CURRENT OBSESSION

MATTHEW WILLIAMSON @ H & M

Photo: cafe.se

The clothes are available May 14th. I want it all! Sooo gooood. His women's stuff is always really great. I can't wait to try out the men's stuff. Colors look amazing...and those SHORTS...fugettaboutit. Guess I'm getting in line early.   

More here(thefashionisto) and here(00o00).

LOOKIE-LIEU

LETS POLKA

Plaid. I get it. But dots? F* hell yeah! I need the tartan to take a back seat for a bit and let these spots into the light. I'm all for them. I think they are happy and fun, I think they stand out, and I think if you can do them right (only one thing with the dots on it at a time - no other pattern) they can look really classy too. Go spot check your wardrobe...Break free from the stripes...be spot on for something new.  

D & G Spring '09

Ann Demeulemeester Spring '09

I'm with the band

Comme Des Carcons Spring '09

TREND

THE NEW PSYCHEDELICS

I'm seeing a lot of fun eye makeup around - Ever since late Fall in LA. SXSW and Coachella really pushed out the look, and it has now been cropping up at early pool parties.  I am a fan.  I like that it is fun, makes for good pictures, is quasi-social.    

Drew at Coachella

Photo: Jessica Gelt/LA Times

Bat For Lashes

@ a Sapce 15Twenty event

TECH SUPPORT

PRODUCT RUNWAY

X

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I went to a fashion event recently where the clothing was all manufactured by interior design firms.  It was sponsored by IIDA...never heard of..."The IIDA Foundation is a not-for-profit (501c3), philanthropic organization whose primary mission is to advance interior design through education, research, and knowledge to benefit IIDA and the interior design profession."...got it.  Sort of. There were ladies dressed in flapper dresses made of tile, a geisha in linoleum flooring, and  all kinds of other oddities.

My favorite was this really cool vented dress made entirely out of office cubical fabric.  It was sustainable, stain-proof, and stand out.  Not quite ready to wear, but for sure worth a shot at making if you work in a cubical and go crazy in a pinch for a post work outfit.  I hope to see it on Jenna Fischer.     

STYLEPHILE - GAETANO NAVARRA

BEAT THE HEAT

My friends, it is HOT in LA. If you can't make it to any of the hotel pools (Peninsula, Roosevelt, any of the Standards) Try staying cool in these F* hot outfits. The Bologna based designer's Spring '09 collection's inspiration comes right out of Echo Park, Los Feliz and K-Town. Maybe I'm just missing my Vermont Ave. apartment, but these looks really get me going. That tye-dies sweater is phenom...but maybe keep it till the weather dips below a chilly LA 65.

BRRRRrrrrrrr......

CURRENT OBSESSION

ENAMEL INSTINCTS 

A friend and I met up for some drinks yesterday. As we were sitting there I couldn't stop looking at her bangle. It had all these little animals on in spelling out HERMES PARIS like the people on Sesame Street used to do.  It was so great I had to take a picture of it then and there. She said they have all kinds of them HERE. I think they make the perfect gift for any special lady. I'm hooked. Collect them All!

ARTSY FARTSY

KT LINDSAY

Peter: Forget them, Wendy. Forget them all. 

Come with me where you'll 

never, never have to worry about grown up things again.

A friend of mine just introduced me to a phenomenal photographer. Never in my life have I looked at a photo and wanted to jump into it, then out its window more. Enjoy more of her work at her blog HERE.

LOOKIE-LIEU

FABU-TUDES FROM FERRAGAMO

I haven't even had time to digest how great the Spring line from Ferragamo is (thanks to all the rain on the East Coast flooding all thoughts of warmer weather out of my brain)...and now the Fall line is starting to make me go F* crazy. Massimiliano Giornetti has taken some flack for his collections, but I, for one, am a fan.

While looking at the two collections side by side, I noticed some fabulous attitudes (fabu-tudes) that I would love to flaunt. There are five specific moods that I'm dying to try, no mater what the season is or feels like. I've paired looks from each season that I think evoke a similar feel...then color coded them...you know...for clarity.

little boy blue

cotton candy

peachy keen

golden age

crimson wave

TECH SUPPORT

EARTH DAY

If only it was possible to ride around naked on a horse! Sadly, most of us are dependent on automobiles.  A way to make your ride a little more eco-sexy?  Lovecraft Bio-Fuels. Located in Silverlake (LA) they convert old diesel cars into lean, green, veggie oil machines.  The cost isn't to bad either, between $800 and $1300.

Not only are you doing something good for the earth, you can look like a Stepford Wife driving around town in a vintage Benz.  Adorable.   

EARTH DAY

GET IN TOUCH WITH YOUR INNER TURTLE

Check out some eco-fashion and support Oceana's conservation cause by popping into Barney's Madison Ave. now thru May 4th. On display are pieces by Stella McCartney, Alexander Wang, Rodarte, Derek Lam, Anne Demeulemeester, Bottega Veneta, and Versace. If you can't get to the store, they will also be in the May "blue" issue of ELLE. Anything that strikes your fancy can be bid on via eBay April 30 - May 10.

photo: alexei hay

SAVE THE SEA

photo: caroline rogers

CURRENT OBSESSION

THE LEGEND OF DROP CROTCH 

Rarely do stars align as perfectly as they did for me in getting these pants.  I was checking out the new Barney's Co-Op in Philly and saw the most amazing pants on an employee.  After some talking, he informed me that he got them not at Barney's...but at ZARA...jaw dropping...just the day before...jaw falling slack...for $39...jaw on the floor.  Before his hand was down from pointing in the direction of ZARA, I was out the door.  I'm sure my dust cloud outline thanked him before dissipating.  

At ZARA,  I was informed that they were completely sold out.  RAGE. Now, the big Z doesn't have the most helpful methods of operation. Their system is regularly down, they don't ship between stores, and they don't sell over the phone or online.  Long story short, find it in your store or you're S.O.L. I wasn't taking it today. I had the sales associate on the computer and on the phone.  

Finally, we found a lone pair in Century City. Ugh. Only 3,000 miles away. Lucky for me I have amazing friends who don't mind buying and shipping me clothes. HOORAY!!! My friend agreed and the pants were on hold. I was tense for a bit wondering if my friend was really going to do this, but when I got her call from inside the store I was elated, walking on sunshine, and super ready to try them on!

Now I have them, and I want to wear them every day! They fit like a dream and look F* crazy good. However, the best part of them was in the getting...

LOOKIE-LIEU

LET THE RIGHT ONES IN

So, this isn't the newest movie around, I actually told myself I would wait for it to come out on DVD...and I just watched it on Netflix.  I'm pissed I waited.  The whole time I was watching it, all I wanted to do was wear every outfit from the film. Who knew that fictional, vampiric 12-year-old Russians held the most inspiring fashion sense I have seen in a long time?  The film was like a big glossy eurorag:  I could kind of understand the content, but was mostly edging with a visual orgasm because of such amazing looks.

The best part is that non of it looks difficult or expensive.  It was a clean case of bomb styling, killer lighting, and perfect modern/vintage clothes.  Very less is more.  It is what you dream of looking like as you drive to your favorite thrift store thinking, "Today is the day I find great stuff."    

Do yourself a huge service:  when you feel like you have nothing to wear, rent this movie.  You'll think of something...and look so F* good!

JUST BECAUSE

SOMETIMES

I wonder what it would look like if Martha Graham and Alice Walker had a child...and that child made bags.  Divine.   

LOOKIE-LIEU

TICK TOCK

I don't think anything looks better on a wrist then a classic watch. I didn't know this until I saw one on my own.  I got my vintage Omega from my dad. Actually, I found it in his workroom...broken...and when he told me I could have it if I could fix it, I didn't think twice.   He got it from his dad as a gift after his 1968 graduation from Notre Dame, and I loved it.  I brought it to a watch shop in LA, and after dropping more on repair than I ever had on all of my past watches put together, I was in awe.   Aside from the innate sentimental value, wearing it makes me feel powerful.  It is fun to wear to meetings, and I love the little ticking sound it emits.  I think it dresses up even jeans and a T-shirt, and I like that I feel like an adult.  Plus, its timeless, understated, original, and so F*ing cool I envy myself.   

SHOPPING - MACY*S

PHILADELPHIA CENTER CITY

If you find yourself needing to go into a department store...and, lets face it, we all do from time to time, I suggest making the experience more pleasant by hitting the Macy*s in Philly on Market.  Not only is it a gorgeous space, but right now they are holding the Macy*s Philadelphia Flower Show.  The entire place is insane with flowers, plants, and an organ player...that takes requests if you shout loud enough. You haven't heard "Poker Face" until you have heard it on the Macy*s Pipe organ...

    

...and who wouldn't want to buy skivvies with two enourmous pink carnation flamingos watching you...shopping can't get any gayer...  

WEEKEND PROJECT

NATURE ON A STRING

I always like having cool necklaces.  I used to wear like three at a time, but now I find that just one really rad piece will do the trick.  I also like the idea of keeping something special next to you as a totem.  I will carry rocks or sea glass in my pocket, or keep little trinkets in my bag.  Here is the most perfect idea to combine both quarks...

1.  Get some of these...from a trip or a store or as a gift...

special pieces of nature:

2.  And some of this...either new or used...

leather or chain:

Wrap them up together and you have a sweet little necklace that you can rock all over town!   (pun intended)

I get compliments on mine all the time.  Make one and you will be amazed at how hard people think it is to have something this F* cool.