Ode to a style Icon

On Wednesday march 23rd, the day upon which I was born, one of the most influential style icons of our time died. Elizabeth Taylor. She had it all; looks, talent, style and pizazz. There are very few people in this world that are stunning, and I mean stop you in your tracks, stunning...but she was definitely one of them. In my opinion she was one of the last living icons of "classic" beauty and style. On screen and off screen, she set the bar for style, making turbans, big sunnies and pantsuits all the rage in the 70's and rocking the big hair and shoulder pads in the 80's like nobodies business. But not only did she have fantastic style and killer looks, the woman had strength. During her lifetime she broke her back five times, had both her hips replaced, survived a benign brain tumor operation and skin cancer. In addition, she faced life-threatening bouts with pneumonia twice, one of which (1961), resulted in an emergency tracheotomy and she was also diagnosed with congestive heart failure. In short the woman was a warrior. So here is a small visual tribute to her beauty, style and strength. 

  

"..Runaway American Dream"

The indiscriminate spring weather put a damper on our normal monday photo date however today was absolutely gorgeous (if not a bit chilly )so we were happy to postpone. Today Ali and I ventured up yet another hiking path, her carrying a camera and me burdened by a metal chair. We made quite an interesting looking pair and we got some strange looks but the wind was blowing and the sun was shining so who cares :)

  

     

  

 

I apologize for the plethora of pictures, however Ali and I loved the setting so much we couldn't stop and I couldn't narrow down my top picks anymore than this...


Happy Spring! and thanks for checking in


Dress- kaitlin
Crochet Vest- thrifted
Sandals- Steve Madden
Necklace- gift from Ali :) 
Wooden Bracelets- thrifted 

"I came upon a child of God..."

Its almost here, Festival season. Months filled with music, sun, food, and fashion; what more could a girl ask for.  I saw the new look book on Planet Blue, inspired by Coachella and nearly died. Filled with leather, fringe, lace and contrasting textures, there is something whimsical and ethnic and a bit gritty about these shots. They make me wish I was on the road right now working my way through the desert...

        

"To the gypsy that remains she faces freedom with a little fear....."

Another Monday, another outfit. This is not going to be a long one since I really should be studying at the moment... 

Meet my new favorite piece of clothing...my vintage kimono jacket. And yes I am aware that it is slightly outlandish but I feel like I can fly when I am wearing it so I don't really care.  

A black and white for good measure...

Kimono Jacket- Thrifted

Dress- Billabong

Shoes- H & M

Belt- thrifted

Clutch- Vintage from my momma

Ring- Urban Outfitters

Again, all photo's are taken by Ali Winston, check out her work because she is amazing :)

Just Kids

I have just about finished Patti Smith's Memoir "Just Kids" but couldn't wait to write about it. It is not often that I find a biography that I simply can not put down but in Patti Smith's account of her life and her relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe I found one.  I loved this book, possibly because I am a sucker for the overly romanticized artist's struggle or possibly because of my infatuation with Patti Smith and her nonconformist air. Even though the book does not have the happiest of endings it left me feeling incredibly inspired; it makes me want to get off my butt and write, sing, draw, paint, travel, express....

Pictured above, Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe. Two people who can only be described as soul mates if not in the conventional sense. First lovers and then friends; through each other they found their creative destinies and developed their artistic signatures. 

"oh oh, its magic, you knoooow"

This is possibly the coolest book I've seen in a long time.

Pattern Magic byTomoko Nakamichi is a pattern-making book from Japan. Drawing from from nature, geometric shapes, and from the crazy street style one finds in Tokyo, this book is a beautiful 'how to' guide in sculpting clothes. Take a look, the clothes really are like sculptures or architecture. 

There are 3 volumes, the first two only in japanese....but now the third is available in English!! yay!

Some of the pieces are protruding and in your face and others are subtle and delicate...

And it comes with step by step instructions, including diagrams, which are exceedingly helpful in the japanese versions :)

               

So there you have it, a small tid bit on the crazy and wonderful things that can be done with patterns! 

Happy Wednesday!

Style Icon

There are so many people whose style I find inspiring and they are all so different from each other, which is why I guess I can't really put my own style into words. Here is a taste of the women who have defined my own sense of style...

Audrey Hepburn: the epitome of grace and style- the one who made the little black dress a staple in every woman's closet. 

Patti Smith: Artist, Poet Musician and everything else. She is androgeny and strength housed in a fragile body. Her look says I don't give a damn what you think about me. 

Sarah Jessica Parker, i.e. Carrie Bradshaw: I mean the woman pulls of things that no one else in the world can. Her fashion has absolutely no rules other, she wears whatever makes her happy and it takes courage to do that. 

Diane Keaton: Effortless menswear and yet she still appears feminine and sexy. Quirky and comfortable and true to herself...

Marlene Deitrich: Quoted to have said  "I dress for myself. Not for the image, not for the public, not for the fashion, not for men." She continued to reinvent herself throughout her life and never conformed to convention. 

 

Sienna Miller: There isn't anything about her style I don't love. Does anyone do boho better? 

Katherine Hepburn: In a time where women were trying to emphasize curves and sex appeal in hourglass dresses, Hepburn wore trousers and loose blouses and yet still stole the show.  (Ok, i am starting to see a trend toward menswear in my style icons but it was unintened )

Carly Simon: 70's Bohemian style at its best. I want those sandals!

 

Edie Sedgwick: Made famous by Andy Warhol, her iconic style comprised of black tights, dramatic eye makeup, huge earrings and boatneck tops was unlike anything manhattan had seen at the time. Her style was amazing...aside from her drug habit that is...

I should add though, my favorite style icon is my mom, whether 30 years ago or today, she always looks beautiful and chic.

Fringe Benefits

So here it goes, my first post in my first blog. I guess I am going to have to get over this feeling of self indulgent narcissism and my uncomfortable-ness (is that a word) in front of the camera. 

I am a fashion designer in training and a fashion devotee by nature.  Clothing is art you live your life in, it is a declaration of identity.  It should be an adventure and an exploration; if you're not having fun getting dressed in the morning..well then you should be. My day to day style changes constantly, influenced by whatever i see, read, touch or feel...

My plan at the start is every monday to post an outfit and throughout the rest of the week I will simply post ideas, inspirations, loves, hates and whatever else comes to mind. As i develop my design portfolio my own work will be featured more...

All photo's of me are taken by my dear friend and beautiful photographer, Ali Winston, please look at her work, she's amazing!

                 

 

  

Dress- American Gold

Jacket- thrifed and DIY studded

Boots- thrifted

Hat- target

Bracelet- bought at a street market in NY

Ring 1- thrifted

Ring 2- DIY wire wrapped