Hamsterdam

It's all happening. Just barely managing to get it in before I turn the big 3-0, I will actually be leaving my fair continent. Though the 3 I's (Italy, Ireland, and Iceland) have always been at the top of list of places to see first, somehow the idea came about to go on a quick jaunt to Amsterdam (referred to in my house as 'Hamsterdam') and Bruges (thanks to, of all people, Colin Farrell). And, since we decided last weekend to tough it out in our little one-bedroom-no-sunlight apartment for a wee bit longer, the trip is a go! This change in plans led me to searching kOs for Dutch designers, because I couldn't think of any off the top of my head. Which is silly, seeing as there was a very very recent Dutch postee here on kOs, namely Steffie Christiaens. Steffie just posted photos of her A/W 13/14 menswear collection, and, I must say, even outside of shower curtains, I like how this girl thinks. The entire collection is definitely worth checking out (click here), but I'm particularly drawn to these two pieces: the blazer/bomber hybrid (above), and the zip-off coat (below). 

I don't think the tapered back of the hybrid piece (i.e. the bomber portion) would work on a woman, but I suppose that guys deserve some fashion fun of their own. The zip-off coat, however, would work on anyone, as evidenced by that great Vietto coat. Anyway, Steffie is based out of Paris, so I don't know if I'll get to see any of her work up close. Any suggestions for local designer shopping in (H)Amsterdam?

(Photos by Sascha Heintze, via Facebook)

P.S. Speaking of Vietto, you can snag some Vietto pieces in New York next month. Helsinki's Paloni will be setting up a pop-up shop between February 11-28 at the Ivana Helsinki concept store, unleashing Vietto and 36 other Finnish labels (including OutsaPop Trashion) on NYFW. I knew I should've booked a trip during reading week!

Seeking a shower curtain for the end of the world

I can't quite remember how it started, but me and my best friend in junior high/high school used to make each other transparent clothes just for fun. For example, for my friend I made quite the scandalous saran wrap bikini (complete with braided ties out of my cross-stitching thread collection and logos of our local NHL team as imbedded pasties), and I myself received quite the jaw-dropping strapless dress with green metallic Christmas ribbon accents made out of a clear shower curtain. Ah, youth. If only we had continued on with our inspired designs, perhaps we would now be well-known names on the runway. Instead, we decided to focus on our dream of becoming the world's first 2-woman luge team (a sport that still does not exist to this day, to my knowledge). Sigh. I will now have to live vicariously through Dutch designer Steffie Christiaens (written about a life-time ago here), whose S/S 13 collection finally affirms that shower curtain-like material is worthy of the runway. Though, of course, the collection would do well even without the transparent pieces (see below). While the collection is meant to be "a wardrobe for the end of the world," I'm ready to wear these pieces now. As in during my long afternoons of translating Plato's Symposium and reading about the philosophy of science and scholarly editing. Trust me, us Steffs know how to have fun.

(Photos via NJAL)

Edit: Steffie has an online shop! Check it.

Nonalignment Pact

Ugh. I'll be the first to admit that it makes me cranky to blog when I don't want to. But even more so when I can't blog when I do want to. I.e. I've rediscovered for the umpteenth time that my body is not made for shift work. Unless of course it is, and I just missed the lesson in history class about how our hunter-gather ancestors used both methods of food procurement because they were on a biweekly rotation. Anyway, the increased crankiness has diverted most of my available energy to trying to justify a spur of the moment (and yet long thought about) trip to NY centered around one particular event. I've silently judged people in the lunchroom who think the sole reason for going to NY is to go shopping, and yet I can't help but think I absolutely need to go to NY before the end of July to go to the Alexander McQueen exhibit, even if that's the only thing I do between landing and taking off again. The rest of my energy is devoted to trying to justify buying the Cinema Tea Gown from Alexandra Grecco. Doesn't help that I've been staring at this gorgeous piece by Paris-based Dutch designer Steffie Christiaens on the Layers blog for the better part of the evening. Speaking of, a shopping trip to London sounds fantastic right about now... Sigh.