child's play

This is cute, frighteningly cute. This kiddie looks more put together than most adults.

gladiator bandwagon

I am jumping on the gladiator sandal bandwagon only because I have wanted a pair for the past 4 years and only recently started seeing a large enough selection to find some that satisfy me. For those lucky size 9's out there, take a look at the puppies above sold by Clair Incorruptable.
Of course now, Ebay is being hounded by patient fashionistas bidding on vintage sandals. My favorite internet stores have wonderful options for those of us who can afford them. Here are some offerings from Farylrobin, Givenchy and Modern Vintage Shoes.

and now back to our regularly scheduled program

I am back from my spring vacation in Atlanta, GA. Now I have to muster the motivation to keeping on plugging through.

patrick dougherty at max azria

Max Azria Melrose Avenue Boutique, Los Angeles, CA. photographer: David Calicchio

I find the work of Patrick Dougherty incredibly beautiful. Here he weaves a beautiful cocoon around the Max Azria boutique in Los Angeles. It reminds me of the painting technique of Van Gogh (think Starry Night).

"Dougherty's works allude to nests, cocoons, hives, and lairs built by animals, as well as the manmade forms of huts, haystacks, and baskets, created by interweaving branches and twigs together. Many of his works look 'found' rather than made, as if they were created by the natural force of a tornado sweeping across the landscape. He intentionally tries for this effortless effect, as if his creations just fell or grew up naturally in their settings."

- Linda Johnson, Curator

rick owens' monsters

Every once in a while, The New Yorker publishes a retrospect on a fashion designer that will rival devotional poetry in its complete reverence for the artist. This week's piece on Rick Owens not only succeeded in describing why Owens has established a cult-like following, but also to elevated him to the level of the great conceptual designers such as Rei Kawakubo. Rick Owens' aesthetic has been described as "broken idealism." His elaborately sculptural pieces evoke the sentiment of a seedy crumbling city--perhaps Lima or St. Petersburg. The walls of his own Paris apartment, which he shares with his wife Michele Lamy, are crumbling, shorn of wallpaper, the floors are dusty concrete slabs, the ceilings are a tangle of ducts, wires and pipes. Owens has a similar attitude to clothing--he takes something perfect and fusses it up a bit, whether it be the shape or the fabric. Soft leather jackets are machine washed and dried, semi-transparent organza is layered, t-shirts are long and clingy, dresses are elegant but always asymmetrical: this is glunge (glamour + grunge) at it's finest.

Shown here: jacket, cashmere jersey tube skirt and top from the Lilies collection (2007)

There is a sad romanticism that all of his pieces have which draws me to them. His designs embody the crumbling paint on a cathedral wall. In fact, a large inspiration to Owens are the robes worn in church:

"In Catholic school I always loved that aesthetic of all those robes dragging in those dusty temples, with Jesus and the disciples and all that. It was very exotic and very alluring to me in my very safe little world of small-town California. When I look around here in the studio, I see wanting to re-create those dusty temples and robes and stuff."

At times, I was annoyed with Owens' California-boy-in-Paris life, his conservative parents following him around fashion week and his insistence that he was a "deeply cultured person." All of these trappings of celebrity probably made his personality a bit grating to me from the page but the laudatory style with which the article was written really put Owens in a position of high esteem. Check it out if you get a chance!

chloe sevigny and opening ceremony

Chloe Sevigny for Opening Ceremony is now being sold at Barneys...and it actually looks good.

natalie portman for te casan

What do you do if you can't find any vegan footwear you like? If you're Natalie Portman, you design your own.

best in show

With Spring upon us and day light savings time just a few days away, I would like to recognize the wonderful clothes of winter one last time. These chic ladies were captured by Scott Schulman in February.

jovovich hawk at target

I took a pilgrimage to Target today to try on a dress from the Jovovich Hawk line. I was hoping to wear it with cowboy boots once the weather improved. The fit was good but the fabric was awkward and stiff, as if it had been starched. It was a disappointment, like most of the designer collaborations with Target have been.

la double vie de veronique

Last year the team at Rodarte placed DVDs of "The Double Life of Veronique" in gift bags at their winter runway show. This particular scene is so haunting and beautiful, I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I do.

barney's madhouse sale

Tomorrow is the last day of the Barney's Warehouse Sale. The final weekend of the sale is when shoppers can expect the best discounts, with merchandise an additional 70%-80% off. Needless to say, it was a madhouse. I went to help a friend pick out a few things from the men's department which was much tamer than upstairs in the women's section. It was where I spent most of my time because I couldn't stand being stepped on and elbowed. Despite the initial enthusiasm surrounding Kate Moss' collection for Topshop, all of it was discounted further than any of the other things. The aisle that held the clothes was nearly abandoned. I did find many things that I liked. There was very beautiful detailing on some pieces by Christopher Kane, Phillip Lim and Proenza Schouler (click on those images to see the wonderful close up of the textures). Also, at 75% off of the initial mark down, the Pierre Hardy platforms pictured below were just a little over $60. I tried them on but there were extremely uncomfortable and I couldn't brave the long line. Anyway, I had fun just looking and my friend came out with a lot of goodies.

to market, to market

It was nice enough to take a long walk, so I strolled Chelsea for what seemed like hours. I ran into an outdoor market that sold designer clothing, cowboy boots, furniture, books, taxidermy animals and jewelry, just to list a few things. The fox was $100 in case you are interested. The man selling it was very gracious with his compliments. He said that it was "a fox for a fox."

thrifting suits

On my way to the Barney's Warehouse Sale I dropped into a thrift store on 17th street. There were several suits from the early 1990's, obviously donated by the same person because they were the same size and had a similar eclectic style. Although vintage suits are usually awkward fitting, it is always satisfying to find a nice once because you get two things for the price of one. I came out with an Oscar de la Renta navy jersey wool suit with beautiful white buttons on it for a mere $25. The other suits were more expensive and didn't fit very well. I do lament the YSL black tunic with gold buttons that I had to pass up because it wasn't marked down. I get a rush out of seeing vintage designer labels and wondering about the life of the person who donated the pieces. There is so much more substance to clothing that has been lived in.