Mar 4, 2010 | Fashion
(handmade acrylic bead necklace, handmade mesh top, Forever21 white long-sleeved top, handmade belt with removable chain, handmade skirt, Spanx reversible tights, Forever21 lace-up military boots)
It’s a handmade extravaganza!
What I wore Wednesday, Feb. 17 while in New York for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.
On this day I headed to the Upper East Side (at least, I think that’s where I was) to go to The Daily Beauty Bar and got a free half-hour massage. The masseuse found a golf-ball sized knot in my shoulder where I had been carrying my laptop bg – and whenever she put pressure on it – it crunched. Ugh. I think the massage did me some good but then I still had to sling on my heavy bag of equipment after it was done. Oh well. I stopped in at Zara and lusted after a lot of things, even trying on a striped shirt that I’m going to totally DIY in a little while…and headed back to the Bryant Park area. Bought my White Hot Chocolate Cupcake at Crumbs, bought a few things at STEPS boutique (I had only snapped photos the other day there, not stopping to try anything on), and then back to my hotel room to enjoy my cupcake. Changed in a flash to this outfit for a meeting with the Bluefly America’s Most Stylish Blogger team. I showed them my mini-collection and got some very valuable feedback!
Necklace is oversized acrylic resin beads strung on delicate silver chain. Top is peach bubble organza mesh with grosgrain ribbon snap-front and covered shoulder pads. Belt is peach bubble organza mesh over clear vinyl backing, edged in khaki twill with removable gold chain. Skirt is wrap-style in nude chiffon over rose-print poly satin.
Then back to the hotel room and changed again for the evening to this outfit:
(handmade necklace of chain, pink chiffon, and pearls; Forever21 white long-sleeved shirt; knit navy blue jacket from STEPS boutique; vintage fanlacer corset; scrunch-leg leggings from Japan; GoJane scrunch suede boots)
I couldn’t wait to take my new jacket from STEPS for a spin. It’s the cutest thing ever-the front pieces can not only be removed, but also buttoned in different configurations. I’m going to add some buttons so they can be buttoned into a high collar configuration. The jacket had the most incredible detail – thick ribbing; belts on the wrists; and quilting – it was such a bargain at $36.99.
Vintage fanlacing corset bout on Ebay for about $34. The only way I’ll wear it is over my clothes! I can’t believe women of yesteryear actually wore this heavy, buckled, strapped thing under their garments. Insane.
I then stopped by M&J Trimming and picked up some studs (can’t WAIT to use them in a new project!), then checked out H&M, snapped some photos, and even picked myself up a damaged sweater for a small discount. (nice!) Then out to the Lower East side for the disappointing c. marchuska show, then back to the park to meet up with a friend from last Fashion Week briefly.
The jacket all buttoned up.
Almost done with all my New York Fashion Week postings, thank goodness!
Hope you’re all having a great week so far!
xoxox
Carly
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Mar 3, 2010 | Fashion
Samantha Pleet showed her A/W Collection last Tuesday, Feb 16, as part of The Green Shows Collective. To a small studio venue in the Lower East side we tromped, despite the slowly melting slush, and were packed into the small space to view a short presentation of muted plaids, short-shorts, and exquisitely-cut body-hugging dresses.
Sorry for the quality of these photos; these are Elle.com’s photos [in need of heavy color-correction] since I could not find anything on any of the “official” image sources on the web for this particular show…goes to show you Samantha Pleet is still considered a bit “under the radar” by mainstream fashion. Well, at least these photos are better than the cruddy ones I took on my Blackberry!
Um, yeah. Much better.
I also interviewed Samantha Pleet herself.
She’s so cute I could just put her in my pocket.
Here’s the transcribed version:
Me: Do you want to talk a little bit about how you incorporate eco-friendly design into your pieces?
Samantha Pleet: I love helping the Earth and I do anything I can…my whole lifestyle revolves around eating organic food, sourcing local fabrics, producing everything here in New York in the garment district. I just want my company to be as ethical as possible. It’s really important to me and my lifestyle.
Me: Why do you think it’s important, when you produce clothing, to do it in an ethical manner?
SP: I like to have my hand in everything, and I have a relationship with my factory, and I know that people are treated fairly there; they’re kind of my friends, so I think that having a company, it’s great to be aware of what you’re doing with it. And I think every designer should be an ethical designer. You don’t have to make things that look “eco,” really, to do that. You can make any silhouette. I mean, my collection is not typically looking “eco,” but I use organic wools from Vermont, organic cottons for everything, and I love the feel of it…recycled ultrasuede, this is really cool.
Me: So what kind of woman wears your clothes?
SP: I think a woman that is a creative woman; a Renaissance Woman. People who are creative, are artists, who want to conquer the world in a fun way.
Me: Any advice on how to get that Samantha Pleet look to your outfit or your style?
SP: Watch a lot of movies, like a lot of fantasy films, and you’ll get the inspiration! As you can see, I used the David Lynch music, which is kind of sexy and soulful and has this really special feeling to it, which is really dramatic and brought out a lot of the emotion in my collection. finis
Samthana Pleet also designs a menswear line with her husband Patrick, as well as Rapscallion, a line exclusive to Urban Outfitters. The brand, found in 2006, received a 2009 Ecco Domani sustainability design award for the premiere collection of Bodkin. Samantha Pleet is sold online at stores such as I Don’t Like Mondays, Bona Drag, and Revolve Clothing, as well as better boutiques nationwide, in Tokyo, and in Taipei. (Can you believe the designer is only 27??)
What do you think of her pieces? Would you wear any of them?
xoxox
Carly
photos source
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Mar 3, 2010 | Fashion
metalliferous is a jewelry supply store located near Bryant Park in New York City. It’s a little hard to find, the outside being so nondescript and such, but it is indeed a gem in the rough.
The list of tenants inside the doors to the building, on the wall. The store is located on the second floor.
The place is as well-organized as it can be, considering, but it’s still a virtual rabbit’s warren of jewelry components, beads, findings, tools, chemicals, and raw materials.
Boxes upon boxes…shelves upon shelves…selving unit upon shelving unit…stuff crammed in any available space…you get the idea.
I had a flashback to that library opening sequence from Ghostbusters.
How do you find anything here? Well, you gotta look. I wouldn’t term the staff particularly pleasant, but they are certainly knowledgeable when asked. Is it possible to be unpleasant but helpful?
I wish I had had more time to truly browse, because even in my quick perusal I spotted many components that I had seen in other jewelry (selling on Etsy, in affordable small boutiques – even in Justin Giunta’s line Subversive!!), and my mind was beginning to get overcrowded with ideas both to DIY and original creations.
If you are in the New York area, I really hope you guys have a chance to go – it truly is a haven for those who like to make jewelry or craft pieces.
They also have an online store (and mail order available) if you are not able to make the trip to their brick-and-mortar location.
metalliferous, 34 W 46th St, New York, NY (212) 944-0909 map it
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Definitely check it out if you have the chance!
xoxox
Carly
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Mar 2, 2010 | Fashion
Some ideas for a Spring/Summer wardrobe:
Metal Beaded Tank, $58
Mixed Stitch Tunic, $88 Modern Geo Earrings, $28
Pyramid Stud Bag, $98
= Downtown Cool
Strapless Bubble Dress, $130 Round Oversized Sunglasses, $65
Military Fleece Blazer, $98 Silk Harem Pant, $98
Layered Eagle Necklace, $28
= Casual Friday
Shard Necklace, $38 Utility Romper, $98
Open Stitch Footless Tights, $24
= Hot Date
That Mixed-Stitch Tunic above is so calling my name.;-)
xoxox
Carly
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Mar 2, 2010 | Fashion, Life
I know, right? Again????
Full disclosure: I am in Hawaii now and desperately trying to catch up on posting all my New York Fashion Week coverage from my laptop that I was silly enough to bring with me.
Hub’s best friend had his wedding February 12. His brother has his wedding March 6. Both decided to have their weddings in Hawaii.
So what does one do? Decide to only go for one of the weddings? (You’d have to go to your brother’s, obviously.) Go for the first one, stay in Hawaii 4 weeks, go for the second one, then go home? Or go to Hawaii for the first wedding, fly back, the go back to Hawaii a few weeks later?
Well, that’s kind of how it worked out for us (except for me going to New York Fashion Week in-between). It turned out the roundtrip plane tickets for all of us were way cheaper than the cost of daily meals, hotel, pets’ boarding fees, missed school for Lil Tot, etc., so we decided to fly back to Portland in-between.
Basically we had a week in-between our flights. I’m a little tired of living out of a suitcase by now!
(H&M DIY’ed destroyed sweater, Old Navy lame-knit tanktop, unknown brand bag from Pineapple County, Forever21 rhinestone bracelets and double-wrap belt, Norma Kamali for Spiegel convertible minidress worn as a skirt, Wet Seal gold chain flats)
Bought the H&M sweater while in New York and because it had a small hole in it I was able to get it at a whole 10% off discount the original $26 price. [wooo. Not.] So I unraveled ladders in it a bit more, ended up with it looking really cool and Raquel Allegra‘d…and then snagged it moments after this photo was taken on my bracelets, thus altering it from an intentionally-destroyed sweater…to a sweater that just looked like I’d pulled it out of the trash. Not good.
I finally figured out what these skull studs are a knockoff of – Thomas Wylde‘s designs! It was bugging the hell out of me. I found this bag for $40 at Pineapple County last…last week when I was in Honolulu, and today when I was browsing in the store the salesgirl asked me if she could start wrapping up my bag for purchase. Problem with stores that sell affordable, cute merchandise: sales staff is usually clueless LOL.
I’ll be leaving…on a jet plane soon. Again. Arrrgh!
Day after the “tsunami” and everything is fine here – just a little windy.
xoxox
Carly
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