Friday Funny

It's Friday Funny Time! (I'm definitely making this a regular feature, and I don't think any of you will complain)

She'll love the 9" zipper!

Have a Heart

Versace has never seemed romantic--sexy? hell yeah!--but not romantic. However, this season Donatella's literal interpretation of the heart shaped neckline has softened the usually sleek signature look just a smidge. Too soft? Of course not, those hearts still have bite. They are shaped from zippers and lined with little metal teeth, ready to snip at any hand that may get too close. A perfect pairing of sweet and spicy.

Even better than the thumpers, were the amazing Julie Verhoeven prints worked into flowing gowns. Verhoeven's female faces blended with seashells and stars on psychadelic silks.


Her work always makes me a bit woosy with want. Love me some Verhoeven.

Rain, Rain, Here to Stay

I get my weather from the New York Times, not because it is incredibly reliable (I'm often carting umbrellas in the sunshine) but because it is like having a fortune cookie for a meteorologist. Many times the predictions are straight forward and boring, but some days NYT goes into haiku mode and gives a lovely little impressionistic weather report. I mean who else is printing the phrase "a soaking rain" in their 5-day forecast. You just keep checking it on the daily and you'll see what I mean.

Anyways, it looks like we are in for a wet weekend. This is the perfect time to bust out the Shop-a-Matic from our good friends over at New York Magazine and pick out some rain gear.

Rhiana (and even Tegan and Sara) would be proud of the incredible assemblage of umbrellas.


I pick this one from the MoMA design store. Dark on the outside, blue skies with fluffy clouds on the inside.

Suit Yourself

Gucci gets their guy on.

Sexy suits were a staple of Frida Giannini's Spring Gucci show. Pick a color, roll up the pants, strap on a belt, and top it with a hat for that slick brand of sex appeal that Gucci does so well. The one on the left reminds me of the line's look that Madonna wore to the MTV VMA's back in the Tom Ford glory days.

Loaded

True to the brand's distinctive aestheic, this season's Marni runway was a carefully styled pile-on of patterned pieces. At first glance it may look like the models are sporting the aftermath of a richter-inducing closet explosion, but do a double take and watch the chaos work. The looks are muti-layered, but as every super stylish Marni girl knows, you could peel off any piece and mix it right into your refined wardrobe and ispire wows. I've witnessed it myself many times. An informal poll of my favorite fashionistas marks Marni as the clear favorite of cool girls, hands down.

I love Marni maven Consuelo Castiglioni's show closing photo. I'm imagining that in a moment of backstage mutiny the models joined forces and dared her to wear the teetering footware she imposed upon them. It looks like she is holding on to the wall for any chance at remaining upright.

The Needle and Thread

These people heart sewing so much that their passion for straight pins has become skin deep.



I can't tell if this is cute in that indie-chick crafter kind of way, or crazy in that indie-chick crafter kind of way. Who knew seamstresses could be so hardcore?

On the Fringe

Raf Simons' slick collection for Jil Sander did the impossible: It made a minimalist statement with fringe. Normally relegated to the realm of bedazzled, flapperesque ensembles or leather rough rider gear, it was surprising to see it used to such modern effect in Milan. The fringe panel inserts on dresses and long cascades that reached the floor seemed to liquify over the models' curves.

These dresses are made for movement.

Loop de Loop

I've looked into my crystal ball (aka the sidewalks of New York City) and I've seen the future. This fall and winter it will be all about the mobius scarf. Wrap your neck, head, or shoulders in a knitted circle and you'll be on your way to being at least as hip-if not more hip-than the lady sporting the style below.

Trust me on this one.

She's Come Undone

Like any true seductress knows, sexiness is in the subtle details. Miuccia Prada is the maestra of this philosophy, always deftly embedding allure into her designs. This season things got a bit more obvious but as a testament to Prada's undeniable talent, she still managed to steer clear of brazen.

The models looked like they were fleeing the scene of a delicious tryst. Their dresses were askew, hems half hiked, fabrics wrinkled. And, in a brilliant act of storytelling, some of them even clutched their bags by the middles, a clear sign of a hasty exit.

Brace Yourself

Alberta Ferretti complimented her pretty collection with thick, monochromatic stacks of bangles. These plastic wrist wrappers have been around for seasons, but the single color, single arm look hits the refresh button on this trend. I love when jewelry is made to look tough without studs and leather.

A Pretty Face

Model Bruna Tenorio has been busy this show season. It seems like she's clocked miles on the catwalk in each leg of fashion's world tour, but somehow her Brazilian beauty looks tailor made for Milan.

Water Works

Looks like designer Christopher Bailey is only happy when it rains. The models in his Burberry Prorsum show came down the runway looking quite weathered. Their trenches, tight pants, and short dresses all appeared to be drip drying after a good soaking. Although some of the pieces will definitely work in all weather (like the pretty, slick dresses decorated with paillettes), the head-to-toe gray cloud ensembles would do well to be mixed with a little sunshine.

However, New York's now out of work financial analysts might be a good demographic for this collection. Their mood may match this mode exactly.

Iwanttowearit. Will Return After This Commercial Break...

My friend Rahul just posted this Obama ad on his blog and it gave me goose bumps.

Hope is where my heart is. VOTE!

Geometry Lessons

Basic shapes were the building blocks of Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi's show for Gianfranco Ferre. Circles and squares combined with a bit of streamlined glamour made for some architecturally interesting dresses. I like how the rectangle side pockets on these dresses make an evening bag unneccessary and add some edgy angles to the models' curves.

Some of the looks got a little carried away with embellishements and volume. Check out the flummoxed faces of the front row when this bedazzled beaut came down the catwalk.

That guy back there looks so confused.

Virtual Layover

As we travel from London to Milan for another fashionably late arrival (who can keep up??) to the next round of SS '09 RTW shows, I thought I'd take you on a little detour. I don't know if you know, but there is a whole other world out there and it is completely freaking me out. Second Life is a virtual universe where people create avatars of themselves, buy real estate, hold down dream jobs, and make real US dollars. I don't fully understand how it works, but it makes me scared for future generations. I don't want to wind up a cog in a virtual system, but if I do you better be sure that I'll be one stylin' sim and I'll definitely be featured on the web pages of Second Life Style Watch, SL's very own street style site a la the Sartorialist or Facehunter.

Please don't let my post inspire you to start spending inordinate amounts of real time on a fake life. Be here now. The real world needs you and your stylin' self!

Circle Circle, Dot Dot

It's hard to hate on a collection inspired by a designer's love affair with a box set of the original (read: the one and only) 90210 series. I can seriously see Kelly, Brenda, and Donna (and maybe even Andrea?) rocking these House of Holland looks through the halls of West Beverly High.

The trouble is, I don't think they'll translate that well outside of the fictional zip code. If by chance you do desire to don some seriously dotty denim, you too can own your very own pair of House of Holland/Levi's jeans.

Side Note: Someone spent way too much time making this tribute vid to one of my favorite 90210 episodes ever ("Slumber Party") but it was worth their every moment. Hilarious. Watch Cindy Walsh get down in reverse and tell me it doesn't make your day!

Red Carpet Robotics

Stylists have ruined the good fun of red carpet watching. Everytime I check out an arrivals wrap-up, everyone looks varying degrees of perfectly acceptable. Personal style (for better or worse ) has disappeared from the pre-show parades taking most of the excitement of spectatorship with it. All the actresses pictured above at The Emmys last night have the gloss and gleam of a finished product: body sculpted by trainer, gown chosen by the same three stylists everyone uses, hair up-swept by top pro, and make-up freshly applied during red carpet pit stops. While they look great, it's all image over personality. They are like puzzles coated in shellack. All of the pieces fit together perfectly and when they are done, they have that nice plastic coated sheen. I know this is to be expected in Hollywood, it just seems to have reached epic proportions. With the proliferation of awards shows, I would like to suggest a premise for just one more. Invite the top-tier talent to compete for best red-carpet appearance with one stipulation: they pick out their own clothes, do their own hair and makeup, and match their own shoes. Now those would be some well-earned awards.

Pretty Patina

These Erdem dresses look like they are the result of a happy pollution accident in Candyland. I think the pattern is based on a blurred flower print, but the colors and diffuse watercolor effect look like an oil spill gone beautiful. Wouldn't it be wonderful if as certain garments aged they naturally developed a pretty patina and wound up looking like these?

Erdem also showed tiered lace gowns that radiated soft prettiness. The orange ribbon woven through the blue dress is a brilliant touch of clash. It keeps the dress fresh and modern while retaining its elegance. The Carrie-flower on steroids makes the model on the right look as if she time warpped from a Jane Austen novel via Patricia Field's wardrobe department, yet it works.