Do You Own Flip-Flops? Thank Bernard Rudofsky.

Remember my dorky admission of love for revolutionary social scientist Bernard Rudofsky? Since I'm not one to leave a crush go unrequited, I made the excruciating journey to the Getty Museum on my least-favorite freeway (the 10 west) and also my second-least-favorite freeway (the 405 north) to see the Rudofsky retrospective. I left at 4 PM and arrived at 5:15. The museum closes at 6:00. So I had 45 minutes with my love, and believe you me, I made the most of it. True passion transcends the limitations of time, you know.

The exhibit was pretty tiny, but there were photos of his work everywhere and the viewer was encapsulated by All Things Rudofsky by the walls and dividers being printed with blown-up prints of his designs. Cool! [Read about the exhibit installation here.] Rudofsky started as an architect, and had an epiphany when he traveled from his native Vienna to Japan and saw how traditional Japanese houses are designed to be functional in every possible way. It was so cool seeing his sketches--tiny and perfect in little brown notebooks--of the thoughtfully-designed houses he was staying in, and his exultant notes about them. He started using the same principles in his own architectural designs--making the spaces ultra-functional and versatile, incorporating the environment and surroundings with the structure--and really took the idea of functional design to heart. I loved seeing the sketches for a house he designed whose back wall curved to match the shape of the terrain behind it.

But the best part, DUH, was when Rudofsky began to address fashion. Basically, he points out how ABSURDLY ill-matched our clothes can be to our actual bodies. Look at the lovely lady to the right: if her clothes fit her body, her body would have to be shaped like that weird mutant on the left. Rudofsky painted a whole series of these based on real & very "normal" outfits (this is a standard tennis outfit from 1886--yes, really). It really was an eye-opener to the total ridiculousness of what we accept in fashion. Fortunately, I think that current trends don't take body-mangling to such an extreme, but there are definite exceptions (hello, stilettos?). Here's one of his comparisons--men's shoes and the feett that would logically fit in them:

Naturally, Rudofsky set about solving the problems that centuries of clothing designers have caused. Hence the "Bernardo" line of flats, which debuted in the 50s, and which my mom assures me were absolutely the height of chic. They were meant to be totally freeing to the foot, and to work with its natural shape and to strengthen its muscles as the wearer walked. Plus they were WAY CUTE. There are some t-strap flats that tie up the leg that my friend Erin and I would definitely time-travel to get. Plus they were, like, $15! I know that was an arm and a leg then, but it would rule now, especially with this recession and all. I should really suggest the whole time-travel idea to the government as a way to fight inflation.

Rudofsky also designed fabric prints (very hot with the crunchy-granola set but hard to find now) and a line of one-size-fits-all adjustable clothing based on kimonos and drawstrings (shockingly, not a hit with the 1950s housewives). But his Are Clothes Modern? exhibit changed the way many people thought about what they wore, as well as pointing out how many extra useless buttons and pockets exist on a full man's suit. So many! It's insane! I'll leave you to go count them for yourself while I plot what to wear to work tomorrow (surely including some highly impractical and foot-mangling heels).

What's Your Weekend-Wear?

[vintage pattern: the lovely bygone knits]

Last Saturday, I was walking along the beach in Malibu, admiring the pristine sand (this was before I realized that the soles of my feet were getting covered in disgusting blobs of tar--thanks, oil tankers!) and talking with some friends about what we all wear to work. I work at a clothing designer, another girl is in TV and the third works in a lab doing unimaginable and brilliant things with nuclear power or something; naturally, our dress codes are totally different. That's a no-brainer, but what was interesting was how our work-wear affected our not-work-wear.

Miss Chemistry Pro works with mostly guys, and the dress code is more jeans-and-sweatshirts than suits. Walking along the beach in her jeans, she lamented not being able to wear nicer clothes to work because they'd get all, I don't know, chemical-y; usually work-wear stretches into weekend-wear without needing much of a change, but she likes getting the rare chance to prettify for going out at night. Miss Entertainment Industry, looking beachy in a little cotton empire dress, said that she barely owns jeans because her workplace is dresses, dresses, dresses. Her main concession to weekends is taking footwear down a notch, after five straight days of nonstop high heels (how does she do it? I'm impressed!). Meanwhile, my job's dress code is dressy-casual, with lots of dresses and boots or belted tunics and high heels for the brave. It's definitely contemporary, though, and no one's fashion statements stray beyond the vaguely hip or fashion-conscious feminine. So come weekends and nights out, I leap at the chance to trot out my vintage frocks (like the less-than-practical 40s number I was wearing to the beach) or my quirkier, more rag-tag combinations (like, oh, Cheap Monday jeans and strings of necklaces and a silly white fur vest...not exactly for the 9-to-5).

Not to get too fashion-geeky, but it's interesting how what we wear once we've escaped the office can be either an extension of the dress code or a reaction to it (or maybe both). What do YOU fashiony folk wear when it's a-loungin' time?

Style Snapshot: Mai, Student & Super-Fan

When I met the lovely Mai at SXSW and asked her to do a Style Snapshot for this site, and she said "But I have no style!", I was shocked. She's incredibly adorable! Not to mention being one of the more cheery people I met in Austin; she was the most unapologetically enthusiastic about being there and about seeing bands and getting the most out of every second. She even had a massive folder with a chronological list of every party, show, showcase...she really put all the lazy industry wonks to shame. While she's not being the best fan ever, she goes to business school in Boston, is an accomplished photographer and--of course--writes a blog. I met her through a friend of mine who had been on tour with her (she sells merch for Ben Kweller), and she graciously let me interview her about her fashion statement.

Crochet vest: Ralph Lauren. Plaid empire-waist dress: Forever21. Why did she choose this clothing combo that day? "The weather. Is that too easy? I only packed 4 things, so it wasn't a hard choice." But what made her pick those 4 things (really? FOUR?! I am in awe.)? Well, "I wear this outfit every time it's hot out...it's cool, and dresses are good for spring. I wear this dress everywhere. It's strappy, but I hate showing my arms so I threw this on. I like to mix high-end things with more everyday." That's the secret of the super-chic, like Kate Moss with her TopShop/couture mashups. Who says you have no style, Mai? "I don't want to look like I'm trying too hard--it's just not who I am. I hate when you can tell people are trying too hard. So, this dress...I really love plaid. My dad wears plaid all the time. But this is the only plaid thing I've found that I like."

There's a lot there, hm? Her dad's influence and her practicality have resulted in a most on-trend look (plaid is still holding strong, and lace/crochet is huge for spring) without making her look like a carbon copy. Well played, darling. (Speaking of "well played," please, everyone, go follow Fug Madness over at Go Fug Yourself! So much more fun than basketball.)

Things I Love Thursday

[thanks gala!]

My new shoes - I finally acquired those Nine West patent heels, and they are SUPER fierce. Love love love. Sadly, I can't find my digital camera USB cable--arghh--so revelatory photos will have to wait.

Design*Sponge - This all-around fabulous design blog combines the author's personal design life with contributions from readers. The site is pretty and I like to live vicariously through the amazing things on the site, imagining that someday I, too, will lacquer an old cabinet into something hyper-mod-chic.

Bernard Rudofsky - One of my favorite people. Not that I know him, but he was a writer, architect, collector, teacher, designer, and social historian--okay, AWESOME--who did things like give a lecture entitled "How Can People Expect to Have Good Architecture When They Wear Such Clothes?" Love it. He wrote a really insightful, rather subversive book called Are Clothes Modern?, which went hand in hand with an exhibit of the same name at the MoMA. A reviewer at the time wrote, "Mr. Rudofsky reminds us that we smugly accept the stupidity of our clothes because we shy away from an insight into the problems of human work, leisure and happiness. The author mercilessly assails the supersitions and conventions by which we are bound, and clarifies the principles which should govern clothing in a modern age." Amazing. I love him. I treasure my old, worn, eBay-ed copy and wish I'd been around in 1947 for the exhibit. HOWEVER! I can be, sort of! The Getty Museum is putting on a Rudofsky retrospective, and I'm hoping to go see it today. Tres exciting. I'm such a geek...but I guess a fashion geek is on the less-geeky side of the spectrum? In any case, Rudofsky here I com/exhibit review on blog to come!

L.A. Dudes Still Want To Be the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

Meet L.A.'s newest style icons:

The other day, I totally broke character and flipped on the TV without having anything in particular to watch. Of course when "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" came on, I couldn't help but watch it and revel in the hilariously young Will Smith, the hilariously dated slang...and the hilariously HILARIOUS clothing. See above for a typical example. [Fresh Prince photos: The View From Beneath Your Skin] As I watched Will and Carlton (the preppy one) jab each other about getting into college, I realized with more than a little disbelief that Will's outfits wouldn't be out of place in current Hollywood hotspots. Seriously, think about it: the neon colors, the geometric 80s shapes sprinkled all over tee shirts and jackets in seizure-inducing designs, the omnipresent windbreaker jackets...they're all over Cinespace like spots on a dalmation. Cobrasnake has the evidence:

[thanks Cobrasnake]

I had been kind of loving the whole neon-noise look (check out the headphones on the top left guy! Amazing! They totally match the tape player I had as a kid!). Too often, guys feel trapped in boring fashion ruts and feel that more creative options are emasculating or something. (Though now the pink collared shirt has become emblematic of the rich and yacht-y, which isn't too bad an association, I'd imagine...but I know at first, shirt colors other than chalk-white were considered fruity, to say the least.) That's why I like that guys are feeling brave enough to break out the eye-popping neons and crazy patterns with evident glee. I'm less impressed, though, now that I can tell they're not being creative--they're just aping their childhood idols like the always-fresh Fresh Prince.

Does this mean our boys are regressing? Is the hipster/hip-hop scene longing for juice boxes and Saturday morning cartoons? Should we expect SuperSoakers to make their appearance soon? 80s-child-worthy sneakers are already here in a major way (see these new-edition Pumas, courtesy of sneakerfreaker).

Just in case you thought the Fresh Prince has only L.A. in his clutches, think again...the Korean hip-hop band Big Bang puts Cobrasnake wannabes to shame with their fresh, fresh freshness:

thanks to this blog for photos and alerting me to the existence of Big Bang:
fashion. fandom. and the things in between.

Cute Clothes, Savvy Silverlake Marketing & Kit from Project Runway!

happy spring! the jackalopes are blooming! [photo: the lope]

Last night, Jody and I hit up the first-day-of-spring party at Mesh & Lace, and it was way more enjoyable than I'd imagined. My fave girl from Project Runway, Kit, was there (!!!) to promote her line, Kit Pistol; there were delish hor's d'oeuvres & drinx; oh, and really nice clothes, too. Jody knew roughly every other person there, so we had a good excuse to hang around, chat, snarf jicama-tofu lettuce wraps and stare admiringly at Kit (OK, that might've just been me). It was fun, and also an interesting look at savvy marketing toward the young and scene-y. Read on....

I had no idea what neat clothes Mesh & Lace carried; the sign is kind of froufy -looking, so I'd never gone inside, even though it's like two minutes from my house. Turns out they stock interesting upscale indie lines (all women's--sorry, fellas) and clearly have some connections (the party was chock-full of Notable People in Music and Fashion...if music industry guys come to hang here on a Thursday night among racks of women's clothes, that's saying something). There were treats from Flore Vegan (my new absolute fave eatery. Not only do they have amazing salads and completely swoon-inducing chocolate cake--they know me so well!--but they freakin' DELIVER. Man.), and the drinks were done by VeeV, a liquor made with trend-tastic acai berries, prickly pear and some other Whole-Foodsy-ish ingredients. I thought it was pretty hilarious how much this booze company pushes all the right buttons for its hot young Prius-driving, American-Apparel-wearing target market: the of-the-moment bourgeois "natural" ingredients, the $1 per bottle that gets donated to environmental causes (including, of course, one run by Sambazon Acai), using soy ink on their labels, and, yes, making their sales force drive Priuses. I'm not saying I don't support all of the above (I wish I had a hybrid car, and I am wearing an Am.App. shirtdress as I type [though I only paid wholesale!]), but I find the whole thing highly amusing. Our holier-than-thou, high-end, earth-friendly mentality is laughably transparent (VeeV's tagline, surely effective, is "a better way to drink."). Oh yeah, did I mention that the real appeal of this alcohol is that it claims to be hangover-proof? Same general deal with vegan goodies: trendy, natural, expensive (except when it comes free on platters at a party! Yippee!) and very holier-than-thou. Decadent chocolate cake? If it were from Ralph's, people would start yelping about their diets; people ate this one happily, though, because, like, no worries, man, it's vegan. In short, the party was embarassingly like a live-action example of Stuff White People Like. Enough of my being disparaging, though...on to the starstruckness!

my two most favoritest contestants on P.R. this season, Kit & Christian. AWW.

After some hemming and hawing, I managed to say hi to the lovely Kit, who was charming, unassuming and very pretty & tiny. She was glam in a belted dress and blunt haircut, and was totally nice when I couldn't help saying "So, this is so dorky and I'm sure people accost you a million times a day, but you were just great on Project Runway." She laughed, and said that saying that couldn't be a bad thing. Good point. We all chatted a bit and I was glad that my star bubble wasn't burst; I hate when your opinion of people goes rocketing down after you meet them in person. I also liked Kit's hair clips, which are little leather bows (nice--dark leather kind of toughens up the girliness of a bow), and she told me that they've been picked up at Fred Segal in Santa Monica--what a coup! Fred Segal is quite the seal of approval. Their sister store, Ron Herman, was the first to snag Jeffrey Sebalia's Cosa Nostra line after his Project Runway victory.

After the party, we headed to the Echo to see Phosphorescent, who were fantastic. Then I got in a fight with a guy who told me I looked "like a mom" and that I should "take my H&M outfit and go somewhere else." First of all, I was not wearing a speck of H&M, and second, homeboy was wearing ratty jeans and an inside-out Fruit of the Loom tee shirt. Interesting that he seemed to forget his own outfit in his eagerness to insult me. A seriously hilarious argument. All right, well, sorry for the novel I've dumped on your blog feed here. TGIF, y'all.

Things I Love Thursday

IT'S THINGS I LOOOVVVVVE THURSDAY.
GET PUMPED.

Prada fall collection, why'd you have to go?

This week, it's:

• Fall/Winter '07 fashion. Oh, Fall '07 runways, I loved you so! The wonderful nipped waists and trench dresses, those footless socks at Prada, the ombre patent leather bags and shoes at Prada (see photo above [nannies crochet]; obviously, I'm still in love), the dark colors and inspired elegance overall... swoon, swoon, swoon. In contrast, I have to say, I'm so not feeling many of the Spring '08 trends right now. Floral watercolor chiffon stuff? Meh. Balenciaga tribal gladiator sandal stilettos? Interesting, but not actually attractive. Weirdo Prada candlestick heels? Horrid. Wedges? They're always in in warm weather, and I always hate 'em. The only trend I'm really liking is the "neogoth" or "femme noir" look (dark but not morbid; more elegant than punk; inky colors and sharp, structured shapes). Interesting...since that's basically just a continuation of the wonderful genius of Fall/Winter '07! And you'd best believe I'll be rocking my...

• Grey knit tights from Forever21! I wore them last night under a flimsy dress with high-heeled ankle boots and absolutely loved them. Not only are they fashionable without being uber-trendy, but they're warm, they don't run, and they really work to ground a summery outfit (plus they let me pretend it's still, you know, Fall/Winter '07).

• Easter. As you may remember from Valentine's Day, I get a strange compulsion to dress for the occasion on super-kitschy holidays. So I'm pretty sure that, at the ridiculous Easter party I'm throwing with friends involving plastic eggs and prizes, I'll end up in a retro frock and pink tights. [I adore this 1950s photo of 4 sisters in their Easter dresses! They look like cupcakes!]

• Water. I'm getting really sick of VitaminWater, LifeWater, VitaWater, FruitWater, H2Oplus, et. al. None of them have any amazing vitamins or nutrients that can't be found in plain old fruits and vegetables. And none of them taste better than plain old fresh, cold filtered water. Seriously. After drinking SobeWater or whatever, I always feel like I need a chaser of real water to cleanse my palate.

• Party at Mesh & Lace in Silverlake tonight. Kit from Project Runway will be there! I don't really care about her hair accessories, but by gum, I loved her (despite her unfortunate milkmaid-on-acid dress that got her kicked off) and am TOTALLY going to go with Jody to mingle, eat melon balls on toothpicks and ogle my favorite O.C. bleach blonde.

Bands of a Feather

You know those feathered hairclips I noticed on retro-stylin' young thangs at SXSW? Well, they may be fixing to be a trend. I found a bunch on Etsy, and Lorelei from Film School tells me that there was a girl at SXSW who makes and sells them. I sometimes like them, though I'm more a fan of the ones that curve against the hair (1) than of the Pocahantas-style ones that stick straight up and look costumey (2).

photos: 1, 2.

Why feathers now? As we all know, fashion has nothing new to say and just trots out the past in new colors; clearly, feather-haired girls are angling for a dash of flapper. Could it be that we're echoing the Roaring Twenties for deep & meaningful reasons? After all, the last time flappers wore feathers in their hair, a Great Depression was right around the corner....

Louise Brooks was in on the feather trend back in the day.

SXSW Style Notes

Thursday night at SXSW, 6th St., Austin TX. Could this many people all be dressed well? Sadly, no. [photo: Scott Sterling for metromixLA]

I just got back from South By Southwest last night, and I'm still trying to work out all the kinks in my spine from being curled up in the band's van for 24 hours. But it was a great time, and, naturally, I couldn't help keeping a sharp and catty eye out for style trends while I was there. Turns out that while music people do tend to be more style-conscious and creative than your average Joe, if you get enough of them piled into one small city, you'll start to see the same basic outfits so many times you'll want to puke. I mean, I wouldn't puke if all of them were fabulous, but...they weren't.

Unfortunately, "hipster," especially "music-associated hipster," has become a title so associated with a certain look that people are now throwing it on as a uniform so that the original newness and creativity via playing with volume, material and period references are gone. I saw thousands upon thousands of skinny jeans, arty tee shirts and big, colorful plastic-framed sunglasses. I'm not saying it's bad to follow the crowd if you aren't gifted in the dressing-yourself arena; hey, not everyone can be, and if you can write songs, that's good enough for me. It's just BORING.
It can also be eye-burning, since those uncreative hipster-apers may not be stopping t0 consider whether the uniform actually, um, flatters their bodies. My biggest pet peeve was the scores of ladies who did their research, found that high-waisted shorts and ankle boots are in, and dutifully sported them all week in Austin. One problem: THOSE SHORTS LOOK HORRIBLE ON EVERYONE. OK, maybe an occasional airbrushed gazelle-legged model can pull them off, but they truly should come with a "Do Not Try This At Home" tag. They're tight and emphasize every hip curve and tummy lump; they develop horrifyingly unflattering crotchal creases as the day goes on; they make thighs look thunderous; and, worst of all, they display truly terrifying wedgies in back. Oy vey. See below (this chick's version isn't even that bad):

[photo: world of wumme]

However, SXSW style wasn't a total loss. There were some girls in unusual dresses, and I even spotted a few gorgeous feather hairclips--very flapperesque and cool. There was definitely more variation among the ladies than among the menfolk, but that's only to be expected (we do have lots more options. When is the men's movement going to promote skirts for poor restricted guys?). To sum up:

• Skinny jeans will never die
• I hope high-waisted short-shorts will die. Like, yesterday.
  
• Boots are out in full force. It did get boring to see girl after girl in vintage or faux-vintage flat boots, but some pairs are fabulous. The SXSW report from All About Appearances noted lots of girls making the very smart choice to pair boots with trench coats. I approve!
• Witty tee shirts are far less evident than in the past. Thank god.
• The more stylish someone is at SXSW, the less likely they are to have money. The people with SXSW passes ($500 each; more likely to be on an industry exec than a band member) slung prominently 'round their necks are usually fat aging guys wearing pleated khakis and sneakers. The truly sartorially inventive probably arrived with no cash and is sleeping on a friend-of-a-friend's floor.
• Western wear looks a lot less pretentious when worn in Texas. Check my amiga Jody's blog, When You Awake, out for some fine country style.
  

What Would Prada Do?

[1. Marc Jacobs collage: Pink Rock Candy 2. YSL dress: portfolio.com
3 & 4. Dior origami collection: Dior & AngelInChanel 5. Prada fall '08: Kingdom of Style]

While Donna Karan, Armani and Vera Wang have all ventured into the wide world of home furnishings, it’s rare to see other big-name designers applying their visionary, you know, visionary-ness to any product lines other than clothes. Versace is doing luxury private jets, and Chanel lent its name to some sort of limited-edition Moet… in today’s world of designers collaborating on clothing & accessory lines for everyone else and their mothers, imagine the possibilities in other realms of design! A while ago, my fellow Vogue addict friend Mina and I sat plotting new brand extensions for all the top fashion designers, while our boyfriends yawned in protest. Here’s what we dreamed up:

• Marc Jacobs, master of excess and unlikely combinations, would make amazing food. Imagine a long banquet table covered in big, elaborate, colorful entrees and hundreds of sauces. He also might get way into decorating over-the-top perio-décor homes for the rich and subversive.
• Roberto Cavalli, whose animal prints shriek from every material other than fur, would outfit the most dashing little sports cars, perfect for cliché stars tooling ‘round Monaco.
• Tiffany, we know, could easily move from iconic silver jewelry to preppy-luxe yachts.
• What about the owners of those yachts? They’d have Ralph Lauren do their Cape Cod fantasy beach homes, and perhaps their artfully rustic rowboats with hand-whittled oars.
• Burberry, classic and great with metal, would make very cool tableware. Their cutlery would be weighty and sharp, and they would put clean-lined glasses alongside medieval goblets with little engraved knights.
• Christian Dior, especially after his spectacular origami-folded collection last year, would do gorgeous linens. A Dior-sheeted bed would be the perfect antithesis to typical grandma-style floral comforters.
• Chanel would, obviously, do champagne (not a Moet, but its own varietal). The brut and dry could come in a black and a white bottle, respectively, with no label other than a big gold CC.
• Armani, though, would serve up clear, ultrasmooth vodka (maybe in pinstripe-etched shot glasses).
• But who would be in charge of mixed drinks? Alexander McQueen, we decided, who makes luscious bird-printed gowns and frothy feathered vests and would surely blend up pretty, nectar-y cocktails—with a punch.
• What about nature girl Stella McCartney? Landscaped gardens, definitely.
• And what to eat during the inevitable fashiony garden parties, photographed for spreads in Harper’s? Cakes designed by Prada. Miuccia would whip up a goat-cheese-and-fig cheesecake, perhaps, and glaze it with, say, a pink peppercorn jelly. And surely her girlish Miu Miu would make the most adorable sugary cupcakes, with hidden brandy-soaked cherries and covered with metallic nonpareils.
• And where would the rich and tasteful go to get away from it all, when they'd had enough of nonpareils and champagne? Why, an elegant, masterfully done resort hotel by Yves Saint Laurent. YSL has the perfect mix of classic elegance and graceful luxury and just a tad of rock-star to make one feel more cultured, more rejuvenated and probably even more beautiful, just by sitting in its hotel lobby.
  

I don't doubt that designer brand extensions will start to stray far beyond clothing before very long. Let's hope that the clothes behind the original brand don't suffer as a result. Still, I would totally, majorly love a Prada cake!

Things I Love Thursday

Tonight's will be a tad rough, since I'm sitting with my computer balanced on my lap in a room at the La Quinta outside Austin and my signal is barely there. But I persevere, in the name of this highly essential blog post. Other than sleep, which I would dearly love to have more of, here are some highlights/good things for the day:

• This video about Coco Rocha--model of the minute--and all the mechanics and assistance behind the scenes that allow her to be a jet-setting working woman yet retain that I-just-love-to-hang-out-with-my-fab-friends-and-trot-around-in-delightful-headbands carefree charm. I haven't seen the whole video yet (thanks, La Quinta crap internet) but I think it's very cool to highlight all the work that goes into stardom (and all the people other than the star who do it).
  

• Seeing bands from all over on the street here in Austin - It's pretty entertaining to watch all the skinny-jeaned vintage-shirted Wayfarer-ed folk strolling around for this weird little invasion of Texas. Half of us all know each other already; and if we don't know each other, we don't talk. Unless someone's wearing a particularly notable shirt....
• Like, oh, another Thing I Live: the new shirt I helped design for Mezzanine Owls. It's the opposite of the standard ill-fitting, boring, white, center-logo band t-shirt; this one is palely striped and has a V-neck and the owl silkscreen (designed by the wonderfully talented Kristi Arnold) is artfully placed at the low hip. It RULES. At the band's EP release show at the Echo recently, the new V-neck outsold their normal shirts (also cool, but more standard) by like a billion percent. I'm not just promoting; I was seriously so proud of our collab-o.

[shirt online here]

• These Sergio Rossi paint-drip heels. I've been obsessed with these since I saw them in a recent Elle, but couldn't find them until today because--whoops--I thought they were by Pierre Hardy. Pierre is lovely, and I love some of his new shoes for Gap, but he can't take the credit for these gorgeous pseudo-paint-accident shoes. I think the current art/paint influence on fashion is really cool, and these are an obvious, but great example.
  

BRB, kids.

NOTE! I'll be on the road for the next few days and then bombing around at South By Southwest, so pardon my spotty appearance for the next 5 days or so. And no, I don't mean I've suddenly gotten a crop of pimples; I ain't no Brit. Power on, fashion friends, and let me know if I miss anything vital in the next 24 hours while we chug Diet Coke and try not to run the big old van off the road on the way to Austin.

XOXO MATERIAL GIRL !!!

(can you tell I sort of miss Gossip Girl, just a tad?)

Style Snapshot: Perry, Designer & NYC Transplant

I met Perry the other night at an utterly L.A. party--the kind where no one actually knows the host ("I think his name is Albert?...He may or may not be Armenian?"). Perry is one half of the unconventional design team behind Solid Gold Rags, a line of silkscreened tees that's already been picked up by swank L.A. shops like Satine. [Check SGR's MySpace, here.] As we stood outside, by the chiseled-out-of-rare-stone pool, he talked about the contrast of living in L.A. after spending years in Manhattan. Los Angeles really is more laid-back, he said: New York nights are full of gallery opening after gallery opening, bar after bar and party after party, while L.A. only demands a party or two per night of the socialista. [Can I say socialista? Like fashionista, but the socializin' kind.] It was fascinating talking to him, and he was gracious enough to do a little photoshoot + commentary for A Material World (though his friend was more shy). Perry's on the right, with the cap and fierce 'stache:

"I got this leather jacket at a thrift shop in Topanga today. It's really cool to find stuff like this for 20 bucks--it's not like New York, where everything's so picked over in every store. So I felt like I had to wear it today, you know?"

He didn't comment on the rest of his snappy ensemble, so I think the jacket was really the key item for Perry...perhaps the tee, cardigan, jeans and leather boots (not visible) are just his everyday outfit so he didn't even think about them. He did, however, add that his style goal is to be like "a cooler, straight Freddie Mercury." A very respectable goal, IMHO. As David Bowie said of Mercury, "Of all the more theatrical rock performers, Freddie took it further than the rest...And of course, I always admired a man who wears tights." Perry, I fear, may never reach those over-the-edge sartorial limits of Mercury's, judging by his tasteful getup the other night. But if his goal is straighter, cooler and, well, more actually stylish...I think he's got it down (his mustache is obviously the key to keep the Mercury reference legit).

[Freddie Mercury in a rare tightsless appearance. photo: freddiemercury.net]

Style Snapshot: Hugh Hefner

You know, I've never even questioned the bizarre fact that Hugh Hefner is never seen wearing anything other than silly, shiny pajamas.  I suppose I assumed that somehow his ancient age necessitated sleepwear at all times. but, according to his little piece in the New York Times T magazine's Men's Fashion issue, he hasn't ventured into normal daywear in over twenty years. 

[At his 80th birthday party, Hefner showcases his trademark pajama-and-lounge-jacket look. Girlfriend Holly is in peacock feathers. Paris is in...nothing.  Article + photo: NYTimes]

"I started wearing pajamas during the day shortly after I founded Playboy in 1953. It made sense because the first few issues were put together in my apartment, where I would often work straight through the night. In the early '60s, when I moved into the Playboy Mansion in Chicago, I stopped going to the office altogether; by the '80s, I had begun using pajamas in a more social way. When I had friends over for a buffet and a movie on Friday nights, I didn't bother to put on a shirt or a suit, and people started to be disappointed if I didn't wear PJs. I think I have about 100 different pairs in silk custom-made for me by a tailor named Mr. Brown. During the day I wear black; for weekends I prefer purple; and on holidays and special occasions, red. My bedsheets are black satin, and my girlfriends like to wear pink pajamas. Holly stays with me overnight, and my other two girlfriends, Kendra and Bridget, have their own bedrooms. It would be crazy if we all tried to sleep together, because Holly has four dogs that stay in our bed, Bridget has a dog and a cat, and Kendra has two dogs. But we like to throw pajama parties to give our guests the opportunity to dress the way I do. It's very comfortable, and if you can pull it off, there's definitely a certain style to it."

At this point, I think the "certain style" to pajama dressing could only, only be called "Hefner style." Just goes to show that becoming popular, famous and immensely wealthy doesn't require cool clothes...amazingly, something as uncool as lazing in your PJs can, if a media mogul does it, become totally aspirational.  So I have to say, it's no wonder Paris Hilton is such a joke; if she can't even figure out what pajamas are, how will she ever reach Hef heights?

Who's the Star of L.A. Fashion Week? Botox, Of Course.

I know Los Angeles's Fashion Week has historically been a pale, tacky cousin to the massive and respected New York, Paris & Milan weeks. But I was still planning on going, especially when I read this beginning of an e-mail from GenArt:

Gen Art's
"The New Garde: A Celebration of Innovative Los Angeles Fashion,"
Emerging LA designers: JMARY, Jesse Kamm, Le Sang des Betes by Trang Chau

A spring fashion week event dedicated to showcasing three innovative new LA -based lines in unique installation presentations, shown on models in large-scale vignettes, conceptualized by the designers and produced by renowned set designer Keith Greco. The fashion presentations will be followed by an after-party at the same location with Music by DJ Whiteshadow and The Schoenecker Brothers.

Three designers I've never heard of (but GenArt loves them, and I love GenArt, so clearly I should hear about them right quick); "unique installation presentations" (ooh, how very now); and none other than The Schoenecker Brothers, whoever they are! How could I resist?

Then I read the next line:

"Presented by BOTOX."

Oh. Of course. For a second there, this L.A. Fashion Week event was really impressing me with its cool, un-Hollywood hipness. But this is L.A., and where would we all be without Botox? Apparently not here, and sans "innovative new fashion designers." I read a quote from Vanessa Williams yesterday at the hair salon, where she claims that every single woman she knows has had Botox. I was shocked, and thought smugly that MY world doesn't include such preposterousness. Clearly I'm deluded; even my fave artsy organization needs the needle. SIGH.

Things I Love Thursday

[thanks Gala!]

Sorry for the delay on this one, kids; technical difficulties are, like, so lame. Anyway, this week all the sun and beach-going has made me gung-ho for new spring color and art. Out with the old, in with the new....

Spring trends that AREN'T floral - I know every designer and their mothers are doing florals this spring, and at first I thought the return of garden romance was rather charming...but by now, after seventeen flower-dripping fashion spreads in each of the seventeen or so fashion magazines I read, I want nothing more than to run away to a cold, snowy country where flowers don't exist. Therefore, I'm madly grateful for trends that make me feel safely protected against the rose parade: especially the cool, saturated colors of the new neo-mod look. The techno-esque shades of yellow, pink and green would never be found in nature; they're less lollipop and more robo-princess. Imagine these heels (Nine West is gifting us with the perfect shade of pink right now: very cool and man-made-looking) with grey tights and a belted trench. I think it's making feminine colors and making them sterile in a way that implies power and innovation. Blah blah, sure, but you know I'm totally right.

Nieves exhibit at Ooga Booga - Ooga Booga is a fabulous crazy little store in downtown L.A. that stocks unusual + artsy books/music/art/accessories/clothes. Now they're hosting a neat new exhibit of super-arty books that make you want to enlarge your coffee table to make room for 'em all...."This will be the first U.S. show of the Swiss art publisher Nieves and will feature all of their publications since 2001, as well as a zine reading room of rare and out of print titles by Nieves-related artists throughout March!" Reception/party Thursday night, March 6th, 7-10 PM. I'm-a be there, fer shur!! [p.s. i lurve Nieves's little guy -->]

Milk + Satine Sale - OH MAN you guys. This one is major (Victoria Beckham called Christian's collection "MAJOR" last night on Project Runway, and I love it. And her. And him.). Milk and Satine are definitely, definitely my fave shops on West Third Street and believe me, having worked at several places on that street, I know each and every happenin' boutique on it). Satine has some of the most luscious and un-mainstream designers (Vanessa Bruno, Erin Fetherston, sell-your-soul-worthy Balenciaga and Lanvin shoes...). Milk is the place where, every time I walk in, I stay inside, wandering around and picking things up and putting them down, not wanting to leave even if I'm not buying anything, wishing I could make the store into my house. Cool old wood shelves, interesting displays, gorgeous art books, wonderful and unusual shoes (like my favorite Loeffler Randall flats in candy colors), uber-hip (like seriously hip, not American-Apparel hip) clothes and nice, laid-back salesgirls. ANYWAY, Milk & Satine are apparently combining forces for some mind-blowing 50% - 80% off sale this weekend. When: Fri.-Sun., 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Where: 8207a W. Third St., b/t S. La Jolla & S. Harper Aves. For more info, call Milk (323-951-0330) or Satine (323-655-2142).

L.A.'s LAMILL Coffee Has Trendy Beverages, Pants.

Today I happened to be driving by the new chichi coffee shop on Silver Lake Blvd, LAMILL COFFEE (I assume it's supposed to be all shouted in caps, since its sign is), and realized I'd been awake several hours without caffeine. Never a good thing. So, while I'd avoided LAMILL because of its pricey cups of joe and the large amount of hype--I never trust things with hype--I caved and went in. Just as I'd suspected: tasteful modern decor, white tablecloths (come ON, really?), and an endless list of coffees with long explanations of their origins and flavors and implications. While I was waiting an inordinately long time for the teensy cup of "Puro Something-or-other" that I'd chosen after scanning the list, I noticed that all the waitresses were wearing really high-waisted jeans. The SAME really high-waisted jeans. Could it be--that a coffee shop intent on exploiting the current trend for boutique roasts and polished cement floors was also outfitting its servers with equally trendy trousers?

[thanks for the pants, art of the steal]

Answer: yes. On the one hand, I suppose it's nice to work in a place where the uniform is actually wearable in public. But I couldn't shake the feeling that "cool" was being forced down my throat. That the targeted marketing was a little too on-point for my taste; I felt cornered, as if LAMILL were standing over me, pointing menacingly, intoning "I know you, and your love of modern decor, and your appreciation for fine coffee and slight feeling of superiority when you patronize independent cafes, and I know you recognize these as cool, on-trend jeans, you hipster, you." Get out of my head, LAMILL! Let your Silver Lake patrons retain the illusion that you don't know all their tastes, ambitions and exactly how to lure them in to pay $12 for a cup of soup!

Also, let me know how on earth you managed to find high-waisted jeans that actually looked good on three separate girls. I gotta give you props for that one.

Why Uggs Are Back

[painting: Louise Laplante]

I just got back from San Francisco, which I've always thought is the West Coast city that's most similar to Boston. The graceful old buildings, the walkable neighborhoods, the trees, the hyper-educated residents and resentful teens who will soon be hypereducated.... This time around, I saw that SF is also like Boston in its fashion statements. Black, black, black...and Uggs! I've already hypothesized about East Coasters and their safe, black cocoons; my dear friend whom I visited this weekend, who works in P.R. and is mega-stylish, reports that San Fran-ers are just desperate to look East Coast. Everyone in the Financial District wears black, she says, and tries to dispel any notions of flowers-in-your-hair hippiedom. When we met up with her work friends at a bar on Saturday (Blondie's, where the martinis come like milkshakes--with the extra in a huge glass for when you finish your first olive-laden beast), I could see that the brands in favor were all classic, East-Coast-esque prepster labels: Coach, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Kate Spade. Not to say that those aren't visible in L.A.--I did just read an interview with a Hollywood denizen who claimed the 'Wooders all wear black, too--but I do think there's less value placed on looking straightlaced.

However, this still leaves us with the question of Uggs. Why are they still around? After being so thoroughly mocked as a trend, after seemingly disappearing from view, why are scads of girls now wearing them IN PUBLIC? Basically, we've figured out, it's been long enough since their rise and fall that they've essentially become trend-neutral. The time gap has dulled their uncoolness in people's minds (NOT MINE THOUGH), so people feel no qualms about bringing them out again. As one friend said, "They're the new Converse All-Stars"--i.e., so ubiquitous now that wearing them no longer means anything about you.

I forgive Sienna Miller for this, because it was FOUR YEARS AGO [photo: Sarah]

Hmph. I still disapprove, but I suppose I'll have to suspend my judgement in light of society's ability to move on and get over it.
Uggs: 1, me: 0.

Britney, This Pair's For You

Sadly, we've all seen this before.

For those among us who cannot imagine a world before spandex, there often arises a horrible dilemma: to wear underwear, as people have done for centuries, and risk unsightly panty lines that divide your bum diagonally and showcase your muffin top, or to go commando and end up like our favorite tabloid crotch-shot divas? This is not a question to take lightly, people. The threats each option poses to your reputation are massive.

Thank GOODNESS, then, that Shibue Couture now offers strapless G-string thongs, which cover only the essentials (what did your hips or lower abdomen ever do to deserve the cruel touch of elastic?). They cost $32.00, come with strips of adhesive tape to secure them to you, and promise "total freedom from binding, unflattering panty lines."

I'm not sure what would even necessitate different sizes, but it does come in an XS-L range. How to know your size? Simple: "measure from the top of the pubic bone to the top of your tailbone." Oh. Duh.

This could be a life-changing arrival in the lives of many young socialites you may find waiting outside of Hyde or shopping for new crystals to decorate their Sidekicks. No longer will they have to choose between looking fat and looking naked. The rest of us may be even MORE grateful...at least for the latter.

So can we hope for a new crotch-shot-less world, safe for our eyes and Puritan morals? The Shibue site warns us that "SHIBUE couture is not intended to replace your normal daily panty." Oh dear. Bad news for the most hardcore spandex miniskirt addicts. Our world may remain in danger yet.