Just got back from the Ports 1961 Sample Sale and you should go now. Not only did I score the amazing shrug (runway piece) seen above for $40, but also a gorgeous cashmere sweater for $35, a sheer sheath for $25, and a blue striped coat (which is beautifully finished inside) for $75. I’m on a high.
Ports 1961 Sample Sale
601 W. 26th Street, 8th floor
NYC | Today Only
As many of you know, I am the editor of StyledOn and produce about 3/5 stories a day there on all things lifestyle. There, I started an editorial series that focuses on stylists in an effort to share their work with a larger community and also to give aspiring stylists a bit of incite into the biz.
The first piece of the series was done on Ise White. I’m not really sure why I like Ise’s work so much, but I do and so thought I might share it with you here. To be honest with you, I can’t wait to see how her career grows and the future editor stories she’s able to create – see the feature here.
Other stories I’ve recently written that you might enjoy or find interesting?
I’m returning to ThoseExtra4Inches. I miss documenting my random musings here. Miss me much? Xx
You’ll have to stay tuned to StyledOn for the post on this and another exhibit at Deitch,
but I just had to share this picture with you right now:
“Too much of a good thing can be wonderful” – Mae West
Aside from another trip to the Bronx Zoo, a lovely little trip to Fire Island, neglecting this blog, and a slew of other things, I’ve been busy working on several projects. My new baby? A fabulous new style site called StyledOn, where I’m the Managing Editor.
Launching in September, StyledOn is a completely personalized, fully integrated lifestyle experience. We’ll be bringing you content from across the lifestyle spectrum – fashion, beauty, music, art, design, places to go, things to do, sample sales, hotel openings, restaurants, etc. – seriously guys, you’ll be able to find it all at StyledOn!
We are creating not only original content, but also content that involves our community through styling/photography contests, decor challenges, and the like, for a chic community-level integration unseen elsewhere. Combining the life you have, the life you want, and the life you never knew possible – get ready for your life, StyledOn.
Join our community and you may end up being a contributor in no time. Curious? Sign up here and follow us now on Twitter…
I’m definitely excited for the new Harry Potter movie, but was blown away just now by this image of Emma Watson signing autographs at the London premier of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Spellbinding on and off screen – she looks gorgeous in this vintage Ossie Clark gown.
I love and appreciate fashion at almost every level, but there is just nothing in the world like couture. No dessert, no hotel, no painting could ever rival a hand sewn Chanel, Lacroix, or Dior couture gown – Ok, maybe some things could/do, but to me, the level of intricacy and the vivid fantasy portrayed through every detail in a couture piece is nothing short of breathtaking.
I have long loved the work of Christian Lacroix, and this season (possibly his last, hopefully not) did not disappoint. Much more restrained than, say, his fall ‘08 couture collection (which I’d die for), this one offers more wearable pieces. Aside from the stunning gowns, lots of the skirts, jackets, etc. can easily be paired with RTW pieces and worn out in the real world. Of course my favorite look, seen to the left, couldn’t really be worn anywhere, although I’m confident I could at least make good use of the lace underpinning.
See Lacroix’s full collection at Style.com
More on the Fall 2009 Couture Collections to come, including Chanel, Givenchy, Dior…
During the summer, one of the things I cannot live without is a great, big “everywhere” tote.
I need a tote large enough to hold my wallet, keys, a water bottle, my son’s sand toys (shovels, bucket, 3 Thomas trains, 4 Matchbox cars) and his extra clothes, a lightweight cardigan, some snacks, a camera, and an umbrella. It also needs to have a separate little inside pocket for my iPhone and metrocard.
I have a whole bunch of totes that I’m constantly switching around, but its now time to pick up a new one, especially because my absolute favorite one from last summer – a simple, weave-embossed, white one that cost a mere $20 at H&M – is starting to look a little ratty.
While I always prefer a fine leather or exotic skin handbag with seriously gorgeous hardware, a canvas tote simply works best in the summertime. I need a bag that I can throw on the ground during picnics; one that I can easily wipe off the iced coffee I’m bound to spill on it; one that’s as practical as it is cute.
See below for some of my favorites from Mulberry, Marc by Marc Jacobs, and more - all under $125 – most under $50!!
Click to continue reading “Summer Style Essentials: The Everywhere Tote”
As I’m sitting here watching a new episode of The Hills, the Met Gala celebrating the Model as Muse is happening just a few blocks south. See below for just a few looks from the big night (and more to come)…
Ashley Olsen looking absolutely gorgeous
Click to continue reading “Get Met…Volume 1″
Several months ago, on a beautiful fall afternoon, I met artist Sophie Matisse (the great-granddaughter of Henri Matisse) in her inspiring studio in downtown Manhattan. While the conversation started with me professing my love for the iPhone, it quickly moved onto her paintings and recent collaboration with Kilian Hennessey.
I was immediately drawn to this stunning piece of hers and asked about it…
“The original painting by [George] Washington’s biographer was a portrait of [Washington's] two sons – and I thought it would be interesting to take them out,” Sophie explains to me. “It ended up being very 3-dimensional, virtually 3-dimensional, which is what I was going for. And now with the bottles for Killian, I am actually working with 3-dimensional objects for the first time.
“I did some sculptures, but really just one or two objects – I can’t really say that I’ve done a lot of 3D really sculptural type things. I love [the project with Kilian because] the transparency of the bottle creates a space inward where you know, you can swim around. I keep looking at this bottle…” Sophie says as she walks across to her desk and picks up a beautiful glass bottle about 4 inches tall and maybe 3 inches wide. “They’re up at Bergdorf’s right now in the window.”
“I heard it was a gorgeous window,” I say.
“Oh it is a beautiful window,” Sophie gushes while reaching for a very special bottle. “This is a black and white one that I’m making just for [Kilian]. And you can’t say anything to him about this – He thinks it is all strickly black and white, but there is actually a lot of color mixed into the black and a lot color mixed into the white, so even if it looks more or less black and white, if you look carefully, you can see all the subtleties.” And when she turned the bottle in the light of her desk lamp, you could see the slight variations – a little green here, slightly yellow there.
“Anyway, it’s drying right now, it’s still a work in progress, but it’s a lot of fun” says Sophie.
Setting down the bottle, she moves over to the black lacquered box, which all of the bottles come in and are absolutely beautiful. “Kilian made the boxes as well. Notice the detail on the side, and,” Sophie says flipping over the box, “here is where I’ll include my signature, the number, date – you know.”
“How long does it take to create each bottle?” I ask.
“I would work on like 10 at a time. Once you put a color down, you really have to let it sit a little bit so that it doesn’t interfere with other colors that you might later paint on top – sometimes it can do very nasty things if you go too fast with the paint. So I do, yeah, ten at a time. Pick one up, do a little thing, set it down, let it dry, do the next one – so I’m always rotating them.”
“You’re your own assembly line,” I say. She laughs. “Exactly!”
“For the bottles, I was inspired by these paintings that I did earlier…I actually cut prints of those paintings up into pieces and thought they were really beautiful and whole in and of themselves. They have this integrity to them, and plus this way they’re less chosen by me, so it’s less of me and more of what happens. I like that aspect of it all.
“And this,” Sophie says as she walks over to another area of the studio, “was the first bottle and I took inspiration from this image. I might try to rework this; strip it down…this was another kind of paint that I never used…”
Click to continue reading “Sophie Matisse: An Intimate Interview”
