Comme des Garcons at H&M SOON

NOV. 13, 2008 is when you'll find Comme des Garcons at the Powell St. H&M. See more of the collection here.

I am excited, but still not sure if I will go, as madness is sure to ensue...and we all know how much I love lines. People are camping out in Japan, but that's Japan. If I do go, more than anything it will be to see the demographic that also goes, and to people watch rather than to snag an item.

And not because I love Halloween (because I don't. ) but because I have to give it up for Heidi Klum (as Hindu goddess Kali) and Christian Siriano (as Cruella deVille). Those are some mighty fine disguises.






[Images from Nitrolicious and Dlisted]

Pughly

Gareth Pugh-ly, that is. What happens when a Storm Trooper and a Piano have babies?





This is what happens.

why didn't I think of this?

These go OVER your boots baby! And keep them stilettos on - you can be high and dry in these honeys!





So it's been pouring here. POURING. And ruining shoes and soaking feet. Pah.

But there is a solution (albeit an expensive one): SWIMS.

The Swims Webshop doesn't have these babies up yet, but hopefully will soon. At approx 150 bones a pop, are they worth it? You decide.

Thanks Rich of Eve!

Viktor and Rolf

The last dress totally reminds me of some plates I saw in Neruda's house of black and white girls coming out of seashells. When I first saw this collection, I was like, NO. And then after browsing through several lackluster collections, I was like, thank you, yes! And remember my earlier rant about style.com wanting solely mainstream easytowear fashion? And remember how I told you to go to British Vogue instead? Well look:
"Of the more wearable pieces – and it's not that we wouldn't want to wear the aforementioned, it's just the practicality of daily life may beg to differ...." says BV about V&R.
No mention of front row girls, thank god, just good ol' tongue in cheek. That is more like it.

OH! And PS: Alabama Chanin is coming to San Francisco!!!
Nov. 5 there is a lecture at CCA.
Friday there's an all day trunk show and Saturday there's a book signing!

Go here for the details.

Got style?

Wow guys, this girl is amazing! By now you may or may not have realized I love bold architectural clothing and that means Alexandra Groover is right up my alley!

Look at her fabu designs!

And here is the stylish girl herself, wearing her 5-hooded sweatshirt, as photographed by the Sart:

Happy Weekend, Everyone!

[images from Alexandra Groover's blog and website]

Erte

Hello Sweetayzz!

Last night I watched a snippet of Oprah's interview with the Olsen twins when she did a show on tween moguls. How depressing. The twins have been running a multi-billion dollar empire since the age of 15 or something like that. The twins failed to show much personality or intelligence, but I forgive them because: a) it's Oprah b) they were visibly nervous and c) they can't be a day over 22. I wasn't exactly a font of poise at 22 -unlike those incredibly beautiful and intelligent girls Scarlet Johansen and Natalie Portman...who were.

If you are in love with the Olsen twins (even if it is very reluctantly and both feet planted firmly in the closet (like me)) you should check out this blog dedicated solely to them: Inside the Olsens Closet.

Anyhoo. Since starting my second semester of fashion illustration at school I've been researching famous fashion illustrators. I've already shown you my favorite thus far, Mats Gustafson, but I am loving Erte as well. Art deco, highly stylized, highly awesome, Russian born, French schooled. Nuff said.

He did an entire alphabet and letter series:

Z:
L:

G:

zer0:

Some others:

selection of a heart

seagulls - harpar's bazaar cover

bride

ebony and white

Yummy.

[images from erte.com]

The Hollow Women

Chalayan's SS09 collection reminded me of TS Eliot's "The Hollow Men" for a few reasons.

Chalayan describes his collection saying, "It's about the speed in our lives and how it can only result in a crash." In fact, as the models were walking the runway, the soundtrack was provided by the eerie melody of wineglasses that had previously been lowered onto the catwalk being played by fingers running around the rim.

At the end of the show the wind machines got louder and the lights flashed out just as all the glasses were smashed.

"This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper."



Chalayan's piece de resistance were 5 latex molded dresses that implied the blurring of shape that comes with high velocities:



"Shape without form, shade without colour,
Paralysed force, gesture without motion."

Ultimately Chalayan was commenting on the current social and political state, which let's be honest, seems pretty dire but could definitely be worse:

"The eyes are not here
There are no eyes here
In this valley of dying stars
In this hollow valley
This broken jaw of our lost kingdoms"

Lower postage rate!

Just trying to get you excited about my lack of posts....Honestly, the recession is to blame. Ugh.

This will cheer you up: fun fact: cashmere comes from the chest hair of mongolian goats.

And also: Swedish born fashion illustrator minimalist guru Mats Gustafson:



(Above: Comme des garcons, '97 and '05)





(Above: Yamamoto)

The power of silhouette, color, mood, and most of all: simplicity.

He also did cut-outs:



There's something so great about the fact that in such a layered and flamboyant industry the narratives of collections and designers, etc. can be distilled down to such poetry.

This last one is the sky:




(Images from fig, the fashion spot, anti-corporation, and tatielle)