Happily Ever After...

I saw Dana Goldstein's Fallen Princess photo series last year and was totally inspired. I'm not sure what reminded me of them today, but I'm so glad that they popped into my head. The photos are so well shot and they show a realistic outcome for my favorite Disney girls. It's the beautiful/degenerate sort of thing that I love.

Belle

Cinderella

Jasmine

Sleeping Beauty

Little Red Riding Hood

Snow White

Rapunzel

Ariel

Rocky Mountain High

I am sure most of you know that I'm from Colorado but what you might not know is that I LOVE Colorado. Real, honest, insane, all encompassing love. I love that stupid, square state to the very tips of my toes. I love it. So when I heard of ELC Mens yesterday, I freaked out.

King. Whitney. Hessler.

Matt Hessler, Cristian Whitney, and Patrick King are three kickass, Colorado kids who round out ELC Mens (pronounced "elk"), a men's line made for MEN. They say they're designing for a rugged yet defined guy - someone who has an appreciation for craftsmanship but won't wear skinny jeans. Their fall collection is inspired by boxcar transients from a post Great Depression era - it doesn't really get any cooler than that.

They are also releasing a limited edition series called 100 Days (as they introduce new pieces each 100 days, natch) of menswear inspired by their Rocky Mountain roots. Flannel shirts, leather roper gloves, and plaid bandanas....swoon.

Carson Flannel - $168

Bandana Scarf - $38

Full Grain Cowhide Ropers - $60

There is literally nothing sexier than a mountain man.

http://elcclothing.com

http://elcclothing.com/100days/

Do you want to dance? Or do you want to DANCE?

Back in 1999 when The Thomas Crown Affair came out, I wanted to be Rene Russo's character. Other than her perfectly blown out hair (and that insane sex scene) she had the BEST MOVIE WARDROBE OF ALL TIME.

I was watching it this morning on Bravo and the funny thing is that even though the movie was made 11 years ago, I would still wear every look. They are just timeless. It's all monochromatic outfits and these luxurious textures; rich wool, sheer silks, and buttery leather. It had that chic, Michael Kors minimalism from the late 90's that made everyone look so grown up.

Oh, and Pierce Brosnan didn't look so bad himself.

Australian Designer Flea Market

I love quirky little tchotchkes and I really love Australian sites that sell quirky, little tchotchkes. Third Drawer Down has collaborated with 80 established and emerging artists to produce limited edition textiles, objects, and stationary. In addition to their website, their funky wares are sold at MoMA and Tate Modern.

Do I really need heroin and cocaine salt and pepper shakers? No. But I just bought them.

$195 - by David Shrigley

$275 - by David Shrigley

You know how I feel about hipster staches...but these mugs rock.

$27 - by Maurice Poirot

Hand Soap - lol. $35 (per hand) - by Marie

http://thirddrawerdown.com

I Heart Terry Richardson

You know when you love someone and then they go and do something so kickass that you fall in love on a completely different level? This photo shoot is Terry Richardson's version of upping the ante. Hipster vs. Guido. Genius.

Also....is it just me or should Ron Ron lay off of the sodium?

Party in the U.S.A.

I haven't blogged in a few days - what can I say? I'm incredibly important and I've been busy. Kidding. But unfortunately a stupid confidentiality clause keeps me from dishing on all the great details (and photos) around the G-Star shoot. What I CAN report is that I've had sooo much fun...and I now know some Dutch curse words. On another note, I didn't realize all of the downtime I was going to have. After some intense magazine time, I found three little tidbits that make up...

My 3 Favorite Things Right Now

1. John Paul Gaultier for Target

John Paul Gaultier trench. I'm camping outside of the Jersey City Tarjay to make sure I get one.

I know that a lot of people don't like all of these capsule collections (Sonya Rykiel for H&M, Stella McCartney for Adidas, Jimmy Choo for H&M, John Paul Gaultier for Target, etc) but I think they're great. It's a recession, first of all, and I am much more apt to buy a $59 Jimmy Choo clutch from H&M than I am to pay $3,000 for one from Neiman. It goes against the elitist fashion vibe (that some fashionistas wear like an accessory) but this really opens up the market for these designers. I'm from a small town in Colorado and the majority of those girls have no clue who Gaultier is (no offense) BUT will have a much better idea when they see some of this pieces at Targay Boutique. That's very cool.

2. Song Do-Overs

Jose Gonzalez. Looks like a Skeletor version of Adrian Grenier but has a voice like a raspy angel.

I have been obsessed with pop songs that have been remade into slow, bluesy versions of themselves. My favs:

"Word Up" by Willis

"Heartbeats" by Jose Gonzalez

"Don't Stop the Music" by Jamie Cullum

Download them. Right now.

3. Nude Mani/Pedi's

I don't mean a naked mani, dirtbag, I'm talking about wearing nude/buff toned nail polish. It is sooo pretty and seems to be popping up everywhere. The best seem to be Essie's Nude Attitude ($13) or Knockout Flatte in Plaster ($19). BTW - when did nail polish become more than $10? Yowzers.

Mustache Ride? Nah.

Ahhh the hipster mustache....I am so over it. Granted, I am a little biased due to overexposure from riding the L train everyday. For those of you not in NYC - the L is essentially the hipster limousine and we all know that NO ONE loves an ironic mustache like a trust fund artist living in Williamsburg. I mean the stache has even crept its ugly little self into the Olympics...

Exhibit A: Mathieu Crepel. Mathieu is a French snowboarder who is not only sporting a Sharpie stache, but he is sporting a Sharpie stache OVER his actual mustache. Yowzers.

All I have to say is that a mustache is best left to the grown folks - Burt Reynolds, Tom Selleck, Salvador Dali, 70's porn stars... I thought that the ethos behind hipsterdom was to be apathetic about everything in life, from showering to eating to getting a real job. However, that mustache of theirs always seems to be pomaded into place perfectly. This requires much effort - now I see why you couldn't make time to shower.

Most importantly ladies - the stache is no longer gender specific. For a mere $10 (I love Etsy) you too can rock an Inspector Clousseau inspired necklace. I like that...I like equality.

Hot? Or not? I don't even know anymore.

A Shore Thing

I just landed in Miami a few hours ago (it was so nice to flee the NYC snow) to shoot the Miami side of Liv's G-Star campaign. We're staying at the The Standard in Miami Beach and as soon as the cab dropped me off at the hotel, it's like you are teleported to another world....a world that smells like musky Diptyque candles and cigarettes. What is it about Andre Balazs hotels that make them so freaking fabulous? I mean, it's like he puts a little dash of cool in the drywall or something, because fierce just oozes out of the walls.

Mid-unpacking and in the middle of fittings, this is going on outside of my room. Jealous.

So I am a huge fan of 70's beach chic - I mean, if I could wear caftans everyday (a la Mrs. Roper) I definitely would. So when I realized that this hotel is a glammed out 70's beach motel, I DIED. Combine that with a hamam (I made an appointment on Wednesday), an insane view of the Biscayne Bay from the pool, and my favorite denim company picking up the tab....GENIUS. Also, I appreciate a self proclaimed "adult playground" that doesn't allow anyone under the age of 14. Amen to a kid free zone.

I charged about 15 Vodka lemonades to the room from this exact spot. I love my life.

And Andre? Just a quick question...where are you hiring these people? It's as though he's using the Euro model/yoga instructor version of Craigslist that no one has ever seen before. But I'm not complaining. If I'm paying $15 for a plastic cup of Crystal Light lemonade and Ketel One (in a plastic, pool ready cup) I should hope that a hottie from Croatia is going to trot them over.

Au Revoir

The closing party for the Tents at Bryant Park was sad, surprisingly so... I am not a huge fan of the location change to Lincoln Center. First of all, selling tickets to fashion shows? Ew. I understand the need to add a consumer element to the shows but I feel like it's unnecessary to turn front row at Rodarte to something you can buy on Ticketmaster. Only about a third of the shows were held at the tents this past season as they are all choosing to use other (more kickass) venues that allow more of a build-in and more freedom in production. I just don't see Threeasfour running out of Milk Studios for Damrosch Park (?) at Lincoln Center.

But aside from all of that, the Tents have been a part of MY NY since I've lived here. I moved here from Colorado with the vague idea that I wanted to "work in fashion" even though I really had no idea what that meant. When I was an intern at People's Revolution, the first show that I worked on was Costello Tagliapietra in the Promenade. I remember standing there feeling as though I had achieved something - I'm not sure what - but that by participating in the whole insanity that IS fashion week and by standing in the Tents, I was finally "working in fashion" and it made it all worth it.

So on that note, au revoir Bryant Park. It's been amazing.

Break A Leg

My friend Guillermo has very good taste - in women, cocktails, and clothes - basically all of the important things in life. He turned me on to Le Queues des Sardines by m + o, an awesome line of tights by a crew of very chic French girls. Guillermo LOVES all things French girl.

Bonny.

Cumulonimbus

Pieces de Boucherie

Fourmis

They are sold all over France (J'adore Colette) but for us American hags, we have to buy them online at Greenky, Suicidal Shop, or Up Factory.

http://les-queues-des-sardines.com

Skipper is SO Jealous

I was a definite Barbie girl when I was younger but her outfits were always quite boring, the shoes never fit right, and once her hair got wet - she was toast. 19 years later, Lu Wei Kang comes along and totally blows my mind with these Gaga Dolls.

The best part is the intricate detailing. I mean...how the hell did he recreate a Barbie-size, Alexander McQueen (R.I.P.) lobster-claw shoe? I LOVE IT! All I know is that those puritans, the American Girl Dolls, would never be on the list for a party at Gaga's Dream House.

I Love Shameless Self Promotion

I apologize for not blogging yesterday but I was spending the day with Liv Tyler (not kidding - I love being me) before G-Star's FW10 show. She's the face of G-Star this season and is such a lovely person...and so stunning that you could kill yourself. haha.

This is the 5th season that I've worked with G-Star and coming from someone who loves a well executed fashion show, their shows are the best (who cares if I'm biased). The production is over the top, huge, and one of the only shows that includes actual choreography.

Photos from backstage:

And photos of the collection:

As always, the G-Star front row was a fierce-festival with Agyness Deyn, Shannen Doherty, Terrell Owens, Mena Suvari, John Legend, Miss J, etc. All in all - it was a pretty amazing day.

The Princess Diaries

I think I am princess - a crown-wearing, scepter brandishing, graceful (ish) princess. So when I saw Chiefs of Enchantment mentioned on Daily Candy the other day, I was instantly obsessed. Chiefs of Enchantment is a headwear company started by Rita Watson and they are fabulous. She sells on Etsy (LOVE Etsy, btw) and they are the perfect accessory for any party outfit.

The Mia. $125

The Anna $60

All of her pieces are made with various little tidbits like vintage sleeve trims, freshwater pearls, or laser cut copper bits. I mean, in the words of Rachel Zoe -- "I am dying. D.I.E."

http://etsy.com

http://chiefsofenchantment.com

Three's Company

People always say that things happen in threes. Here are three of my favorite things today.

1.

How to Make It In America. I have been wanting to watch this show for weeks and it was as good as I was hoping and not just because Bryan Greenberg is adorable. Finally a show is actually indicative of living in NYC: being broke, late night after parties, and trying to make a fraction of your dreams come true. My only gripe - Shannyn Sossamon's bangs. ick.

2.

Tavi Gevinson. Say what you want about the tiny blogger but when I was 13, I was definitely not sitting front row at Alexander Wang and Christian Dior. Yours truly was wearing Jordache jeans and going to dance class (which is fierce in it's own right). Tavi's personal style may be a little Hansel & Gretel but she has a great eye and is extraordinarily well spoken. She's not going anywhere.

3.

Trousers tucked into boots. I think this is hot. My friend L.J. has been tucking his pants into combat boots since as long as I've known him and it's funny to see it showing up runways now. There is something very effortlessly sexy about it. The proportions have to be PERFECT though (loosely tied laces and the perfect about of pant-gather) or you will look like a low-rent rapper.