Archive for May 2007

Into You Like A Train

This photo of San Vicente at Wilshire is so calming, it's so interesting to see what your area looked like in the past. I never knew a railway used to run down these streets...sitting for 5 minutes for that damn left turn arrow might now not feel as lames.

Newfound Mass

Damn Target is starting to bring it. I bought a tank for $10 today that I'm in love with and this linen bag really caught my eye, on clearance online for $6.99!




On a related note, I can't decide if I want to keep or return my Patrick Robinson shorts which is a pretty good indicator that I should take them back. Plus, we'll soon be able to pick from loads of his designs over at The Gap now that he's in charge.

Street Spirit

As if I needed another reason to mosey over for happy hour at Newsroom, Reiss is opening a store in LA. Their Spring/Summer of long jackets and sweaters paired with short bottoms seem so easy-classy.


Reiss

Oh doctor, doctor, can you fix me...

I had no idea that 7 made bags but this Large Doctor Bag is pretty sweet.


7 For All Mankind

Yesterday I went outside...

This Alexander McQueen print is giving me serious flashbacks. I had a similar print hanging on my bedroom wall in high school just beside my Tiny Tunes trading card, an ink-jet printed photo of Stone Cold Steve Austin and stickers I saved from burgers at Carls Jr. It was torn out of one of those very-popular-at-the-time books where if you stared long enough a figure would appear and well, it was the 90's and I loved butterflies.


Alexander McQueen




This is all great but instead of nostalgic it just makes me feel awkward!
Off to listen to Smashing Pumpkins and Radiohead...

Still Flat

My perfect $40 black flats are dead and I'm gearing up for the heafty task of finding a new pair. My obsessive tendencies rule out any pair with a bow, full patent and those with other colors on the shoe besides black.


Some classic options:

Maloles




Matt Bernson




Topshop





But these seem so fun:

Azzedine Alaia




Pedro Garcia




Jean-Michel Cazabat




The Maloles are first in the running so far, the woven silk is winning me over more and more.
Any other designers out there making black flat magic?

Townies

I found this on the Freixenet (aka the drink of champions) website and am all laughs. O champagne...you embody bling, excess and a very necessary dose of corny - which is of course why we love.



Happy Champagne Thursday.

Summer Shine

PingMag has a great feature on Tenugui Patterns showcasing summer-necessary Japanese hand towels. I also love the idea of wrapping wine and other gifts in fabric!

Shopping Cart People

Lust-worthy leather shoppers.


Martin Margiela



Super funny website btw.


Jas M.B.




...'cuz you're 'Not a Smug Hag'

Wishbone

Drooling over the design here...


Acne Jeans




Speaking of which, mission accomplished: I scored the Goldenbleu shoes which arrived to me today. Too fab for words and I'm now 5 inches taller. Goldenbleu really turned things around - love them!

Neverevereverdid

The return of the crop top.
Love it wide-necked worn over another tank tucked in. The Camilla and Marc look from their recent S/S 08 show is so on point, cant stop thinking about it!


Camilla and Marc




3.1 Phillip Lim




Burfitt

Melt Your Heart

I'm impatient and excessively time-conscious (so perfectly quoted from description of Type A personality it frightens me)

To save a whopping 40 seconds, I shortcut through Bed Bath and Beyond from the parking structure to my office. While this feeds my obsessive-tendencies I'm wondering about the prospect of permanent damage from unwanted 'Good Mornings' each and every BBB employee finds incredibly necessary and the consistent branding of foot cream, clearance gardening gloves and washcloths.

However, on my last speedwalkthrough I stumbled upon these oldies but goodies that are quite frankly a summer necessity. This shape should pop out with ease - why have rectangles when you can have such cuteness?

Natural Anthem

Reading these words filled me with a sudden excitement about warm weather:
I feel like it's going to be a good summer.

Simple, but so vividly created happy thoughts of outside happy hours, beach strolling, bbqs and fab trips. Natural colored fabrics are intensely summer and Toast has some cute ones - the grown on sleeves really get to me.


Toast

Motion Light

Geeking out over this photo of The Morning Benders.




Besides there being an amazing no in there, the motion reminds me of the heavenly feeling of being physically and emotionally moved by live music and conveys a real sense band chemistry.
Not surprising they are from the SF scene, home to some my most treasured indepedents including Birdmonster and 20 Minute Loop. What I've heard thus far is plesant and titles are incredibly subject-quotable - Heavy Hearts | Grain of Salt | Damnit Anna.

All of this is second of course to excitement that they use the term 'duder'

Is This Thing On?

I am all too in love with this bottle opener ring. Bling drunkness at a too good to pass up $10.


Wear it on the middle finger with the opener toward the palm, hook the bottle cap and lift the wrist. Also comes in stainless steel and stainless steel with the always adored shamrock.

I Was A Kaleidoscope

Ben Watts takes some lovely vibrant photographs. Especially feeling these powerful-girly shots for Stephanie Conley (and I'll take those high waisted button ups in the second pic).

The Way It Is

Last spring a pair of Erotokritos canvas flats striped in apricot and white stole my heart. My initial resistance was squashed after exhausting searches, purchasing after discovering they were the perfect spring pair which still remains true to date. In my opinion they make some of the best shoes around and I'm counting on the blue patents below to tempt me in a similar fashion. The color! I'm excited by their fall collection overall and would also love to invest in that grey coat.


Erotokritos

Footloose and Fancy Free

I came to the decision a few weeks back that when it comes to shorts there's only two ways to go moving forward - uber short and high waisted or loose and long. I can't decide which I like more but Figmint scores one for the latter with brilliantly designed pockets that really hold up in person.


Figmint

In Places, Empty Spaces

Los Angeles Development has been rumbling around my head this week. Probably inspired because just downstairs, machines with claws are tearing down everything sans our building in the city block - "Eminent Domain" aka The W Hotel. Gone so far are Juices Fountain (who's to-die-for juices luckily are still served just down the street) and Daddy's bar. The Hollywood DMV currently sits with a gaping hole in it's side. We have bets it'll be down by the time we get in tomorrow morning. Some days the building shakes, some days we laugh when they drag off the terrible metro station art (if you can actually call a half-hat half-spaceship crater such) that bounces when they drop it.


Also seen with the eyes, overheard from the mouth, and noted from random craigslist ads while DailyCandy features Pick Your Nose party cups >>

Another Cobras & Matadors is opening, downtown around Royal Clayton's.

A boutique set to carry European designers "that you can't get in the states" is currently spatting dust across the way from Ooga Booga in Chinatown.

After nine months of Coming Soon signs Starbucks has arrived in Atwater, just a few literal doors down from neighborhood coffee shop Kaldi and just in time for XLarge who now have offices across the street.


Oh my lord.

When Summer's Over Will We Dream Of Spring

Australia Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2007: A to Zed
Neons, romantics, prints, whites...smells like spring.
Accessory standout: the Ginger & Smart silver bag below - need!


Alice McCall






Anna & Boy




Camilla and Marc










Fleur Wood






Ginger & Smart






Lee Matthews




Nicola Finetti






Stephanie Conley






Zambesi




Zimmermann

Sky High

Shorties from Austrilia Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2008 I wish were here now.




My very favorite, from Anna Thomas.




Arabella Ramsay




Tucked under there are a pair of brilliant Ksubi's.




Lisa Ho shows a white I could see being the perfect summer pair.




Stephanie Conley




So school-boy proper I'd try to convince myself these Zambesi's are office appropriate.




Zimmermann, the cutest by far.

Somewhere Between Waking And Sleeping

Currently daydreaming about a loose fitting black vest but nevertheless fancy the asymmetrical one from this Spring collection. Nice things and how comfy does that grey outfit look?


Hengst

Fever Sleeves

My second spring investment, a light-toned short dress with sleeves. Here are some choices I've been eying over the last few months.




Eley Kishimoto Beige Silk Pin Tux Dress, $748 of perfection.




Betty Jackson, where oh where can I find you for sale.




Mint, such a stand out in person. $380




Laura Dawson Robots dress. $240




Dace cuteness at a very attainable $140.

All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone

I weigh in on coachella-ness Naitze-style.

coachella, as far as i could tell:

favorites: Explosions in the Sky, Kings of Leon, Jesus and Mary Chain, Hot Chip
underwatched: Ratatat (by me! catching only half a song)
whoas: Walking by Jessica Stam
eh: LCD Soundsystem, CSS
wtfs: Kaiser Chiefs, Fountains of Wayne, muffin tops everywhere
lame sauce: Being sick Friday and now after, reciepts
i can't believe i sat through a minute of: The Roots
i should never drink: vodka shots, then dewars, then beer, then straight jack, then more beer
hottest day on record: Saturday
my ipod has a boy crush on: naitze's ipod

Summer Skin

I love the appeal of a open backed dress, but most come off rather trying too hard. I have my eyes on this from Augustine. Forgot all about this brand until reintroduced by the design-saavy Happy Cavalier. So proper in the front cut and materials you can pull a 'what...oh it's backless? giggle giggle.'


Augustine

Baby, You're in Luck

There's talk of a Babycakes (vegan cupcakes from NYC) opening in LA on Beverly Blvd and Spaulding by September/October. Fingers crossed it's true...nearly everyday I am tempted to eat the shit out of a very non-vegan red velvet cake.

Naked Sun

It's been on my mind for a while: The midriff

What was such a sexy trend now seems simply trashy, ultra low-rise jeans thrown out in preference of conservative waists that are getting higher and higher. Sure, extremes are also terribly frightening and hilarious (my boyfriend poo-poo's the high-waist all together)
But which creeps you more?




Issey Miyake's Fall 2007 runway show contained peaks at the stomach and all I could do was cringe. The Coachella herds this weekend tucking up shirts and roaming the grounds in the least amount of clothing possible to avoid the heat left me no longer able to avoid the question.



Left to right: Miss Sixty, J Brand, Grey Ant


In reference to legs being the erogenous zone of the season, Valerie Steele, director of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology states "When fashion shifts its attention...it's usually because that part of the body hasn't recently been exploited"
This notion has been occupying my thoughts and while I'm geeky-giddy about the current sophistication of fashion I'm secretly fearing bare-midriffs are next due to the years they've been all covered up.
Someone ease my mind.