Fashion time machine.

My friends and I have been working on a project for school about the culture of the 50's, so I've been doing a lot of research on fashion, beauty and Hollywood & pin-up icons. I love looking at all the old photos, I have a whole folder of ones I've saved but these are some of my favorites.







sources: taschen.com, fashion-era.com, and google image search

Damn Yankees is one of my favorite musicals - I've seen it off Broadway a couple times and I di it with my theater group - the costumes were so fun! I've heard that Jim Carrey and Jake Gyllenhaal are set to star in a new movie remake of it, so I'm really excited for that.

Wishful thinking.

I took these photos of some potted ivy in my house today. I can't wait till warmer weather and spring, which means a blooming flowers and myriad opportunities to have long photo sessions in the garden. I hate to sound like a broken record but I am sick of winter.



One of my favorite things to do is make cards for birthdays and other special occasions. I like to illustrate them or just use pretty scrapbook paper. Here's a few photos of a card I made for my mother's birthday a couple weeks ago.

The Duchess.

I just watched this film for the first time over the weekend and I can't get enough of it. The story of Georgiana, the Duchess of Devonshire was so interesting that now I want to do a lot of research about her life! The movie was very similar to Marie Antoinette in many ways - especially the brilliant costuming - but it still stood apart in my mind. I particularly loved the music; it was all classical unlike Marie Antoinette and it added so much emotion to the sad story.

Are you pondering what I'm pondering?

Lately I've been thinking a lot about the current state of the economy and how it has affected fashion - for me personally and for the world in general. At the moment, I've been into a minimalist wardrobe, with classic staples and neutral colors. Looking through the Fall 2009 collections so far, I think many designers and I have been on the same wavelength.



Abaete



Boy by Band of Outsiders

But then, after seeing collections like Diane von Furstenberg and Erin Fetherston, not to mention all the couture shows last month, I've been having second thoughts.



Diane von Furstenberg



Erin Fetherston



Christian Dior


Shouldn't fashion be fun? I mean, minimalism is good. I'm a huge fan of minimalism (the photos I posted above were some of my favorites from the simpler collections). But the best part of fashion is the whimsical aspect, the clothes that tell a story. And however classic and impeccably styled some of the shows were, they just didn't cut it for me. Sure they were wearable and "retail-ready", but they weren't very inspiring. Of course I am a huge fan of simple, classic design and I always will be, but I think I may have had a change of heart after seeing some of these exciting collections. Fashion should be exciting, especially in these times. I think this great quote by John Galliano sums it up: "There's a credit crunch, not a creative crunch. Of course, everyone is being more careful with their discretionary purchases. I am. But it's our job to make people dream, and to provide the value in quality, cut, and imagination."

2.17

"The New Puritans" photographed by Baldovino Borani, from West East magazine, winter 2008
I saw this editorial the other day on Foto Decadent and I was visually blown away. I really love this, no matter how creepy or weird it is. I like things that are eerie, and this definitely tells an interesting story. Looking at the comments of the editorial, (click here to see all photos) it's most definitely one of those things where some people absolutely love it, and some hate it.


I plan to spend the rest of my day reading and doing a whole lot of nothing. I love vacation! Currently I'm reading I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloane Crosley. It's really great, very well written, and it's kind of a new thing for me since I never really read humor. Last month however I did read Are You There God? It's Me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler, and it was hilarious. I highly recommend it to anyone with a raunchy sense of humor.

Weekend Inspiration.

sources: tfs, apartmenttherapy.com, octoberanniversary.com, weheartit.com, foto decadent

Some inspiring photos I've been collecting lately. I have no idea where I got the photo of the planet tattoos, all I know is that I want some someday. I hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day and is enjoying their weekend!

Spin.

Lately I've really been wanting a record player, since I just found my parent's old collection of records. Urban Outfitters has some cool retro looking ones that convert tracks into MP3 files, so that would be cool, if only I have the money. My birthday is coming up in a few months though...hmmm...



Just a playlist of what I've been listening to this past week.

Lullaby - The Cure
Chemo Limo - Regina Spektor
Man on the Moon - R.E.M.
Electric Feel - MGMT
Nothing to Worry About - Peter Bjorn and John
Rosemary Clooney - Mambo Italiano
Cologne Cerrone Houdini - Goldfrapp
Tiny Dancer - Elton John
Just Impolite - Plushgun


Let me know what you've been listening to! I like hearing about peoples' different tastes in music.

Dreamy.

photos by David Standish, via Foto Decadent

These photos have such a dreamy quality to me, with the foggyness and muted colors. Lately I've been dreaming a lot, but I can never remember them when I wake up. I find this hugely frustrating! I wish I could record my dreams somehow, and then watch them, wouldn't that be great? What do you dream about?

Sgt. Pepper?

I didn't watch the Grammy's, but I wish I had. This photo made my Monday slightly better. I kind of sort of really love these Sgt. Pepper jackets. I don't care what anyone says, this definitely reaffirms my love for Coldplay.

Saturday.

I've been flipping through past issues of Lula online, and I stumbled across some amazing artwork by Jo Ratcliffe, specifically illustrations of designer sunglasses. I found many more illustrations by this artist, all equally amazing.






sources: flickr.com and jocandraw.com

On a slightly different note, I've been looking at the Proenza Schouler pre-fall collection. I love the designers' take on the edgy casual look. The corduroy pants, boots, and metallics are perfection.






Last but not least, here's a scan from the Fashion Spot of two articles about Sofia Coppola (her work on the Dior commercial and on her collaboration with Louis Vuitton, that I blogged about earlier this week) from Paris Vogue.




click to enlarge


If anyone would like to exchange links, please just ask! I will gladly add you to my list. And be sure to follow my blog, there's a link on my sidebar. Thanks for reading!