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.

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.