Back to the grind

1) If I had this tunic by Rick Owens, I'm sure I would put it on the wrong way every time. On the left is the front, and on the right is the back. Confused? Me too.

2) I kinda wished my childhood writings had been in the sci-fi vein after seeing Gentlemen Broncos. And I wish that I could actually chew, as the surprise star of the film, the ever-present popcorn ball(s), was looking kinda tasty by the end of the film. Not unlike this whatchamacallit by Paula Selby Avellaneda.

3) As I've been experiencing some severe technical difficulties since getting two fillings last Tuesday, I've discovered a new best friend: gazpacho. Tis a seriously brilliant idea, as is this dress by Albertine Tucknott. Pardon, these two dresses by Albertine Tucknott.

4) If you're a reader of Haute Macabre, and/or if you enjoy a good swap or two, sign up for Haute Macabre's Giant Ridiculous Clothing Swap. I'm quite looking forward to this, perhaps moreso for the imagined look on my swap mate's face when they see what marvelous things I've sent them. Imagine, you could be the owner of said face!

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!

And greys? What greys?

Oh, how did I ever live 26 years without watching Breakfast at Tiffany's in it's entirety? Except for that one character, the movie is positively wonderful (although the edition we rented has a special feature which Paramount should be congratulated for, commenting on the casting choice of Mr. Yunioshi). I've always known that Audrey Hepburn was a style icon, but have you seen her at 60 years old (i.e. her interview with Barbara Walters in 1989)? She looks just as lovely at that age as in her 20s. Sigh.

Anywho, Audrey Hepburn of course inspires me fashion wise, and so I had to look for something else beautiful to post before the first day of this new decade is over. And so I found Ohne Titel, a label formed by two Parson's graduates (surprise!), via Haute Macabre. The A/W 09/10 collection is full of my favorite non-colour, black, but it's the greys of the S/S 10 collection that are catching my eye this cold night. Gorgeous. I especially adore this avant garde take on the women's suit jacket (below), which seems to me, as a high fashion neophyte, to be the perfect mix of Comme des Garçons and Patricia Ayres. So what? So plenty.

Mandula

Sorry for the barrage of photos. It's just so weird for me to find a label that I've somehow never heard of before, and yet I instantly feel at home when I do, as I love practically every single piece. Through my new favorite blog, Haute Macabre, I've just discovered Vancouver-based Mandula. The beautiful Hungarian-born designer behind the label, Hajnalka Mandula, is inspired by nature and minimalism, resulting in the most gorgeous organic designs. The colours, draping, asymmetric hems, layer-ability, and somewhat quirky details really meet all my fashion needs. Sigh.

The Mandula brick-and-mortar store is a definite stop the next time I make it back to Vancouver!

Sumie Tachibana and my newest dream outfit

Just a word of warning folks: scouring the world of the Internet is not necessarily conducive to your health if you are already feeling ill. Inspired by the gothic theme of my last post, I was instantly drawn to a link on Kingdom of Style for a blog entitled Haute Macabre. And it is deliciously macabre indeed. I've always had a certain penchant for gothic inspired fashion, perhaps because of my love of all things black. But my sickly and sleep-deprived body was not prepared for what I found within the pages of this new favorite blog. For I have discovered an amazing designer by the name of Sumie Tachibana, who is "a rising star in the New York independent fashion design scene." The first photo my eyes fell upon, which comes from Sumie's F/W 09 Modern Nomad collection, may very well extend my insomnia for at least a few more hours, as this is now my new dream outfit (click on photo to enlarge a tad). After further digging, I also discovered that Sumie has an Etsy shop, where she has the OOAK leg warmers/spats from this very photo listed for sale. They do have leather, so I'm not sure what do to about that. Nonetheless, the description informs me that the plaid fabric used for the skirt and the leg warmers are a seersuckered wool plaid. I'm not sure I could imagine a more perfect material. And paired with the most perfect hooded jacket in a gorgeous shade of green velvet? Sigh.