My Latest "Aha!" Moment

While doing my Saturday morning blogroll reading catch-up, I came across this posting on the Style Defined blog about Katie Gallagher's collection from NY fashion week (and yes, I am more than a little behind on my blog reading). If her name sounds not yet familiar to you, just know that she is considered amongst the fashion intelligentsia as one of the young "up and comers." Refinery 29 recently included her in their post "The Six New Designers to Watch Now." As for me, I love not only her collection but also her personal style, and of course that means I have another crush. Especially when she sums up her design philosophy in a way that makes me wish I'd though to say it first because it so strongly resonates with what I'm trying to do as I evolve this thing I refer to as my "designer identity":

"I don’t believe that fashion is the end goal; stories, personalities, moods, ideals, and attitudes are. Fashion, when executed successfully, communicates these attributes quickly and eloquently."

I love this kind of conviction because it just fits with me. Everything I've tried to do in the year and a half that I've been at this has always been guided by intuition. And I feel that if it's coming from a place deep within you that is so authentically you, so much so that you have no doubt or question (or choice) about doing it any other way - then it results in exactly what Katie so perfectly sums up in the quote above. An "aha!" moment indeed.

For the Love of Chie

Chie Mihara, that is. Not fibbling when I say I love each and every shoe in the line, although the platform thong pseudo-boots below kind of make my toe cleavage wince.

Suma Leather Ankle Heels

These below might be a little more in line with what my toes could handle. I am a Mary Jane gal at heart. And such bright, pretty colors...

Clari Mary Jane Shoes

Gail Mary Jane Pump

Alegra

For more Chie zen, click here and here.

Moto-Centric State of Mind

Perhaps it's the proliferation of motorcycle-esque fashion updates that have been parading my inbox of late, but I've had this unconscious desire to start "toughening-up" the current state of my wardrobe. Although I would say my dalliance into the trend of moto-fashion is more along the lines of "hog-inspired" rather than full-blown motorcycle mama...case in point, my latest boot acquisition, which might not pass muster with the Harley crowd:

"Made" from the Nine West Vintage America Collection

And then this got the wheels turning in my head. If all the fashion biggies are hot on this trend for fall, what's the indie/handmade market's take on it? A few faves I found browsing Etsy under the category "motorcycle:"

Red tartan plaid faux leather sun burst motorcycle jacket

BettieBlues

SL 350 motorbike heather grey shirt

Slowshirts

Black leather cuff with sterling silver riveted accent
Thebeadgirl

Aqua motorcycle jacket
ThrashinThreads


Vintage Marshall motorcycle boots
MotherMidnight

Out of the Closet

Like many artsy-types, I consider the realm of home decor as yet another medium to express my creativity. I'm a Design Sponge addict; I mourned the demise of Domino magazine (R.I.P) and I love to play pretend-furniture shopping while perusing the catalogs of DWR and Anthropologie. If it's modern, funky, quirky and colorful (and more often than not, ridiculously expensive) then chances are I want it as part of my interior design scheme.

But being of sound mind, tiny budget and even tinier apartment I must be realistic about how I approach home decor. Realistic and über-innovative. Which is how I stumbled upon a genius decorating idea that I've yet to see gain widespread notoriety, even though I know that surely there are others out there who do it. The idea actually stemmed out of a weird little quirk I have, wherein I buy a really funky new article of clothing (e.g. pair of shoes, skirt, shirt, men's necktie, fingerless gloves - take your pick) and I get so excited about the purchase (which I've likely hemmed and hawed over buying due to a tight budget) that I end up not wearing it for anywhere between 6 months to a year. Yes, you heard me right - up to a year. No judgment, please.

Keep in mind it will eventually get worn - I avoid temporary fashion trends like the plague and what I buy typically has a timeless quality to it - but in the interim, the item inevitably sits in my closet. And quite frankly, that's no way to treat a lovely apparel acquisition. And herein comes the genius decorating idea: clothing and accessories as home decor. Don't envision laundry hanging on a clothesline strung across the living room - think more of a museum-style "curation" of lovely wearable items. Pictures would best demonstrate my point; throughout this post I've included a few examples from my humble dwelling.

Anyone else out there who does this, I would love to see your approach. Feel free to drop a comment with a link to pictures of your approach to "home couture."

When Typos are Beautifull

I stumbled upon designer Agnieszka Swiatly's website late one night after catching a glimpse of this stunning, shingled silk confection on the front page of Etsy:


I can't say what I find the most appealing about her - possibly her use of contrasting textures, as demonstrated in this frock to the left (soft, ethereal silk satin mixed with hard, glossy latex)...

...the fact that she's a fellow Polish gal...

...or the occasional (and in my opinion so very appropriate) misspellings that are sprinkled charmingly throughout her website. These are some of the loveliest translation typos I've ever come across, taken from descriptions written about pieces from her collection. I wouldn't dare fix them:

"Beautifull silk dress with latex strips from Caffe Latte collection. Ideal for oryginal woman"

"It's the most original coat from Caffe Latte collection. I made it of wool with cashmere and latex. Big collar is so charakterystic"



"Black dress made of ( poliester+ cotton+lycra). It's look gorgeus in diffirent colour white,red, violet or black"



These same words (spelled correctly) are used over and over (and over) again in the fashion world to elaborate on designer's collections, it's almost as though they've lost their meaning. I love how these simple words have been reinvented in the above descriptions. How fitting that this designer's gorgeous, innovative, sculptural pieces be accompanied by adjectives that are similarly innovative and unique.

For more on designer Agnieszka Swiatly, her "recognized styl" and "indyvidual approach to every project she makes" (yes!) check out her website: www.a-swiatly.com

Laura Dawson, You Were Robbed

I love this gal's current line - simultaneously moody and breezily summer-esque. Her aesthetic to me has a slouchy, casual-yet-elegant appeal; I so see myself in this simple white t-dress and boots, if only for the fact my staple wardrobe item is a form-fitting short-sleeved men's-style v-neck undershirt (Forever 21 has the best - and at under $5 apiece, perfect for my budget-conscious ways.)

Oh, and about the title of this post - several weeks ago she was booted off the Project Runway rip-off that I've decided to haphazardly start following called The Fashion Show. While I must admit I missed that episode, I did catch the dress that precipitated her getting the boot - and I really did feel she was robbed:


It has a sort of punk ballerina, gothic-Tinkerbell appeal to it. OK that might not make any sense but the point is that it's edgy, it's risky, it's drama and to me this is what the best kind of fashion, art and design portray. If it's not making you scratch your head and question whether or not the concept actually works, then in my mind, what's the point?