what kind of fun outfits I can come up with. All in all, a pretty triumphant day for my shoe addiction. As Miuccia Prada says, shoes are the new bags! It's so true.

AA Branches Out?

I cringed a little when I found out that American Apparel is starting a line of "jewelry". As a jewelry designer, I am always a little appalled by how much really, really crappy jewelry is being made these days. I always wonder who makes this cheap (and i mean cheap-looking, I have no problem with inexpensive stuff) jewelry and thinks it is actually good in some way. And that's what I kind of feel about the American Apparel line. It seems like a waste of good resources. As Racked aptly put it, it's less a jewelry than just metal chains. Heck, AA didn't even make them, the "found them"! What does that even mean? Why?! Just...WHY?!?! Even if you wanted chains for your awesome Mr. T costume, why would you pay close to 50 bucks for them? Please, hipster "I'm so ironic I'll wear ugly jewelry because it makes me more hip" kids, stay away! Go to a thrift store or something. Those are hip, too, I think.

Something to Look Forward to...

I happened upon this site and discovered that The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is having an exhibit on Yves Saint Laurent's work, which is perfect, because I'm visiting Montreal this summer! I'm excited that I have at least one thing to do, because although I'm sure Montreal is an awesome city, I didn't exactly know what specifically there is to do. But victory! I have the beginning of a list!

Forgive Me, for I Have Sinned

I have a confession to make. This week, I have been dressing so incredibly badly, and I decided I have to fess up. You see, it's been sweltering hot here in Northern California (my computer says it is currently 91 degrees. ugh.), and in between frequent trips to the gym in a desperate effort to get back in shape, running errands, unpacking the prodigious amount of stuff I brought back with me from college, and sitting around the house in a dazed, sweaty stupor, I have not been at my sartorial best. When it's this hot, all I care about is wearing the least amount of clothes possible. It's really no excuse, I know, but I have difficulty enjoying clothes when IT IS SO GOD FORSAKINGLY HOT. I look something like the picture above, except my white dress is much less cute, I look a lot less perfect, and I can't be bothered to wear shoes. So I basically look nothing like this, except for the fact that I have taken a liking to lying on the floor. Marble floors are very cold. It is quite nice. But I'm praying that it cools down even just a smidge so I can again care about what I am wearing.

Qiu Hao

I consider myself to have a very minimal knowledge of fashion, especially since I'm not exactly in the business. So I don't really have a lot of exposure or information about the really emerging designers, because even the designers I am familiar with but the average non-fashion-obsessed person doesn't know of are pretty famous in the fashion world. I'm no Susie Bubble, who always seems to discover tiny little emerging brands or designers fresh out of design school. But I recently stumbled on the designs of Qiu Hao, a Central St. Martins-educated designer from Shanghai. You don't hear a lot about designers from China and, in the East, Japan really dominates as the fashion superpower of the region. But Qiu Hao's designs are interesting because they are a good mixture of wearability and concept. His clothes gently push the envelope without sacrificing wearability and they seem to have great details and lots of subtlety. I found this interesting interview on YouTube. I love when he says that people don't understand his work, because he doesn't do it in a drama-laden, suffering artist way, so it really just makes you pay more attention to his clothes and try a little harder to figure out what kind of message he's sending out through his work. I kind of wish I could go to China and see his clothes now. Feel free to check out the video.

All Hail the Kaiser

This is (partly) why I love Karl Lagerfeld. He is just so hilarious/awesome. This is a French PSA message. The ad reads "It's yellow, it's ugly, it doesn't go with anything, but it could save your life." And I absolutely love it. Hah.
image: source

Travel Time

It may only be the middle of June, but I'm already thinking about my big trip for the summer in mid-July. I'm making a nice little jaunt to New York City and visiting my roommate in New Jersey (and then heading off to Montreal with the fam-bot). Point is, I'm going to be in NYC, which I absolutely love, and, more importantly, I don't know what to wear! I've never been to the East Coast in the summer, and I've heard it gets pretty humid. I can handle humidity pretty well considering I'm a born and raised West Coast girl, but I'm not so psyched about being in the city when it's that sticky. So what to wear in a big city when its sweltering hot? And is it going to get cold at night? Packing for New York will definitely be a wardrobe challenge. Hopefully I can look as good as the cool kids above (Alexander Wang <3). href="http://www.thesartorialist.blogspot.com/">Sartorialist the ENTIRE time so I can grovel at his feat in pure admiration of his awesomeness. Some people are starstruck by celebrities or whatever, but I worship designers and other awesome fashion individuals. It's pretty dorky.

On the Fringe

Victory! When I tried on that fringed Phillip Lim shirt dress a few weeks ago, I kind of fell in love with it. And now it is mine! When I saw it in an extra small while I was in San Francisco the other day, I knew we were meant to be. I love it dearly. The picture is actually just the shirt and not the dress style, which has fringe all down the back as well as around the neckline. It's awfully fun to bounce down the street, swinging my fringe around. Joyness.

Striking

I just wanted to put this up because I felt bad I haven't been putting up many images with my posts. And it's gorgeous.

A Bit Late

I finally caved. I had been eying (wow that word is incredibly weird-looking) high-waist pants/shorts/what have you for a long time, and yesterday I finally bought myself a pair of Diesel high-waist, wide-leg jeans/pants. They need hemming, because I am approximately 2 inches tall, with legs to match, but at least I have them. I am pretty convinced that when I wear them on campus in the fall I will be made fun of for my strange-looking pants, but I don't care, because I am crazy. High-waist everything seems to be everywhere to me, with even Urban Outfitters selling shorts of that variety, and I feel like I'm behind in adopting the style, but I still have yet to see a single person on campus wearing the style. But I guess I don't really know the most adventurous dressers. Heck, I'm feeling very mundane. It needs to cool down so I can wear my pants. Or I need to get a pair of high-waist shorts. And some shirts to go with them. And some shoes to wear with those shirts. I guess I'm just totally unsatisfied with my wardrobe. Boo.

Hooray Inspiration!

My friend left me a message last night saying that I had inspired him to start his own blog (not about fashion, but about hip hop, which I also love). There are probably approximately 3 people who read anything I write, but I feel like if I inspired one friend to get out there and start writing, I can't really ask for anything more. I've put his blog on my blogroll, so if you're randomly clicking through the mainly fashion-related links and happen upon a blog about hip hop, that's why. It's really great, I love the videos he puts up, and how much heart he's putting into his writing. If fashion isn't inspiring you, check it out.

It's a Hug

The other night my friend put on this awesome sweater and described it as "wearing a hug." I then realized that I also in fact have a sweater that feels like a hug. That is just so cool to me. The fact that a piece of fabric could embody something as warm, as comforting, as human as a hug speaks to just how important clothes are, even if nobody realizes it. Clothes literally keep us warm, but it's not just that. If it was simply that clothes keep us warm, we would say that "this sweater is so warm" (which we do also). But they don't just keep us nice and toasty on cold walks outside, they comfort us, wrap us in their layer of protection, hug us. Not that many other inanimate objects can do that.

Something Weird

I love things that are a little bit weird (or maybe very weird). It's so great when you can wear something with some little detail or aspect that makes people tilt their heads a little and go, "Hmm...that's kind of different." A lot of times that means people just think you dress strangely and don't appreciate it the way you do, but I think it's worth it. The favorite parts of my clothes are probably the parts no one notices, like the way my Trovata jacket has a story stitched into it or how the toe of my nude Louboutin pumps have the perfect mixture of round and pointy toe. I love those crazy statement-making pieces, but sometimes, great clothes whisper rather than shout. Not that I have any problem with clothes that shout. I mean, I'm wearing a dress right now that has fringe all down the back. I like to think it's a little subtle, though.

Triviality

Did you know: Legendary editor of Vogue Diana Vreeland was related to George Washington. (aaaahhh...Washington, Washington...)

Musicology

Stuck in my head: Rocket in the Sky by The Benassi Bros.

Adorable

It seems as if the super-adorable Phillip Lim hand-wrote his invitations to the opening of his Los Angeles Store. So cute. I adore him. I'm sad he didn't invite me, though. I'm always been a big supporter of his, and am currently in love with one of his dresses covered with fringe in the back. ;)

Triviality

Did you know: The late Yves Saint Laurent was the first living designer to be honored by the Metropolitan Museum of Art with a solo exhibition in 1983.

That's Laughable

The funniest/most ridiculous thing I read yesterday: When someone asked Betsey Johnson what young designers excite her and she replied "Those girls that make those clothes that look like ragged spiders," referring to Rodarte. When prompted with the name, she went on to say "Yes! I relate to them in their great raggy-ness." First of all, she doesn't even know their names. She is obviously out of it. And it is ridiculous that she would relate to them, because Kate and Laura are already infinitely better designers then she will ever be. When I pass by her store, I want to vomit a bit, her clothes are just that tacky. The carpet is hot pink, for crying out loud. The Mulleavy sisters create pieces of art, demi-couture in their intricate craftsmanship and immense creativity. Betsey Johnson makes candy-colored tutus and bags that look like that monstrosity. Good God, woman.

Quote of the Day

"Fashion will prevail." -Vera Wang
In case you need some inspirational words. I know I did, and I feel a little better now. Heh.

Tribute

Coincidentally, Marc Jacobs' newest resort collection is a bit of an homage to the late Yves Saint Laurent. As he said, it's "Unfortunately, extremely timely." Lots of bows and hearts (some of Saint Laurent's favorite motifs) and modern interpretations of his iconic smoking jacket. I have developed a theory that Marc Jacobs is actually psychic. He always seems to know things. But I am a little peeved because I lost a button on my fairly new Marc by Marc cashmere sweater. Shoddily made, I say. Not a happy camper. Maybe he'll read my mind like he always seems to do every season and send me a new button.

image: source

Musicology

Stuck in my head: My Only Offer by Mates of State

Inspiration

My newest little bit of inspiration is, surprisingly, John Galliano's Fall collection. Not because John Galliano isn't a great designer, but mostly because his collections (especially this one) isn't really something I would simply assume would inspire me the way I know Balenciaga and Lanvin, etc. would. His collections are usually pretty riotous and loud, with tons of color and lavishness. I don't really dress like that (at least not with that much color). But I randomly decided to watch the video of his most recent show, and I was immediately mesmerized. The models actually seemed to have personalities when they walked, something you don't see much in shows. They actually posed, with attitude, even! There was this one moment where Mariacarla Boscono comes out with this strange, nubby pink hat and hair that is literally huge, glossy, black feathers (kind of like the ones I've been obsessing over), and she pulls her hands across her face in this awesomely unexplainable way that I just loved. There were lots of feathers as hair in the show, and even a whole stuffed raven carried by Raquel Zimmermann. And he was inspired by a poem I love, Kubla Khan. I will have to see how I can incorporate this into my wardrobe.

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CFDA Awards

I was a little (read: very) confused when I read that, of all the accessory designers out there, Tory Burch had won accessories designer of the year. I would have thought that someone with very innovative, creative, accessories would have won. Who knew putting a gold plate on a pair of ballet flats was this year's most exciting fashion creation? Personally, those Tory Burch flats that I feel like I see absolutely everywhere make me grimace a little. But maybe I'm biased. I'm not known for liking girly, preppy flats that I see at least one person wearing nearly every day. Blah. Disappointed.
On another note, Kate and Laura Mulleavy won the Swarovski Award for Emergint Talent for Womenswear. I love a lot of the designers that were nominated, so I probably would have been pretty happy even if someone else had won, but I am so happy that the Mulleavy sisters won. Their clothes are so amazingly intricate and beautiful and artistic. I was absolutely floored by the Spring show and loved the Fall show just as much. Hooray Rodarte!

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Triviality

Did you know?: Alber Elbaz (of Lanvin fame) was born in Casablanca, Morocco.

Yves Saint Laurent Passes Away at 71

The brilliant, legendary Yves Saint Laurent passed away Sunday night, at the age of 71. He was the last of the old guard of fashion. His influence will undoubtedly continue for years to come. He will be missed.

Uh Oh...

I kind of really <3 these. Yes. <3 them. There is no other way to describe it. I just...<3 them. And they have my size. And they are on sale. Hmm...

Even M.I.A. Designs Clothes?

I just found out that the awesome M.I.A. designed some form of clothing that is now sitting in boxes at her mom's house. Interesting. I can just see all the hipster high school girls in their American Apparel bandeau tops and neon leggings flocking to have a piece of it. I love her music (I went to her concert last week), but really? Why is everyone and their mom/sister/great-aunt/goldfish suddenly designing clothes?! She says she was "inspired" by her recent Marc by Marc Jacobs campaign. So because she has worn MARC and Juergen Teller has taken pictures of her, that makes her a designer? A bit of a stretch, I think. But who knows, maybe she can make awesome clothes as well as awesome beats.

Musicology

Stuck in my head: pretty much every Beirut song. (because the concert was absolutely life-changing)

Quote of the Day

"The ‘L.A. Look’ needs to go away forever, please. If they banned fedoras, tacky sunglasses, blazers over T-shirts, leggings and Kitson, Los Angeles would become a nudist colony." -Elizabeth Spiridakis for Very
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. (sorry SoCal people. It's just funny.)

At the Van der Woodsen/Bass Wedding

On Monday night's Gossip Girl finale, Serena wore this pretty tiered Ralph Lauren dress. But what I really like are the gloves. I've been trying to find a way to wear gloves and not look ridiculous. But she beat me to it. Rawr.
P.S. Georgina loses!!! YES! But I still hate her because she still ruined everything.

A Wise Man Once Said...

"I can't bear it when designers go on about inspiration … If a girl wants to wear it and feels good then who cares?" -Marc Jacobs (who should have tootally been an answer to the Jeopardy category famous people whose initials are 'MJ'. gah.)

I guess in the end it's true, isn't it? But sometimes it's fun to have a cool story behind a piece of clothing.

Musicology

Stuck in my head: Shove It by Santogold

Yet Another GO International Line...

I just got word that Jonathan Saunders will launch the next GO International line at Target in October. I'm a big Jonathan Saunders fan, so I'll be waiting for those press pictures. I've been disappointed a lot by GO, but they do choose pretty sweet designers most of the time. We'll see if he incorporates some of the awesome prints he's famous for into the line. *crosses fingers*

image: source

Oh Steven Meisel...

I kind of love Natalia Vodianova for that picture on the left. Amazing. I love the expression, the colors, the slightly billowing shirt, the shattered glass. I kind of can't explain how striking it all is.

The Colors...

My favorite color is grey, but the colors in the new V May/June issue are just incredible. Just...wow.

It's Monday!!

*edit: Yo, guys. Can anyone explain to me why everyone who visits my blog enters on this page? Is there some search that this pops up under? Why is everyone so obsessed with this picture of Leighton Meester? Any ideas?Do you know why Leighton Meester is so excited? It's Monday, and you know what that means...GOSSIP GIRL SEASON FINALE! GAH! Ok, so I just thought this picture was hilarious.
P.S. BOO GEORGINA! BOO!


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Yay Trends!

I knew my strange obsession (why do I have so many of them?) with fringe meant something. Apparently it's a fall trend.

Olé!

Maybe gigantic sombreros will be the new trend in headwear? They keep out the sun! I actually think they're kind of fun.
image: source

A Little on the Warm Side...

Question: What to wear when it's 90 degrees out and you have lots of papers to write and you kind of just want to sit around in an exhausted stupor?

Musicology

Stuck in my head: What Do You Go Home To? by Explosions in the Sky

Scary Coincidences

Because of the quarter system, I am not done with school for another month, while many of my friends are already out for the year and coming home. One of my friends is coming to visit tomorrow. He goes to Vanderbilt, and you could say he dresses a tad bit preppy (argyle sweaters included) with his signature boat shoes. I have had many conversations with him about them. So imagine my surprise when I swing by Fashionista this morning and see this. A post solely about boat shoes! Apparently being worn by a lot more people than usual. Kind of a crazy coincidence, no?
image: source

A Tad Bit Jealous

I discovered yesterday that one of my sorority sisters has these Sergio Rossi shoes. When I first saw them a few months ago, I really liked them. I have to admit, I am a little jealous. I feel like my shoes are inadequate.

Fun!

I'm a jewelry designer before anything else fashion-y, so I'm always on the lookout for cool jewelry designs and brands. I just found Sonia Boyajian's jewelry, which is going to be sold at the Comme des Garcons Guerilla Store in NYC. Her site is fun and quirky, just like her jewelry. It makes me smile. Yay jewelry!

Dear Michelle,

You are probably perfectly nice in person, but I HATE YOU, because I hate Gerogina for being an awful, awful person, and many actions which I will not elaborate on because I don't want to spoil it for my roommate, who is very behind episode-wise. Anyway, I hate you, I hate what you wore to the Met Gala, I hate your too-sharp incisors. What are you wearing, a lamé skirt over a one-shouldered leotard? You got all of that at American Apparel, didn't you? Stop ruining Serena/Nate's life.
xoxo
Lauren
P.S. I know Georgina is a fictional character, but it's been ingrained in me. Every time I see Michelle, I get very, very angry.

Hehe

Speaking of feathers, even Blake Lively wears them!

P.S. SERENA AND NATE FOREVER!!! BOO GEORGINA!!!

Alexander Wang shoes!

As I've said a million times, I love Alexander Wang. And now, he's making shoes! I'm waiting with bated breath...

Ooooh

As I've said before, I love feathers. So when I saw Kate Moss wearing this ubercool vest, I flipped out a little. Where did she get that thing? All I know is, I love those glossy, black feathers. They remind me of those long feathers in last fall's Prada collection, except that I almost like them more because of the solidly thick layer of lustrous feathers. It's another side to feathers. I'm now on the lookout for this, as well as the wispy, feathery plumage that's a lot more common. But where to find?!

So 2 Days Ago!

I totally saw this first (thanks to my dearest K)! Andd...I saw Frank Warren (creator of PostSecret) tonight at a talk! It was pretty awesome and inspiring. I beat Fashionista! Score!

How to Explain?

I can't really explain why, but I'm a little entranced by this shoot for Flair Italy. And it made me think of something. Earlier today, my friend asked me why high fashion seems so strange sometimes. He wondered why it seemed like clothes you see on the runway seemed like things no one would never actually wear in real life. It was kind of hard to explain to him the conceptual part of high fashion, and how, somehow, when you had been watching the runway for years, a yellow dress covered in feathers and other embellishments wasn't all that odd and seemed pretty reasonable (and gorgeous!). It's funny how a lot of people think high fashion is "weird-looking" and impossible to wear, while people in the fashion community aren't fazed nearly as much. It's kind of cool how many different roles fashion can fill, from conceptual to artistic to functional. And fashion really can become art, like this shoot. It's not just about the clothes, but the way the clothes interacts with the set, the way model's body is contorted until it's almost surreal, everything coming together to make the photograph a real piece of art. I just love the first image, how everything seems distorted and that amazing criss-crossing pattern on the wall/ground/whatever, the way the dress in the second image billows out and creates this swirl of black and white and grey, and the sharp, unforgiving angles of the third image. I kind of love fashion photography a little too much.

The Man Behind the Clothes

Can you believe this is Ricardo Tisci, the (awesome) man behind the Givenchy collections? He doesn't seem gothy or dark at all! It's fun to see how designers dress, because sometimes they dress just like how they design, and sometimes they dress completely differently. Also I like to see them because I admire them so much. A lot of times they're kind of behind the scenes, working their magic on their clothes, so when you see them in real life it's kind of unexpected and fun.

Image: source

Agyness Deyn, Musician?

Aggy's new single already has a music video. It's called Who, and I've only listened to it once, but it's pretty blah. Also, there is no way Agyness actually sounds like that

Let the Games Begin

That's right, it's time for the Oscars of fashion...the Costume Institute Gala. Get ready for some fun fashion.

Musicology

Stuck in my head: Hoppípolla by Sigur Rós (it's just so epic)

Movers and Shakers

The Times 100 Most Influential people for this year have just been named, and three fashion types are in the list (along with Miley Cyrus?...hmmm. who came up with that one?). Carine Roitfeld, Karl Lagerfeld (who I saw in Paris when I stopped by Colette!! It was amazing), and Takeshi Murakami were all given the honors. BTW, I <3 size="1">image: source

Light Brights

My friend, who has been to Coachella five times (sooo....jealous....) was saying that there has been a shift in the audience, with (apparently) lots more neon-ness. London nu rave is finally making its way over here, I guess. Call it the Aggy effect. It's too bad. A couple years ago I had a period of neon obsession, complete with highlighter yellow sneakers, but I'm not so into it anymore.
image: style.com