Clear The Bar, Volume 1

One unfortunate thing about the last few weeks of living like a nomad is that I've only had a minute here and there to scour the Internets to find stuff to blog about. This has resulted in scores of bookmarks without any attached notes on just what I was thinking when I bookmarked a certain site/designer/piece. So this here is a mix tape of sorts that in no way follows the rules set out by Rob Gordon. I simply need to clean up my bookmarks bar and start fresh this week. Just like with my apartment, really. As soon as I get up off the couch (yes! I do have a couch now!), I will start tackling the mammoth project entitled Operation: Unpack the Countless Garbage Bags of Clothing and Fill Some Back Up In The Process. Meaning that I simply must get rid of some clothing. Expect to see some new listings in my shop soon. IYI, the current listings have all had their prices dropped. If I don't get rid of at least one garbage bag of clothing through the mail, it's going the normal route of filled garbage bags...

Track 1: Love love love these A/W 11/12 looks by Ukrainian designer, Lera Pechenaya (found via NJAL, photos via Ukrainian Fashion Week).

Track 2: "Do you like Coke? I like the idea of it more than I actually like it." (COMEFORBREAKFAST's S/S 11 collection)

Track 3: I hate when lookbooks are posted like this, as I'd prefer to see one picture at a time for more detail. This is from a collection inspired by 'the parabolic movements of heavenly bodies throughout the night sky' from Aussie-born, UK-based designer Kate Williams.

Track 4: I would want this dress from Swedish label Noir & Blanc (from designers Linnéa Carlgren and Petra Thoms) if it weren't made of a polyester blend.

Track 5: See Track 2 (Stephanie Grace Foy's A/W 11/12 collection)

Track 6: Not big on white lingerie, but I like these designs from Polish designer Anna K, especially as they're inspired by the Moscow Subway System. I miss the subway in NY.

Track 7: As if I want to see more snow, but the photos for French designer Lilly Marthe Ebener's (handmade, 100% natural alpaca wool blend) F/W 11/12 collection are rather breathtaking, including random non-fashion shots of wolves and whatnot. I'm going to start reading White Fang as soon as I've completed this mix tape.

Track 8: Belgian designer Johan Åkesson has finally answered the often-asked question: 'What do I carry my house plants around in?' IYI, that red is the exact shade of my new 20-some-year-old sectional couch. Awesome.

Track 9: Hey Raphaëlle Limi, leave a little texture for the rest of us, eh?

Track 10: Ever since getting the mono Scarf Dress, I've been seeing Tyvek used more and more, such as by Polish label/project UEG.

Blondes and Beaches

This is essentially a re-post of Susie Bubble's post yesterday, but these designers and pieces intrigued me so much that I needed to both see better photos and subsequently share them with you. It's also (finally!) moving-back-in day AND the day on which my man and I legally became a couple, so I thought a quick yet pretty post would be the best way to go on this cold and blustery day. The above pieces are from the A/W 11/12 collection of Serguei Teplov, which was presented at Moscow's non-fashion-week fashion week, known as Cycles and Seasons. I'm told that Serguei is one of the most famous Russian designers, which makes sense with these designs which look so comfy yet so classy at the same time. I must also say that I completely love this muted colour palette, though that could probably go without saying if you've seen my back. 

Below is a look from the A/W 11/12 collection of Russian designer Lena Vasilyeva, who also showed at C&S. If I could have my way right now and be back on the beach on which we got legally married,  would be wearing this.

(Photos via Vogue.ru)

SHIN, F/W 11

So, silly me, I thought that last night would be the end of my nomadic two weeks. However, we arrived home (?) to both a building and an apartment that smells like death*, which makes me wonder a) for whom the extermination chemicals are really meant, and b) why we haven't moved yet. Sigh. It was a good decision on my part any to leave my dear Viv jacket at my parents', where she has lived in safekeeping for the last two weeks. Well, it was actually a non-decision, as I simply forgot to grab her along with my nicely laundered bedding and clothing (which now all smell like death) before returning to what I thought would be a nice couple hours of unpacking before bed. 

Anyway, the one good thing that happened last night was a wee little email from my friends over at SHIN, who were kind enough to fulfill my request for their F/W 11 lookbook after seeing a preview on their website. Let me tell you, each and every one of these are pieces I'd gladly (but only momentarily) part with and send over to my parents' to keep ol' Viv company if it meant keeping them smelling fresh (i.e. not like death), thus allowing me to be both aesthetically and olfactorily pleasing to any passersby. Though I would be the most stylish nomad if I did wear them in the interim (i.e. while I'm in home limbo). And, having all the windows and doors open to air the place out does require a few warmer layers, of which I'm out of at the moment with my wardrobe sadly still in garbage bags...

 

 

Oh you delightful things, I could never put you in garbage bags...

*Please, I beg of you, do not associate SHIN with any odor less lovely than your favorite smell. Or garbage bags, for that matter. It is rather unfortunate that the F/W 11 lookbook reached me at such a time that my random musings would pair the smell of death with anything from Shinwon. Especially as I've been dreaming of owning my own SHIN piece since I first discovered the label, and even more so after seeing some SHIN leggings on my lovely NY host. So yes, think freshly cut wood, freshly cut grass, freshly baked bread, freshly opened original Skittles, freshly shone sunshine, freshly salted ocean...

Felipe Rojas Llanos

Mystery solved! Remember those delightful coats and jackets from an unknown Central Saint Martins grad last year? Well, doing some browsing around NJAL's The Shop brought to my attention a design which looked familiar for some reason, and a couple of clicks later, I realized that it was from the same designer of that grad collection. The designer, Felipe Rojas Llanos, who is Chilean-born, Swedish-raised, and London-based, has developed that style I fell for from his CSM show through two collections, both shown at London Fashion Week. 

I would love to incorporate a few of these pieces into my own wardrobe, as I'm totally digging the minimalist yet slightly futuristic look. I'm trying to push for just that when we finally get to move our things back into the apartment beginning tomorrow, though such a change may be farther in the future than I would like.

Photos at top (via NJAL): Felipe's 'Suspended Animation' collection (completely made from silk and technical fabric)

Photos in the middle (via NJAL): S/S 11 'Legion' collection
Photos at the bottom (via this.hearts.on.fire): F/W 11 collection

Obakki, S/S 11

I feel like I owe a bit of an explanation as to why I haven't previously shown the label I will now write about much attention here at kOs (though I may choose to delete this section of the post in the future). Really, this label should've been regular kOs fare already, as there are always at least a few pieces in each collection that I like, is both designed and ethically made in Vancouver, has a humanitarian organization and side collection that devotes its proceeds to such, has a well designed webshop, and has fantastic end of the season sales. So, at first, the lack of posts was simply due to laziness. However, after reading a feature article on this label in a Canadian fashion magazine about a month or so ago, I discovered that the label is closely connected to the one band I most despise in this world. The band who, if a song of theirs is playing, I will actually leave an eating/drinking establishment, injure myself at work while trying to get to the radio and shut it off as soon as possible, want to stab my ears, and/or question the hearing of people who do not have the same reaction as me. Indeed, one of the main reasons I will miss a favorite co-worker who has now moved on is his shared opinion of this band. The discovery of label's connection to the band thus immediately made me emit something between a groan and a sigh.

Now, I realize that I could simply ignore the connection of this label to this band, but, as you know, I like to have a personal connection to my clothing, including knowing where it comes from and who has made it. Also, I fully acknowledge that I am a total music snob, and can't help but judge people based on their taste (or lack thereof) in music. However, I have decided today to separate my love of clothing from my love of music in this post (and acknowledge the fact that this post will likely not be linked to on the label's Facebook), as I like even more pieces than usual in the newest collection from this label. 

And so, without further ado, the label is Obakki, and the beautiful pieces seen here are from the S/S 11 collection. Great colours, draping, and details, silks and modals everywhere, and easy dresses to wear for what appears to be the summer that my legs will make an appearance. And really, it's rare that such a great larger label exists nowadays, and so they should receive as much support as possible. On principle though (and my sincerest apologies to the designer), I would hesitate to wear any of these pieces to a concert. 

If I had a loonie for every time someone said I look like Sarah Polley...

Ingredients needed for a perfect Thursday afternoon off:

- one fresh hair colouring and fringe cut at Aveda
- one order of take-out mattar paneer, basmati rice, and just-out-of-the-oven naan
- one cup of spicy chai latte
- one (or more) helpings of Henry Rollins on KCRW
- getting to read more than 3 pages of Infinite Jest in one sitting (though I'm sad to almost be done, over a year after I began)
- finding an Etsy shop carrying t-shirts designed by Mr. Leonard Nimoy himself

Really, the only way this day could be better is if that cute squirrel would visit me on my balcony, and if I could actually move my arm. But those are the dangers of living in perpetual winter.