my morning breakfast...with jakob

good morning.
do you eat standing up?
i've found it's a nice alternative to the usual sit-down meal. it allows you to multi-task: scrambled eggs, cinnamon-raisin toast with a smattering of peanut butter and mashed banana, and vietnamese coffee with a dollop of soy; the morning fashion news; aaaand let the day begin.

breakfast sing-along: 'one headlight', as per the wallflowers (oooh jakob dylan)...despite the catchy tune and sultry raspy voice of his, that song is kind of depressing. as per wikipedia:

the lead singer and songwriter of The Wallflowers, has said that the song is about "the death of ideas"^[1] and that the many metaphors and images in the lyrics were not meant to be taken literally. Dylan explains that he and the band had very little support when they were putting together the record, hence the shout-out «c'mon try a little». The last two lines of the chorus «we can drive it home / with one headlight» are a reference to how the band were able to get through with their ideas despite being hindered (i.e. with one headlight) by the lack of support.

"lack of support..." sounds familiar....i know resistance to reaching our passions will only make us stronger. and persisting to the end, despite it, makes you realize how badly you want something. hopefully we can all get what we want, in some shape or form. or color. as monica poignantly has pointed out, "we can have it all, but not all at once." c'est la vie.

after reading just one of jakob's interviews, i have a deep respect for him, not just for his....um...hotness...*blush* ...but because he made music for music's sake and none of the glory. in fact, he resisted any association or accessibility to his father's legendary name to promote his work. he didn't rest on any laurels and pursued to make his own.

on the music side, he struggled just as all artists do, having been dropped by record companies, facing bleak shows and band member fallouts. he continued to write what was true to him, lyrically and musically, and he kept doing it his way no matter what the music landscape was at the time. he was resolute on maintaining a personal connection with the music, rather than giving into his record company's desire to sell records by using his 'dylan' name. all the while he went thru a self discovery joyride, as we all do, to find what we love doing and to live it out (luxury permitting). he actually at one point thought painting might be another outlet, but dropped out of parsons after realizing he didn't NEED painting day and nite, as other students did. wise move there, jake-o.

gimme more, jakob, gimme gimme more (all quotes as per interview) :

When you're in the middle of writing a song, you can come up with this whole web of stuff only you know how to get through," he said. "That's very entertaining for me to do that. But two years later I have to sing the song, and I've forgotten how to get through the web, and it becomes frustrating. Like, how come I didn't know that the last verse is really the same as the second verse? If I have a point, maybe it should be simpler. Because if I no longer really understand what I'm talking about, I don't know how anybody else could." (NYTimes)

Entitled "I've Been Delivered" it was a song of rebirth. "I just wrote that song about not knowing what the hell I wanted to do," he says. "That's kind of what the song is about: a journey of trying to figure out what your point is and why you started doing this to begin with. Getting through the song somehow made things more clear." (Wall of Sound).

Q. Well, your songs do have a haunting quality.
A. I'm trying to scare people out of rock 'n' roll so we'll be the last ones standing. I see some pretty terrified people at our shows. I guess the record is a little more dark than me. When you write music you write with a certain personality each time. It's up to everybody how honest and clear they want to be. And as far as the material being somber and dark, I don't think "Wooly Bully" is going to work for me. (Chicago Sun Times 11.10.96)

"It's a ridiculous job. It's 99.999 per cent fruitless and ineffective. It's ruthless. It's emotionally damaging to a lot of people; they invest their whole lives in it and that becomes what the measure of their self-worth is, and they never realize there's other parts of life. And even if you are successful, how long does that last? People write nasty things about you. It's nothing you'd want your kids to get into. But the act of being interested in the arts was certainly never discouraged in my family." (Telegraph)

the things we go thru to get what we want....the pursuit of passions...hmmm...

i need more coffee.

reasons to love you...

look 1) perfect for the hells kitchen flea market....then afternoon tea...

look 2) gallery hopping in chelsea...then studio recording session...
look 3) photo walk in Central Park, Brooklyn botanic gardens, Lower East Side...(lovelovelove the auburn hair juxtaposed against the deepest of royal purples...mmm HOT).
look 4) oh, u know, traipsing in the city...eating ice cream...then off to the guggenheim...
look #5) business as usual...with exposed cuffs
look #6) brunch with the fam....then 'light' shopping at barneys...

oh, fine, i'll just take all of them. and the killer heels. shame shopping it is.

burberry prorsum, as per christopher bailey, pre-fall 2009 (courtesy style.com)

basic silhouettes, redefined in proportion, layering, and texture. what's not to love?

super. drabulous.

rue du mail, as per martine sitbon...spring 2009 (courtesy style.com)

for whatever reason, i've bypassed her most recent collection until now (my apologies, martine). her collection is only 2 years young, but martine has already garnered a name for herself and from what i've read about her, has many a friend in the circles of music and art (rock music being a prime point of inspiration) prior to her becoming a designer....high profile social threads....jealous i'm not.

seeing these pictures makes me want to walk into her showroom and touch the garments first-hand....i'm kind of obsessed with folds of fabric. so simple a notion, yet...breathtaking if 'done right.' the play of shadows created from these folds/pleats/fabric manipulations...is endless.

maybe it's also the lighting from runway but no matter how you fancy a fold, a fabric's weight and quality determines how free floating or condensed it will be... and hence creates a certain statement or mood....

cases in point: look #2 above masters a gorgeous deep - folded collar, and structured folds of an asymmetrical skirt. i think 'graceful power at gallery opening.' in contrast, look #3 has folds pressed against the bodice, whilst a peplum of folds slightly stands away from the hips. i think, 'cocktail happy hour at the Met rooftop.'

either way, kind of brilliant...no?

"why, how do u 'do?"

...more poetic styling, attitude, and general amazingness can be found at at http://www.hedislimane.com/

it's that time again....

BFF trifecta (l to r): me, tippy, monica ....together in the same room?! sigh....dreams...can come true...

happy happy holidays!
hope everyone is celebrating and being merry.

love is all u need....

cheers to a new year, new 'tude, new 'do. it's gonna be a good one....i can feel it.

i feel ya...

words cannot express how my feelings resonate with this little boy's during this period in my life....courtesy diane arbus' "child with toy hand grenade in central park (nyc, 1962)."

i wish i was his age and just as carefree.

oh, and note how fashionable he is! out of the nonchalant innocence of boys who like to kick it, he's got the look spot on: printed peter-pan collar buttondown, shortalls (one strap rebelliously falling off the arm), scrunched ankle socks and keds-esque laceups. and a pixie cut to boot (albeit he's a boy, ergo not many options for hair at his age. but still adorable). i wonder if he dressed himself....

i think it's interesting how despite our age (and aging), this young-in's pure expression of playful impatience is relevant, and universal in some ways, to the way some of us counter the undercurrent of instability and fear of the current fragile state of this economy. at least for me, i can't help but breathe "come oooooooooooon" to myself, no less than once a day. to the economy, to my personal life, to future endeavors. i know i'm not alone in this one.

alas, thank goodness there is the Office and 30Rock to keep us a-laughin'. and friendships. and love....and coffee.
cheerio!

such a tease

O.M.G.
barneys 75% off sale, plus free shipping.
during our recession, i've been proud not to have stepped in line for any a-sample sale. i even bypass h&m when they have comme de garcons -or other- collabos with the avant garde set (viktor & rolf, karl, etc.)
but THIS!
when am i going to see miumiu riding boots, jil sander motorcycle boots and booties, the quintessential lanvin ballet flat, and ysl tribute in the 'affordable' $200-$400 range?!


my heart is palpitating. nay. bursting.
sometimes i bet ignorance IS bliss. because knowing about this and not being able to really do anything about it (ie: acquire and thus up my wardrobe It factor, not that i believe in the It factor, but this is making me too fashionista-sounding that i'm just going to roll with it) is, literally, killing me.

see for yourself and let the drool begin:
http://www.barneys.com/Shoes/SHOES10,default,sc.html?start=0&sz=461

but as i sit here and ponder for a hot second, where art thou dries van noten shoes, hmmmmm? tsk tsk, barneys. you can't get me that easily.

breakfast at hou's

i love cathy horyn.
i think she writes very directly, sans fashion gossip, about the movement and influence of fashion today (see sidebar for link)...from karl's latest resort show to michelle obama's stylistic choices, to mentioning the chicken soup she's currently stirring amidst blogging. it's just really refreshing to see an undaunted and/or honest view of all things fashion without the fluff n' nutter of, well, fashion. and yet, of course, you can tell she has a deep appreciation for fashion because she's writing about it, and has a huge fashionista circle with whom she has personal relationships with...such that when she mentions getting off the phone with tommy hilfiger or karl, it's like me getting off the phone with a bff after an hour of catching up. had i not known she is THE fashion journalist for the new york times, i would still think this way about her work, her reputation not withstanding.

i particularly like her entry on dec. 3 ("just turn right"), because it clearly sends the message that perhaps fashion (and most things) in new york is so hyper-PR'd that we get brainwashed into looking out for certain designers, sales, fashionweek shows, etc. to the point where we may forego our own opinions and stylistic choices. don't get me wrong; this means the PR peeps are doing their job, and the "tastemakers" that promote these ideas come with integrity and experience (or we'd like to think so). nevertheless it takes a discerning ear and eye to sort through the whirls of junk to get to the core of the social/fashionista pie....i admit that i've been a 'fashion victim' on several occasions; hey, sometimes it's easy to get caught up, and that's sometimes the fun of it too! alas, i digress, yet, again.

to summarize, her article journals her trip to Austin, Texas to visit her friend's boutique and understand if/how the recession has affected a retailer that is physically removed from the fashion-centric city that is new york. i'll give it away; recession is recession, so yes the boutique has been affected, but on a refreshing note cathy notes [and i inference] how their selection ranging from lanvin to marni to marant could compete with that of barneys, despite its distance from 'fashionland.' thus the point being, it's not about where or what, but how good you are at doing something. if you know what you're doing, it will show through the said means of expression....

and that fine-tune editing and freshness was prevalent in the breakfast she ate, and what seemed like the people she was hanging out with. there were no 'missing ingredients,' for they were all pure and at the core, stripped of icing.

which brings me to 2 more things:
1) in music and lyrics, the movie, drew barrymore's character and hugh grant's character sit at the city bakery spilling their career downfalls to each other over muffins and ice tea...drew, when describing her story, quotes her idolized mentor to writing in his novel that 'she [drew], when stripped of her literary clothes, was nothing more than [a poor writer]'. ok so i don't have the direct quote; however, point being that 'clothes' (literary or physical or otherwise) should simply reflect the core, and not necessarily define it. at best, fashion will enhance the best features - the heart - of the person. at worst....well, let's not go there right now...

2) food for thought...home brewed coffee, surround sound 'sicut cervus' by palestrina ( a beautiful choral piece, super angelic), and a quiet snowed-in morning chez my mom's mansion in isolated new jersey is equally comparable to a favorite cafe morning in the city. quality, not quantity....

smooches

who knew i'd want to go to walmart....for THIS (thanks for the info, florence kane of vogue:

norma kamali does organic tees. for six bucks. yep, $6. it beats any sample sale price...of course, i wish i stood in line for the marc jacobs sample sale (a whopping 70% off)....i think i may be the only so-called "fashionista" out there who has decidedly not attended the rush of sample sales going on at this moment...there is so much opportunity, yes, to score good deals, but because i'm on fashion vaca (read: unemployed, i say without remorse, okay maybe a little) i find myself refraining from spending on luxuries that don't support my survival. as much as i do love splurging...i think i should stay on reality-crack. the timing is just poor not to. and i must be crazily out of the loop in tv land....i flipped on the WB and thought i was watching gossip girl. but no, it was 90210...the new version. and it just feels weird! anyone, anyone? maybe i've just grown out of the whole gossipy teen shows, and thank goodness for that. i think i'll stick to my vogue and international mags that provide so much more inspiration for my future artistic aspirations. gallery and museum hopping, analog photography, the life plan...need to aim high to really fly.

post-turkey bloat

yum. thanksgiving meals are always a highlight of thanksgiving festivities...mine was spent with family from across the country, with 2 adorable nieces and nephews who helped me bake brownies. i think i may have a penchant for children.....who knew.

allen made the turkey, replete with cornbread stuffing, cranberry sauce (with whole cranberries!), mom's potato salad, and a slew of other family style dishes, most notably my grandmother's roast pork (she's been making that for years). you know how you just keep eating everything on your plate, almost not caring that the food is piled on top of each other? it was that type of gorging that when looked back upon you would say "how caveman-esque, ergo grotesque" but in reality you are just eating of the moment and thinking "mmmm i want seconds."

*burp*

back to the more classy things in life...i got a perm! i decided to go for it, despite my friends' and family's Warnings...it just wasn't in vogue to them but to me, it was time for a change. and yes i could go down to my former hair stylist and have him customize my hair just the way i liked it. i was going for the anne hatheway makeover, with shoulder-length loose waves in bob-like form, but with a bit more curl and oomph since my hair needed the body. of course my stylist understood that and voila, i emerged 2.5 hours later from the salon chair (albeit my butt emerged a lil' flatter, if not tired) donning a gorgeous dollop of curled hair. i wanted to keep it modern, not jerry-curl-esque, but rather conjuring the attitude of the '40s, where classy ladies donned classy curls; flat on top and luscious waves on the bottom. fast forward also to angelina jolie's coif in the changeling....for whatever reason, channeling that decade just feels right to me right now. ALSO, i think it was time to move on from the straight hair angled bob w/bangs that i was underneath for a good 2.5 seasons (oh please, u think victoria and katie started the trend? hehe). one last lil' detail...the only angling of my hair is in the bangs...it starts wispy above my eyebrow on one side, graduating to eyebrow length to the other side.

tres chic, non?

champion coffee meets toasted sesame with cream cheese and tomato. accompanied by feist. bring on the carbs...it's winter.

wait for it....aaaaand go!

so i think everyone should visit the guggenheim right now (go on friday nites! it's free!). it is featuring several-a-cool exhibits....some personal favorites:

1) Jenny Holzer, who in short (and i quote) uses "text-based light projections" against the exterior of the frank lloyd wright statue of a museum....the words illuminate against the exterior and, like a teleprompter, float upwards towards the sky...it's definitely a captivating intro to the museum for newcomers. (but i hope you're not one of them). i think it would be a genius way for a rockstar to promote their songs no? hmmmm.

2) theanyspacewhatever - tres interessant. a visual installation throughout the museum via collaboration of contemporary artists across many disciplines - architecture, design, theater, through which each artist displays their "reaction" to the space. my favorite was the work by dominique gonzalez-foerster; she produced an artificial rainforest through speakers, and that was it. so basically we (my roommate and i) walked through one curved corridor that is adorned with nothing on the white walls save for speakers that emanated sounds of the rainforest. visually it was a pure and peaceful transcendental transition between installations...and sophisticated in its simplicity...the lighting, the sounds, the serenity. it's kind of like the speaker-scifi-trekkie sounds of the chanel mobile art, but this was much more sophisticated. i think karl and dominique should duke this one out.

i wish i had pictures to post (they are on my 2 pixel camera phone, woohoo) but i guess the website will have to do it justice.

btw, the guggenheim website has videos on the process of developing and installing these..installations...with interviews from the artists. watching these always make me feel tingly...it's like a brilliance of minds combusting in one space. baby. like. whoa.

museums are supremely great sources of inspiration for any artist...fashion designers...because it's a natural springboard from which to explore other ideas and means of expression, just by seeing works of art. i realize this is a basic concept, but it reinforces the idea that there is always more than meets the eye behind a finished product.

and there you have it, words to live by, from yours truly.

fun in frisco! the real bffs

on the right, that's tippy. i'm the only one in the world who calls her that now. she is so much more than the real name "jane" encompasses. an all around bff, she took care of me this week, swooping me to foodie fests, museums, clubs, shopping, rockclimbing, and heartfelt conversations that only break the tip of the iceberg of what she means to me. can i get a HELLSYEA?!

i shall chronicle what happened over the last couple of days while enjoying the sun and shadows of san francisco. alas, the marathon diary entry:

nite 1 (thurs nite):

eat or drink? in&out it is, the classic burger joint famous in california...we scarf down burgers (mine with the works) then head over to san jose to paint it red. turns out it's too dead to be painted, but we had fun anyway briefing each other and ga-ga-ing over finally being able to hang out again, after 1 whole year of bff withdrawal. (ok, so it was my fault...i was wooorrkkkkiiinng) hit the hay for a big day on friday.

day 1 (friday):

we make brunch at the apt, replete with a runny scramble, seasoned rice w/soysauce and mirin, baked salmon and broccoli. washed down with peet's coffee and bobby flay food network. he was making ribs and chili. we were salivating.

**over the course of the week i had way too much peet's coffee...we hit a different location each time to avoid meeting the same people...peppermint mocha w/lil' whip...full fat....mmmm

we hit the caltrain and walk thru sutter/montgomery to visit my beloved cousin brian at his architecture studio. anna, his wife, is also there and we find out she's freelancing! she gives us her hotpink biz card and i'm so proud of her...she's so accomplished in graphic design and a real beauty to boot. we then hop to the fraenkel gallery; they were having a special exhibit on richard avedon photographs. quite breathtaking. i loved the marilyn and beatles shots...then we decide to explore the rest of the building which housed other galleries, of various contemporary art...i think to myself how much i love gallery hopping...it's sort of turned into a new hobby. esp. when slashes of oil paint create color schemes that are so inspiring...when nature is let its due course, something special always happens...unpredictable and inherently beautiful.

dinner time! we meet back with brian and pick up his son Ethan at chinese school (ahh, i remember those chinese school days...not with much nostalgia tho)...Ethan has grown so much! and is so skinny! and insanely adorable. we are wined and dined and desserted at anna's cousin's taiwanese restaurant. they give us so much food, much of it not on the menu, including a ginormous pumpkin pie from costco. (costco!!) i was needless to say, uncomfortably stuffed. it was like thanksgiving. washed it off with a stella. and grilled scallops....haha.

next on the agenda is clubbing! we hit up rudyard's and blue chalk...now i must say the clubbing scene is nothing like new york's...we were in palo alto which immediately breathes collegetown socialista but whatever, i still have fun. cuz...tippy sure can dance hahaha. after dancing among the sweaty crowds we hit a pool table at blue chalk and play 2 rounds with some fellas...tippy declines their offer to hangout post-pool and we drive home...after all, we have sooo much fun left to have for the week.

day 2: deYoung is deLOVELY.
it's ysl day!! tippy found out about the yves saint laurent exhibit for me and i am forever grateful..SF is the only city that showcases this exhibit, so i indeed felt very special to witness it (close to the tingles i felt during the chanel mobile art exhibit). but before that, we hit the foodie festival (1st one ever in SF) and it's a little more tame than i envision. OH WAIT, of course we have peet's coffee beforehand. tippy and i pick up wanning and shirley and we complete the coveted 4some. foodie fest we go....lots of sampling bread and olive oil and pancake mix...i end up with white truffle oil; tippy purchases several samples of olive oil and vanilla bean pancake mix. after 2 hours of sampling we're actually hungry, and we go to a small small hole-in-the-wall called Susie's. it's quick and dirt cheap, kinda as if it were a diner in chinatown. after 15 or so min we head over to musee deYoung. YESSS!

tbc...

waiting...

when each moment is lived, a week may seem like eternity...

sigh.

there are lots of things i aspire to be...world-famous this, most sought-after that...but is all this just PR jargon that has gotten to my head? it is almost ironic that to be successful in the "arts" industry you have to not do it for fame. only when you're not looking will others follow.

as monica has pointed out, "go for broke." easier said than done, that's for sure.

as phillip has said, "stop looking at what others are doing, and worry about what you're doing."

must. have. fun. with. what. you. love.
otherwise, you'll just throw it away as if you've never loved it at all.
what's that saying? "better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all." [reminder from wayne]

mmmm k bye.

it's freezing in my room

oh how i long for summer days, warm weather, and lollapaloooooza.

halloween this year wasn't too crazy, unfortunately....kim and i went to see the parade, in the hopes of being in it, but then sidestepped into a cool bar enroute to meeting our parade participant friends. it's fun when everyone's dressed up and in the spirit...it almost seems like the city unites in costume. some notable ones were Waldo, pac-man/girl, teleprompter, Juno, and just "costume/makeup" in general. people get quite crafts-y this time of year.

i went as a flower bed...more of a concept than a literal costume, but of course...haha..but i ended up wearing a tsumori chisato sleeveless dress w/a puffer flower smack on the center, covering my entire front....to accompany the flower bed idea was a bakelite-esque rose ring, rosebud earrings, and, AND, a hand-made headband adorned with fabric rosettes, courtesy of wax block prints we used for our spring 09 collection. it was a fun workday...we all sat around and ended up working on our costumes...to the sewing machine i went, sewing up rows of stitches to be pulled out for the fabric strips to gather....out came little rosettes...i knew i was onto something when my coworkers cooed over them...

the whole point of my costume was to pull out a sassy pick up line: "i'm a flower bed...want to lay on me?"

ha. dork that i am...i know. i couldn't resist. but i did attract a few fellas....

anywho, ended up at a loft party in williamsburg with my feet dying from wearing my hooker heels. i had to walk home in dan's work shoes...flat and comfy and completely oversized. konked out at 3:30am..kinda early i suppose, but then again i am getting old..sigh.

i'm suddenly sparked with an interest in lomography and diane arbus...is that random or what? am thinking of exploring this new hobby....fashion, music, photography....has a nice ring to it no? if i don't become master of one, at least i'll be a selective jack-of-trades....oh yeah, i forgot to add in karaoke....

happy november...the year is winding down, already!

karen + karl = bffs

**photos courtesy of the new york times @ nytimes.com

...or rather, my experience with his mobile art, CHANEL contemporary art container by zaha hadid, now in Central Park only until Nov. 9, made me feel 1cm closer to getting to know him. i felt really special to have attended this exhibit, because it's kind of hard to get into, being that you're on standby...apparently they sold out of tix "a while ago" and the opening window to get tix was between 8am-10am. um, no thank you, being that i'm your antithesis to "morning person." i'll stand on standby.

so the story goes, that my boss and i had planned to see this "container" the day prior as inspiration for our fall '09 collection. come friday, i ask her when she plans to head out, and she goes "oh, i have to stay and do this pattern for barneys japan....why don't you go yourself and report back."

hmmm. stay inside our studio on a beautiful friday morning? or get kicked out to see a chanel exhibit firsthand, for inspiration's sake? hmmmm.

off i go...boss' orders. *shrug*

upon approaching the exhibit, there stands a slew of black guards in front of the container...it's literally a gorgeous sleek white futuristic bulbous snake supported on a blacktop of the rumsey grounds...the entire view is black and white, and even without being a fashion insider you would think that something "major" was being put on display. i ask the guards what the deal is with the tix, and he explains the standby issue, saying that i would get in at, oh, 3pm...guaranteed. i look at my watch and it's 12:45. decision time: do i wait in line hoping to get in before 3, and experience this thing since i probably won't get the chance on the weekends, much less weekdays..OR do i scour the surrounding museums like the Met over the next 2 hours? i mean, i AM on assignment, no? i decide to stay and fight with time. it's like waiting in line forever for the rollercoaster at great adventure, for a three-minute thrill. i was hoping this was going to last more than 3 minutes.

anywho, i'm standing in line and pull out my sketchbook. Two girls behind me are blabbing about their art classes and pondering out loud if they sound professional...i think to myself, well, if you talk like a valley girl with a long island accent, it's kind of hard to sound professional esp. if your voice is soprano. i continue to sketch...and i must look like i'm a reporter or something because i'm people watching and sketching at the same time....and people are looking at me...i can sense these things...and i begin to see what mr. sartorialist sees on a daily basis....european style, american style, junior/college style, in their daily garb, whether they take it seriously or not. ooh, the line inches forward....3 specimens at a time. it's 1:20...really hoping this line moves a tad faster so i don't feel like i'm playing hooky. but i mean, i'm so not.

along the sidewalk of this line lay speakers that emanate a mix of sounds that cross between french star trek + serge gainsbourg + windchimes. it definitely sets a mood. i'm reeeally curious at this point to see what's inside.

1:40. fiiiiinally comes my turn. i'm the cutoff for the next group to enter, and black-clad guard turns out to be a cutie who chats with me for a bit...i mean, people know me...

i'm not going to give it away, but the exhibit is breathtaking, unique, sensory, and really beautiful at the end of it. each installation has its own surprise and you are guided along by the voice of jeanne moreau, a major french actress, via your own black mp3 player. oh karl, the whole black and white thing is so you! well done. she has the throaty, sexy, deep female voice that is super seductive and matches the vibe of the exhibit completely. it's rather appropriate, actually.

the last 2 installations were rather memorable...1 being a blow-up version of the black chanel 2.55 bag, lined with a rosy mauve rabbit fur and blow-up chanel compact. the other 1 being a "wish tree," where we were invited to write down a wish and hang it on a plant...oooh, i'm being part of history.

at the check-out counter before exiting i also received a fresh 11x14 magazine, of b/w pics of nyc...taken from the who's-who of the fashion/art worlds. olivier zahm, karl, etc. etc...u know, my pals.

....luck be a lady, i was. i returned to the studio with my gifts in hand, feeling like i had the best job in the world...to be paid to be inspired. now that's wack.

omg. it's alberrrr

**Alber Elbaz gives Lily Donaldson an adjustment before the show. (Jean-Luce Huré for The New York Times) ...by way of cathy horyn's blog.

i heart this picture because it's quintessentially the place where we all hope to be, as aspiring fashion designers...at the top, working with gorgeous models, working until the last minute of a runway show, and essentially expressing ourselves to the world thru clothes and having people listen, understand, appreciate, applaud..and wear. or at the very least, be inspired. i mean, it's a show. capital S.

and yet, on a simplistic level, stripped away of the perceptions of the glamour, press, partying, celebrity-ing, this is also a snapshot of what we as designers DO do everyday...fit clothes on a model to make sure what we and everyone sees is what we want them to see. the way we tuck something in, the way we combine colors, the way we choose to dictate proportions...ultimately, the way our vision translates onto people wearing them is our prerogative, as fashion designers.

as an artform, fashion is just like any other - a mode of self expression. it's not just clothes. each piece has a raison d'etre, a specialness to it that makes it worthy of making and creating. to see the results as a piece of wearable art is what drives the inner fashion-artist. and then to wear it and love it and have it be a part of your lifestyle is kind of the ultimate reason, no?

as a business, fashion is kind of crazy...and lucrative at the same time, if you succeed and become a somebody...with oodles of money and loyalty around you to sustain your creative vision. unfortunately, as a business, the clothes DO become just clothes. it's about production, quality control, sourcing economically and efficiently, what sells and what doesn't sell...

and then in the end of it, to have the creative vision intact, season after season, even after cycling through the laundromat of production and the press....now that's success.

oh, the dichotomy of fashion...

hm...i guess i also love this picture because it's alber elbaz and lily donaldson. i mean, come oooon.

shades and cash...mere

so i'm in new jersey for the weekend (everybody say yaaay), visiting my mum and basically taking a quick last-autumn breath away from the city. it's quite beautiful this time of year, probably one of my favorite times, because the leaves give their last burst of color before floating towards the ground...i remember driving back and forth from cornell during fall break, absorbing the rows of vermillion, canary, maple, pumpkin, and viridian along the highway...this was the pick-me up to the downside of almost failing a class......

alas, i digress. i'm getting to the good part about my shades.

as my mom picks me up from the station, the sun is blaring through the car windowshield and i unfold my 3.I shades, slickly framed with canary enamelled wires...i put them on, and my, how the leaves on the trees change from good to f*ckin great. gorgeous. explosions of color that make you go whoa. it's magical. i mean, really...i never thought nature was this pretty.

then i take them off and realize that my view of the leaves was simply glorified by the tinting of my frames. because what i actually saw was so much duller...flat...not whoa-worthy. like, wtf.

and i was bummed! because, what i had seen was just a fantastical-heightened version of nature thru "rose colored glasses," if you will...it had enhanced my viewing pleasure so much that i believed it to be real...and to realize that the reality of it was subpar was needless to say, disappointing. a bit sad.

and so i must reconcile, for the gazillionth time, the fine black lining that separates reality from fantasy. we can perhaps believe all we want, thus creating our own fantasy, and convince people to believe in it too, until we ourselves take off the shades to really see how it is. and sometimes, it ain't so pretty.

and another thing...i cannot find my cashmere fingerless "opera" gloves, col. Flesh. now would be the perfect time to wear them, as outside is transitioning to official sweata weather, yet inside my room it's fast forwarded to antarctica.

help.

rachel yamagata performs live quite well

what to wear, what to wear...this is a daily question i face as i wake up from the comfort of my down comforter (even in the summer), look out the window to ponder what the weather dictates, and decide whether to follow or rebel.

today is rather chilly; i just stepped out for a quick coffee at my fave coffee shop down the street and realized that it went from spring/summer '08 to fall '08 in less time than you can say i-wonder-if-i-can-ever-afford-a-dries-piece-de-la-resistance-circa-spring09...wearing my striped deconstructed off shoulder tee, loosely tucked inside the almost defunct "boyfriend jean" w/rolled cuff, strapped with a red pony-hair ribbon of a belt, nonchalantly cloaked under my 3.I leather bomber, feeling a bit jaunty from the crisp fall weather, i still feel like it's not enough. jeez. what's a girl to do...

i think i may just grab a scarf and weather the weather...sweata weatha.

on the sketching front, i think i'm stuck in a rut....when you've drawn a zillion outfits and find resemblances among them, it either worries me or confirms that a) a strong personal aesthetic is surfacing to air, (b) all the sketch refining at 3.I must've crept into my own aesthetic subconsciously and i can't shake it off, because i scan my collection and feel like i'm recreating phillip's collections of yester-season (c) i need some fresh air (aka traveling? san fran? visiting bffs?) and fresh perspective.

maybe all of the above....

quickie mcqueen

alexander mcqueen, spring 09:
encrusted dinner suits....(no pups allowed on the lap!)
fringe fabulosity...(c'mon, it's pretty fab...) and a dash of wheee...(models do smile...sometimes)

bridesmaid revisited

ah oui, bonjour!

i'm off to shop for bridesmaid dresses today....it's one week until the wedding and i haven't held up my part of the bridesmaid deal - to find my dress!

it needs to be purple, orchid purple, and somewhat simple, elegant, not overshadowing the bride...yet of all the shops i've scouted there isn't anything that fits the bill...like the never ending shoe search, there is always something....

perhaps there is no perfection obtainable in life. we all have to "settle" somehow....and maybe i just need to get over my idealism.

BUT, if i were to keep dreaming, (and i shall), these would be some viable dress options (oh, giambattista valli, you've done it again):

ok, maybe not #3. but i heart tanya d.

bring me bling, s'il vous plait

it's interesting to watch a chanel runway show to the soundtrack of the vp debate...

i shall never do it again. it's sooo distracting, to both parties. so much for multitasking.

it's also, amazing, that a runway show can hold 71 looks...the norm is anywhere between 25-40ish...even if you're reaching beyond 40 it's like "wtf." not to say i don't enjoy it...but for an industry known for its a.d.d., it's almost ironic for a show to be so lengthy. but alas i nitpick.

i did enjoy the show, for the most part. i couldn't get my eyes off the blingy necklaces - beautiful placemats of enamelled florals layed against the chest. on tweed! the "necklace" seems to still hold its stance as one of the statement pieces of the season...sounds like some fun d.i.y time for me. bold (refined, of course) bling in the form of large faceted crystals and metal...drool.

still on the search for the perfect bootie...mass market just doesn't cut it for me on this one. there is always something i want to change about what's out there. heel too high, too much detail, too gimmicky, too cheap looking....

...it's always a search, no?

i leave you with thoughts of stella's pretty pastels and ysl's stunning and always reliant take on refined, sensual, dressing (note the sequin collar! nonchalantly sewn over a sheer blouse...but of course):

brought to you by the stefano pilati.......and scene.

pleated pants anyone?

balmain, dries, balenciaga...drool drool drool...

people always ask me "what's in style" right now...being that they are not in fashion and they know i am. but i never have an answer for them, except to say "whatever works for you...there are no rules."

this is a hard concept for some people to grasp...because when it comes to clothes, they wear by the rules. certain things work, other things don't. whereas for me, fashion and style is all about bending the rules...flirting with them...trying to prove otherwise.

**disclaimer: i totally understand that career plays a huge role in wardrobe choices...so playing it safe may be a necessity....but how about the weekends?

a "fashion person" would say the look du jour is:

-sartorialist/androgynous/edgy/nerdy: high-waisted cropped pleated pants/harem pants, ankle heels/boots, boyfriend blazer, striped tee, a cool or sleek haircut, strong accessories, maybe dark framed glasses to boot...oh and esp. the jumpsuit/onesie.

a certain attitude of nonchalance is required...a la paris... shouldn't that always be the case when one decides what to wear?

a non-fashion person would say:

1) but i can't wear the jumpsuit..it's not flattering

2) can black and navy go together? what can i wear with grey? can i wear red shoes with this?

3) why would you wear an oversized blazer? how is that flattering?

4) i can-NOT pull off pleats

it's like an episode of "what not to wear." despite its entertainment factor, it does no good to inspire the true fashionista in us.

and then i have to say "dahhling, don't worry about it...it doesn't matter unless you feel comfortable in it." and that all goes to show that you need some serious confidence to pull off "fashion" looks. vice versa; if you are not comfortable wearing pleated cropped pants and heels, it will show through your outfit and that is never a good look for anyone, no matter how hot you really are.

maybe it's because i have a dual background in being totally practical and grounded (darn engineering degree) yet flighty and fantastical and dreamy (FIT, 3.I, zachary's), that this kind of discussion/reality creates some internal frustration. i, like everyone else out there, think about what to wear for the day/moment/event, but more from a perspective of "what's appropriate + what's my emotional status..." at the times when i can be myself (thank gawd my job is freethinking and creative), which luckily is every day, i'll mix it up with a sartorial/grunge sort of thing. or i'll play 3.I label whore (i can't help it...this is what happens when you amass the company's clothes as perks for making it through). of course, part of being stylish is knowing how to balance the outfit with the occasion, so on the flip side, if i'm going to be in a crowd of more conservative people (ie. a wedding of old college friends/acquaintances- read "conservative") i'll tone it down a tad. i have to....because i may have confidence, but not THAT much to totally completely stand out from the crowd.

luckily it's been working out so far....

genius, no?

hey you...soooo paris fashion week has begun...i'm a bit behind in my "research" but only because things have been busy at work (tech packs, waxing overseas poetic, pleading the patternmaker to "make it work!!"). anywho, it's really inspiring to be inspired by designers out there who flirt on this side of wearable, but push the boundary more than two steps ahead to be plopped in the visionary bucket.

case in point: ann demeulemeester, spring '09.

fashion shows are a delicate balancing act between fantasy and reality...from my knowledge, buyers and editors attend these shows to, well, select what the trends are and where they are going...sometimes designers are critiqued negatively for not being commercial enough, while others are critiqued for being too commercial and not moving forward. also, it's a fine line to design according to the public (without compromising/watering down the designs) yet fulfill the high expectations of said critiques...and to make a personal statement.

also, relatively speaking, newyork shows tend to be more commercial (hence "american" sportswear...wearable but sometimes too safe, therefore boring); london shows can be really out there, art-school-esque, to the point of wtf?? milan is more...streamline yet sophisticated, my fave is prada because she's reviewed as if she's royalty, she can do no wrong, and yet if you look at it you're also like "wtf" followed by "ah, genius" ; paris is just breathtaking and it's a bit more controversial, stimulating a fashion dialogue that brings the idea of fashion to a philosophical level (ie stefano pilati of ysl. fall 2008...bowl haircuts + black gloss lipstick + beauuuuutiful tailoring + directional sequinned drop crotch pants = unavoidable discussion of his undeniable genius and power to dictate trends and seduce).

when you hear stefano speak during his interviews, you can't help but pay attention to this man and the way he owns the responsibility of being a fashion designer (that's kind of an understatement...he's only the creative director of the house of YSL...a lot to live up to). He is all around romantic and seriously, every word and motion that comes out of him breathes a love of beautiful things, people, clothes, style...a person's cool romantic essence is what seduces certain designers and vice versa...making them so relatable and untouchable at the same time. they are the most insecure divas you will ever meet....i speak from experience, heh.

anywho, what makes fashion so teetering between sane and insane is that 1) sooo many people LIVE it, even if they don't want to admit it; 2) it can be so vain and frivolous, and is not helped by "those in the industry" who talk like teenagers who speak the fashion gossip language that you wonder if it's at all serious or just gossipy (but it's kind of funny...read fashionista.com and you'll know what i mean); 3) it is of the moment, can be inspiring for just that moment for a bit longer, but it shows you how 1 moment can be so uplifting, magical, illusional, and how so many people have lived off, and make livings of, that fleeting moment...it's quite masochistic, really. and yet fashion design itself is such a logical process, of business, of dressmaking, that it's mandatory to have clothing technicians (patternmakers, drapers, sewers) to make all of that momentary illusion exist and render possible. this psychotic and bi-polar dichotomy is what makes the fashion industry sane. it somehow, still makes money. because not everyone designs for illusion....as in any creative industry you will have your dreamers and your realists. but i shall save that rambling for another post...

alas, some more pretty pics...soak it in and enjoy the frivolity of fashion.