It's Not Dead Yet

The Search for Modernity

Not to hit and run, but I feel like it deserves a quick mention. In a recent post, Susie Bubble sort-of-but-not-really defends Hedi Slimane's debut womenswear collection for Saint Laurent. I particularly appreciate her criticism of the circus this season created. It's a good read. 

"It was my mom's in the '80s"

Not too long ago, my mom gave me some things from her closet she thought I could make some money on. I thought she was crazy to think I could get rid of it all. She thought I was crazy for wanting to wear any of it. Several of the pieces I have worn and the other few just hang in a dusty closet in my apartment. I like having them around. I decided to wear her old blazer today and couldn't stop thinking about the line said by  "ugliest effing skirt [Regina George] have ever seen" girl from "Mean Girls." It would be nice if I wasn't condemned as such, but whatever. 

The sunglasses and the brooch just under my shirt collar were both found in Paris at a store called Vintage Bar in Le Marais. I went there several times over the course of my trip, drooling over vintage Christian Lacroix, Chanel, etc. A wonderful blonde woman (maybe the owner?) helped me several times and was more or less the sweetest person I've ever met. I may also just have taken a particular liking to her because she was quite friendly for a Parisian (obviously, she was selling) and highly complimentary in French. An impossibly attractive French boy also helped me out one of the times I went. I'd like to know if there's anything more wonderfully Hedonistic than being among beautiful clothes and beautiful men. There's always the acquisition of these things, I suppose. In any case, obtaining the more material of the two had me plenty satisfied. 

 Vintage blazer and brooch, J. Crew button-up, thrifted shorts and belt, drugstore nylons, Messeca boots, bag purchased at Urban Outfitters, "vintage" Céline sunglasses.

Just watch.

I am without a brain at the moment, so I have not much to say other than this video is absolutely lovely, visually stimulating, informative, and certainly worth a watch.

"...we'd be saying it was major..."

I honestly haven't stopped thinking about Saint Laurent, as being openly critical of a person's creative output gives me anxiety. I've watched the reviews roll in to see how critics I respect have responded. This probably has something to do with validation, unfortunately, but I suppose that isn't so terrible.

SHOWstudio has been hosting lengthy panel discussion about collections that I just became aware of. When the Saint Laurent discussion video became available post live-stream, I watched as Lou Stoppard, Camilla Morton, Kay Montano, Mimma Viglezio and Harriet Walker discussed. I am less than familiar with these women, but have always been impressed with what the site does. Despite my unfamiliarity with the panelists, the discussion was thought-provoking and even a bit educational.

As far as the name change, the women provide sound argument for the name change around the 9 or 10 minute mark. Mimma Viglezio wisely argues that the French have always called the house Saint Laurent, as opposed to YSL. Camilla Morton additionally offers that Slimane most likely dropped the Yves as a sign of respect to his mentor "want[ing] to keep Yves as the man and Saint Laurent as the brand."

Not unlike myself, the women seemed rather disappointed. Viglezio complained about the styling, offering up that it might just be that aspect that caused the runway show to misstep. Kay Montano was not so forgiving, noting an issue I feel fashion-interested people (myself included) suffer from all the time (around 74:30). "I can't help but think if it was really major, we'd be saying it was major... but I'm just wondering if we're making excuses for him." Viewing digitally was also discussed and the argument was made that while appreciation is that much harder from a computer, you do not have the distraction of music and atmosphere to seduce you into loving the clothes. It's an issue I consider almost constantly during show season because I only have so much access.

It's certainly a lengthy discussion, but it's worth the watch if you're even vaguely interested in Saint Laurent, Hedi Slimane, or the politics of change in the fashion industry.

An Immediate and Potentially Reckless Reaction to "Saint Laurent"

The lovely Julia Nobis opening Saint Laurent (photo via style.com)

I've been awaiting Hedi's Slimane debut womenswear collection at the house formerly known as Yves Saint Laurent. Let's avoid a long, superfluous conversation about the name change. I don't like it. My knowledge of Slimane's contributions to the menswear at YSL and Dior is rather limited (just as my knowledge of menswear is), though I know he is revered for a minimalist and sort-of rock and roll aesthetic—the latter characteristic being more so where my interest in this collection resides.

I returned home from class just an hour or so ago, turned on my computer, and saw that Garance Doré had put up some images from the show in a post entitled "The New Saint Laurent Woman." Ever a fan of reinvention, I flipped through earnestly. The three photos were nice, but only showcased models from the waist up (or less), so I turned to style.com for the full story. As I looked at the images, I felt rather underwhelmed. Slimane's obvious 60's/70's I'm-a-rockstar-girlfriend inspiration should have excited me, as well as the masculine-feminine dichotomy that has always been present at Yves Saint Laurent (I am a fan of both), so why didn't it? The wide-brimmed hats, overworn by music-festival goers seemed so outdated, so tired. The voluminous bows on a majority of the looks were playful and dare-I-say classic YSL, but were not cause for recovery. The saloon vibes fell flat.

While I may sound aggressively critical—something I have openly tried to avoid here—I will say nothing was terribly hideous and I vocalized approval a couple times, but nothing felt groundbreaking. Hedi was installed at the house to breathe new life into it, though I find it necessary to say I don't believe Stefano Pilati failed the house. Instead, Slimane has given us a caricature of the young hip girl. I see past seasons of Balmain and Isabel Marant, in the heavy leather skirts and tight cropped pants, respectively, and I wonder: Where is the Hedi Slimane that "fashion people"/my tumblr peers so laud?

Sure, the reinvention of the wheel is a lot to ask, but that's what fashion is. Constant, back-breaking, brain-melting, eye-exhausting recycling and reworking in the effort to "create" something "new." One sometimes wonders if it's possible. Perhaps it's too much to ask. That said, I've been genuinely excited by some of the offerings certain designers (Haider Ackermann's move towards print, the Mulleavy sisters at Rodarte's reinstatement of the woman warrior)  have provided us this month, though none of them have been so built up by their absence. It may all come down this expectation, to a lack of time to process, and I may be eating my words later, but for the moment I'm disappointed.

Paris is Burning.

Photo by Tara Peters

Or at least it was during last weekend's heatwave. If you have yet to be informed, you should know that I am in Paris. It's strange to think about, seeing as the "trip" was not something I decided to do all that long ago. I stumbled upon a Surrealist seminar while browsing study abroad opportunities, saw that it was in Paris, and threw together an application a couple days before the deadline. I'll save you from the additional peripheral information.

The point is, I am so grateful to be here. It's beautiful, the culture is stimulating, and going to class is more than a pleasure. I've been fairly vigilant as far as photographing things, so hopefully more than a few pictures (shot with a Canon point-and-shoot, mind you) will surface here. Our class schedule is fairly full with adventures and museum trips, etc., but I also plan to see a great deal on my own (the Balenciaga exhibition, the Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton exhibition,and the Père Lachaise Cemetery to name a few). I have already been to the Centre Pompidou, Sacre Couer, and plenty other tourist-y sort of things—not that I haven't done anything else. Anyway, I'll be keeping in touch. Bisous.

Farewell, Anna Piaggi

Fashion journalist Anna Piaggi died today and such a loss should not be taken lightly. She will be called a fashion icon, an eccentric, and plenty other overused labels, but there is truth in this instance. Even with age, her dedication to flamboyant style never wavered. I have always praised her for being both a journalist and an influential fashion personality all her own. Many fashion journalists do not share her visible interest in style. Perhaps it's an attempt at feigning objectivity (I think the word is a crock, in any case), which always seemed rather soulless and false to me. There is a reason why these people work in fashion—hopefully, it's a love of clothes, beauty, style, etc.—so neglecting that or pretending it's not there is a bit strange. As a journalist myself, I've always fancied styling myself in a conspicuous way and have found myself inspired by Piaggi's insistence on the same. She gave me hope in a world of monotony, was a true original, and will be dearly missed.

What do we have here?

In an unsurprising turn of events, my blog has been on hiatus. It's been an eventful couple of months, to be sure. I lived to turn 21, finished my academic year, and met some very inspiring people. My old computer found an untimely death before the school year ended, but having acquired a new one, I can't claim that I have much of an excuse for not posting. Perhaps the instant gratification of reblogging photos, videos, etc. on tumblr has made me a convert to sheer laziness. My brain has also been in a strange place, as I've been constantly mulling over what the hell I'm doing with my life. In any case, I hope that this Summer sees something of a resurgence of posts, especially since I will be studying in Paris for a month (more on that later).
Fiona knows where my head's been at.

Not here, nor there.

Outfit Overload

I seem to be a hopeless blogger, as my posting is hardly regular. I often play the game wherein I confess my laziness and say something about making posts happen more often, but I'll just avoid making any promises. It's Spring and in typical Seattle fashion, it's pouring down rain tonight. Oddly enough, it's been rather nice otherwise. The whole transitional weather thing makes getting dressed a constant battle (life is rough). But enough about the weather, since this isn't a bad date. This is an overdue outfit post, so let's be quick and dirty and just get the thing over with. I've recently become friendly with the owner of an amazing vintage store in Capitol Hill called Indian Summer. I'd been there before and bought a now-beloved wrap coat that used to be hers for next to nothing. She showed at UW's Everybody Every Body Fashion Show and we fell in love over talk of things like Kate Moss's old runway walk, so naturally I had to revisit the store. The sequined sleeved sweater and the plaid wrap skirt are recent acquisitions. The rest is made of bits and pieces I've had forever. Socks and sandals man.

Vintage sweater and skirt, American Apparel thigh-high socks, Dolce Vita sandals
This was taken when the sun began to show itself, so I felt compelled to be colorful. The skirt is a semi-recent purchase from Red Light and is made for someone without bones. I actually bent down to clean up a mess I made in favorite cafe and the button popped off. I already had the shirt around my waist, so it all worked out and I didn't scandalize the kind people of the U-District any more than usual. Too bad.

Vintage blazer, skirt, scarf, and clutch; gold tank from Gillian, Koto button-up, American Apparel thigh-high socks, Jeffrey Campbell shoes
I wanted to look cute while getting frozen yogurt. Brrrr.

Thrifted faux fur, Urban Outfitters stripped long-sleeved t-shirt, vintage skirt, Messeca wedges, faux fur hat from Gillian
I was bluesy one night and watched Breakfast at Tiffany's, only to remember that what I was feeling was the mean reds. The next day, still high on Tiffany's, I tried to channel a darker Holly Golightly, perhaps in the hopes that her wit and the constant glint in her eye might rub off on me. The coat is a huge old men's Burberry that my friend Julie found at a garage sale or something. It's been in my closet for a while now, but this was the first time I actually left my apartment with it on. It was perfect for the rain, but I didn't have any kind of romantic climax with a man and a cat in an alley. Devastated.

Burberry coat, Urban Outfitters stripped long-sleeved t-shirt and gloves, belt and shorts from Gillian, American Apparel thigh-high socks, Deena & Ozzy shoes
This is just a Monday after a glorious weekend in Portland visiting Gill. The skirt is vintage Jay Jacobs and the t-shirt was free at the Marc by Marc Jacobs store on Fashion's Night Out a couple summers ago. The little cowboy-inspired booties are a new vintage purchase from Red Light. They have horse faces and guns on them, which is part precious, part ridiculous. But really, what more do you need than gold lame, naked Marc, and a headscarf?

Vintage Levi's denim jacket, vintage skirt and boots, drug store nylons, Marc Jacobs promotional t-shirt, belt from Gillian
Oh my god one more. I'm exhausted. Summertime means wearing big things with no pants and one hundred million pieces of jewelry. This caftan mini-dress was just purchased at Lucky Vintage on the ave and it's my new favorite thing, even though it's colorful. Hah. It even has little dots of glitter glue on it. Tacky, perhaps, but they make me smile.

Vintage dress, American Apparel thigh-high socks, Marc by Marc Jacobs bag, vintage Levi's denim jacket

Alexander Wang

Alexander Wang's latest collection is being hailed as his most grown-up and developed by a laundry list of critics and editors. I don't imagine having Gisele close his show hurt. It was certainly more controlled, leaving the Downtown, Model Off Duty aesthetic in the dust. That is integral to his image though that I wonder if Wang fans may be disappointed. I personally love that he typically errs towards that aesthetic, but it's often shrugged off by biggies within the industry as if it's immature.



The emphasis of the collection was on outerwear with pieces mostly in black and white with some deep burgundy mixed in. In a video interview with style.com, Wang spoke about his interest in Surrealism and fabric manipulation.



Tweeds were laminated, leather was shrink-wrapped, all so the textures provide for a skewed perception. Perhaps it was a comment on luxury? The shine of the clothes was a paramount point of interest, though runway photos do the textures little justice. The aforementioned style.com video provides a much better look.



The extreme coverage of the clothes—heightened by the mesh turtlenecks over most of the models' faces—might serve as a perfect armor for dealing with charity canvassers and people dying to tell you about Jesus Christ, your Lord and Savior. Unsurprisingly, the glazed black leather motorcycle jacket inspired pieces particularly caught my eye, as well as the boxy gun-case inspired bags. The latter again seems to challenge his typical aesthetic, as the bags have a vintage feel that I've never known Wang to explore. The white men's shirt-inspired fringe dress is another favorite that has not completely abandoned the party girl spirit. I can't say I would put this among my favorite Wang shows, partially because it seemed a bit too focused. But come next season, I may change my mind. We all have to grow up sometime—or at least that's what they say. Photos via style.com

Prabal Gurung F/W 2012

I've been far too absent as "Fashion Month" has come and gone, but pretending I'm studious has taken precedence. The casting of Prabal Gurung's show reflected his thematic interest in the journey from Hell to Heaven, with dark-haired girls in black opening the show and blondes in shimmering whites and golds closing the show. Nevermind what sort of implications that has for those of us that are not fair-haired. The darker section of the show included an eye-catching iridescent oil slick motif that I'd love to see in real life, as it looks a bit dense in photos. It may be one of those, "I like the idea, but the execution..." sort of things.



Gurung broke up the contrast with shots of blue, inspired by Japan's blue rose. The prints, which included cow skulls reminded me a bit of his fantastic Spring collection, which I regrettably left alone with the rest of the season's collections. That kind of recycling could be considered a bit redundant or conversely, focused, as Gurung hasn't exactly laid down a concrete DNA. Committing yourself to an aesthetic seems limiting to me, but that's another conversation. The strong colors and the intense, sometimes excessive details (print, ruffles, fur...) within different looks in the collection are really what I found compelling.



More than a few writers have suggested a bit of inspiration by way of Riccardo Tisci's work at Givenchy, which I don't think is totally baseless, but any sort of reference to organized religion (the Phillip Treacy hats in particular) might place any designer in danger of such a comparison. In any case, it seems that Gurung is certainly growing and finding his voice as a designer. I wouldn't usually expect something so tough from him, but it doesn't seem as if he's trying to be someone else. My hope is that he continues to explore, putting forth interesting collections that could be deemed beautiful on saints or sinners alike. Photos via style.com

Marc Jacobs's Valentine

Marc Jacobs presented his Fall/Winter 2012 Ready-To-Wear collection last night and as usual, he did not disappoint. More on that later. I'm still absorbing the fantastic work New York Fashion Week has put forth so far, so when I catch a break, I'll be sure to review my favorite collections at a more in-depth level.

For now, enjoy look 49, a mix of dark and light, fantasy and street, pilgrim and 90's rave culture (the hats were apparently inspired in part by Jamiroquai). Marc has got me thinking I should have put on more red today.


Photo via style.com

Straight-up Silliness

In Gillian's Box/Aquarium/Fort while on a Portland visit to see her. Pretty blue lights and Slurpees make me happy.
A mirror picture of me in a cute gold lamé skirt that my friend Julie hates.

A sideways video of me at the zoo, pretending to be a penguin.

"No Sweat My Pet"

Aside from the fact that I managed to sleep through my 8:30a.m. French class, I greeted the morning with a decent attitude. Wearing a Steve Urkel t-shirt and bright blue jeans may have had something do with it. The shirt is a favorite, as it reminds me of a huge vintage band tee, but it's all the more ridiculous, especially because of the various sayings that frame Urkel's face.

A friend came over and I made us coffee while we chatted. Uncharacteristically sunny and optimistic, I found myself dancing around my apartment with an audience of one. I don't think it was just the caffeine. After he left, I spent my time working on a Gillian's valentine. Once done, I threw together an outfit and went to the post office. It's always notable (if such a thing can be) when I wear much bright color. Even that orange sock is glaring through between the jeans and shoes. My apologies for not at all being remotely capable of taking photos of myself.


Vintage 1980's blazer, thrifted and gifted Steve Urkel t-shirt, Blanco jeans, Messeca wedges, American Apparel circle scarf, plaid dress hem (worn as scarf), 7 Chi studded bag, assorted jewelry

I've been meaning to post a close-up of the shoes for a while now. I got them fairly recently on Piperlime and I wear them constantly. Ignore the twelve inches of dust visible on my floor.


Test shots are mildly entertaining. I think there was a campaign with the models heads chopped off sort of like this, but I can't remember. The photographer probably photoshopped their veiny arms though.