As a devoted follower of the great and powerful Karl, I’m a bit apprehensive to say that I find the Chanel Fall 2010 RTW collection to be rather horrendous. It’s been out for months, but I’ve just been trying to ignore it and hope it falls into some black hole of hideous fashion. Needless to say, it didn’t, and as the cold months start approaching at a faster rate, I must prepare myself to see these hot hairy messes more and more often. It might take me awhile to get used to this new kind of Chanel (or as I like to call it,”Chewbacca Chanel”), but maybe that’s just because I don’t like looking like Sasquatch. I’ll admit, there are a few beautiful and wearable pieces in the collection, but I use the words “beautiful” and “wearable” quite loosely here.

If you are someone who routinely reads fashion sites or lives in New York, you may remember that big hubbub when Karl was in Soho shooting the campaign.  I too was excited to have the great Karl shooting in our territory, but unfortunately the results aren’t fantastic. The setting looks pretty mundane and much to my horror, the furry boots make multiple appearances (although I’ll admit I’ve seen even more ugly things walking around Soho).  Seriously, who thought it would be sexy to put Margot Tenenbaum on top of an ewok? WHY, KARL, WHY?!

But I forgive him. Although it’s a little late, I couldn’t resist doing fashion formulas for the collection. Yeah, they are quite obvious, but seriously folks…  look at these ugly monsters (and I’m not talking about the wampa).

And to mix it up, here’s a dandy…

Comments (0) Aug 27 2010

I’ve been meaning to post these for awhile, but I always say it’s better late than never.  Please sit back and allow your inner-child to be enamored with the newest Star Wars Collaboration for Fall/Winter 2010 created by the branding geniuses at Adidas Originals. Just think about it, you could be the coolest kid at Comicon with these fly kicks. And the best part? Now I can finally attract Star Wars nerds without having to whip out the old golden bikini! Time to cross that one off on my to-do list.

C3PO/R2D2

Boba Fett

More Boba Fett (!!!)

Jabba the Hutt

Han Solo… in carbonite!

Wookiee jacket, which I can only hope I will be rocking come wintertime.

PS. Whoever styled the shoes with the backgrounds, I LOVE YOU.

Comments (0) Aug 16 2010

Lately I’ve been spending a great deal of my time sitting in Brooklyn and trying to avoid the heat, so naturally I decided to watch the classic Spike Lee joint Do the Right Thing, which is a movie about sitting in Brooklyn and trying to avoid the heat. Although it was made in 1989, many parts of the film are comparable to the Brooklyn I know today (pizzerias, crappy air conditioning, Asian grocery stores), but the thing that stuck out to me the most was the crazy fashion. The styles are strikingly familiar to what I see today on the streets of Williamsburg, from bright spandex shorts to seersucker jackets.  Let’s take a look at some characters from the movie and where you can find their fabulous 80’s looks today.

Example #1: Knuckle rings.

Here’s a picture of Radio Raheem, the Public Enemy-loving giant that carries his boom box around like it’s his job. I love his bling! Check out some more updated and chic versions below.

Brass knuckles skeleton key ring, $12, available at Fred Flare; Alexander McQueen knuckle duster ring, $550, available at Saks Fifth Avenue

Example #2: Seersucker jackets and boat hats.

This is the neighborhood’s crazy drunk otherwise known as “Da Mayor.” Perhaps if he cleaned up a bit he could pull off the preppy hipster look. You can find these derby-worthy pieces at plenty of upscale men’s stores.

Michael Kors seersucker blazer, $443, available at Neiman Marcus; Straw dye trilby hat, Paul Smith, $95, available at Bloomingdale’s.

Example #3: Brightly colored 80’s shirts.

These neighborhood kids look like they are waiting in line for a MGMT concert. It’s obviously not hard to find their look at thrift stores and American Apparel.

Viscose sexuali-tank, $24, available at American Apparel; Striped jersey t-shirt, $28, available at American Apparel

Example #4: Linen shirts and loafers.

“Sweet Dick Willy” and his gang of old sweaty dudes might just be the most stylish folks on the block. Their linen shirts and loafers are classic summer staples.

Slim fit linen short-sleeve shirt, $39.99, available at Gap; Krahn loafers, $75, available at Aldo

Example #5: Colorful sundresses and floppy hats.

This one is my favorite. Behold the beautiful Jade, the real life/on-screen sister of director/actor Spike Lee. She looks like she could have popped right out of an Urban Outfitters summer catalog, don’t cha think?

Kimchi Blue watercolor dress, $29.99, available at Urban Outfitters; Merona floppy hat, $12.99, available at Target

Whether you dig these looks or not, I highly recommend that you watch Do the Right Thing, especially if you love Samuel L. Jackson, enjoy racially-charged dramas, or have any experience with the sweltering New York City summer heat.

Comments (0) Jul 29 2010

Do you like David Bowie? Do you like celebrity heads superimposed on other peoples’ bodies? Then you might enjoy my new Tumblr site Bowie’s In Space. It may not have as much fashion content as this site does, but it sure does have a hell of a lot of Bowie.

Comments (0) Jul 23 2010

It has suddenly occurred to me that Karl never made an appearance on the site for his two favorite summer holidays: July 4th and Bastille Day! Rest assured, dear readers; he was thoroughly enjoying himself in typical Karl fashion.

Speaking of Chanel (which is synonymous with Karl in my mind), check out this picture of young Coco sporting a swimsuit of her own design back in 1914:

This image was scanned from a book I own called Chanel and Her World by Edmonde Charles-Roux (a fascinating collection of stories and images that I highly recommend). The text reads:

In a characteristic move, Coco borrowed the material of Boy’s sweaters, a technique she would often repeat in subsequent years, searching through the wardrobes of her lovers for elements of masculine attire. Thus was born a very chaste suit.

Little did she know it would one day lead to this creation by the fashion house that she founded:

Zut. Ah. Lors.

Comments (0) Jul 22 2010

The fashion world was blown away last week by Givenchy’s Fall 2010 couture collection shown in Paris. Riccardo Tisci, the designer behind the extravagantly ornate collection, was inspired by the life of Frido Kahlo and her obsessions with “religion, sensuality, and… the human anatomy.” The eerily beautiful skeletal figure is manifested in lace, crystal, and pearl patterns, along with other exotic materials such as ostrich feathers and baboon fur (bleached white!). Needless to say, each piece is simply breathtaking, and the countless hours it took to make them are a true example of the art of couture.

When I first saw the collection I knew it reminded me of something, although I couldn’t quite place it. Then I remembered this drawing called “The Three Brides” by dutch art nouveau artist Jan Toorop:

Kind of similar to the colors and silhouettes of the Givenchy collection, non? I first saw the piece at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta a few years ago and was in awe; it’s quite impressive for just a pencil and crayon drawing that was made way back in 1893! I love the flowing, detailed lines and ghostly shading that was used (see a more detailed view here). If you’re an art nouveau nut like myself, check out a few more works by the artist below:

Comments (2) Jul 09 2010

I think my heart stopped when I first saw the new Louis Vuitton Fall 2010 advertising campaign. It was as if all my puffy dress, flawless ponytail, and expensive bag dreams came true in a series of perfect images. The campaign features supermodels Christy Turlington, Natalia Vodianova, and Karen Elson (my fave!) shot by fashion photography extraordinaire Steven Meisal. I don’t think there is really much more I can say about it… just feast your eyes on this!

Comments (1) Jul 01 2010

It’s hard to believe that it’s been a whole year since Michael Jackson’s death. Even though he’s gone, there’s no doubt that his style will live forever. In honor of his love of all things shiney, sparkly, and avant-garde, I’ve put together a collection of items to mimic two of his iconic looks.

Red bow tie, Amazon; black pants, American Apparel; white dancing shoes, American Apparel; sleeveless button-up, American Apparel.

Marc Jacobs (the other MJ) sequined wool cardigan, Net-A-Porter; Michael Jackson sleeveless tee, ASOS; loafers, Urban Outfitters.

It also seems fitting to post famed photographer David LaChapelle’s epic tribute to the King of Pop, one in a series of religious-themed portraits of the artist. (I was recently surprised to find out that the MJ in these picture is just a look-a-like.) LaChapelle once told The Times:

“I don’t think he was capable of hurting anyone. I think there’s something really biblical about what happened. His lyrics are so naive and so beautiful. It’s one of the most epic stories of our time, to go from such heights to such depths. He’s a modern-day martyr.”

Amen, brother. Long live the king!

Comments (0) Jun 25 2010

It’s true that history (and fashion) will always repeat itself. This would explain why these rash guard tops by surfer chic brand Pret-a-Surf look so familiar. If you are a fashion nerd like me, these tops probably remind you of the classic YSL Mondrian-inspired shift dresses from the 60’s that epitomized the fashion-meets-art craze. Now, 40 years later, the pattern has made its way from the art canvas to the runways and finally to the deep blue sea.

But as long as surfwear designers are creating pieces based on famous 60’s fashions, I would like to have a wetsuit made to look like this super shiny Paco Rabanne number:

and to get an even tan, I will need a piece for sunbathing like the infamous Rudi Gernreich monokini:

and some kind of beach cover-up, perhaps like the Pierre Cardin “Satellite” cape:

and I definitely should have a coordinating hat and sunglasses, like the Courrèges set Miss Hepbrun has here:

That’s all I need, really. Well, that and some surf lessons. PS. Doesn’t Audrey look so cool in that last photo? I totally want her spacey wardrobe almost as much as I want her Breakfast at Tiffany’s one.

Comments (0) Jun 22 2010

From the farm land to the high seas, Chanel always makes a big splash. While it seems the theme of most resort 2011 collections could be “What Not to Wear on a Boat,” the creative geniuses at Chanel decided to show their nouveau collection on the shore of Saint-Tropez with models that arrived on actual speed boats. The surprisingly laid-back collection features flowing floral gowns, sporty checkered swimsuits, and a few airy pajama-like ensembles, quite a different direction from the masculine-tailored suits and tight-fitting dresses seen at shows like Alexander Wang and Rachel Roy. The classic Chanel tweed made a few appearances in the form of girly mini-dresses and even a mustard full-length jumpsuit, while gladiator sandals and beaucoup de denim made the collection look a bit more casual. (even enough to wear on a boat!) In the spirit of all things summery and Karl, let’s take a look at some of the collection along with the crazy influences that I like to imagine.

Comments (1) Jun 07 2010