Russell/Tyler/Cillian

Oh to have a 9-5 job, where I can 'sleep in' and still wake up 'early' enough to actually cook myself breakfast, make delicious freshly roasted and ground coffee that I don't have to throw down the hatch, and search the Internets before anyone else is even making a peep. It's good for the blogging too, though it seems from the last few posts that I'm right on schedule, posting at least every Wednesday and Saturday. Goodness gracious. Anywho, right after finishing my egg-on-toast-with-jam, I was immediately rewarded with an Etsy find by the name of Russell T Miller. Now, I had a shirt from this shop in my Favorites a while ago, but apparently I hadn't favorited (?) the shop to keep up on any updates. So it's a good thing I re-found the shop, as this designer's stuff is quite awesome (and I will only refer to the designer as 'this designer' or 'Tyler Durden', seeing as his profile does not match the label's name). I also heart the model, who looks pretty much exactly like one of my favorite actors ever (Cillian Murphy), minus the bright blue eyes. And the 'Denim Jacket you can take on space dates'...I'm almost convinced that it's once again (i.e. post-early 90's) cool to wear denim jackets (photo with details below). Though I did think my mind had been changed on the wearage (? - I'm really just making up words here this morning) of denim with that Attila Design Frock, which lays unworn in a garbage bag (perhaps a future kOs shop listing?). Sigh.

Jeremy Laing

I managed to fit in some Internets time today, amid having some spectacular waffles, playing with my new toy (a secondhand Hoover that really sucks - vacuum jokes never get old), finally getting back on the bike after a month of sickness, injury, and bedbug treatment preparation, and making a delicious tofu meal (the same recipe as here, but with broccoli instead of brussel sprouts). Anyway, I was rewarded with the discovery of a Canadian designer whom I would've thought I would know about by now, but I spose there's no time like the present. Jeremy Laing and his designs appeal to me not just because he's Canadian, but because he's self taught and both apprenticed and freelanced for Alexander McQueen. I think this background is quite easily seen in Jeremy's collections, as there are both draped and more freeform pieces, as well as tailored pieces. His F/W 11 collection (above) is what I imagine Kat Stratford would've worn on the red carpet if her girl band had formed and become successful, or if she became that favorite English teacher who gracefully aged into retirement. And with the spell of the long drawn winter perhaps finally being broken, these pieces from Jeremy's S/S 11 collection (below; photos via Style.com) are what I would like to see being worn on the streets as I people watch from my computer chair. Just one more week until I actually have a couch...

It's not easy being green...

Just one more week of this living out of a garbage bag business, and hopefully I can return to a slightly more normal life. The kind of life which involves a couch and outfits that are at least a tad fashionable. I think that my friend, Tyler W, might've subconsciously named his newest tune after me and my unfortunate not-yet-St. Patrick's Day-outfit yesterday, which was composed of way too many shades of green. Sigh.

Kelly Green by Tyler W

Speaking of green, I have found the perfect pair of army green pants, no less than nine years after growing out of my beloved Kat Stratford-inspired pair. Found on eBay, these are from Alexander McQueen's S/S 2005 menswear collection, as seen directly on the runway (photo via Style.com). I could only be happier if I managed to pull a non-green shirt out of a garbage bag to wear with them...

And speaking of non-green, I love love love this new jersey cardigan by hier apparel. The parabola-inspired shape and draping is beautiful. I even like the mauve colour. But I have to wonder, could Laura make it in green?

Purple rain, purple rain

Tomorrow I'll have been back from my second NY trip for two weeks already. And though I was rather happy to get home this time around (as opposed to the near contempt for my hometown when I came back in September), I still feel like I haven't quite returned home yet. I'm in this strange limbo where I'm still nursing the same injury that threatened to ruin my precious time in NY (and which is still at the same intensity), I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop when I go back to work (every morning), and I'm still living out of a bag (just a garbage bag, as opposed to a carry-on). And the only things that interest me are those that are very closely related to NY: the only (non-scrub) clothes I have access to (or want to wear) right now are my mydearthings (of which you can stuff a lot into a single plastic bag), all I want to do during the day is sit in Central Park with a bagel and a book (preferably The Unbearable Lightness of Being, my copy of which was bought at Strand and has its passages about New York dog-eared), all I want to listen to is Prince, and all I want to watch at night is The Colbert Report (check out my '...about me...' page for a brief illustration) and The Daily Show (though I couldn't really watch any DVDs right now anyway, with the DVD-filled Rubbermaids buried in the center of the room and the TV too far away from an outlet). I'm even certain that my second-hand vaccuum (with which I have to go over every inch of carpet every day for the next 14 days following our unwelcome dose of toxic chemicals) smells absolutely identical to the subway. Sigh. Wake me up when there's a seat sale to Newark.

1st photo (via Facebook): Looks like a more mountainous representation of my hometown, but instead is from a photo shoot from NY label InAisce, from whom I got a gorgeous jacket at a sample sale the fateful day my foot became too far gone.

2nd photo (via Style.com): A piece from Sarah Burton's F/W 11 McQueen collection, as worn by Finnish model Kirsi Pyrhonen, who waited for a downtown #1 train beside me after walking past me and roughly 1499 other people in one of my favorite hairdos from Fashion's Night Out: The Show in September.

YOHJ JUN VIV: The Sequel

Five months ago, I wrote a post on my three favorite designers showing at Paris' fashion week. This time around, those are the only three I'm even looking at, seeing as sitting boxed into a corner by numerous leaning towers of, well, boxes, does not really encourage me to kick back and relax for an evening with the Internets. The crazy thing is that I'd really prefer actually moving, even though that would entail even more hours of hard physical labour. Anyway, Yohji Yamamoto's F/W 11 collection didn't strike me as a kindred spirit like last season, which is perhaps largely due to all that mesh and fishnets. However, these hoops skirts made me quietly squeal with delight. Especially the olive green one. Is it odd, however, that my first thought was 'Ooo, bedbugs would have nowhere to hide under those!'? Yeah.

Junya Watanabe's collection had some really gorgeous shapes created with boned waists and flared hips, as well as some great motorcycle jackets. However, Junya used leather like it's going out of style, so those pieces are not pictured here. Upon a second glance (as I needed something to constitute the 'JUN' part), I noticed this sweater was rather interesting. I'm a fan of the twisted closure since adopting my man's complexgeometries stifler/strangler hoodie, though I've never seen it done as a giant looping sleeve. Definitely sounds like a strangler to me.

Which leaves me with my good friend Vivienne Westwood. I could post more photos of her latest collection here, but I've decided to showcase only two pieces so I can get some sleep. First up is this coat. I would want it in another fabric, but, having recently become attached to double breasted coats, I'm quite intrigued by the family tree breasted coat. Or that's what I'm calling this anyway.

And I love this dress. The one on the left. Especially when you see the back of it (beside the tulle robe/curtain on the right). I'd love to wear it to a laundromat with a good book. 

Now, off to move every stick of furniture I own at least 25 centimetres away from the walls.

(Photos via Style.com)

Nicolas Andreas Taralis

I feel somehow cheated for not knowing about Canadian-born (and fabulously named) designer Nicolas Andreas Taralis until right now. So many thanks to Dirty Flaws for bringing him and his A/W 11 collection to my attention. It's like a wondrous mash-up of The Merchant of Venice, The Matrix, and exactly what I want to wear. I can't decide which version of The Merchant though. One of them with Al Pacino. 

Oh, did I mention that I saw Al Pacino on Broadway? Be still, my heart. I'd gladly not walk for a few more weeks to see such an incredible actor live on stage again.

(Photos via Style.com)

Limi Feu, F/W 11

I can't say I loved Limi Feu's entire F/W 11 collection, but there are definitely enough great pieces in it to make me look through all of the photos a few times. I also can't get enough of that double breasted partial long grey coat. Reminds me of that fantastic sleeveless Konrad Parol piece. Today, however, I want to be wearing either one of those dresses with the underbust cut-outs, or the below outfit with its perfectly pleated skirt.

Mmm, I want some Oreos...

(Photos via Style.com)

Ace of Hz

This is definitely the best thing to happen to me today, though this video deserves more praise than that, given the ridiculousness of my day (anyone have tips on how to ready your apartment for bedbug fumigation whilst being unable to walk from supposed tendonitis of the foot?). It also deserves to be nicely centered, but I can't seem to make that happen. Anyway, "Ace of Hz" is the newest single by the outrageously good looking band known as Ladytron. Sadly, it doesn't mean an upcoming album of new tracks, but instead a 'best of' album with two new songs, "Ace of Hz" being one of them. I'll take it. I'll also take a flight to Montreal, please. Point of explanation: This video takes me back to walking through the ruins of Montreal at Pointe-à-Callière, the Museum of Archaeology and History.