Denim Darlings

This is the take on Americana that I prefer.  Ralph Lauren didn’t disappoint with his Spring collection full of takes on American culture.  I immediately thought of Little House on the Prairie and the old childrens folk song “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad,” with a little dose of glamour thrown in.  Lauren’s tattered denim looks were the antithesis to all the bleached out skinny shredded jeans that have taken over. Cropped boyfriend fits paired with menswear touches like newsboy caps, vests, and preppy button-downs won me over, as did the sweetly sophisticated heels that gave each look a dose of femininity.  And now that I’ve seen the perfect pair of overalls, I’m thinking about the many different ways to wear them.  I’m off to NYC and Philadelphia so posts may not be as frequent, but I’ll be back soon!

All images from Style.com

Transitions

I have been been waiting for the debut of Lou Doillon and Vanessa Bruno’s film collaboration to promote Vanessa Bruno Autumn/Winter 2009-10 and I was so happy to see it in full on Bruno’s website.   According to her, it’s a “visual poem dedicated to her loyal fans,” and I must say it’s the best film to showcase a collection that I’ve seen.  It’s dreamy, picturesque, and has a sort of feminine gratification to it.  There are transitions throughout the film and beautiful scenarios that really capture the essence of both the Vanessa Bruno brand and Lou Doillon, and remind of the current transition to Fall.  I absolutely love it.

California Dreamin’

Sundays are my favorite day of the week.  I always feel refreshed and completely ready to take on the world when I wake up early on a perfect L.A. Sunday and start my day.  That sounds so Mr. Rogers, I know, but I’m a total morning person and I LOVE it.  I woke up last Sunday and hit the Rose Bowl with my friend Nina and spent close to four hours shopping and wishing I had unlimited amounts of cash to burn.  If you’re a flea market shopper, you know that sometimes the best flea markets can be an absolute hit or an absolute miss.  This one was a hit.  After leaving Pasadena, we headed back to the hood and had coffee and tea at Casbah Cafe’, the most charming cafe’ in Los Angeles.  Inside, it feels as if you were dropped off at a bohemian paradise that’s part Morocco, part Paris, and part Turkey.  The design aesthetic is both romantic and exotic, with huge chalkboard menus covered in boulangerie style type. Delectable pastries and snacks are carefully arranged next to striped tote bags, since the cafe’ also doubles as a boutique filled with a well-edited selection of clothing, accessories, and home furnishings from far-flung corners of the world.  Just looking at how perfectly merchandised everything is from the food to the furnishings makes me happy.  It’s a neighborhood gem that I cherish.

At the Rose Bowl: This vendor always has the best selection of random furnishings.  It’s like he raided an abandoned department store, movie theater, farm, and hotel 40 years ago. Nearly everything is awesome.

Like these old hotel key rings, for example.

This guy was serious biz with his Navajo-ness.  So good.

Hand beaded moccasins.  I’ve come across these a few times, but never in these cool colors.

I really wish I would have bought this insane collage.

Heart.

The lovely Nina

And then on the way out I saw this:

A 1974, 4.5 Mercedes Benz.  The extended version.  My dream ride.

I think I was made for this car.  The owner offered to take my picture while sitting in the driver’s seat.  I was afraid that I might steal it, so I declined.

“I Carried a Watermelon”

Ok, so this is where the blog gets a little cheesy, but in a good way.  I’m not a huge celebrity loving lady, but man have there been a lot of losses this year.  Don’t act like Dirty Dancing isn’t one of the greatest movies ever.  Are you with me here?  And PLEASE join me in celebrating the greatest scene out of this awesome movie.  My friend Alexis and I fantasize that one day we’ll walk into some hot and sweaty basement and The Contours will be blasting through the speakers and we’ll start to get down asap.  R.I.P., Patrick Swayze.  Gone too soon.  You Tube won’t allow me to embed this video, so after clicking play please follow the link that says “Watch on You Tube.”

Dissecting

Leave it to Alexander Wang to combine sweats with leather and to turn out some seriously amazing footwear.  But while there were some highlights at the Wang show, I’m not too sure how I feel overall about his Spring 2010 collection.  I get his take on Americana, but not too many of the clothes are wearable in my opinion, which is something I wouldn’t expect from Wang.  I appreciate creating clothes for the sake of “show”, but it’s something I expect more from Galliano or Gaultier, not a young American contemporary designer.  That said, he is a very influential designer that is having his moment and I give him credit for staying true to his aesthetic, but I’m wishing the collection looked more like a certain number of the looks he sent down the runway like the red and white striped slashed knits or the tuxedo vest with sheer shorts and that cool zipper detail.

The side swept braids were a definite highlight for me.  I love the effortlessly romantic look.

Tasseled slip-on wedges in buttery caramel.  I have a thing for tassels.

A corset shoe with zippers.  Brilliant.

All images from Style.com

Captivated

Rachel Comey never fails to grab my attention.  Her clothes are charming, fresh, a little bit understated, and the perfect mix of bohemian and classic.  They’re not overly trendy and there are plenty of pieces that I could live in season after season. After analyzing her Spring 2010 collection I thought , “This is what I want to wear in my 30’s.” Belted blazers over short, flirty skirts; the updated short with a wrap around flap; fitted parkas; sheer blouses paired with brightly colored cardigans; and my favorite – chunky sandals worn with socks.  Some of my favorite looks from Rachel Comey Spring 2010: