2010. baby.like.whoa

a very happy new year to you, dahlings.

balthazar almond paste croissant, sushi rolls, almond cupcakes with blackberry frosting, and gouguenheim malbec circa 2008...this is only the beginning.

wheeeeee.

merry for christmas!

morning checklist:

brunch: 

the Classic toasted sesame bagel & cream cheese (whipped, herb) w/nova lox; coffee x 2

wardrobe: 

hooded heather grey sweatshirt dress, alexander mcqueen pink and black geometric print leggings, black and spearmint speckled t-shirt, vintage watchband wrap bracelet, art deco ring

soundtrack: 

The Party Faithful playlist -  the Dears, the Smiths, the Cure, the Rosebuds, David Bowie, My Morning Jacket, Arcade Fire, the Beatles

  

location:

Watchung Hills, NJ....snowcapped

it's 9:00am on christmas morning.  and i'm up, after a pleasant sleep in someone else's bed.

i had the most peaceful christmas eve ever...alone in my aunt and uncle's mansion (relatively speaking) filled with food, presents, and a christmas tree that i was delegated to decorate. accompanied by the Shins and glasses of malbec, i tinselled and ornamented and wrapped gifts thru the nite, and realized it's always nice to have a little christmas tree on christmas.  even if it was baby size a la charlie brown's christmas...it would still be precious.

the funny thing about "coming home" is that the fridge is always stocked. a plethora of goodies to choose from and almost no choice but to eat.  a typical dialogue goes something like this: "karen, help yourself to some bananas, oranges, water, chips, dip, cookies, chocolate...there's salmon in the fridge...and by the way finish the rest of the food on the table...oh, and what do you want for breakfast we have bagels, croissants, scallion pancake, coffee...."

if the above reads like a run-on sentence, it's because it is. the breakfast question comes as i'm in the middle of stuffing myself with dinner. hehe, don't get me wrong, i know it's all out of love, but it's a bit overwhelming too. but i'm not complaining...we all know what it's like to starve so i am definitely grateful to have food in front of me.

now it's the calm before the 'storm' of family in a couple of hours. cousins, babies, chatter...

i've just been summoned to grocery shop at the asian food market. see you after the holiday jump!

and scene.

thakoon + karaoke...who woulda thunk

hollydaze '09

chez erica & patrick harmon

12.20.09

tonite was our company dinner at Il Buco, where i sat across a celebrity designer of sorts and saw another across the room...maggie gyllenhal and her husband! people always looks smaller and skinnier in person than on the internet/tv/movie screen.

i had a delicious plate of lasagna..it was not saucy as per usual, but superbly homemade and almost refreshing. it arrived looking like a small portion but was definitely filling.  i had a piece of my friend mako's steak, which was also delicious...tender...  the decor of the restaurant was also very homey, copper cookware hung up, wood panelled floors and walls. a bit of cabin, a bit of class...not sceney, but definitely a luxury to be there amongst grand company. you could kind of tell it was a place where "industry" people went to enjoy themselves....it's really nice to sit down and have a beautiful meal after going around the factories all day pushing them to finish making our clothes by the deadline....in the slushy snow.

and after dessert and more wine, thakoon was up for karaoking...as per usual...?!

pinch.

it was kind of surreal, sitting next to him and karaoking with him and some other coworkers.  i don't often get star struck...but i can't help but have it cross my mind that "i'm karaoking with thakoon....the thakoon...." i know, i know, at the end of the day he's just a person, like us, and i happen to sit right outside his office and work on projects for him...but there's a part that is undeniably special, and well, simply unexpected to be sharing one of my favorite hobbies with a "celeb."  

in other news...i'm moving to a new place beginning the new year...artsy, tasteful, with a spankin' new roommate who happens to be a new-ish friend. it's going to be a badass year. badass.  a year ago this time i was unemployed and living at home, wondering where the hell i was going to end up.  a year later, a new lovely job, new apartment, new band, all in fabulous new york.

new changes and definitely blessed, my friends. as monica would say, "peace and love, peace.and.love."

oui, partying faithfully

lately i've been thinking a lot more about work than i have for a while...it's a sunday and i actually have to go in. it's not that bad, really, but maybe it's because i've just started here a little over a month ago and i'm still having the pinch-me syndrome where it's half "i'm so lucky to be here" and half "oh my god they think i'm brilliant and now i have to prove it."  it's also ok to make mistakes, but my free passes are running out.

but first, some inspiration to kick off the day. i walk into my trusty coffeeshop around the corner and indulge myself with the ingredients for a peaceful, blissful, morning: americano (hot, seering hot), egg n' cheese n' tomato sandwich on toasted 9-grain, and W magazine.  I've realized how much i miss reading fashion mags, it's a bit of a luxury to be able to peruse one over coffee these days...and actually have it feel like a lazy sunday.

then was a full work day, albeit not as efficient as i had hoped.  i felt exhausted from playing a show on friday nite in danbury, connecticut, where we closed out the bar and didn't return to our rehearsal space until 4am.  partying like a rockstar? nay, more like....paying your dues as said "rockstar." loading and unloading your equipment, making sure nothing is stolen, playing far-out venues....oh but wait, i'm in a band. pinch.

definite funtimes ensued as the nite progressed...squatting on the side of the road for some much needed "relief"...sitting on the drummer's lap in the backseat with equipment jutting into our heads as we drove 2 hours in my tiny civic, being told there would be promoters at the show only to have 10 people in the whole venue (half of who worked there...um, and no promoters)....watching our bassist read aloud her beloved AVON copy in a magazine gracing the bar while screaming out profanities towards it in drunken stupor...and pulling out jammed $20 bills from the atm machine...i mean, really, the typical stuff that happens during a show.

a few hours of sleep later i headed into work...for another couple of hours. saturday nite was a blur...and somehow it became sunday. i must've been a zombie.

sunday was a repeat of saturday...and at 7pm i decided to leave work when my brain shut off...met with with dear friend/TPF bassist erica for a relaxing dinner of sushi and plum wine (the presentation of my plate was replete with dry ice...wow!). then mosied back to her apt to wind down. kitkats, music by Mew (dreamy angels, those Danish boys are), and our laptops. not much action, but just what i needed to sit back, let the brain go, and just listen.

and off to home i go....for a few hours of sleep before the crazy week begins. it's market week...fittings, linesheets, clothes clothes clothes.

it's nice to have a breather and remember the little things that keep you going...

scent of a woman...and tobacco

i seem to fall in love (or maybe just obsess?) every so often with things other than people, music, and fashion.  this weekend i fell in love with a scent called "tabacco toscano" by Santa Maria Novella, one of the oldest pharmacies in the world, located in Florence, Italy.  i had first wafted the scent from my bandmate, and then his friend, and then another friend, and finally i decided to bite the bullet and splurge on this unisex cologne for myself.  it's one of those enveloping, warm, approachable scents that i never got tired of and in fact wanted around me all the time.  there's just something about it...like the go-to perfect t-shirt. it becomes you.

Bergamot, jasmine, tobacco, birch leaf, vanilla, burnt malt, and amber....all ingredients i never thought i'd want on me. especially tobacco! i've always gravitated towards floral and citrusy scents, the girlier ones....but this time i felt like i was ready for a sophisticated scent, not too feminine but still with that certain allure. totally the next level.

and psychologically the best part about this label is it's not mass marketed...you can't find it in sephora.  it feels rather exclusive, as its distribution is only in specialty boutiques and few places in the world.  luckily one of their distributors (Lafco) just happened to be across the street from where I work.  

100mL of delish for my skin.  who would've thought tobacco and vanilla could make such a beautiful pair.

don't quit your day job

The Party Faithful, off duty

10.18.09

oh boy, here we are at it again....trying to be cool drummers when really, we're clearly meant to be on a keyboard (me) and guitar (patrick). 

this shot came after 24+ hours of being holed up in our studio in a recording session for drums. no complaints, just a lot of set up time and being a supportive bandmate. a huge eye-opening experience...just by watching. 

here's the rundown:

DAY 1, Friday:

11am: waiting in a coffeeshop with bobby (our said drummer du jour), over tofu scramble and coffee.  we head over to our first stop in willyburg to pick up some special gear, only to find out that fedex hadn't arrived at their quoted time (as per usual).  luck beholds us and just as we're about to leave stop #1, bobby sees the fedex carrier walking towards my car holding a package...potentially ours.  after a quick chase and signature, the package was released and put in my trunk. Success.

1:30pm: personal errands in the city, since we have about a 5 hour gap before heading to our other pickups, which could only be arranged post-work ours. i drop off thankyou cards to my future employer thakoon (wheeee), and we stop by sam ash for some mics. i play with photoshop on my laptop, waiting in the car, while he does his thing in sam ash.

6pm: hungry and tired. breakfast only lasts apparently for a few hours.  by this time we are both starving to the point where all conversation is put on hold, the silence entertained by the subpar radio music. back to greenpoint we situate at Brooklyn Label (yum) and prepare ourselves for the trip to Long Island, to pick up more gear.  

7pm: mic pickup, done. head to Dream Hire for more mics. (yes, we need a lot of mics). the poor guy helping us out has a tough job, working 10-8 every day, including holidays.

  

8pm: arrive in Long Island for, you guessed it, more mics. i meet We The They, who invite us to a halloween gig, tbd. it's interesting to see how other band studios are set up, which instruments they use and how they use them...the lights, the backdrops, everything...after chatting with their keyboardist, i realized i'd rather have the larger nord electro 2 than the smaller but more powerful nord electro 3.  to each their own...i guess i really do need those extra ivories to feel like a pianist.

10pm: back in our studio in williamsburg for the grand Setup. clear the studio, set up drums, set up mic positions.  

1am: signal processing. (wtf?) i later learn it's a serious skill to understand the web of cables that are involved in cable hookups for Recording. i am convinced that all recording engineers are are cross between electrical engineers and mechanical engineers. brilliant minds.

4am: day 1, over. the room is ready for recording, aside from finalizing mic positions. oh, we are still missing 2 mics....to be received the next morning. i drop bobby off and head home. don't sleep until 6am.

DAY 2, Saturday:

11am: get a text from Patrick saying he'll arrive at my door in 45 min. i rub my sleepy eyes and psyche myself out for the day.  it's going to be another long one.

12pm: Patrick and I arrive at coffeeshop for more, um, coffee. bobby meets us there and we chill for a bit, talking about our next song and how we want a Steinway grand and real orchestra to be a part of the recording. dreams and coffee...pretty good combo.

12:30pm: finalize mic placement.

1:30pm: ready to record drums!!! it's awesome.

7:30pm: it's a wrap for today. more tomorrow, but time to party.  we gorge on delicious tacos from La Esquina (interesting crowd, fantastic food) and grab some drinks at the Gatsby before meeting erica and friends to watch a band play. then we head to B Bar, for shots of Petron, shop talk, and munch on fries and calamari while 6 of us cozy up in a round booth. 

2:30am: band sleepover. yay!! i pass out, after having 'discussed' loudly with erica my apartment situation. we should just get a band house already....oooor, not.

DAY 3, Sunday:

11:45am: i can't believe i sleep until then.  bagels and coffee, then back to the studio for the final round of recording. but first, a drop off to our mixing engineer of the drums tracks from Saturday. 

2pm: more drum recording. this time i'm up for playing the keys, for "2013"...i'm liking it a lot. literally, music to and in my ears.

7:00pm: it's a wrap. it's always crazy when you realize it took 18 hours to set up, for 1.5 hours of breakdown. it's all in the preparation....

8:30pm: to sunnyside, where we all mentally and emotionally part ways yet stay under 1 roof.  totally pooped. but totally worth it. We are halfway towards an album.

pinch me again

i had one of those nites the other nite where i thought to myself, "when things are meant to be, they just fall into place."

case in point: half of our band was out of commission on tuesday, a scheduled practice nite. so the other half (the drummer and i) set out to jam a little jammy. and pretty much knocked out a solid framework for a song, in a couple of hours. drums, bass, wurly, vocals, even harmonies. and both of us went into the session rather uninspired....or at least i was.  

but something-of-a-musical-chemistry took over and gave birth to a new song, that's bred with potential to be even better when the rest of the band contributes their ideas.  4 music heads are definitely better than 2.

then we hit the bowling alley for the always healthy hot wings and 'rock n' roll fries', washed down with Sweet Action beers.  not to shabby for a regular tuesday nite.

the following morning i received a phone call from my future employer - a verbal offer to a design studio that i had been checking in with for the past half year.  he's kind of a big deal, and i guess my persistence paid off.  ecstatic i was...as the week following last week's drama was continuing to flow with good news.

let's hope this high lasts for a lil' while...

go on, help yourself

...was in williamsburg today, with my friend michelle after an eggs-and-americano brunch at five leaves (the late heath ledger's joint).  it was a traipsing kind of day, with few obligations but thoughts-a-plenty (...i wonder what our Thieves mix will sound like...what's on the agenda tomorrow...that font would look good on a tote bag...hipsters are so homogenous...oooh i want some ice cream from that truck...what.am.i.doing.with.my.life....).  at 71 degrees and sunny, it was a good reason to enjoy the fall sunshine while it was still around. clad in bf jeans, speckled mint-green tee,  aviators, matte grey polish, vintage jewelry, and converses, michelle and i discussed Life and hipsters...and more life.

three hours later we parted and i wandered into a bookstore on bedford avenue, flipping through the various fashion magazines. i realized it's actually one of my favorite things to do - to skim all the latest issues and maybe purchase one if i'm really inspired (i'm probably the store owner's worst customer scenario).  i mean, i want to make sure i'm getting my money's worth of fashion content, hehe.  the glossies, afterall, become so disposable so i try to be choosy and collect the interesting/international/special ones.  

after ten minutes of speed-reading jalouse, 10, W, and V Magazine, i decided to slap down some cash for the latest issue of self service, a hardcover bi-annual fashion magazine that i don't usually splurge on.  took my new purchase in my hands, sat myself down in some shade at mccarren park, and read. and flipped. and read.

self service has a lot of nudity. and a polaroid-esque aesthetic. and glorious high fashion spreads.

it also has great layouts and fonts, playing with embossing and texture, without an overload of text. in fact, there is barely any text at all, save for the consecutive interviews in the back. each interview is printed on different colored paper...and oh, quick note about the paper, it's a nice weight, cardstock-eque, printed with a matte finish. 

i read what katie grand had to say about indie vs. corporate publishing, was inspired that stella mccartney also had stalker habits, and learned of jason schwartzman's penchant for everything that is movie-oriented. and he loves eddie murphy's 'coming to america,' the barbershop scene.  he and i are totally on the same page.

overall, worth the splurge, and definitely in a league of its own. the only issue is that, being a bi-annual publication, the fashion lags with the current seasons...but i'll still take it.

photos courtesy of La Coquette  

encore for alber

vulnerable armour

elegant ruffle cinching

my signature one-earring look finally gets validated

only lanvin could make an unfinished armhole and exposed zipper look so...acceptable

beaded tropicana

sequin encrusted glory

the most luscious leather u could ever wear

upon doing some sweater-trend research for my boss i couldn't help but revisit the Lanvin show on style.com.  the details, oh my lord, are insane and amazing. half the fun of Fashion is the details...the sweeping folds...the blingy accessories...oozing with lux, glamour, all the fantastical feelings and images that come to mind when one naively thinks of Fashion. (the underworld of actually creating this dreamy image is another story....being a fashion assistant myself, it's quite the opposite of glamourous). 

but one can dream and visualize, at least on the runway, no?

please, do sit for this one

i heart alber elbaz, of Lanvin, for this gorgeous Spring 2010 collection. 

gooorge.us.

and whether you like it or not, sequins and jumpsuits are totally here to stay. at least for one more season! 

also, the red dress shown above, is draped in leather. leather. when was the last time you saw draped leather?? exactly.

alber's officially a genius in my book.

keys to my heart.

all photos courtesy hedi slimane diary.

so well done.

mercury rising

The Party Faithful

Mercury Lounge

8.24.09

all pictures courtesy of albert cheung photography. for more of albert's photog brilliance, click here

the past few weeks for The Party Faithful have been a whirlwind of a dream for me, musically speaking.  we've been in the recording studio laying down tracks for 2 of our songs, and the talent that surrounds me is....crazy. from our producer to our recording engineer to all of my band mates, there is some kind of musical chemistry that cannot be articulated, yet clearly manifests itself in the music that is created.  

it's a bright saturday morning on our first day of recording.  we drive to newkirk studios owned by the prodigy (and our amazing recording engineer) that is Ben Rice.  first of all, i never thought i'd ever step foot in a recording studio. next thing i know, i'm wearing headphones and recording my keyboard parts in isolation while the rest of the crew is in another room listening and recording every note.  they talk to me through the headphones, ("ssssick, well played. let's have one more take" or "let's try this...") it's just so professional and encouraging that even if i do make a mistake, it's quite alright and we just do another take.  it's like acting, really. you get a few chances until you get it right.  time is money, but that just makes your efforts all the more worthwhile and meaningful.

then it's time to record vocals.  it was kind of a big day for me, to lay down both keyboard and vocal parts...but i was ready for it...too excited, really. the whole process was blissful, and having the right mics and right amps make ALL the difference in the world.  when things are Right, everything just falls into place, effortlessly.  when i hear the 'final' production, before going into mastering, i am simply amazed. is that us??

what i learned most from the sessions was that sounds may translate differently from one room to the next, depending on the gear.  while i was recording, our producer, ian, had to find a brand new sound for my keyboard part in Salvador; in our rehearsal space, and even at gigs, the saxophone sound was perfect. but in the recording studio, it was nothing but annoying and, well, 'cheap'...ian came to the rescue. (phew).

for the sake of being in lala land any longer than i have, without bursting my own fantasy bubble, i'll just note that this recording experience is just the beginning of what The Party Faithful can achieve.  how lucky am i for this opportunity.  As Rihanna would sing, "please don't stop the music...."

exhibit T

i took this shot whilst prancing in LA last weekend...my friend tippy in a lounge chair outside the Getty museum, perfectly coordinated as always in that "ah i feel like wearing this today...oh look, and it just works."  yeah, she's one of those. but because she is one of my best friends, i shant be jealous...just simply inspired.

and for the first time, i felt a bit like the sartorialist, noticing the details of a person's style that are worth taking closer inspection. she's got a floral/fauna theme going on here, modernized by the striking black, gold, neutral color mix.

starting with the necklace -a cascade of gold leaves - accenting the floral embroidery on the peach-toned sleeveless blouse, down to the cabochon ring flanked by a filagree gold setting, resting against a black calf leather oversized clutch whose gold ball clasp complements the shape of the ring.  all whilst nonchalantly sitting in a woven garden chair of black and corn.

gotta love it.

coocoo for rococo...et al

i've discovered a love for rococo styling...fancy, swirly, whimsical, ornate...of the early 18th century French interiors, architecture, and music.

the gilded walls and frames, doorknobs, chairs, tapestry in rich colors brought me back to my original artistic aesthetic, and reaffirmed that my beloved color combination of rose, navy, and phthalo jade weren't crazy.  the gold also adds that grandeur and lux to the ornateness of the French decor. oh, and the chandelier, gotta love that.

check out tippy (center) and me, checking ourselves out, in a mirrored exhibit at the Getty museum this past weekend, LA '09. sometimes it takes a breath of fresh air, like a new city, a new activity, a new person, to re-perspective-ize ol' life.

la fievre de la cabine

it's been one of those weekends where i find lots of inspiration whilst breathing in the air of nature.

case in point...my friend's cabin-of-a-house in stony brook, long island, is literally like experiencing a story-kind-of-fairytale of a lifestyle. a one-headlight drive on the dirt driveway alone makes you feel like you've been plopped into a story, or even movie.  if i was a camerawoman at that moment, that's exactly how i would document it.  you sort of get lost in the tunnel-vision of the headlight, so mesmerized that you forget that you're heading towards a destination. 

it's night. we arrive towards the "house," where a campfire's already been flickering away, and a circle of people are sitting, enjoying themselves with beer and food in hand. it's like, "really? this is happening?" small groups are chatting away and the fire is burning. smiles abound. i know this scene isn't anything novel, but compared to the loft-style/greenpoint/nyc/devil-wears-prada lifestyle that i carry on with, this is quite a change of scenery to say the least.  "hey i'm karen, i just arrived after a 3-hour ride on the train that was stopped due to police investigation. but it's finally good to be here. nice to meet ya."  i meet a music therapist and split a raspberry tart with my friend kim. then levy sets up his drums and i go into the "music room" for a mini-jam session with him and some of his ex-bandmates.  there wasn't an amp to the keyboard but was still fun anyway. someone said i was doing "epic" things with the keys....i credit that all to TPF. haha.

the thing is, this is everyday for my friend levy.  campfires, beaching at 3-am, tent-sleeping...cabin fever has become the normal standard.  and yet everyone who lives there is a post-doc candidate...the interior of the house strikes the fancy of the the marine biologist, chef, musician....full of energy, intelligence, partying....Life.

2 jam sessions later (replete with bagpipes), we roast marshmallows, then hit the beach. the Beach is like their backyard, a short one-minute stair-case walk from the house, though could've been a bit treacherous without a flashlight.  stretching along the horizon, the low-tide remains calm for the evening, and someone lights up fireworks. i do my usual "whoooaaaa"...people splash into the water, others sit on the beach, and i'm sitting on the ledge of the "crack house," a small square "room" graffitied up and filled with a single surfboard propped diagonally along the planked floor. it would've been a perfect photoshoot opportunity. the juxtaposition of high-end clothes and beauty against a shitty boarded up crack house. to each their own artistic beauty.  it was such a refreshing view, at 2am.  so graceful and calming to look out onto a few blinking lights on the water, shadows of heads and arms splashing, and the zing of fireworks.  endless horizon along the deepest midnite navy sky.

it's back to the cabin for mini weiner and kielbasa roasting...radiohead provided the backdrop, then turned to MJ. we set up tents in record time...caught a bit of sleep just as the rain started to tap dance on our makeshift roof.

and scene. 

...just got the chills listening to John Mayer's cover of Free Fallin'...from "Where The Light Is, LIve in Lost Angeles." 

we're talkin' about....

leave it to cathy horyn to offer fashion brain-food. here are excerpts from her interview with Louise Wilson, course director of the M.A. program at Central Saint Martins (the "Harvard" of Fashion):

My mantra now is the only thing these students have to offer is youth, and if they can’t offer that, then we’re all in trouble.

 

“It’s not about working hard. It’s about feeling sick and waiting for the idea and not knowing what to do but making sure you have the skills so that when you do get the idea, you can do it without relying on other people.”

 

There are immensely talented people around but I feel huge vortexes of them are sucked into this mediocre world where nobody criticizes and it’s all terribly politically correct.

 

That’s another thing I’ve noticed today—everything is farmed out. Someone else is going to cut it, and someone else is going to supply the fabrics. The hands-on gets more and more removed. If Lee McQueen or Christopher Kane had nothing, they could still make their garments. They have the skills.

from what i gather from Louise's thoughts, it's about returning to the root of what Fashion is all about...youth, dreamery, possibilities, focused through the grounded necessities of skills and craftsmanship. perhaps only then can true design surface.

just a thought.

 

love notes

i've been obsessed with this website.

ob. Sessed.

a crossroads of music video and documentary-esque film brilliantly set against backdrops of charming cities (paris, new york, seattle, etc.)...or elevators, or bedrooms, or whilst strolling on the street.  all it takes is the enthusiasm to make music.  a musician/band is featured through each of the "take away shows," and vincent moon and his film crew/film collaborators sit back and watch, capturing the music in action via the players.  the organic way in which this is all presented is part of the intense appeal...for example, bloc party will have just finished a show at a huge venue in paris (comparable to Madison square, the Bowery, etc.) and then perform outside a local pub where they've gone for after hours.  It's like you're right there with them, acoustically blissed out.

And this is no student film work. The artistry of the shot comes from not the head-on shot of the musician/band, perse, but of the wandering eye of the camera lens, ie a closeup of the mouth, panned to the strumming, the scenery, the locals or audience grooving to the beat...or even just a shot of the feet as the band is in transit to their scouted location.  the "wash" of the lens is similar to what you could achieve using an analog camera.  vintage-inspired, but not commercially so...a bit peppery and fuzzy but completely organic. the colors are nothing short of amazing.  but what's also entrancing is the way it's shot...purely free of commercial editing...and not trying to be emo or williamsburg-y...just pure viewing of the elements that make music what it really is - a release, an artistic expression, Love...

many thanks to my drummer, bobby, for sending this my way. i know i'm not the only one who's been touched and inspired by this, but one of the lucky to have been exposed.

hmmmm...

'But what do you need to know about that sort of thing to do it

 well? The naivety of diving in and not really knowing what's what can really bring something to the design.'

darren spaziani, accessories designer for proenza schouler

POP magazine, 20th anniversary edition...the last one. ever.

duet a la Bailey

if i could dress you up in my love...

Burberry Prorsum, as per Christopher Bailey.

Resort 2010.

all images courtesy of style.com

there is a castle on a cloud...

this was taken during Erica and Patrick's wedding over Memorial Day weekend...the backdrop was gorgeously set against a castle in Lambertville, PA.  It was definitely a fun time...and I'm wearing green, a color I rarely wear. It was one of those dresses that I pulled out because I'd never worn it before but had in my closet for over a year. And I had developed this dress back in my phillip lim days, so it has sentimental value. Alas I digress....

My friend (and wedding-photographer-o'-occasion) produced this shot, plopping me among a field of green. When I got this picture my first instinct was "where's waldo?"

I still don't love the color green (except when it comes in Patina or Peacock shades), but this picture makes it at least interesting!

it's that time again...

from what i've seen so far from the Resort 2010 shows, it's about lightness, soft but bright colors, (the neon of Spring 2009 is slowly fading out), and an effortless cool.

my faves: Burberry (of course), Thakoon...and some of Rag & Bone. Seems like Rag & Bone has gradually shifted from total-London-street-meets-Savile Row-tailoring to modern-biker-street-chic...sort of a dirtied-up-classy kind of look...even a bit alexander wang-esque...not sure what to make of it yet, but i do think the clothes in this collection look a lot more dishevely-cool and approachable than their former collections. i would wear these outfits on the street or to a show.

it's really interesting how composition and imagery of the lookbooks, from model poses to the photography style, makes a huge difference in creating and defining a fashion house's image. Free spirited and Young? Serious? Contemporary? Cool/Street? Girl-Next-Door? Luxurious? or just Je ne sais quoi? 

With Burberry, the signature look lies against the gradient charcoal grey, almost iconic of London weather, and the composed model stances with disheveled long hair. Skinny, of course, but still approachable. The pictures simply exude a sophisticated calm, not too grown up but mature enough to take on the world...a feeling of a serious poet perhaps.  And it's always inspiring to see the ways a trenchcoat style can evolve season after season. 

Collection wise, I love how Christopher Bailey uses a limited color spectrum (mostly taupes, chalk whites, greys and blacks, hints of distressed chartreuse) but still stays sophisticatedly exciting.  Because through this simplicity you can appreciate the ripple and folds of the laundered fabrics, the ease of the drape, the beauty of the pleats embedded in a trenchcoat, making it a trenchcoat-dress....even down to the monochrome socks and platform shoes...somehow it just, exudes....

I also share these sentiments when seeing Lanvin clothing up close....while at Bergdorf's (window shopping and market researching....clothes i could only dream of buying) I saw the Spring 2009 collection and touched the crazy gazaar and silk mousseline pieces that Alber manipulated into pleated clouds on the body. It. was. amazing. 

Thakoon is a mixed breed in my book.  Always on the fun spirited side, he's got great colorful prints and a quirky take on them (walking lips anyone?)...for this collection his lookbook and model stances contributed to his concept of "sun ray"....a striking shadow of the model against a white backdrop, and the model is always looking in the direction of the sun, wearing shades or closing her eyes, basking in pretty pretty clothes. It's right up my alley.

Rag & Bone...like the girl you see on a motorbike on her way to a rock show...I especially like the liquid black tunic dress, worn with indigo leggings and black ankle boots. It's very street, and I wouldn't have thought of Rag & Bone unless I was told.  And now that I look at it more closely, perhaps it's more about the styling that is delivering this message, whereas the clothes themselves remain true to Rag & Bone's identity...the cropped blazer, buttondown shirt, long snap-front vest...

 

Enjoy, as I did, with a delicious Americano and toasted wheat bagel w/cream cheese and tomato...this is on the list of my favorite things to do...perusing through the Shows, taking in the splendid fashion eye candy for the weekend.

all images courtesy of style.com

be still. my heart.

i must still love sequins.

it's one of the major trends for spring '09. 

and usually, once a trend hits the streets, the trend is officialized as "past season" and designers have already moved on from it. (or at least evolved from it).

that's not to say, i mind reveling in wearing these trends with other fashionistas....

but my main point here is that Stefano Pilati of the house of Yves Saint Laurent has rendered some sequinned silhouettes that still make me drool, even though he presented these on the runway 6 months ago. 

the allover sequin thing...sparkling...glimmering....like liquid constellations...or moonlight shimmering its reflection across a lake...it's still fresh and fabulous, and if only i could plunk down $4350 for net-a-porter to send me the sequinned strapless "cocktail" jumpsuit  with black velvet tie a la drop crotch glory, col. ink, as per above, i'd be just a little (dare i say it)... happier.

but alas. dreams vs. reality....we all know which one bites.

all pictures posted as per style.com and net-a-porter.com