Miuccia Advice

"I'm tired of being so sweet," declared Miuccia Prada. "We women should go back to strength—and the sober side. Stop trying to appeal to everyone, and go out into the world."
[Fall 2006 Collection]
My favorite pair of shoes--towering and comfortable--a gift from the gorgeous and lovely Kalina, is from this collection. I look back on this season now, with a newfound reverence--no gimmicks, no elaborate references, just beautiful elements of a wardrobe. A woman who takes herself seriously, unwaveringly, is the most powerful thing--and something others love to trample on. Stop pleasing others. Beautiful parkas, knits, furs, and pencil flannel trousers help!

Kalina went out into the world, or rather, she left New York City for another part of the world. She doesn't realize that this was very brave and inspiring to me. This post is a highly-tangential-inter-continental vote of confidence that Kalina is going to come out on top. And a lot of the trick to growing up is that you can't sweet-talk your way there--that it's hard and isolating and a hotbed for self-doubt. I'm about to head to Los Angeles, and whether it works out or doesn't, it's important to remember to be your own thing and know it. Such a moody wardrobe for L.A. huh? Well I have to represent New York, in all of it's layering, blackgreytanbrownbeigenudeputtyeggshell glory.

Horizontal and Vertical

I try not to repost images, especially not from parties, etc. But this. This. Ughod. This is Christmas for Andre (especially since i gave him the heads up about the mustache)



I really admire people who create their own worlds so thoroughly, who have no FOMO about life outside their particular fishbowl. The above icons are stylistic (and probably lifestyle) examples, but i do mean it more broadly.

Tangent: My (legit) crazy neighbor was telling me about Los Angeles yesterday and how much he liked it, compared to New York. This is something you don't hear very often. But his point of fascination was that there is no 'downtown' in L.A., no center, and since the core of L.A. is a movable unit (your car), the place to be is wherever you physically are at that moment. I think it's kind of refreshing in theory to not be pummeled by an idea of where everyone else is or the goings on of where you aren't. As opposed to New York where you are always working and running and huffing and puffing and just treading so hard to get to where you want to be, locationally, and aspirationally. New Yorkers, myself included, have a tough time with self acceptance. The self-celebration, however, isn't a problem.

Post Note, I've deleted my twitter account. Bravery in this new world. Especially at the start of NYFW.

Discipline and Fancy

Photographer: Alex John Beck
Model: Anna Ratchford
Styling: Me.

Tangent:
The idea of personal style as a kind of uniform has become so increasingly interesting to me, especially the more I learn about the industry of aesthetics, fashion, and publishing. We go back and forth between novelty, newness, rage and classics, timelessness, enduring meaning. We talk about—and sell—archetypes. The person who likes this. The person who wears this. We herald women with amazing personal style and then they just become the new archetypes and its nauseatingly oversaturated. Muses and the like, feels fresh for only so long (probably because of the internet). Working where I work and consuming the kind of media I consume, I’m inundated with so much newness and classification, it’s kind of overwhelming.

It’s something that I often talk about with my friends (those who can tolerate me when I get esoteric about fashion). Dressing to whims and feelings and different ideas of myself has long been something I’ve believed in. I’ve always approached getting dressed as adventure-full and wonderful and unlimited and employing inspiration wherever I’ve found it. Having had the quality of being able to ‘pull something off’ was a huge point of pride.

For some reason that feels wrong now. Not wrong, just kind of empty. Before, the idea of narrowing anything down or restricting myself was totally anathema. Maybe now, its because I’m trying to figure out what’s next for me (and I’m taking it out on my wardrobe, which is something I do). Maybe because I’m getting older and the piling of responsibility—both professional and personal—makes me less inclined to run around trying to keep up with TopShop production schedules (bills are bitches when they’re for uninteresting things like gas and mortgage and internet usage). It’s not that I don’t feel that I can get away with dressing like Bianca Jagger one night and Oliver Twist the next. Because for the most part I can. It’s that a part of me, for the first time, is feeling like restraint, and editing down my taste, is somehow more important. Figuring out what works for me and not giving in to capricious whims--not to be rigid, but because of an understanding that they’re kind of pointless. Cathy Horyn talks a lot about the implications of the recession, in ways fantastically more articulate than I. But basically, I don’t want to be the person who wants everything. I want to be exacting.

Styling for me is a huge release because I can enact my sartorial fantasies on someone else. It has alleviated a lot of my desire to ‘pull things off.’ But I think a woman—outside of photographs and editorials—should look smart. And so much of that, so much of taste, is knowing what is integral and what is excess. But mostly, I think personal style should be disarming and decidedly intentional—even if it is the most “effortless” look in the world. Because what’s more effortless than putting on a uniform?

Things I'm liking right now

This Article (thanks AJB) from the New York Times about why we go to museums and what is it that we're looking for.
"Slow looking, like slow cooking, may yet become the new radical chic."

This portrait of Cy Twombly by Todd Eberle from VF's Best Dressed List



These picture I took of Lykke Li, who is a flat-out amazing performer, knocked me out. Not the picture as much as her insouciance, skill, and amazing ruffle coat. Find her cover of lil Wayne's "A Milli" on youtube and prepare to be blown away.





And my Industrial Zipper bracelet, made for me by Tay Trong, Freelance Cosmonaut.







And also my wonderful friends at McTega who sent me their delectable necklaces for a shoot. They used to work for Rodarte and then started this amazing jewelry line (and soon to be clothing line!) I only wish I could hang them everywhere in my apartment so i could see the light reflecting crayola colors, everywhere i looked...And though its hard to tell from the picture, the bottom necklace has spikes, like emerging shards of glass, that could veritably impale. Aka, perfect.

Justice, twizzlers, and begrudging youth

So last night, I went to the long awaited Justice concert (French pronounciation, s'il vouz plait) who played a very supreme set and literally brought the 'auditorium' down with We Are Your Friends. They are just so great and fun and dramatic, you can't help but rock out. Plus they look like this.


My date for the evening was this handsome specimen of man (Enlarging the photo is suggested):My brother Adam, at 16, has never been to a concert in New York City before, so clearly I am basking in this awesomely cool glow of exposing him to the rad Euro-electro-pop concert experience. Tangent: neither had I really when I was his age, save for some free Roots concert at Columbia. New Yorkers always say that they love Summerstage and free concerts in Central Park or the South Street Seaport, but we never actually go because it entails lots of waiting and crowds and uncertainties and no real special treatment or selective door policies. But we still love the idea that we could, if we wanted to. I went a few times, and remember getting severely sunburned, dehydrated and waiting for hours for Lady Sovereign to do her thing. Plus, any actual concerts worth spending money on were sold out long before you actually heard about them.

But back to last night. Justice was pretty beyond, like i said (on the double, check out their DVNO video on Youtube and you will not be sorry). I saw them before late last year at Terminal 5, which is an amazingly spacious and well constructed standing-room venue. This time they were playing at the WaMu Theater at MSG, and to put it mildly, it was the most awkward venue ever.

The layout was more of a high school auditorium, with tiny standing room and a pretty small stage, not exactly befitting for a show consisting of DJ's. Chromeo, who opened for Justice, looked like the resident HS talent show winner, with their guitars and synthesizers playing in front of a bright yellow velveteen curtain. Not to mention the fact that this was a MySpace sponsored show, which is kind of a shame, because with my dealings with Myspace in my previous job, they try to pride themselves on being ahead of the curve. But the reality is that there are so many other outlets which are much more on the verve, and in a place like New York, Myspace translates to teenagers and forty year olds, who were like, dude, justice is soooooooo good, have you heard their new album (i.e. released early last year)? And do you have any ecstasy??? Which i didn't know people were still doing until some 35 year old lady toppled over my brother and inquired.

But aside from getting mistaken for an enabler, Adam had a great time. As a bonus, i got some cred with my irreverent and wildly sarcastic brother, who definitely got the wit of the family.

Because it was tuesday, i decided to abstain from the well stocked WaMu bar, and unfortunately did not have any other handy concert supplies with which to partake. So Adam copped us some twizzlers, which = crazy delicious.