Posts for June 2005
here titty titty June 22, 2005 1:02 pm >> Now that I've got your attention with the shocking headline, I've got an interesting little tidbit for you. Susan Glen, designer extraordinaire of Tit Totes, is fashioning handbags out of bras. No, I'm not even joking -- she sews the cups together, uses the hooks as a clasp, and the straps as...straps. Then, she decorates each tote by hand, adding sequins, fringe, and whatever else may strike her fancy. Her designs are inspired by Old Hollywood -- her "Marilyn" (Monroe) design is above ($230), and her "Audrey" (Hepburn) to the right ($195).
the jolly roger hath been raised June 20, 2005 2:30 am >> Ever since Alexander McQueen's skull scarf debuted in his pirate-inspired Spring/Summer 2003 collection, the Jolly Roger has been somewhat of a go-to guy. Kate Moss, Sienna Miller, and Mary Kate Olsen all still wear their scarves, whether tied onto their bags or tossed around their pretty little necks. I personally have always been a Jolly Roger aficionado myself, but for a slightly different reason -- anyone who grows up in Louisiana can't not be fascinated by pirates. They're proud of their Jean LaFittes down there. Even the Calcasieu River Bridge in Lake Charles has crossed pistols all along the rails in tribute.
But I digress. The reason we're here today, kids, is to discuss the frequency with which I've spotted Mr. Roger lately. And I must say, he's lookin' good, too. He must have gotten tired of just hangin' with the unbathed men with gold teeth, only one real leg, and parrots attached to their shoulders, because it really looks as though he's working on expanding his fan base. I'm impressed -- he's really picking up some credible collaborations here -- we've got the Chanel earrings for the high-end customers (right, $796). I definitely bit on this product -- these are too cute to just look past. Perfect for adding a little punk rock to an otherwise sophisticated outfit.
give me mour-et, roland June 18, 2005 1:32 pm >> This season's resort collections have been far from impressive -- Gucci's looks like a page torn from a Liz Claiborne catalog (far left), Marc by Marc Jacobs' is just barf (left), and Louis Vuitton's is eh...(right). It's like Goldilocks' dilemma gone bad.
Thank goodness I've found a fit that was juuuust right, or we would've been in trouble. I have to give it to Roland Mouret, his collection is a real breath of fresh air.
A self-taught Frenchman who resides in London, Mouret maintains that all his designs come from a square of fabric. If the man speaks the truth, which I don't doubt that he does, it's no wonder he's becoming so internationally reknowned -- he has some genuine talent. Plus, his cruise collection just oozes 40's glamour with a pinch of modern twist. Never thought I would say this about a trench, of all things, but WOW. I am in love. With this trench (left). I don't even know what it is, because the design is so simple. It must just be the feminine way that it lays. Forget wearing a dress underneath, I'd be tempted to wear this trench by itself.
Like I said, the whole collection is sublime, but I just can't resist rounding it out to my top three. Second on the list would have to be this gorgeous yellow sheath (right). It hits all the right curves, and its hemline reminds me of a mermaid. It's sexy in an understated way, very silver screen siren. And finally, this top (left). I love the way it hangs -- the tailoring is amazing, and the psychadelic print...I can't suppress it -- I just have to sit back and: "Ooooh...Ahhh."
I give you a standing ovation, Roland Mouret. Now if only you would do an encore...
hamming it up June 17, 2005 12:35 pm >> When I first saw this shirt, I didn't really think twice about it. But I recently rediscovered it, and something about it is just sticking with me, like meat on bones. It's kinda like when you like something, and you don't know why, but you're positive that that you do. There's some kind of deeper reason, and you just can't put your finger on it. Indie designer Wendy Mullin says of her t-shirt designs: "With most of the stuff I make, I am not really concerned if people will like it or even get it. Most of the pop culture references are like private jokes with myself...So it's choosing things that I relate to." And maybe it's that vibe that I'm getting -- there's something in this shirt she designed that I can relate to. The scene depicted is from one of my favorite books, Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, where 8-year-old Scout is walking home from a Halloween pageant, dressed in a large ham costume. Wendy draws Scout in an inky dark limbo, waiting, inviting the vengeful Bob Ewell to attack her. Her ham suit saves her from his knife swipes, and you've got the eerie feeling Scout knows the enigmatic Boo Radley will come to her rescue. And so she waits, biding her time, an 8-year-old wiser than her years, for the benevolent man to appear.
I know it sounds a little bit nutso to have such intense feeling about a t-shirt, but I kind of like it. I think it's better to wear things that mean something to you, than to wear things just because someone else is wearing them, anyway.
excuse me, lady, but i believe you have an animal on your head June 16, 2005 6:12 pm >> I may be jumping the gun (just slightly) by talking about a trend for fall when it's 100 degrees outside, but I just couldn't resist. Especially when I saw it pop up atop Kate Moss' head during a photoshoot for a Japanese commercial (left).
There was definitely a strong Russian influence on the runway for the Fall/Winter Collections. Costume National, for one, had plenty of tasseled passementerie, luxe furs and velvets, and my personal favorite, the Cossack-like fur toque (above right). Maybe it's because the hat just looks so cozy, or more likely, in wearing it, I could fantasize about being in my own version of that lovely movie Doctor Zhivago.
Bottega Veneta
Yogo Ego