The drug & the dream

DimePiece recently sent out a recap of the launch party and exhibition held last week in LA for their upcoming line The Drug & the Dream. For spring, the ladies took it to a HIGHER level (if you catch my drift), fueled by the idea that escapism, whether achieved naturally or chemically, leads to some of their most inspirational moments. I don't think the collection needs much more explanation than that! I look forward to seeing the full lookbook, but in the meantime, peep some of the images from the launch party. I'm kinda going all "OH SHIT" for the "oh shit" dress.

Jurassic

We all have our "style icons" out there, some of whom we may stalk on the daily...don't lie, you read Fuck Yeah Mary-Kate Ashley too. On the opposite end of the spectrum is a familiar face on the Tokyo scene, Mademoiselle Yulia, who I have been following for the past few years because, well, she rules at life. The girl is a DJ, singer, and designs an accessory label called GIZA that blows me away. Yulia OWNS her style...it's hard to sum it up, but she's big into Jeremy Scott, short shorts and blue hair. If you look at any recent pictures of her, she can probably be seen sporting the collection she recently collaborated with LA-based Joyrich on, which is due out real soon. Joyrich x Giza is the perfect marriage: it's got classic pieces like tanks, shorts, and motorcycle jackets, all decked out in prints like dinosaurs and wrenches. I mean!!??











In November, a club in Taiwan played host to a party celebrating the collaboration. Of course Yulia was behind the decks! She even arrived in a Lambo.. now that's the life.

images via Cadmus Family here and here

Shoes for lost angels

A little birdie gave me a tip about an Irregular Choice sample sale happening tomorrow in LA. Westcoasters in need of shoes...GO!

Gone coastal

As you might remember, I went to LA (my first time) last month for a long weekend with my boyfriend and our friends at Mishka to celebrate their west coast store opening. We stayed downtown at the trendy Standard hotel, and dumb me failed to get any pictures or try out the sexy pool...there's always next time. I met up with the super radtastic Tania, who took me near and far around greater LA, without the use of a car I might add. We seriously covered some ground & track. I forgot to eat any tacos (whoops) but did melt when I tasted these evil portobello fries...I'd have these overnighted to NY they were so good. They came from Bottega Louie, a "gourmet market" downtown that always rewarded us with some deLICIOUS macarons.



Passing through LA's diamond district, this sign caught my eye that reminded me of the giant Margiela diamond top Tiffany of Six Six Sick rocked out.



Guess where I am?



Duh, Chinatown...come on! We took turns awkwardly riding the gator, but Tania looked far less creepy than me.



Chinatown, if you haven't heard, houses two of the coolest shops in LA. First stop was Oooga Booga where I spent quite some time picking up everything in the store. A graphic design/magazine/fashion junkie (aka myself) might describe this as a little chunk of paradise.



This is where I got my Bless bracelet, and they have the Puff sandals too (the only other stockist in the US I know of besides where I got mine)! The ceramic apples were also really cool.



In the same plaza as Ooga Booga was Welcome Hunters, a dope shop I've wanted to visit for quite some time. They are definitely your go to place for Cheap Monday around those parts, and carry quite a cool roster of designers like KTZ, Daniel Palillo, and Skyward.



The Project White T-shirt exhibition was on display when I was there, and I got up close and personal with the stunning transformations.


Doktor Doktor/ A Bug Collection


Narelle Dore


Kumiko Watari (aka Migh-t)

The following day, I trekked through Hollywood, where I didn't even blink at the sight of wax museums and cracked-out street performers....I have that stuff in my own town. Instead, I was on a mission to find Prism, a large superbly-designed gallery on the western end of Sunset. It was the last day of the Mind the Gap exhibit, which featured the works of Phil Frost and Barry McGee. I missed Barry McGee's endless neon painted cube patterns when he exhibited at Deitch several years back so was stoked to catch this!





That night was the Mishka opening party. Those guys love their toys...



Tania's friend brought out an OG Mishka sweater with bloody graphic- needless to say I was jealous I never got my hands on this one.



Oh hey Rick!



Finally, I got a snap outside the party of this guy's giant foxtail. He had no idea how relevant his steez was to this season, referencing the Spring '10 Louis Vuitton bags with giant dangling fur tails. He didn't care and made it clear LA dudes have owned this look for awhile!



Tokyo recaps coming soon!!

HEY LA!!!

Another additional something

We got in late last night from LA and I'm still angry at myself for not trying some west coast tacos! I'll share some of the stuff I got into out there, but in the meantime, take a gander at my new leather Bless bracelet that's practically attached to my wrist now. Tania wouldn't let me leave Ooga Booga without it but I didn't need much convincing...she already had the same one in tan so I guess this makes it a big girl friendship bracelet? :)




double finger ring, Surface to Air

Marks the spot

So I'm approaching my first trip of the year in a few weeks. I'll be going out to LA for the first time (I KNOW) and pretty stoked to see some of the shops I routinely stalk virtually. I'll be happy if I make it to just a few, hopefully including Creatures of Comfort. Their buyers have a great eye and every season they make my eyes light up like a Christmas tree. They just got in these Alexandra Cassaniti tortoise shades that absolutely nailed it and come with a sweet newsprint carrying case- there's other new stock from Cassaniti's Summer #4 range too so go take a peep.

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!

Orchestra of bubbles

Props to this lady for pulling off such a fresh look head to toe. Usually when you see an oversized top, it's paired with tight or no bottoms but it looks pretty awesome with her baggy cuffed jeans. Confession: I'm envious of that larger-than-life hairdo...if only I could make mine do the same.

via HiStyley

*Edit: I knew she looked familiar- it's T. from one of my fave blogs, Fixed Air. Her top is by Skyward from Seven NY.

HEY LA

Go see my friend and neighbor Wes Lang's show tomorrow night at Eighth Veil Gallery on Sunset. It's gonna be epic! I am stuck in NY, so go and support the arts and good people. Here's more info on Wes.

3-Way

Hey So Cal dudes and dudettes: don't miss this sale! One of my fave stores out there, New High (M)art, is hosting a sample sale this weekend with Alex & Chloe, Costume Dept., and Grey Ant. Plus, goods inside their store will be 10-50% off both days. I'd so be there if I wasn't, uh, on the other side of the country.

Cheap Monday + WKND Concept Store

As if New High (M)art and Welcome Hunters wasn't enough to make me envy you LA folks, now you are getting a pop-up shop marking the US debut of Cheap Monday's WKND line, which I should clarify isn't available outside Sweden or Denmark, not even online. When I was in Stockholm last year, I got to see all the Weekday collections in person, and I really wanted to take everything home with me. The designs are fresh, and the garments are comfortable and affordable...what else could you ask for?

The complete Cheap Monday and WKND collections will be housed at Choose Chinatown, a new concept store created by the owners of Welcome Hunters and Lions Den. The store will also carry Cheap Monday's other lines, Kostym and L.L. Vintage. I'd say LA's Chinatown is turning into quite the fashion mecca...I may just have to book a flight over there this year.

The WKND SS09 collection, designed by Peter Jansson, invokes images of destruction in the form of earthquakes, flooding, typhoons, and volcanoes....very much a sign of the times.

New Highs

I was stoked to find in my inbox this morning an email from one of my fave LA shops, New High (M)art, announcing that their webstore finally launched. Before now, I would obsessively scroll through their flickr feed to see what new products were in store. Now you can shop their crazy assortment of unique designer wares—from couture head pieces to intergalactic leggings. 

The shop specializes in showcasing undiscovered talent alongside a few already-established (but still fresh) names like Alex & Chloe and Grey Ant. They seriously carry the most interesting selection of accessories I've seen as of late and prices are pretty reasonable. They promise to add new merchandise daily so this will be one webshop I will be checking a lot. Oh and right now they are offering 09% off for the rest of January. Just enter "NEWYEAR" at checkout.

A few of my fave items in the shop:

Peggy Noland Thread Vest

Teamo Fringe Hoop Earring

Miss Mars MC Satin Pant

Marvin y Quetzal Platform Shoes

Powerhaus Ball Charms Necklace

Revolve x Costume Dept. Debut Party