Ok, so do you remember my love letter to Dear Creatures? Well, today there is further evidence of Bianca + Rob’s adorableness–this time with sight, sound and motion, via Starbucks’ Find Your Balance series.
Head on over here!
(Psst, keep an eye out for new pieces from upcoming collections!).
I know it’s my second post of the day, but this had to happen. A brilliant, life-loving kindred soul marries her love for fashion and food (also two of my favorite f-words… {ahem}…) into one delectable morsel. Today, I share with you a not new, but new-to-me blog called Taste of Runway (recipes included!). This is just too too fun.
Aha! And now I am filled with glee.
Bon appétit!
Unless you’ve recently awoken from a cryogenic slumber, you’ve at least heard, more likely partaken in the hubbub surrounding the post-apocalyptic young adult series The Hunger Games, whose film adaptation hits US screens on March 23rd of this year. I personally have not been this excited for a film release since my 8-year old birthday post-slumber party screening of Disney’s The Little Mermaid (new fact: I have a juvenile and unhealthy fondness for mermaids, and as a child, would whisper “I know you’re real!” into the ocean).
Fans like myself have been anticipating photos of each new outfit by costume designer Judianna Makovsky with baited breath, and so far, they’ve done nothing but amplify Hunger Games fever. Take a look at the famous girl-on-fire outfit created for Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss Everdeen teased just days ago:
I’m particularly losing my mind over the looks created for Elizabeth Banks’ Effie Trinket (well, of course, she wears McQueen booties) who’s smokin’ in all her futuristic rococo glory. Pastel coifs, you guys!!
From capitolcouture.pn
The latest Hunger Games marketing move brings us a fashion & culture magazine exhibiting the whimsical fashions of citizens of the Capitol!! I’m so so into this.
Today, I am sitting on a [peach-hued] happy cloud. We at the office had the honor and pleasure of the loveliest of visits from Garance Doré, one of the foremost fashion bloggers in the world. I emerged from this talk inspired and empowered, the latter being a sensation I rarely report encountering. She had a host of wonderful things to say (YouTube video posted here).
Starting any sort of blog is, from my standpoint, incredibly vulnerable, daunting business. The fashion blogging world in particular seems to me a densely crowded frenzy, rife with passionate people adept at staying on top of the fast-paced fashion world–bigwigs, “ones to watch,” ever-changing ‘it’ girls, S/S, F/W, pre-fall, resort, haute couture, front rows and all. It makes me dizzy. It, in fact, took me three years to give myself a chance to attempt this, as I do get overwhelmed by the idea of staying “on top” of it all and the fear of judgment is ever-looming overhead. This blog sphere felt to me like it possessed a great tidal wave to entry. And when I did start this, I would habitually proof-read past entries, worrying that what I produced was “too personal,” that no one would be interested in reading such things.
And then Garance swept in, all charming and French and decidedly unpretentious. Here she was, a woman who was at the forefront of this massive movement when it first emerged–excitedly musing on fashion and technology, and amusingly befuddled by the mysteries of mom jeans and mom haircuts. It was refreshing to hear how her sweet, unfiltered, irreverent and self-described “goofy” voice in person echoes the voice of her blog. Her advice for novice bloggers was to “go slow” and be open to trial and error, to be open to your blog evolving into something you hadn’t planned. She told us all to make it personal and allow our voices to shine through. She admitted that she herself just sometimes doesn’t feel like staying abreast of it all, and expressed that not everyone needs to be in the thick of this insanity, reporting on the latest and greatest in the industry. She emphasized the importance of writing about things that you love, the things that inspire you, for pure joy.
Garance’s talk reminded me of the reason I gave this a go in the first place. I love sartorialism as an art form and as a reflection of a person’s history and passions. I love what inspires designers to create and how a wearer chooses to represent him or herself to the world. I love how this art/medium/however you choose to describe it connects people. (Sidebar: my now-husband might not have approached me that day had I not been wearing the polka-dot dress he complimented me on–true story. Connect, it does). I even love being a voyeur to the ridiculousness (the silliness!) of this ginormous realm. This stuff lights a fire in me and this place gives me a venue to direct these energies.
So, merci beaucoup, Garance.
And thank you, dear reader, for permitting me a look-see. I deeply, truly appreciate it.
I haven’t jumped on the Dragon Tattoo bandwagon, but I must profess my love for Rooney Mara’s increasingly lust-worthy red carpet style. The outfit she donned at the 2011 CFDA Vogue/Fashion Fund Awards has proven to be pretty polarizing, but I can’t help but ascribe to the losing-my-ish-over-it camp. The peachy nude whisper of a Calvin Klein silk sheath that almost blends into her stark skin is juxtaposed with her blunt fringe and a most sinister shade of cherry pout. The look is so Lulu Brooks. I die.
Photo of Rooney Mara via www.rooney-mara.com
Photo of Rooney Mara via www.rooney-mara.com
I was recently on the hunt for a pretty puffer (an oxymoron, I’m well aware) that wouldn’t eat me alive and have me lost in a sea of obsidian Michelin men. I searched high and low until I unearthed the last of this beauteous skirted and queen-collared Alice + Olivia number hidden in its respective Saks department. I was hesitant at first, as I already own a cold weather warrior in the houndstooth rendition of this Soia & Kyo shell, but then I discovered something delightful from a friend, Amy, who works for A+O. The designer, Stacey Bendet, is super-petite and crafts the XS/0 to fit her tiny frame! What! Can I please get a ‘hellz yes!’?
(Sidebar: the coat was 40% off. +8 more points for you, second skin!).
One of my lovely BFF’s, Danielle, then validated this investment when she spied me in it for the first time, gasped, and exclaimed, “that’s your New York car!” She went on to explain that, in lieu of the totally sweet rides that LA dwellers make their first impressions with, come wintertime–New Yorkers, on foot and in subway cars, are armored in their cashmere, wools and downs. Vehicular outerwear! Yes!
So, here it is, folks: my black Jetta. Orrr…my Mint car? Err…my bitchin’ Camaro?
No no no, I got it. This coat? It’s my ’64 Impala. Zing!
This childlike satisfaction exhibited on my face comes after my first real Brooklyn egg cream, which is neither eggy, nor creamy, but delivers frothy delight.
Alice + Olivia Blakely Puffer coat, Surface to Air La Perle sweater, BDG Jeans (charcoal), Chelsea Crew shoes, In God We Trust beanie
For more sounds inspired by cars, check this.
((Skee-lo – I Wish))
I’ll be the platform shoes and undo what heredity’s done to you. You won’t have to strain to look into my eyes.”
-The Postal Service
Meet Brian, my partner in crime. He himself is quite the dapper gentleman and, in fact, acts as my stylist and constructive critic pretty much daily. Besides embarking on adventures around the world, glutting our faces with diverse delectables, nerding out on vampires and werewolves and zombies (oh, my!), and expanding a bizarre inner world, we share a love of fashion. A couple of days ago, we gussied up for the company holiday party… Yep, we work together and actually met at a company sales conference–sexy, I know.
This holiday party outfit was inspired by (duh) the 60s–which will reveal itself to be a blatant leitmotif in this diary 
–and by the irresistible Zooey Deschanel, vintage fashion darling, manic pixie dream girl and Williamsburg pin-up extraordinaire. My adoration for Zooey is unapologetic. So there, to you, the naysayers and jaded haters of cute overload and celebrations of unabashed girliness!
Brian making angry face (I didn’t get the memo).
His: John Varvatos striped suit, Steven Alan tie
Hers: 60s vintage yellow dress, Nine West Showstopper heels
And as for Brian? Well, he chose a dark navy pinstriped number from his beloved collection of well-tailored suits. He’s got excellent taste, it turns out, and that’s just awesome.
My husband is also super-awesome because, even though he is six-feet tall, he makes this little lady feel six-feet tall. He believes in me like nobody’s business. He impels me to do things that, in my mind, are beyond my strengths and abilities (e.g. because of this man’s encouragement and training, I once did 10 pull-ups, true story). We enrich each other’s lives, and each inspires the other to aspire to betterness. And when we can make the other look good, that’s just icing on the cake.
“Fashion today is becoming more beige. By that I mean that everyone and everything is starting to look the same – almost like a Mao uniform. We should be flying the flag for individuality.“
-Daphne Guinness
