Way out

I'm watching the mail for this vintage Comme top I got on ebay the other day. I dig the huge type on the front, plus I tend to like shirts with messages that leave a big "?" on people's faces! The zippered front, 3/4 sleeves and collar are very 90s but I think it makes the top much more interesting than if it were a simple jumper.

Yama from Tokyo Bopper

image via London Tokyo Streets (I was just talking about big pins!)

I'm a regular peruser of certain streetstyle blogs, but it took until now to realize I've posted the same girl a handful of times cause I dig her style that much. Yama works at Tokyo Bopper, a shoe store in Harajuku that sells two brands of shoes: Belly Button & Unbilical. The staff posts their outfits daily, including Yama, so you can really get an idea of how they style the shoes. I'm weak for chunky sandals and sneakers, so I'm convinced I need to visit when I make it over to Tokyo!



Yama clearly loves skirts, mainly full ones, and I love how she pairs them with skinny cuffed jeans or patterned tights.

What's it called?

I love a lot of classic patterns, but I love them even more when they are blown up beyond recognition. Paper Tiger did this awesome lilac purple sweater with giant leopard print...one word, OBSESSED.


via Pixie Market

Big pin

I have a couple of cardigans and vests that don't have any type of closure. I like wearing them open, but I thought it would be cool to buy a giant safety pin, like the one on the YMC cardigan I posted in September, for a different look. Bless makes some colored ones you can get at Stand Up Comedy, but I found this 5" silver one on ebay for only a couple bucks. I tried it out Saturday with a long black knit vest and love the way it looks. I might go back for more smaller ones I can use to wrap/drape/fold my garments into twisted creations secured with a pin!


dress, Poti Poti; vest, H&M; gray cardigan, Monki; pants, BDG; shoes, Clarks; watch, boyfriend's G-Shock

Later that night, I kept the vest on and put on my new Uniqlo knit shorts for my birthday festivities. Excuse the nasty expression (I had just taken a shot)!


shirt, Zara; vest, H&M; shorts, Uniqlo; shoes, Clarks; watch, boyfriend's G-Shock; llama bag, ebay

Skirting the Issue

It's that time of year when the holiday party invites start rolling in, and after the well-worn state of my closet, I am starting to look for new options. Funds are extremely tight this year, so I need to be resourceful about my sparkly seasonal gear. This breaks down into the inspirational fiction VS the actual fact of my pocketbook. I'm thinking about rocking skirts instead of dresses this season to increase the amount of styling options, with just the right amount of bling, and swap out the tops and tights... voila- endless (economical) possibilities!

Fiction: Gryphon and Balmain
Fact: Topshop and Forever 21
all images via Polyvore

ffiXXed

ffiXXed is a collaborative project between Kain Picken and Fiona Lau that focuses on producing readymade fashion products. The label began in Berlin in 2007, but its headquarters are now mobile, gravitating to different global centers and using the need to adapt to these new physical, cultural, and economical climates as a way to stimulate their collaborative ideas. Their focus on experimenting with new methods of creative production has led to some really interesting concepts such as this wool scarf with sleeves that is sold out at Ooga Booga.



The duo collaborated with BLESS for their SS09 range to produce this "Shopperbag top" as a BLESS advanced product that is available on request. It might seem strange at first, but it's really just another take on the pocket, and the desire to carry things on our person.



ffiXXed's Spring '10 range titled Unseen Utopias functions as framework to explore the construction of lifestyle associated with specific forms and materials. For example, garments like the desert sun hat, mosquito net hat, and mesh dress draw on the practicality of outdoor wear and its function to mediate our experience with nature. Other pieces repurpose familiar shapes, like the upside down trouser top which is self-explanatory and the multi-sleeve rug which is literally a rug you can wear. I like their modern, clean, lightweight use of fabrics for summer, and I'll definitely be checking Ooga Booga, Children of Vision, and some of their other stockists come spring.

Stop making sense

I'm getting close to my head to toe knit dream recently inspired by Cooperative Designs' enticing ensembles. I could not believe my eyes when I layed my eyes upon these:




KNIT shorts!? What!? I picked up these two from Uniqlo recently and although they ARE short, I've found they look rad over a pair of tights with a long jacket or cardi over top (to cover up the behind). Not only that, they are perfect under dresses in the cooler seasons and for layering in general.

RIP Daul Kim

I still don't want to believe the horrible news that Daul Kim is gone. She was my favorite model out there, and beyond the pretty face and amazing career, she was a person I could relate to. Daul wore her heart on her sleeve, stayed true to herself, and had a magnetic personality that made you want to know more about her. The images I love most of Daul are those shots that capture her being herself away from the fashion weeks and fancy sets. These shots are from Your Boyhood, a style blog based in Daul's hometown of Seoul that often ran into her in shops around the city.

RIP Daul. Say hi to forever for me!

Keep x Ooga Booga Mini Shop

If you're in LA, and looking to get a head start on holiday shopping, you're in luck! Keep (the vegan shoe label) has joined forces with Ooga Booga to host a "Mini Shop" that celebrates with an opening tomorrow from 6-9pm at Keep's Fairfax store (523 North Fairfax Avenue). The shop will feature a fun assortment of items, all under 100 bones, from OB's tightly knit community of artists, musicians, photographers and designers. Contributors include Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte, Carol Lim and Humberto Leon of Opening Ceremony, Alexandra Cassaniti and more (and that's just the fashion tip of the iceberg). The shop will stick around until the new year.





In honor of the collaboration, Keep + Ooga Booga have also made fresh fruit preserves and pickled beets which use sustainable produce only. YUM. Get your eat and shop on for me!

You brought jokes?

Daniel Palillo was one of the first designers I wrote about here, way back in Spring of '08. What drew me to Daniel's work then was his sense of humor that he consistently expressed through big silhouettes and prominent graphic prints. Fast forward to his upcoming Spring line, and it's the same elements that wow me again. Simply titled Renaissance, the collection dances around with court jester foolery complete with Palillo's go-to polka dot and yin-yang motifs.





It took me a second to...ahem..wrap my head around what the lookbook reminded me of with the twisted necks and backwards poses, and then it came to me- Meryl Streep in Death Becomes Her. If you've never seen it, add it to the list.

Hold up

I've been looking at black ankle boots and other flat classic shapes a lot lately as those represent the core of my closet, and are the ones that are quickly getting walked into the ground. Going forward, I really want to be more mindful of the quality and craftsmanship of the shoe and not simply buy because I like it now and it's cheap (so guilty of this). I don't own any Robert Clergerie shoes, but I'm really attracted to some of the square heel shapes he's doing. Too bad all the ones below are $600 and up, but I've heard Clergerie shoes are made well, so it's probably worth the investment.


images via Zappos

Shop Brinie

I pretty much work right upstairs from the Eryn Brinie store in Soho now, but if you love their clothes and aren't as geographically close to the store as me (they also have locations in Italy and Korea where they're based), you can now shop online. I just popped in the store yesterday, and they have a 40% off Fall sale with a lot of great knit pieces and some nice trousers, so definitely check out their selection if you are in need of some winter wardrobe additions.

*Stop by the store this Saturday to shop the sale and browse the racks to the tune of disco classics and cologne techno with Luke and Zach Go Boating.

Handle with care

Handle With Care was the name of the debut project from Uncommon Matters, a line of porcelain accessories that goes beyond traditional materials and offers a new perspective on jewelry altogether. The pieces aren't only unique in material, but the designs are a beautiful marriage of modern artistry and ancient forms that feel right at home in the pages of an editorial. Amelie was kind enough to send over images of her new collection, entitled AU [79] and immediately I was blown away by the shoulder piece and collar. Their delicate nature would prove a daunting challenge for someone like myself, but one I would be up for in an instant!

You can find Uncommon Matters in select boutiques around the world, including Maryam Nassirzadeh in New York's Lower East Side.

You think you're so cool

I'm getting back on the ebay train, but I'm in the midst of moving into a new apartment, so Ikea will take priority over things of the "must-have" and "vintage" variety. Oh the pain- these original mirrored blue Jean Paul Gaultier sunnies are screaming my name all the way from the 80s.

Save Fashion Party Tonight In Soho!

Inven.tory
237 Lafayette st
ny ny 10012
7-10pm

I am Iron Man

There are some artists who seem like they knew from the moment they picked up their first crayon that they had a story to tell. Mark Newport creates work centering around his fascination with superheroes. His hand knit costumes combine the idea of their heroic, ultra masculine personas with the protective gestures of his mother- sweaters she made to keep him warm during the long New England winters.



Using techniques and color choices he learned from his mother, Mark creates life-size, wearable objects of art that challenge the stereotypical muscular form of the hero, allowing someone to imagine themselves as a real-life hero. Some are characters we all know well like Spiderman and Batman, but others like The Sweatermen, Every-Any-No Man, and Bobbleman are heroes Mark invented himself.



Seeing Mark's learned talent for knitting, I'm hoping he explores other wearable heroic ideas, but in the meantime, I'm ready for my custom-made hero knit jumpsuit, so call me Mark!

Bart

Somehow I discovered Bart, a small secondhand boutique located in Seoul. Their precise eye has collected more or less a dream closet for me, dedicated to stocking finds from labels I hold close to my heart like Margiela, Limi Feu, Bless, Dries Van Noten, Comme, Bernhard Willhelm, and more of that variety. It's rare to find a secondhand boutique like this with such a curated point of view- the buyer(s)' own style really is key. I have yet to inquire if they ship globally, but in due time!


Cosmic Wonder


merci beaucoup

Balenciaga + Limi Feu

Bless

X-girl

More than a feeling

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Bless Sample Sale

I would surely do a LOT of damage if I was in the right part of the world for the Bless sale this weekend. Score Bless creations from past seasons and one-of-a-kind "prototypes" this Friday and Saturday in both Paris and Berlin.



While I'm on the subject, here's a few looks I'm very excited about from their Nº39 SS10 range, especially ze sandals!

Monki Let's Party

Monki is killin it these days over there in Scandinavia land- it hurts to look at their range each season since they don't have an ecommerce site. BUT, they have one of the best lookbooks I've seen in awhile up right now for AW09. The styling is amazing (very Comme) and it features a series of looping dance bits transitioning into several outfits and animation sequences. You HAVE to go check it out before it disappears- I promise it will brighten your day. Here's a few stills to convince you.