You Only Live Once

So, my posts today are going to focus around some of the stranger Twilight Zone moments that I've had during my week in D.C.  Another strange moment happened on Tuesday night.  I went to the grocery store with my mom, walking through a store from a chain here in the D.C. area named Giant.  This grocery store used to play jazzy muzak that I never really paid attention to.  Next thing I know, I'm hanging out in the deli section with my mom when "You Only Live Once" by the Strokes comes on in the store.  My mom starts humming along to the song, which is extremely strange given that, when the album You Only Live Once was released, I was completely obsessed and used to listen to it all the time and my mom HATED it.  Apparently, the album was ahead of it's time for the over 50 crowd and they now think it's the most relevant music out there.

Stillness Is The Move

I drove by a farm the other day and there were llamas right by the fence just staring at me.  Strange animals.  Either way, it reminded me of this video by Dirty Projectors.  It's one of my favorite songs of the year.  Also, I should mention that, as the llamas, this video is very strange.  I do wish I had a wolf on a leash though...

Dwight Eubanks Needs His Own Show

If you've been watching "The Real Housewives of Atlanta", then you know exactly who Dwight Eubanks is.  The girls definitely brought loads of drama this season, but the show would have lacked the level of drama that it had if Dwight was not part of all of it.  Also, he brought some of the more "interesting" fashions I've ever seen to television - the most well known being his massive ties.  But there are other reasons why Dwight needs his own show.  There are other looks that he never sported on television that I think deserve some time in the limelight.  For example, his half Yetty/half gay pirate look deserves some time in the spotlight - 

I wonder how many innocent animals had to die to create these pants for him - as tacky as he is, you know that he would never wear fake fur.  

Also - There's the half Ciara/half S&M Irishmen look that we never were lucky enough to witness on television - 

 Yes, this is real.  


Last, but not least, I think there needs to be an entire episode dedicated to Dwight's plastic surgery.  Come on now, you're not fooling anyone.  It's not possible for you to open you eyes in that manner without a little help from a knife.  I mean, I think we deserve to know how Dwight went from this - 

To looking like Lady Elaine from Mr. Rogers - 

 

Thakoon Spring 2010

I was scanning through my blog and noticed that I didn't really post a lot about my favorite shows from NY Fashion Week this season.  Granted - I don't think there was a lot of fashion happening, mainly commercialism shining through (oh America, the land of capitalism!), but there were some moments worth mentioning besides Alexander Wang.  One of those moments was Thakoon.  Thakoon has been lucky enough to be in Anna's good graces, as seen very clearly in The September Issue, but I think he has the muscle to back that up.  He always has a great sense of pattern and color and twists it in a very understated way.  This season, he updated with some great silhouettes and made things a little less pretty and toned down the feminine in a good way.  Things felt a bit edgier than what he normally does and it was very of the moment. 

Trannie Marc

Thanks for the photo, Emma!

Peanut Wiggins

It's been a year since David Allen Grier had his television show on Comedy Central - Chocolate News.  I loved it and am sad that it's gone now!  This was my favorite skit from that show.

Chocolate News	Wednesdays 10:30pm / 9:30c
Peanut Wiggins
www.comedycentral.com
Joke of the Day Stand-Up Comedy Free Online Games

Sea Within a Sea

This is an oldie, but a goodie.  This song is a good representation of how I feel today with this nasty weather going on!

Best in Show

Once again, I'm late to post this - about two weeks late to be exact.  I do still need to pay homage to the best show of the Spring 2010 season - Alexander McQueen.  This show was the future of things to come.  It mixed a great show, spectacular clothes, and technology in a way that has never been done before.  The moving cameras on stage were broadcasting to his retail locations across the globe in real time, so the entire world could have the experience his audience had in Paris.  The clothes were also an amazing combination of all of the things that Alexander McQueen has built his empire on - edwardian romanticism and elegance, first class tailoring and draping mixed with techno-nature prints.  All in all, this was an excellent collection for McQueen.  It's a culmination of all of the work he's put into his namesake collection since its inception and it was a wonderful testament to his importance in a landscape filled with so many talented designers. 

You're All Chrome

A-Track remix of "Heads Will Roll" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs.  Hottest remix of the year!
Listen here:

Stop Motion Tattoo

This is pretty amazing.  Check it out!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bearandyeti/4027491253/

If I Were a Girl

I'd wear Isabel Marant everyday.  Oh, and that would also require me flying to Paris every season to get the clothes.  Word on the street is that we are right around the corner from the first US store opening though!!!!  Get your wallets ready!

Haloween Costume Idea #6

I'm thinking more like the very beginning of the video with the sunglasses, scarf, and black lipstick.

Bon Iver

I just thought it was appropriate to post a song from one of my favorite artists from last year, Bon Iver, who just so happens to be from Madison, Wisconsin.  I did really love it there!

Haloween Costume Idea #5

The Girl and the Robot

Haloween Costume Idea #4

The moment happens at 2:12 to be exact.

WORK - part 2

me - rocking a very YSL men's Spring 2010 look - at Topshop in NYC this past weekend.

all I need is the leather jacket!

Haloween Costume Idea #3

Haloween Costume Idea #2

I know this is late....

Lady Gaga performing "Paparazzi" on SNL on October 3rd.  Really great performance!

Also - I wanted to let you know that I hung out with a bunch of Gaga haters this weekend and I actually kept my mouth shut!  Most of you know that I'll go off on a Gaga hater in a second, but I kept my mouth shut and just brushed it off.  I still think she's genius - oh, and apparently, so do millions of others across the world who have purchased her album.

Two Weeks

Grizzly Bear performed "Two Weeks" last night on Conan O'Brian with Victoria LeGrand from Beach House doing the backup vocals.  She added a nice touch to my favorite song of the year!

I Believe in You

My favorite moment from the concert last night.  Obviously, this video does not do justice to actually being there, but just so you get an idea.  Kylie made me cry!  I know...so gay.

I know, it's been a while!

Hi Guys!  Didn't want you to think that I've forgotten about you.  I just got back from New York.  It was a great weekend!  I stayed with my friend Eryc in Williamsburg, got to go to my friend Claire's birthday party at Brooklyn Bowl, had a night of mayhem in manhatten, and it all culminated with the Kylie Minogue concert at the Hammerstein Ballroom.  Wow.  What a show! 

As usual, I did opt for a moment of culture.  We went to MoMA and saw the Ron Arad exhibit.  This was actually my second time seeing it and trust me, it was still worth it!  The exhibit is amazing and is a retrospective of Ron's work over the past two decades.  Really amazing stuff!  Here's one of my favorite pieces.  It's not on display, but they do have a video showing it being created and installed.  If you are in NYC or will be soon, you need to go check it out.  Plus, you just need to go see the collection of art at MoMA.  They have acquired some new Robert Rauschenberg pieces and now have a full room dedicated to his works. 

WORK

Gaga and her Saturn Rings

Live SNL performance from this weekend.  She starts out with Love Game and then goes into her new song, Bad Romance.  I think it was a really good performance, not to mention that she's performing with metal rings orbiting around her body.

Bad Romance

New Lady Gaga song that premiered at the finale walk at Alexander McQueen's Spring 2010 runway show.  I'm loving it!

And the Winner Is.....

The most played band during the Spring 2010 runway season.....Major Lazer!

Major Lazer is a collaboration between two great DJ's - Switch and Diplo.  I listen to the album anytime I'm getting ready for a night of mayhem.  In honor of them being played on all the hot runways from Louis Vuitton to Alexander Wang, I've posted the video for Pon De Floor below.  You may be trying to figure out what the dancers are doing, it's a style of dance called pegging.  I'm sure you can figure out where the name came from.

Louis Vuitton Spring 2010 = Ravers from the future

ok - so the styling for the collection was a bit over the top, as was the case with Marc Jacobs' collection in NYC, but the reality is, a lot of the pieces coming down the runway were beautiful.  The fabrics themselves were beautiful and I did like the fact that these precious fabrics were taken and turned into real sportswear with an edge.  This is a trend that has been hitting the streets for about 2 seasons now, but this is definitely pushing that idea further.  Also - there was this new rave aspect to the looks that were coming down the runway, as if the raver girls from the 90's were sent to the future and told to go out and put new outfits together.  This is also something that has emerged as a trend this season, most notably at Missoni.  I know a lot of people will hate on this collection, but trust me, these pieces will be all over Editorial come Spring and will have an influence on what is happening in fashion for the season.

Dead Heart

Music video for the song, "Dead Heart" by Dead Man's Bones.  Their album was released yesterday and I really like it.  Check it out!

Dries Van Noten Spring 2010

After last season's view of fashion through Francis Bacon's eyes, Dries decided to go back to his home territory - the world travelling woman.  There was a definite Malaysian and Indonesian influence in the cut of the clothing and the fabrics, but the fabrics did definitely have a much more lux quality than what you would see if you were just shopping in a market in Asia.  The ikats and batiks were absolutely beatiful, as was the embellishments that were touches on many of the pieces.  The jewelry was also fantastic!  Personally, this is what I've always loved the most about Dries and what he does, so I'm happy to see him go back to his roots!

Lanvin Spring 2010

Alber Elbaz has turned Lanvin into the label that, in my point of view, epidemizes Parisian chic.  The collections are always feminine, strong, and put women on a pedistal.  This season, Alber gave his woman a bit of an edge.  The now signature draping was still throughout the collection, but the treatments in the fabric gave it a matte shine, almost rubbery appearance.  It also gave the fabric a crispness, which gave the draping a more enhanced effect.  The color was very focused, as was the proportion.  Everything was short and close to the body.  I think it was another successful collection for Lanvin.

Haloween Costume idea #1

Grace Bear

True Love Will Find You In The End

Girls covering Daniel Johnston's song, True Love Will Find You In The End.  Very nice!

Girls -- powered by http://www.magicrpm.com/

I FOUND IT!

Jim, this one's for you!  Papercuts - Future Primitive.  This is the song that opened the Rodarte Spring 2010 collection.  Really good track!

Foreground

One of my favorite songs from Grizzly Bear's recent album, Veckatimest.  Performed for Pitchfork in a church.  Ed Droste's voice is haunting.

Song of the Moment

Island, IS by Volcano Choir.  Volcano Choir is a group of guys who've been working together under different band names, the most well known being Justin Vernon's project, Bon Iver, which created some of my favorite music of 2008.  Volcano Choir is more upbeat and electronic.  I really like the album, Unmap.  Check it out!

Black Lips - Let it Grow

strange video, which is why I like it.

The Shoes at Lanvin

photo via http://www.ashadedviewonfashion.com/

Givenchy Spring 2010

Anyone who knows me knows that I have a deep love for Givenchy.  Since Ricardo Tisci took the reigns in 2005, the brand has taken on a whole new life.  Ricardo has a way of taking the history of the house of Givenchy, but twists it with a new, dark and slightly gothic sensibility.  His past collection was criticized for offering everything to everyone and not having a point of view.  This collection is definitely standing behind something.  The pattern itself all came from twisting the weave normally seen in a keffiyeh and distorting it into really beautiful geometric and almost paisly patterns.  The color also came in a very focused palette, primarily black and white with some mixture of khaki in the pattern and shots of bright color.  There was also a languid and airy aspect to everything that walked down the runway, it all floated a bit off the body.  You can also see that Ricardo is taking a lot of the techniques that he's learned through working on the couture collections that are giving the ready to wear a really beautiful quality.  Everything is well made and you can see that quality while the clothes walk down the runway.  Another knock out collection in my opinion!

FASHION FINALLY ARRIVED!

I know that I've already made a couple of posts about the shows at Paris Fashion week, but still have a lot to go.  I just wanted to let everyone know that fashion FINALLY decided to arrive this weekend.  So far this month, there's been such a strong focus on commercialism and nothing pushing us forward.  It all began on Friday with Balenciaga's phenomenal collection and colminated on Sunday with Givenchy.  I can't wait to see what is still to come!  God bless Paris Fashion Week for keeping fashion alive!

Viktor and Rolf Spring 2010

In the sea of commercial runway shows that we've seen this season, it's always great to see houses that decide to stick their necks out and put on a true show.  I've admired Viktor and Rolf for years now because they are really combining fashion and art and have been doing so from the very beginning.  Their collections can be high concept at times, but they stick to their guns regardless of what the critics and buyers think of them and have managed to stick it out and create a name for themselves.  I was lucky enough to get to see their retrospective at the Barbican Gallery in London and it really added to the allure of what these guys do.  Is everything wearable?  Not at all.  But that's what is refreshing about this show.

Balmain Spring 2010

So, I'm not going to lie - I, like many others out there, am a bit frustrated with Balmain.  I feel like Christophe Decarnin has been riding the same wave for the past 3 seasons at this point.  Those of us who love fashion expect a directional shift by this point.  Christophe did not give us that.  What I will say is what he's doing is working.  Also, his breakout collection for Balmain is still having a huge impact on fashion.  So, I do understand why he's not changing direction completely. Why ruin a good thing?  I did love the addition of the destroyed tees in the line.  I did like the overall military feel of the collection and I do have to say that military/utilitarian influences have been spotted at many collections this season, so the collection is trend right.  So, I guess that, in closing, I'll say that I hate that I still love Balmain, but my love may waver if I see another one sleeved wrapped charmeuse body-con dress come Fall 2010.

Fendi Spring 2010

Fendi has really started to develop a strong sense of identity in their clothes.  I would say that 3 or 4 years ago, I wouldn't have looked to a Fendi collection as a source of inspiration.  I think what shocks me the most about that statement is that I recently discovered that Karl Lagerfeld has been designing Fendi since 1965!  Obviously the furs have always been phenomenal at Fendi, but the true innovation of fabric and finish didn't really start to develop until a couple of seasons ago.  The Spring 2010 collection was definitely the best Spring collection Fendi has ever shown.  I loved the play between languid and fluid fabrics, the raw edges and exposed seams, and the element of sheer that ran throughout the collection.  Once again, Karl managed to take trends that have been emerging throughout the season (raw edges, volume on the back of garments, super short dresses and skirts) and reinterpret them in his way.  Can't wait to see what he will do at Chanel and at Karl Lagerfeld collection!

Gaga goes commercial

Well, here it is kids.  First sighting of anyone wearing a Marc Jacobs Spring 2010 look.  It just so happens to be one of my favorites, Lady Gaga, wearing a frilly top and bloomers from the commercial collection.  That's right kids, you too can wear this look come late November.  Oh, and yes, she's also wearing a pair of those amazing Alexander Wang sunglasses from the Spring 2010 runway show as well. 

photo via http://www.style.com/