images: Giovanni Gionanni
16 looks from Alexander McQueen's final collection from paris has been released; one word...exquisite. the wwd states that each piece was cut "on the stand" by McQueen. his inspirations ranged from byzantine art to the carvings of Grinling Gibbons topped off with a bronzed cap. The show notes said it best, "each piece is unique, as he was". R.I.P. Lee Alexander McQueen. enjoy more looks below.
you're probably wondering: "who/what is lady umbrella?" an eclectic t-shirt line hailing all the way from ireland designed by elena montes casado...that's the who and what. established in 2008, Elena & Robert set out to "fuse fashion and art" in the form of super soft tees. i met Rob via twitter, he's such a sweetie; he introduced me to the LadyUmbrella line and it's been nothing but fun ever since! how was the lady umbrella name born? check the story below:
"The brand LadyUmbrella came to be as a direct result of the wet Irish weather. Elena, who had lived most of her life in Madrid/Barcelona arrived in Ireland during the dark, wet, winter months of 07 and saw streets laiden with umbrellas. The quantity of umbrellas obscured and hid peoples faces - LadyUmbrella was born."
i've always been a fan of t-shirts, especially ones with unique designs or sayings; lady umbrella meets that criteria. check out some of their designs.
my favorite is the "lady umbrella likes to strut" design (top right). don't let the ireland origin deter you, they ship worldwide. check out more designs and place your order here! until next time...stay up and keep it fresh!! xo
isn't she the cutest thing you've ever seen?!! i admit it, i'm an avid fan of barbie (i collect them...shhhhh), when i initially heard about this collaboration i was super excited!! now that i actually see it, i MUST have her!! the cat burglar barbie by christian louboutin is 1 of 3 limited edition barbies styled by shoe god christian louboutin. unfortunately, she's sold out at net-a-porter, the alternative is to add her to your wish list on their site or wait until january 7, 2010 and make your purchase at barbie collector (womp, womp, womp). when i say, barbie has everything...she really has everything!! check out the specs:
limited edition christian louboutin for barbie 'cat burglar' doll with red hair and green eyes. barbie wears a black catsuit and differa sandals, comes with 3 extra pairs of mini louboutin shoes; miss ankle boots, claudia peep-toes and altameche knee-high boots, each with a box and shoe bag. barbie comes with a stand and is presented in a brown designer-style box with a copy of christian and barbie's travel journal.
and now the pics:
pics: net-a-porter
mini netbooks have been on my brain lately; i blame the "lollipop" themed dell commercial. after spending hours of building my own and shopping around i was turned off, none of the pre-made selections were to my liking. along came hp's mini netbooks. the one designed by vivienne tam especially caught my eye!! inspired by the chinese love story butterfly lovers, the champagne background covered with serene butterflies is the perfect match for any fashion loving tech chick!! slated to hit stores in 2010!! here's another view...
until next time...stay up and keep it fresh!! xo
i confess! one of my guilty pleasures is watching the bravo network show, real housewives of atlanta; sheree', one of the "housewives" has been working on her collection and i've been anticipating what some of the pieces looked like. she had her first official debut at new york's fashion week. i would like to see more of what else she by sheree' has to offer...
what do you think?? until next time...stay up and keep it fresh!! xo
a lot of people have been wondering, "what skirt is beyonce wearing?" she's pictured above with a black zipper mini skirt from the 3.1 phillip lim spring 2009 runway way show. check out the close up below...
do you like it? i love it, unique textures are right up my alley!!
innovative, novel, vintage inspired easily defines voom by joy han. you're probably wondering; "who is joy han?" and "what is voom?" joy han is the master mind of voom by joy han, dubbed "twisted vintage"; this line has made it's own niche in the fashion world and style mavens are taking notice.
joy han (pictured above) showed a passion for design at the tender age of 7; her mother noticed that joy had a keen eye for perfecting miniature replicas of couture gowns for her dolls. she would pattern her doll's gowns after pieces seen in her mother's couture bridal salon. joy's mother recognized her daughter's talent and sent her to study fashion design abroad. AIU had no notion on how joy han, a 1998 graduate, with a bachelors in fashion design would quietly shake up an often times bleak indsutry.
voom by joy han first graced the catwalks of the fall/winter '06 mercedes benz fashion week, since the collections debut, fashion magazines and celebrities have fallen head over heels with the "twisted vintage" genre. innovative cuts, whimisical patterns and the subtle flirtation between sexy and edgy personifies voom by joy han immediately stealing my heart. far from trendy, voom by joy han epitomizes the perfect marriage of classic and the "it" factor making this line a match made in fashion heaven. the timeless flair of each piece make any purchase a great addition to your wardrobe you never have to worry about having that dreaded "dated look."
here's a peek at some of the collection:
vava
voom
what do you think? will you be adding voom by joy han to your wardrobe?
until next time...stay up and keep it fresh!! xo
i was excited when i opened my inbox and read that christine accepted my offer!! christine launonen is the creator and driving force behind caj she was really open and excited about answering any questions about her line...candy apple jewelry.
candy apple jewelry is a uniquely, modern hand-crafted line of jewelry with intricacies that can only be created with passion and drive. the jewelry line quietly tip-toed on the scene and now after three years has made giant strides to become a cut above the rest. let's see what caj is all about...
tell me a little about yourself and the line.
Christine: let's see, i'm a graphic designer by day at an agency in New York. I have had a flair for creativity and art since I was a little girl and eventually went on to graduate fromThe School of Visual Arts. I started Candy Apple Jewelry about 3 years ago. My line is all over the place, I make things that I am feeling at the moment. I don't like to stick to one specific material, so you will find everything from sterling items to beaded things to leather cuffs on my website!! I am constantly looking into new materials to work with.
what made you want to become a jewelry designer?
Christine: I started making jewelry as a hobby for myself. I was getting tons of compliments on things I was making and people would say; you really should start selling this stuff! I thought about it for a while and pretty much taught myself how to make jewelry. It wasn't easy to start it all up, but I was ready for the challenge.
how long have you been creating?
Christine: As far as jewelry about 4 years now, I started Candy Apple as a company about 3 years ago. But I've been creating artwork and crafts since the womb...practically!
are there any materials that you prefer to work with over others. if so why?
Christine: I don't think I have a preference. I get really excited when I work with new materials though. When I come up with something new I become obsessed until I find the next new thing. Right now I am making hair accesories, so I have been running around to places in the city looking for fun materials to work with.
what do you like to create the most?
Christine: I think I usually gravitate towards necklaces. From there I find that I sometimes ditch the design as a necklace and it works better as earrings or bracelets. Necklaces are usually my starting point.
what separates caj from other jewelry lines?
Christine: I think Candy Apple is different because I try not to follow trends. I am inspired by some trends, but I don't want to make something that people are only going to wear for a few months until they realize it's the same design that is sold in every mall all over the US. I try to keep things modern but really original. I think most of my pieces will stay in someone's rotation for years.
what inspires you?
Christine: I am inspired by so many things. Many of my models are heavily tattooed, which is an inspiration, but again I don't want to follow the trend of wearing an actual tattoo across my chest, I think I have a more subtle way of designing. I also love vintage pin-ups, but rather than putting Betty Page on a pendant I think to myself...what would Betty Page wear? Certainly not her own face pasted on a pendant. Music also keeps me creative, I have to have music when I am working! I try not to be too literal with what inspired a piece, but I think the vibe comes across.
what are your daily activities?
Christine: Well, I have a day job as a graphic designer; so Monday-Friday I am there all day. I would say I'm in a creative state of mind most of the time. Sometimes I run out to wholesalers on my lunch break or spend time after work walkng around the city looking for the next thing. I usually run Candy Apple at nighttime; I'm not much of a sleeper!!
how do you stay focused?
Christine: haha, staying focused has always been tricky for me! I try to tell myself there are certain things I want to do. But once I sit down to one thing my mind can go off and all of sudden I have materials scattered all over the place. But I guess that's how I design. I buy tons of things I like at the time and I have a wall of bins and materials. Things come together eventually, and zoning out to good music helps too.
who's jewelry box would you love to raid?
Christine: hmmmm...I know it may sound odd but, Elizabeth Taylor. I think she has to have the best stuff from the 1940's to now. I can't even imagine what she may have! It would be interesting to see it all; similar to a jewelry time capsule.
is there any celebrity you'd like to work with?
Christine: I think Angelina Jolie, I admire her style. There would be so many creative ideas bouncing around...
3 things you can't live without.
Christine: My family, friends and lip gloss!! ; )
words of advice for anyone who wants to follow your lead.
Christine: I would say anyone who has a passion for something should really take it to the next level. You only live once and taking chances are part of what makes life so much fun! Following what's true to you will always be a success.
until next time...stay up and keep it fresh!! xo
rachel pally is the master at combinig sexy, style and comfort. i've been a long time fan of her line since 2003; i search high and low for her pieces and to my dismay very seldom find them in my area. when i happen to come across one of her jersey delights it's usually way too large for me so back on the prowl i go. you may be asking yourself...who is rachel pally?
rachel is a university of california graduate that majored in...dance and geography. not the prototype for a designer huh? her love of dance inspired her to design clothing that conveyed the fluidity of movement and the beauty of the human form in each garment. your skin will fall in love with the plush feel of the jersey material used in each creation. alluring and simplistic is what comes to mind when i view the collection. her dresses; which are my favorites display each woman's best feature in it's on special way. think of how the jeans in the movie "sisterhood of the traveling pants" fit each friend so well; rachel pally's pieces are the equilavent.
based in los angeles, her line hit the ground running in 2002 and hasn't looked back since. rachel remains hands on with all aspects of the line by overseeing all designs and even branching out into swimwear.
preview of spring/summer 2009:
in 2007, rachel pally created her white label collection (plus size). exclusively sold at nordstrom, sizes range from 14-22 (1x-3x).
preview of spring/summer 2009 rachel pally white label:
what do you think? rachel pally is also a celeb favorite; sarah jessica parker, fergie and angelina jolie gravitate to the sexy simplistic style of her line. i love the carefree feeling that her pieces embody. they can easily transition from day to night with ease which is always a thumbs up for me. the line includes tops, dresses, skirts, pants, capris, swimsuits, belts wraps and many more. prices range from $98-$250.
until next time stay up...and keep it fresh!! xo
where to purchase:
or log on to www.rachelpally.com and find a boutique near you.
