Army like it's 2006

I have quite the love/hate relationship with pants. More of a hate relationship really. I've come to terms with the fact that I should just buy a pair of pants that fit me on top, and then get used to whatever comes along on the bottom. While I do have that wonderful pair of Joe's jeans, it's a very light summer weight that does not pair well with the arctic weather that takes up half of the year here. So, after recently losing two pairs of pants to the risks of laundering, I basically have one pair of pants that I can wear year round, being my trusty black pair of Buffalo jeans. Yesterday, I did have to give in a buy a semi-mediocre pair of denim pants at American Apparel in order to prolong the life of my Buffalo's, just in case Denim Therapy can't resuscitate them when they inevitably show their age. I am however still in the market for some army green pants, as I feel quite challenged in putting an outfit together without them. I keep reading that the military look is in this season, so here's hoping that there'll be some more pieces from Junya Watanabe's Fall 2006 collection appearing on eBay (a pair of those cargo pants are listed here). Aside from the spiky shoes and headgear, this may be one of the most perfect collections I've come across, hence the accompanying non-pants related photos. Sigh. At least I have my ArtLab jacket and skirt to fill the Junya void. But, dearest Patricia, I'd like some pants too please. And a dress too.

(Photos via Style.com)

Jakub Polanka

Today's find (okay, I found it yesterday), via Pour Porter, is a Czech designer by the name of Jakub Polanka. I love how the collections are almost all arranged on Jakub's website as a colour gradient that you have to scroll through. His S/S 10 collection is up if you'd like to take a gander. But as I'm currently at war with blue and always at peace with grey, here are some pieces from his F/W 09/10 collection. Seems Jakub is the man if you need some futuristic warmth. The second and third grey pieces from the top photo are bringing to mind Balmain and Heal. Love.

Jessica Darwin

Second up for today is, I admit, basically a rerun of a post on Haute Macabre that was probably the highlight of yesterday for me. These gorgeous pieces are by L.A.-based designer, Jessica Darwin. Her entire collection, entitled 'jinxed', is simply full of awesome. From that backless suspended-bustle gown, to the neck/face corset, to the dripping sheer tank... Also, perhaps because of all the latex gloves that fill my work day, I've never been a fan of latex as clothing. But now methinks Jessica has changed my mind, particularly with that green draped number (she studied draping in Belgium, in case you're wondering where an L.A. girl would've learned how to do that)... The model also nearly convinced me to chop off my hair while at the salon this morning, as my hair used to look that fabulous (honest!). Alas, I'm trying to commit to growing it out. I could perhaps revisit my desire for more tattoos though...

Currently, Jessica only does custom made to order work, but her designs will soon be available as a ready to wear line. Stay tuned!

Angelika Werth

Sorry about the tumbleweed rolling across the screen yesterday. It was just one of those days where nothing yet everything mattered, and where I was extremely bored but didn't want to do anything. I'm afraid my shift work job is taking quite a toll on my mind, and sometimes just need to eat some curry, drink some tea, and stare off into the distance. Or catch up on a tv show that I seemed to have forgotten about a season and a half ago. Sigh. Today though, I have a couple of great finds for you. And then I'm off to go edit the two interviews I have sitting in my inbox, both of the Swedish persuasion...

So, first off, while sitting at the salon this morning for my bi-monthly dose of inkiness, I was happily flipping through a local magazine called Parlour, which is one of my favorite free reads and new mags that I've found (you can read the issues online here). My eyes instantly widened when I turned that page to an article on a German-born, Canada-based artist/designer by the name of Angelika Werth. Angelika's training and educational background in dress-making began in Germany and Paris, including working for Yves Saint Laurent. Her wearable art has been and is featured in multiple exhibitions including permanent collections in Canada, the US, and Japan. The photos below are of her hand-felted creations from her collection entitled the Madeleines, which are "costumes for historical figures and their imaginary engagement in athletic activity." And the photo above (click to enlarge) is of a spectacular dress made of old British Columbia Pioneer tents which, "if suspended from a tree branch they could revert back to shelter." Amazing.

Angelika also teaches a wide variety of courses on pattern design, draping, deconstruction/reconstruction (I wish she had more photos on her website of her work in this!), tailoring, corsetry, etc. I think I might have to get in on one of her workshops if it means I could gain even an ounce of her genius-ness...

Txell Miras

(Warning, this is a picture heavy post...) Okay, so this post was originally on the wearability/functionality of Barcelonian Txell Miras' A/W 09/10 'Framing' collection (above), as I do strive to mainly post clothing that I would actually wear. I had typed something about the usefulness of the more conceptual pieces at an event held in an architecturally interesting/awkward place with some pointy-shaped standing space. Or at a Tetris-themed party. And then I was comparing it to Txell's toned down S/S 10 collection, which has frames only in print (see below).

But then I got completely blindsided by her previous collections. Going backwards, I gasped out loud at Txell's S/S 08 collection (below).

And then at her A/W 07/08 collection (below).

And then at her A/W 06/07 collection (below).

And then at her S/S 05 collection (below)...

In short, this woman has about ten years experience in fashion design, so there was a lot of gasping going on in the last hour here. I'm simply amazed both at the fact that I haven't heard of her before, and at the fact her collection from 2005 seems so current and exactly what I would wear right now. Truly, a wardrobe spanning all of Txell Miras' collections would contain every fashion desire I could have: layering, frills, volume, structure, military-inspired designs, texture, avant garde-ness, blacks, browns, greys, whites, olives, skirts, dresses, pants, leggings, jackets... My brain is honestly quite overloaded at the moment.

Oh, and I also love this family tree as a jacket, from Txell's 2001/2002 pre-collection works. Reminds me of Bonzie's signature vintage look.

P.S. Thanks to all of my new and not-so-new followers! It made me smile to see so many friendly faces in my sidebar today.