It was rough, but I managed to wrangle up over 150 Fashion Week Favorites from New York Fashion Week. Yeah, next time... definitely doing a post each day of fashion week as opposed to doing it all at once. Pretty close to tearing my hair out at this point. ANYWAYS, it's pretty obvious to me already what the biggest trends for fall are going to be:
♥ Goth (Won't the Portland witches be delighted!)
♥ Minimalism (BLEH)
♥ Wild West
♥ Long Pile Fur
♥ Fall Florals
♥ Brights (YAY!)
♥ Chunky Sweaters
♥ Military/Scouts
♥ Bohemian (Double BLEH)
♥ Pale Velvet
♥ Sparkle (Sequins, paillettes, rhinestones, etc.)
♥ Yellow
♥ Metallic
Also, just so you know, if you click on an image it will take you to the page containing the entire collection.
LET'S START THE SHOW!
So, it had been my intention since I decided to start keeping a blog again to post my favorite looks from fashion week at the end of each city's shows (sort of hence the sub header of my blog being: "fashion from a designer's perspective"), but up until now I had just been incredibly lazy about it. In fact, in the future I'll probably break it up even further and do day-by-day recap posts, but right now you'll just have to deal with slogging through hundreds of lovely pictures at once!
Actually, it won't be so bad, because I'm EXTREMELY picky. I have very specific taste, and very few things make it into my lookbook that I couldn't see myself wearing. The things that DO usually meet two or more of the following criteria:
♥ Interesting construction details. Seam lines, crazy draping, something else crazy and original you hardly ever see, etc.
♥ Interesting finishing details. Embellishments like embroidery, rhinestones, passementerie, feathers, etc. used in unique ways.
♥ Great print/fabric selection. This includes the utilization of multiple textures in one garment. I'm actually a huge fan of this, especially for fall. See: chunky knitwear.
♥ Season cliché defying looks. There are a lot of seasonal standards for both Fall and Spring. Some Fall examples are: dark colors (especially black and brown), plaid, stark minimalism... Obviously if I see something that's out of character for Fall, like brights and/or pastels, crazy prints, etc., it gets me excited to see more.
♥ Showmanship. I'm a sucker for a great production, and an even better story behind whatever the designer is showing. Understandably though, there aren't a lot of designers who can afford huge productions, but a strong theme that comes through on the runway is perfectly acceptable and appreciated.
READ THE REST @ NEIGHBORHOOD STORIES!
The boyfriend and I had our first mild disagreement over the fact that he’s in the “fashion is frivolous and stupid” camp, and that he could only appreciate fashion if it were as functional as it was aesthetically impressive. Of course, being a fashion designer, my appreciation for fashion goes way beyond creating garments that are functional and “acceptable to wear in public.” Fashion is an art form, and like any other, sometimes the boundaries get pushed. I really and truly feel that if there was any designer who could prove the artistic merit and relevance of fashion, it was Alexander McQueen.
I’ve put together a retrospective of pieces from McQueen’s collections over the years that had the most profound impact on me. His work was what tipped the scale for me when it came down to deciding what I wanted to do with my life. If it weren’t for his incredibly inspirational works, I would probably be rooting around in people’s mouths right now.
Let’s begin your Alexander McEducation.
Just listed, adorable t-shirt dresses from Neighborhood Story! Two styles to choose from today, but more are coming soon! You can get them in your size, order now in time for Valentine's day!
Whoa, hey! The other day I took a trip to Vancouver and took some pictures of my friend Nikki wearing some dresses I made! I'm listing them on Etsy tomorrow!
- Handmade by meeee, modeled by Nikki Marsh
- Hell yeah outer space!
- Hey, remember this dress? I figured I should get a picture of it on a person!
I'm going to make more of them soon, but I got a commission from my neighbor to sew some samples for her clothing line, so I'm busy doing that. Woo!
Also, check out my extensions! ^_^
- Sexy sexy!
♥ That's all for now, see you soon! ♥
I was going through my phone and decided to post all of these photos that failed to upload to Facebook over the last couple of months! Enjoy.
- My coffee is black as the night...
Taken one night during the first couple of weeks of living with my mom here in Bothell. My step brother was visiting, and we played a very rowdy game of Apples to Apples, wherein my brother and I got pretty drunk. We then watched Unforgiven, and when the parents went to bed my brother and I stayed up talking and listened to the Fuck Buttons album. He's had those stuffed animals since before he was born.
See the rest @ Neighborhood Stories!
In the spirit of being completely honest here, I'm going to start out by saying that 2009 was by far one of the worst years I've ever had. But before I rehash all that, here are some of the GOOD things that happened this past year!:
♥ My second San-Diego Comic-Con (my FIRST time going for the whole weekend!)
♥ Reconnecting with old friends, and making some new ones.
♥ Moving back to the Pacific Northwest
♥ Venomous Raptors
♥ Finally getting off my ass and making things!
♥ Getting over some of my major anxieties
Well, what do you know, another Wednesday is upon us. I realize I missed the last two or so Wednesdays because to be completely honest with you kids, I have been doing a whole lot of NOTHING for the past few weeks. My mom and her husband went on a cruise to get away from the holidays, and my best friend took a trip to Palm Springs with his boyfriend and his family, so I was completely on my own. My mom was kind enough to hook me up with some FAT CASH for Christmas though, so of course I went shopping...
Let's begin...
Please continue reading here!
X-Posted from Neighborhood Stories
Do you ever have one of those days where things just seem to fall into place? Yesterday was one of those days for me. It started out fairly average: I woke up at around 11am, forced myself out of bed, and stumbled into the shower. After a breakfast of leftover lobster and mushroom sauce smothered tilapia and broccoli from the night before, I plopped down in front of my computer to finish up the last few flat sketches of my Spring collection.
My mom and I share the same "office" space in her house, she sits like 10 feet away from me. So, like an hour into my work my mom says: "You know what? I think on Saturday we should go get massages." Why yes, mother. You are absolutely correct! I'm crazy about this plan! I'm happy to be a part of it! I've wanted/needed a really good massage pretty much since the end of my graduation fashion show. This news put me in pretty good spirits for the rest of the day.
- This is going to be me.
Now as I'm working on my flats, I'm also watching the clock in anticipation because at 7pm I went to Phi's apartment for Fish Taco Night. Kids, I've been craving fish tacos for many weeks, and let me tell you... these did NOT disappoint. They had to be the best fish tacos ever conceived by man. Phi prepared most of it: the fish, some amazing garlic ginger beef, black beans with onions and stuff in them, Mexi-cheese, field greens, and taco shells. I brought the PICO DE GALLO, and this amaaaazing Serrano chile and cilantro cream sauce. Everything was much appreciated by "our guests" Chelsea, Alex, and AJ. I failed to get a picture of our completed, piled-high, tacos, but I did snap a picture of the ENORMOUS batch of Pico de Gallo I made.
- Mmm, look at all them noms. I like it with cabbages.
Then, Phi and I went to fetch something from my car, and brought his latest stuffed tree stump friend with us! On our way back inside he asked me to pose for a picture and then just stood there fiddling with it on his phone. "Um, Phi, can we go back inside now? IT'S SO COLD!" Hahaha <3 Phi.
- FUZZY HEAD
Now the clincher. This is really what made my night/day/month. Have you ever had something stuck in your head for a REALLY long time, without any clues whatsoever as to what it might be or where you could find it? This has happened to me at least once before. The first time, I was having reoccurring dreams about a witch with a bunch of different heads in jars, and she chased me through her castle because she wanted MY head. Now, after about a year of this, I thought maybe it was just some CRAZY dream my brain had come up all on its own to freak me out nightly. BUT IT WAS NOT SO. One day my friend Jacob and I decided to watch Return to Oz because I thought I had never seen it. AND WHAT DO YOU KNOW!? That reoccurring dream I'd been having was a scene from Return to Oz. Can you imagine how that revelation felt?
This time what I had stuck in my head was a voice. A languorous, warbling tenor that resembled closely, but wasn't, Brian Ferry. It was driving me absolutely fucking mad, because my memory of this voice contained no clues as to who it might be except that I thought I heard it in some sort of dancy electro song. WOW, THAT NARROWS IT DOWN.
So I'm sitting there, nomming my amazing fish taco, and all of a sudden it comes on. THE VOICE IS PLAYING ON PHI'S COMPUTER. "BECK WHAT THE HELL IS PLAYING RIGHT NOW, THIS IS IT, THIS IS THE VOICE I WAS TELLING YOU ABOUT!!?!?!?!" Haha, I freaked out. It turns out it was Hercules & Love Affair guest starring Mr. Antony Hegarty.
- Excuse me sir? Your voice literally haunted me for like 3 months.
So. Excited. It felt like I had given birth, or exercised a demon, or something.
What about you, friends!? Have you ever had a similar experience? Something, ANYTHING, stuck in your head for weeks, months, years until you one day randomly discovered what it was? SHARE IT IN THE COMMENTS!!!
P.S. Flats for my collection are D-O-N-E, and today I will begin the process of deciding final colors and sourcing fabric. Yippee! I'll be posting a teaser image here soon, so keep your eyes OPEN.
OOPS, I forgot to post this here on Wednesday! X-Posted from Neighborhood Stories!
Wednesday became my favorite day for a few reasons. First, it was the day that Project Runway was on (before the switch to Lifetime), and LOST (January 2010!!! WOO!), then I got interested in American comic books and it became NEW COMIC BOOK DAY! In general, Wednesday has always been a day that I look forward to, so I decided to start a Neighborhood Stories tradition by blogging about things that I'm IN LOVE WITH on Wednesdays! I might even share my comic purchases with you!
Let's begin...
♥1
- Puts an alluring shadow over the windows to the soul...
Faux Eyelashes. I recently decided that I am going to wear fake eyelashes whenever I leave the house. Not only are they glamorous and make you feel pretty, but they instantly draw attention to your eyes. CAN'T GET ENOUGH.
♥2
- Fresh and tangy, varieties with chopped cabbage get my vote.
Pico de Gallo. This is one of those foods that I actually CRAVE on a semi-regular basis. It's also one of the foods I don't think I would mind eating EVERY SINGLE DAY. So good. I had some last night and Phi and I are already planning a fish taco party for tomorrow. Guess what I'm bringing?
♥3
- Dear Asia: Why do you hate me?
These Boots. I'm aware I'm a little late jumping on this bootie train, but I have good reason. THESE are the booties I want. And guess what? I CAN'T HAVE THEM! T_T They're all from YesStyle.com, and they're all made by Korean manufacturers that think a size 9 is TOO BIG, and therefore only make up to a US size 8. The tragedy of this is compounded by the fact that I have NO MONEY. WHEN'S GON' BE MY TIME!?!
♥4
- Primary colors for Carolina Herrera, Pre-Fall 2010
- Pastels at Rachel Roy, Pre-Fall 2010
Hope for Fall 2010. Now, I know that Pre-Fall collections aren't necessarily indicative of what the designer has planned for Fall/Winter, BUT I'm hoping for just a little hint. Don't get me wrong, there were a lot of stellar Fall '09 collections, but the color palette was decidedly dismal. CROSS YOUR FINGERS FOR BRIGHTER COLORS, FALL 2010!!!
♥5
- Supernatch!
Supernatural. Specifically: Dean Winchester. Ok before anyone decides to ruin anything about Season 5 for me, DON'T. I just finished Season 4 on DVD and I'm waiting very, very impatiently for Season 5 to be released on DVD as well. But HOLY CRAP. My friend Jenn introduced me to this show like a week before I left California, and a steadfast addiction was born. Thinking about Dean makes my eyes water with sheer delight. *drools* I've been trying to get everyone I know to watch it, but I haven't been very successful so far. I'M TELLING YOU, THIS SHOW. SO GOOD.
That's all I've been obsessing over this Wednesday, thanks for reading!
X-POSTED FROM NEIGHBORHOODSTORIES.WORDPRESS.COM
My good friend Phi invited me to participate in a few craft fairs with him over the past couple of weeks, and I stole borrowed these photos from him to share with you!
Gritty City Craft Fair, Tacoma, WA
- Setting up and taking down those horrible and distracting photos behind us.
PLEASE VISIT MY WORDPRESS BLOG FOR THE REST OF THE PHOTOS!
Here's what pisses me off about this article. "'Could you imagine taking away all of the clothes for thinner women and saying, 'Sorry, you're too thin. You can't have that.' It doesn't make sense.'"
Sure it fucking doesn't, because being obese isn't healthy. That's why the fashion industry doesn't promote it, not because they want everyone to be a size zero. WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO GET IT THROUGH YOUR FUCKING FAT HEAD, WEIGHING 300+ POUNDS IS NOT GOOD FOR YOU. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH AESTHETICS AND REGIONAL ATTRACTIVENESS. YOU ARE GOING TO DIE IF YOU CONTINUE TO EAT MASS QUANTITIES OF FOOD AND SIT ON YOUR ASS. PURE AND SIMPLE.
Some more from the article:
"Not all are pleased with the supersizing of teen clothing.
'Yeah, as capitalists they have the right to address a growing marketplace and it's a smart business decision,' said MeMe Roth, president of the organization National Action Against Obesity.
'However, when you look at the human cost, what we're doing is we're on the Titanic and rather than forcing our children into the lifeboat, we're telling them to join the band. Worrying about fashion rather than worrying about the food is a horrible message that we're sending these kids,' Roth said.
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The critics have got it all wrong, said Emme.
'I completely disagree that these lines are promoting obesity,' she said. 'You need to wear clothes to look cool at school. You need to wear clothes to be present in life. And when everybody else has fashion, you should, too.'"
Yeah, because looking "cool" is way more important than being "healthy."
I just hit a size 12 a couple of months ago and I am NOT pleased. Of course part of the reason for my weight gain was the fact that I quit smoking which *clap clap* is a step in the right direction. However, it's also because I stopped watching what I was eating and stopped exercising simultaneously. The effect has been a 35lb weight gain over the course of three years. Considering, that's not bad. I must have a decent metabolism because I've seen people do a lot worse in less time.
The point is, even with more stylish clothes, you're still obese. The fact that more options are available to you now shouldn't discourage you from taking charge of your life and getting into shape.
I weighed 200lbs when I was in JUNIOR HIGH. When I weighed 140, I was in the best shape I had ever been in in MY LIFE. I was happier with myself, had way more energy, and obviously was given a lot more attention from the opposite sex. And I wasn't a size 0, obviously. Not only that but I could fit into AND LOOK GOOD IN, better clothes. Now that I'm back to a size twelve, I wouldn't even BOTHER buying plus size clothes, because I don't plan on staying here for much longer. Infact, if I ever reached the XXXXL size, I would wear a fucking ugly mumu becasue I deserved it for letting myself go like that. That would be all the motivation I needed to drop the weight. Not to mention the strain on my joints that I'm already feeling, and the inability to walk up two flights of stairs without being winded.
And you know what? I'm going to the fucking gym tonight.
| Etsy Buy Handmade nbrhdrecycling |
Check them out, buy them if you're tiny enough :P.
Did I mention in this journal that I design for this company?! Well we finally have our store up! All shirts designed by me, buy one or all 5! <3<3<3
The kitty shirt was featured in the Holiday issue of Playstation Magazine! Woo!
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vonvonz I have discovered the Batgirl meme. Soon, this entry will contain my contribution(s). I plan on doing two versions. Okay, fuck you guys. You get a shitty digicam pic because I don't feel like going to Kinkos. I suck at drawing, but make up for it with decent coloring. Huzzah! Here is Batgirl Ver.1:
Batgirl from Portland, OR
I've been looking at all of the ones posted here and adding the people who drew the ones I like the most. I want to network with sexy artists!!!
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