Sunlit & Ascending

It's -36 out. Or at least it was this morning. Let me check...My apologies, it's only -30 now. However, I discovered today that I only work nine days this month. That's pretty much the best news ever right now. Besides the fact that we now have a doorknob that will allow us to enter our apartment in a legal fashion. Anyway, because I've been cooped up inside all day in order to avoid freezing to death, I finally got around to taking some pictures and making some listings for my shop. And yes, those are sunbeams you see in the photos. Don't let the Albertan sunshine fool you. If this keeps up, I may not be taking the bus tomorrow night to see Blue Valentine. I hear Ryan Gosling sings and plays ukulele in the film. Sigh. I guess I'll just have to continue to listen to Dead Man's Bones on repeat until then...

(Photo via freak accident while taking a photo for a listing. I didn't even know digital cameras can do cool things like real cameras.)

The Poncho: Keeping you covered since the 1850s*...

Maybe I am slowly getting won over to the cape/poncho side, as I kinda sorta really love this new ArtLab piece. I at least just want something in this fabric. I'm also still humming and hawing over this gorgeous Ursa Minor wool tabard (below), which I just realized I've failed to mention thus far. It's more versatile than just a straight poncho, which of course rates high on my must-have meter. However, I have to admit that I wish these two items could be combined or even interwoven, if you will. I can never get enough of army green twill...

And speaking of ArtLab, would anyone be interested in a gently used ArtLab Space Odyssey dress? I love that thing to pieces, but unless I eat about 10 cupcakes a day from here on in, I don't think I can keep it up and decent anymore. With this super cold and snowy day, I'm thinking I'll get to work on those new listings in my shop this afternoon. That is, unless my pile o' books doesn't distract me first...

*So sayeth Wikipedia.

Lako Bukia, S/S 11

The name 'Lako Bukia' hit my radar with full force this morning as I quickly glanced at a new favorite blog, Ma Frangine, early this morning. I couldn't quite remember how I knew that name, but the handy Google bar on the right tells me that I had written a post on Lako previously. It makes sense that I didn't recognize this S/S 11 collection as belonging to this Georgian-born London-based designer, however, as they are extremely different from her graduate/first collection. Anyway, though I've been absolutely loving the gorgeous sun and very unseasonsal warm temperatures this week (and yes, even the giant puddles from the massive melting snowbanks), these gorgeous photos make me wonder why more photoshoots aren't done at night (revisit Donovan Tjon's perfect dress here for an even stronger case for nighttime photoshoots). The runway lights and flat stage simply can't capture the romantic aspect of these pieces like a dark horse and some moonlit trees. I will, nonetheless, post some of those runway photos, as I'm in love with these pieces.

I do have to point out that it strikes me as odd that I'm most drawn to the billowing grey skirt and pink top outfit (though moreso when it's dangling from a tree), as just yesterday I had saved a couple photos of another designer's work on my desktop that has a similar colour palette, as illustrated below. (The third photo is to show the back of the second piece.)

I can't help but wonder if it's some colour-coded conspiracy by NJAL, as both Lako and Brazilian designer Julia Valle are on the front page this week. I'm not quite sure how NJAL could benefit from me pairing a girly hue with grey, but I'll definitely let you know when I find out...

You'd make a splendid computer, Mr. Spock

Tonight's episode of Star Trek (Season 1, Episode 21) has the Enterprise crew dressed in their Man in Black best. And though Mr. Spock looks perfect, as always, I can never quite ascertain my opinion on the cape. I am intrigued though by this nicely structured one from the A/W 10/11 collection of Athens-born and London-based designer, Romina Karamanea. Hmm...

(P.S. Konrad, I still want your cape.)

I don't want to wait in vain...

I must share with you an absolutely amazing find via a quick 5:30AM look at Dirty Flaws, being a label called InAisce (possibly pronounced 'in aska', from the Gaelic 'in vain'), from Brooklyn-based designer Jona. These photos are from the F/W 11/12 'Ashen Tundra, Frozen Roads' collection, which simultaneously makes me think of Alexander McQueen, Sruli Recht, and Cormac McCarthy's The Road. While previous online write-ups on InAisce categorize it as menswear, this collection may (or may not) show a slight divergence in Jona's impeccably tailored and perfectly detailed coats and jackets, though all these pieces would work equally well on any slim (and non-conformist) body. I'll likely go see if IF in Soho still has some of the S/S 11 in February, but I would love to set my eyes on this particular collection in person (or, better yet, try a piece on) while I'm in Brooklyn. Indeed, I could definitely be convinced to save up any spending monies from this year for when this collection is released to the world. Definitely.

(P.S. InAisce is also available at Layers.)

Complex sales

Super sad event yesterday - my last visit to Nokomis, which closes its doors forever next week. I have a hard time talking about death or serious illnesses with people, and apparently I transfer this awkwardness to the death of local businesses, as I didn't say one word to the owner about the fact that this was the end of the best store in town while scouring the racks one last time. Sigh.

Anyway, the closing out sale at Nokomis brought me two unexpected things that I absolutely couldn't pass up, seeing as they're both complexgeometries (...and I felt bad for the little guys). First is the cg super tube. At $40 (reg. $110 on the cg online shop), the many ways in which I can wear this lovely mix of baby alpaca wool and silk is well worth it. I think I'll likely favor the skirt option.

Second is the cg truth t. I believe that this was basically the cover piece of the cg A/W 10 collection (named 'In Search of Truth'), but it was one that I didn't really take a second look at with the whole cape thing. But at $29 (reg. $149 at Reborn), and in the lovely Nokomis changing stall for the very last time, I have happily discovered an extrememly versatile piece that I'm going to have a lot of fun playing around with. 

My only concern: hanging this baby to dry. Methinks I may have to wear this to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, the taping for which is my newest acquired tickets for my NY trip. It's going to be a whirlwind seven days! I also think I really need to post some things for sale. Though I could never stick to the 'one in, one out' policy, I could at least try it for a bit. I'm thinking of listing a Bonzie velvet bolero and the Mandula shorts for starters...

P.S. Congrats to Liza Rietz for being Etsy's Featured Seller!

Pointless

Why would I cover my arms up if I was wearing a
Marc Le bihan top that made them look this good?

You know how, for whatever reason, one day a particular word just sounds weird to you, and so you repeat it to yourself over and over until it becomes just a random combination of sounds that shouldn't have any meaning to an English speaker? Well, today I had a similar moment with long sleeves. A co-worker of mine always wears short-sleeved polo shirts. Except for today, that is. So every time this person walked by, I took a second look, wondering to myself if I'd ever seen them wearing long sleeves before. Now, this person was probably wondering why I was staring at their (completely covered) arms every time they walked by, but suddenly the whole concept of wearing long tubes of material attached to a shirt seemed completely foreign to me. This in turn brought me to the realization that the vast majority of tops I own that are not items intended to wear over other items (i.e. cardigans, hoodies, coats) are short-sleeved or completely sleeveless. This freshly discovered facet of weirdness might just explain the odd but not completely clear feeling that I experienced while putting in my last mydearthing order, which included one long-sleeved item. Which in turn may have been an attempt by my subconscious to circumvent this way of clothing myself that does not quite make sense in my current location and climate. My man just recently asked me whether I had the ability to dress with just a single layer. Has he teamed up with my subconscious to lead me to singular items that do the work of two (or more) of my regular items of sleeve challenged clothing? Hmm...

Non-sleeve related, I bought some fresh pomegranate seeds today on a whim, and am looking forward to making this beautiful looking dish (Saffron Marinated Paneer Cheese with Fresh Basil, Cashews, and Pomegranate Seeds), but I'm going to substitute the paneer for tofu. I love paneer, but a little too much cheese is consumed around my house already. I'll let you know if it works out.

This is your opponent, Earthling

While the sun has finally peaked out today (oh, happy day!), this harsh winter weather is still feeling the need to remove all the moisture from my skin as if it's a giant Scotch-Brite scouring sponge. And so today I'm pretending I'm in a warmer and more humid climate by putting this outfit together from my virtual closet. I know the boots don't make much sense here, but I've suddenly become obsessed with them, and will likely be purchasing them in time to break them in for New York. I'm still cringing at the though of buying leather shoes, but it just seems so darn wasteful to keep buying non-leather shoes that last only a few months. Even my beloved Adidas by Stella McCartney snow-walking machines are breaking down, for goodness sakes. Truth is, I was all set to by this pair of Campers To&ether boots after finding them on Yoox.com for about a quarter of what they sell at my local Gravity Pope. Something was holding me back though, even though they were only available in my exact size. Then I came upon a Dutch label called MAG, who uses only 100% ecological leather. And they're pretty much the most comfortable things I've ever put on. They look pretty kickass too. Like something an 80-year old Lisbeth Salander would wear. 

So, the outfit in question begins with the utterly gorgeous (and lined) silk tulle Cinema Tea Gown of the Spring 2011 collection from (the utterly adorable) Alexandra Grecco. I'm not sure if I'd get the dress in grey or in black, but I'd definitely layer it over one of Lauren's new limited edition silk Husband Tanks. Let's go with a pop of colour for this exercise. Then I'd do my regular dress-over-pants thing with my Wolfgang Jarnach trousers (which fit even nicer after biking every day or two), and then top (bottom?) it all off with the MAG boots. Paired with my new best friend (a.k.a. Aveda's Intensive Hydrating Masque) and a nice glass of refreshing Mission Hill Pinot Grigio, I feel much better.

The Deep

The older I get, the more aware I am of how stress physically affects me. Thankfully, I am also more aware of what I need to do to relax. Hence my spur of the moment appointment in 2.5 hours with the beekeeper, and this video (via Coilhouse).

Also, the older I get, the more I appreciate great deals, though I tend to feel rather guilty when it means I'm paying a designer much less than they deserve. I'd therefore like to point out that Amanda deLeon is having a moving sale with almost sinfully low prices. Really. It doesn't feel right to pay only $100 and under for each piece, especially knowing how perfect her work is. Though I suppose I could feel okay about it if I broke my no-spending rule just for her. Hmm...

Holy the Fifth International

I finally got to see Howl this snowy and ceiling-thumping (and perhaps cop-calling) night. Anyone that has talked to me about movies knows that I absolutely love James Franco and think he's basically not only the best-looking actor of his (and my) generation, but also the most talented actor of said generation. However, I can honestly say that it wasn't James Franco's (very excellent) performance alone that made this film great, as the most interesting 'hybrid' style of a documentary/biopic (recreated from a tape-recorded interview, actual photographs, and court transcripts), crossed with an animated poetry reading held my attention quite captive for the entire 80ish minutes. Living with a librarian, I had already been aware of the poem "Howl" by Allen Ginsberg, but I hadn't actually read it myself, nor was I familiar with the details of the court case of 1957 that resulted from the poem's publication. I do believe I will be adding another book of poetry to my bookshelves now, as well as a copy of this film for future viewing. May I suggest that you do the same.

Unhook Your Clothes

I was just wishing to myself yesterday that Take Off Your Clothes would do something a bit different from their standard t-shirt reconstructions. Don't get me wrong, I love what they've done to the t-shirt (i.e. this). However, there's only so many t-shirts I can permit into my wardrobe, no matter how they're sewn or de-sewn (?). Anyway, my brainwaves must've been on the same channel as the T-Shirt Fairy, as, less than 24 hours after my unspoken wish, TOYC has listed a few pieces from their S/S 11 'The Beyond' collection in their Etsy shop. And I love these pieces. I think they really promote the 'Take Off' portion of the label's moniker with the functional hook-and-eye detailing. Good thinking. I also like the Surgical Skirt (above right, and below), which is purported to be a redesigned t-shirt, but looks (and sounds) to me to be redesigned scrubs - now I have an idea of what to do with all my work uniforms once I quit. 

Here's hoping that the pieces will be available in more sizes and colours (and that someone will give that model an extra-fat latte).

In semi-related news (well, only because both TOYC and my lovely NY-trip hosts are Brooklyn-based), I'm kinda sorta thinking of extending my February trip by roughly three months. I just found out yesterday that the Metropolitan Museum of Art will be having a special exhibition from May 4th to July 31st entitled 'Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty', featuring approximately 100 McQueen pieces. I think a flight to New York in May just to visit the Met is now officially going on my Top 3 Want List. Sigh.

Song for the Mute, et al.

Today's post took a little bit of a journey to get to. First, I stopped by NOTCOUTURE, as I do, and clicked on a thumbnail for a post from Italian online mag We Are Selecters. This led me to peer around their site a bit, which led me to an entry on the fantastic third collection from Australian menswear label Song for the Mute, which comes from the duo of graphic designer Melvin Tanaya and Parisian-born designer Lyna Ty. I somehow didn't notice that there was a video for the A/W 11 'Milieu' collection tacked onto the bottom of the WAS post, and I was wondering where the photos for the new collection had come from (as they aren't on the label's website), so I went to the SftM Facebook page to search further. This in turn brought me to one of my more recent favorite blogs, scoute, who had (also) posted the Milieu video, which I will now insert here for the simple fact that it is pretty.

Doesn't that make you want to go to Australia right now? And perhaps have one of those huge wetsuit zippers to spice up your regular ol' black sweater? Anyway, I apparently haven't read scoute for a few weeks, as I hadn't seen the post on Sruli Recht. Though I had only written a couple of posts on Sruli (the main one being here), I immediately had the two-fold reaction upon seeing his name of 'Oh!' and '...', as I think a lot of his work is incredible, and yet I still don't know how to feel about his use of particular 'materials'. You'll have to go here to see the video that i-D magazine did with Sruli as I can not embed it here, but I do recommend it for anyone interested in the designing and pattern making process. The video is intended to be a sneak preview of Sruli's upcoming menswear A/W 11 'When Gravity Falls' collection that will be shown at Paris Fashion Week, though all we see is the initial construction of a jacket (featuring half-size dress forms and laser cutting pattern machines) that may or may not be in the collection. Though I will never be in a position to buy a robot to cut out my patterns (and really, I think my tendency to be lazy is more compatible with Julian Roberts' method of pattern cutting), I'm excited to see Sruli's upcoming laser cut collection.

By the way, in case you've made in this far in the post and you want a couple more links to click on, you may be interested to know that, starting tonight at midnight EST (i.e. New York time), complexgeometries will be having a one day (i.e. 24 hour) sale of 40% off their entire store. Just use the code 'onedaysale'. I highly recommend the Wave T for $82.20, or the Wool Stifler for $202.20.

(Photos of Song for the Mute's A/W 11 collection are actually via Dapper Kid, which I found via the SftM Facebook, even though I could've just as easily saved them from WAS. Now I will try to calculate the mileage my fingers just clocked in coming up with this post...)