I am all right

The man and I saw two films this weekend which were incredibly different from each other, and yet rather alike. I've heard about I Am Love (or, lo sono l'amore) for ages in the blogosphere. I don't quite remember exactly why, but it was something about Tilda Swinton's wardrobe. And while she was definitely impeccably dressed for most of the film, it seems like the scenes where she's not wearing anything stand out more... At any rate, I thought it was a very powerful film in which everything seemed to happen right at the end. It was almost overwhelmingly emotional at the end actually, so it was almost a relief that Tilda wasn't wearing something beautiful by that point. Then today, we saw The Kids Are All Right. Now, this film wasn't in Italian, didn't emphasize Italian fashion, and had the adorable Mark Ruffalo. So the connection? Both films had such amazing performances, realistic situations, and little character development, a mixture that left me feeling like I had just spied on each family for two hours. I personally like movies like this. They're a tad stressful, as they feel like those uncomfortable dinners at other people's houses where the hosts have a domestic squabble that we can't help but listen in on while we're staring at our plates. Nonetheless, it seems rather imaginative nowadays to do something normal and relatable...not that I've had an affair with a sexy Italian chef/Californian organic gardener whilst married to an Italian aristocrat/doctor of the same sex... 

That's SHINtastic

I wanted to post this as soon as I found it, but as it's basically a re-blog job, I thought I should wait a tad. Found via the Kingdom, Brooklyn-based designer Shinwon Yoon's label SHIN is one of the most exciting label finds for me since complexgeometries...especially as it reminds me of cg. Not only are there perfectly draped pieces just begging to be layered and mixed with my current wardrobe, but each SHIN piece is 100% cotton jersey, in either black or white. Also, many of the pieces are relatively reasonably priced (comparable to cg), especially as most (if not all) pieces are made in the US. Sizing is quite simple too, as it goes from XS to L, and apparently runs fairly true. In short, this label is entirely perfect for me, as these pieces and shapes are what I'd want to wear most days anyway. The wonderful Stefen from SHIN informs me that Oak on Bond Street should be receiving the new F/W 10 collection (see above) at the end of this month, so that's a definite stop for my trip (I hear they also got some SILENT by Damir Doma in...). Though there are a couple of gorgeous S/S 10 pieces (see below) still available in the SHIN online shop that I'd be more than happy to get...

I think this shot from the S/S 10 collection is my new favorite outfit. Simple, yes, but I've been striving for a more simple life as of late.

Lonely Hearts Club(house)

Not 15 minutes ago, I came to the realization that, if I were to finally get my very own house, I could potentially be in a lot of trouble. Last night at about 10PM, me and my man were supremely bored, and so we thought it would be a good idea to go for a walk and get some ice cream. Well, I thought it would be a good idea. Anyhow, on the way there and back, we met a neighborhood kitty whom we were not familiar with, so we stopped to get better acquainted. Now, this cat seemed rather lonely and a little bit boney, so we were quite hesitant to leave it be and go on our way. Even more so when we realized that the little guy had no collar. Had it not been for the fact that my man is extremely allergic to cats, I'm pretty sure we would've strongly considered taking him home, at least for the night or until we could find out if it had it's own home or not.

Then today, when my search for a copy of The Unbearable Lightness of Being at my local independent bookstore fell short, I bought a book that wasn't it the best shape and had sun damage. I'm usually quite picky about the condition of the books I buy, both before the purchase and after, as I prefer to have them look unread for the span of their lives on my bookshelf. But this book, a copy of A Suitable Boy, looked much too forlorn for me to pass it by, especially as I have been wanting to read it for a number of years. Sure, it'll have to wait it's turn to be read, as I have a growing stack of unopened books on my floor, but at least it has a warm home, and shelter from the yellowing sun.

I've also done the same thing with clothing. In a couple of my favorite Etsy shops, if I notice that something has been listed for eons and hasn't yet been snatched up, I'll feel sorry for it and buy it myself. True, these pieces had previously sparked my interest and have become favorites of mine since they arrived in my mailbox, but if they hadn't have looked like sad strays in those shops, who knows when/if they would've been welcomed into my tiny cramped one-bedroom apartment. I fear that if I actually had a place with storage space, that I wouldn't hesitate to bring home whatever lonely thing I happened upon. But oh, how I long for a bungalow...

(Photo is the Sleeve Scarf from Cubist Literature's Winter 2009-10 collection)

monoshop: provisional

Mono's first pop-up shop opens today in Vancouver for four glorious weeks! For the first two weeks, the space will contain the current series of clothing, FLIGHT. Then, after the space gets a makeover, the new mono series, EQUILIBRIUM, will be showcased. Eek! Perhaps I should cancel my NYC trip so I can see it... There will also be a kite installation and a short film by photography and film collective, Gene Doe. Sigh. If you can't make it to Vancouver, monoshop: provisional is planning to travel to Toronto in September 2011, followed by New York, Los Angeles, and Europe. Congrats and all the best Heather!

Banana jeans

Somehow I just realized that in less than a month, I'm turning 27, not 26. Hmm. I'm trying not to dwell on the fact that I'm getting rather close to 30 without having an established career (or even a hint of what I'd want to do for a career), or the fact that I basically still live like an undergraduate student. And by 'basically', I mean that I do. On the other hand, I'm liking the fact that I can make decisions that benefit myself, just as if I was all grown up. Not that I wasn't capable of making decisions in my early 20s, but it seems like I know more of what I want and am able to take advice and tips from those around me to make me feel better about...being me. Take the make-up thing for instance. I mentioned that on the advice of a new hair stylist, I went to MAC for the first time and told the girl there what I was looking for without really knowing what I meant. No more than 15 minutes later, I walked out with two small pots of eyeshadow and a brush that have subtly changed the look I'd had for the last 10 years, and yet succinctly completed the look I've been going for without knowing how to go about it in a low maintenance way. 

The second decision and change I've made just today concerns jeans. Jeans have been the bane of my shopping existence for the last few years because of - get ready for a homophone - my genes. For some reason the changing trends in jean styles has not seemed to correlate in any way with my changing shape. Skinny jeans came too late in the game for me, and high-waisted jeans somehow no longer seem to work comfortably. But today I had an epiphany - boyfriend jeans! Yes, I know these have probably been out of style for days/weeks/months now, but I could not care less. These things are entirely comfortable, fit perfect up top even though they're a low rise, are from my favorite denim brand in my undergrad days (Mavi), and remind me of those comfy jeans I wore as a kid...without the pleats. It also helps that they were 30% off because they're now out of season. So sorry New York if I offend you with outdated jeans, as this is what I'm arriving in. Though I will be on the lookout for these new Vivienne Westwood Anglomania/Lee unisex jeans. I would feel very tempted to roll the heck out of those cuffs, but I just can't get enough of the low crotch, perfect wash, and the train conductor back that reminds me of some Alexander McQueen men's pants that I once bid for on eBay. Perhaps I can find a pair on sale in time for my 28th birthday...

Interview with Wolfgang Jarnach

The handsome face you're seeing here is that of Wolfgang Jarnach, my favorite fashion design grad student pick of last fall. After graduating from the Akademie Mode and Design in Munich, Wolfgang has been getting a lot of mileage out of his spectacular award-winning grad collection, 'fin de partie'. This delightful 23-year- old showed his collection at this past London Graduate Fashion Week, has already garnered numerous media features, and is in the middle of a three-week long pop-up shop that makes me wish I were much closer to Germany. While you've already seen the photos of his pieces here, I wanted to take the opportunity to repost them in the order Wolfgang intended. For the collection is purposely built in five outfit pairs or 'positions'. You may note that in moving through positions one through four, factors such as volume, details, and diversity increase, while in the last pair, the outfits are rather minimal and focus on the body, while still retaining an essence of the previous positions. I don't know about you, but I'm quite captivated by such a young designer who puts so much thought into one collection, especially as it's only the first one to be available to the fashionable public. I have a feeling I'm going to proudly revisit this interview often, as I can't help but believe that the name of Wolfgang Jarnach will be known outside of Germany in no time. 

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How would you describe your grad collection in one sentence?

Contemporary historia - reflecting my view on everything.

Do you wear your own designs?

Sometimes I wear my own designs, but I think my little brother looks better in them - he is like my house model!

What is the German/Munich fashion scene like? How has this affected your own designs?

The German/Munich fashion scene is constantly growing, with many creative and individual people, but the public is still too focused on the well-established brands to recognize and realize this. My designs are experimental and individualistic, with a sense of tradition in it. Maybe this is my response to where I grew up.

Does music inspire your work at all, and what album do you turn on first on a rainy day?

Yeah of course music is a huge inspiration! The rainy day album is definitely Rules from The Whitest Boy Alive - it brings me up again, but in a melancholy way...

Is your workspace calm or chaotic?

This depends on the project. In the beginning, it’s calm and proper, but with the times it will get messy and 'inspiring'.

What is your favorite fashion memory?

Well, my favorite fashion memory is failing the interim examination but getting the award for the best visionary collection concept at the end of my studies! The way of fashion is incomprehensible!

Who is your favorite designer?

I don't have one favorite designer. Each designer has special things I'm interested in - eg. I like Haider Ackermann’s draping, Neil Barrett’s masculinity, Kris van Assche’s layering and Riccardo Tisci’s beautifully crafted lace pieces...

What is your favorite piece from your grad collection?

My favorite outfit is the second girls’ position with the transparent silk chiffon blouse with its historical lace shoulder pads, the blue velours leather corset and the pocket hoops. But my favorite single piece is the leather jacket with the exaggerated shoulders.

If you could design an outfit for anyone, who would that be?

I would love to design an outfit for Jude Law and Olivia Wild as a couple. But I fear they don't even know each other...

And lastly, what are your future plans?

In September I will go to London to study for a Masters there for one year. But I want to bring my pop-up store concept to more cities. Maybe the next step is a temporary store in London. In the far future, I want to establish my own brand with 'real' stores, and maybe I will come back to Munich to start them here, again.

***

It's kind of nice having some fine young men around kOs, eh? Anywho, make sure to bookmark Wolfgang's website, and join his Facebook page for updates. Oh, and if you're around the Munich area, can you ask him where he got that gorgeous scarf he's wearing? I think they might be available at his pop-up shop...

(Photos by Mathis Leicht)

Obsolete World

Before I moved out and and became all grown up, my family and I lived in three different houses. The first I don't remember at all because I was just a baby. The second house I don't remember either except for one memory: When I was sad and feeling like the whole world was against my three-year old self, I would go down the staircase and cry on the bottom step. Since then I've wanted a two-story house of my own, so that I could sit on the bottom stair and feel comforted whenever need be. If that house ever comes into existence, I'm going to cover the staircase wall with framed prints from Jeannie Paske's Obsolete World. Jeannie's illustrations (and titles of such) are so emotional and heart-wrenching, but beautiful at the same time. I've gone through her shop quite a few times, and so I almost feel like I'm now a part of this other world that Jeannie has created, and am distant friends with it's now familiar inhabitants. Also, each time I visit, I pick out different favorites, depending on the colour I'm drawn to that day, or if I feel like being alone or in need of some company. So the few prints I've chosen here would probably be different if I posted this tomorrow. Let's hope that staircase wall is big...

Liza Rietz, F/W 10/11

Liza Rietz's newest collection has taken me by surprise, as it's quite a departure from her architectural and voluminous pieces from previous collections, not to mention her predominantly black and white colour palette. Though really I shouldn't be too shocked, as those lovely sueded silks and pieces like the wonderful Triangle Blouse from the last collection were pointing in this direction...

I think these five new dresses from Liza are captured quite beautifully in these calming photos by Annie Beedy. Somehow I feel I would be sorely missing the bay window reading nook I've always longed for if I were wearing one of these dresses. And methinks I would be revisiting the idea of getting mandolin lessons... 

Check back at Liza's Etsy shop soon, where these softly draping numbers will be available later this month.