stifling

The heat has been almost suffocating in Forida as of late, but that hasn't deterred me from bundling up in my new/old denim jacket. It was pretty necessary to add to Saturday night's ensemble, as I find this dress to be unbearably colorful and felt I needed something to break it up.
The belt is yet another Target purchase, the shoes are super-old Stella McCartney (Jessica Simpson used to rock them when she dressed well - circa 2005, I think?), the dress is Elizabeth & James, and the necklace and jacket are both vintage.

slick

This weekend has beem pretty wonderful. Friday night was spent eating at a delicious, recently refurbished restaurant, drinking copious amounts of wine and dining on trigger fish and butter pappardelle noodles...delicious. I decided to try out a never-before-worn vintage dress (hemmed by my wonderful grandmother) with a really amazing belt from Target (of all places!) and my YSL Tribs. The clutch is vintage Bottega (complements of my best friend), and the chunky gold necklace is vintage. As my hair has gotten out-of-control long and completely unmanageable, I had no choice but to ponytail it. It was kind of nice having it out of my face for the night.
And tonight-nother delicious meal, in honor of my recently acquired position...hooray for financial stability :)

Style Crush: Daphne Guinness

Her style sensibilities veer somewhere between elegantly refined and utterly gothic, as does her fabulous hair, but, whatever the inspiration, Daphne Guinness' look is always impeccable. I had sort of forgotten about her until recently when (thanks Facebook), a friend posted a link to a hilarious new article concerning the former heiress. Let's reflect on her ever-so-eclectic personal style, shall we??




















On a sidenote, New York Magazine just published a fantastic, albeit satirical, article about Ms. Guinness. Check it out here.

Who's afraid of the big, bad wolf?

A few times a month, I head over to Barnes & Noble, grab an iced latte, and sit down with an enormous stack of the latest magazines - my favorites are vast and varied, and are comprised of an eclectic mix that includes Body & Soul, Dwell, gourmet, and, of course, the usual suspects - Vogue, Elle, Bazaar, and all of their foreign counterparts. I usually come away with a few new ideas - both interior and fashion-wise, and some lingering memories of intriguing editorials and layouts. This month, I fell in love all over again with Vogue. Don't get me wrong, I have long looked to Vogue for inspiration, and, like any woman worthy of her Louboutins, have revered it as the bible that it is. But this month, I realized why it is that I love it so very much.





The latest issue is rife with art, fashion & culture - from a fantastic piece on the upcoming Georgia O'Keeffe Abstraction exhibit at the Whitney (sidenote-Vogue's September cover girl, Charlize Theron, was photographed at O'Keeffe's Ghost Ranch for the spread), to a thorough and informative article on the Los Angeles Philharmonic's prodigious conductor, Gustavo Dudamel.





But the pièce de résistance of the September 2009 issue has to be the Mert & Marcus-shot "Into the Woods," featuring Natalia Vodianova as Little Red Riding Hood. The photographs are gorgeously colored, puncuated by deep, deep reds with an almost yellowish tint. I found the use of grey hair to be completely genius, as Natalia seems to be portraying both the innocent girl and the big, bad wolf all at once...ingenious and totally inspired.






















I have completely re-thought my Halloween costume...now I just need to find someone to act as the Wolf....

gypset

Since falling in love with Gypset Style, my current favorite coffee-table book, I have been lusting over all things gypsy. This turban was a great find from one of my favorite thrift shoppes and, though it is rather hot (especially in the current 95-degree Florida weather) I think it is a truly special piece and quite a head-turner.






As I couldn't bear to keep all the fun to myself, I had to let someone else join in on the fun! Here's Chloe, modeling the turban in a much chicer way than I.

Style Crush: the girls from Vena Cava

Since my recent discovery of it's "Street Chic" section, I've been perusing Elle.com like mad. The site has a terrific selection of street style photos, as well as personal style profiles on chic designers, with an inside look at their favorite pieces and how they put them together. I was so happy to see the profile on Vena Cava's Sophie Buhai, and even more thrilled when it was followed up by an equally style-centric look at her partner, Lisa Mayock. The girls have some amazing vintage, and each certainly knows how to put a look together. Hop on over to Elle.com for the full story.

Irish Pub

Whenever I wear a denim jacket, I can't help but feel like I'm stuck in some sort of time warp cira 1992. However, I am not knocking the simplicity and comfort of the jean jacket, which (thanks to the local thrift shop) has recently found it's way back into my wardrobe. For a nighttime jaunt to the local irish pub for beer and tempeh reubens, I paired it with a Twelfth Street lace-inlaid dress, vintage jewelry, and Christian Louboutin espadrille wedges.

summer safari

This has to be my favorite scarf in the world. I found it at a thrift store just after seeing The Darjeeling Limited, and it was so reminiscent of the Louis-Vuitton trunks in the film, that I snatched it up immediately. To me, it looks very special and it is certainly unique. A rare find.
These pants are extremely old (I'd guess five years?) but I've been wearing them lately cuffed with button-down shirts. This shirt is a new purchase, from a really great new thrift store whose racks I attacked the other day. And, while I'm 99% sure that it is supposed to be the top half of a pajama set, I really like the color and it's in terrific condition.

antiquing

Though this isn't the most exciting of ensembles, it was perfectly appropriate for a day spent antiquing, thrifting and unsuccessfully attempting to rent the just-released third season of Dexter (what genius at Blockbuster only ordered one copy of a newly released show??).

Wearing:::Current/Elliot boyfriend jeans, vintage belt, vitage lace top, Urban straw fedora, Balenciaga bag, and necklace that I fashioned out of a vintage pendant and a sash from a vintage dress.

heart

The Balenciaga Resort 2010 Images have been online forever, but I still cannot get this image out of my head...I just really want the entire ensemble - necklace, bag, shoes and dress...perfect for a party/ news years/ any occasion that warrants something this gorgeous...

In the News...

This past week has seen a whole host of news articles regarding the fashion industry, and I thought it wise to share some of my favorites. The New York Times is pretty consistent in their coverage of (and snarky journalistic approach to) the industry, but I really enjoyed this recent piece on J.C. Penney's latest venture into Manhattan's Herald Square. Though it is clearly a ploy to reanimate and possibly glamourize the, ahem, otherwise bland department store, it is a seemingly enigmatic pairing of business and location. I doubt Scott Shuman will be hanging around this latest Penney's outpost looking for fashionable subject-matter.

Take a gander at it here.

Also relevant is this Fashion Week Daily article on the upcoming premiere of the Vogue documentary The September Issue...and who has made it on the guest list....none of the invitees are too surprising, actually...

Speaking of Madame Wintour, I also found this Gawker piece to be particularly comical...in honor of her upcoming Letterman appearance, "The Top 10 Career-Killing Things Anna Wintour Could Say on Letterman."

never fails

TheSelby.com never fails to amaze me...not only is Todd Selby's photography amazing, his subject matter is always on par. He photographs the homes and studios of some amazing artists, designers and all around trendsetters, and this week's subject is no exception. Lucas Ossendrijver is the head designer for Lanvin Homme and he is completely talented. Those sneaks are RIDIC. It's not even funny.
If you don't already frequent the site, make it a habit. It is to interior design what The Sartorialist is to fashion-rife with inspiration and ideas for your own abode.

lazy days

This dress is the epitome of comfort and, while I usually forgo the belt, I felt like adding it took away from the shapelessness. Worn with feather earrings, vintage necklace, vintage belt and fringed sandals from Spain.

I HEART NY

This film is essentially the American version of "Paris Je t'aime," a series of short films centered around love in an extraordinary city-in this case, New York. The cast looks stellar and from my understanding, Natalie Portman directed one of the shorts (and by the looks of the trailer, stars in it, as well). This is sure to be a fantastic mix of theme and emotion, with some terrific actors that will most certainly do the Big Apple proud.

This is my favorite short from "Paris Je t'aime," and I swear, it makes me cry every time I watch it.

Faubourg Saint Denis, directed by Tom Twyker

TGIF

happy friday!

FLW

I have been LIVING in these jeans since I got them...I have a different pair of boyfriend jens (without holes in them) but the comfort level doesn't even come close to these. This outfit isn't that exciting, but it's basically been my daily uniform.







The Organic Commandment:
Love is the virtue of the heart, Sincerity the virtue of the mind, decision the virtue of the will, courage the virtue of the spirit.

t-shirt: Frank Lloyd Wright, jeans: Current/Elliott, bracelets: random/ belt: vintage, sandals: Balenciaga

RIP

Though any recent deaths have been completely over-shadowed by that of The King of Pop, I think it is important to remember the lives of those who impacted the cultural landscape in other ways than their mere celebrity. Modernist architect Charles Gwathmey was known for his 1992 renovation of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Guggenheim in New York City, as well as his firm's 1995 project: the Museum of Contemporary Art in North Miami.

from an article in BD News: "Charles was able to sublimate his ego and produce really sophisticated solutions to plan problems, to circulation problems - but those aren’t the kinds of things that make headlines."

It's Official.

Laura and Kate Mulleavy have officially signed on to design a forthcoming Go International line for Target. The past few GI collections have left me less than impressed but, being a huge Rodarte fan, I'm pretty excited for this collaboration. But I can't help but wonder....how will their handmade designs translate in the world of mass-produced, highly marketed fashion?? The designs are slated to hit stores on December 20, and will only be on shelves until February 6.

Here's to hoping!