DIY Dreaded Sweater

Finally, photos of the sweater I was working on Saturday afternoon! Check one diy project off the list! I guess I just needed a nudge in the form of a diy project request from Refinery 29. You can see the tutorial on their website here!

I am quite excited to see what other projects will come out of their new column. May I suggest Monster Mittens?

Lace & Leather - Somarta Fall 2009

Somarta was by far my favourite show of Tokyo fashion week. I'm surprised that I hadn't jumped on the Somarta bandwagon before, as I distinctly remember their spring 2009 collection being featured somewhere... Possibly on Style Bubble. I guess this is one of those brands I just had to rediscover by myself.

The label was started by former Issey Miyake team member Tamae Hirokawa in March of 2006. Since then, Somarta has garnered much attention for it's high-tech body wear. Every collection is styled around a full length lace body suit, created with advanced Japanese textile technology. Knitwear computer programs? Japan really is a different world. I'd like to experience it for myself someday.

Here's a look at Somarta's current fall collection, featuring strong leather neckpieces mixed in with black lace and golden jaw-gards. I'm getting the don't-mess with-me kind of vibe. I also compiled some of my favourite looks from their past collections below. I think the runway makeup in spring 2008 is the most interesting style I've ever seen.




images via coutorture



images via zimbio


images via fashion strategy forums



images via getty

Space & Lace

Today it was almost warm enough to wear these outfits. But only in direct sunlight. Almost. Ok it was still pretty chilly. I am eagerly anticipating summer with a large stash of scarf dresses and sheer odds and ends in my closet.

The first outfit was made from some fabric I bought at Dressew when I went shopping for trim for my sweater. This pattern elicited a surprised "oooh" and just refused to be place back onto the shelf. I've been looking for a blurry/spacy/marbled print dress for a while. I guess I just had to make one for myself. I experimented with new ways of tying the fabric here, a nice change from the usual wrap around the neck style.



Pardon the mess. I was chasing the light and had no other choice of location. My grandmother just bought new furniture for the entire downstairs.



The texture on my white skirt below is a little blown out... Drat. The top was thrifted by my mum. She thought I'd like it and she was right. Although it wasn't love at first sight, it was definitely love at first wear.

That handsome German shepherd is my uncle's. He's still a puppy but he's getting very big. He kept poking his nose through the fence trying to get my attention.



The sweater I was working on in the previous post is all finished now! I took a few photos of it as well but I'll post them later.

DIY Day

Remember this photo of some strange twisty carpet/drape trim that I took at Dressew a while ago? Well I finally got around to purchasing some for a little diy project and tutorial I'm working on for Refinery 29. I was originally planning to try out the Rodarte rib-cage shirt, but I figured I'd save it for a weekend after finals when I'm less pressed for time. This particular project is extremely easy to do but I'm excited about the results already! Here is a little preview of what I have so far. Everything is just held in place with pins at the moment. I'll post the rest in conjunction with the feature!

Gap Fall 2009

photos via style.com

Funnily enough, Patrick Robinson's new direction for the Gap has really caught my eye. It looks very campus-friendly, a great mix of American sportswear, Navajo knits and some very covetable pieces such as shearling vests and jackets. They finally managed to style their classic chinos into relevance once again, transforming the shape into a skinnier stovepipe and pairing them with sheepskin Pierre Hardy boots. Which made me pause. Pierre Hardy boots? Will these shoes be available at the Gap? Does anyone know? I love the chunky heel. Yep, I can definitely see myself trotting around campus next winter in similar outfits. I can't believe I'm craving chinos. I guess that's what good styling can do for you.

But will I buy them from the Gap? Nah, I'll probably end up thrifting a pair and adjusting them myself. But the shearling jackets and boots on the other hand, hmm...

Is that spring I see?

My favourite suede Aldo wedges are currently in repair as I have already worn the bottom of the heel and it needs replacing. Apparently I walk too much. I walk everywhere actually, when I'm not taking public transit that is. I've actually never made an effort to learn how to drive in four years...

Anyways, since it was sunny today and no rain was in the forecast, I decided to wear a pair of heels that has been very neglected. The pink shoes shown in the second photo are from Payless (I bought them a couple of years ago). They're not the most comfortable when worn alone, as they're not real leather and tend to scrape my toes a bit. But worn with tights, they were good to go for the whole day.

I actually styled this outfit around the shoes, wondering what I could finally wear with them. I'm wearing a puffed-sleeve peplum jacket that my grandmother made for my birthday last summer with thrifted shirt, skirt, belt and Roots tights.

By the way, I've been featured on Refinery 29 today! When Megan contacted my asking for spring outfits I'm looking forward to wearing, I assumed that they were going to make a post about various up and coming bloggers sharing their style. But boy was I shocked to find little old me on the same page with the likes of Rumi, Susie, Jane et al. I feel so out of my league. I'm gobsmacked. But so flattered!





I also tried one of the ties mentioned in the previous post with clothes I was wearing today just for fun. Kevin wanted to take the first photo in his messy storage room. I have no idea why. Go figure.

Kevin Wearing Sovereign Beck

For the last month or so I've been in correspondence with Will Beck from Sovereign Beck Ties, a Brooklyn-based men's accessory design company. Sovereign Beck specializes in unique neck-ties, bow-ties and pocket squares. They design and hand make all of their pieces. Having a great affinity for off-beat menswear style, I asked Will to send a couple of samples over so I could have a bit of fun styling Kevin for a blog photo shoot. We chose a mix of classic and modern-graphic and went with a purple wool herringbone and a lavender cotton crystal-print tie.



Today was such a beautiful sunny day that we rushed outside to take photos before we missed the light. Unfortunately by the time we went back upstairs so Kevin could change outfits, the sun went down and the lighting was more dull. Ah, summertime, how I miss you. But we still managed to snap these two outfits below. Kevin saved my butt for the first one. I didn't know what jacket to put over top of the graphic combo, but he pulled out this red leather jacket that I had completely forgotten about!



I also made him put on the blue eye-square again because I loved it so much last time... But I don't always dress him!



Aside from the Sovereign Beck ties, and lavender Leo Chevalier shirt, everything else Kevin is wearing was thrifted. Yes ok, thrift-shopping was completely my influence over him. Heh.

Rozalb de Mura Fall 2009

Was I ever glad to find a press release for Rozalb de Mura's fall collection in my inbox this morning! It is a much needed break from the usual graphic tees and denim line press releases I get. Sometimes I wonder if most PR people even glance at my blog, because what they're pushing is so vastly different from what I like to wear/talk about. Funnily enough, the last time I was excited about a press release, it was also sent for another Romanian brand, Party Noire.

Anyways, ever since reading about Rozalb on Dazed Digital, I've been quite fascinated by designer Oláh Gyárfás and his respect for the quiet small town mountain life in Miercurea Ciuc, Romania. Every time I go back home to my native city of Brasov (which has sadly only been twice since I was 5), I'm always struck by the beauty of the Transylvanian landscape. Of course, Vancouver is not unfamiliar with handsome mountain ranges, but I really admire how many Romanian cities and towns look more integrated into their environment. Sometimes it's comforting to know that there are still places in the world where man is humbled by his surroundings. But then, now that Romania is part of the EU, I'm a bit afraid it may start to lose its idiosyncratic charm as it begins to integrate it's economy with the rest of the western world. But this is another matter entirely, and there are those that would justify this growth because it would increase the living standards of the Romanian people. But I'm veering way off track now.

So this brings me back to Rozalb's almost austere fall collection, inspired by "the colours of the future", which were apparently predicted by psychologist Max Luscher in an imaginary research study. What do these colours tell you about the future? The collection to me feels a bit out of space and time, like the traditional costume of a civilization entirely different from our own "trend-crazed" one. It is more simple, almost utilitarian, but has a few distinguishing details that set personalities apart, without attempting to create needless personas and egos. To me it feels like the costume of a people that has embraced community again.

Countless times I've questioned my life choices (fashion? marketing?) as they don't exactly fit in with the values I admire (Buddhist-like non-attachment, compassion, unity). But then once in a while I become unexpectedly inspired by people like Oláh and think maybe I can use whatever skills I develop to be an agent of change of a different sort...

Show me your bones

www.00s-s.com, rodarte.net

There may be a slight slowdown in the frequency of posts as I struggle through a few projects and start to prepare for finals. But so far, I'm keeping good pace so maybe this semester I won't be as overwhelmed as before? Here's hoping.

One of my favourite spring runway trends was the the exoskeleton look, as exemplified by Hisui and Rodarte above. The Hisui website annoyingly went down just as I was about to browse further today in search for more complementary images. Anyways, I am eagerly anticipating seeing photos of designer Hiroko Ito's fall collection for Hisui this Tokyo fashion week (now!). I might chalk up Rodarte's rib-cage tops to my summer diy list as the general shape doesn't look too difficult to duplicate. I can't wait to get finals over with this April so I can spend some time learning how to better use a sewing machine, since Camille's recent diy forays have left me longing for some creative time.

Oldie but Goodie - Dazed & Confused March 2008

Somehow this Dazed & Confused editorial completely slipped past my radar last year. Was I ever happy to come across it today! I love how Kinga almost seems to jump out of the screen in some shots. The colorful styling is just what I needed for a cheerful pick me up.




Dazed & Confused March 2008, scanned by gemaferron at thefashionspot.com

Out and About

After last night's round of too much fun, I woke up today with a vicious hangover that refused to go away until I filled my stomach up with delicious Mongolian food. Actually, the headache is starting to creep back in now too, maybe it's my stomach's way of saying feed me.

Luckily by afternoon the worst of it had passed and I was able to check out today's Etsy meet-up sale without looking like, well, a very grumpy hung over person.

I wore my Forever 21 tights out again, I've become a bit attached to them now that new outfit ideas are popping up in my mind. Last night at the pizza shop a girl oohed and aahed over them, asking if they were American Apparel. Nope! I couldn't actually afford this pair so I went for the Forever 21's instead. I secretly like the AAs better though. But I hear that they're actually all different, so I wouldn't know what exact pattern I'd be getting.



I also stole my boyfriend's sweater again, and paired it with an H&M skirt, plaid shirt (also stolen from the bf), Zara jacket and Aldo heels.



This jacket sometimes makes me look like a turtle. I guess it isn't the best choice for someone who already has bad posture, but I'm still in love with the shape. If my arm wasn't drawn forward, it would slightly resemble the shape of this gorgeous coat, shot by the Sartorialist:



Although it obviously isn't quite as extreme.

Here is the shirt I picked up from the Etsy sale, made by the lovely, and very nice, Condie from Shop Nap. All of her designs are reworked vintage. Some of the best items aren't even posted in the store though! Like a lovely extra-long fringed leather vest. Aside from my purchase, I also really liked the 80s Oleg Cassini jacket, magenta tie-dye trench, and hand-painted bird pieces. Thank you Condie for chatting with me while I waited for the boy to return! It's so nice to be able to speak fashion with someone outside of the internet.



I guess this this summer's tie-dye obsession is the new floral obsession for me. Although I'm sure you haven't seen the last of florals on this blog.

What I'm Wearing Today

Tonight I'm going out to see DJ Gareth Emery to do a bit of dancing. I'm going to wear the sheer body-con dress I mentioned in one of my earlier posts. The dress was originally full-length, and I had my grandmother shorten it into a mini. I think I also mentioned these Forever 21 tights earlier, but never ended up posting a photo. So here they are!

The Femmebots

Today I received a short little e-mail (actually, very short as far as press releases usually go) from a new Toronto-based online magazine Contra Mag, asking me to check them out online. So I did, and found a very inspiring photo of model sporting a rather romantic up-do and a collar from fetish store Ego Assassin.

Looking through the stuff in store at Ego Assassin, I keep thinking that if I had extra cash to blow at the moment (which I don't, but one can dream) I'd love to try out the latex garter belts, sock garters, muscle tops and over boob tops. They'd make great layering pieces, adding a completely different type of fabric into the mix. And they're also a step up from the already ubiquitous latex leggings.


First image via Contra Mag, second image via Ego Assassin

The muscle top also reminds me of Hussein Chalayan's fall 2009 collection. I love how powerful these looks are. Sexy stuff.


Images via style.com

Bubble Dress

I am feeling extremely drained today, and I am a bit upset that I don't really have the time to attend any of the Vancouver Fashion Week related events coming up soon. I guess school is a bigger priority? Right now it kind of feels like an inescapable ball and chain. I'll be keeping this post very short since I'm sort of at a loss for words. So umm... here's what I wore today! I need to make an effort to photograph my outfits outside more often. The quality of all of these latest photos make me cringe.



I'm wearing a Costa Blanca sweater, and thrifted light blue linen dress. The hem of the dress was actually twice as long as shown in the photo. I ended up pinning the bottom hem to the waist and then inserting the scarf I wore in my last post in the fold to give it a bubble shape... If that makes sense. Me and my nutty ideas.

I've been asked a couple of times to create a tutorial for the scarf dresses I keep churning out. I actually did make a rather sucky 3 photo tutorial a long while ago... Wow look at those puffy bangs I was sporting. Not so hot. I'd like to re-do the tutorial again another time, but I'm sort of caught up with marketing projects and collective bargaining simulations at the moment... Time will tell.

Another few thrift finds...

Yesterday I woke up to find another blizzard outside my window. I was very peeved because I had planned to go thrift shopping that afternoon. But when the snow didn't show any sign of stopping, I decided to go out anyways. Lucky I did, because I found a few special things on my hunt.



I couldn't say no to such a vibrant jacket. Plus, it's reversible! Please excuse the rather boring styling in this photo, I was feeling a bit lazy.



I also purchased yet another scarf to concoct yet another one of my wrap dresses. Are you guys bored of seeing these yet? Because I'm still not bored of exploring the potential of different scarves. But I am sort of sick of taking pictures of these pretty dresses in my boring old room every blog post. It would be nice to take some pictures outside underneath the nice blue sky. OH WAIT! We don't HAVE those in Vancouver anymore. In case you were wondering, I'm wearing my grey H&M skirt underneath to cover up the sheerness.



And a detail of the dress with a belt I also purchased. I think it's hand made. The little fish looks like it's ceramic and hand-painted. I couldn't resist the gaudiness.



The last photo is of what I wore that day. I think slouchy sweaters, blazers and rainboots has been my uniform these past few weeks.

Wait but there's more! I also bought a lovely black body-con dress with sheer panels. I can't take a photo of it yet because it's actually floor-length (I have no idea where to wear such a length) and I'm going to have it shortened.