I finally got a chance to watch the BLACK SWAN! I was blown away by Ms. Portman's performance. The Rodarte sisters costumes were incredible during all the dance scenes. The movie reminded me a bit of Roman Polanski's REPULSION. That same suspenseful, strange and mental crumble. Definitely a must see for those of you who haven't already seen it.
After seeing this I stumbled upon my friend Jessie's jewelry etsy site Vinny and Vernelle. She makes pieces that remind me of dancers
Well, I did it. I can finally say that I made my hair a silly weird color. Of the zillion times I have changed my hair color, sadly I must confess I have always stayed in the "normal" palette. I had this desire to have frosting colored hair, and behold my new hair-- I do!
I am finally done with work until 2011! I look forward to re-introducing myself to my old pal "BED" where I can watch all the secret movie screeners sent over to me from the academy...like BLACK SWAN and the Fighter. This insane rainy Seattle like weather has also become my new best pal. Together we can get a lot of relax on.
XOXO Hope all of you are off Xmas shopping and finding fun stuff out there.
Finally my painting "the secret door" is available as a limited edition print by PCP (Poster Child Prints) You can snag a signed painting print with an official certificate Here http://posterchildprints.com/The-Secret-Door/
I have been working insane hours, yesterday clocked in from 6 a.m. and got home around 1:a.m. Yikes. I actually laid in my bed and felt it spin around and move like a magic carpet. Can't wait til the holiday break to finally rest and reboot. I am thinking of making a major hair change and have been sort of wanting to look more like a girl in one of my paintings
The past few weeks I have been shopping for bohemian and gypsy things for an upcoming episode. I discovered some incredible one of a kind pieces over at Golyester ----here in Los Angeles
Golyester Vintage Clothing and Textiles Specializing in 1900-1960′s 136 S. La Brea Ave. Los Angeles, CA 323.931.1339
There are so many unique pieces on my WISH list over there. Every single piece seems to have it's own magical history and story to tell. So if you ever wonder what gift to get me- any jewelry item in that place is fine by me!
My good friend LAURA KRANITZ works at Golyester and also makes incredible head pieces- like these ones which we are using for an up coming 90210 episode!
here's a little sneak peek where some of my bohemian finds will be found on this season's 90210
Photographer Alexandra Valenti takes the kind of pictures that seem painted with transparent colors and ignited with dream like hazy light. I found her images in this new leather look book and also some from her website.
So let's just admit that I am awful with time management lately. Or perhaps my lack of blog posts has been because I have zero free time to manage. If I am not shopping for the t.v. show I work on, then I am doing fittings, standing on set, researching clothing lines, stuck in traffic or sleeping. Life is good. On the plus side, I am working so much that I don't even have time to spend money or deposit my paychecks...so I am sort of stockpiling deposits for the bank. I will try to best sum up the past month or so for you all. First of all that Current Affair Sale was amazing. I swear the booths were packed with multi levels of awesome. I scored a hand painted clutch purse and a mossy green giant avant garde thin jacket with enormous pockets from SCOUT. I will try to take pics of them for you to see!
poor Laura had an awful Steaming injury preparing clothes for the sale...it looked like the E.R. might have been a good idea. If you get squeamish easy-scroll down to avoid this insane burn bubble
Designer Maxine Dillon!
After the Current Affair sale I was exhausted. Hauling racks of clothes on my day off is not really on my list of favorite weekend activities. I mustered enough energy to attend the L.A. ladies choir event at FAMILY book store. My pal Cynthia invited us, and we wanted to show our support.
Here I am sporting my new bangs, which I have realized are quite the commitment. No one told me that I would have to actually buy a dryer and use products to keep them down. I realize that I miss my old messy tumbleweed hair after all. Something about no style is appealing to me as I get older and wiser. I don't like waking up with giant winged bangs. My pal Laura decided to dye her dark brown locks and make them ash blonde. It's a cool new change
Becky Stark and Aska are the founders of the lovely ladies choir. The place was packed.
Back at work we have been shopping for lots and lots of fabulous dresses and shoes for the cast of 90210. It's been a whirlwind season and we are almost half way done with season 3. It's been great going on location and watching how all the components come together from the various departments. These Valentino shoes were magical
isabel marant stone pebble cuff
my friend Annakim has been wearing the vampire t-shirt I made for her around town. Doesn't she look awesome!?
Other than working all the time, I've been enjoying my new married home life. The hubby and georgie boy have been spending loads of time together. Check out the latest pics of these two guys lastly...Mr. H and I went back out the desert to explore sweet getaway homes and fell in love with an all new spot. As you may recall the last one we fell in love with fell through. We had fallen hard for that spot with the kidney shaped pool and hot tub and magical views, but the owner decided to take it off the market. They say everything seems to happen for a reason and now we have stumbled upon a whole new place that has a cool creative energy. Fingers crossed that we land this adorable abode so that we can disappear out of L.A. when we need rest and relaxation. Here's a sneak peek at the new place-
VIEWS for miles and miles
I am dying to sit on the porch and drink coffee and make artwork in the garage without any distractions. Well, I wouldn't mind a visit from a roadrunner or rabbit.
COME JOIN me and my pals this weekend for A CURRENT AFFAIR!
This weekend- Friday Sept 10 and Saturday Sept 11: a new vintage presentation...
Join over 20 premier vintage retailers and private dealers from LA and beyond, including Scout, Siren, Mercy Vintage, Selien's Vintage Apparel, Golyester, LA Vintage Exchange, and Found by...
A Current Affair: Pop Up Vintage Marketplace
Friday Sept 10 as part of Fashion's Night Out 6pm-10pm DJ Nguzunguzu/Open Bar first 25 attendees get a free issue of Crushfanzine, and a free dance class at Ryan Heffington's The Sweat Spot mobile food truck The Flying Pig will be available downstairs $10 admission
Saturday Sept 11 10am-5pm DJ Nguzunguzu/Beverages Cynthia Rowley Mobile Fashion Truck available downstairs $10 admission
(above and below are pics of Laura Kranitz hats- she and I are sharing a booth together!)
Please join us on facebook for updates, press, photos and more: www.facebook.com/itsacurrentaffair and follow us on twitter.. (tell us how we can follow you).. @acurrent_affair
My dearest friends, I am sorry for the long pause and huge delay in posting! I started back to work in mid June and have been on the fast track to zero sleep and 80 hour work weeks. I must admit that I am truly grateful for this incredible opportunity and obsessed with my new job. It's great working with a fabulous creative team every day and getting fashion puzzles solved on the daily. The commute is the only downer. Usually it's about an hour every morning and 45 minutes when I am leaving. If any of you have any great suggestions for cool designers, awesome ebay or etsy listings or things you think would look great on the screen feel free to let me know. We are already getting ready for episode 5, time is just flying by. This is going to be a fun season!
Those ladies in Brooklyn sure know how to throw a fun anniversary party! As I posted previously, I have some art pieces on the walls of a cool boutique in Brooklyn called The Banquet. I had forgotten how sticky and humid NYC is in June. I secretly love the insane heat out there. The two owners of The Banquet, Miranda and Pam showed up at the airport (my flight came in at 1:00 a.m.) in a cute Zip car. I give mad props to anyone who dares drive in the city. I jumped into the car and it was like we had all known each other forever. They even got lost a few times (must be true friends of mine). The shop itself is adorable and in a cute neighborhood in Brooklyn.
my art seemed right at home against the white brick walls and neon flower arrangements. Pam's creates the one of kind jewelry and Miranda custom makes dresses and things-made to order in any fabric swatch color of the customer's choosing!
This girl (above) was wearing old school GUESS jeans, and obviously doing them serious justice. I think Guess would approve of her selling the look
Derin and Ellie came out for the party! And down below my childhood friend Lauri and her parents came to represent from OHIO
I fell in love with Ellie's Egyptian print bag.
on our way back to the lower East side we ran into this cool crotchet knit bike. We ended up going to a bar called St. Jerome's and saw Lady Gaga sitting at the bar. I guess her old boyfriend is the bartender. She looked cute, wearing a hair scarf and little shorts. All the ladies from the party ended up dancing til 3:00. Pam and I made ourselves popcorn and mac and cheese at 3:15. Nice way to end the evening
Back at Pam's place, I found lots of inspiring books and decorations. She has really cool style. She also told me that she used to live near the desert in California and found lots of cool things at local thriftshops. I always love embroidered things and cool pastel portraits
One of the embroidery books had a catalog of unique artists and some of the work was amazing. I especially loved this nude scene: I also fell in love with this street art- graffiti off of rivington
I am leaving for Brooklyn soon and wanted to let everyone in NYC know that I will be doing an art show collaboration with the store THE BANQUET. I printed some napkins for the dinner party with my art. I think it's been almost 2 years since I visited NY. Here is the press release for the fancy affair...
theBANQUET boutique, located at 360 Atlantic Avenue in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, is pleased toannounce
that they will be hosting a party on June 5thto celebrate their one year anniversary, featuring an installation of the Los Angeles based artist Kime Buzzelli’s work.“We’ve been fans and collectors of Kime’s for years and are so honored to have the opportunity to collaborate with her in our own shop. It has been such an incredible year and we couldn’t think of anyone better to help us celebrate.“
The event will feature a playful spread of Buzzelli’s dreamy, whimsical portraits, limited edition Plume bow belts and candy inspired necklaces,and Miranda Bennett’s Lady Luck Dress, designed just for the occasion, all in Buzzelliinspired colors and fabrics. Floral elements will be styled by the Brooklyn based duo, Quatre Ceour. Handmadelinen napkinsbytheBANQUETand Kime Buzzelli,will also be available for purchase.
For the evening only, a discount of 20% will be offered on Bennett and Johnston's Buzzelli inspired pieces.
This will mark Buzzelli’s first show in New York City in some time and her first collaboration with both Bennett and Johnston.
The Banquet is the collaboration of designers and friends Miranda Bennett and Pamela Johnston. The store exclusively houses Bennett's women's clothing line, Miranda Bennett Design, and Johnston's jewelry collection, Plume. Together the pair also select seasonal themes for their Archive line of vintage clothing, books, and home goods (currently they are exploring anAnnie Halltheme).
The Banquet name borrows from the idea of a communal, celebratory feast, much like the salons of the early 20th century. The pair have borrowed from this concept both with their monthly dinner parties where they converse with friends from the design and arts community, and in their approach to merchandising the store in the style of a lavish buffet. On any given day, one will find either Johnston or Bennett hosting customers in the shop.
The party will be held Saturday, June 5thfrom 6 – 9 pm attheBANQUET, 360 Atlantic Avenue b/t Hoyt & Bond in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn. Champagne and treats will be served.
First of all, you have to just throw away all of the thoughts in your head that are saying..."it can't be done in two days". And then relax and just go for it. Here's how it all went down for us, first we drove downtown to find a wedding band for him. We walked around the jewelry district and ate cafeteria style at Cliftons. Then I went to Golyester where my friend Laura works and tried on lots and lots of dresses. I found a pretty 1930's lace dress with potential and bought it. I found Justin a spring grey jacket (he wanted to wear his shorts). We drove to East L.A. to get the marriage license. That was probably the hardest part of the process, and took 2 hours.
Lucky for me, I have amazing friends & family who are super talented in sewing/designing, floral arranging, catering, BBQing, decorating, and planning a party within 24 hours! The cake above was from local bakery Delilah's, RED VELVET with exotic wild flowers that Fran stuck on top
here I am the night before getting the dress fitted!
here's the PRE- wedding pictures- (the early re-designing the dress stages) My friend Danielle and I went down to my friend Niki's studio, where the original dress was cut up and some FLAIR was added. Niki and I originally started the Show Pony together out of our messy apartments...and 10 years ago we used to sew clothes on ourselves and wear them for funny photo shoots.
this picture above was captured right before niki and I shared a teary eyed- John Hughes wedding moment. There was this exciting moment where we both felt like we knew someday we would be doing this, working on a dress together again.
my pal Laura Kranitz made me an awesome headpiece to wear to the wedding
I ran off to the Eagle Rock Macys to snag a pair of sparkly silver shoes (don't ask me why...just had one hour before the ceremony to find something for my feet!)
With hardly any time to spare we told our friends who live nearby to swing by if they wanted to witness our vows at 5! Our friend Jeaneen's mother drove in to officiate the ceremony.
the VOWS: click on image to watch them (only took 10 minutes )
signing the important papers to become the new MRS. H! Sweet
Tossing the bouquet! My friend Kathryn caught it (after the second try, cause my first throw landed in the rose bushes)
the groom made a batch of his special BBQ ribs, which were a huge HIT! They vanished in no time at all
Cutting the CAKE!
click on image to watch the cake cutting LIVE
I couldn't have asked for a magical amazing wedding day. The entire thing was completely stress free. My friends helped make food, arrange flowers, and even apply some makeup on me. Almost every aspect was natural and effortlessly easy. My only regret would be that I didn't have some of my favorite people in attendance...like family and my best guy friend Kutmah (who has been dealing with an awful deportation drama) It took all my strength to not break down into tears at the alter when the minister mentioned taking a moment of silence for all the people who have passed or are unable to be with us on our special day. Justin (Kutmah) McNulty is my oldest pal here in L.A. and he's like a brother to me. We all gave him a toast.
So it's official, I am a married woman! It's been so nice becoming part of a team.I promise to share some of the pics from our adventure out to Joshua Tree next.
The time has come to let go of some more stuff. Spring cleaning time has arrived. If I sat all day and posted the things I have to unload for 24 hours a day, it would still take a week to clean house. I figured some of these things might be good for you readers, so here is the link to my ebay shop SHOW PONY
I apologize to you loyal moldy doilies who have written me questions lately and for not responding soon enough...finally more time is on my side- so I promise to be more on top of the posts and ready with responses!
After a week of brutal Pilates classes (for those of you who don't know me, I will confess I am the least flexible person on the planet) Being an amateur at yoga, and all other exercise classes, I was unprepared for the amount of creepy stress and agitation that pours from the hip sockets and shoulders. I have been an emotional crab face since attending classes and have found myself weeping at sappy sitcoms for no apparent reason. On the plus side I can barely sneeze or walk, which means I am utilizing muscle groups that I have never used!
This time off is finally about to get productive, which is good considering I have an upcoming wedding (poorly planned for sure) and a house to "officially" settle into.
I discovered the incredible artistry of fashion designer Tsumori Chisato while visiting Japan. I couldn't believe the fantastic color palette and sheer chiffon prints. It seemed we were inspired by the same stimuli. I have encountered many of her dresses in resale shops and awed by there interesting cuts and color combinations. Her recent 2010 fall line has such magical WOW potential. Some gypsy infused flapper/circus misfit creations. They are reminiscent of old school designer Diane Fres, and her whimsical wild prints, of which I am truly a fan as well. Style .com writer Hadley Freeman sums it up best here...
If Vivienne Westwood and Celia Birtwell had a child, raised it in Japan, and reared it on a diet of manga cartoons and Disney films, that child would grow up to be Tsumori Chisato. With Pierrot dolls, gypsies, and circus performers all jostling in her latest collection as inspirations, resulting in a whirl of stripes, bright colors, and intricate illustrations, hers is not an aesthetic for the minimalist. But a glance at the very colorful audience attending Chisato's show proved that there are plenty of people who are happy to think of their bodies as canvases for clothes, as opposed to thinking of clothes as canvases to flatter the body.
In fact, like Birtwell and Westwood, Chisato can be deceptively restrained with her everything-and-the-kitchen-sink style. Well, mostly. If any woman out there felt that her life was lacking a double-layer ruffled mini cape in orange and purple, this gap is now filled in her wardrobe. Yet, these occasional slips into OTT-ness aside, Chisato almost always thinks carefully about the effect of the clothes on the onlooker. Thus, there were some terrific color combinations once the monochromatic opening section passed, such as a purple jacket with black frogging and a large brown cape with heavily stitched red pockets. A black velvet bolero crusted with gold trim looked particularly good over a paisley playsuit, with the former playing down the intensely patterned nature of the latter, and the latter adding some fun to the sober glamour of the former. Chisato's skill with patterns has attracted the canny attention of Le Petit Bateau, and their collaboration will be in stores in November.
The theme of the collection was circus, which must be up there with rockabilly and the filmBelle de Jour as an overused fashion inspiration. But true to form, Chisato used her inspiration as a mere starting point, morphing quickly into hippie gypsies in paisley and woodland fairies wearing long, luxe gowns. Aesthetically, it was a treat, and it left one grateful that Chisato had found fashion in which to channel her clearly abundant energy and imagination. If she had turned instead to, say, literature, she'd probably be churning out 2,000-page sci-fi fantasy novels.
For some reason I have been thinking a lot about wearing a fun short wedding dress. Even though I am probably running off and getting hitched to an audience of one...it's still nice to have some formality to the whole operation. My main wishes for the big day are
1. be someplace that makes me feel inspired and calm
2. Be comfortable with whatever the scene is
3. Be in the moment, and able to take it all in
4. Be wearing something that I can add my own flair too
Overall, I am just elated to have found such a great guy who I can imagine spending all my days and nights with. Sometimes when he does something silly or obnoxious, he looks over and says, better get used to this, you have 40 years of it ahead. Um, I plan on living to like 99, so actually it's a whole lot longer than that.
I have no idea how people plan these things down to the last detail. I really just don't want to make it a nightmare fiasco. I just want to wander off to the desert like a gypsy and run around having fun wearing a dress dragged through dust. Giant ridiculous colorful real flowers in my hair and something sparkly somewhere on my torso. Open to lots of non traditional or traditional wedding suggestions.
This past week I had the pleasure of attending the annual Costume Designer's Guild Awards. The event was at the lovely Beverly Hilton Ballroom. The sponsor was Swarovski Crystal, and let me confess they delivered one incredible night. The Master of Ceremonies was Parker Posey (who made everything super fun) She changed 3 times during the night, each time outdoing the last ensemble.
Parker Posey, along with costume designers Bonnie Nipar, and Emma Trask
The evening was so awesome! So many incredible designers in one place, all being celebrated and honored. My favorites sitting mere tables away...Audrey Fisher from True Blood, Lou Eyrich from Glee, Janie Bryant from Mad Men, Sandy Powell (Young Victoria, Velvet Goldmine! Orlando, Gangs of New York- the list of her incredible designs in films goes on and on and on) Also receiving an award that night was darling actress EMILY BLUNT. I adore her performances in so many movies.
such fun sitting at my table with Jonny(skingraft designer) and my cohort Frank. The show had lots of great film montages and presenters (Loni Anderson, Nancy Sinatra, Nicole Kidman, Alan Cumming, Eddie Izzard, Kristen Bell & many more)
Frank looked awesome wearing my fancy vintage dangle rhinestone earrings. Which I may add were super painful, what were women thinking back then? I also ended up wearing an unbearably painful fitted strapless dress that made me look like a striped sausage. Below: lovely Valerie and Ryan
The evening had many moments of inspiration!
Above: Swarovski crystal creation for the movie "9"
Emily Blunt's amazing yellow dress from "Young Victoria"
Above- Valerie and Inka with "Precious" Costume designer Marina (center). I was giddy to meet Sandy Powell (Velvet Goldmine)She has effortless personal chic style. While I on the other hand look absolutely dreadful next to her, ha. Can this dress make me appear any more bloated?
This past Sunday Swarovski Crystal hosted a lovely brunch/ presentation featuring their new materials for costume designers. The meet and greet between guild members was such an enjoyable way to hear what is happening behind the scenes and get great advice for future projects. I was super excited by all the wonderful Swarovski crystals and supplies that were gifted to us.
the catalog in the gift bag had some cool pics- like these ones...
I'm ecstatic about my new jewels! And this new weirdo mustard yellow hat I found
and to conclude, why does this guy make everything seem more fancy?
oh marni bag, why are you so much money? You have my favorite graphic combo and long shoulder strap?
Rick Owens sweater would suit me just fine these days...
same for you alexander wang holy t-shirt top. So many levels of good
and all of isabel marant's new fabulous jewels...so lovely for my ears and neck
I'm supposed to go shopping later this morning with my friend fran. We are hoping to transform our closets as soon as possible. I still have mountains of boxes in mine and loads of things to sell off. I have decided to try this "less is more" concept. My father (massive fashionista male) used to lecture me way back in high school about "quality vs quantity" especially when I would arrive home with bags of thrift clothes. He was more the Christian Bale American Psycho dresser. And by that I simply mean he never wore a label-less shirt in his life.
Pondering the many many lovely elements of white dresses, and wondering what vintage frocks I can chop up and redesign into something that is truly me.
I've never been much for wearing red myself, but adore the shade on other ladies. Here are a few I found while searching for other things online this past week. Hoping all of you have a sweet and relaxing Valentine's Day this Sunday. It's always fun to watch old movies and bake some cookies with good girlfriends on this holiday whether you are with a sweetheart or not. But if you opt for vamping it up around town, try some of this for inspiration...
my favorite below...of course. this Tuesday is my very last day of work for the season, then I am ALL yours! Thanks again for all the great comments on the recent engagement. I really appreciate it
Mr. H has not only popped the question, but delivered the best everlasting ring! WOW, can't believe this gypsy ring is on my hand. Even though we have no idea when we will get hitched, it's pretty mesmerizing to glance down at this sparkling thing (knowing it's from the early 1800's and survived many many years) All of my fab friends have been sending me awesome links to cool wedding sites and blogs. The t.v. show I am working on will wrap this week and go on hiatus and then I will finally have a chance to breathe, take it all in, relax, blog more often and unpack. Then hopefully take long walks (praying for more sunshine) and plan for fun springtime adventures.
this style of ring is from the Georgian period- a little back story on that influence: Unlike jewelry of the Victorian and later periods, Georgian jewelry always involves some hand-craftsmanship on the part of the lapidaries of the era. These jewels were made before the Industrial Revolution of the 1840s, and the crafting of pieces were very labor-intensive.
It is not unusual to see tool marks on the backs and findings of Georgian jewels, and all of the stones, were set by hand.
The Georgian Era was from 1714 until 1836. This era of time was named after England’s kings, George I, II, & III. During this time period, the aristocratic and wealthy people wore all kinds of jewels and this practice was not reserved for the ladies only.
open to good ideas for how to plan an easy way to elope!
Finally! I decided to start posting some of my vintage and designer wares on ebay! I have been so lazy since moving, and am excited to have my new art space to spread out and see all the lovely things in boxes that I want to sell. There are so many things that it should take me months and months to unload. I realized after way too many episodes of Hoarders that I don't need to covet all the pretty things, I need to share some of them with new cohorts. Posted here are some of the new listings and some of the ones that I will be listing shortly. Above: pale blue 1930's floral sheer flapper dress.Below: 70's Exotic flower dress and MIU MIU cat eye sunglasses
Above: the most darling 1940's Burlesque suit with metallic silver thread stitching and rhinestone details! So much prettier in person
They say often that two people who have never met, in different parts of the world...can be making the same things or inspired by the same creative impulses. I discovered this girl's goods today on Etsy and was surprised that she creates things much like my good pal Laura Kranitz . I like the use of layered colors and these belted corset wraps. You can find more of these items HERE
I'm glad that my current job prohibits me from all this online shopping and searching for things I really do not need. I was seconds away from owning this Turkish carpet bag purse. I found it divine. I already pictured myself lovingly putting all my precious beauty supplies inside. "it can fit a nice notebook" I told myself. I waited a whole day, and to my surprise some other impatient lady scored it. Thankfully I dodged spending more money this holiday season. Idle hands will tap at keys and purchase all sort of things that are frivolous. You would think that exhausting move and purging of things would have taught me a valuable lesson, but alas "NO".
oh the gypsy rings call out to me, why why why
I would never wear a shawl, but am always drawn to colored silk fringe
I would never carry this purse and yet I liked how way back Whiting and Davis made a graffiti style 80's bag in the flapper days
with the resurrection of these vintage leopard coats everywhere, something from my riot girl art school heyday comes over me. Back in Ohio I used to score one of these every other week
not sure which is creepier, a weird needlepoint cat pillow
or gold granny boots, nor why I heart them regardless
I love Egyptian stuff and
this insane flapper bag from planet awesome
you may wonder...why the weird gyspy folk dolls? Oh of course I was researching presents for my friend's kid and somehow went from folk toy instruments to this. And I couldn't stop looking at these magnificent gems. Why aren't dolls made with this insane flair today? Why don't all dolls have embroidered boots and wicked painted eyes? If I was ever asked the question "What would you want to be doing if you weren't doing what you are now? Or when you were growing up what did you want to be? I would definitely say- Doll/Puppet maker for sure. I may have missed my true calling.
When I review this post, I am grateful that I A.) do not have more free time starting monday B.) Grateful rent is due today, and the voice of reason C.) glad that my look but DO NOT PURCHASE buttons are in full effect
I made this original print of model/muse LARA STONE as my Xmas art print. I will try and make a bunch more and sell them on my etsy site if anyone else likes a model with big hair and gap teeth! xo
I really LOVE my new art space and can't wait til spring to get to work!! it's still a mess of boxes and random "stuff" but hoping to organize it soon
this totem pole of misfit toys has been erected in the park by my house, and while hiking the past few days we keep stumbling by it. It's pretty cool and strange
It's the start of another decade. where oh where did this last one go to so fast? Seems like just yesterday I was traveling to death valley to hang with a dozen boys in the middle of no where wondering if the whole Y2K thing was real? We had decided it best to disappear into oblivion in case of computer meltdown. None of us wore a watch and we had no idea when midnight struck. Since that one the rest have all blurred nicely. Crazy dance parties, weird house parties, lonely "when harry met sally" desperate ones, and that last one which got me really good. Anything has to beat that last one, where my tires got slashed, car keyed and hysterically crying on the side of the road. This year I am starting off with a blue moon eclipse, a wedding proposal, a brand new dream house, a magical art space, a fantastic creative job, awesome pals, lovable kitties and happiness piled high. I am hoping all my readers are bracing themselves for the BIG NEW YEAR!! I am imagining the best of the best things for all of you!! XO
So my good pal David (mr. scheid) has a talented jewelry designer girlfriend and lucky for us...she is having a festive sample sale on my new street! If you are in L.A you should definitely get over here and check out all the goods for gifts. (Of course gifts for yourself silly)
Kathryn also has a website...for those of you who are not blessed to live in the city of palm trees and zero winter. Just kidding folks, I cherish those snow capped holidays from a far. BUY her fab snake ring or magical pendants HERE!!
I LOVE the open hands!!! The sale is TOMORROW here in L.A. or for you far away folks find stuff of hers online. xoxo
Finally getting over that "sick" cold thing, thank goodness. I haven't finished moving into the new house, haven't even started the real packing, ugh. I instead have been taking pleasure in the stillness of our new house and the clean floors and lack of clutter. This weekend will be my farewell to the Delmore Apt building, my address for the past 8 or more years. Imagine the closets of clothes, hats, strange fabrics and riff raff that I have to deal with. I wanted to post some images that have been strolling through my busy brain. I love LULA magazine-here's some images from the Karen Elson #9 issue...
good things to be found at Bona Drag as well... check out the latest cool stuff
Bat cuff bracelets (totally annakim)
Then check out the new lookbook for designer Rachel Antonoff. We just used one of her dresses for an upcoming 90210 episode! I think it will air sometime in mid december!
Glad all of the new designers are starting to see things my way. I mean the overalls have been a staple in my sloppy painter world forever. And I mean FOREVER. I have been wondering when they would have a hey day comeback. I am not sure if the new "Come on Eileen" Bananarama Cruel Summer coverall comeback makes me feel good or bad. Sometimes things like this can ruin your whole style. Guess we will have to wait and see...
The new art space has been buzzing with activity this week as LAURA Kranitz and our lovely new intern Chelsea prepared feather masks and flair for a long evening of Masquerading downtown. Here they are preparing the pricing for the big event. Laura's work was recently featured on an episode of America's Next Top Model (the models were nude on race horses with only her hats on!) And she just sold some head pieces to LADY Gaga. Can't wait til we are all in the space (fondly called the LOVE BOAT) making tons of cool things to wear and hang on the walls
This past Tuesday I was invited to the SKINGRAFT fashion show downtown at MOCA. It was pouring down rain and finally felt like FALL or at least Seattle. Everyone was wearing their best black coats and carrying a fancy umbrella. It was nice that L.A. Fashion week felt truly alive. Tons of people excited to watch a real performance. Frank scored me a seat in the front row! Well, it is his boyfriend's clothing line, so I suppose that made it easier. I dragged my friend Taylor to see it with me. Words can't express how incredible the taxidermy tiered dresses looked in person, nor how detailed the pleats and layers of leather were on the jackets and jumpsuits. The aviator hats were definitely a throw back to Ms. Earhart. You can visit Katie Kay and Jonny's Skingraft website HERE
anyone who really knows me well, knows that I have a strange fascination with wearing socks and shoes. I also adore nude colored, or pale pink fleshtone socks! These MARNI looks make me swoon. Could be that I adore ginger haired models- with dainty features. Head scarves and gypsy gingham are perfect for SPRING 2010.
In the ART fashion department, I have always drawn inspiration from these GENIUS designers...especially Galliano- the masterful color palettes and fantasy makeup spreads are always to die for. As Mrs. Zoe would say- "Bananas"! It is hard to imagine that he can out FLAIR his previous runways spectacles but ALAS- he is able to deliver new and bizarre get-ups time after time.
and once again my signature style- SOCKS and platforms- ah GLAM
I mean, where else can a painter find such alluring color compositions!? Shades of electric blues, odd peaches and muted ochre- ahhhh
and of course mr. Alexander McQueen never disappoints me-- He also provides a magnificent display of wild stuff
it's like alien sea pod fashion, emerging from another planet under water...
And ...SCENE- Lady Gaga must've been drooling after this show
My beautiful friend Annakim Violette has a strange magic quality about her. "She's like a rainbow" should be her theme song. I just found out that she will be taking her glitter bats and fantastic art pieces to Paris Fashion week with the Rodarte sisters. Last time she ventured to Paris for a month she brought me back the cutest Georgie Boy dress. She's sweet like that. Here's the lowdown on her RAD collaboration with the genius duo (did I mention we should all be very very jealous):
RODARTE will collaborate with Colette during Paris Fashion Week to create a month-long gallery and retail space offering pieces from its autumn/winter 2009-10 collection, as well as items specially curated for the event.
"Rodarte has always been so inspiring. I'm fascinated by their world. We already gave them windows for their first season and I was impressed with the way they built them, so I'm happy to give them space at Colette to express more, to let them introduce their collection but also everything they like," says Colette buyer Sarah Lerfel.
Stocking more than a few of the Mulleavy sister design duo's favourite things - such as their favourite CDs and DVDs, and artwork by Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon - expect to find other treasures including Rodarte knitted animals, limited edition jewellery created by their mother, glitter taxidermy by Annakim Violette and marbled ballet flats designed in conjunction with Repetto.
Of the project, Kate Mulleavy told WWD, it was an opportunity "to let people inside of our minds. It' almost as if you are in our studio."
I had to do a costume studio pull today for some men's wear at SAKS 5th Ave in Beverly Hills. Before leaving the office, my coworker Ryan warned "You have to go up to the Bridal Floor for studio services...it always makes me want to get married". I scoffed at that, considering I have never been one of those girls that obsesses about that particular dress or that "most important day". But I have to admit that when the doors to the elevator opened and I was hit with the harp music + magical white dress nirvana it was quite overwhelming.
Lovely white dresses with intricate beading and tiny fragile flower cutouts were dangling from every rack. I couldn't help but wander around to spy the amazing details while I waited for the rental to get written up. Seeing women giddy to try on dozens of dresses with their best friends in tow was sweet.
of course the price tags zapped me back to reality. Back yard wedding or bust
the latest from designer Marc Jacobs- fun on the runway with tribal African prints and wild hair bows. Looks like Bananarama meets minnie mouse and a dash of different world! Always a bonus. I have always been a huge fan of mismatching plaids with prints.
some of the fun highlights from fashion week- Chris BENZ- when asked about the new line Benz said "It's time to have fun again with fashion," the designer declared. "I just wanted to make great clothes for going out."
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
The following are from J. Mendel's spring line - floaty and feminine. I must love clothes that resemble sweet treats or poof clouds of color.
My friend Rachel asked me to create some artwork for her Spring Fashion week presentation invite -Her darling clothing designs are inspired by tap dancers, ballerinas, screen stars, acrobats and dress up. I don't have all of my paintings I created on my desktop- but below are a few of the pre-sketches I made before the final product. I wish I could have been there in person to see the trapeze artists swinging in these cute shorts and dresses
The presentation was at the Henry Street Settlement Playhouse. The concept was a dress rehearsal for an imaginary production titled Magic to Do, and she called on some theatrical pals to help bring to life her themes. On hand to model was BFF Alia Shawkat, better known as Maeby from Arrested Development, as well as New York City Ballet dancers.
The latest issue of POP magazine just blew my mind! Two different covers to choose from...Damien Hirst art collaboration- featuring on the cover the new blogger darling Tavi Williams (pictured above). She started at age 12 and has just turned 13! Her blog thenewgirlintown has sparked a lot of heated controversy lately. And quite frankly I don't really know why everyone is acting so crabby about her. People are acting outraged that she has made the cover of a few adult fashion mags lately and are stating that she is merely a kid and "why would she have anything to contribute to the fashion world" GEEZ people, relax.
Here's a few pics of her from her blog- I think she is pretty fab-u-lous
I adore her!
hmmm. Well for starters, let's venture back to my good old child hood in Ohio. I was drawing fashion plates at 7, tearing out magazine pictures of models and scrap booking them at 9, drawing paperdolls and creating clothes...which parlayed nicely into an iron on transfer business in my folks garage (where I made drawings that people could choose and have printed on tshirts)
I went on to make mock magazine photo fashion spreads and a fake clothing design label. Eventually my parents sent me to a summer program at Parsons where I was relieved to know that I was not alone in my fashion obsession. GEE, if only it was now and the age of the internet --imagine what I could've discovered out there. My point being that we should be happy that someone so young has already discovered her passion and is pursuing it. Her parents aren't trying to exploit her, they are letting her take advantage of a good luck draw. Why should anyone be such a hater on this lil upstart? Musician kids and model girls get started at the same age. In a recent Interview mag she was asked...
FB: What do your parents think of your blog?
TW: They're very supportive, but they don't like read it a lot. Sometimes I'll show them a post or two especially if I'm proud of it or something. They think it's crazy, some of the things that have come out of it, but they're happy that I have fun with it.
The spread above it called:This is Pop World, Free Your Mind, Put Your Head Back in the Clouds and Start the Ch-Ch-Ch-Change
Model: Kinga Rajzak Photographer: Viviane Sassen
Love this BAG LADY editorial too...titled Spent!
featuring Models: Jessica Stam, Lily Cole Photographer: Paolo Roversi
LOVE this next dreamy blurry magical spread- editorial titled :The Channels
