I need a distraction

I am biting my finger nails here, impatiently awaiting some snapshots of anything Alexandra Groover related from London Fashion Week to surface. These photos from Etoile's 'The Beauty of Imperfection' collection distracted me for a millisecond as they are pretty much the complete opposite of anything Alexandra would create, but incredibly beautiful and mesmerizing just the same. But a millisecond is not enough. Please let me know if you espy some new Ms. Groover pieces as soon as possible!

SS10 Wants

New wants via The Coveted (sorry they aren't handmade - I haven't yet found good handmade jeans and shoes on my frequent searches):

I've had an on again/off again love affair with wearing my jeans cuffed/rolled up for years. This photo from G-Star Raw's SS10 show at NYFW has definitely flicked the 'on again' switch. Can't explain why I would love drop crotch jeans with Chinese frog clasps, but I do.

And lately I've been lamenting the fact that I'm so tall and the same-ish height as my man, as I'm beginning to love shoes aside from Chucks and flip flops. And we all know that the best shoes are heels. But these SS10 Temperley flats are absolutely fabulous. Brings new meaning to steel-toed shoes. Of course I hope these would come in a vegan option.

Do fashion irrelevant cities need a Fashion Week?

I've said at least once on here that I live in a very fashion irrelevant city. I know that there are some aspiring designers here (myself somewhat included), but the fact is that, if you wish to be a designer and to hold a BFA from a respectable institute, it may not be the best career decision to study here. Furthermore, I'm pretty sure that I'm one of the most 'weird' dressers at least in my part of the city (the university/shopping section), which would translate as 'eclectic' or 'stylish' in any other city. If someone considers you to be stylish here, that means you shop solely at American Apparel or vintage stores, and are only seen with the token fixed gear bicycle. Not that there's anything inherently wrong with that style, but this is definitely not a New York City, London, or Montreal.

Having said that, I had a faint glimmer of hope for my city's sense of style when I espied a matte-covered publication entitled 'EFW' on our way out of cheap Italian food night (photo via here). Would I find out that I had been unfairly criticizing my hometown all this time?

No. At least I haven't been set straight by this publication. Sure, there are quite a few designer showcases on the schedule. However, the publication itself is mostly full of hair and makeup photos and ads, along with a 2-page article on fall trends according to the big names such as Louis Vuitton, Alexander McQueen, and Prada. Oh, and the publication ends with an unexplained 8-page photo feature on Japan. If this is what inspires local designers, so be it. I was just hoping to find a bit more local fashion content in our local Fashion Week.

There is, however, some more interesting content on the website, including the description of the Stylist Contest, in which "Participants have a set budget and are required to rework lightly used clothing to create a unique personal style. Each participant will style one outfit to be judged by industry professionals. The winning design will be judged on resourcefulness, creativity, and forecasting trends." So perhaps I shouldn't be too critical, as I'm sure that EFW does help some designers/stylists get their name out there, or at least the ones that win such contests. I guess I just long to one day attend NYFW or LFW and look at hundreds of gorgeous and outlandish designs and models. Perhaps I should just be happy with what I have and attend our very own EFW (which started tonight). Too bad I work evenings this week.

Barbie, will you fix our car?

So our car is dead. Well, it might run for another month, but it needs $1400 of immediate work, and $1800 within the next couple of years. We probably couldn't sell it for more than a few hundred dollars, so it's as good as dead. Good thing we live in such a central location where we can walk most places, which we already mainly do anyway. Even so, things just seemed so much simpler as a kid when you didn't have to worry about cars and injuries and lost skirts.

I recently watched some family videos of when I was 4 years old and younger. And I seemed so happy with the simplest things like a birthday card, or a 5-dollar bill which I thought was only worth $1. And perhaps that is why I'm so drawn to Margaux Lange's work. I was never a huge Barbie fanatic and I only owned two whole Barbies myself, besides the shared box of old, unclothed, and broken Barbies and Kens. But I love how something so simple and recognizable as a pink Barbie smile or a blue eyeshadowed Barbie eye can bring an immediate smile. I think it's good to look back on the simple joys of being a child. So even if I'm supremely stressed out with adult life, it's things like Margaux's 're-membered' Barbies that strangely calm me down a bit. Even if they're a tad bit creepy.

Check out Margaux's website and blog for simply gorgeous re-purposed Barbie art.

A moment of silence, please

Yet another thing to stress me out. I trust Canada Post no longer. Remember the most beautiful skirt in the world that was not meant to be mine? Well, I painfully parted with it 8 weeks ago, and it still has not arrived at the other side of its journey. And in an attempt to avoid customs fees on the receiving end, it's neither trackable nor insurable for it's full value. I don't believe I will ever send anything by regular post again, as this is not the first time this has happened to me. I'd put more trust in horse-drawn carriage shipping, even with the risk of bandits. So if you're eying something in my shop, note that the price listed includes free worldwide STANDARD shipping. If you wish, I will send the item you purchase by regular mail, but I do highly recommend letting me know that you want insurable and trackable shipping, and I'll add some dollars to the total. Sigh. I was going to write a post on my local fashion week today, as it starts tomorrow. However, I think a moment of silence for the skirt is in order. Perhaps I'll get to that post later if I can keep it together.

Urban nomad

This is one of my most favorite photos I have seen in the blogosphere, as it is so rich in texture, calming colours, and beautiful garments. This photo (via Bobbin Talk) is of Parsons graduate Bessie Afnaim's amazing display in Donna Karan's NYC concept store, Urban Zen. Given her own section of the store by Miss Karan herself, Bessie has displayed her graduate collection of super soft, over-dyed, draped and dreamy nomadic pieces, alongside accessories from other designers. I definitely live in the wrong city. Bessie can be contacted at bessie.afnaim@hotmail.co.uk - perhaps I should drop her a line, as I'm quite in love with what is on the centre dress form.

Just as I suspected

ArtLab Andromache's Deconstruction Blanc dress + Norwegian Wood Patched Grey Leggings + Yokoo East Hampton Tote (in pumpkin and charcoal grey) = The Perfect Fall Outfit. Complete it with a tank top or two, a fabulous scarf, some arm sleeves, and a pair of flats, and I'm ready to go get myself a grande extra-hot, non-fat, Pumpkin Spice Latte. Yum.

Changes

A little-known fact about moi is that I am a paid-in-full lifetime member of a band's fan club. This band was extremely important to me as an undergrad student after first discovering the ability to make my own decisions and to analyze those which had been previously imposed upon me. The first CD my future husband lent me (Black Sails in the Sunset, which become one of my favorite albums of all time) was by this band, one of the most incredible live shows I've attended was the first time I saw this band, and the best paper I wrote in my undergrad was on this band. However, in 2003, this band released an album which entirely changed both their sound, their look, and their fan base. I still hold that the main singer and founder is one of the most attractive males to walk the earth and possesses quite an enchanting voice. Now, with the upcoming release of their 8th full-length album, I don't know whether I'm totally dreading or am super excited about September 29th. Perhaps I'll just dress up in my best goth-inspired outfit and crank up that long-borrowed CD if I can't deal with the new sound.