Cheap Thrill: Take (Pretty) Note

I'm a writer and a Francophile. There is no better notebook for a girl like me, and at $3.99 it is still something a girl like me can afford. Click the image for more details and to pick up one of your own.

Image: Modcloth.com

Smokin'

I don't condone smoking, but I do love a nice shade of red.

Image: Karen Elson photographed by Solve Sunsbo

A Ray of Light

I've been pretty hard on Madonna here in my own little corner of the blogosphere recently but it's tough love, I swear. Madonna was my raison d'etre when I was a wee one and watching her morph into some anamatronic, ageless version of herself has been rough. That being said, I will never back down from the opportunity to give her a compliment. How gorgeous does she look in the photo above from the Gucci UNICEF Dinner the other night? Her hair! Her makeup! The return of her laugh lines and the deflation of her cheek bones! It's all so exciting.

And then I see the full length shot and...

"D'Oh!" is all that comes out of my mouth. What Jim Henson creature did she beat up to score that stunner? Something tells me Oscar the Grouch is in some strange state of muppet nakedness in a trash can on a corner somewhere. Wow. I think Louis Vuitton should be held liable for the emotional damages their dress has caused Madonna fans. Or her stylist should be called in for questioning. Someone needs to answer for this.

Friday Funny: Winona Does Bjork

Ms. Winona Ryder had a rough flight recently, and in the hopes of aiding her speedy recovery I'm posting video of her excellent turn as Bjork on SNL's Celebrity Jeopardy. Classic all the way.


How does this connect to fashion? Why through Ryder's infamous shoplifting episode and Bjork's affinity for statement-making swan dresses, of course!

They Had A Ball

Paris Is Burning, Jennie Livingston's 1990 documentary about the 80's drag-glam scene in New York, is a first class education in the many facets of fabulousness. It profiles the mostly gay men, women, and menwomen of color who participated in costume competitions known as Balls. These events would prompt competitors to slave over a buzzing sewing machine and a hot iron in their quest to create the fiercest ensemble their side of a Dynasty episode. The goal of course was to be crowned a legend and pick up a trophy in the category of their choosing. Along the way they invented voguing and initiated a club culture that lasted the better part of a decade. The film is phenomenal and a surprisingly touching portrait of its subjects. Here's part 1 as posted on the internets. The subject matter and language may not be suitable for all audiences (how official sounding!):

Want to finish it? Here are parts 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11.

A Pretty Penny

Karl Lagerfeld is a money maker. Literally. He has designed a new 5 Euro coin for the French Mint which he unveiled yesterday. The coin is in honor of the 125th anniversary of Coco Chanel's
birthday and features the French icon's portrait on one side, and her signature quilted pattern on the other. Although it is being pressed as a 5 Euro piece, this coin's gonna cost you a lot of coin. The limited edition currency will range in price from 45 Euros to 5,900 Euros and will be on the market December 1. Coco coins would be a great way to dress up your savings account. Just don't lose them in the couch cushions or feed them to the meter.

Image: Reuters, found on WSJ.com

Two-Faced

Face Hunter scores a double.

Mix Master

One day I'll tell my grandkids about the time when I had to sit and fast-forward and re-wind a cassette tape on a walkman to hear my favorite song one more time. Oh, who am I kidding? I can tell my younger cousins about it and impress them with my wacky tales of ancient relics.

Yes, they'll laugh at the ridiculousness of the idea, but part of me will be sad for them. Why? Because they will never know the joy of crafting an ultimate mixtape on cassette for a new love, that cool punk chick they seriously want to be friends with, or their own broken hearts. Or, better yet, receiving a mixtape created just for them with every song carefully selected, sequenced, and timed to say just the right thing.

The closest they'll get to the real deal is this crazy clever contraption. It's a modern day mixtape: a cassette case hiding a USB stick. Nostalgia all mixed up with new; the best of both worlds.

Yes, I know you can't wear this, but damn it's cool.

Time Out New York featured this in their newest Gift Guide issue. You can click the image to get your own.

Petal to the Metal

Brilliant fashion mind Nick Knight destroys something beautiful to make something beautiful.



See more of Knight's work at his much-loved fashion/art/culture site SHOWstudio. I know I've told you about it before, but a good thing bears repeating.

Ahead of the Curve

I've been listening to Adele for a little while now. At one point her song "Chasing Pavements" was so firmly on loop on my iPod that I convinced myself I could accurately hit all of the British soul singer's smooth notes. My friends (and even a few passing strangers) quickly corrected me. So, needless to say I loved Adele's honey voice from first listen, but by some weird chain of events I never set eyes on a single solitary image of the songstress. Yesterday I came across this profile of the singer from CBS News Sunday Morning:

How amazing that she is so young, so gorgeous, so curvy, and so confident. Girls don't get too many positive, voluptuous role models in the spotlight. It is no news that there's a real lack of real women's bodies in the media, and it is always a welcome change to see someone exist a little outside of the Hollywood beautification/standardization machine (she's not too far outside, the girl is friggin' gorgeous). But still, score one for the curvy girls!

CFDA Wrap-up: Runners-Up

Mi favorita female design duo not named Kate and Laura Mulleavy, Vena Cava, received a $50,000 runner-up prize at last night's CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Awards. The forces behind the line--Lisa Mayock and Sophie Buhai--were rightfully shown a little appreciation for their beautiful, romantic designs that have thrilled fashion fans for the past few years. Here they talk to Nylon Magazine about their most recent Egyptomania collection for Spring/Summer '09:

The "which Olsen are you?" question makes ya think, doesn't it?

Native South African milliner Albertus Swanepoel also received a $50,000 prize for his heads-above-the-rest hat designs. He's collaborated with designers like Thakoon Panichgul and the Proenza Schouler duo. Here are two Swanepoel creations:


And here are all of the CFDA winners lined up in a row:

Just like lucky ducks. Left to right: Alexander Wang, Lisa Mayock, Sophie Buhai, and Albertus Swanepoel.

All images Style.com

CFDA Wrap-up: Alexander the Great

The simultaneously cutest and fiercest designer fashion has at the moment, Alexander Wang, conquered the competition last night at the 2008 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Awards. He took home the big prize of $200,000 and a full year of mentoring. That cash is a king's ransom for a young designer in these tough times, and Wang deserves the gift. He's nearly a child prodigy. At 24 Wang has already been designing and holding fashion shows for almost a decade. So, don't let his babyface fool you; he's a fashion force to be reckoned with. Here's footage of Wang's most recent runway show for Spring/Summer '09. I love his tough girl chic aesthetic.


Congrats, Mr. Wang! Don't spend all of your money in one place (I figure you're still young and impressionable enough to require a little motherly advice...).

Image: Sheryl Rabbani and Josephine Selimene for Style.com

Pop Goes the Culture: TomKat

Maybe this isn't news to you, but there is a Wikipedia entry for "TomKat" with sections on their history, reasons for their celebrity, and postulations about the future of their existence. This must be some sort of sign of late society. The most widely used, well trusted encyclopedia of our times has an entry for a supremely strange celebrity pairing's mash-up moniker.

TomKat's (I shudder when I say that) single saving grace is their incredibly cute offspring Suri Cruise. She's undeniably the best dressed tot in the spotlight today. I'm always impressed with the little lady's style.




I don't think I've ever coveted a three-year-old's wardrobe before. Those dresses! The mary janes! That umbrella! I can only logically guess that her incredibly well presented looks are picked out not by the little sweetie herself, but instead by some high-priestess Scientology stylist. Nonetheless, Suri is a mini-maven. She must be the world's shortest style icon. She deserves her own Wiki entry just for that.

All images from JustJared.com

40 and Fabulous

Sonia Rykiel is in party mode. The 40th anniversary of her design career has prompted a few fabulous fetes and events. Her Spring/Summer '09 show in Paris was a festive catwalk down memory lane featuring all of Rykiel's signature motifs; gorgeous knitwear, iconic pop graphics, clever slogan t's, pantsuits, and floating clouds of crimped hair. The looks were shown in full party atmosphere, with breakout dance sessions and raining flower petal confetti. But, surely the highlight of the bon anniversaire was the presentation of other desginers' Rykiel-inspired looks. Martin Margiela's wild ode to Sonia's signature shock-o-red coiffure takes the 40th anniversary cake. It shows up at about the 3:43 mark in the video below.

As an extension of that amazing celebration, the Musee de la Mode et du Textile in Paris is staging a retrospective exhibit of the thoroughly French Madame's iconic designs. The exhibit opens tomorrow. I'll be there in spirit, high spirits.

In the Red

Something about the fall makes me crave red accessories. Ruby, crimson, wine, and even the color of stop signs all catch my eye and I want them on my feet, around my waist, or decorating my ears. I think it is the richness of red that makes it the perfect fall color. I'm looking for some fall friendly red flats. Click the below image to peruse the ShopStyle search results and help me pick a pair.

Footwear by committee, gotta love it.

Honey Bee Buzzin'

Lucinda Williams rocks my world. She is the type of older chick that makes me welcome another birthday. Her songs are usually filled to the brim with obsessive, almost painful desire. But they never lack that certain hint of sweetness or relief--the same thing that makes something like love so worth the torture. Songs like "Essence," "Are You Alright," "Joy," and "Can't Let Go" are gorgeous odes to love all laced with an edge. And, Lucinda's look is lace and edge too. The woman is 55 and looks better in a tank, jeans, and tattoo combo than most 20 year olds I know.

Williams' newest album Little Honey kicks up the rock factor on many of the tracks. "Honey Bee" is a raspy, throaty, funkified, stomper about a little honey bee who's sting Lucinda loves. It's impossible not to smile and shake your bee bonnet when it's on. Try it...


How'd it go?

Images: LucindaWilliams.com

Friday Funny: Fashionistas Say the Darndest Things!

Remember that old TV show Kids Say the Darndest Things where the host would put wee ones on a stage and ask them questions just to see what would come out of their mouths? Well, I think Sascha Baron Cohen put the same logic into this Bruno segment from Da Ali G Show.

Disturbing yet funny, and then disturbing again. But, overall? Mostly funny. Happy Friday!

Runway to Reality: Pac-Head

Ladies (and perhaps Gents),

Your dreams have come true! Remember the giant Pac-Man heads that paraded down the Giles' Spring '09 runway? Well, now you too can rock some Pac-Man-inspired headgear. Don't leave it to highly paid, gorgeous-despite-the-helmet runway models to have all of the fun. Get yourself a plushy Pac-Man hat that will keep you warm this winter, and make you very easy to keep track of in a crowd. It's a child's hat, so it may be a tight squeeze, but don't let that stop you from realizing your runway-to-reality dreams.

Click above images for source and ordering information.

Cheap Thrill: Easy Access Gloves

Fingerless gloves used to be a fringe accessory, limited mostly to appearances on the 80's-ed out hands of alterna-kids at malls everywhere. But, with our new oxygen-like reliance on devices like all iGadgets, Blackberries, and plain old cellies, fingered gloves have become fumbly, text inhibiting relics of a handsfree past.

Fingerless gloves or convertible mittens are now a winter wardrobe necessity. Here are some affordable and fun pairs that are still basic enough for everyday:





Click any of the pairs above for ordering information.

All Marc-ed Up

It seems Mr. Marc Jacobs has a bit of a twisted Peter Pan complex going on. I had no idea he was so inked up, and with cartoon characters of all things. He has 28 tats in all, including a Sponge Bob, a Simpson's caricature of himself, Cartman's stuffed South Park buddies, M&M characters, and colorful stars. I guess he balances the kids' stuff out with the "Shameless" scripted over his heart and the "Bros Before Hos" on his wrist.

These photos were recently taken by Terry Richardson for a portfolio of Jacobs' tattoo artist Scott Campbell's colorful clients. But, as Fashionolgie pointed out in an October post photos from just a year ago show Marc with a lot less ink.

So that's about 27 tattoos in a year. That's a lot of time under the buzzing needle. He must have Campbell on speed dial. Or maybe they have a standing bi-weekly date to watch the Saturday morning cartoons and ink another one.

I happen to love tattoos--well, most tattoos. I guess even the bad ones are worth their ink in laughter. But, 27 mostly cartoon-oriented pieces (and one random couch above his hip) in a year seems a tad OCD. I just hope he doesn't creep above the collar bone. Neck and face tattoos are a whole other world. I'm sure his fashionista friends would stage an intervention before he got too carried away.

Who started this inky craziness? I think it's safe to point the finger at Marc's former 25-year-old flame Jason Preston who had a penchant for ink on a pin and a questionable understanding of the word "permanent".



That is very unfortunate. I wonder if he's put a thick black line through it yet. And, as an aside, check out pre-fab Marc. There's a hottie with a body (and a future tattoo junkie) hiding out behind those geek chic glasses.

Click any of the above images for source information.