Throwback

There's a handful of designers I carefully watch on ebay for rare and amazing stuff that pops up from time to time. Take Japanese iconic designer Issey Miyake for example. If you are into his vintage creations or 80s graphics in general, these sweatshirts might interest you. They were never available for purchase (talk about limited!), but instead were made for the staff that worked the mens collections in Paris each season. Some have portraits of Issey and others have dates indicating the season..definitely a great collector's item if you are into this sort of thing (too bad bidding is now over)!

Give me liberty

USA girl from People in London (ironically)


I never got into faux eyelashes but I'm pretty sure I'm going to attempt wearing these this 4th of July, bottlerocket in hand.

XXL hoops, what!? So difficult to wear, but so amazing (from DIS Magazine, found via Stop It Right Now)


It's a major bummer that the Esprit we know and loved and cherished in 80s America is not even close to what it once was. I mean look at these prints! (scan from Esprit's Graphic Work 1984-1986 via Lady Greyer)

Daylight come and me wan' go home

Last weekend I was beyond stoked to go see the Tim Burton exhibit at MOMA. It ended up a big fail though as neither I nor my friends realized you had to buy advance tickets online and pick a time since this is a "SPECIAL" exhibition. Of course they were sold out for the rest of the weekend! Seeing as Burton was already on my mind, I decided to put on one of the best movies of all time: Beetlejuice. I never get tired of this flick and find something new every time I watch it. This time I noticed Catherine O'Hara aka Delia Deetz's costumes were pretty damn spectacular, which they kind of have to be to get the character's strong personality across. After doing a little research, I learned that her look was 100% Japanese designer, which included such up-and-comers (at the time) as Issey Miyake and Comme des Garcons (this movie came out in 1988 keep in mind). All her clothes were purchased during an afternoon at Maxfield’s boutique on Melrose Avenue and O'Hara had never heard of any of the designers.



AMAZING glove turban..such drama!



I'd rock the hell out of this shirt if I had it...betting it's a CDG creation.



Look- drop crotch pants! I read these were actually a sweater worn upside down with suspenders.



This look was perfection- I tried to find a frame of the whole outfit but couldn't get much more than the top half. I've seen practically the same cut in recent seasons and this was over 20 years ago!



You couldn't get more "snobby 80s artist type with money in the bank" than this. I mean, one glove?



And then there was Winona's character Lydia. Who didn't love this girl? Her character had depth and reflected a subculture that wasn't really actually defined yet at the time this was being filmed in '87. Calling her a goth wouldn't even be totally accurate- there's a good piece here dissecting the significance of Winona's character to the time period.



I've always loved the big black funeral hat she wears in this film. Of course wearing it with more than just piles of black would soften the in mourning connotation. I missed out on an auction a few weeks ago for a similar hat by Issey Miyake that had a more exaggerated shape- these are the types of pieces that are good to save for flea markets and charity shop hunts though.


I loved Lydia's full plaid skirt she wore during the final scene while dancing to Jump In Line.



Of course there was some real vision behind the set for this movie. The Deetz's were a strange bunch that liked a lot of "avant garde" furniture- some really interesting stuff if you look closely during the film. My taste tends to stick to the clean modern furniture, but I love the random tacky piece thrown in here and there.

Free spirited

Seeing as we are on the way into August, and it's JUST starting to get uncomfortably warm around these parts, I'm not yet counting the days to fall. However, coming across this Vogue editorial shot by Hans Feurer and Helmut Newton a whopping 26 years ago (July 1983 to be exact) does make me look forward to chilly temps, just a little. The story explored volume, layers, and a free spirit contrasted with polished, more "conservative" elements. The choice of designers was stellar ranging from Comme des Garçons and Yohji Yamamoto, to one the stars of the 80s, Azzedine Alaïa. It's crazy to think this was from a quarter of a century ago and it seems more relevant than ever to me.










via tfs

Sexy People

Sexy People, the sexiest blog around, now has a sexy tank in their shop. If you are not familiar with the blog, here's a preview of what awaits you.

Fringe attack

When you are lying asleep at night thinking of DIY projects you can do to make something new to wear, you know you are a bit obsessed. It's definitely got a lot to do with my lack of funds, and it's one of my new year's resolutions anyway, so it's time to get crafty. Something that has been on my mind most is fringe-related projects, due in part to my new fave blog Bleach Black, who has posted quite a few how-tos on the topic, like this fringe vest. Coincidentally, I came across SYS's post on Brazilian designer Amonstro this morning and fell in love with the flapper-fringed top on the right. A trip to the trimmings store and the acquiring of my grandmother's old sewing machine at my parent's house will have me on my way to making something similar.



While I'm on the fringe kick, I found this cute beaded fringe tank (left) on F21, and since I have plenty of black hanes tops begging me to take scissors to them so I'll be attempting this one too. I will post my results in due time!

Now and then

Online vintage store Nasty Gal is pretty consistent with their killer offerings. They especially have a good eye for pieces that are more unique than trendy so that they don't scream the decade they hail from. This two-tone batwing cape dress looks like it came from a shop like Pixie Market, but it's straight out of the 80s, and one-of-a-kind.

Proenza Schouler SS09

Proenza Schouler hit big this season! And I mean big— 80s power babe was in full force. There were glitzy geometric jumpsuits, architectural jackets, and plenty of black & white. Models wore side swept wavy hair and red lips to top off the looks. Take a closer look at the accessories— they are part of the first full season effort of Jack and Lazaro which includes fierce gloves, metal-heeled shoes, and some killer round sunnies. I have to say this is one of my favorite collections I've seen so far at this fashion week.

Neo Geo

This is one of those pieces that blurs the lines between decades. It's clearly from the 80s but the way the seller has styled the outfit makes me think I wouldn't blink twice if I saw this at some high-end street boutique for $300. The geometric aztec pattern makes me melt, but I'm a sucker for throwback patterns.



PS: Only one day left for this listing!