I covet: androgyny & aphrodisiac dolls by Jason Wu!

Dirty Martini is my homegirl

I always love me some Dirty Martini. I haven't been to Vandam in ages but I love seeing her there or elsewhere. Her energy is infectious and she's one of the most genuine people around...and we studied dance at the same school way way back in the day! I never picked up this issue of V magazine so was thrilled to see this amazing photo online...and an interview as well. Almost a year ago but still worth reading.

Sick photo of Kristin McMenamy by Steven Meisel

Vogue Italia of course!

Steven Meisel - Photographer
Kristen McMenamy - Model
Karl Templer - Fashion Editor/Stylist
Pat McGrath - Makeup Artist
Orlando Pita - Hair Stylist

Inspiration: Lea T

My design for Gay is Okay.

I LOVE: Great Big Hair

Hana Soukupova by Pavel Havlicek for Harper’s Bazaar Mexico December 2010

 

Love @ first gigabyte.......xox

Love @ first gigabyte.......xox, originally uploaded by Verity W.

Tribute to Alexander McQueen by SHOWStudio

merry x-mas

Because life looks just like this

Happy Holidays!!!

This is my holiday design for "Gay is Okay" an ongoing project with Eric Baum. Wishing you all the happiest holidays.

Don't Ask Don't Tell is Repealed

My postcard design for Gay is Okay in response to the repeal of DADT

Carine Roitfeld leaving French Vogue

As if you haven't already heard...I adore her style. It's up there with Kate Moss & Gwen Stefani for me...and I had no idea she was behind the brilliant Gucci ads of the Tom Ford era!

Because Gay IS Okay!

 

I'm really excited because today I joined Eric Baum in the Gay is Okay project. In a response to the bullying and the general homophobia he began putting up postcards online that read "Gay is Okay" as a counteracting measure. Some are funny, some are political and all of them make you think about things a little bit more. From here on out I will be alternating with Eric on the postcard designs and this is my first one. What do you think?

Thoughts on French Vogue, Tom Ford & Kiddie Porn

Yesterday I wandered into a magazine store in the city and saw the December French Vogue and was almost giddy when I realized that it was almost completely devoted to Tom Ford, one of my favorite people in fashion. (I felt similar when I picked up the issue all about Kate Moss!) I also love it because it's an opportunity to practice my french and I appreciated when Tom said he was tired of the Cult of Youth and backed this up with a brilliant and provocative shoot of an older couple.

There was also a shoot he did that was a sort of parody of plastic surgery that I liked okay, but it felt kind of like a rip off of a shoot that Steven Meisel did in Italian Vogue a few years ago...but overall everything related to T.F. in the issue made me happy.

What didn't make me happy –in fact annoyed the shit out of me was a spread in the beginning of the magazine that had little girls dressed like women. Now I might get called too "politically correct" for hating this, but let me be clear: I hate it. And I'm not sure if it's a cultural thing, that in America we have those ridiculous children's pageants where little girls are sexualized without evening being aware and maybe in France they just find it amusing but I find it maddening. It's not even shocking: it's like that rapper guy Vanilla Ice or Howard Stern at his worst. Poor taste to get a reaction. And so I'm doubly annoyed with myself that I am reacting to it. But anyone who can't see the relationship between these kinds of images and kiddie porn and pedophilia are delusional. Or perhaps never knew a young girl who has been sexually abused. In my opinion let's please at least consider puberty before putting make up on kids –even in the name of "fashion" –we can do better than this!

shooting with katy from sugarlaws

While I love finding great looks on the street and at parties in NYC the downside is you have very little control over the environment which makes experimenting kind of difficult. So recently I collaborated with Katy from the blog Sugarlaws and we stopped by two of my favorite stores Eva NYC and Honey in the Rough and dressed her up in some looks which I photographed. Photos from both shoots will be going up on both of our blogs. But I wanted to post a few here in the meantime. The one on the top is from Eva's and is more of an experiment but I like the effect. The one on the bottom is from Honey in the Rough which was really small so I'm happy some of the mirror shots worked out.

Me and George

Lately, I have been learning valuable lessons about friendship and how actions are so much more important than words. George is one of my dear friends that I saw for the first time in months last night when I stopped by his party at Griffin in the Meatpacking area. The party was amazing but more amazing was seeing all of the wonderful people that surrounded him. Living proof that great energy attracts the same! So a word to all of you overworked New Yorkers: make sure you take the time to see those who you love and love you outside of your immediate family! xo k

i can't believe

that I haven't yet posted this month! It's been so crazy busy that I can't keep up with myself much less take the time to thoughtfully write something! Well, I will at least try to put up a photo a day here that inspires or amuses me...just because. These photos can be filed under SERIOUSLY?

I walked into a Strawberry's store in lower manhattan the other day to hear someone on my cell phone and was in shock and awe by the sheer tackiness of the clothes. I haven't been in one of these stores in ages and I always thought of it as similar to Forever 21 but this is true hookerwear - or worse. It is so poorly made and cheap that you wouldn't find it on the floor of a stripclub. In a word: scary.

FIle under: things I love

A women who doesn't wear perfume has no future -so said Coco Chanel, and really who am I to disagree?
From my own vanity table Left to Right:

1. Chinatown by Bond No. 9 - not a perfume but a perfumed body lotion
2. Dolce & Gabbana: THE ONE
3. Tokyo Milk: Dead Sexy No. 6 (you can kind of see the skull INSIDE the label of the bottle above) Deep Vanilla, Exotic Wood, White Orchid, Ebony
4. Fredric Malle's OUTRAGEOUS exclusively for Barneys Co-op. Reminds me of a vodka tonic but the scent doesn't last long enough.
5. 1969 by Histoires de Parfums -warm & spicy The carnal sensuality of a voluptuous bunch of spices . In the trail of this oriental gourmand, mystery is tinted with eroticism, that the mythical year of 1969 evokes without a blush.
6. Nicole Miller Perfume that I got during fashion week. A crisp fruits and florals contrasts with sensual warm woods. *their description - i couldn't describe it as well but I love it!
7. Sand –a scent by BASE in South Beach. It is really musky and can be overpowering but I love it and always get complimented when I wear it.

Winterized with my Cougar Boots

 

It has been unusually mild so far in NYC (not that I'm complaining!) but I recently was gifted some winter boots and have been actually looking forward to wearing them...so thought at least I could show them to you. These are the Ringo Star boots by Cougar Boots and I think they're perfect to wear tucked into jeans or with a short skirt in the winter. I love the super soft faux fur inside and at top and how they're super waterproof. Here I'm wearing them with my "is it a dress or a sweater?" top by H&M and yes, another cashmere hat by Oliver & James. -I have it in black as well.

 

Me with my dog Nasdaq on the stairs to the livingroom in our loft.

Oh! And these are the Tibet rainboots also by Cougar boots. I love that these are shorter for a rainboot and I love the knitted stripe cuff - which you can always tuck in if you don't like it!

Brian Stanziale + Logan Neitzel

Yesterday was "black friday" and while I didn't do any shopping I did stop by EVA, one of my favorite boutiques in NYC to say hi to my friend Brian who was having a little sale along with Logan Neitzel - both of them new additions to EVA.



Brian with his friend Courtney in a Brian Stanziale dress.

I can't help but take photos of myself when there is the opportunity with a mirror! I'm wearing a leather "amelia earhart" hat designed by Logan.

A proper photo of me in the cap with the designer, Logan...I'm not sure why I'm not looking directly at the camera...oh well!
 
With Willie, who had his last day working at Eva yesterday I think! I will miss seeing him at the store!

Courtney & Brian waiting for the bus. No, really!

thanksgiving

So today is thanksgiving and it was the first day that felt really like winter in New York – which considering how late that is, that's not so bad. Still it was steel grey and spit rain and wasn't pleasant. My Thanksgiving was nice, but where I really wanted to be was the boardwalk at Coney Island/Brighton Beach. One of my favorite things about living in Brooklyn is the proximity to the ocean. I know it's not like South Beach or LA but I feel I can think and clear my mind out there better than anywhere...so I am thankful that I live by the ocean. And oddly enough I like it best off season when it's cold and empty.
here are some photos I took there on a different wintry day...and i hope to go again soon!
oh. and happy thanksgiving!

 feeding the seagulls

 just 2 old guys

 this photo makes me think of a mobile...they look suspended

 these dogs are behind the fence to guard the kiddie rides...which seems kind of pointless...who would bother with them???

Inspiration: Madonna & Interview

 Do you remember when Interview was a good GREAT magazine? Yes, it's when Andy Warhol was the editor and there were amazing covers like this one of Madonna from 1982. I love old magazines for style inspiration and this one is one of my favorites. I nicked it from a room mate a million years ago. I was a major Madonna fan and he had a stack of Interview magazines taller than me which I'd borrow to read...somehow  I couldn't bear to give this one back...

Inside spread of Madonna with Sean Penn. love love love

File under: wtf

 

This wasn't taken on Halloween. And this girl is not unattractive. So I'm trying to understand the thought process where wearing a gray acid-wash onesie and a wolf hat seemed like a good idea...

Movie Rental Recommendation: The Runaways

Yes, you read that right. I just watched The Runaways - the movie about the band of the same name starring Taylor Momsen -oops! I mean Dakota Fanning- as Taylor Momsen Cherie Currie the lead singer. And it also stars Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett. I have never seen Twilight and didn't understand just how massive Kristen Stewart is until I went looking for images for this post. There are complete Paparazzi style blogs devoted to her...which I found a bit creepy. And it also made me realize how I really do (happily) live in my own fashion bubble. So if like me, you don't have a natural affinity for either of the lead actresses why should you check this movie out?

1. To see Seventies fashion in all it's glorious badness. (and I mean bad in the original sense: not bad as "good") This isn't Tom Ford's reinterpretation of the '70s for Gucci or his current reinterpretation. It's not bad fashion made palatable for today. Its the honest-to-goodness real deal. From glam rock to Brady Bunch it's like the massive car accident of fashion: you want to look away but can't stop yourself from taking in every detail.


2. There are some really beautiful/interesting shots  If you are reading this blog I'm going to go out on a limb and say that you might be a fan of fashion and photography. Watching this movie I wasn't overly impressed with the story or the acting. What held my attention was some of the filming. One of my favorite scenes is where Cherie is walking in weed filled parking lot of a strip mall in the blazing sun to a phone booth that seems to randomly be in the middle of nowhere. It made me think of a shoot that Meisel did for Italian Vogue around 2000 with women caught in a bleak suburbia. This still below does NOT do it justice but is what I could find online. -also great scenes with Fanning & Stewart lying around...

 

This shot in the movie was much more golden and they're framed by tall grasses - looks like a perfume ad.

3. and I know this has been stated before but: I am convinced that Taylor Momsen is modeling her musical persona after Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie.  It's easy to see how she's copying her in photos but even her "acting" is similar...

 

Party by Google

 Last night Google had a launch party for their new site Boutiques.com. Held in a cavernous space on the edge of Soho it had the requisite hip DJs (the Misshapes and Becka Diamond), multiple open bars, video screens and random entertainment (break dancers and trapeze artist) of a corporate party trying to appeal to the cool kids. Which is not to say that it wasn't fun! I was really excited to go and take photos of the crowd expecting there to be alot of fashion forward people attending. And there were some, but less than I see at my average night out actually. What I've noticed recently when I've gone to things that cater to bloggers is an influx of girls who all look very fashionable but in a way that feels kind of contrived as if they spend alot of time studying Blake Lively or Blake Lively as Serena...and so even though they're wearing something very au courant it kind of falls flat. It's interesting how you can see if style is coming from the inside or put on by the outside. I'm guessing it has to do with how comfortable a person is with themselves and if they are it resonates beyond "the look".
I saw Christian Siriano and the Olsen Twins and tons of "celebrity" bloggers as well. As far as boutiques.com goes, we'll have to see...my initial impression is that it's a bit like this party: trying to create a sense of insider intimacy but slightly forced –you can't just copy style.


To introduce their curated boutiques within the site, 8 models on platforms wore outfits from various celebrity and designer boutiques and they would change them up throughout the night. There were also small info cards next to each look that would tell you what boutique it was from and the exact items. The only problem was the models rotated out and so I got mixed up what look went with what card.

Me + my friend Alex

Making faces for the camera with the now blonde and diminuitive Kelly Osbourne

Susie Bubble and friends

Because Central Saint Martins ain't the only game in town: a look at The Academy of Art University MFA show at NYFW

I feel a bit sheepish to admit that I didn't know about Academy of Art University in San Francisco until a few years ago and in fact, when I first found out about it I thought it was associated with a certain art school chain because they unfortunately both have small red logos. Luckily when I heard their graduating MFA students would be showing at New York Fashion Week I did a doubletake and realized my mistake! Not only is this not a chain school, but the MFA students consistently produce some of the most interesting and high quality shows each season. I missed them this year due to Fashion's Night Out so I'm taking the time now to show you highlights from the show.
*all photos by Randy Brooke, unless otherwise noted they are all MFA students in Fashion Design, the italicized text below is their descriptions and the rest is what I think!


Jungah Lee
Jungah used the faded colors of antique books as inspiration for the hand dyeing and painting of her latex and silk fabrics. She mixed water with the dyes and used brushes to obtain a water stained look. She layered, pleated and manipulated the silk fabric to mimic warped and torn pages of old books. Traditional Korean dresses influenced the soft silhouette and lines of her collection.

While I am admittedly a bit skeptical about the longterm wearability of latex, I love the pale-on-pale colors and the texture that she created by her manipulation of the silk. It has a haptic quality that makes me want to touch it and that reminds me a little of Rodarte.



Cara Chiappetta
Cara found inspiration in femininity and examining how a woman is perceived. Bridget Fonda’s character Nina in the film “The Point of No Return” became Cara’s muse. Her fabric choices of rubber, silk, mesh, wool, and nylon influenced garment details, manipulations and bonding techniques. Helmut Newton’s photography helped her capture the mood.

I love how film influences fashion but can't imagine why an American remake of La Femme Nikita by Luc Besson would be more influential than the original! Ignoring this affront to my sensibilities, what works for me in this collection is the mix of softness with unexpected structure and sharpness. Also like the asymmetry of the lapels on the jacket, right.

April Howard
For this collection, April was inspired by the work of found objects sculptor Kathy Kelley, the decaying concrete and plastic of an urban wasteland, and Cormac McCarthy’s novel “The Road.” Her organic shapes and details are representative of discarded items.

I'm not going to lie: out of all the collections presented this is the one is the one I would most absolutely positively wear. I love the draped leather and find it both sophisticated and sexy. You would never get the sense that "the clothes are wearing you" that can happen with more extreme fashion nor would it ever seem like something you'd find in a chain store. For me, it just works.

Louie Llewellyn, M.F.A. Men’s Wear Design, and Xiang Zhang, M.F.A. Knitwear Design
Louie used the theme of a disagreement between a hard and soft men’s wear silhouette. He designed the woven pieces with sharp edges then added softer fabrics for contrast. He used one of his favorite paintings, Incision by Jay Defeo, for the color inspiration and selected fabrics to evoke a feeling of strength and desire.
Xiang designed the knitwear for the collection. 30+ swatches were created before final combinations were selected. A time-consuming plating technique, knitting with two strands of yarn held by hand and twisted to obtain the desired effect and color combination, was used. Each piece took approximately 50 hours to finish.

I really responded to this collection: the juxtaposition of softness and tailoring. The outfit on the left looks sooo comfortable and still somewhat formal which isn't an easy feat. And I also like the tailoring of the jacket on the right as well as the cool/pale color palette of that look. If these two made women's clothes in a similar vein I think they'd be brilliant as well.

Print Collaboration – A group of Technical Design, Fashion Design and Textile Design students worked together on this collection. The designers used several sources of British influences as inspiration such as the television series “Brideshead Revisited,” British interiors, and uniforms of Oxford University and cricket.
The textile designers focused on the prints, the fashion designers created the look, the technical designers drafted the patterns, and then the technical and fashion designers constructed the garments.
Technical Designers Lindsey Gong and Jackie Nguyen. Fashion Designers Anasa Greaves, Han Yoon, and Emma Erickson. Textile Designers Ruby Guerra, Gabrielle Cols, Yi-Hui Wen, Amanda Carrillo, Chanchai Tanapornwattana, Jennifer Chen, Sarah Appiah, Jennifer Filo, Adriane-Lauren Hueso, and Leah Rossi.

Boldly pushing pattern-on-pattern to the extreme the Print Collaboration made fun and somewhat theatrical dresses. I recently went to the Japan NOW exhibit and symposium at the Fashion Institute of Technology and if I didn't read the description about their influences I would say that some of these were the descendants of Japanese fashion from the Eighties. (which to me is a good thing!) And the dress on the right with the massive flower prints is like a modern southern belle. Definitely one of a kind works that would fit in at an art opening: on someone attending or in the exhibit itself.

 
Camilla Olson
Inspired by the movie “Blade Runner” and samurai arts, Camilla’s collection represents women as rebels breaking the restrictions of their historically constrained roles. The soft silk under-dresses represent a woman’s inner nature and the outer ‘cage’ is her strength and armor.

Okay, maybe I'm a closet cinephile, but the film reference is once again leaving me at a loss since I just watched the remastered director's cut of Blade Runner less than 3 weeks ago and I don't see the influence. And I feel like the explanation feels a little bit like didactic feminism-lite and isn't reflective of the clothes...okay. I'm done with my critique of the statement.

When I look at the collection what I respond to is the geometry and the energy of the lines. All of the dresses have these outer pieces of thin lines that lead your eyes and give a sense of motion.  It feels slightly futuristic (without the nihilism of Blade Runner) and both urban and urbane.

Maria Korovilas
After completing classes in Tambour Beading in the School of Fashion, Maria incorporated metal encrusted pieces and details into her collection. The hand beading took over 600 hours to complete. The starting point of her inspiration was the Jenny Lewis song “You Are What You Love” from which she pulled visual and conceptual references for her moody collection.

When I researched this show online I read a comment from someone that these pieces made her think of princess dresses –which was said as praise. I would concur that a sophisticated modern day princess would indeed wear Maria's designs. They are intricate and opulent but the color tones and styles keep it far away from any music video style "bling factor". I'm utterly impressed with the craftsmanship of the work but actually wouldn't have minded a pop of color that was a bit bolder. Part of the fun of fashion is imagining yourself wearing the clothes, and despite the intricacy of the designs with the main colors a bit bland I feel I would be washed out or lost beneath the layers.