The New Black

As a personal style challenge to myself, and to show my sister, a film student in Los Angeles with an enviable sense of personal style, that I can do it, I will be purging my outfits of my "fashion crutch" color-- black for one week, starting tomorrow, April 1st. I think I can do it. But am a bit fearful about what to do for hosiery. Any suggestions?

What are some of your "fashion crutches" - colors, items or styles you simply can't live without?

Wish me luck!

Photos to come.

San Francisco in Pictures

above: a shot of the interior of Harput's Market in San Francisco, with three Vespa scooters parked near a sunglass display case

above: a display of belts at Harput's Market

I'm still recovering from an action-packed weekend in San Francisco! While I was originally in town to attend a friend's wedding, I couldn't, of course, resist the temptation to check out some local boutiques. The Mr. and I were staying near Union Square, and even though I know rough geographic layouts due to my college years in the East Bay, I had forgotten how far neighborhoods can be from one another... without the assistance of a car or bus. The BART will only get you so far!

Some standout boutiques included the quirky charm of Harput's Market, which sells not only cutting edge labels such as Pleasure Principle and Y's, but racks of its own, versatile, fashion-forward line, Harput's Own. The in-store label looks surprisingly plain on the hanger, but, through the magic of styling and manipulation of fastenings, can be worn in many different ways. We were pleasantly surprised by the laidback atmosphere of the shop and delighted by the colorful belts and custom-made belt buckles on display in the loft-like space.

I also picked up a boyfriend-style sweater at Candystore Collective, a charming boutique in the Mission district-- Thanks for the tip, Lorraine of SF Indie Fashion!

above: a band of Segways spotted near the church on wedding day

On Saturday, the perfect sunny day for a wedding, the Mr., my sister, her boyfriend and I made our way to a charming North Beach church to witness the union of our mutual friend, Ian and his beloved now-wife, Jenny. The bride ran a little late due to a parade cutting off traffic across Market Street. We were all a little tense about that, but once he began reciting his vows, Ian broke down in tears and we were all so moved.

above: the altar at the church- talk about old school!

After the ceremony, the party headed to a Chinese restaurant for a traditional style Chinese wedding banquet. The bride's family is Chinese, and they threw a really fun party, complete with a wedding singer (who as it turns out was the owner of the restaurant) who stole the show singing hits all night, including Chris de Burgh's Lady in Red and Spandau Ballet's True.

above: a shot of the elaborate fascinator veiled hat worn by the bride, in lieu of a traditional veil-- a really neat idea

above: another modern touch: instead of floral arrangements, the couple placed some fashion editorial-worthy shots at each table

above: a shot of one of the many, many dishes that came to the table that evening...

All in all, a wonderful way to spend a weekend. Congratulations, Ian and Jenny!

For more coverage of San Francisco boutiques and designers, stay tuned this week and next! I will be posting some interviews soon...

Shoptalk: Stand Up Comedy in Portland

above: a view of Portland's Stand Up Comedy
all pictures courtesy of Diana Kim

I first discovered Stand Up Comedy about a year ago through a friend, who directed me to the Portland-based boutique’s minimalistic website. I was immediately intrigued by the simple presentation of the shop’s objects, a mix which includes avant-garde menswear and womenswear, accessories and books. The modest layout of the shop and website can be a shock to the senses in the best possible way, especially when one is used to flashier showcases for designer items. After interviewing Stand Up Comedy’s co-owner, Diana Kim it all made a little more sense. Read on to learn more about this super creative, independent boutique.

“Neither of us particularly enjoys fashion but we are interested in style and its interpretation through product,” admits Diana Kim, who, along with business partner, Rachel Silberstein, opened Portland boutique, Stand Up Comedy nearly two years ago. Interviewing Kim about the venture is a bit, one imagines, like speaking to a sphinx: her responses are pared down and elliptical, bordering on the absurd, which nearly captures the flavor of their joint concept.

“We're both interested in the absurd, so the name and the shop are a kind of challenge to ourselves, to remember,” Kim says. “We love comedy and stand up especially and are interested in its practice as a way of looking at the world we live in now… To laugh is to be on the edge of crying, right? The intangible quality that exists in between those two impulses feel very subversive. It's like, what if you had an idea but no words to express it? That's why the shop exists.”

Absurd-inspired name aside, Kim and Silberstein seem to draw upon their fine arts backgrounds to curate the space: Kim was formerly a performing arts curator at Minneapolis’s Walker Art Center and Silberstein has a background in film. The shop, Kim explains, operates on a set of default rules, which reads, appropriately enough, like an artist’s mission statement:

Stay within XXX budget. Have a memorizable inventory. Don't add anything fixed to the space that doesn't already exist in some form, only take away. Do not stock anything that can already be found locally. Make a website using a free program. Make it a living archive. Do not deviate from the standard template. Do not style products in the shop. Do not style products on the website. Do not attempt to cultivate an experience, only hope for the best. When a project is done in the shop, it becomes a shop project. Nothing should happen behind closed doors, no matter how messy or odd it may seem to a visitor. It's all small ways of acknowledging that art becomes life becomes work becomes art. And on a more brutal note, that retail environments don't have to be precious; neither does inventive, really special work of all kinds have to be.

above: accessories on display

above: the store's spartan display

above: print and objects at Stand Up Comedy

For inventory, Kim says both she and Silberstein buy for the store together and “talk about every piece in minute detail before buying it.” Typically, she says, they buy only a few pieces of each item: “When buying, it’s better for us to be rather austere. Otherwise, too many outside influences can infiltrate.” In addition to price point and quality, Kim says “the main criteria are whether or not the thing adds a continuum to the story of the shop at the moment; and, does it help the creator reach a new audience or does it help the audience to be introduced to a new maker.”

At the moment, the “story” of the shop includes pieces from Acne, Arielle De Pinto, Henrik Vibskov, Hope, Bless, Ann-Sofie Back, Creatures of the Wind, LD Tuttle, Pelican Avenue, Samma, Saskia Diez, Slow and Steady Wins the Race. For fall, Kim is particularly excited about pieces from Isaac Reina and Daphne and Vera Correll: “Isaac makes exquisite leather goods with no logos or ridiculous hardware. The type of bag you'll have the rest of your life and will never be recognizable. The Corrells have been referred to as craftspeople, but they work in a more painterly tradition - the hand of the maker is so evident, with a softly calculated drama.”

In addition to stocking new items for spring, Stand Up Comedy fans can look forward to the store’s raingear collaboration with Slow and Steady Wins the Race, which will include ponchos, umbrellas, trenchcoats and waterproof pumps; the collection will launch in Portland in mid-April, continuing to the Saloni di Mobile furniture fair in Milan, as part of Apartamento Magazine’s pop up shop, before hitting shops worldwide. As for the shop’s plans to expand into other cities, Kim seems happy to stay local for now: “Portland is a very special place and it’s not a fashion town. That’s what makes it livable.”

Stand Up Comedy
811 E Burnside Street
Portland, Oregon 97214
+1 503.233.3382
+1 503.232.0200

info@shopstandingup.us
http://www.shopstandingup.us

Weekend Links

above: a Wendy Brandes genie necklace

This weekend, I will be heading to San Francisco to attend a dear friend's wedding. Of course, there will be plenty of "market research" during my free time, as well as interviews with local designers and boutiques. Since I launched my interview series this week, I have been so inspired by the indie spirit that it's given my creativity an extra kick in the pants. It's almost like being in love. To recap this week: Please check out the first interview with Brooklyn's Alter boutiques (they gave Dream Sequins a shoutout on their blog-- thanks, guys!) and the second interview with SF Indie Fashion, whose nearly encyclopediac knowledge of local boutiques is mind-boggling.

Here are some Weekend Links... Enjoy the weekend and please keep posting those sassy comments!

Bloggers get meta with it: an interview of Jordana of clutch22 with gorgeous visuals [via alixrose]

Your wish fulfilled from an adorable tiny genie necklace (pictured above) for your subversive pleasure [via Wendy Brandes]

A demonstration of multiple ways to wear a versatile jacket (called the "Swacket") from San Francisco-based Harput's Own [via childhood flames]

Check out "Fashion for All," a clothing drive for a worthy cause and how you can participate! [via Felicia Sullivan]

A roundup of links from an amazing Canadian illustrator/blogger, who gave us some wonderful coverage of Toronto Fashion Week... with a shoutout to Dream Sequins, to my happy surprise! [via final fashion]

Behind the Blog: SF Indie Fashion

above: ahhh, the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, courtesy of wikipedia

In preparation for my visit to San Francisco this weekend, I decided to call upon the expertise of writer, Lorraine Sanders, who launched her website, SF Indie Fashion in 2005, to cover independent, locally based designers in the Bay Area. Sanders, who calls herself a “recovering Southerner” from Richmond, Virginia, says she has been “completely hooked on San Francisco” since her arrival in 2000. In addition to running SF Indie Fashion, she writes for print publications and contributes to TravelPost.com and 7x7 magazine’s Glamwatch blog. Here are some of her thoughts about the local indie fashion scene. I got so many great tips from her and hope you find the interview as insightful as I did!

Can you tell us about trends that have been happening with local designers?

Recently, as in, like this month, I have been noticing a really cool trend towards apparel that can be worn in multiple different ways. There are designers around the country doing it, but local designers Sofie Olgaard and Revelation by M.E. are names that fall into this category, as well as Paris-based Please Dress Up, a design team that was working from San Francisco until late last year.

above: a look from Sofie Olgaard, courtesy of the designer's website

above: a dress that literally flips from day to night, from Revelation by M.E.'s website

Do you have any favorite designers or boutiques?

I’m a huge fan of boutiques that embrace local designers and work from independent sources, in general. I also love a store with a palpable point of view.

When I need a great dress, you’re likely to find me at Candystore Collective or drooling over the well-edited selection of women’s apparel at Belljar. I’m really excited about what’s been happening at the just-opened Tedda Hughes boutique in Russian Hill, and I almost start crying sweet tears of joy whenever I walk into Shotwell in Union Square.

Some of my other favorites include .meggie, Secession Art & Design, The Mission Statement, R.A.G., Ellie Olson, Honey Ryder, Gimme Shoes, Rare Device and 440 Brannan. I’m sure I’m leaving someone awesome out, so I’ll just apologize in advance.

I read that San Francisco used to have a Fashion Week, but that due to lack of interest or funding, it no longer exists.

I think plenty of people were interested in Fashion Week when it happened here – I know I was – but putting on a large-scale event like that in a major city like San Francisco requires the willing participating of multiple corporate sponsors, not to mention a large number of people ready to throw down for event tickets…

While I miss the event and hope another one emerges in the future, I also don’t see a point in having a fashion week unless it’s well-funded and well done. I mean, no matter what kind of fashion week you do here, it’s going to draw comparisons to those in other cities around the world, so we might as well hold out until there’s the right kind of magic formula in place to make it the high-profile, successful event it deserves to be.

What do you think about San Francisco style?

I think San Francisco style is kind of like a huge bundle of ongoing conversations. Something like the fashion equivalent to the sensory experience of standing on the Powell Street BART platform at 5 p.m. on a Friday, closing your eyes for a second and listening to all the conversations buzzing in the background.

There are so many different cultures, languages, backgrounds, economic levels and points of view living within the City’s relatively petite 49 square miles. Because of that, you’re naturally going to get a raucous interplay of tastes and aesthetics, ranging from the rather high-end and worldly offerings of Union Square to the edgier finds of the Mission district to the eco-minded products you’ll find throughout San Francisco boutiques and stores.

I’ll also say that San Francisco is the special kind of place where you can wear flip-flops and a coat without looking crazy and take style risks with wild abandon – and I love both of those things.

The economy has been affecting us all. It must be hard for emerging designers and boutiques to make it through these times…

Sure, I’ve noticed plenty of hardship hitting local designers and, for that matter, independent businesses of all kinds… Of course, at the same time, there are great new businesses starting up all the time. GAMA-GO is about to open its first retail space, for example, and boutiques like Shotwell, .meggie and Tedda Hughes are new on the scene.

For more information, please check out the blog, SF Indie Fashion.

And stay tuned for interviews with local designers and indie boutiques from the Bay Area. I can’t wait to share some of my finds with you!

Hole-y Cow!

above: Raquel Allegra shirt via jakandjil.com

I've been meaning to write this post (or rant) for some time now.

And this one's for the fellas, especially.

It's true that trends are embracing the shredded, holey aesthetic. And in some cases, like the Raquel Allegra shirt shown above, Rodarte cobweb-effect sweaters or shredded denim in general, the hole thing (pun intended) can be quite lovely.

But why must the Mr. insist on wearing his favorite shorts, a pair of threadworn khakis from a couple summers ago and other shirts and items with prominent tears in them, when there are many items in his wardrobe (like say, a lovely Yohji Yamamoto shirt given to him by yours truly) which remain untouched?

This isn't a matter of the Mr. being clueless in the fashion department. In fact, you might call his wardrobe a mix of fashion forward and "old man style" cute. So why this inclination to allow clothing to wear out their welcome?

Any thoughts?

Shoptalk: Alter 109 and Alter 140 in Brooklyn

above: a shot of the interior of Alter 109 (men)
all photos courtesy of Tommy Cole

above: Alter 109 (men)

I recently had an opportunity to chat with the charming Tommy Cole, co-founder of the Alter 109 and Alter 140 boutiques in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint neighborhood. This is the first in a series of profiles highlighting emerging designers and independent boutiques. I hope you find it inspiring and welcome your feedback!

The story behind the Alter boutiques in Brooklyn began in 2004, when Roy Caires and Tommy Cole, both new to New York and working in retail, came up with an idea to start a menswear line called “This Old Thing?” consisting of one-of-a-kind, reconstructed, vintage pieces. While continuing to work their dayjobs, they were furiously producing new pieces to meet growing demand from boutique buyers. About a year later, the pair stumbled upon a revelation while scouring raghouses for vintage materials: “We were finding amazing vintage clothing that we didn’t want to do anything to,” Cole says. “So we started stockpiling.”

Cole had the idea to try selling their untouched vintage inventory at a pop-up shop in Boston, where both Caires and Cole had lived before moving to New York. The event was a success and two months later, the pair followed up with another sale in Boston. By September 2006, Caires and Cole had quit their dayjobs to run vintage sales in Brooklyn, beginning with an event at Galapagos in Williamsburg.

In late 2006, a friend tipped them about a retail space in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint neighborhood. “We had nothing, no money,” Cole recalls about their humble beginnings. “We lived in the back of the store for the first three months.” The store opened in February 2007 with mostly vintage merchandise and in August 2008, they opened a store across the street focusing on womenswear.

above: Alter 140 (women)

above: Alter 140 (women)

Today, they run a multi-brand business, stocking popular pieces from labels such as Cheap Monday, Kill City from Los Angeles and Preloved from Canada. The average Greenpoint customer, Cole estimates, is a fashion-forward person between the ages of 26-40, with the ability to shop at stores like Barney’s, but who want to own unique, well-priced items. “We’ve tapped into a whole bubble of people who really support local shops and have good taste,” he enthuses.

Despite difficult economic times, Cole remains optimistic about the future. While the pair would eventually love to open a store in Manhattan, they are focused on maintaining and growing their base in Brooklyn. The next step for Alter will be to launch their webstore http://www.alterbrooklyn.com in the coming months. Their blog has attracted a fan base across the country and around the world. “We’re literally a mom and pop operation... with no formal business education or investors,” Cole says. “We are just buying things we like and hoping people buy them.”

Alter 109 (men)
109 Franklin Street
Brooklyn, NY 11222
(718) 784-8818

Alter 140 (women)
140 Franklin Street
Brooklyn, NY 11222
(718) 349-0203

http://alterbrooklyn.blogspot.com (current blog)

Notes from the Valentino Documentary

above: a still from the Valentino film from valentinomovie.com

The Mr. and I went to Film Forum tonight to check out Valentino: The Last Emperor, a riveting documentary following designer Valentino Garavani and his business partner and companion of over 50 years, Giancarlo Giammetti, during events leading up to the 45th anniversary of the house of Valentino and Garavani's ultimate exit from the business in 2008.

This is a must-see for those interested in fashion, as it gives the viewer delicious behind the scenes glimpses into the dying world of couture and commentary from luminaries in the fashion world, such as Andre Leon-Talley, Suzy Menkes, Cathy Horyn and Karl Lagerfeld. Above all else, the documentary is about the understated and implicit love of two men whose lives have become so intertwined that, as Giancarlo tells it during the film, they have literally only spent two months apart since the first time they met in Rome. You will laugh, you will cry and you will swoon. Go see it!

We were surprised to see filmmaker Matt Tyrnauer in attendance. I wasn't expecting that. Tyrnauer, who is a writer for Vanity Fair, told the audience before the film that it premiered in Venice to critical acclaim and that despite pessimism about the film industry, premiere screenings in New York were "sold out on a sunny day this week which made me happy indeed." Tyrnauer continued in his introduction that the film was about "fashion nominally but ended up being about a whole lot more than fashion."

This is the filmmaker's first full length documentary, and it was a wonderful, balanced glimpse into a rarified world of Valentino, which included footage from his glamorous homes in Paris and Gstaad and introduced the audience to his peripheral world, including the seamstresses who made his beautiful couture dresses possible and his glamorous pack of pug dogs, who get to fly private and seem to have a staff of their own.


above: Valentino and Giancarlo, courtesy of valentinomovie.com

above: a blurry cameraphone shot of the filmmaker, Tyrnauer, courtesy of the Mr. (I sadly left my camera at home tonight-- sorry!)

Some fun facts surfaced during the Q and A session after the film: both Valentino and Giancarlo were originally unhappy with the way the film turned out, but soon changed their tune after critics and friends attended the screening and gave Valentino a standing ovation; Tyrnauer said that he was especially enamored with the world of the seamstresses in the movie; and the 90 minute documentary is a finely edited result culled from over 200 hours of footage, with the original director's cut at around seven hours long.

If it is playing at a city near you, I would definitely recommend it! See the official website for more details.

A Bout de Souffle

above: pink bubbly at Boom Boom Beauty Bar for the GlossBox event

Spring is in the air; you can feel it! I've been running around town, attending some lovely events. It snowed on Friday morning, and there's been a hint of a cold front, but I'm still hopeful about warmer weather so I can start wearing breezy sandals and skirts again.

On Thursday, I dropped by the "Brows, Bubbles and a Benefit" event at the Boom Boom Beauty Bar in the West Village, co-hosted by the girls behind the phenomenal beauty blog, The GlossBox. Melinda, the charming owner of the waxing boutique, did her best with my brows, which admittedly have been in terrible shape after a visit to a local cheapie threading salon. I'm definitely visiting Boom Boom again for some serious brow "retraining."


above: me and a friend after some brow taming avec pink bubbly

above: ladies at the GlossBox event

After enjoying our treatments and a round or two of pink bubbly, we headed to the Carmen Ho sample sale, which was packed with some ladies on a mission... a mission for some peep-toe spring shoes. Most of the shoes were too small for me-- and there was a slew of them in enviably bright colors in size 36. So I left empty-handed. Carmen's designs used to be stocked at high end stores like Bergdorf Goodman and she has since moved on to other design-related ventures.

above: shoes in buttery leather for a size 36 Cinderella. Believe me, I tried to jam my toes in a pair or two in vain!

Last night, I attended a performance of Verdi's Il Trovatore at the Metropolitan Opera House. I've always been a fan of opera, and the Mr. and I have been subscribers for the past two years. This year, however, we've been so busy with travel plans and other events that we have had to give away half our subscription tickets. I think we'll scale back to individual tickets for next year. Opera is such a melodramatic and antiquated medium if you think about it. The music is sung mostly in foreign languages and the story lines are so ridiculous. But the costumes and sets are rich, a sumptuous visual buffet for any aesthete.

above: the facade of the building, draped in a diaphonous advertisement for La Somnabula.

One of my favorite parts of attending opera is the people watching. Most people don't dress up for the opera anymore-- with the dressiest end of the spectrum being people in suits from the office or women in strapless dresses and their dates. There is apparently a diehard club of subscribers, those old-school black tie formal dress code adherents who show up in the Grand Tier wearing evening dress. It's a pleasure to see them in their element here. Once, a friend and I had passes to the Belmont Club, a private intermission lounge within the building reserved for certain patrons, and we chatted up some older ladies decked out in Hermes and Chanel, who told us that it was nice to see "young people" supporting the performing arts.

above: a view of the audience from our box seats; a pretty packed house!

above: a close-up shot of the chandeliers in the opera house, which are hoisted gloriously before each performance and dimming of the lights

All in all, a fantastic kickoff for the first weekend of Spring. Tonight-- it's off to the Film Forum for a screening of the Valentino documentary (finally)! I'll be sure to post a review about it soon.

Weekend Links

above: an image from a book on Japanese Goth fashion via NYTimes, On the Runway blog

What a strange turn of events this week has taken. People are bracing for inflation, with the Federal Reserve planning to buy a historic quantity of government debt, Obama appeared on Jay Leno and Spring is officially here (though not quite felt-- it snowed in New York this morning)... Here are some strange links to take you into the weekend:

Cathy Horyn brings us news about a new book on Tokyo street style called "Japanese Goth" written by an American journalist in Tokyo, Tiffany Godoy. [via On the Runway]

MTV is attempting to revive its House of Style show, with Bar Rafaeli and Chanel Iman. [via the Cut]

Greenlanders are protesting Peter Jensen's use of folkloric costume in his boots for the Autumn/Winter 2009 show. [via My Fashion Life]

Liam Gallagher of British music group Oasis will be launching a menswear collection called Pretty Green, inspired by The Jam. Are we having a 90s flashback moment anyone? [via Drapers]

An interview with Mark Eley of Eley Kishimoto, focused on his collaboration with Eastpak. [via JCReport]

Sidenote

This morning, I finished interviewing the founder of an indie boutique in New York for the first of hopefully a robust series highlighting emerging designers and indendent boutiques you should know about. Look for it and support your local designers and boutiques!

Just a little note to say that I'm running around town today in the grey rainy afternoon. Going to meet with my editor at the indie magazine to discuss new assignments and also to check out two great events in the early evening. I'm double-booked! But feeling good about it.

Shoes, indie dresses, brows and booze. What could be better than that?

Carmen Ho shoe sample sale on Thursday March 19th and Friday March 20th from 5 pm to 8 pm and on Saturday March 21st from 2 to 5 pm. At 472 Broadway, 3rd Floor. RSVP info@carmenho.com. [Check link for invitation]

The girls of beauty blog, TheGlossBox will be hosting their first event at Boom Boom Brow Bar on March 19th: free brow shaping, bubbly and a chance to help a worthy charitable cause. [via TheGlossBox]

Ceci n'est pas...

Ceci n'est pas un "magazine stand." No. This is our monthly reading pile, most of which gets delivered by our poor mail delivery person, who must hate us by now.

The Mr. and I are hopelessly addicted to periodicals. And this doesn't even include our New Yorkers and other weeklies.

Needless to say, we are very much behind in our reading...

Boutique Strollin'

above: construction progress on the Topshop outlet which is scheduled to open in New York on April 2nd

Last Saturday, en route to the Yohji Yamamoto store to check out the Limi Feu spring collection, I dropped by Aloha Rag on Greenwich Street in that frontier of western Soho which just skirts the Holland Tunnel area. This area is quickly becoming known for its cutting edge fashion: the Rick Owens store and avant-garde menswear shrine, Atelier all lie within a few blocks of Aloha Rag, which is the New York outpost of the Honolulu-based outlet.

The boutique was pristine almost to the point of feeling like a dermatologist's office, with a reception desk/checkout area near the entrance, floor to ceiling windows and symmetrically spaced hangers of clothing and nooks of accessories. The store in New York is focused on emerging designers, but some of the names are very buzzworthy this season-- Balmain fringed sandals, for instance or signature separates from Alexander Wang and Martin Margiela.

I was pleasantly surprised to discover two new Japanese labels in the mix: Ylang Ylang, which had silk Lanvin-esque shift dresses with petal-fringed collars for winter hanging on the 70% off sale rack and Silvain Sylvian, menswear which looked appropriate enough for work, but still interesting enough to warrant the steep price tag.

I nearly fell for an oversized black cotton blouse from Henrik Vibskov, which was "New York designer boutique" reasonable at around $250, but reminding myself that I am heading away from oversized, black things, I kept my cool.

It was a beautiful Saturday, so I skipped over to the East Side, heading up Broadway, which is cementing a reputation of its own, as a Fast Fashion Alley. Here, tourists, fashionistas and recessionistas alike can indulge in stores such as Club Monaco, H&M, Uniqlo, Forever 21 and come April 2nd: the UK's darling Topshop. I took a little snap of the storefront, which looks to be progressing quite nicely. Despite dabbling in designer boutiques, with the hyper attentive salespeople, sometimes it's nice to parttake in a high fashion excursion. Sometimes it's nice to be an anonymous shopper, just another number waiting in line at the register. Feels more real sometimes, you know?

Young Lions

Tonight, inside the magnificent rotunda of the New York Public Library on Fifth Avenue, the Young Lions members group of the library hosted its annual Young Lions Fiction Award ceremony, which is a $10,000 prize given to an American writer age 35 or younger for a novel or collection of short stories.

The winner was Salvatore Scibona for his novel, "The End," a narrative tracing the progression of characters across seven decades beginning at a "tumultuous Midwestern street carnival" in 1953. The other finalists, Jon Fasman, Rivka Galchen, Sana Krasikov and Zachary Mason, as well as the winner, had excerpts from their works read aloud by Ethan Hawke, Zoe Kazan and Billy Crudup.


above: Ethan Hawke on the makeshift red carpet

above: Paul LeClerc, the President of the NYPL, Billy Crudup, Zoe Kazan and Ethan Hawke

I love attending events like this because it feels like you are part of a writers' community in some small way. A writer's life can be hard and lonely. Plus, the event provides copies of the fiction award finalists' work, which is a nice if you're looking for some thought-provoking new reading.

Then there's that whole celebrity quotient at the Fiction Awards, which you're supposed to keep cool about. I hadn't heard of this Zoe Kazan girl before, but she was such a great reader. Especially for a comedic short story excerpt, where she took some pauses and giggled before composing herself for the next sentence. It was charming. She had on librarian glasses during the reading, too, which I loved.

Back to what I was saying about keeping your cool... I happened to spot Project Runway contestant Austin Scarlett across the room, and when he headed over to our section of the room, I immediately jumped up with my camera and asked him for a shot.

"Did you want to get in the shot, too?" He asked rather sweetly. This threw me off a little, as I wasn't expecting to do one of those cheesy fan shots. [Update: Out of vanity, I had to remove the shot of Austin and myself. I'm wearing a puffy shirt and it's shot at the most unflattering angle. You understand, don't you?]

Only in New York, kids. Only in New York. Sorry for the somewhat dimly lit shots. The lighting was a bit strange tonight.

Personal Statement

Is it just me, or does fashion seem to be running at an impossible speed these days? With coverage from every direction, blogs and news sources uploading photos, streaming videos of runway shows and people twittering away details from the mundane recitation of famous front row guests to backstage gossip, it all shatters the eardrums in a cacophonous mix.

I don't pretend to be an authority in all things fabulous. In fact, I would say that I'm the opposite of fabulous. I work an ordinary office job, which takes up entirely too much of my free time. During my off hours, I have started plugging away at freelance writing about the things I know and love. Recently, I began updating this blog on a more regular basis.

As you can see from my last entry, I love doing "market research" aka shopping and covering emerging designers and independent boutiques. I love talking to young designers because their energy and ideas, as nascent as they are, can be infectious in the best possible way; they are evolving creative beings, and I love exploring their creative process, as I can relate on some level as a once-struggling fiction writer.

So excuse me, dear readers, as I sort out my "blog identity." I'm still new to this game. I hope to share deeper commentary on that blend of art and commerce known as fashion. Sometimes it can be a heartbreakingly beautiful dress that makes your heart nearly skip a beat, and sometimes... it's simply a dress. But that piece of aesthetic happiness should be acknowledged, however fleeting. And this is what I hope to express through this blog. Thanks for reading.

Lovin' Limi

above: looks from Limi Feu Spring/Summer 2009 from style.com

I'm currently working on a profile of designer Limi Feu for a magazine and was surprised to learn that the designer, who is a daughter of Yohji Yamamoto, began showing in Paris in 2007 but started her label in Tokyo about nine years ago. Despite inevitable comparisons to her legendary father, including use of a monochromatic palette, layering and exaggerated proportions, Limi has come to embody the voice of a younger generation.

Music plays a dominant role in her aesthetic. For Spring/Summer 2009, Limi literally brought her love of music on the runway, with models walking with iPods connected to huge headphones made of braided hair.

Yesterday, in the name of "market research," I made my way to the Yohji Yamamoto flagship in Soho, New York, where the full range of the Yamamoto clan is stocked, including lines with a more youthful bent like Y's and Limi Feu. I have only been in the sunny loft-like store on Greene Street a few times before, and it always feels like a visit to some sort of Japanese avant garde museum.

I tried on a handful of pieces, especially attracted by the lilac harem pant style shorts (also pictured above). The shorts have a fitted waist, with snap button closure and side zip, but, via pleating and volume, flare like a full skirt, only to narrow at the bottom, with elastic banding. You can manipulate the hemline to create a shorter and progressively fuller silhouette, as styled in the runway photo.

The lilac piece was comfortable, as were most of the pieces I tried on. Almost like being embraced by a soft, lilac parachute. The material was a blend of polyester and other fibers for the lining, so they fell softly around the body. At $670, however, they were a bit beyond my reach. I tried on a pair in black cotton with the same shape at only $380, but they ballooned awkwardly around my backside, making me look bunchy in all the wrong places.

The sales associate brought out the black minidress with the portrait neckline from the runway show, which had an adorable detail, which seems to run throughout her shows: the use of hook fastenings, a nod to punk fascination with corsets perhaps. The hooks ran all the way up the front of the dress, which was made of a stiff black cotton. I really wanted to buy it, but am trying to back away from the black for spring.

above: looks from Limi Feu Autumn/Winter 2009 from style.com

Limi recently showed more mature looks for her Autumn/Winter 2009 show. Comparing them to her spring collection, you can definitely see that she continues to design with confidence. Volume and the use of black and white continues, but instead of young, rock styling, you can see more polish and soft glam. She showed some nubby tweed and wools in a variety of shapes and the jackets were especially gorgeous.

What do you think? Are you lovin' Limi?

Weekend Links [the shopping edition]

above: a poster from one of my favorite movies, a French sung-through musical [via: wikipedia]

When it rains, it pours... Here are some sales picks you might enjoy:

Shopflick has introduced a "private sales" section, which highlights a new item from an indie designer. Check it out as selections vary day to day! [via Shopflick]

Clutch22 has been scouring Etsy for some darling new designs, which is helpful if you're overwhelmed by the site like me! [via Clutch22]

Refinery29 gives us word about the A Detacher sale and the pop-up Cool Hunting shop at Brooklyn Flea this weekend. Update re: Lanvin: It appears that the Lanvin sale is not affiliated with Lanvin at all... something is amiss. [via Refinery29 and also here]

Michael Kors 75% off Friends & Family sale: "friends & family" only on Thursday March 19th from 12 pm to 8 pm and open to the public on Friday March 20th and Saturday March 21st from 9 am to 7 pm. At the Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 West 18th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues. RSVP to events@michaelkors.com for the Friends and Family sale. [Check link for invitation]

Carmen Ho shoe sample sale on Thursday March 19th and Friday March 20th from 5 pm to 8 pm and on Saturday March 21st from 2 to 5 pm. At 472 Broadway, 3rd Floor. RSVP info@carmenho.com. [Check link for invitation]

Last but certainly not least-- the girls of beauty blog, TheGlossBox will be hosting their first event at Boom Boom Brow Bar on March 19th: free brow shaping, bubbly and a chance to help a worthy charitable cause. [via TheGlossBox]

Now...let's get out there and stimulate the economy!

Be My Dumpling

Because staying in is the new going out, the Mr. and I had some friends over last night for a dumpling making party. Before you get impressed about my lofty culinary skills, let it be known that he's the one that made the fillings (seafood and pork) and we all helped put them together.

It was nice catching up with friends, especially the ones who work in the fashion industry, as they have been insanely busy these days. One of our friends, a concept designer at a well known American sportswear brand, entertained the group with the story of how she got the position at her company. It's a real Cinderella story, as she was literally plucked out of her cubicle in marketing by "Mitch," the head of the label, and thrown into a design concept meeting for the upcoming collection. Mitch is a rags to riches fashion story himself, and is known to circulate within his company to shake up the talent pool.

It was a nice change of pace to entertain, and everyone got into the spirit. Here's a little peek into our evening...

Step One: Grab a glass of wine (for yourself) and a container of fillings. The base is usually a chopped meat or other protein and vegetables.



Step Two: Get your dumpling wrappers ready. This is a staple you can get at a local Asian food market.



Step Three: Start wrapping your dumplings! There are various techniques. The simplest is to wet the edges of the wrapper and seal shut as a half moon. Other people have more complicated folding techniques.

Step Four: Boil or pan fry! You can tell when boiled dumplings are ready, because they will float to the top.

Step Five: Garnish, add sauces and enjoy!

TGIF! Hope you enjoy your weekend...