Aug 12, 2010 | Fashion, Media
Love the colors, love the angular lines, love the black. It’s very Mondrian in an art-school-meets-deconstructionist sort of way.
And I love the idea of a spray-painted dress. Possible DIY?
Check out the full editorial here (some frontal nudity) – there’s a cool hinged shoulder piece, skirt, and necklace in some of the other photos that are also prime DIY fodder for the very tenacious.
xoxo
Carly
Leave Comment
Aug 11, 2010 | Life
Not particularly eloquent at the moment…
I think I sent a similar Tweet out because I was just FLOORED with the announcement…
But it looks like I WON THE CREATE COUTURE CHALLENGE! (Click to read the recap on the NYDS Blog)
In fact, I had the NYDS Blog open in a Forefox tab for a while this evening, and had been refreshing it in-between writing my previous post. I figured the NYDS staff wouldn’t post anything until tomorrow anyway, what with it being the middle of the night and all.
But then I saw their teaser post, so I clicked on “Continue Reading…“, heart pounding in my chest, steeling myself for the name “FVNCY” or “…love, Maegan” because I was sure, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that either blog would be declared the winner. (In fact, I was utterly sure the moment I saw the participating blogs announced. I’m somewhat of a pessimist, can you tell??)
All I can say is that I’m so shocked to have won – so amazed and humbled by the outpouring of support and all your voting…it means so much to me, it really and truly does!
I really wanted that magazine interview – I’ve been designing a couple new pieces I was thinking of stocking my Etsy store with (and giving the store a nice overhaul), in the case that I actually won and could mention that in the interview. But I was hesitating, wondering if it was worth it ordering all the components and purchasing fabrics and making prototypes, if I would not be able to promote them effectively, or if there was no one who wanted them. I made the mistake before of making the pieces before I had tested them, and before I truly had a market for them – and ended up burned financially, with a lot of stock on my hands. It was a big setback. So I’ve learned to be cautious!
Thank you so much to all who voted (it was such a close margin, every single vote counted!!!) – you’ve helped me that much closer to my dreams and I can’t thank you enough. And to Style Sample Magazine, and New York Design Shop, for sponsoring this amazing competition – I couldn’t be more happy or grateful! You’ll all be seeing some new jewelry and accessories from me very, very soon!
Thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart!
xoxox
Carly
Leave Comment
Aug 11, 2010 | Fashion
Out with the old, in with the new: Street Style and its Chic Factor. Goodbye People Magazine…hello, American Apparel lookbook collaboration with Lookbook.nu users and Style Sample Magazine.
Could it have just been a few short years ago that we saw the rise of those snazzy, hyped-up boutiques that advertised their products “As Seen on Audrina Patridge and Kim Kardiashian!” — Paris Hilton as style icon — and celebrities and demi-lebreties fueling consumer mania? Once upon a time, the public was hanging on to J. Lo’s every move, snapping up heeled Timberlands and the latest Juicy Couture velour tracksuit (as seen on Pamela Anderson!). But times are a-changing, it seems, and the wave of interest in A-listers has waned (perhaps in part due to a flailing economy, general disgust towards Hollywood salaries spiraling out of control, the emergence of celebrity stylists and their minions to the media forefront *ahem, Rachel Zoe*, the rise in popularity and box office power of indie films, and more exposure to the PR vehicle behind every star, just to touch on a few factors in all this). Though what the Stars are doing and Wearing is still hot fodder for many blogs, magazines, talk-shows [and the E! channel’s programming]… the people watching today are smarter, have more access to information than ever before, and have begun to turn away from the carefully constructed circus of image. Now it seems we’ve entered a completely new era: that of the EveryMan (or, more specifically, EveryWoman)…and now everyone seems to be sitting up and taking notice.
Heralded by the runwawy success of street-style photoblogs such as The Sartorialist and JakandJil.com, and personal style-sharing sites such as Lookbook.nu and Chictopia, in the last 2 years alone there has been an online explosion of sites on the internet devoted to the style of the stylish unknown: the girl (or guy) who has that certain je ne sais quoi about them.
Women check out these blogs and see the Beautiful Stranger. They check out her outfit details, hairstyle, and makeup. And sometimes, such style can lead to an impromptu purchase by the onlooker. And retailers are increasingly taking notice of this street cred influencing consumers.
What with ModCloth sponsoring outfits for many bloggers (so much so that the term “ModCloth Robot” has been floating around the blogosphere for awhile), StyleList and Bluefly’s search for America’s Most Stylish Blogger last Fall where they sent the participants items from Bluefly and had us style them in our own outfits, Ann Taylor LOFT’s campaign partnering with Jessica Schroeder of WhatIWore, and most recently, the newly-launched scrolling functionality of The Gap 1969 Stream photo collage of both models and regular people wearing their Gap jeans.
The bag Emily designed in collaboration with Coach, from Cupcakes and Cashmere
Well-read blogs are beginning to wield huge influence – with the bloggers elevated from just another stylish person online to luxury bag designer [Emily Schuman for Coach], front-row Fashion Week attendee [Tavi Gevinson at Dior Fall/Winter 2010], shoe design collaborator [Jane Aldrige with Urban Outfitters], and campaign model [Rumi Neely for Forever21], just to name a few.
It’s no longer just a handful of corporate websites out there – it’s all over the place that we’re seeing the beautiful, almost anonymous stranger showcasing her personal style (which seems so much more attainable to the average person, right?).
Even the Wall Street Journal has picked up on this trend with their recent Seen on the Street: Strangers as Style Icons article (which is an interesting profile on the BeautifulStranger.tv website).
Since I just received Banana Republic’s “Life at Work” Fall catalog (see above), replete with photographs of their products shot on the backs of what appear to be regular people (along with their job descriptions next to them – and not just “model” mind you!)…just how strong a trend Street Style has become is an issue that’s been on my mind lately.
So here it’s opened up to you: is Street Style the new litmus test of What’s Fashionable? Do you pay more attention to the celebrities and A-listers, models during their down time, or what that cool-looking Beautiful Stranger is wearing in some street snapshot somewhere? Is Street Style the new determinate of chic?
xoxox
Carly
Leave Comment
Aug 9, 2010 | Life, Score!
Today’s the last day to vote in NYDS/Style Sample Magazine Create Couture DIY Challenge! I would love it if I could have your vote.:-) I also want you guys to win a Chic Steals original – so head on over there and comment too!!
and
Sorry to keep pushing this but I really, really want to win! Thank you all for so much support and kindness:-)
xoxo
Carly
Leave Comment
Aug 9, 2010 | Life
Office Before. Blech!
Sorry for that brief hiatus – I took a mini-vacation from the blogosphere for the weekend.
I’ve been cleaning up and redoing my office – or at least the room in my house where we keep the computers and I have my sewing machines and do a lot of my DIY.
It was a mess. An utter, utter mess.
The room has pretty much no storage, piles of fabrics and clothes and tools and papers everywhere, and my childhood desk that I had installed in there was made in the 80’s and thus, much lower than the standard height of 29.5″ of the desks nowadays, which are made to accommodate a computer workstation. That 26″ high desk had me hunching over my computer and giving me back pains, and the mess was totally non-conducive to doing anything. I couldn’t find any papers or important things, couldn’t make headway on any projects…in fact, the only place I could work was outside of this room because it was so clogged with stuff.
So we bought a bookshelf, desk attachment, and some storage boxes from IKEA, and I’ve been sorting and cleaning up (though I’m far from done). My computer has been pretty much unplugged for the whole weekend.
The hiatus was really nice too – just spending some family time without me stuck on the computer all day was fun.
Though the office is definitely still not clean, it’s a vast improvement to what it was. I’m not taking pics until it actually looks clean!
Why is it that order and organization are so much more conducive to being creative??
Hope everybody had a great weekend!
xoxox
Carly
Leave Comment
Aug 6, 2010 | Fashion
I love love love ASOS.com. Their clothing and accessories are always fashion-forward, well-designed, and their website has me drooling for hours. It was also not too long ago that the cost of having items shipped all the way from the UK to myself [on the U.S. West coast] was pretty daunting. Then they introduced their $9 flat rate shipping…but still I wavered.
All that is a thing of the past because readers – they are now offering FREE, yes, scot-FREE! shipping to U.S. addresses until September!! Is this a reason to jump for joy, or what?
The site offers so many brands (like Gap, Sam Edelman, Mango, French Connection, Kitson, Disney Couture, Free People, and Whistles) and their Fall ASOS line is just in. Plus, ASOS magazine, featuring Olivia Palermo, is brimming with eye-candy and delectable style.
Here are some of the things I’m lusting after now that I know shipping won’t cost a dime:
Check it Out Now!
(Free shipping both ways on all U.S. Orders through 8/31/2010)
Aren’t the snail earrings just adorable??
I meanwhile will be agonizing over the striped Whistles dress and the Contrast Cup Strappy Babydoll…which to get…which to get…?
xoxo
Carly
Leave Comment
Aug 6, 2010 | DIY
Myself and 9 other DIY bloggers were selected to compete in Style Sample Magazine and New York Design Shop’s Create Couture Challenge.
We were all sent the same box packed to the gills with trims, studs, and flowers, and were asked to make “one or more projects.” I made 12!
The leftovers.
I used almost the entire contents of the box, hoping to create as many different projects as possible that could appeal to a wide range of ages and styles, as well as making the projects as simple as possible (so anyone could replicate them) and using as few outside materials as possible, in order to truly showcase New York Design Shop’s products. But I wanted my finished creations to be durable, wearable, and look polished – and be pieces that could potentially stand up to scrutiny in any retail store.
So here’s another of my projects:
Feathered Cape
You Need:
*White Feather Fringe
*Baby Single Face Satin Ribbon in Cream
Additional Tools/Materials:
*scissors
*fabric glue
*hot-glue gun
*lighter
How-to:
1. Cut Ribbon in half.
2. Squeeze a small amount of hot glue into the ribbon opening on the top of the Feather Fringe, and stuff the end of one piece of the ribbon inside. Do the same for the other piece.
2. Cut a small piece about 1″ long from either end of the ribbon, and heat-seal raw edges with the lighter.
3. Use fabric glue to glue the small pieces of ribbon around the raw edges of the Feather Trim top.
4. Cut the ends of the long ribbon pieces on an angle and use an open flame to seal them.
You’re done!
Feeling angelic and light as air all swathed in feathers…
If you enjoyed this project I’d love to have your vote!
(One vote is allowed per unique IP address, anywhere in the world. You don’t have to register or leave your name or anything! But if you do leave a comment in your vote, you are automatically entered to win one of the projects by the Contest Winner. Now that’s a great way to share the love!!:-)
Thanks for looking!
xoxo
Carly
Save
Leave Comment
Aug 5, 2010 | DIY
I probably won’t be able to post all of these because the contest is only open until the 10th of August.
But I’ll do my best!
Myself and 9 other DIY bloggers were selected to compete in Style Sample Magazine and New York Design Shop’s Create Couture Challenge.
We were all sent the same box packed to the gills with trims, studs, and flowers, and were asked to make “one or more projects.” I made 12!
The leftovers.
I used almost the entire contents of the box, hoping to create as many different projects as possible that could appeal to a wide range of ages and styles, as well as making the projects as simple as possible (so anyone could replicate them) and using as few outside materials as possible, in order to truly showcase New York Design Shop’s products. But I wanted my finished creations to be durable, wearable, and look polished – and be pieces that could potentially stand up to scrutiny in any retail store.
So here’s the first of my projects:
Petal-Front Top
You Need:
*White Rose Pin (petals only)
*Cream Rose Pin (petals only)
Additional Tools/Materials:
*t-shirt
*scissors
*fabric glue
[prep: wash and dry shirt to remove sizing and chemicals]
How to:
1. Pull apart Rose Pins, and separate into petal pieces.
A pile of petals!
2. Trim petals apart, and round their tops so they are really “petal”-like.
3. Use fabric glue to glue petals onto t-shirt. (You can sew their tops instead for a more RTW look.)
You’re done!
This top also looks sophisticated tucked into a slim skirt for work or under a soft cardigan.:-)
If you enjoyed this project I’d love to have your vote!
(One vote is allowed per unique IP address, anywhere in the world. You don’t have to register or leave your name or anything! But if you do leave a comment in your vote, you are automatically entered to win one of the projects by the Contest Winner. Now that’s a great way to share the love!!:-)
Thanks for looking!
xoxo
Carly
linked to
Leave Comment
Aug 4, 2010 | Fashion
Rainbow Bow Tunic Dress: DIY from a Men’s Shirt
Marquis Pattern Alternating Opaque/Translucent Tights: Japan (Shibuya-109, Poko a Poko)
Shoes: Michael Michael Kors
haha -It’s such a rhetorical question. You can never have too many bows.:-)
Plus, I’m being facetious. As many of you probably know already, I’m not really a big color person. It’s probably because my hair is naturally orangey, my lips are naturally deep cranberry, and my eyes jade green (all in contrast to my white-as-death-complexion covered in tan freckles) that I’ve always felt I have wayyy to much natural color on me and don’t need that much in my outfit.
But I couldn’t resist with this top – which I DIY’d from an oversized men’s long-sleeve shirt…tutorial COMING SOON!
I made it so that one can wear it backwards or forwards, depending on where one wants the line of bows – a feature which makes me just thrilled.:-) This crazy-colorful rainbow of bows deserved to be paired with something just as nutty.
So I chose these uber-cool tights scored in Japan (that I first saw in a magazine more than 6 months prior, so the fact that they were still available given the lightning-speed turnover of Japanese fashion was nothing short of miraculous! Though then again Poko a Poko, a hole-in-the-wall legwear boutique carrying everything from the super-cheap trendy stuff to the more obscure and pricey designer labels, tends to carry the same items year in, year out.) I love the design of the tights, which I’ve never seen before – but the harlequin-print inevitably reminds me of clowns and jesters. I still love them, though, and can’t wait to wear them more often in the Fall. (Recently, it’s been in the 50’s until about noon here in Oregon, so it’s necessitated some warm dressing.)
The shoes were another awesome Goodwill find: $14.99 for Michael Michael Kors pumps in PERFECT, unworn condition. Why do people get rid of these things??
Hope everyone’s having a great week!
xoxo
Carly
Leave Comment
Aug 4, 2010 | DIY, From You
Can Carly ,I`m 16 years old ,I love fashion and I tried start to sew .I`m not very good and I ask you to post a DIY : how to make high waist shorts . Thanks you ,and sorry if I did some mistakes (my english is not perfect )=)
Leave Comment
