Perfecto

Man I can't wait till it's leather weather again! I'm still not over the high of finally owning an Acne leather jacket, but I guess now I'm just getting greedy. One of my latest label obsessions, Filles à papa has succeeded in blending mermaid-esque sequins into the gritty splendor of a leather jacket. Ridiculously amazing.






via Far Fetch

Fishy

It's crazy how long you can live in NYC without ever seeing certain parts of the city. I finally made it out to Flushing, Queens: NYC's second largest Chinatown. Bubble tea, dim sum, and epic produce are in abundance, but aside from the food, it's the place to go for a crazy selection of cheap iphone cases. I caved when I saw this hologram aquarium case. It had to be mine!



Speaking of tropical fishies, peep this INSANE 90s jean jacket I saw on Etsy. Someone somewhere is going to trip out some eyeballs.

OMG NYFW

I really haven't had the time to get all up close and personal with Hurricane Fashion Week just yet, but from the itty bitty browsing I've done, I got most excited by a couple of things: the green beetle pants at Theyskens' Theory and the electric knits at Rag & Bone. I guess I'm after that POW factor for spring?

X-ray Specs

I can't pick my jaw up off the ground after seeing this Comme des Garçons PVC biker jacket through La Collectionneuse (a tumblr that collates amazing finds online). It's everything I never knew I wanted in a jacket and it's for sale at Colette for a hefty sum. I'd say the pricetag is justified though by the impeccable construction, detailing, and high resale value of this piece for years to come. Should I just start eating ramen now?

Still an animal

Here's your January dose of Japanese crazy, this time from Tokyo-bred label BANZAI. A giant stuffed tiger got it on with a jacket...while a matador watched. I like that the tiger looks to be a backpack at first glance, but is really attached to your back. Interested? The jacket is only available at Ilil in Tokyo right now, but its designer, Yoruko Banzai, promises he is "roaring towards large projects" in the near future so watch this man's blog!

Play nice

I feel like every year around this time some sort of military-inspired trends start to trickle in. Right now I'm noticing more army green parkas and camo prints than ever before. Call me trendy, but I want in (plus I could use a new coat)! One thing I learned from my mom growing up was that green, particularly more earthy shades, work well with blonde hair...so let me at it! These are a few of the winners in my book.

Edun parka, Browns; APC Fall '10; Junya Watanabe jacket, Colette; Henrik Vibskov Spring '11; Topshop Cape Jacket

Juvenile Hall Rollcall

The name of this Japanese label kind of says it all. You got a bit of delinquent in you that you don't care to shake off anytime soon? Let these clothes do some of the talking..maybe it will help keep you out of trouble. Bones, studs, denim, plaid, SHARKS. Geeze, it might all sound cliché but it's completely fresh and I'm so into it for fall!









images via Change Fashion

You're not allowed to be unhappy

I loved this dreamy tropical print from Margiela's spring '10 collection...it especially looks delightful translated onto a bodysuit tank (yeah it actually snaps at the crotch, pretty cool).


I've been watching video tutorials on how to do a fishtail braid and hope to rock it in a slightly messy bedhead, hippy sort of style this summer.


God's Prey is back with their Fall '10 line, Psychik Cities, and it's a slightly darker direction than their last, but equal parts wearable and rocking. I'm pretty into this poncho jacket... I love the idea of creating this big silhouette to hide under.


I don't know what it is but I have a thing for hand shapes or prints in art or wearables, so naturally I love this painting by Matthew Feyld.


Jeremy Scott's modern stone age collection this season def. isn't for everyone, but you gotta admit his Flinstones' take on the leather motorcycle jacket is pretty rad. Colette has most of the range in store right now.


Erykah Badu has been busy promoting her new album this week (which I NEED to get asap). Here she is rocking the Ann-Sofie Back drip shades at a record release party last week in NY. I always loved her style and the OC blog has some more good snaps up showing how badass she is.


I could really get down with this handmade leather visor by 2 by Lyn & Tony... it'd be perfect for shielding the rays this summer! The Selby visited their home in Sydney last year to get the scoop behind this busy couple's life (they also run Karen mag).

Hunting for pretty eggs

I haven't been compelled to write about too much yet this fashion week, but I couldn't let this one gem slip by me! Since Risto first dropped sparkles into my eyes in the form of outer space prints, I've been coming back for more, even stalking Gilt when a Risto sale popped up (unfortunately did not get what I wanted). While he's known primarily for his knitwear and digital prints, Risto this time around made me falll 100% in love with this spectrum easter egg of a parka that Susie's keen eye compared to a cracked cd.




pc: Risto blog + Stylebubble

Blessing in disguise

Last summer I found myself near the crossroads of LES/Chinatown and decided to check out Project No. 8. Once I layed eyes upon the Bless puff sandals, I immediately wanted them on my feet, but then I snapped myself back to reality (which was I needed to pay rent). Saturday the sun was beaming, so Danae, Laura and I wandered around LES on a caffeine high. I hadn't stepped foot in Project No. 8 since last summer and the sandals didn't even cross my mind until I saw other rad Bless items in the shop, only to tell the shop girl how sad I was to miss out on the puffy shoes from last year. To my surprise, she had a few pairs left in the back, one being the right size and color I wanted. Talk about luck man.

I also popped in Oak this weekend for the first time in forever. The store is a sea of black as you know, so when scanning the racks, I tend to notice texture and fabric first. I picked up a fuzzy sweater jacket that reminded me of the Weekday one I love from their fall lookbook. It feels like a rug and will totally be a lifesaver at work, where I can never seem to get warm.

jacket, A.OK; shirt, 1 1/2; shorts, H&M; ombre tights, Target; sandals, Bless

Plants really make a home come alive. The boy and I were bad parents to our last plant family so we had to toss them before moving last month. We are slowly bringing back the green into our new apartment and today I picked up this brain cactus from Sprout Home in Williamsburg.



Of course I'm that much of a freak I can look at a plant and relate it back to fashion- it reminds me of this knit brain bag Undercover's Jun Takahashi did for Fall 07....right?

image via ASVOF

Color me bad

Some of my friends think Uniqlo should be paying me as much as I talk about that store. I just dig their business model, advertising, collabos, etc, and it's some of the best quality "fast fashion" stuff you can get in Soho that won't fall apart after washing it twice (oh hai H&M!). Anyways, I stalk their "Explorer" quite often to see what's up and recently discovered these faux leather bomber jackets that are new for spring. Leather jackets are typically a garment that suggests some sort of edge or toughness, so the irony that these are colored like damn easter eggs is pretty refreshing. I could get down with one of these colors paired with a lot of whites and nudes.







I stopped by the store and they didn't have the lavender or minty color in stock yet but I tried on the gray, and it's surprisingly soft for synthetic leather (they also come in black and beige if these colors make you want to puke).

Holi-dazed

I'm home for the holidays, and my ears are ringing, not from falalalalaing, but from my mom screaming on the floor above trying to figure out whos laundry is whos. Merry Christmas! I tried to stay off the internet, I really did, but I ended up browsing a bunch last night, seeing who was already getting their sale game on. I saw this Nike Northern Lights jacket on SSENSE that is pretty dope- the colors are stunning and Dec 25 approved.



Ann-Sofie Back has been on my mind a lot lately. It's like I'm going through Ann withdrawal since she was absent last season to do her first collection for Cheap Monday. She just confirmed on her Facebook page that she'll be back at London Fashion Week to show her Fall 2010 collection in February- can't wait! Looking back on some of her recent work, I stop at these striped dresses she did for Spring 09 a lot. I guess I'm predictable in that I like b&w and twists on classics.



So of course I'm eying this Topshop dress (below) cause it reminds me of lot of those two dresses. Coincidentally Back is doing another mini collection for Topshop that will be in stores January 6. So far I've just seen a few slashed pieces on Stylebubble, similar to the sliced-up looks she did for Fall 09, but I'm hoping there's more to the range than that (some scary sweaters maybe!?).



I was in a Target near my parent's house yesterday. Man it was a scary sight to be there hours before they close on Christmas Eve. I saw the Rodarte for Target stuff and was honestly a little meh about what was left, but I did find some yellow/green ombre tights instead. I still plan on attempting some homemade versions with vegetable dyes but these ain't bad for $5.



Expensive and socks are two words that just don't go together, but this Tsumori Chisato moon print is seriously irresistible.



Looking at amazing socks got me thinking- what a waste if you can't see them in all their glory (I guess this is why socks with open-toed shoes are finally becoming acceptable). Apparently someone made some clear boots but no idea where these are from, other than a crochet blog that used the pic to rip the very idea apart. I'm sure if Jil Sander or Comme des Garcons did some clear boots, they would be ace.

Work the angles

I think Rick Owens' strongest pieces are always his outerwear. Every season, I'm impressed at his ideas and "avant-garde" take on more conventional staples. This architectural biker vest he did for spring knocked it out of the park for me- everything from the pointy shoulders to the angled zippers is fantastic.


pc: style.com

For no particular reason I just kept on going

If you're a Yohji fan and dig his sportier side, you should check out the Y-3 Adidas sale over at Gilt right now (till noon EDT on Monday). The selection is predominantly black and white, á la the Adidas stripes, and there's a lot of cool pieces, especiallly jackets and pants. Don't be too deterred by the "sold out" badge as Gilt has a wait list option and many times, products become available again, so you'll get an email when they do.

Channeling Rick and Rad

Fans of Rick Owens' and Rad Hourani's black-on-black, structured take on wools and leathers, high necks and floppy collars might dig some of UO's latest offerings for fall. Paired with some equally dark, sculptural shoes and some narrow black pants, and you have yourself the beginnings of an easy go-to outfit.










Silence & Noise faux leather blazer, $68; Silence & Noise faux leather vest, $88; Silence & Noise jacket, $118; Jeffrey Campbell Soko Wedge, $148; Exposed zip boot, $88