girlofbirthday

Bad Girl

2012-02-05T20:59:00.000-08:00

m.i.a. was my favorite part of the Superbowl halftime show. I fell in love with her the first time I heard Arular in high school. Check out "Bad Girls" here, which has been on repeat on my playlist for the past half hour. I'm sure 235 of those YouTube hits were mine.

Countess

2012-01-29T21:57:00.000-08:00

My friend told me to watch the YouTube video "Sh*t the Dowager Countess Says", a montage of scenes from Downtown Abbey, which led me to google Maggie Smith to see what she's been up to these days. Fortunately for my fashion-hungry peepers I found this gorgeous vintage photo of Professor McGonagall herself, looking dapper in a cape dress. <3<3<3

MIX-MY-MIND

2012-01-11T19:41:00.000-08:00

The hottest new label is just a hop over the Pacific --- and the label's name is absolutely stellar: Exception de Mixmind.

How to Steal a Million Dollar Face

2011-11-25T23:10:00.001-08:00

Irma Vamp

2011-11-23T21:32:00.001-08:00

Maggie Cheung is a fierce feline in a fabulous catsuit. Irma Vep.

Bubbles

2011-11-21T19:21:00.000-08:00

My sister takes these breathtaking microscopic photographs of plant cells as part of her research for her Masters architecture project. She experiments a lot with back lighting in order to get the blues, violets, purples, and greens. Just further proof that Mother Nature knows beauty best.

In Flight

2011-11-13T19:01:00.000-08:00

Forget Me Not scarves are like the chic woman's parachutes.

Ginger

2011-11-06T20:15:00.001-08:00

Shirley Manson, major rock goddess.

FLORABOMB

2011-10-24T20:48:00.000-07:00

V Magazine Oct 2011

Photography = David Schulze

Styling = Catherine Newell-Hanson with Artwork by Christopher Favale

Ignore the Dead Girl on the Floor

2011-09-29T17:01:00.000-07:00

I'm addicted to Balenciaga's Resort 2012 Video directed by Steven Meisel. The Phillip Glass soundtrack really adds a sense of impending doom or mystery to the whimsy of the pastel prints and fun silhouettes. Click to see the video.

Positive and Negative Space

2011-08-09T19:47:00.001-07:00

Photo Courtesy of saywho.fr

I've always been obsessed about shadows, silhouettes, figures --- the positive and negative spaces of images, the black and the white, the opposites. You get the drift. Even when I was a child I put on a stellar shadow puppet play for my fourth grade class that was the envy of every student. Something about Giovanna Battaglia's AMFAR Stephen Sprouse dress fascinates me. Everything is defying gravity in this outfit. The dress is essentially a skirt suspended across one shoulder --- how it does not fall off her shoulder, I'll never know. Add to that the strategically places black bra cups over the two most important areas of a woman which the dress/skirt neglects to conceal. The creativity in Giovanna's experimentation with the exposee makes this outfit so modern. And sexy sexy sexy.

Graffiti on My Street

2011-08-05T23:22:00.000-07:00

Perhaps inspired by the documentary Gasland. Or is it a commentary on the irony of mountain spring water in plastic bottles too congested for our environment?

Body Art

2011-05-21T11:34:00.000-07:00

Ornamentation comes in many incarnations.

Ravenhaired Girl Likes Blonde Redhead

2011-05-15T09:25:00.001-07:00

I love Blonde Redhead's haunting vocals. They're coming to Winnipeg June 20th, Calgary June 22/23, and Vancouver June 25th so watch out!

The Quote of the Century

2011-05-13T19:42:00.000-07:00

Toi Jamais

2011-04-02T08:33:00.000-07:00

BAMcinematek has been presenting a series of Catherine Deneuve films every day of this month. Each night is different, and I decided to sneak off to BAM on Wednesday for the 2002 musical, comedic, mystery-farce film 8 femmes. I have to say that Catherine Deneuve still looks incredible for her age, and every part the legend. Her song solo "Toi Jamais" proved that she only has the acting talent in her package but a sultry, easy voice to boot. Damn those Libras. And remember how young she was in Belle du Jour? Deneuve is a completely different woman now.

Let's not forget Fanny Ardant either, who I first saw in Kapur's Elizabeth as Mary of Guise. They say that supporting actresses are sometimes more important than leading actresses (was that Shakespeare that suggested that?), since they reveal the protagonists. Although I am an avid fan of Cate Blanchett, Ardant's fifteen minute screentime in Elizabeth was so memorable --- particularly the scene where she wipes the blood off of a young, twelve year old soldier on the battlefield and sends him back to the Queen of England. "Tell that bastard Queen not to send children to fight Mary of Guise!" Ardant's dialogue with Geoffrey Rush before he beds her and assassinates her creates a quick screen moment where we see Ardant's sly seductive smile. When I saw that smile again in 8 femmes, it was like a deer hitting a car windshield. I, and apparently much of the cyber world, cannot get enough of how Ardant smokes those long cigarettes in the film, all the while smiling slyly. Did she or didn't she kill Marcel?

The film's plot and suspense reads like an Agatha Christie novel, and the comedic timing is like a Woody Allen film. The entire cast is rarely on-screen altogether at the same time, and there are no Jean Renoir long camera shots here, which builds up a type of whodunit suspense. The movie's vintage 50's/60's style is also Hitchcock-like in how there is an implied association between shots, almost like a game of Clue. (Was it the maid with the knife in the bedroom? Or Miss Scarlett in the dining room with the revolver?) And since the movie is a about women, Francois Ozon couldn't forget to throw in the French knack for unexpected twists by making sure Deneuve and Ardant have a lesbian moment.

And from the first picture in my post, you can tell whose shoes belong to who --- each pair as diverse as each individual vixen. Ironic, non? Despite any murderer's attempt to hide the trails left behind of a crime, a person's all-encompassing individuality is like a signia. There is no denying who that person is or what you can expect them to do or what they could have the potential to do without you eventually being lead to them...even if they have a few dark secrets along the way. I also just love all the colors and patterns in this film! I guess it's only appropriate now that Prada and Jil Sander's collections use so much of it this Spring right?

Julie

2011-03-28T20:02:00.000-07:00

I was probably thirteen years old when I watched Julie Christie in Doctor Zhivago. She was so gorgeous with her nude lipstick, thick brows, bleached blonde hair and tanned skin. Her hair here is pretty kickass too.

I've been far, far away...

2011-03-18T18:47:00.001-07:00

I've been on vacation. Literally. Life had its shortcomings lately, so the best medicine for the soul was to run away to paradise.

Art Cinema

2011-01-24T22:15:00.000-08:00

I must have skipped the Art House Cinema period during 2004 because I most certainly do not remember the release of this tiny Kubrick-like film by Thomas Vinterberg called "It's All About Love". The film was unfortunately panned by everyone for because it didn't justify a certain level of confidence in its storytelling that is usually expected of Vinterberg. But for what it's worth, the 2-hour long movie was worth watching for its beautiful cinematography, imaginative plot and circumstances, eerie soundtrack, fantastic art direction and a pair of gifted actors.

Plus, the movie posters kick ass!

More Maya Deren

2011-01-08T22:06:00.000-08:00

Copycat

2011-01-05T21:34:00.000-08:00

Okay. So this was mine and my sister's attempt to be super artsy fartsy and photograph subjects in the style of Maya Deren's work. It doesn't really do her any justice, since Maya is a fortress all on her own, but it still looks pretty wicked, right?

Maya Deren

2011-01-05T20:16:00.000-08:00

Ever since I wandered into the basement of the MoMA to see the Maya Deren film exhibit back in late August, I have been obsessed. I'm so impressed by her talent in cinematography as well as film editing. Her sense of proportion is so unique, and still looks incredibly modern now. They say a woman makes a better Film Editor in Hollywood anyways.

Sweet Swinton

2010-12-14T23:18:00.000-08:00

"Stop, Repair, Prepare"

2010-12-14T10:35:00.001-08:00

Photo courtesy of Jason Mandella from MoMA.org

"Stop, Repair, Prepare: Variations on Ode to Joy for a Prepared Piano"

Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla make classical music backwards using performance art, measuring distances and gaps by examining the relationship between the pianist and the piano, the relationship between the high and low octaves that create a new "Ode to Joy", and relationship between performer and audience in MoMA's large spatial atrium.

Click here to watch a small video on MoMA's website.

Strokes of Meaning

2010-12-12T12:03:00.000-08:00

Untitled (Antworks) by Pouran Jinchi, 2000, photo courtesy of Artnet.com

Pouran Jinchi's artwork is so neat. The branches and trees look like written Iranian characters.

Downtown Downturn

2010-11-27T22:39:00.000-08:00

Dublin graffiti depicting Ireland's Finance Minister Brian Lenihan and Prime Minister Brian Cowen as the Blues Brothers
Photo courtesy of MSN.com, Cathal Mcnaughton

A Picture Worth a Thousand Words

2010-11-15T16:05:00.000-08:00

Do you listen to Elvis Costello? I never did, but after seeing this record album at the flea market, I think I'm going to have to start.

Waltz

2010-11-07T08:43:00.000-08:00

I rarely declare a true love for something. Crave, yes. Lust, yes. Yearn for, yes. Like a lot, a lot. So maybe you've seen my declaration for a lot of things on my blog, because when you're passionate about something you have to share it with the world right? This weekend I went to see "Gezeiten" by Sasha Waltz & Friends at the Howard Gilman Opera House in BAM. Needless to say where I'm going with this post, but I fell in love.

"Gezeiten" literally translates to "tide" in German. The dance begins slightly purist, with quiet, contemporary ballet, and a cello playing a slow harmony in the background. The dance troupe is organized in single file lines. The mood then shifts to fear, confusion and disarray with rolls and rumbles, choreographed fights; the dance troupe organized in circular huddles. The fight is then interjected with smoke and fire, red lighting, and a slow, melting dance takes place. Finally, the show finishes with destruction --- literally, the performers tore up the floor boards and started pulsating from beneath like an earthquake. There were holes in the walls, dust was flying everywhere, and a lady had cardboard in her pants --- the true works. Every single moment of the dance was a rhythmic interaction between the person, and the environment; sometimes with even the most mundane actions or props.

I thought I'd share some more Sasha Waltz with you thanks to our friends at YouTube.

Gezeiten

Dialogue 9 @ Neues Museum

Korper

Another Steel Bananas Issue!

2010-11-06T12:31:00.001-07:00

Every time another Steel Bananas issue rolls around it reminds me of how fast time goes by. I took the opportunity to do an interview with Nokomis since I was in Edmonton early October, as I think it is the true heartbeat of women's fashion in Edmonton. You've probably seen them in my blogs before...and you've probably seen their little turquoise, screenprinted reusable bags all over Edmonton (or Canada?).

I remember those screenprinting days in the summer as an intern there. One time we ran out of navy paint, so they asked me to choose any colour I wanted. I thought a complimentary colour like orange would be nice.....it fits the louder side of my personality I guess! So if any of you lucky Edmontonians own an orange Noko bag, it was limited edition!

Click here to go to Steel Bananas

Crave

2010-11-05T17:58:00.000-07:00

I crave these Maison Martin Margiela Work Moc Booties.

I've always wanted to add these Margiela Turtle Dove boots to my wardrobe too. They would both make me look so smart!

Barrely Boring.

2010-10-20T20:04:00.000-07:00

Look at the curves on this chair. The unique shape is a side effect of the wood boards, which are taken from oak barrels that house French wine. The label is Barrely Made It, by a Swedish-born San Diegan designer. Is industrial design in Swedish genes or something?

Optical Illusion

2010-10-19T19:29:00.000-07:00

goldilocks

2010-09-25T22:19:00.000-07:00

pretty hair.

From a Distant Land

2010-09-17T10:21:00.000-07:00

My friend Angelique just came back from a dream vacation to Peru (well, she'd call it something different) and sent me the most adorable Peruvian souvenirs. The first postcard had this to say on the reverse:

"Hola Finos!

Como estas? Mi muchas bene! Steve & I are in a heated debate about what your future kid would look like if you married a Peruvian boy...We concluded it is between child E3 and child C1."

Muchas ti amo! <3>

I couldn't stop laughing. That is exactly how my kids would look like. In an alternate universe I'd probably look like this Peruvian mama doll Angy gave me below...

Nice Spikes

2010-09-13T07:44:00.000-07:00

My friend Vanessa found these bad puppies in a Chicago store. The front looks 50s Marilyn Monroe, and the back is a new generation on its own. They're the Sam Edelman "Lorissa" Peeptoe heels, and retail for a decent 200.

How Does One Small Island Fit So Many People?

2010-09-05T08:32:00.000-07:00

My sister dragged me to come with her to Ellis Island during her 10-day stay in Manhattan. It was her second-last day in the city, and it was raining non-stop for a good three days before, so that Thursday was the perfect day for her to get the all-encompassing view of Manhattan from afar.

Now when I think about it, the only thing I absolutely regretted that day was even thinking that I might regret this little excursion. Ellis Island has the best view of Manhattan island to date. It's such a beautiful view that you can't get flying over the city or riding on a boat, because you really have a portraiture of the compact urban metropolis from a stationary point of view.

Needless to say, my sister busted out her sketchbook and started doodling. Pfft, architecture students.

Silver Finger

2010-09-04T10:16:00.000-07:00

I snagged a sleek and simple, brushed silver ring that's long enough to cover a good two-thirds of my finger at a jewelry stand in Soho. Every time I wear it my friend Jocelyn thinks I'm wearing a cast (peeeerfect! I love jewelry that inspires guessing and double-takes). My boss seems to think it makes too much noise when I accidentally drop my hand over his glass tables with too much weight though.

Reused, but not Reduced.

2010-09-03T22:57:00.000-07:00

My sister snagged a vintage Longchamps, camel-coloured leather crossbody bag at A Second Chance. It has the perfect rectangular shape, and the cutest brass zipper with the Longchamps logo. Long live great quality products with great design. You can always rely on them to help you become super fashionable, no matter what the age.

Amylie " Mes oreilles "

2010-08-15T20:56:00.000-07:00

This song brings me joie. Amylie - Mes oreilles

'Tis the Season

2010-08-01T18:53:00.000-07:00

Not the Holiday season, but Wedding season. J.Crew just opened their new Bridal Boutique on Madison Avenue, and they posted a virtual tour of the space on their website. Aside from the chic, floaty wedding dress selection they have available, I absolutely love the "something blue" chair and lamp in their salon.

Boat shoes.

2010-07-16T18:15:00.000-07:00

P.S. Check out my new article for Steel Bananas!

Mad City

2010-07-09T17:48:00.000-07:00

The pitch for Karl Lagerfeld's new Fendi campaign: an Italian couple in New York City. A little "Mad Men", a little Hitchcock, and a lot of Edward Hopper.

Your Benefit and Mine.

2010-06-20T10:45:00.000-07:00

Remember that Glee episode where Sue Sylvester talks about how seeing a kid in a wheelchair perform onstage is not inspiring, but depressing? Talking about cancer is kind of like that. But who are we the ones to feel depressed when we weren't the ones it was happening to? At least...yet. Actually, on the contrary, all the cancer survivors that I know have a remarkable ability to tell their stories with light, because to be able to live to tell the story is quite simply a reason to be happy and celebrate anyways.

My good friend Daniel is hosting a benefit concert called, quite literally, "The Kick-Ass! Team Benefit Concert" for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life, with the LGBT Community and Friends. Daniel was diagnosed with leukemia when he was 6 years old, but survived it after 8 years of treatment. Several women in my family have had breast cancer and survived, and my grandparents died from lung cancer before I was even born.

I was lucky enough to get a sneak preview of the concert at the dress rehearsal. Each monologue and song on the program list is engaging, fun, and moving all at once. Set in the small Singer's Forum on W 24th Street in Chelsea, despite being a small production, it is really about the performer, and his/her performance, alone.

Come support the American Cancer Society and Team Kick-Ass in their relay run!

Friday, June 25th, 7:30PM
The Singer's Forum 49 W 24th Street (between 6th Avenue and Broadway)
Tickets: $15
Raffle: $5

I thought I'd share...

2010-06-16T21:31:00.000-07:00

..my new post on Steel Bananas.com! under Urban Culture

Gem.

2010-06-12T19:18:00.000-07:00

I am a huge fan of whimsical things --- magical realism, puns, trompe l'oeil effects. Perhaps it's my nostalgia for Hong Kong and Japan. After cruising around online for some fun jewelry, I found modcloth.com! So this is where those cute girls on the street get these fun fun fun (and unique) accessories! I love the designs of independent jewelry, but sometimes...I just can't afford the prices. I was pretty giddy when I found a good median in between. Here are some of my faves:

Your Friend necklace, with a "C'est la vie" note enclosed, $15.99 Apothecutie pendant necklace, a la Romeo and Juliet, $16.99 Ctrl + Alt+Del Necklace, with disconnecting USB port, $64.99

Once Upon A Boot boots, $119.99

Pharaoh-est of Them All Dress, $113.99

They also carry vintage wedding dresses with sweet bows and tulle tiers, for girls who are sick of the boring duchesse satin ones sold in stores nowadays.

Solo

2010-06-08T19:30:00.001-07:00

Lady Gaga's new video came out today. Her blonde coiffe makes her look like a young Liza Minelli in Cabaret singing "Maybe This Time".

Of course, somewhere throughout the video, she had a pair of fantastic 1980s space goggles a la Blade Runner, and an intense dance sequence with religious references to both Madonna and Madonna.

A Retro Rock N Roll Glamour Shopping Party - Zac Posen for Target Launch Party

2010-04-18T19:26:00.000-07:00

I had major complexes about going to the Zac Posen for Target Launch Party. The 24-hour shop-in event was supposed to satisfy most fashionista's dreams. But let me tell you --- getting off my butt at 11pm, lining up at the entrance, and waiting in 40-some degrees F weather was not my idea of fun. The party was only two blocks away from my place, so I can't say the thought didn't tempt me at all. And how often can one say that they went to a launch party? I mean, nowadays, launch parties are like birthday parties. Anyone who has done some little finger art, made a few songs, wrote a column...heck, invented some sugar-free sugar nutritional additive, is going to throw themselves a launch party. Left and right, I'm tellin' ya.

Okay, so what makes this launch party special? That's what I kept asking myself over and over again while I got out of bed, re-applied my MAC Brave Red lipstick, threw some shampoo hairspray into my hair, and put on a pair of wedges to meet up with my friend Vanessa to line up for this shindig.

Well, for starters, how many designers that have collaborated with Target have actually had a celebration party that happened a week before the clothing line launched nationwide? Okay, fine. Maybe there is something to this, I thought.

When I got inside, I had no regrets. It was really the experience, the marketing campaign, the party, the tunes...the set deco quenched the month-long thirst my eyeballs were undergoing. It was a visual inundation of pizazz, glamour, rock, femininity, balloons, roses, chandeliers, velvet carpets and red lips.

The looks from the Target collection weren't too bad either. Styled quite right. Hard to imagine that other women pay thousands to wear the runway stuff right? Below are some of my favoured looks:

Ahh, the printed scarf around the head. How Grace Kelly, floating along the French Riviera in a sailboat....

I walked home empty-handed, because, being a patternmaker, a snobby side of me comes out and all I can think about when I'm shopping is fit, quality, construction, and...the sleeve. Oh, the sleeve. It all has to look nice. That's just what happens when you're usually surrounded by beautifully tailored pieces at work all day. Such a disappointment to see that my creative mind can be stunted by an overly calculative habit I've developed from a skill required to make the creative vision of garments come to life. How ironic. And who am I to buy a thousand quid garment that satisfies my checklist of things a beautiful garment should have? Just wait for a design collabo with Target to come out right? Oh, the irony, again.

My favorite part of the evening had to be The Like performing live. Their retro rock n'roll sound and the '60's party style outfits from the Target collection were a perfect match too.

Wait, was that "Z" on Elizabeth "Z" Berg's guitar a coincidence?

I mean, yes. I, too, have always wanted to rock out and play the drums in a poly-organza party dress.

Easter Hat Parade NY - Flora and Fauna

2010-04-10T19:00:00.000-07:00

My favorite hats and crazy outfits that day were the floral ones that Sunday reminded me of Spring. (I know, you must be so sick of hearing me talk about Spring all the time, but really, I love it!) This Japanese Marie Antoinette, above, (who even went through the trouble to wear panniers around her hips) was my faaaaave, next to my friend Vanessa's of course (keep scrolling).

peace and love

And of course, to the leading lady that introduced me to all this fancy hat excitement: Vanessa, whose 4 ft tall, 20 lb hat consecutively tops all other hats every year. All those nights of gluing and glittering flowers and butterflies was well worth it. There was constantly a crowd of locals and tourists pushing each other to get a picture with her. So nice to see the fruits of much creative fun!

Easter Hat Parade NY - It's My Hat Party

2010-04-10T18:48:00.001-07:00

Really. You can do whatever you want.

Easter Hat Parade NYC - Your Best Sunday Suit

2010-04-04T13:11:00.000-07:00

For some, they stick to the best of what they know best for Easter.

Yes, sometimes I like cutesy things. Do you have a problem with my schizophrenia?

2010-04-03T21:13:00.000-07:00

I've been so busy doing things outside of the cyber world that meeting Angelique and her friends today reminded me of our previous coffee excursion two weeks ago!

Spring came early in New York, and despite a couple days of heavy rain, the weather was beautiful (as I kept hoping for in my Simple Diary). We met up for some much needed Starbucks caffeine, and noticed that we both happened to bust out our Spring shoes. We caught up on our little lives in the big world of fashion.

Spring gives me so much energy: the more optimistic the color, the better. The more light gossip, the better. The more energy-boosting drinks to compound current said energy...the best. That's why all the pink, all the ribbons, all the gingham, all the smiley faces, and the Dreamy Poppy nail polish in these pictures make me become nostalgic for that very Saturday Angelique and I decided to meet up for Starbucks on a spring day.

Displaced

2010-03-22T19:01:00.001-07:00

Remember in the 90's and early noughties ('00s) when they upped the color contrasts in all the professional photography? The Azure Ray girls embody quite a few nostalgic things that I miss about those years --- dark lipstick and Renaissance-like art. Speaking of, if you enjoy dark classical things the way I do, you can check out Blue Bayer's handcrafted jewelry, www.bluebayer.com, who has lots of Renaissance and Victorian influences in his work. My favorites are the timepieces and the gears.

Stage Lights

2010-03-17T21:45:00.000-07:00

I adore backlight photos. Nouvelle Vague in major rock-goddesses action.

First Day of March

2010-03-02T18:59:00.000-08:00

Does anyone else own a Keel's Simple Diary? I bought the little gem last July as a way to, simply (for lack of a better word), document my adventures while I'm still young and earnestly trying to conquer what's left of the globe. I found the diary at my favorite Strand bookstore by Union Square one night and fell in love with its direct, easy, organized format of journaling (journalizing? Diarizing?). Who doesn't love a little multiple choice where you get to decide which answers are the write ones? Or a little fill in the blanks like someone out there is interviewing you because you're so damn important?

Yesterday I woke up and sunlight was literally bleeding through my sheer silk crepe window curtains. You can imagine how beautiful the fabric is --- oh wait, I meant the sunlight. Sunlight in New York? No way. Not when all you see are buildings and clouds from the pollution of eight million people. First day of March. I could really feel Spring coming, so I got a little inspired and went overboard doodling in my not-so-simple-anymore little diary.

Obviously, I found out today that I was getting ahead of myself in my rose-coloured lens world, since the weather forecast predicts snow for Thursday. Thanks for killing my optimism again, New York.

Talcum Danse - Lou Doillon for Vanessa Bruno

2010-01-29T19:19:00.000-08:00

Video taken from StyleFileblog by Tina Isaac

The piano melody and images of Lou Doillon stomping her feet were flashing in my head all day. Directed by Stephanie di Gusto, with piano by Gonzales. Clothes by Vanessa Bruno.

Lolita.

2010-01-16T19:27:00.001-08:00

For Christmas, I was a super lucky girl and got a strawberry electric Luella clutch. This color is screaming serious fashion. All you girls out there wish that Luella wasn't in financial woes and would stick around a lil longer. Nevertheless, now that candy-colored frou-frou and frills are in for the coming spring, I'm feeling pretty cute right now. I mean, I've been getting into chicklit, watching chick flicks, painting my nails Dreamy Poppy, and sending out Valentine cards. Maybe it's also the right time to for my Alice in Wonderland shoes to make a comeback. Hopefully Luella will do the same.

Diary of an Obsessive Window Shopper

2010-01-01T11:10:00.001-08:00

I've started a sister photoblog dedicated to the art of commercial window decorating during my time in fashion and travels around the world. You can really determine the type of product and level of service to expect from a store just by looking at its windows. My friends never understand why I obsess over the extravagant amount of effort and creativity that's put into a store's little outsides, but some are just so complex they look like art installations themselves! Anyways, if you are fond of major eye candy the way I am, click here. xo!

http://obsessivewindowshopper.blogspot.com

Blue-Blooded Blue Christmas

2009-12-23T22:15:00.000-08:00

My sister. Rock-chic, upper east side-inspired means white vintage lace-ups, warm woolly socks, a handmade sweater pin made by me to keep your long knit together, and a great chain bag. But winter, winter, winter calls for a fuzzy white faux fur muffler with a satin bow.

State of Reverie

2009-12-10T21:03:00.000-08:00

My good friend Mackenzie just finished her internship at "The View" here in NYC, and has gone back home to good ol' Tampa Bay, Florida. I'm so envious --- it's 29 degrees here in New York which is brrr brr chilly, and I have been dreaming of a hot, beach vacation for about two years now. A girl can dream, and with that said, she asked me to come up with some wedding dress sketches for her, for...you know, the day (almost) every girl dreams about. My favorite is the asymmetrical shoulder, but there is something still special about understated symmetry, so I think she would look awful pretty in the low cowl back, bias-cut one too. I'm going to miss her, but I know a hot vacation to Florida is only a plane ticket away.

I own...

2009-12-05T20:33:00.000-08:00

..a chic pair of black velvet overalls!

Flavour

2009-12-02T20:45:00.000-08:00

You know what they say in Spain --- add flavour to life!

Union Square Christmas Market

I Carry the Sun in a Golden Cup

2009-11-30T21:46:00.000-08:00

click for the moon in a silver bag.
william butler yeats

Train Station

2009-11-26T20:21:00.000-08:00

I absolutely love taking the train, which was what I did to get to Long Island this Thanksgiving.

Fly Me to the Moon

2009-11-21T16:39:00.000-08:00

So I happened upon a Vuitton "Climate Project" ad with Sally Ride, the first American woman in space; next to her was Buzz Aldrin and Jim Lovelle.

I wish I was Sally Ride.

I used to dream about being in a spaceship and going to the moon --- anywhere but where I was. It really is another world out there. When I'm in Manhattan, I actually rarely see the moon because the buildings just tower over it. Now that it gets dark so fast here, I do have the opportunity of catching a wonderful view of it from the studio window in Brooklyn. What would have happened if I had never took the fashion path and became a NASA astronaut? Would I have thought, "Being an astronaut sucks! I should have done something like fashion!" That's the magic of dreaming though...you always want to just kick off your stilettos, throw on the explorer uniform of shoelaced boots, knee-high wool socks, a hunter's jacket, and goggles (that's the quintessential explorer signia) and run away from whatever is going on with your life at the moment.

Fishtails

2009-11-04T20:07:00.001-08:00

As an assistant patternmaker, I have the capacity to enjoy beautiful things but rarely have the opportunity to wear them. When you're draping, sewing, and drafting, it is near impossible to stretch, bend, kneel, and climb in that beautiful vintage YSL jacket of mine, that Nina Ricci dress in my closet, or in my mom's beaded Holt Renfrew jacket.

Obviously, my vanities call me to settle for something else pretty, like this slick gunmetal fishtail bangle that gets me quite a few compliments from strangers and friends alike. Not only that, I get to look at it all day when I'm drafting skirt patterns after jacket patterns after dress patterns. The relatively flat construction of the bracelet also makes it super comfortable to rest my wrists on the table when my hands get tired. What won't tire are my eyes since I will be oogling over it all day.

All Hallows' Eve. street blogging.

2009-11-01T13:03:00.000-08:00

(I posted my blog link on her "Facebook" wall!)

It was a rainy, messy, wet Halloween here in New York. But fun is still fun when you're dressed up, festive and ready to celebrate.

Girl of Birthday

2009-11-01T12:20:00.000-08:00

Bonjour! Allo! Ni Hao. I just turned one year older on Friday.

I don't know about you, but I like to think that my birthday was every day. Okay, so maybe not everyday Angelique wants to draw a picture of me, not every night Mackenzie wants to go out to Arlos & Esme at midnight after a long day at work, and my best friends back home aren't going to send me embarrassing childish birthday cards every week. I really shouldn't be eating sinfully delicious cupcakes with orange icing from Jocelyn and Kandace every supper. Anyways, I digress.

What I essentially mean is, girlofbirthday is essentially me trying to design my own life so that I am doing it for me. For me, when I design every aspect of my life, I don't see it as wearing the hottest new bag, buying the latest printed t-shirt, or investing in something as ugly as that Honda Element car. A wonderfully designed life is about choosing elements that enhance your everyday and function in a stylish way that is aesthetically pleasing so that I feel like I'm living in my own, say, Jean-Luc Godard film. So you should celebrate today like it's your birthday too! I'll be dancing in your honor.

*Illustration credits: Angelique

Oh, Genevieve!

2009-11-01T11:57:00.000-08:00

My friend Genevieve just designed a gorgeous new bag for her Myrtle & Pearls line called Prince Louis! Makes me dream of those days when Native Princesses would carry around beautiful leather drums across their shoulder and trek through desert forests. You probably remember Genevieve in one of my previous blog posts, and she's added her signature fluttery feathers to her leather charm. The movement's such a great contrast to the duffle structure. For Genevieve's blog, click.

Wonderfully ghoulish things to come...

2009-10-21T20:42:00.000-07:00

O Hallows Eve is a-comin'. The always stylish Chelsea Market has a rad display of pumpkins carved in funky designs, including a globe. The pumpkin pics are just a little sneak peek to my first Halloween here in the Big Apple.

Update on the Edmonton Art Gallery by Randall Stout

2009-10-06T10:16:00.001-07:00

I had a chance to visit Edmonton last week, and was fortunate enough to pass by Randall Stout's new Edmonton Art Gallery. Getting there!

Didn't I Tell You So? RE: Barbara Bui, I Kinda Love You

2009-10-02T00:43:00.001-07:00

Picture taken from Style.com

If we're going to keep ogling over a great pair of pants and how it's possible to have intelligent design that compliments lifestyle, Balenciaga's vegetable-dyed leather "jeans" from SS10 are living proof of that fascination. High fashion proof, too. Runway pants have details, finishes and fabrics to die for, no pun intended. Didn't I say Barbara Bui envisioned this for women several years ago?

I'm suddenly starting to feel at home...

2009-09-23T14:18:00.000-07:00

Such a sense of comfort when I see Angelique's photo wall. You're really settling down when you start hanging pictures on your wall, which was one of the first things I did when I arrived in the City.

By the way, isn't her blazer tres chic? So now? So London? Because it's London Fashion Week right? Only she will tell you the story of how she made such a smart acquisition.

I grew up with Tim Blanks.

2009-09-19T13:06:00.000-07:00

Couldn't believe my eyes when I saw him at New York Fashion Week! I also spotted Hilary Alexander from The Daily Telegraph, whom I followed on television ever since I was a little girl.

Quirks

2009-09-15T21:09:00.000-07:00

It's all about great colour combinations and funfunfun for Spring 2010. Phil and Isabel do it so well at New York Fashion Week.

Qu'est-ce que l'amour?

2009-09-02T20:11:00.000-07:00

Je suis l'amoureuse. It's the end of summer, but I'm still crazy inspired by love. Love is...

...my beautiful friends Yonathan and Suzy walking at the Pier 17 Seaport in New York...
...capturing my sister on the Brooklyn Bridge when she was visiting me for a week...
...a small bag that's crossed over your chest...
...or a 1970s single lens pro camera crossed over your chest...
...a hat...

Love is great fashion done effortlessly because you are no longer following the consciousness that overrides your natural intuition and tells you to put on the "proper" outfit in the morning. Suddenly, you can breathe. You pack lighter, need less, and you feel like it's just you and love standing between the ground and the sky. France's (fashionable) first lady, Carla Bruni, describes this feeling with such perfect score in her uplifting music video, L'amoureuse, which I would LOVE to share with you.

Wow Macy's...your store windows make EVERYTHING look good!

2009-08-20T11:19:00.000-07:00

Even the Jessica Simpson line!

belle de jour

2009-08-13T20:05:00.000-07:00

Bonjour, world. I have been m.i.a. these past couple of weeks as a result of the demanding overtime hours one is required to pull, especially when Fashion Week is coming up.

In the meantime, I feel it is important to mention my new acquisition, a blush coloured, silk satin cardigan with burnt lace from my favorite vintage store in the city, circa 1950s-1960s, and so Catherine Deneuve. This negligee is definitely meant for the bedroom, but I've decided to take it to the streets, preferably with pegged-leg pants, and a pair of pointed-toe, men's slip on dress shoes in dark brown, snakeskin, or black. It's about the delicate/rough, the sensual/austere, the tough economic times against the fragile nakedness of the human spirit. I just might run back to the store and get the matching teddy now.
I guess it also means that it's time for me to retire my blue japinoiserie kimono from my last trip to Asia.

Headdress.

2009-08-02T09:20:00.000-07:00

Voila. Turbans are so cute, aren't they? Maybe with some slim ankle pants, or color-blocked leggings, and a slouchy top.

Barbara Bui, I kinda love you.

2009-07-30T22:20:00.000-07:00

Summer dresses, it just isn't working out between us.

I used to declare myself a huge dresses fan, but I find that I can only get through the day feeling comfortable wearing some form of trousers. Ladies, you understand what I'm talking about. When we discuss the dress, we're also discussing leg waxing, proper panties selection, tanning, lotioning (shimmer for some), pedicures, underarm shaving, evening skin tone, back scrubs, working out for a summer body and strapless bras, to name a few. I've seen women go through these long beauty regimens and put on something, like...an American Eagle dress. It's like building a beautiful million dollar home and getting IKEA furniture.

So you and I, Fashion World, we need to compromise, okay? I need something that's figure flattering, leger enough for the day, comfortable, allows me to shorten my beauty regimen list to just working out and shaving, and still have enough artistic flare for the temple that is my body.

Enter Barbara Bui. We would all love to give credit to Balmain's Mr. Christophe Decarnin when we oogle over the glitzy, sexy, Parisian rocker-chic look, but the reality is that Barbara Bui has been doing the look for years. The curse of the female fashion designer.

Barbara Bui's mastermind head is probably going something like,"Le pantalon est sexy." Her Fall collection is the one collection that pumps me up for Fall. My favorite look: a printed sheer robe with satin trims, layered over a sheer black tank, and heavily seamed leather pants. This woman is all about pants: pants with buckle straps going up the side, dip dyed pants with hip pockets, pants seamed to emanate snakeskin. The accessories are absolutely to die for as well: fringed bags, studded slouchy-heeled boots, stencil leather over leather.

Looks like I have a date lined up with her new Soho store this weekend.

All photos taken from Barbara Bui's Website

Sgt Siegel's Little Boots

2009-07-29T20:12:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows I am a huge, huge boots fan. There's something androgynous but womanly about them that commands power and ownership when you walk. That's probably why the military has been wearing them for years, and probably why at 79 degrees girls will find any excuse to pair their floral dresses with brown fringe boots and scarves. I hate to brag, but I have worn pants tucked into combat boots several years before the Dr. Martens became such a big hit in street style blogs this summer. I, myself, have adopted a beautiful pair of black Frye engineer boots, which are great for any weather, ten times more stylish than rubber boots (and 150% more hygienic), and will look great with white dresses or harem pants for spring, and with printed leggings, a baggy knit sweater, and blazer for fall (accessorize at your own will). I'm sure these boots will be passed down to my kids.

Okay. Onto my real point. I am addicted to The Living Room in Ludlow, East Village, NYC. They have an amazing playlist of up and coming bands, and if you come in late the way I do, you get pushed to the front center seats and get a great view of the artists' accessories. Exhibit A: Leah Siegel and her Duke of Wellington leather boots with red piping, brass buttons going down the side, and a large pilgrim buckle around the ankle. Brooklyn fave Leah (who sings like a mixture of Judy Garland and Jeff Buckley) lets her music and singing take the stage, but her true accessorization expresses true taste. Especially when boots such as these aren't sold at any regular department store or clothing chain.

Yes Captain, I'm entranced.

Visit Leah Siegel's MySpace

Spotted on Times Square

2009-07-26T23:33:00.001-07:00

Great boots. Great coat.

Guys and Dolls.

2009-07-23T18:16:00.000-07:00

Dietmar Busse's photograph collection, "Lotus Lounge", absolutely fascinates me, because it's like a cross between Wong Kar Wai's In the Mood for Love, and Godard's Pierrot Le Fou. The models in the photos appear locked in space and time --- space, in the form of empty, white rooms with chinoserie furniture and accents; and time, in the form of exaggerated 1960s garb and excitingly bad haircuts and perms. The whole feeling is kind of fervid.

Is it just me or does the sixties-Shanghai fashion era never go out of style? Pointy blue pumps for women, pointy patent black loafers for men; black pantyhose for women, black trouser socks for men; and high hems for both genders. Some vintage looks can be recreated through a camera lens time and time again, yet constantly look new and curious.

all photos taken from dietmarbusse.com

Hey Joo-d.

2009-07-19T21:54:00.000-07:00

Even though I am a connoisseur of the color black, I don't often post several photos of friends who wear this shade in my blog.

I met Joo today, and we were both coincidentally wearing black fedoras to a picnic excursion in Brooklyn planned by our mutual friends. Joo and her friend look like a perfect buddy match in their summer versons of head-to-toe black.

I've been coveting leopard accessories, or leopard prints paired as an accent in outfits. Trust me, I've scouted the racks at second-hand store Buffalo Exchange three times, and still haven't found the perfect leopard print item. Joo wore a pair of cute leopard print shorts to offset her all-black outfit. I am also coveting the YSL Y-Mail tote she was carrying, which I spotted at Saks on the second day after I arrived in New York. Totes are the New York equivalent to gym bags in Canada --- there's no way you can get through the day without carrying a satchel big enough for your umbrella, your dayplanner, your phone, your wallet, an extra pair of flats, hand sanitizer, lotion, lipstick, sunblock, picnic blanket, fruit dip, brownies, mozarella baguettes, and a Don Cuervo. And black is chic, non?

Dear God, what is the world coming to?

2009-07-18T21:46:00.000-07:00

Spotted: Black Gucci skirt in a $5 bin outside a consignment store in East Village.

Also spotted: St. John tweed skirt. In the same bin.

Vintageland - A trip to Fabulous Fanny's

2009-07-15T18:52:00.000-07:00

I've died and gone to vintage heaven. Angelique showed me a beautiful, quirky "antique & vintage eyewear & clothing, optical oddities" store. That's a mouthful of a tagline on Fabulous Fanny's business card, but it mirrors the endlessness of treasures and glasses frames. The glasses, depending on design, vintage, brand, lens, etc., ranged from $75-$300+. They had beautiful eye mask glasses also (the only ones that were locked up in a glass case), with two noteworthy ones: one was a pair of metal frame glasses that had wires stemming from the rims to form into a large butterfly with stones, and the other was a pair of circle frame glasses studded with large glass crystals in rainbow colors. These exotic frames were a a lot more pricier at $1500+. I have my eyes on a pair of more humble, orange plastic ones that are part nerd, part sassy-cat-eye. Just like me.

After spending hours playing with different frames, we moved into the next room full of clothes, and......hats. Lots of hats for lots of occasions. All at decent prices starting at $25. Angelique tried on this floppy beautiful sun hat with silk flowers attached to the inside brim and a large navy velvet bow on the outside (above).

A small braided pillbox hat...

How about a turban?

Or some Eliza Doolittle at the Ascot Races?

I know, I look scared. I've never worn a turban before! Especially one made with lamee threads.

Then we had enough, and decided that after all the trying on of hats at this milliner's haven, Angelique couldn't stop thinking about the vintage sequined cardigan.

You can check out the selection of famous funky frames at Fabulous Fanny's here!

Nespresso. Capsule Art Exhibit & Tasting Bar

2009-07-07T19:36:00.000-07:00

Nespresso. Capsule Art Exhibit & Tasting Bar.
Temporary Installation by Ricardo Bellino (June 19th to July 3rd)
on 92 Prince Street - Soho

Bluesy Twing

2009-07-05T19:08:00.000-07:00

The moment I heard the guitar chords in minor strike in sync with her raspy, 1920s showgirl-going-through-heartbreak voice, I put down my book and walked across Washington Square Park to see The Bill Murray Experience.

The lead singer, Jessy Carolina Twing, literally had all eyes on her when she was singing, and she looked just the part with her black vintage silk dress, black tights, black mary-jane heels, red lipstick, and a white trilby hat to top. She holds a silk handkerchief in her hand as a prop, sometimes wiping her teary eyes when she hits those heartstrings in her ballads.

The band, with Horatio Baltz on guitar, Jay Sanford on bass, and Hubby Jenkins on second guitar, cites Bessie Smith and the Boswell Sisters as influences (among many). Check out their MySpace.

happy 4th of july!

2009-07-04T22:25:00.000-07:00

It's America Day! My first America day ever. Every year Macy's throws a spectacle of a fireworks display in New York City, and this year they moved it West by the Hudson River. Normally, I talk about art and designisms on this blog, but I can't help but mention this 30-minute firework show, especially when the crowd looked like this for about twenty blocks before it started:

Of course, navigating through the sea of traffic, tourists, NYPD, and locals was well worth it. How did you spend your July 4th?

yes boy

2009-07-03T21:08:00.000-07:00

Image from Band Weblogs

Who can possibly be cooler than Kate Moss right now, and be American at the same time? Lissy Trullie, that's who. Her androgynous garcon style has landed her a perfect little section on Style.com titled "Boy Genius", where she offers different suggestions on making menswear womenswear. After flipping through all 26 images on a lonely Friday night in the City, it is safe to say that the lowdown on Trullie's style is this: mix any masculine element with a tank top, or heels, maybe one or the other but rarely together...and throw on a dash of a motorcycle jacket for some serious rock star attitude. Her style is like Agyness Deyn without all the fussy color, or Erin Wasson without the "models only" exclusivity. Oh, and her tunes rock too.

Image from Big Hassle Media and Playlist blog

"Bold" over!

2009-07-03T19:45:00.000-07:00

Every morning I pass by a (I'm sure what you would call positively charming) exhibit of felt heads morbidly supported by sticks, on the corner of E10th St and Broadway. Yes, that green head has eyes coming out about two feet from his sockets. "Bold as Love" is what Adam Parker Smith has named his display, complete with blood puddles, roses, and heads that weren't so lucky keeping up. There was a great appeal to the combination of materials and content here --- perhaps it suggests the juxtaposition between the muppet-like heads and the unsettling message of death, the tension between the use of grade-school felt and the trompe l'oeil realism presented.

Each head is distinct, too. I'd have to say that my favorite head has to be the guy with the pink hair. He must have been such a babe before the sorry accident.

Even the title suggests a degree of shock-value that is presented by this display on Broadway Street. I wouldn't necessarily associate death with love, but talking about death is about as bold of a topic as love, although not quite as generic. I tell myself, "That's New York City for you, Canadian girl; everything is what you expected, but taken up about ten notches. Don't stop at one head...nope. If you want a display facing one of the biggest streets leading up to Union Square from Soho, you need to do about fifteen different heads."

Walking the High Line

2009-06-27T19:45:00.000-07:00

Apparently for New Yorkers, there is nothing more exciting than waiting in line for ten minutes to visit a new park in Chelsea, called Highline Park. This was the big attraction today. People walked around the district in two circles just to find the one entrance they were allowed to get into the park from (or maybe it was just Angelique and I, since we are considerably directionless). Perhaps it's my Edmonton background, but parks just seem so ordinary to me because they have been so easily available to me all my life. Nevertheless, when Frank Gehry designs an elevated apartment complex stemming from the old bridge and train track, I had to see what the hype was about.

My friend Angelique (FIT graduate, Richard Chai intern, and a certified New York pro in all things cool and hip) and her boyfriend Steve moved to New York a year ago. They are one of the most envious couples because they always look like they're straight from The Sartorialist. Anyways, today I had a chance to steal my beautiful friend away from her boyfriend, and she agreed to take me to Highline Park...even in 25 degrees celcius plus weather! What a gem. She had such an easy, relaxed outfit, too --- little harem-style sweat pants and vintage shoes from the Lower East Side picked out by her mom --- perfect for living the high life and walking around the man-made nature that is Manhattan's Highline park.

Goodbye Edmonton, Hello New York!

2009-06-19T20:52:00.000-07:00

I'm never good at sleeping well the night before I have to leave on any trip. I stayed up watching Gossip Girl before I went to Japan, read three magazines before I went to the Beijing Olympics, and last night I suddenly felt an entirely new portfolio was in order for my first day of work. Of course, that meant I spent my first day in New York half-conscious, missing all the people watching at night on the streets as we were being driven to our hotel. I did smell the humid polluted air, which meant even though I couldn't keep my eyes open, I knew I had arrived!

How iconoclastic.

2009-06-18T10:21:00.000-07:00

I can honestly say I have tried to convince hundreds of male customers to throw in the towel when it comes to rules: mix small stripes with large stripes, gingham with polka-dots, paisely with plaid. If the Japanese have been conquering this technique since the days of the kimono, it's a wonder why a lot of us have become so reserved and shy in our pairing choices.

My friend Jessica loves to mix. She loves collages, she loves moodboards, she loves styling photoshoots, she loves entering Stylist contests and winning second runner-up at Edmonton Fashion Week (although I would have vouched for her to take home the big prize). She loves mixing clothes, stirring up the old and new. She loves London for its cultural fusion. The fact that she's a mix herself --- half Native, half Chinese --- explains her part cool, part gregarious personality, and her obvious ability to pull off splashy combinations of patterns fearlessly. No rules on her turf.

picture taken from J. Yee

Reality Check

2009-06-16T14:06:00.000-07:00

My girlfriends and I visited the trendy Halo lounge on Jasper Avenue for the first time. The red interiors and forest wallpaper make for a Greenwich Village-style environment where hipsters in Edmonton can congregate and dance to New Wave house music and indie tunes. I have never seen so many girls wear cotton tank tops tucked into short pencil skirts all at once --- it was like walking into an Urban Outfitters commercial shoot. Of course, the terms "trendy" and "hipster" are always ironic concepts of individuality. If the ladies, gentlemen, and queens all want to stand out, how do they do so in a lounge full of the same types of people who all want to stand out? It seems these thoughts never run through Laura's head, of course. She's too busy having a wonderful time:

[by me.] I want to do what he's doing.

2009-06-14T21:55:00.000-07:00

If you've seen my other artwork, you'll know that I love painting people. People that are, for lack of a better description, extensions of myself. I turned a monochromatic photograph from a 1980s National Geographic magazine into an oil painting with a dusky palette. This man embodies everything I am and want to be at the moment.

preliminary stage

miigwech, nokomis!

2009-06-13T22:08:00.000-07:00

I've spent the last six weeks doing my practicum at Nokomis, an independent clothing store that sells exclusively Canadian clothing on trendy Whyte Avenue in Edmonton. The Nokomis girls taught me how to do everything in their business --- post office runs, screenprinting, steaming, sewing, cutting --- in a style that's feminine, elegant, undeniably young, and trendy but never chichi (I'm sure judging by the pictures you can see their spirit anyways). Jessica and Elizabeth both own Nokomis (far left and far right). Elizabeth and Genevieve (center) are the designers, and Genevieve also has her own jewelry line, Myrtle and Pearls, which she sells in-store. I've received rave compliments on my fluttery feather earrings e.v.e.r.y.t.i.m.e I've worn them. Anyways, I've been dying to get the girls' picture because they have such awesome style, but I didn't think they would appreciate me asking them every single morning as I sit on the doorstep of the studio.

Of course, we can't forget about gentle Tara, muse and model to Nokomis, who has also agreed to let me take a picture of her wearing her Hastings and Main zipper tank:

Last night I ran into a high school classmate at a bar and we started talking about fashion and such. She flipped out when I told her that I did my practicum at Nokomis, and kept chatting about a particular leather fanny pack she's been dying to get once she's stopped spending all her money on music festivals. I distinctly remember her saying that if she could, she would want to own every single item in the store. And this girl won against me in the vote for "Best Dressed Female" in high school. How lucky was I to have been able to do my practicum here? xo!

Waaaaaaaaaaaaave.

2009-06-13T01:38:00.000-07:00

Here's the update on Randall Stout's Edmonton large-scale masterpiece --- the Art Gallery. For those of you that don't know, Edmonton has showed its pride for the Arts by housing some of the greatest works in history inside a cement square building. That's right. It's extremely embarrassing... like wearing a $300 silk dress with a pair of broken Birkenstocks. The facelift Randall Stout is giving the new Edmonton Art Gallery is much more brag-worthy...apparently one of my favorite architects Zaha Hadid submitted a concept for the building but she never made the cut, which means Edmonton has been fighting to put some more stellar, tourist-friendly architecture back on the map. People have been comparing it to ribbon, but to me it looks like a huge tidal wave since the building appears tipped over. Getting increasingly phenomenal by the week.

For preliminary photos, see blog post "wwwhooooooaaa!"

easy breezy lemon squeezy

2009-06-07T20:32:00.000-07:00

One of the ironic things about fashion and style is that one always looks the best when one has tried the least hardest.

We used to tease my friend Yoni for denying his metrosexuality and joy of shopping, but what we really meant was that, in actuality, we couldn't deny his confidence and style --- which usually consists of high contrasting black-and-white prints, urban coats, bboy kicks, and signature afro. When you know what works, it only takes a few minutes to throw your signature uniform together.

My sister also picked one of my favorite weekend outfits that's a mish-mash of grunge and hippie. Her pieces here are from all over the world, most of them vintage, and she looks so relaxed, hip and cool all in one.

whoooooOOOaaaa!

2009-05-26T22:19:00.000-07:00

It has the effect that it's falling over. Here's an update on the new Edmonton Art Gallery designed by Randall Stout. The pictures are from winter, so I'm sure more progress has been made by now, but I thought, when something this exciting hasn't happened to Edmonton in centuries, why not share it with the cyberworld (no matter how late)?

Can you feel it?

2009-05-26T20:57:00.000-07:00

When I was working at the studio today, the windows were open, we had the blinds down, and for once in a long while...it was so hot we turned on the fans in the room. I met up with my sister Olivia and she had on the perfect summer outfit for today...of course, finished with our mom's vintage Gucci bag no less.