My shoe collection keeps growing and growing and while I must say this makes me very happy, my husband thinks I’ve gone completely mad.  But show me a girl who doesn’t love shoes and then I’ll quit bringing more home.  This will never happen, right?  My newest obsession are these from Osborn Design in Brooklyn, all manufactured fair-trade in Guatemala City.  Simple in style and all about amazing prints and fabrics, there couldn’t be a more perfect take on the classic oxford. Sadly, they don’t currently come in my size but word on the street is that they will very soon.  You can read more about Osborn design here and also check out this interview to find out more about the creative couple behind the line.

Been very busy.  This time of year is bananas and right about now I am ready to jump on a plane and head to Texas to visit family and friends and eat my dad’s tamales.  It’s cold and rainy here in Los Angeles and I’m loving every minute of it, mostly because I get to stay indoors and get caught up on things that I’ve been neglecting the past couple of weeks, but geez I’m ready for a little vacation.  I went rummaging through some of my inspiration books today and got really excited when I found these pictures of a hairdresser’s shop in rural Goa.  It’s so incredibly authentic with woodwork inset with mirrors and paintings and framed prints of the owner’s favorite gods. It’s not precious in a stuffy, uncomfortable way, but rather in a sweet and endearing way.  You can feel the love in the place just by looking at the objects, especially the old photograph of the owner’s grandfather cutting hair.  As stated on the first page: Prints of Indian gods jostle with European landscapes, a naive frieze and vintage travel posters in this 19th-century hairdresser’s in rural Goa. Collected by three generations of village barbers, the assortment of objects bears witness to the region’s rich diversity of cultural influences.”

Taken from an issue of World of Interiors

A week or so ago I posted some old ads from an issue of Purple in 2003 and mentioned how great the editorials were back then. Not that 2003 was so long ago, but those of you who followed the magazine in its earlier years know what I’m sayin’.  This editorial in particular is one of my favorites and was shot by Laetitia Benat.  It features Mehdi Belhaj Kacem, a French-Tunisian actor, writer, and philosopher along with Alexandra Koubichkine, a Russian beauty that floors me with her chic simplicity.  They seem to be a couple but I’m not too sure, and I’m uncertain about Alexandra’s background.  All I know is that this does it for me.  The natural light, the grittiness of the photos, the setting, and the idea that not every fashion editorial has to be over-styled is what I’m attracted to.

I am a huge Pedro Almodóvar fan and I have been anxiously waiting for his new film, Broken Embraces, to be released.  One of the reasons why I respect his work so much is because of his ability to bring forth strong female characters, usually played by his muse, Penélope Cruz.   It’s hard to find good films these days that portray women as the incredible, intuitive, and passionate humans that they are, and Almodóvar does so beautifully.  I can’t help but get the feeling that he is a perfectionist, and I really appreciate that.  He has a way of capturing the essence of all of the characters in his films through underlying messages, mood, color, and overall aesthetics.  I found these amazing shots on the Broken Embraces website and it got me all wound up about the movie, so I thought I’d post the trailer as well.  I’ll end this with a quote from the one and only Almodóvar, speaking of the film: “This is also something new for me. I do feel that this film is a true declaration of love for cinema. I could almost say that cinema perfects all the irregularities, or the imperfections, of life.”

Hisham Akira Bharoocha is a fairly recent discovery for me.  I am particularly inspired by his psychedelic collages that are full of colorful detailed illustrations and images of people and animals.  They’re totally chaotic but kind of peaceful at the same time, and I want to make a long silk dress out of one them.  A couple of the collages are reminiscent of Tsumori Chisato’s prints in that they have that element of fantasy and randomness to them.  You can see more of Hisham’s work here.

It’s easy to get wrapped up in the hoopla of the holidays, but Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday for a couple of reasons: there’s no gift giving involved and it’s about recognizing what you’re thankful for in your life.  The food factor doesn’t hurt either, and this year I’m pretty lucky to have two Thanksgivings to celebrate with two sides of my family.  Also, my brother-in-law and his fiance’ have been cooking up some Turkish meals that are to die for, and I’m getting my palate ready for our trip to Turkey next May.  I’m a pretty lucky lady and I have a lot to be thankful for: my health, my work, all of you that read this blog, and of course:

A superstar husband

My family

So many amazing friends and equally amazing memories

And plenty of good meals.

Feeling a little under the weather but thought I’d post these lovely photos of Lou Doillon taken from an old issue of Anthem magazine.  While I was looking at these today I asked myself, “What is it about her that everyone loves?”  I can’t speak for everyone else but to me it’s her awkward kind of beauty that I’m drawn to.  I like her perfect pout that covers her toothy grin and her easy style that is just the right mix of masculine and feminine.  And that hair?  Pretty much the ideal kind, no?

I wish bands these days were more like XTC.  Wait, maybe not.  Maybe they can just take some pointers from them, that way XTC can still be super special all on their own.  I’m off to San Luis Obispo for the weekend to visit my in-laws and my brother-in-law and his fiance’ who are both visiting from Turkey. We’ll be celebrating Thanksgiving a little early which means lots of food and fireside chats.  That and a whole lot of reading for my Jane Austen book club.  First up, Sense and Sensibility.  I’ll leave you with one of my all time favorite songs:

Purple Magazine used to be the jam back in the day.  I was going through my old issues from 2003 and I flipped out when I saw all of the content and realized what a huge difference there is between Purple now and Purple then.  I’ll be posting some of the photography and editorials soon but what I wanted to share first were these ads.  Let’s face it: ads were way cooler back then.  It wasn’t so much about selling a product, but more of selling a brand or an identity through art.  Funny thing is, this was only 6 years ago, but it seems like a lifetime has gone by when I look at these.  Things were different.  Fashion was different.  The internet wasn’t the biggest deal in the world.  I still appreciate what Purple is and I can’t say I don’t love some of the things that it delivers, but I don’t love her like I used to.  It once embodied what I believe in most which is people living unconventional lives and putting out unconventional art, either literally or through journalism or through the way they dress.  I’m feeling pretty nostalgic right now.

By far my favorite series of ads by Comme des Garçons

How amazing is this Isabel Marant ad?  Check out the hooka!

I like the installation in this Zucca ad.

Vanessa Bruno still puts out some great ads and explores new mediums to showcase her collections.  I like the element of storytelling in this one.

The black & white Miu Miu ads are still my favorite.

While I was in Peru this past spring I picked up the latest issue of Cosas Moda, a Peruvian men’s and women’s fashion magazine that deserves just as much recognition as any other high fashion magazine in Europe or the states.  Artistic editorials, thoughtful and well-researched coverage of designers, and collages of trends that are right on are just a few of the things one can expect from the magazine.  The April issue featured an editorial dedicated to Buenos Aires, one of my favorite cities in the world.  It’s no secret that BA has their own fashionable flavor going on, but witnessing the way Argentines put themselves together is something to marvel at.  There is usually color involved, and getting dressed is a form of expression that is lighthearted and fun – it’s not about a competition or who is wearing the latest designer garb.  I fell in love with these pictures taken by Gustavo Di Mario for Cosas Moda. To me, they represent the youthful vibrance of Argentina.