MEXICO

It has been a very long winter here in NYC and as we roll into March, I am really getting sick of my winter uniform. THANKFULLY my friend Ana and I have booked a trip to Mexico, somewhere I have never been (besides an afternoon in Baja) to escape the cold and sit on a beach. In less than a week we will be heading off for Quintana Roo and exploring the ancient ruins and cenotes. I am so excited that I started packing a week early (something I never do, much to my mom's dismay) and going through all my summer clothes. I was envisioning bright prints in geometric and ethnic patterns to match the landscape. I put together a little mood board representing what I would want to bring if money was no object.

Mexico Moodboard by nouvell_vague featuring chain jewelry

Top 5 creative presentations for NYFW Fall 2011

Well ladies and gentlemen another fashion week has come and gone and I have the cold to prove it. While I didn't go to as many shows and presentations as I did last season (partially because I was working on producing Rebecca Turbow's show, post on that forthcoming), I wanted to touch upon a positive trend that is emerging in fashion presentations this season, and I hope will continue. While it's true that a fashion show or presentation is really about the clothes and making sales, with so many happening at the same time, it's increasingly hard to make your show memorable.

So in that regard, some designers are putting a bit of performance into their shows. I wanted to highlight the innovation of the following five presentations that took place this past week:

5) Band of Outsiders -- While this was more or less a traditional runway show, this was the first runway for Scott Sternberg and his brand and he wanted to make it memorable. The first few models repelled from the ceiling and descended onto the runway, superhero style.

4) Erickson Beamon -- Jewelry is always a difficult product to market via a traditional fashion show, and frankly I'm a little skeptical that it's the best medium in which to do so. However, I have to give it to Erickson Beamon for this ballerina inspired presentation. Dancers from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy wearing the jewelry (some where the jewelry was meant to be worn, others with it worn over their faces like masks) were perched all over a scaffolding and doing ballet poses while a tenor from the Metropolitan Opera performed with a violinist. It was a little awkward as everyone was talking during the presentation but it was still something special.

3) Elise Overland -- Taking advantage of the temporary ice skating rink at the Standard Hotel, Elise Overland had her models perched on the ice while professional skaters, also wearing the collection, skated in circles around them. The presentation culminated in a performance by Johnny Weir who emerged from an igloo. I did feel rather sorry for the poor models, though... they looked so cold, one of them looked like she wanted to cry. Not exactly a lot of fat insulation to keep them warm, either.

2) Rachel Antonoff -- Taking things up a notch from her last season's "sleepover" themed presentation, Rachel Antonoff continued the theme of childhood nostalgia with her Fall 2011 presentation entitled "The Dance." The invites were designed to look like prom invitations, inviting you to a dance at La Guardia High School. The auditorium was decked out in streamers and balloons and models danced to songs by The Like. While this was ultimately one of the most creative presentations of the week, we do learn one lesson: models can't really dance.

1) Moncler -- Finally, the number one most creative presentation this week was this flash-mob style presentation by Moncler Grenoble. The presentation, which took place in Grand Central Station, included 150 dancers and 300 extras. Granted, this is a skiwear company and people have the kind of mobility that you need to participate in such a presentation. But... this will definitely be talked about for years to come and has set the bar for everyone else.

Lady Jane Lingerie Collection 2

I'm working on some patterns for my 2nd "collection" for Lady Jane Lingerie (I suppose it can't really be called a collection as it's only two pieces but whatever). I'm finally making a bra. Fitting bras is really challenging and to make it authentically vintage means sacrificing some of the advances in fit that have been developed over the past 70+ years. But, hopefully they will look great anyway. Here are some initial sketches. All designs were adapted from vintage 30's and 40's patterns.

Diaghilev and the Ballet Russes

I was in London recently and got to see an exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum about Diaghilev and the Ballet Russes. Admittedly, I did not know much about him and mostly only knew about the Ballet Russes as an inspiration for Yves Saint Laurent's groundbreaking 1976 collection. This was a truly fascinating exhibition that explored the Ballet Russes influence on modern art, fashion, music, and culture. The costumes, reflecting the surrealist and art nouveau movements that were happening at the time, were the highlight for me, as well as the fashion illustrations by George Barbier.

Pieces from YSL's collection

American High Style

I recently visited the Brooklyn Museum for some vintage eye candy. My favs? The Schiaparelli stuff and the unreal Steven Arpad shoes, totally surreal! Seeing as how these are from the 30's I would call Alexander McQueens Spring 2010 shoes pretty tame.

I don't have time to type up much stuff so I'll just post some photos. Go visit for yourself if you're in the area, its on through the summer.

Charles James Butterfly Dress

Charles James 4 leaf clover dress

Schiaparelli ensemble

Steven Arpad shoes

more Steven Arpad

Scaasi

Much more on my Flickr

Going once, going twice, SOLD!

By a stroke of luck, I was browsing some blogs Tuesday night and found out about an auction being held the following day of items from the Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection. The Brooklyn Museum had decided last year to integrate their collection into the Costume Collection at the Met, and thus items that were perceived as duplicates or not valuable to the collection were set to be auctioned. I was totally unaware that the Brooklyn Museum even had a costume collection! According to the NY Times, the collection was considered one of the best in the world, but had not been on view in more than a decade, and the cost of maintaining the collection had become too great.

I had the afternoon free (well, there were probably better things I could have been doing) so decided to go check it out, especially as there were some absolutely stunning items that I just wanted to look at and be lucky enough to see in person.

Sadly because I am lazy I did not get there in time for the preview, wherein I could have tried on some of these amazing vintage dresses. Fortunately the company running the auction, August Auctions, had a catalog online of many of the items very well photographed.

I got there just as the auctions were getting underway and got my paddle (my first real live auction! Much more exhilarating than ebay!) and took a seat. The audience was filled with many professional vintage dealers as well as other enthousiasts like Lyn Yaeger. The first hour or so was vintage textiles, many of which were hundreds of years old... very very beautiful items, but not really something I was interested in for myself. You would not believe how much money some of these things went for! A confederate flag went for something like $10,000. As soon as I heard some of these figures people were bidding I knew I was in a little over my head, but I hoped maybe I would get lucky somewhere down the line once they started on the clothing, especially on the non-designer stuff.

I came close, a couple of times. I nearly won this beautiful 30's beaded dress for $175, but then someone went to $200 and I was out. It sold for $200.

I'm most bummed about the two following auctions... one was a lot that I did not bid on which was a lot of 4 vintage kimonos that went for $100... I almost bid but the gavel came down too fast. Bargain! The other one was a lot that I did bid on and lost, for two Zandra Rhodes dresses. Zandra Rhodes was a famous British designer in the 70's and her stuff, as I understand it, is very hard to find. I went up to $200 but was outbid, and I think they went for $250. In retrospect, I only wanted the black one for myself, and probably could have sold the blue one for the price of these two combined. But that's the thing with the live auction, its all over in the blink of an eye and there's no time to hesitate. I've never been much of a gambler so as soon as stuff got over $200 I started to shy away.

Overall, there was a bargain here and there (a 60's Pierre Cardin pantsuit went for $90), but most everything else went for obscene, obscene amounts of money. Still it was tons of fun and a great way to see some amazing historical pieces. I highly recommend checking out the auction galleries from the Augusta site. There's also a few, not that great photos on my Flickr.

Workin' for the weekend

My time is up at Erin Fetherston and after a week in California I now have a new job at the Ivana Helsinki/Love Contemporary concept shop. What started out as a pop-up has now become a permanent location. The space functions as a retail fashion store for Finnish designer Paola Sahonen, a sex toy shop, and an event space... all brought together by the new magazine Love Contemporary for which Paola is the creative director. I'm so excited to work there! The clothes are great and are all made in Finland.

Like Erin, for every collection Paola does a video which encapsulates the story of the collection. I am loving this video for the Spring/Summer collection. Also, I want that pouffy polka dot dress. And the romper.

I'm not dead

It has been a while, hasn't it? There's so much I want to post but I've been extremely busy working and have gone out of town and we had a death in the family and lots of other stuff... so no time to write. I've been working w/Erin Fetherston for the past couple months and its been a really great learning experience, albeit long hours and lots of stress. We had our show last night, and, if I do say so myself, the design team accomplished a thing of beauty. If this was my wardrobe for the next 5 years I think I could die happy (although they didn't put a lot of my favorite pieces in the show).

I also started another blog to vent frustration that I am running with my friend Heather, but even that one has been suffering due to lack of time. When winter is over hopefully I will come back to life.

A Labour of Love, indeed

Back around December of 2007, having recently quit my non-profit job and wanting to do something else, I dreamed of opening a boutique filled with all my favorite things. I'd be my own boss and get to spend my days surrounded by a collection that I curated. I spent hours and hours researching what lines I would carry, what kind of fixtures I'd have, what wallpaper I wanted. I even started scouting locations and made a phone call to inquire about the cost of a well-located vacant storefront on Havemeyer Street. Unfortunately, health problems and a sinking economy put that dream on hold indefinitely, as I saw many of my favorite Brooklyn stores shut their doors over the course of the next year.

If I ever did open a store, however, I would only hope that it would look something like Labour of Love, a somewhat new independent boutique in London. I've always identified more with London style than I have with New York, and this shop really personifies that look and spirit. It's located within spitting distance of my old apartment in Angel Islington, which would have been really dangerous had it existed when I lived there in 2003-4. The actual brick-and-morter store is a well-curated collection of clothing, accessories, books, objects, and music... a portion of which is thankfully available on their e-shop. Browsing the site has made me really miss London.

Items in this set:
Miriam Ocariz black scalloped skirt, 470 GBP
Finsk Angular cut-out platform shoes, 235 GBP
King Red and white 'Band Leader' cardigan, 196 GBP
Labour of Love White silk patterned shirt, 131 GBP
Gaspard Yurkievich Tights, 88 GBP
Gemma Lister black sequin necklace, 40 GBP
Labour of Love khaki ruffle bib fronted shirt, 87 GBP

Alexandra Grecco Trunk Show

A couple weeks ago I was thrilled to attend the trunk show for my friend Alexandra at a new Williamsburg boutique Charlie and Sam (my new favorite store). It was a great setting for the launch of Alex's new vintage-inspired line, composed of rompers, dresses, shorts and tops in velvet, jersey, silk, and even sequins.

This is my favorite piece although it wasn't on display in the trunk show.

I loved all the scalloped details.

Alex is doing a whole spring line which will be available in stores come 2010. Keep an eye on this one ladies and gentlemen! You can buy her fall line now in her etsy shop.

and for some further reading, here is this week's Links à la Mode:

Links à la Mode : November 19th

• Awakened Aesthetic: – Eco-Friendly Stocking Stuffers (Part I)


• Crisis in Denim: – Crisis in Denim: I make gentle fun of a Banana Republic ‘rewards’ card I received in the mail, that seems designed to make me think I accomplished something by shopping at BR and earning ‘rewards’ points, by riffing on the president’s Yes We Can slogan.


• dramatis personae: – the Hat’s Out of the Bag! by Michelle at Wicked Whimsy


• Fashion X K8: – The importance of Fashion Ad Campaigns and analyzing the collective subconcious of fashion consumers. I beg the question, what makes a great Fashion Ad.


• Further Ado: – With many of their paper equivalents going bust, Further Ado finds 5 great online fashion magazines to keep you satisfied.


• Grit and Glamour: – yesterday The Psychology of Lace Lace, in spite of its implied fragility, holds very special power in the sartorial world.


• Idiosyncratic Style – Infatuation List: Five Fall Fashion Favorites


• Independent Fashion Bloggers – Fashion Blogging : The Road Ahead


• kaKofonie Of si(gh)lenS: – Interview with Lauren Jones of mydearthing


• Mystery Creature: – I love vintage, I love handmade… but I don’t love Etsy, as much as I want to.


• Oranges and Apples: – What drives fashion bloggers? Oranges and Apples in the Scotsman


• Random Fashion Coolness: – Musings on the power-partnerships in the Blogosphere


• Shoe Daydreams: – Collaborations and “inspiration”


• slsvgg fashion: – An interview with Gossip Girl actress LEIGHTON MEESTER, on her style


• Somewhere over the Skyline…: – rugality? Sustainability? The Recession! – Thoughts & Recommendations on Sustainable/Vintage Lifestyles


• Super Kawaii Mama: – Meet the Dr. of Dames and her new book Our Girl’s – Aussie Pin Up’s of the 40’s & 50’s


• THE COVETED: – Benefits of Chilly Days… Coats!


• The Curvy Fashionista – Got the Plus Size Bridal Dress woes? Enter in Cc.Elaine- A studio dedicated to the Curvy.Confident.Chic. Plus Size Bride


• The New Wave: – Underwear as Outerwear: How to wear this spring’s runway trend using vintage pieces.


• The Pixelated Blonde – Fashion: it’s an individual thing – a look at how to be stylish whilst maintaining one’s individuality.


• White Rabbit: – Lookbook.nu vs. Flickr’s Wardrobe Remix – the battle of “What I wore today” sites


• Wicked Whimsy: – Rene Geneva Designs – featuring a local, woman run eco-friendly design house that makes gorgeous clothes to boot!

Underwear as outerwear

Its no secret that I love lingerie, I've done plenty of posts about it and and even developed some vintage tap pants (new website coming soon, it is looking bad ass!). Needless to say, I am very excited about some of the new lingerie-inspired styles coming out for spring. The detailing on some of these pieces is so gorgeous, looking through the spring Paris shows my mind was basically exploding all over the wall. Forget spring, I want to wear this now. Let's take a look at some of the highlights shall we?

Can we start with Dior? OMG, want this whole collection, but check it out! Hello, John you stole my vintage 40's tap pants idea! I love these paired with the delicate boustier blouse, I totally need to get the balls to wear my tap pants as outerwear.


You can get great vintage styles like these from a number of places:

Elegant Satin/Silk Tap Panties


Van Raalte SHEERIO Tap Panties

1930's Pink Silk Tap Pants with Lace

OLGA Vintage 1960s Black Panti-Slip Sexy Mini Slip with Lace Trim

My next favorite look from the Dior show was the following:


Now this look is a little risqué for every day but without the sheerness you could totally wear this. Perhaps in a silk crepe... Lyell does a cute one for Urban Outfitters in a similar style:

Fletcher by Lyell for Urban Outfitters Silk Jumper

The other show where lingerie inspiration featured prominently was the Dolce and Gabbana show. There was a mix of really masculine pieces with the really feminine lingerie-inspired pieces that I think worked well.

I think the trick to this look is layering of various lingerie pieces so that its not too sheer. Layer several slips over each other with varying lengths so that you create tiers. Mix lace and satin materials so that you can see the satin through the lace, etc. Ideas of some layering pieces:

Vintage Black Lace Lingerie


Sexy 50s Burlesque Black/Red Lace Lingerie Top Slip


Vintage Black Lace slip dress


Vintage Nude Satin Slip/Nightgown

As long as it doesn't get too cold this winter I am going to try to incorporate some of my vintage lingerie pieces into my regular wardrobe somehow. Otherwise no one will ever get to see them but me!

All runway images courtesy of Style.com.

Who wore it best?

Weirdly enough, Heidi Klum and Seal stole my costume idea! She must read my blog. Who wore it best?

Thanks to Gemma for sending the photo.

Halloween Inspiration from the S/S 2010 Runway shows

It's nearly my favorite holiday, Halloween! In the past few years I've tried to steer away from the stereotypical "sexy ______" or "slutty ________" costumes in favor of costumes that are a little more creative, and hopefully, more in the "spooky" Halloween spirit. What I do love about Halloween is that its an excuse to wear just about ANYTHING and get away with it. I have a lot of stuff in my apartment that I would love to wear every day but would get me nothing but weird looks and comments (especially my hats from the 30's!). So I usually take the opportunity to go ALL OUT and over the top. In a way, this is a lot like what designers do on the runway, its their one opportunity to present their creative vision, though much of the time its not looks that their customers will ever wear top-to-toe. In that spirit, let's get creative and take a look at some of the runway shows for inspiration for Halloween costumes this year (most images courtesy of nymag.com).

Yohji Yamamoto Haute Zombie

Yohji sent a parade of zombies down the runway for S/S 2010, and these looks are some great inspiration for zombie costumes for Halloween. All you need for this look is the hair and makeup, and then some slick, tailored clothes to hack up a bit (might wanna try the thrift store and find some nice tailored menswear instead of hacking up anything too expensive!). Tada, Haute Zombie!

Alexander McQueen Futuristic Alien/Sea Creature

By far one of the weirder shows this season (we'd expect nothing less), McQueen's theatric show is great inspiration for a futuristic, alien-inspired costume. Metallic fabrics, tin foil, cellophane, and wire should help you create a look inspired by this show. The wire should also help in making one of these hairstyles!

Anne Demeulemeester Bondage Gimp

S&M looks are always popular for Halloween (just ask my friend Lou who works in a latex shop, they get very busy this time of year!), but you can totally do it with some style a la Ms. Demeulemeester. Belts, chains, zips, leather, latex... just make it look scary not skanky, please!

Comme Des Garcons Scary Clown

Nothing is scarier than a clown, right? With the right wig and a mix of bright colors, clown make-up, and a creepy smile, you'll be scaring all the fashionistas on your block.

Gareth Pugh Swamp Thing

You HAVE to look at these close up to appreciate the make up but this show was super creepy! These looks at the end screamed "swamp thing" to me. You're gonna need to do some crazy shredding to get this look, and many yards of jersey.

Givenchy Goth Conehead

I always end up seeing some coneheads on Halloween, I'm not quite sure why, such an old movie and not particularly scary but I guess its an easy costume to do. But how about let's spook it up a little bit and be Givenchy Goth Coneheads? Mostly the same, except goth-er. That's more like it!

Marc Jacobs Ghost/Ice Princess

You don't need to be in black to be scary, as Marc Jacobs showed us this spring. These eerie looks were inspired by Kabuki girls, but I think they kinda look like ice princesses or ghosts! You don't need to hide under a sheet to be a ghost, just a flowy chiffon white or ice blue dress and some white face make up. YES!

Charlie Le Mindu Cousin It

Addams Family members are always popular on Halloween, and make a great group costume. Coustin It, the overly hairy member of the Addams extended family, is a relatively easy costume to do, but why not take it to the next level a la Charlie Le Mindu and rock those hair extensions EVERYWHERE?

Giles Deacon Spider-Woman

Finally, if you're not going to do a full-on costume, why not just embrace some Halloween-inspired prints? Spiders, bats, ghosts, witches, any of these motifs done in a creative way is a good effort.