Aug 13, 2009 | Fashion
photo from Sea of Shoes
I had never heard of the boutique Bedrock until Jane from Sea of Shoes wrote a post about the boutique and the amazing Japanese brand if six was nine (owned by the Maniac Coporation). (She posted a photo of herself wearing a fabulous one-armed jacket on said post that I was drooling over for quite some time. So since I was in Tokyo I decided to check out the Bedrock boutique in Omotesando Hills. They carry (among other high-end lines) Ann Demulemeester, Givenchy, Rick Owens, LGB (apparently a more affordable Maniac Corporation line, with a plain tank top clocking in at about $80), and of course, the lovely if six was nine. 
(sorry for the poor photos; you can’t take photos inside and this is all that was on their website. This is the antechamber you enter after going down the staircase. You can see the blue squidlike thing covering the light fixture on the left.)
As per Jane’s instructions, I located the Forbidden Fruit Cafe in Omotesando Hills – and passed through the cafe, towards the back door. Bedrock boutique is neither marked with signage or name on the outside, and does not appear in the shop listing for Omotesando Hills West Building. The back doorway from the cafe is also unmarked, and for a brief moment I thought I was heading into their kitchen or something, but the lady behind the counter game me a nod. I descended down a perforated metal spiral staircase to the basement, where a dark antechamber with a girl behind the counter waited. A single blue light on the wall was covered with a translucent jellyfish-like mass of tentacles. Then through a cagelike wrought-iron grate entrance and into Bedrock itself. Rough cement floors, dark and mysterious, it looked something like a cross between a medieval torture chamber and a root cellar. Albeit a bizarre root cellar.
Hanging from the ceiling was a
double-tiered chandelier lamp that looked like cockroaches slowly sliding upwards and upon closer inspection proved to be slowly rotating dark glass ribbons (obviously, I need to get new glasses). There was a skeleton pelvis that sat on a stuffed gilt chair, wearing a single boot on one of its feet. A wrought multi-tiered pillar candle holder below a shrine-like collection of lit crosses and hanging belts. A taxidermied black buffalo head mounted on the wall. A vintage motorcycle was stopped in a corner fronting a huge cactus garden behind triangular panes of glass. Gray leather-padded changing room doors with oversized padlocks and submarine-like portal windows completed the look.
The clothes were amazing – and, for the most part, amazingly unaffordable. (No steals to be had here, I’m afraid.) The goth angle wasn’t ostentatious – but it was definitely there, and each piece was darkly fabulous and fascinating at the same time. I found a Rick Owens gray $1300 jacket, though (not the Autumn ’09 one with the winglike protrusions on the elbows, but a similar cut), and a one-of-a-kind gown for $8000 in a rich purple silk, covered with scraps of lace and hand-sewn sequins.
A black silk dress with black gemstones sewn onto the lacy collar to make scorpions.
A button-down shirt with pewter skulls for buttons.
A beige corset dripping with tatters of lace, knitted streamers, and fabric straps down to the knees.
Bracelets made out of snake vertebrae in a display case.
Platform shoes with heels made out of curlicued wrought iron (perhaps salvaged from a vintage gate?).
Even LGB-branded angora-blend see-thru rib tankdresses (plain, no adornment) were $80. I could also afford an $80 knitted mushroom-shaped black beret (again, nothing unusual or special about it).
A black bag made from an entire baby alligator (minus the tail and legs) the head flopped over the center and serving as the clasp. (PETA would have a field day here, between the buffalo head, fur rugs, and alligator bag, which was, albeit, more than slightly repulsive.)
Chain mail kerchief-shaped necklaces studded with bronze crosses (I’ve seen them in an editorial somewhere but forget the designer).
I couldn’t find the one-armed jacket Jane walked away with, or the beautiful wing-print long tank dress from their website above, but I’m sure either one would be a little out of my reach. Just something to look at and sigh about!
The store is just so flippin’ fabulous you have to go if you’re here! Definitely check it out if you can!
xoxox from Tokyo
Carly
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Aug 9, 2009 | Fashion
I covet. Again. Many, many nice things. Here’s what I’m lusting after right now:
1. An image from the Alice + Olivia Fall 2009 Collection, just hitting Singer 22. I am in love with every piece of clothing on the model. Unfortunately the only thing that’s available as of yet is the Oversized V-Neck Tee with Chain Belt, $154, Singer22.com. Mmmmm, I’d like….4?
2. Alloy Saddle Up Bag ($39.90) in Mint.
3. Wide Metallic Elastic Necklace, $34.99, Girlprops.com. A decent Fiona Paxton lookalike – and you can even add beading/sequins as you so desire.
4. Alice + Olivia Front Sequin Cascade Sleeveless Cardigan in Gray, $300, Singer22.com.
5. Vince Brushstroke Dress, available only at select Saks. I saw this in person, and the fabric looked lightweight and wrinkly…given that it’s Vince, the pricetag probably won’t be worth it. I’m thinking DIY!
6. Cheap Monday Tight Jean in Painted White, $50, Karmaloop.com.
7. Han Cholo Moving Stone Ring in Black, $54.00, Karmaloop.com.
8. Wet Seal Mutli-Pearl Drop Necklace, $9.90, WetSeal.com.
9. Zara boot (img from Karen-wheredidugetthat.blogspot.com). I’ll be hitting up the Harajuku store while I’m there to see if they carry it, and if they don’t (or, more likely, if it’s completely unaffordable), I’ll just DIY it. I’m thinking the 9b. Alloy Ashley Boot in Taupe Suede ($44.90), coupled with 2 skinny studded belts from somewhere (I’m surprised HotTopic doesn’t have them, but still…somewhere’s gotta!). It’ll probably end a pretty good lookalike, and the price will most certainly be better.
10. Sam Edelman boots, currently going for $500-$799 on Ebay. A girl can dream, right? Maybe I’ll snag a pair at one of these stores where apparently it will be sold for about $250 this August. *sigh*
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Mar 28, 2009 | Fashion
(I’m not sure what big name they’re all knocking off…if anyone could help me out…?)
LOVE this shoe – and fatefully snapped up the Steve Madden version since I mistakenly thought it was a light nude. (It looks like a very light beige, non?) Well, when it arrived I found out the color was more like a puke pinky-brown..completely icky. Plus one of the shoes had pen marks on it and gouges on the toe area. They at least accepted the return and refunded me (which they wouldn’t have had I just not liked the color)…but still! Wide band, sort of half-sandal, half shoe, what’s not to love? (But I’m staying away from the $180 price tag.) GoJane.com used to have their version in fuchsia and nude as well, and so I’m hoping they’ll get the nude back in stock…if not, I’ll just have to make them myself!
Tell me it’s not completely impossible to find the perfect nude summer shoe??
-Carly J. Cais
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Mar 27, 2009 | Fashion
(left: Black Halo Keyhole Ruffle Sheath, right: Ann Taylor “Ruffle Sleeve Sheath Dress”)
For over a year now, Black Halo has kept everyone slavering over their ladylike dresses – namely the Jackie O., seen on just about every it-celeb in a variety of colors – the black jacket dress, vaguely reminiscent of a higher-priced RM dress – the Maureen dress, a collar-less version of the jacket dress – and the keyhole ruffle sleeve sheath. They are sophisticated, sleek, and upwards of $300 (the keyhole ruffle dress is specifically $345).
But what’s this? Here we have a doppelganger from Ann Taylor. Sure, it’s minus the Mandarin collar and has a button closure at the neck, but darn it if it doesn’t look pretty similar. (The seaming in the dress is exactly the same as the Black Halo version!)
So what do we think? Spend $189 on the Ann Taylor dress, or splurge on the $345 Black Halo original?
(BTW, if you happen to be a size 4, you can snap up the wine colored keyhole dress from ChickDowntown.com for a cool $138, rendering the whole debate moot.)
-Carly J. Cais
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Feb 6, 2009 | Fashion
How cute is this trench? The abbreviated length, the fit and flare shape, the double-breasted buttons and side tabs, not to mention the stand-up collar (that can also be folded down, for those less-than-blustery days)…all conspire to create a droolworthy jacket, in an even more lustworthy price. In both black and khaki, and S through XXXL (Yay!) – we’re going for the lighter color, which looks so 2009 with a bright yellow scarf at the neck, topping off dark skinny jeans tucked into brown riding boots…yes, this even has legs into early summer, when we’ll be wearing it open over a white crewneck and flared navy skirt with a thin red patent belt and flats. This is our Chic Steal of the Week because of it’s frugal fabulousness…despite the redundancy in the name. 😉
-Carly J. Cais
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