Dec 28, 2009 | Fashion
Richly.Hawtin, a label born from a collaboration between Producer and DJ Richie Hawtin and fashion designer Isolde Richly, was conceived in Tokyo in 2008 and presented in Berlin-Mitte to the public in May of 2009. The designers created a limited-edition run of 100 t-shirts designed and manufactured in Japan, for the event. (see below)
The shirts are still available for purchase here. The t-shirts are priced at 120 Euros each ($172!!)
In creating their line, the duo “sought to use fashion as a physical medium to embody and explore the fleeting, intangible elegance of minimalist music and Japan’s beauty.”
Hawtin, head of Minus Recordings, infuses the pieces in the line with an urban sensibility derived from his music, and the line strives to bring a minimalist Asian aesthetic to its design-sense. “Richly’s and Hawtin’s affinity for the quiet stillness found in Japan’s snow-covered landscapes, calm seas and trees is seen in the gradients of grey that mark the elegantly stripped down clothing.”
I love that despite the line being awash in grays, the pieces are anything but drab. Masculine and feminine are interchangeable; it skates the line between structured sportswear and asymmetrical modernism. And that drip-stained bag is calling my name!
The Spring/Summer line will be available Feburary 2010 in select Japanese retailers – I’ll keep you guys posted .
Read more about the line on their website, or in an article about them from Gradient Magazine.
What do you guys think of them? (I’m guessing the pieces from the official line are going to be priced similarly to the $170 T-shirt. I love their aesthetic…just not too sure I can afford it! I’m not sure they’re the next Rick Owens just yet:-) But I still want that bag!
-Carly J. Cais
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Dec 27, 2009 | Fashion
This policy is valid from 12/9/2009. Last updated 12/17/2017.
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Product Samples/Gifting
I do receive, from time to time, samples of products for review on Chic Creative Life. I do not receive samples or products indiscriminately; rather, I only accept products that I feel are a good fit for the blog – and many offers are turned down. I always try to provide my honest opinion when reviewing samples – if I believe something is praiseworthy, I give it. Many products I receive I later post as giveaways on this blog. I also sometimes receive items from companies that I may or may not feature in an outfit (if the item is to my personal taste). If I do feature it, I will always note “Care Of” and the company name/website so that it is clearly designated as an item I did not purchase myself.
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The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own. If I claim or appear to be an expert on a certain topic or product or service area, I will only endorse products or services that I believe, based on my limited expertise, are worthy of such endorsement. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider.
This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.
Affiliate Links
I also incorporate affiliate links into my blog, which allow me a tiny (like, really tiny!) percentage of any sale generated from clicking on them. These I only use when I feel the brand, site, or item is worthy of recommendation. It’s a way for me to generate revenue to pay for blog hosting fees, theme and plugin costs, giveaway shipping, and materials for all my DIY tutorials, amongst other costs associated with running this business. If you feel uncomfortable when you see an affiliate link embedded in my blog, think about it this way: would you know that the product, item, or service existed if you hadn’t seen it here? Would you be interested in buying it if you didn’t see it featured here? Purchasing something after clicking on an affiliate link I have in no way changes the purchase price or financial burden to you – by generating a sale for them, the company is paying me a “finder’s fee” for sending them an interested buyer. Without this revenue it would be very difficult to continue to run Chic Creative Life.
Giveaways
I also feature giveaways from time to time, often sponsored by a company who has a product or service they would like me to share with my readers I do not partner with just any company that contacts me; rather, I carefully select the companies and products I chose to feature. For a giveaway post I am not compensated in any way. The company sends the giveaway item directly to the winner and it never passes through my hands. I ensure that the winner receives the prize and act as a liaison between the winner and the company. I also put items up for giveaway that I personally have. Once a winner is chosen I personally ship (and pay for the shipping of) the item. I receive nothing for these personal giveaways.
Hopefully this has covered everything you may want to know about the content on this blog. Any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to drop me a line!
Carly
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Dec 25, 2009 | DIY
I’ve stuffed the stockings, laid out piles of prezzies under the Christmas Tree, emailed 18 of my closest friends holiday greetings, realized I’ve forgotten to stock my fridge with eggnog – and now I’m DIY’ing.
Isn’t that what Christmas is all about???:-)
The lacy ruffled vest: I know, it’s a strange concept. But I’ve been seeing these since summer in Tokyo – on all the coolest girls, and plastered all over the Japanese mags – where girls are using it as a feminine layering peice to tone down the masculinity of all that black, denim, and studs.
And it’s super-easy to make!
You Need:
*lacy long-sleeved top (I found mine at Goodwill – but you can probably find one at any thrift store – or even off-the-rack, since 80’s lacy stuff is experiencing a huge revival right now)
*fabric scissors
*sewing machine
*matching thread
*needle for finer woven fabrics
How To:
1. Cut the sleeves off your top carefully so you leave the finished armhole seams on the shirt. Cut straight down the center of the shirt. (If your shirt didn’t have a V-neck before, cut the neck into a V-shape.)
2. Cut each sleeve in half vertically and spread open.
3. Place one sleeve on one side of the cut front of the top. (Orient the top of the sleeve cap at the end of the V- of the V-neck; and the sleeve itself centered on the cut CF edge. The sleeve bottom/cuff area will likely be slightly longer than your top length.) Stitch the sleeve to the top along your shirt’s cut edge. (not pictured)
4. Repeat for the other sleeve – attaching to the other side of the top’s center front vertical cut edge.
5. Cut the sleeve edges into a scalloped pattern – you can follow the pattern of your lace – or cut in a vertical zigzag – or scalloped – it’s up to you. It may take a couple tries of cutting and then trying the piece on to see how the fabric falls – and adjusting after that.
You’re done!
Wear under a denim vest (my DIY here), layer under a fur vest, throw on over a slim-fit turtleneck – pair under a leather jacket or a men’s plaid top for the ultimate Victor/Victoria.
And if you don’t want to DIY – just buy – this adorable piece for $30 from jadelouse1’s Etsy store. (above)
Happy DIY’ing if you so choose – and Merry Christmas – Happy Hanukkah – and Superb (?) Kwanzaa!
xoxox
Carly
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Dec 22, 2009 | Fashion, Media
If it’s bright enough, tight enough or eye-poppingly printed enough, odds are it’ll work on any figure. Crystal Renn, model and author of Hungry, and Jacquelyn Jablonski, spring’s new star, show off the season’s most sizzling looks
Photography by Terry Richardson; Styling by Mel Ottenberg
In case you are interested, the models’ measurements are as follows:
Jacquelyn: 5’9″….32-24-34
Crystal Renn: 5’9″…36-31-41
On first glance, I thought they did this shoot with only Crystal – then photoshopped her skinny to create the left photo – I honestly didn’t think they were 2 different people at first!
It’s interesting to note that they are both the same height – but to me, Crystal looks shorter. I guess the skinnier you are, the taller you look. But it’s just an optical illusions! (Is it just me? Maybe it’s just me.) Plus, Crystal’s bust size is only 4″ larger than Jacquleyn’s….but her waist AND hips are 7″ larger. Strangely, she doesn’t look it – in fact, she just looks proportionately larger overall, not just larger in the waist/hip area.
I think they both look pretty smokin’ and high-fashion…and for me, it also took a moment to realize that the two girls are two different sizes since everything else is so similar in the shoot.
One of the reasons why Crystal Renn is so successful as a “plus-size” model is that she is proportionately plus-size…i.e., her weight is distributed throughout her body evenly and isn’t bunched up in one place (unlike the majority of us when we gain weight…most gain it in a couple places, not evenly throughout) and this, I think, visually makes her appealing. (I think that the human attraction to symmetry and proportion trumps the human attraction to skinniness every time.) She looks toned and fabulous & I’m not saying she is fat or anything – she just looks a little larger overall than the model on the left.
I can’t wait for her book, Hungry: A Young Model’s Story of Appetite, Ambition and the Ultimate Embrace of Curves
to come out in paperback so I can snag myself a copy!
So what do we all think? (I think it licks the Glamour Magazine November 2009 Issue plus-sized model spread into a cocked hat, personally.) High-fashion vs. nakedness?? More please!
-Carly J. Cais
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Dec 22, 2009 | Fashion
If you’re like me, the thought of wearing the same garment 2 days in a row feels…like a cop-out almost, or the epitome of anti-style.
But blogger Sheena Matheiken has taken the concept of wearing the same piece repeatedly, (daily, in fact) and styling it so differently each time so that it looks like a completely different outfit.
And it’s not just a self-congratulatory style experiment either – The Uniform Project was conceived as a year-long fundraiser for the Akanksha Foundation, a grassroots movement that is revolutionizing education in India. Since its inception in 1990, the Foundation has worked to bring education to the poorest children in India – allocating as much money on each child’s schooling as the Indian government spends on the priveleged children. All contributions from the Uniform Project will go toward funding the new Akanksha schools that are opening in Mumbai and Pune – and the Project has already raised $47,000: enough for 130 children to attend school.
Beginning in May 2009 (alright, so I’m a little behind on this) – Sheena has worn the same dress every single day (but it can be worn back-to-front and with the buttons unbuttoned for a little variety), uploading a daily outfit photo. (Well, technically she has 7 dresses that she rotates, but all are exactly the same.) She has styled the piece with various accessories and “accoutrements;” the majority of which are be vintage, hand-made, or hand-me-down goodies (or donations from designers wanting to have their piece featured on the site).
Sheena writes “I was raised and schooled in India where uniforms were a mandate in most public schools. Despite the imposed conformity, kids always found a way to bend the rules and flaunt a little personality. Boys rolled up their sleeves, wore over-sized swatches, and hiked up their pants to show off their high-tops. Girls obsessed over bangles, bindis and bad hairdos. Peaking through the sea of uniforms were the idiosyncrasies of teen style and individual flare. I now want to put the same rules to test again, only this time I’m trading in the catholic school fervor for an eBay addiction and relocating the school walls to this wonderful place called the internet.” And it’s an exercise in sustainable fashion, officially endorsed by the eBay GreenTeam!
I came across this site earlier and fell in love with Sheena’s eclectic style – she borrows elements from so many different cultures and trends it’s difficult to pin her down – so every day is a new surprise!
You can sign up for the mailing list to find out when the dress, made by the blogger’s friend Eliza Starbuck, will be available for purchase.
Watch the video below to find out more, and add the Uniform Project to your bookmarks to get a daily dose of style inspiration.
http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7046484&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1
The Uniform Project Trailer from The Uniform Project on Vimeo.
-Carly J. Cais
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Richly.Hawtin, a label born from a collaboration between Producer and DJ Richie Hawtin and fashion designer Isolde Richly, was conceived in Tokyo in 2008 and presented in Berlin-Mitte to the public in May of 2009. The designers created a limited-edition run of 100 t-shirts designed and manufactured in Japan, for the event. (see below)
The shirts are still available for purchase here. The t-shirts are priced at 120 Euros each ($172!!)
I love that despite the line being awash in grays, the pieces are anything but drab. Masculine and feminine are interchangeable; it skates the line between structured sportswear and asymmetrical modernism. And that drip-stained bag is calling my name!
