Way out

I'm watching the mail for this vintage Comme top I got on ebay the other day. I dig the huge type on the front, plus I tend to like shirts with messages that leave a big "?" on people's faces! The zippered front, 3/4 sleeves and collar are very 90s but I think it makes the top much more interesting than if it were a simple jumper.

Yama from Tokyo Bopper

image via London Tokyo Streets (I was just talking about big pins!)

I'm a regular peruser of certain streetstyle blogs, but it took until now to realize I've posted the same girl a handful of times cause I dig her style that much. Yama works at Tokyo Bopper, a shoe store in Harajuku that sells two brands of shoes: Belly Button & Unbilical. The staff posts their outfits daily, including Yama, so you can really get an idea of how they style the shoes. I'm weak for chunky sandals and sneakers, so I'm convinced I need to visit when I make it over to Tokyo!



Yama clearly loves skirts, mainly full ones, and I love how she pairs them with skinny cuffed jeans or patterned tights.

What's it called?

I love a lot of classic patterns, but I love them even more when they are blown up beyond recognition. Paper Tiger did this awesome lilac purple sweater with giant leopard print...one word, OBSESSED.


via Pixie Market

Big pin

I have a couple of cardigans and vests that don't have any type of closure. I like wearing them open, but I thought it would be cool to buy a giant safety pin, like the one on the YMC cardigan I posted in September, for a different look. Bless makes some colored ones you can get at Stand Up Comedy, but I found this 5" silver one on ebay for only a couple bucks. I tried it out Saturday with a long black knit vest and love the way it looks. I might go back for more smaller ones I can use to wrap/drape/fold my garments into twisted creations secured with a pin!


dress, Poti Poti; vest, H&M; gray cardigan, Monki; pants, BDG; shoes, Clarks; watch, boyfriend's G-Shock

Later that night, I kept the vest on and put on my new Uniqlo knit shorts for my birthday festivities. Excuse the nasty expression (I had just taken a shot)!


shirt, Zara; vest, H&M; shorts, Uniqlo; shoes, Clarks; watch, boyfriend's G-Shock; llama bag, ebay

Skirting the Issue

It's that time of year when the holiday party invites start rolling in, and after the well-worn state of my closet, I am starting to look for new options. Funds are extremely tight this year, so I need to be resourceful about my sparkly seasonal gear. This breaks down into the inspirational fiction VS the actual fact of my pocketbook. I'm thinking about rocking skirts instead of dresses this season to increase the amount of styling options, with just the right amount of bling, and swap out the tops and tights... voila- endless (economical) possibilities!

Fiction: Gryphon and Balmain
Fact: Topshop and Forever 21
all images via Polyvore

ffiXXed

ffiXXed is a collaborative project between Kain Picken and Fiona Lau that focuses on producing readymade fashion products. The label began in Berlin in 2007, but its headquarters are now mobile, gravitating to different global centers and using the need to adapt to these new physical, cultural, and economical climates as a way to stimulate their collaborative ideas. Their focus on experimenting with new methods of creative production has led to some really interesting concepts such as this wool scarf with sleeves that is sold out at Ooga Booga.



The duo collaborated with BLESS for their SS09 range to produce this "Shopperbag top" as a BLESS advanced product that is available on request. It might seem strange at first, but it's really just another take on the pocket, and the desire to carry things on our person.



ffiXXed's Spring '10 range titled Unseen Utopias functions as framework to explore the construction of lifestyle associated with specific forms and materials. For example, garments like the desert sun hat, mosquito net hat, and mesh dress draw on the practicality of outdoor wear and its function to mediate our experience with nature. Other pieces repurpose familiar shapes, like the upside down trouser top which is self-explanatory and the multi-sleeve rug which is literally a rug you can wear. I like their modern, clean, lightweight use of fabrics for summer, and I'll definitely be checking Ooga Booga, Children of Vision, and some of their other stockists come spring.

Stop making sense

I'm getting close to my head to toe knit dream recently inspired by Cooperative Designs' enticing ensembles. I could not believe my eyes when I layed my eyes upon these:




KNIT shorts!? What!? I picked up these two from Uniqlo recently and although they ARE short, I've found they look rad over a pair of tights with a long jacket or cardi over top (to cover up the behind). Not only that, they are perfect under dresses in the cooler seasons and for layering in general.

RIP Daul Kim

I still don't want to believe the horrible news that Daul Kim is gone. She was my favorite model out there, and beyond the pretty face and amazing career, she was a person I could relate to. Daul wore her heart on her sleeve, stayed true to herself, and had a magnetic personality that made you want to know more about her. The images I love most of Daul are those shots that capture her being herself away from the fashion weeks and fancy sets. These shots are from Your Boyhood, a style blog based in Daul's hometown of Seoul that often ran into her in shops around the city.

RIP Daul. Say hi to forever for me!

Keep x Ooga Booga Mini Shop

If you're in LA, and looking to get a head start on holiday shopping, you're in luck! Keep (the vegan shoe label) has joined forces with Ooga Booga to host a "Mini Shop" that celebrates with an opening tomorrow from 6-9pm at Keep's Fairfax store (523 North Fairfax Avenue). The shop will feature a fun assortment of items, all under 100 bones, from OB's tightly knit community of artists, musicians, photographers and designers. Contributors include Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte, Carol Lim and Humberto Leon of Opening Ceremony, Alexandra Cassaniti and more (and that's just the fashion tip of the iceberg). The shop will stick around until the new year.





In honor of the collaboration, Keep + Ooga Booga have also made fresh fruit preserves and pickled beets which use sustainable produce only. YUM. Get your eat and shop on for me!

You brought jokes?

Daniel Palillo was one of the first designers I wrote about here, way back in Spring of '08. What drew me to Daniel's work then was his sense of humor that he consistently expressed through big silhouettes and prominent graphic prints. Fast forward to his upcoming Spring line, and it's the same elements that wow me again. Simply titled Renaissance, the collection dances around with court jester foolery complete with Palillo's go-to polka dot and yin-yang motifs.





It took me a second to...ahem..wrap my head around what the lookbook reminded me of with the twisted necks and backwards poses, and then it came to me- Meryl Streep in Death Becomes Her. If you've never seen it, add it to the list.

Hold up

I've been looking at black ankle boots and other flat classic shapes a lot lately as those represent the core of my closet, and are the ones that are quickly getting walked into the ground. Going forward, I really want to be more mindful of the quality and craftsmanship of the shoe and not simply buy because I like it now and it's cheap (so guilty of this). I don't own any Robert Clergerie shoes, but I'm really attracted to some of the square heel shapes he's doing. Too bad all the ones below are $600 and up, but I've heard Clergerie shoes are made well, so it's probably worth the investment.


images via Zappos

Shop Brinie

I pretty much work right upstairs from the Eryn Brinie store in Soho now, but if you love their clothes and aren't as geographically close to the store as me (they also have locations in Italy and Korea where they're based), you can now shop online. I just popped in the store yesterday, and they have a 40% off Fall sale with a lot of great knit pieces and some nice trousers, so definitely check out their selection if you are in need of some winter wardrobe additions.

*Stop by the store this Saturday to shop the sale and browse the racks to the tune of disco classics and cologne techno with Luke and Zach Go Boating.