what's a corker, karen walker?

I love these looks from Karen Walker's Southern Hemisphere Spring/Summer 08/09 runway collection (that's a mouthful!). I'm also a bit saddened by the fact that if I wore that little orange dress, I'd look like a football player. I watch What Not to Wear, I know my body shape, and those puffy sleeves would only add to my broad-shouldered/narrow-hipped silhouette. Le sigh.

(Seriously though, what is a corker? I'm too lazy to Google.)

{via In(side) the Loop}

My picture is of the blinder on a horse, cause HELLO? It's leath-UHHH!

This F/W08 seems to be all about bondage gear, doesn't it? Zippers, leather, studded shoes, shiny leggings, "gay little grommets". Didn't we see this a few seasons ago? I feel a sense of deja vu.

Anyway, I'm totally down with it. I like this knit and leather Helmut Lang dress, available at Oak.





And because I'm a cynic, read about the human and environmental cost of leather here. But don't feel left out, vegetarians, cause the production of synthetic substances is just as bad! (Organic leather is the way to go, apparently.)

o hai.

Hey y'all, Allison here. Sorry I haven't been blogging, but I'm a bit of a mess at the moment and besides, Brandi's been doing a great job in my place! Thank you, my lovely.

I just wanted to pop in with some random thoughts:

-How depressed are we about the John Edwards scandal? He was actually the one I was supporting in the early Democratic primaries (in a realistic sense. Kucinich will always be my ideal candidate, of course). The fact that Edwards's wife had (has) cancer while he potentially jeopardized any chance of a Democratic victory by running for president with such blood on his hands only scratches the surface of his douchebaggery.

-This is officially the worst year as far as celebrity mortality rates are concerned. First Heath Ledger, George Carlin and Tim Russert; now, not only Bernie Mac but Isaac Hayes as well? 2008 needs to end, quick. Thank god Morgan Freeman made it through his little scare or I'd give up all hope for decency in this world.

-I finally have a job interview, and it's one I'm super excited about, to boot! NARAL (the wonderful pro-choice organization founded in part by Betty Friedan herself) is looking for a communications intern. I'll let you all know how it goes!

-Project Runway has jumped the shark. With all the blatant NBC cross-promotion (designing an outfit for the Olympics -- broadcast on NBC, which owns Bravo! -- and THEN, in the very next episode, an outfit for Lipstick Jungle -- an NBC show! -- without some kind of non-corporate-related buffer in between?) Do you think Bravo is sabotaging the show on purpose so that nobody watches it when it's on Lifetime?

-I decided I love my super-slick leggings. I know they're overly trendy, but I wore them out this weekend and loved every second. See copious photographic evidence below (excuse the stupid peace sign. I was at a Japanese nerdfest and it was my attempt to make fun of asian stereotypes, but I just look like a Hannah Montana wannabe instead):













x
allison

someone stop me...

as spring finally shows its face, i'm getting a bit worried about summer dressing. when it finally does get too hot for jeans, i fear for my bottom half. the thing is, my wardrobe is filled with far too many skirts and dresses, but i don't have a single pair of shorts. i swore them off years ago, but now i love the look of denim cut-offs (rumi of fashion toast convinced me of their virtue!).

part of the reason i banned shorts was the fact that they never fit me; i'm just barely five feet tall on the best of days, my legs rival that of an emaciated chicken, and my sister (12 years younger) already shares my shoe size.

but now i'm willing to look in some unlikely places. stores like the dreaded hollister, which clothes both the embarrassingly precocious and the mature-but-in-denial. given their teeny, tiny sizes, perhaps they'd make a pair of cut-offs that don't turn into baggy bermudas on me. or maybe abercrombie kids, which is only slightly less overpriced and noxious than its big sister store.

but where else to look? i consider these last resorts, and i refuse to cut up a pair of my own jeans. i'm embarrassingly clueless, and i need help.

french flair

i love this outfit via la blog de betty. she's stylish on a daily basis, which, to me, sounds absolutely exhausting.

scandinavia: so hot right now

i'm convinced that if i lived in sweden, norway, or denmark i would dress infinitely better. i love perusing scandinavian style blogs and i'm always shocked at how YOUNG some people look. when i was 14, i certainly wasn't capable of constructing some of the ensembles i see. part of the reason scandinavians dress so well has got to be the abundance of amazing streetwear designers from the region. more than just h&m, there's wood wood, nudie, acne, and whyred, to name a few.

dagmar of sweden is another label i can't get enough of. launched in spring of 2005 and shortly awarded the "best new designer" award by swedish elle thereafter, dagmar is run by three sisters.

their dresses, which i like best, are both modern and timeless. they have an amazing logo as well.





{via designer's library}

destroyer's rubies

i loooove a good t-shirt. soft, worn, faded, comfy, cozy. my favorite tee is one that a boy loaned to me until his first-born son enters this world. i don't think i'll give it back.

ruby republic's spring 2008 t-shirt collection is pre-faded and looks jersey-soft. i especially like the zebra shirt. (okay, i bought it.)






{via a cup of jo}

all dressed out

i own way too many dresses. i'm always on the lookout for new vintage dresses, and most ebay sites have those embroidered cotton mexican-style dresses for sale every so often. i love the way they look but fear they'll be too paper-sack-esque on me, so i never bid on them. old navy has a version that looks adorable, andd will let me try one on for myself! i rarely shop at old navy because of my aversion to malls, but i'm going to have to venture in and try it on, just to see.

kiwis are my favorite fruit.

karen walker is another designer who has recently been making a buzz. the new zealand native made her debut at sydney fashion week in 1998 and has had her work featured in "eternal sunshine of the spotless mind" and on the red carpet by bjork, liv tyler, and jennifer lopez (what a mix!).

her aesthetic is tomboy meets girly, alternative but not overtly so, and cutesy but not nauseating.

pictured below are some looks from her SS08 collection, which was inspired by the Marx brothers' classic "A Day at the Races".




{images via nymag}

don't separate church & state

i loooove this dress, from portland-based design duo church & state. the color, the ruffles, oooh! i want to wear it everywhere. in fact, their whole spring 2008 collection is divine. and very, very ruffly.



buy it online from sotto.

kamm you dig it?

i am utterly convinced that up-and-coming LA-based designer jesse kamm is going to be huge. i first saw her pieces in NYLON and, shortly after that, on numerous blogs. kamm limits her pieces to 50 per garment and personally silkscreens every piece by hand. she recycles, too!

her spring 2008 collection features silkscreened buttons and ribbons and is both simple and casual yet interesting enough to not necessitate a bundle of accessories.

"b'low" the radar

this week i've been in richmond, staying with a friend and checking out all the great local art. virginia commonwealth university is currently having its annual student exhibition (every spring at the anderson gallery!) and my favorite part of the show is the fashion design section. year after year, vcu fashion design and merchandising student kevin blow has literally "blown" me away (sorry to be so cheesy) with his designs. this year he's a senior and i'd love to have him do a piece for me before he heads off to bigger and better things.





{images via the commonwealth times}

blow's sketching is amazing and his pieces are innovative, though i was surprised to see human hair on one of his pieces (chicken or egg...kevin blow or chris march?) i'm also not a fan of fur, and what he used on his pieces seems to be real, but i can appreciate something without completely endorsing it.

unfortunately blow doesn't seem to have a website, but i'll be sure to let you know if and when he does.

the c-c-c-cooolest!

i just discovered st. tropez leisure, and they have some terrific bathing suits (in addition to adorable lingerie!). i want this one:

i was a lover before this war

The designers behind Lover, Susien Chong and Nic Briand, started the label "based on what [they] loved or admired, [and] in turn [have] created a world with a mix and match of their favorite heroes, muses, films and songs." Their following includes indie-darling Joanna Newsom, Michelle Williams, and Kirsten Dunst.

Their latest collection was inspired by Patti Smith-style androgyny, and it features skinny black ties, wide-legged pants, and muted colors. The fit is relaxed, over-sized and gives off an appropriate aura of not giving a fuck.



images from "electric ladyland", AW 2008, southern hemisphere collection


images from "electric ladyland", SS 2008, northern hemisphere collection

vicarious consumption

i'm not bidding on any ebay auctions because of my shopping hiatus, but that doesn't mean i can't share some finds with you! i think most of these are XS or S (because that's what i'm drawn to) but i could be mistaken. these were some of the best pieces i found, regardless:


{via bittersweetstyles}



{via mama stone vintage}



{via spanish moss vintage}



{via sunflower chicks vintage}



{via the urban collection}

withholding from shopping is going well, but only because i haven't yet found the perfect pair of brown flat riding boots. the above are, unfortunately, two sizes too big. when i do find a pair, all bets are off.

amaaazing

this coat, by the unfortunately named mydol (composed of london designers sophie dolan and clemmie myers), is fantastic. it's not even for sale anywhere online or in stores, as it is made-to-order and can be constructed with a variety of color combinations upon request.

the people at vogue uk love it, and so do i.



{via vogue uk}

a two-for-one special

i found two new things to covet this afternoon.

the first is australian designer jessie hill's spring 2008 collection, which was inspired by bladerunner. simple silhouettes are augmented with interesting details, a hint of androgyny, and perfect tailoring.









her clothes can be found at san franscisco's look boutique, which is my next find.

clothes, jewelry, music, books and more can be found on this e-commerce-friendly boutique. my favorites are the heimstone troubadour dress and the aforementioned jessie hill creations. try to ignore the ubiquitous (and now obnoxious) house of holland tees.