Story Time

My bookshelves are overflowing, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to hoard more.  The newest titles to make it to my wish list: Henry Darger by Klaus Biesenbach; Maison Martin Margiela published by Rizzoli; The Marchesa Casati – Portraits of a Muse written by the directors of The Casati Archives; The Velvet Underground – New York Art from Rizzoli; Self-Portrait in a Velvet Dress, Frida’s Wardrobe published by Chronicle Books; and Prada, conceived and edited by Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli.  Henry Darger is one of my favorite artists.  I’ve written about him here and am always interested in finding out more about his life and his artwork.  I recommend watching the documentary In the Realms of the Unreal – it sheds some light on his fascinating, although somewhat sad background.  Both the Margiela and Prada books rank high on my list due to the fact that I have a deep appreciation for the aesthetics of both designers and their ability to always design what they want and not cater to the masses, yet somehow manage to drive every fashion follower into a frenzy with their smart and highly conceptual clothing and accessories.  Marchesa Casati wasn’t your everyday heiress. Although she did serve as muse to many including Cecil Beaton and Jack Kerouac, she was very creative and held lavish parties, always dressing in elaborate, statement making attire.  She was also the hostess of the Ballets Russes and her influence can still be felt and seen today, most specifically in John Galliano’s creations and in the evening wear line, Marchesa.  Alice Ritter turned me onto the Frida Kahlo book (thanks, Alice!) and being that I regard her as one of the most prominent, feminist artists with amazing style to have ever lived, I am so interested to find out more about her wardrobe.  And I actually kind of wish I had a unibrow – something about hers was so sexy.  Lastly, The Velvet Underground – clearly one of the greatest bands of all time.  They are so fascinating to me and I can’t wait to devour that book.

Fields of Vision

If you’re addicted to reading about fashion on the internet like myself, by now you’ve probably seen the ridiculously adorable cat calendar from United Bamboo.  If not, take a look at these sassy little felines in the finest United Bamboo threads, striking a pose for 2010.  It really doesn’t get better than that, does it?  The calendar was shot by Noah Sheldon, whom I actually just met randomly while having lunch with a dear friend.  I had no idea how brilliant of a photographer he was, nor did I know that he was the genius behind the calendar.  If I would have known, I probably would have bought him lunch.  I’ve been browsing his website and his blog and I’ve become completely enthralled by his work.  He has a keen sensibility for taking the simplest of subjects and turning them into beautiful, grand statements.  Check out some of Noah Sheldon’s work below:

Stolen Moments

I saw this spread in Teen Vogue not long after I returned from a trip to Peru and I couldn’t decide if I was happy or bummed to see traditional Peruvian attire and arts & crafts in a main stream fashion magazine that caters to young girls.  Part of me smiled as I drifted back to my shopping adventures in Peru while another part of me was a little bitter that such treasures had been exposed to such a wide audience.  I know, I know – Peru does not belong to me and there are plenty of people who travel there just to buy the well-crafted colorful goods that they’re known for, but I couldn’t help but feel slightly selfish for a second as I immediately thought to myself, “Great, now every girl in the United States is going to be rocking a traditional Highlander (the local name for the indigenous people) hat.”  That feeling soon dissipated, mostly because being selfish is so not cool, but also because I had to admit that the styling for this story was right on.  The colors, the tall Highlander hat, the baby lamb being held ever-so-stylishly in the papoose, and the mix-and-match of textures, prints, and accessories – all exactly how Highlander women dress every day.  There is nothing epic about the photos but most of the time I’m drawn to the styling of a shoot or the mood that it evokes.  Now whenever I look at these pictures, I daydream about Peru and its beautiful culture, clothing and accessories included.

Heart Ringers

Check out this new video, Heart Ringers, from Bless, the fashion label out of Paris that always creates a sort of artistic utopia to showcase their clothing and accessories.  It’s charming, funny in a wink wink kinda way, and really beautiful to watch. Makes me wish I was still in gymnastics.

I Just Can’t Get Enough

I love shoes.  Most girls do, but I obsess over them, have dreams about them, and even dabble in the shoe industry.  If there are a pair that I’m absolutely freaking out over, I will do everything in my power to make sure they are mine.  A little over the top, I know, but I just can’t get enough shoes.  There are a few different details that I’m into right now: bows, tassels, and a clog heel.  I have never really been into bows that much, but lately I’ve been finding new ways to wear them.  I like pairing a really girlie shoe with something that is the total opposite, such as a motorcycle jacket or a pair of  vintage Levi’s that are completely worn.  I’ve mentioned how much I’m into tassels, and just about every shoe I dream about has them.  Alexander Wang’s wedge heel with tassels for S/S ‘10 is to die for, and I recently purchased my everyday Fall boot complete with tassels by Rachel Comey.  I’ve been wearing them with socks and dresses, my Corpus sweats, and even cut-offs (we still have some warm days in LA!).  I like the modern takes on preppy tassels, and how easily they can be incorporated into my wardrobe.  A while back, I wrote about the No. 6 over-the-knee clog boot that had me in a shoe frenzy.  But, I’ve decided that I can probably get more use out of a clog that sits right at the ankle, or just at the knee.  Swedish Hasbeens has a knee high clog boot in the sickest shade of blue that I am LOVING.  And of course, I’ve found the ideal ankle high clog from No. 6 in black leather, completely lined in shearling.  Louis Vuitton and Chanel are getting a lot of hype for their parade of crazy clogs down the runway, but I’m not one for a lot of bells & whistles on a shoe; I prefer the simplicity.  Sure, wearing a clog might be the furthest thought from the minds of some, but I like the unexpectedness of them.  They’re a little kitschy, but I like to interpret them in new ways.  I guess you can say I like a little contradiction when it comes to my shoes.

Chloé’s bejeweled bows.  These also come in an emerald green flat – WANT.

Anna Sui’s suede bow sandals for Spring

Opening Ceremony’s W1 Desert Boot in Grey Suede

Alexander Mc Queen’s tassel booties.  Love the leather and tweed combination.

My Rachel Comey brown embossed leather tassel boot

Remember these Miu Miu’s from 2006?

I’ve got to get my hands on these Rachel Comey clogs.

Blue leather Swedish Hasbeens

No. 6 ankle high clogs lined in shearling

Spirited Away

To say that I love Isabel Marant’s aesthetic would be an understatement.  The words effortlessly chic often get used when describing the Isabel Marant look, and as much as I think those words can be overused and misconstrued, I admit they are the right ones to use in this fashion case.  Throw in bohemian rebel with some 70s rock & roll spirit, mixed with a dose of slouchy sophistication and romantic tendencies and there you have it – the Isabel Marant collection for Spring 2010.  In dire need of it now, and always.

All images from Style.com