Hoist up the John B's sail

As I'd been practically living in this perfect (100% silk!) (reversible!) Ursa Minor piece (a.k.a. my first piece of mail at the new place) since it arrived, I thought I'd give it a break and put on my previously-usual hot weather outfit (i.e. something mydearthing). However, after a half hour of freaking out, thinking I had thrown away this upcoming year's scholarship due to my failure to hand in a form on time, the stress combined with the heat forced a costume change, and this dress was, of course, the first pick. Meltdown (literally and psychologically) averted. Though I'm slowing giving up hope that this dress will ever be off of me long enough to wash...

Speaking of washing, do any of you kOs readers have a hemp shower curtain? I just purchased a couple from my favorite brick-and-mortar store (an environmental boutique called Carbon), and I washed and dried one before hanging it after discovering that it was about a foot too long for my unmovable shower curtain rod. After that, it was the perfect length, but it seems to have stretched out quite a bit again after getting soaked from my man's shower. Is it safe then to dry it on medium heat each time I wash it to reshrink it, or will that weaken the fibers too much? Leave a comment or shoot me an email if you know. And if you haven't heard of hemp shower curtains, I highly suggest looking into it. It's the only fabric curtain you can get without a liner, as the hemp is tightly woven enough that the water doesn't go through it. It does get soaked with each shower, so there is a bit of maintenance to it (i.e. you have to wring it out and make sure it has some air flow to dry it out, and it has to be washed every week or two to avoid any mold growth). But from the reviews I've read, the work is worth it, as there's absolutely no toxic chemicals in it or smells released from day one. Vinyl shower curtains are one of the worst things you could ever bring into your home because of the constant off-gassing of VOCs, and they aren't even recyclable when you inevitably have to throw it out. That, my friends, is what you call 'totally lame'.

Stalled

One thing this blog does is provide a fairly accurate measure of my distractedness/procrastination. Right now, I'm at about a 9.5 on a scale of 10, with 1 being completely focused and 10 being not at all. Hence a second post for the day, and a good chance that June will have the highest number of posts this year. It's not my fault though, I swear. Marie Saint Pierre just posted the Fall 2013 lookbook online. What was I to do, especially as I had already glimpsed one of my favorite looks ever from the collection? Sulpicia, I plomise I'll give you my utmost attention...soon. (And no, of course I didn't say 'plomise'.)

In the key of Ursa Minor

Without a real income and a very disciplined approach to buying clothes, shipping and customs charges hurt much more deeply than I remember. So I am quite happy to have recently become obsessed with a Canadian designer, as I can then buy fantastic pieces that do not bring an unpleasant surprise when they arrive at my doorstep. I had bought and posted about the Ursa Minor Victorine blouse a bit back (also seen in the photo above), and, after it proved itself to be a most invaluable layer not only for the classroom but also on our European excursion, I came back home wanting a second one. And, lo and behold, the black one was on for half price. The problem now is that I just found out about a (dangerous) Seattle-based website called craft & culture that curates and sells artisan pieces from a great crop of designers including Ursa Minor. Which is great in and of itself (as everyone should own at least one Ursa Minor piece, even non-Canadians), but they have an Ursa Minor piece on sale that Elizabeth has never posted in the Ursa Minor Etsy shop. And 'Seattle-based' means customs fees and increased shipping rates, which means I can't have it. I never even knew I'd want a cream-colored silk duster, but now that I do, I can't. Sigh.

The Polyomino Game

Do you remember Lisa Shahno's 'Iteration collection', which was based on the fractal cosmology theory? Well, I think Lisa has one-upped that with her newest collection, 'The Polyomino Game'. The collection is actually a collaboration with Canadian jewelry designer Tania Hennessy, and it's in the nature of the collaboration itself that I'm most fascinated. Without meeting each other (Lisa's based in Moscow), each designer created their contribution independently over six months, guided only by the same set of rules: each had to create seven pieces, each piece could only be made with squares of a particular size (30cm x 30cm for the clothing, 1cm x 1cm for the jewelry), and only black, white, grey, and violet could be used. The photos here catalogue the final result, when the designers finally met. It's fun to figure out how the abstract photo on the right results in the piece Lisa designed, particularly the skirt below.

The Internets is such a prime place to make other collaborations like this happen, and I'd sure like to see it. Just think of the epic international Tetris tournaments we could have...

(Photos via NJAL)

RAD

I haven't posted any Rad Hourani for quite some time (for reasons that are still pretty much the same as I stated a couple of years ago, with a bit more laziness thrown in the mix), but this just hit my inbox and I had to share. Not to be confused with the #7 Rad Hourani collection posted about in 2011, this here is the #07 Rad by Rad Hourani collection, pumping up the square unisex look with more panels, more grey, and more layers. Love love love it. And even though he's relocated to Paris (according to his contact info), the clothes are still made in Canada and shipped from Montreal. Too bad I can't afford anything from the e-shop, except maybe a tank top worth a two night's stay in Paris. All together now: sigh.

ebb-fade-pivot-axis

I haven't posted any complexgeometries lately (i.e. for over two years, apparently) for various reasons, the most recent being that I'm scared of buying new things, I have no money, and the last few sales have tended to be at the worst times possible. But I currently am wanting no less than four cg pieces and am setting aside a portion of my tax return to possibly maybe get one. In no particular order:

1) The ebb tunic, i.e. the dress version of the wave t. I have worn my two wave t's (or whatever they were called in 2010) to death (literally - they both have multiple holes in them), and I would love a 100% tencel dress version for the summer. But, it's $182.

2) The fade vest. It's 100% silk gauze, one size fits most, convertible, perfect (or almost, at $325 - apparently my words two years ago still ring true). I'm pretty sure this is one of those pieces that will magically not be on the website when there's a sale.

3) The pivot dress. This reminds me of my beloved mydearthing Carly Dress (which I first met almost four years ago!), just longer and 100% tencel. And I've been going through mydearthing withdrawal for quite some time. At $165, for the amount of year-round wear I'd get out of this (and the addition of a new colour to my wardrobe), this might be the piece I go for in the end.

4) The axis dress. I'd probably end up getting the tank version instead because the dress is form-fitting and only available in two sizes (small and medium), but 100% cotton has never looked so elegant. The dress is $169, and the tank is $139.

Now, after a week-and-a-half-long absence, it's time to return to school...

Today's Lesson

I've written about Obakki before, particularly regarding how I love the designs but can't personally bear the thought of buying a piece because of what band is connected to the label. Petty, perhaps, but that's my problem, not yours. However, as I continued to follow Obakki's Facebook even after I found out about this unfortunate connection, a post prompted me to revisit the Obakki website, which has made me reconsider my stance. When I first discovered the label, I believe that 100% of the profits from only one seasonless collection went to a humanitarian campaign. Now, 100% of the profits from all of the collections go to the various humanitarian projects Obakki is heading. In fact, Obakki is a non-profit organization where, as the website says, "fashion is [their] main fundraising vehicle...Whether you buy Obakki product or make a donation to the Foundation, you know your money is going where it's needed right now." That coupled with this amazing paneled silk and viscose/modal button-up (made in Canada, of course), the design of which is inspired by the conflict in the Sudan, and the profits from the sale of which go to building wells in South Sudan. It's pricey, but that's not really the point. As long as I don't have to buy a certain band's albums to contribute to the effort, I think I can rethink my previous position.

Coat of arms

I'm not sure how it happened, but I'm a jacket/coat* person. I used to have one winter coat, and a bunch of hoodies that I classified as either spring/fall/summer 'jackets'. Now, I have a literal pile of coats by the front door (oh, I'm looking forward to a proper entryway closet!), and I've been known to change my coat multiple times before I go out the door. Granted, all of them are fall/winter coats (which makes sense, since that's 80% of our year), but I pretty much have one or two for every 10 degree range between -40 up to +10. The queen of the coats in the -10 to 0 range is, of course, my Artisanal Coat from Patricia Ayres. I thought her right to the throne had the potential of being challenged when I got my very first women's McQueen piece (a black wool/cashmere coat), as I've rated it to the same temperature range. However, the perfume ghost of its former owner has meant that it has sat in my man's office unworn for two months now. Also, I think it being a McQueen affords it the status of 'Special Occasion (-10 to 0)', so in that way the two coats can both rule their respective and neighbouring kingdoms without one having to abdicate. However, if I got a hold of this A/W 13 piece by Marie Saint Pierre, I'm afraid civil war would ensue. It's perhaps the most perfect cold weather coat I've seen since that Gareth Pugh creation. Now, it's sacrilegious to even suggest that it could rule over the McQueen, but for both personal and pragmatic reasons, I'm not sure I could say it fits in the 'Everyday (-10 to 0)' category alongside the Artisanal Coat. Can one really have three categories for one temperature range? I'm afraid I would simply have to bend any rule that suggests otherwise, because that's really the only way I could keep the peace around here.

(Photo via Facebook)

*The words are interchangeable for me, really. If anyone can give me a good working definition to keep the two separate, I'm all ears.

Vested in a vest

I'm in love with this vest. You wouldn't know it by the lack of zippers, but it's from Montreal's own Denis Gagnon. Creating a silhouette without the regular ol' back cincher is definitely the way to get my vest fix and stick to my stylistic values. I.e., without regressing to the days of my favorite white and blue flower silk vest with pearl buttons. Oh how I loved that vest...And my big pearl brooch pinned over the top button of my blouse...

(Photos via SSENSE.com, where a sale is now on. Sorry, this vest is sold out. Actually, I'm not sorry.)

Joshua

Just in time to be mega-distracted from studying for finals, my dreams have come true in that Marie Saint Pierre now has an online shop (on the revamped website, it's the tab with the darling name 'Walk-in')! This has quickly become my favorite luxury label, especially after my lovely experience in their boutique in Montreal this summer. I'd really prefer to repeat that experience and go back there to buy another piece in person, but seeing as that won't happen until August at the earliest, I will gladly drool over my laptop screen and wake up thinking about how I could possibly afford to order something. In particular, I want/need this ridiculously gorgeous mesh and jersey cardigan (called 'Joshua'). Which of course cannot happen with a price tag of $790 (a.k.a. a month's rent). However, I will keep my fingers crossed that the bi-annual MSP sale applies to the website as well. Meanwhile, if you have some extra cash laying around, for every $500 you spend before December 20th, you'll get a $100 gift card (and free shipping on your first order) IF you use this code: FROMMARIETOYOU. Please feel free to forward the gift card on to me at your leisure.

Academic integrity...and stuff

Yesterday my required 'Research Methods' course was a lecture about academic integrity and what happens if you cheat/steal another's work. I kind of think that if you don't know what you shouldn't do, you probably shouldn't be in grad school, but whatever. Anyway, the talk, while kind of scary, made me really want to stay in this academic game for a while. It somehow gave me warm fuzzies, for lack of a better term, to think about how the academia is so serious about honesty and integrity, two things that are sorely lacking in most other professions. And it can't really be any other way, as its a profession completely based on reputation; without that reputation and the subsequent trust of the public, scholarship would be completely useless. So, as long as the rules (of being honest and having integrity) remain, academia can't/shouldn't go down the drain like everything else. Like I said: warm fuzzies. Of course, I was brought back down to earth when I overheard the following in a campus coffee shop: (friend coaching friend on how to fill up space on a course paper) "Just make your periods bigger. That's a little trick I learned in grade 5." Sigh.

Anyway, while I would in no way advocate uniforms for post-secondary students, I definitely think it helps your overall mindset to make an effort in having your appearance show that you respect your role as a scholar. Two recent additions to my wardrobe (courtesy of an unexpected fellowship) are making me sit up a bit straighter (metaphorically speaking). First up is my beloved new Moop bag, The Backpack (above left, and in sidebar on right). I have had Moop's The Letter Bag (above right) for a couple years now but, due to a shoulder issue from a previous injury, I knew that I'd need to spring for a bag that both balanced me out and protected my laptop on the walk to and from campus. Lo and behold, just in time for school to start, Moop came out with the coolest backpack on the block, in the waxed canvas I love. It somehow makes me excited to leave home in the morning just by carrying it. Seriously. And, when coupled with my very first Ursa Minor piece (and new favorite basic!), the Victorine Blouse (below), I'm a raring scholar machine. Kind of. Here's hoping both will help me when I present in 28 days in NY!

P.S. Moop is having a 12% of sale today only, just because it's 10-11-12. In Moop's online shop (not their Etsy), enter this code at checkout: 101112

Update (Oct 26th): The Victorine blouse is now available in black and in cream in the Ursa Minor Etsy shop and online shop! Don't be surprised if I get the black one too. I love this top.

La Grande Noirceur

Goodness gracious, Ovate's new collection is pure gold in black dulcet tones/layers. I want every single piece that doesn't have leather in it. After creating the most perfect hoodie ever AND the most perfect tank top ever (which sadly sold out just when I decided I needed a back-up one!), it looks like Audrey is on a roll with what might possibly be the most perfect one-shoulder dress ever (I never thought I'd say those words) AND the most perfect hooded vest ever (methinks this is a pumped up version of the sleeveless Valhalla?). Not to mention those floor-length dresses. And to think that just yesterday I was complaining to my man that no one ever designs things I'm interested in anymore. Audrey, please post these beauties in the shop soon so I can rework my school-year budget. Sigh.

(Photography by April Lea; modelling by Mathilde Jobin and Brett Wagg)

Edit: Doh! That is not a hooded vest, but a wool jacket with leather sleeves. Commence the Charlie Brown song here. At least I was right about it having the same cut as the Valhalla. Sigh.