it was cunning it was done with style
First order of business…congrats to Gracekat on winning the giveaway!
As we know, today was the launch of the highly anticipated +J line at Uniqlo. I had set my alarm to go off early but somehow jolted awake an hour later than scheduled and when I finally arrived, my heart sank- the line nearly went around the block. Don’t any of these people have jobs???
I had the advantage of knowing exactly what I wanted to get but I had a hard time finding them in the right color and size combinations, as much of the stock was depleted already, though it was only a few hours after the doors had opened.
What I tried on:
This long coat would have fit impeccably had I been able to find one in my size, otherwise it was perfect. Same goes for the shirt underneath, with Jil’s signature collar. Wish I could explain the details of the shirt that make it so well-constructed.
Would have snapped this up but I couldn’t find it in black. I’m particular about the way jackets fit- I like them to fit really snug and cut razor sharp, with high-set armholes. And sleeves always tend to be too long for my arms, but not these! They were the perfect length
In the end, I met the two pieces halfway and got this long wool blazer. Love the ever so slightly nipped waist. They were all made of this soft, lightweight yet substantial wool blend, not cheap, thin or scratchy at all. (PLEASE bear with me…having serious camera issues right now, even the DSLR is on the fritz.)
In honor of the occasion, I decided to break out my new (old?) Jil Sander collection boots from fall 2007. Bought them last month for something like 85% off!
After thinking it over for a bit and looking through my closet, I’m seriously considering exchanging the long blazer for the short one as I don’t have many jackets that length. Impulse is also a factor here as I’m increasingly drawn to the details of the former…the slanted pocket for example. Guess I’m headed back there…
the fame
In an effort to ~share the wealth~ and keep free of clutter, I’m giving away a Marc Jacobs x Lady Gaga after-party tote filled with various beauty products accumulated throughout the week, a cheap party favor version of the glasses Gaga wears on the current cover of V Magazine, and a spiky gold bangle by Fallon.
Hopefully someone will make good use out of these things!
To enter, leave a comment about and a link your favorite fashion related video, and don’t forget to leave your email address!
The winner will be chosen next Wednesday, September 30th. Comments will be screened until the winner is announced!
dead like me
Hell week is finally over (for me, at least) and now it will be a jolly old time recovering and trying to catch up on my readings and assignments for school. Should admit that I’ve barely checked out out any of the collections but from what little that’s been seen so far…not too compelled to look any further. I’m not quite twenty years old yet, and have nearly NO stamina at all- even fainted at one point during the week..whether due to malnutrition or lack of sleep, not sure?
Sadly these are the very few images I have to share (time to invest in a pocket sized camera or learn to be quicker with the phone).
Taken outside of the Rodarte show:
The uber-brilliant stylist Panos Yiapanis wearing Givenchy tartan breeches, and his friend sporting a Rodarte cobweb knit cardigan!
Close-up of the Givenchy courtesy of Jak and Jil.
This is an awful picture, but I loved this woman’s outfit. The pairing of the soft candy pink cardigan with the long floral print dress and the infamous Ann Demeulemeester lace-up sandals is so unexpected and striking but it works so well! She also had a washed gray bucket bag with domed studs on the bottom (Alexander Wang?) slung over her shoulder that complemented the ensemble perfectly.
And I just spotted this on Style.com via Jak and Jil (once again):
The constantly inspirational Taylor Tomasi. Can’t get enough of her. I’ve never considered those plum Ann Demeulemeester sandals even after seeing them in the flesh, until now…
And this has nothing to do with the rest of this entry but for those who watched the VMA awards and caught Lady Gaga’s epic performance:
The bloodied outfit, put on display in a Plexiglass vitrine the next day for her admirers to enjoy…
Be on the lookout for a fashion week giveaway to be posted in the next few days!
treble in trouble
As fashion week approaches, it becomes critical time for the many bloggers, who put their new-found determination of legitimacy and industry relevance to the test. Looking forwards to seeing your coverage of this hectic time!
Especially since I won’t be able to extensively cover the madness on here. And I won’t even have time to look at the collections until it’s all over.
I’ve already been helping out with the production efforts of several highly anticipated events or the past few weeks. Going straight from class to the office everyday with little time or energy for anything else, so this week will be chaotic/stressful x 100 and my most highly anticipated event will be a good night’s sleep.
Will be heading “underground” while others enjoy themselves observe the hustle and bustle of it all from a spectator’s point of view…I’m envious of this perspective, which I haven’t really experienced yet- I’ve always worked behind the scenes and can’t seem to break away from that. Sometimes I really have a crisis and ask, “What am I doing with my life and why should I give the slightest modicum of concern for these smug, self-entitled people?” and “I’d rather be dead than here!” But in the end, it can be quite fulfilling to proudly look back to something you worked hard on and put so much time and energy into.
the future perfect
My efforts to expand into horizons beyond the color black haven’t exactly been going so well (more on that in another entry) but here is one of those attempts:
Everything is from the summer clearance section of Zara (as you might be able to tell from the dressing room!) except the lambs fur vest which is current season, and the SSWTR shoes.
I really love the vest, though I feel rather pompous when wearing it, perhaps due to its voluminosity? Hopefully that’s something I’ll get over soon.
The awesome collages that Yui at A Slowboat to Mediocrity created are also providing inspiration on ways to wear vest casually… here is are some examples, and do go check the rest out on her site!
Her outfits have a streetwear inflected vibe, which is a bit of departure for me- though I definitely would make an exception for one of Mishka’s eyeball sweatshirts!
Continuing the quest to diversify and lighten up the wardrobe , I’ve looked towards Julius’ S/S 2010 c0llection as a point of reference.
Trying to move away from that singular asymmetrical draping effect that’s so prominent now, and towards something more soft and…Grecian? The use of drapery has somehow become heavily associated with the dark and “edgy” and tormented, which is all and well but I’d like to challenge myself challenge to take this sartorial motif that I enjoy so much and turn it around…we’ll see how this transition goes..in due time of course!
jolie late
Though apparently there has been a lot written about this video and the model featured, I must have missed out on that coverage completely. A screen shot from the video served as my computer’s wallpaper for ages, but I never knew about its origins until now.
Created by burgeoning photographer/filmmaker Matt Sundin, it features the striking featured, up and coming model Camille Mervin Leroy, who has posed for Rad Hourani and Jean Paul Gaultier.
Just don’t call her Alice Gibb.
The film’s flickery, atmospheric dream-like quality is right up my alley! The light leaks/flashes are somewhat reminiscent of Mark Borthwick’s work. I’m not completely sure based on varying reports, but it might have been made in conjunction with Rad Hourani as a project?
Back on the Grind
Look who’s back….the hiatus from blogging was necessary as I was feeling frazzled, uninspired and overwhelmed by the pressure of keeping up with the ~blogosphere~ (typing out that word makes me cringe so hard).
Especially at a time where everything supposedly new and exciting just seem like unecessary additions to an already over-saturated and homogeneous market. It seems like a lot of these new young brands pop up solely to target bloggers and their often young readerships with renditions of the same white-hot trends over and over again and have no viable plans for sustaining their labels. When people allow themselves to be pandered to so easily, why not? It might be too early to tell, but I expect we’ll be seeing a lot of unfortunate flame-outs in the not so distant future.
And the homogeneity doesn’t just end there. Everything is simply “sooo killer”, wicked, extreme and hardcore 2 the max these days, it seems. Nice Cramps and Misfits shirts, I wonder if much of the populace in question have ever listened to a single song of theirs before. (Personally, I’m not a fan and think it’s absolutely heinous to wear a shirt of a band that you know nothing about in earnest.) Dressing in a certain style is one thing, but you shouldn’t really have to change your whole persona to fit the look and get the “cred”.
Wondering if I should even bother trying to catch up and read the backlog posts? It might be impossible at this point, haha.
( Vogue Paris via tFS)
On a more positive note, start saving your pennies for +J, Uniqlo’s line created in conjunction with Jil Sander.
It’s not just hype!! I was beyond fortunate enough to assist on the shoot for the campaign and scrutinize every single piece in the line. None of the images released so far do any justice to the collection!
There are THE best wool coats, razor sharp trousers, blazers, shirts, super soft cardigans and so on. The quality and fits are goooood. Personally, I’m looking to pick up one of the blazers and a coat, so you can be sure I’ll be there bright and early when it’s released in October, obligations be damned!
And the campaign is really beautiful too…wonder when the rest if it will come out?
Shot by David Sims and styled by Joe McKenna, longtime Jil Sander collaborator- he used to style her campaigns and shows when she still had ownership of her namesake brand, so he definitely knows what he’s doing. I was a bit dubious of the choice to use Isabeli Fontana for this at first, but it just shows how very little I know about such marketing matters… she looks great and really showcases how elegant and impeccable the clothes are.
realities
Time to admit that I’m a shitty blogger who never reads/comments/updates quite enough.
Consecutively: I’ve been away on vacation, preparing to move into a new apartment- which is always a huge fiasco, and busy working of course!
Sadly, it would not be very prudent to share too many details about my job, as far as shoots go. I’ve settled into the pace/rhythm of the position, and am constantly observing and learning new things. I appreciate how hands-on this experience has been, although it can be scary when I’m uncertain of my abilities and don’t want to make any mistakes.
However, I can provide this small assortment of photos. Hope you enjoy!
This shoot had the coolest/craziest pieces. I couldn’t take my eyes off that reworked motorcycle jacket.
Guess who?
shelter
I’m really into simplicity, comfort, and ease. I also like to obscure myself under big hoods, scarves and huge swaths of material and shut out everything. Though this most likely attracts more attention than anything else.
Ridiculously cool fur-lined hood by Bless.
My ideal garment fitting this type would be a soft, thick and fluffy “body bag” hoodie…a hoodie that zips all the way up over the face.
Yes, Rick Owens Drkshdw line has one, but I’m not such a big fan of how it looks/fits:
So in the mean time, I’ll just wait until someone else catches on.
enabler
Could someone please buy these, so that I won’t be tempted to?
Trying to buy less “novelty” items in order and save money for a good pair boots or a jacket, something useful and timeless, but it’s proving to be really hard.
C-NEEON, available at Tres Bien Shop.
And this shouldn’t come as a surprise:
Thanks!
