Sunday, February 7, 2010
Goodbye for now.
I'm resigning from blogging for a while. I'm not sure how long or how short, but I definitely just need to get myself up and going before I continue this project. I'm hoping to get into shape, get focused with fashion sketching, start sewing, do some self discovery, and just straight up figure out somethings about myself. It's been such a ride this past week. Things can only get better.
Cindy, you're a superstar and you're going to get all my attention. I just want you to be happy again! Hang on in there, sister. <3
I'm resigning from blogging for a while. I'm not sure how long or how short, but I definitely just need to get myself up and going before I continue this project. I'm hoping to get into shape, get focused with fashion sketching, start sewing, do some self discovery, and just straight up figure out somethings about myself. It's been such a ride this past week. Things can only get better.
Cindy, you're a superstar and you're going to get all my attention. I just want you to be happy again! Hang on in there, sister. <3
Good grief. Lady GaGa AND Elton John together? Camp overboard! But, I LOVE IT. Whoa. So much soul and so many sparkles... I didn't watch the Grammys but I sure did google "Lady GaGa grammy dress" because I was just too darn curious about what GaGa wore! Why did I even bother typing in "dress", she could have worn a diaper.
It's been a rough week month. It's going to be another rough several weeks, even months, of reform and self discovery for me. In search for progress I've started journaling nightly, reflecting on outside forces and wonderful bottled up teenage angst. It feels so silly to be writing to yourself, but I've just finished my first entry and WHEW, what a great release! The fantastic thing is that I'm currently exploring self reliance in my romanticism unit for American Studies, which is helping me direct my focus towards my own spiritual understanding.
Sigh.
I can't enjoy my meals. I can't fall asleep. I don't want to do History Day. I want to go out to laugh and live, yet I want to stay inside and mope under my blankies + comforters. Sigh.
Part of me wishes to linger in the past and reminisce about all the smiles I've had over the past thirteen months, but a part of me wishes just to carry on with life knowing that maybe that this is for the best. It's difficult letting go of something that you still love. I feel like I'm giving up, and I'm NOT a giver upper, which makes this even more flustering for me. But hey, what can you do but just move on and hope for the best. Sigh.
Sigh.
I can't enjoy my meals. I can't fall asleep. I don't want to do History Day. I want to go out to laugh and live, yet I want to stay inside and mope under my blankies + comforters. Sigh.
Part of me wishes to linger in the past and reminisce about all the smiles I've had over the past thirteen months, but a part of me wishes just to carry on with life knowing that maybe that this is for the best. It's difficult letting go of something that you still love. I feel like I'm giving up, and I'm NOT a giver upper, which makes this even more flustering for me. But hey, what can you do but just move on and hope for the best. Sigh.
Wish me luck, you guys.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Taylor Swift should write a pathetic, sappy song about how thrillingly fulfilling my life is. No, really. Hardy har har. Oh cynical me. Tragic. Even more tragic.
What I'm looking forward to. Hmmm. I'm really looking forward to Chinese New Years. I'm looking forward to the next time I get to dance like they did in the 60's when no one cared because they were all too busy filled to the brim with acid. I'm looking forward to not feeling antsy. I'm looking forward to finishing my annotating for National History Day. I'm looking forward for National History Day to be finished with. I'm looking forward to NEXT fall/winter. I'm looking forward to my potential Prada eyeglasses. I'm looking forward to the next time I get to sink my teeth into a crisp falafel sandwich. I'm looking forward to going to Umi with my sister this weekend. I'm looking forward to the next time I actually feel hungry so I can eat and enjoy it. I'm looking forward to having something worth while to look forward to, whatever that may be.
Somethings I'm not really feelin' for right now: how antsy I feel, how boring my socks are, uncertainty, gray zones, how fun (not fun) next week is going to be, certain commercial holidays that needn't bombard miserable people's lives at every corner, and everything that reminds me of everything. It's funny how this seemingly short, insignificant list makes the other list pale in comparison. Obviously I'm a pessimistic, whiny harlot. Obviously.
Here's some fashion just in case anyone is interested:
Francesco Scognamiglio SS campaign shot by Iris Strubegger. Reminds me of Givenchy, but fantastically cliche/sexy librarian/Trash and Vaudeville. I'm a secret sucker for sheer trashiness.
Boohoo. Time to get back to National History Day. Absolutely putrid.
When in doubt, dye it black.
<------------------------ my addiction
Dying clothes is an easy peasy way to update your wardrobe using color. You can turn your white cardigan into a Mister Rogers red cardigan, your drab grey slacks into sharp black trousers. Whatever works! Not to mention that it's oodles of fun just to stand over a large pot of boiling dye solution, stir it, and maybe even cackle like a witch along the way. Really though! Whenever I go shopping I never let colors phase me too much because I keep in mind that a bottle of Rit dye (around 3.5-5 dollars depending on where/which kind you get) can give any article of clothing a fantastic redux.
Tip: American Apparel sells Rit dye cheaper than Jo-Ann Fabrics, Michael's, and even superstores like Fred Meyer.
You make me crazy when you talk like that.
My evening will be composed of:
dinner with my sister, because she gots my back I gots her back
blowing my brains out
annotating (unsavory)
Project Runway
more blowing my brains out
and more annotating
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Anna Wintour was a cranky little editor of Vogue this winter when designers served up a chilly plate of pessimism and frivolity for winter '09. Personally, I didn't mind the brooding rock chicks or the pumped up 80's power bitches that stomped down the runways, but certainly things had to change for Anna! Pish posh says me! She proclaimed that it was not keeping with progress and simply too pessimistic. Welcome spring/summer '10!
In my English class (good grief, I can't believe I'm relating school work with fashion) we've been studying the romantic period of art and literature in America. Romanticism pulled away from city life and reestablished things in the human heart and intuition. Often, this movement was captured in simplicity and nature. How sentimental! (I'm totally bashing romanticism as I intellectualize this fashion, but whatever. Um! Back on topic) Spring/summer 2010 is a new season, a new decade that seems to echo the promises of romanticism: a roll in the countryside, a pure optimistic charge, a return to the personal, and a blank slate.
One phrase to wrap up this season: nostalgic familiarity. (click on the images to get a bigger, better view)
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Vivre à la campagne
I'm a total fan of all things urbanized and fast paced; it's part of my DNA as a hardcore A-type personality. At my roots, however, I'm secretly a sucker for the humble and sentimental. Country-esque living has always tickled my fancy as a teensy tot. From Martha Stewart to Paula Deen; I've always wanted my own chicken coop and ruffled apron. And, that attitude is exactly what designers were feeling for spring/summer.
Oscar de la Renta took his timeless glam woman on a vacation in the south of France by playing with charming separates and textures. I pretty much died and got reborn and then died again when I saw the sweet little chartreuse bloomer-esque shorts fringed with the white. Also, take note of the homespun textiles; the woven integrity of the fabrics add to the charm of these sweet , dainty little French confections for your body.
Bottega Veneta had a similar take on this country aesthetic, however, it felt more like a Georgie Peach girl with a punch of mid-century chic. I adore the sweet, prudent quality of these poised dresses. Bottega's variation could only be described as a peach pie, or maybe a lemon meringue pie, and Oscar's was more like a little French macaroon.
If Oscar de la Renta's collection was a French macaroon and Bottega Veneta's collection was a peach pie, then Christopher Kane's collection would be the darling little picnic basket. I've been oogling at this collection for months. One person comes to mind: Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. I love Christopher Kane's play on sheerness season after season. This wasn't an exception. These wonderfully cut plaid dresses are designed for capturing the billowy breezes of spring and summer. The old question is: where's Toto?
To wrap it all up: think of the French countryside and Georgia peaches wearing fluttery skirts and dresses. Go to the candy store and take note of the colors. Put a flower in your hair; get a woven/basket weave bag; drive down to the south and pick up a charming accent; watch The Notebook; go to Anthropologie; listen to some folk music. Twang it up!
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Locker room fetish
Gaming was once an activity that expressed liberation for women in the early 1900's. With that came an air of optimism, progression, and energy. Although sometimes sports may be a little barbaric, they sure can inspire us to move forward in rough times with forceful momentum.
Alexander Wang has been known for his straight forward sporty sensibility. Previously I took note of Wang's take on the 'naughty school girl', but his collection also is heavily laced with field game inspired shapes. The key shapes highlight the arms and shoulders, like padding would, but not in an 80's manner whatsoever. Rather, the shapes build soft volume and roundness. And, check out that absolutely sick letterman jacket.
Gucci is always right on, trend wise, and this season Frida Giannini glamorizes gaming and rids it of grit. The clean colors and lines of these clothes make me want to be active (yeah right). This was one of the less literal translations of sport inspired clothes, but the sportiness is still there; there are touches of hardware and industrial fabrics such as mesh is used to create sex appeal. I particularly love the white dress that looks like tank top bandaging.
So Alexander Wang does football and Gucci does skydiving, then Hermès captures the class of the tennis court. I'm always into clean, preppy dressing. The idea of dressing up in a crisp polo to play a vigorous game of tennis (or not so vigorous) is always appetizing. Hermès tickles my fancy with strong references to court games. Solids accented with graphic stripes of all kinds, and pleated skirts are a staple, but Hermès serves up a softer, more feminine variation of these staples. And, to wrap it all up: headbands.
Looking clean and sporty is all about styling, but know that literal is never cute. Don't wear your boyfriend's sweatpants and cleats. It's anti-cute. Simply, take note of the subtle ways to style clothes in a sporty manner. Think about utility. What is going to move with my body well? What is going to look casual yet sharp? As always, textiles are a big part of achieving this look. Gucci plays with mesh, but you can also play up more plastic-y/synthetic materials with perhaps a little shine (like neoprene). So get up and go to REI (I'm only half kidding)!
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Underneath your clothes
And just like that I have Shakira stuck in my head now. Gross. Take away the icky lyrics of her song (that you probably shouldn't listen to because I'll tell you the meaning) and you get a sense of the personal- a private pleasure. Things that are precious and treasured are timeless.
Christian Dior is known for pushing the female form, and lingerie seems to be the perfect way of achieving a fantastic female figure. Add that with John Galliano's floaty, feminine design aesthetic and you get fairytale slip dresses for spring and summer. Quite obviously these slips are rather vampish, but at the same time they remain demure because the sheerness is used in the right places and never exposes too much, but rather the sheerness only teases the eye.
Dolce & Gabbana's roots are within the 80's. They are renown for their straight up sex appeal and focus on curves. This play on lingerie heavily depends on a bustier type bodice and corseting. Continuing with the mannerisms of lingerie, Dolce & Gabbana used lots of lace to portray sheerness without actually revealing anything. Take note of the camisole-like tops and the delicate bra-like straps.
Fendi's portrayal of the personal seems to be the most intimate, sensual, and romantic of the season. These clothes have defined shapes like any other garment, but rather, they have been stripped down and are constructed with the most opaque textiles. The building up of fabric offers coverage while sheerer areas give a 'peek-a-boo' effect. What stood out for me are the muted pastels which work with the sweetness of these clothes and contrast the sex appeal to great effect.
Sex is something that is tossed around so much. It seems like the private and personal has become.. Not so private and personal. I believe that this is one of the strongest messages this season has to offer; taking back those private pleasures for ourselves; humoring the public by giving them the slightest, explicit flashes of our bodies but still maintaining our integrity. Also, the focus on femininity seems to be a message for women to stay in touch with their bodies and never lose sensuality in the search for power. All in all, look out for lingerie inspired clothing (bustiers, camisoles, and corsets), sheerness, silks, and laces. It's all about the body under the clothes.
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Fresh start
The lard knows that the world's been under some heavy turmoil for the past decade. With the welcoming of 2010 (or in other words: a new decade) maybe, hopefully we'll see more progression in society. What better way to kick off a new decade than a blank canvas?
Yves Saint Laurent's prevalent colors, er shades, are white and black. With so many designers returning to their heritage/DNA/roots, it makes sense that YSL would whip out some androgynous two toned goodness for us (with a splash of nude-y peach). It's never boring, however. Although these clothes are unembellished, the strength and character all comes from the integrity of the textiles and the way they are cut.
Calvin Klein is pretty much the king of minimalism when it comes to American sportswear. When I think of Calvin, I think of... (I'm not going to lie) TIGHTY WHITIES. Well, these aren't exactly tighty whities but they certainly are white and not so tight. The loose, swinging nature of these white garbs are a perfect pallet for sun-kissed skin to accent. And, the textures of the textiles offer up the 'new white' of the season.
Celine's future is promising with the return of Phoebe Philo, and Phoebe has certainly offered up her usual. The highly wearable, street-wise collection for Celine worked around black leather, khakis, camels, and cleansing white. All together, the colors worked to create a clean sophistication. Since the collection is so lacking in vibrancy, it is highly dependent on structure to give the textiles personality. Take note of the strength of the individual separates and how the tailored they are.
Key word: cleansing. And, you can't achieve cleanliness without fit. Whether fit means something incredibly tailored or something draped perfectly to your body; the clothes must fall correctly on your body in order to achieve flattering minimalism. Obviously there aren't any prints in minimalism which demands for attention to interesting shapes. Don't be afraid to try interesting silhouettes, and alwaysalwaysalways experiment with layering basics! Keep in mind that texture is a good cheat to achieve interest when playing with minimalism.
Photos courtesy of Marcio Maderia and Monica Feudi
Sometimes the only words that can describe a situation are: GOOD GRIEF. Good grief... What has Raquel Zimmerman gotten herself into. I'm sure Alexander McQueen has been enjoying all the hype with his killer lobster claw shoes with Lady GaGa and all, but GOOD GRIEF. He just had to introduce enough snakes to kill me and an innocent supermodel on top of the already killer shoes for his spring/summer '10 campaign. Good grief...
Oh and, Craig McDean shot this.
I love finding beauty in obscure sources. These images are from Eye of Science and are essentially super duper zoomed boomed up images of the microscopic world around us. I highly recommend this site for all you science geeks and freaks.
The first image is an allantoin crystal (something to do with the metabolism or proteins... I forgot! Hehe), then there's the scale-y looking one which is are just sharkskin scales, then there's some nylon fibers (if you can even call those fibers), and finally a petal from a cowslip flower.
What fun textures! MMM TEXTURES. <3
The first image is an allantoin crystal (something to do with the metabolism or proteins... I forgot! Hehe), then there's the scale-y looking one which is are just sharkskin scales, then there's some nylon fibers (if you can even call those fibers), and finally a petal from a cowslip flower.
What fun textures! MMM TEXTURES. <3
If I've given you nasty looks in the hallways at school, or any time at all, I beg for your forgiveness. You see, as a blind person (I'm not actually blind, but I might as well be) I find it difficult to identify people when I'm walking at supersonic speeds. On top of that! Slow walking people in the hallways piss me off + I always have my headphones pumpin' so yeah. One could say that the elements shelter me, er, jade me.
Anyhow. The glasses on top: I want need them. I find that Prada is the go to label for specs because they're very streamline, bold, graphic, timeless, and never flashy. These Pradas are like... Squarer glasses mixed in with a little bit of Ray Ban goodness, so they run a little bigger/wider but still maintain a rectangular frame. Purefact. Hopefully these will find their way to my face within a month or two because I seriously can't identify people from a shortish distance.
Monday, February 1, 2010
"Women think about all colors except the absence of color. I have already said that black has it all. White too. Their beauty is absolute." Coco Chanel
Riccardo Tisci has an innate gothicism which manifests itself in Givenchy's collections every season, and for that reason alone, he is one of my favoritefavoritefavorite designers. Tisci's designs remain faithful to his spiritual, pessimistic vision of beauty but is never fatal. For spring/summer '10 he works with psychedelic two toned prints while keeping it profoundly feminine and marketable.
"Even a seemingly black and white solution can contain multi-dimensionality"
I recently watched Grey Gardens, the HBO remake, and it was highly touching. Every bit of it moved me, from the glits and glamour of the Ediths' early days to their... Not so glamorous days at Grey Gardens. All in all, it was a feast of inspiration, styling wise, and highly nostalgic. On top of that! The other day I was lounging around at Anthropologie waiting for my sister to try on some things and I flipped through a compilation of images of Grey Garden/the Beales and wow! WOW! Little Edie, I wish she could have been my best friend. Edith Beale had such charisma and panache for fashion. If only she had tried out fashion design while she was still alive. Much love for her.