one sleepless night

E-READING #6

2012-03-01T21:13:00.000-05:00

This edition of E-Reading fits in nicely with all the writing and California dreaming I’ve been up to.

1. Kat Asharya, whom you might remember from this Q+A I ran last year, has recently posted a tantalizing bit of her novel on her personal blog. You can also check out some of her visual inspirations on Tumblr and Pinterest. (Good use of Pinterest boards, or BEST use of Pinterest boards?)

Photo: Jacob Niblett, via Kat's Pinterest

2. I had just finished reading A Visit from the Good Squad when I came across this interview with writer Jennifer Egan. Even if you're not familiar with Egan’s work, I think it’s a really valuable read. So many other author profiles tend to emphasize the writer’s “genius” that it’s refreshing, even fortifying, to read one that celebrates the work of writing—and the doubts and victories that go along with it.

3. Kate Carraway, a regular presence on E-Reading, knocks it out of the park in this piece about L.A., music, and meaning:

When I very-first came to L.A., when I was still on the bottom deck of teenagerhood (bad hair, still a shy little midget, albeit with hash-oil hands and hand-me-down orgasm opinions), I was driven into Venice. Right as we cruised by Venice High School, which is famous if you are in the deep end of LA cultural lore, the song “Doin’ Time” by Sublime came on the radio. I’d never heard it before. After that “Jane Says” played. I’d heard it many times before. Both are entirely Californian; neither band is Venicey in reality but both bands are, of course, on the L.A. gorgeous-filth continuum. In those few minutes I was silently and forever transformed, and understood magic, and from then on those two songs were crucially a part of me.

4. From a Cord Jefferson essay on learning to love Los Angeles:

I was in love with a girl who was born and raised in San Francisco. She hated New York and I’d sometimes hold her while she wept and shivered with homesickness. When she moved back to California, where we’d met, and I didn’t, a part of me knew then that her leaving would be the end of us.

WINTER LIGHT

2012-01-22T15:21:00.000-05:00

Should it worry me that I didn’t miss any of this—posing in Photo Booth, tweaking HTML, updating Twitter—one bit during my month-long hiatus? I think not.

But I’m happy to report that getting dressed is slowly starting to thrill me once again. Well...no promises.

This silk scarf by Juma is the loveliest gift I’ve received in ages. It’s versatile and refined, but still wild. Worn with a Staerk turtleneck, Rittenhouse pants, and a sense of humour. Not shown: house slippers.

2011-12-29T20:38:00.014-05:00

This post is part of my Reverb 11 blogging project, where I reflect on the past year through a series of daily prompts. Today's theme is ONE WORD: What is the one word that you are aiming for in 2012?

cinematic —
I have to be reminded that life is show and tell.

HOT BABES, FICTIONAL LOVES, AND DANGEROUS CRUSHES

2011-12-12T16:19:00.001-05:00

This post is part of my Reverb 11 blogging project, where I reflect on the past year through a series of daily prompts. Today's theme is CRUSHES AND LOVE: Who or what did you crush out on this year? Who or what did you fall in love with?

OMAR LITTLE

This beautiful thug prince is one of the sexiest and most soulful characters I’ve ever met on screen or on the page, period. The Wire’s resident stick-up artist is at once a sensitive loner, a street-toughened criminal, and a bit of a cheeky trickster. He also embodies a blend of awesome tenderness and supreme masculinity that I always find endearing. My great fictional love of 2011.

NAOMI SHIMADA

Photo: Rory van Millingen for Sous Style

Naomi Shimada is such a babe, I kind of lose my ability to string real words together and have to resort to dumb cartoon noises like “hubba hubba” and “hnnnnggggggg.” Part of me would love for her to be more popular as a model (she has spoken out against the plus-size/straight-size divide in the industry), but the other part of me is relieved I don’t have to carry a drool towel everywhere I go. Thankfully, Naomi also hosts an online cooking show called Bitchin’ in the Kitchen, and has been featured on the new food website Sous Style, so we (I) can drool over her culinary adventures as well.

NICOLE CLAVELOUX’S LA BELLE ET LA BÊTE

French illustrator Nicole Claveloux reimagines the classic Beauty and the Beast fairy tale as a NSFW bedtime story for grown-ups. Her intricate drawing style recalls artists Audrey Beardsley and Giovanni Piranesi, toile textile patterns, and Japanese woodcut with an irreverent, sick sense of wit. If I had to describe Claveloux’s style, I might say “sexy whimsical,” but even that seems to miss the point. The effect of all that painstaking detail hits you in waves: first cute, then grotesque, and finally a little maddening. A nervous, suffocating love of beastliness is present in every drop of ink.

You can see a bunch of rather more explicit illustrations via olderoticart: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

PETS

From Beauty and the Beast to actual beasts. This year, I really related to Corey Mintz’s tweet about staring at dogs all the time. One thing that’s missing from my life is companionship from non-human beings. I think it’s nice to be able to interact with other living creatures without the pressures of human social expectations. Sometimes I want to throw a ball around, and be in nature, and not talk! Can you imagine if dogs were dudes? This guy looks like he’d be a darling.

PRINCE SINGING “WHEN YOU WERE MINE”

“Oh girl, when you were mine, I used to let you wear all my clothes.” !!!

CARY AGOS

The Good Wife is quality network television, and I have a melty spot for hot, half-smug, half-charming lawyers “with a thing for ethnic women.”

FRANK OCEAN

I think I will write more about him in my music roundup, but for now, here is a picture of him eating lunch.

JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT

Photo: Michael Halsband

I saved this one for last, partly because I am still working through the slippery nature of this crush, and partly because it might be hard for you to look at anything else after the above photo has transformed your eyes into huge anime love orbs. My vision’s been blurry for days...

WRAPPED IN AN ENIGMA, ACCESSORIZED WITH A WINK

2011-12-09T19:12:00.001-05:00

This post is part of my Reverb 11 blogging project, where I reflect on the past year through a series of daily prompts. Today's theme is FASHION: What was your favourite outfit this year? How would you describe your style evolution? What is your fashion concept for 2012?

My favourite outfit consisted of a grey raglan sweatshirt, straight-leg jeans, black all-weather ankle boots, and my beloved olive green trench coat. I liked accessorizing this ensemble with my ‘hands’ bracelet or gold disc necklace. Another close favourite was an old, stretched out white tshirt, a mauvey-brown cardigan from Anthropologie that looks like something someone would wear to a ski chalet, baggy dark grey cupro trousers, and the aforementioned boots. You don’t need to see pictures.

Four years ago, a typical outfit for me would’ve looked something like this: secretary blouse, pencil skirt, coloured tights, and vintage pumps. Maybe even red lipstick and a beret because I was really committed. Again, you don’t need to see pictures. I got tons of compliments and felt like a million bucks walking down the street—but it got old fast, as head-to-toe historical costumes sometimes do.

So my “fashion concept” for 2012 is much more flexible, and centred on ideas that I’m sure I’ll be fascinated with for years to come. Specifically, the idea of contradiction. My dream style is at once playful and sincere, decorative and restrained, louche and elegant, high-impact and low-key. I can’t really tell you what that would look like, but I’ll let you know if I figure it out. If there’s a way for me to wear a dress without looking like an oversized doll (all the pictures lie; I have the face of a 14 year old), I’d like to figure that out too.

These days, my major hypothetical criterion is: If a cute boy asked me to grab a soda and take a ride on the back of his motorcycle, would I be inclined to change my outfit? There is only one right answer. I want the clothes I wear to be ready for anything.

FREEDOM AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD

2011-12-06T11:46:00.000-05:00

Photo: Chloe Aftel

This post is part of my Reverb 11 blogging project, where I reflect on the past year through a series of daily prompts. Today's theme is RELEASE: What did you let go of this year?

First, a disclaimer: I haven’t completely let go of the thing I’m about to describe. In fact, I’m still hanging onto it by a tiny but strong thread, not unlike the piece of string you tied around your wobbly tooth as a kid. You can break the tie, but it’s gonna hurt. Still, it’s important enough for me to write it down as part of this year-end reflection.

This year I graduated from school, which means that the institution I’d structured my life around for the past 18 years pulled away...gradually...and left me at the side of the road. Part of me couldn’t wait to see it go. It’s taking a lot of stuff (I won’t say “baggage”) with it. Now that I no longer have or need the structure of school, I’m ready to dump other structures and mindsets that have overstayed their usefulness, or simply don’t seem so appealing anymore.

I’m beginning to let go of ambition devoid of purpose. It’s important to have goals, but I’ve learned that I don’t have to justify them by making recourse to other people’s notions of success. I don’t have to sugarcoat my life plans for anybody. It just ain’t their business.

I’m beginning to let go of the idea that all roads are fixed. That it’s too late to change course. It’s a blind rat race out there and I suppose I am dropping out. Not because of injury or disqualification (I cheat, you cheat, we all cheat); rather, I have a deep need to seek out more scenic, alternative routes. I would like to have a few loyal souls to share the view with, but ultimately this is my thing.

I know it will take at least forever to expunge all the ingrained conceptions I have of success and progress, because SOCIETY, but I exhale a little more of it every day. Slow, yogic breathing is good for this. One lucky thing about strolling/prancing/crawling on hands and knees down the road less traveled is that the air is so much cleaner.

TIME TO REFLECT: THE REVERB 11 BLOGGING PROJECT

2011-12-05T14:20:00.003-05:00

In the spirit of ~~navel-gazing~~ year-end contemplation, I'll be participating in a month-long blogging project called Reverb 11. Every day for the month of December, I'll respond to one of the prompts listed below, and post a few of those responses here (in addition to my usual posts). I think it'll be a fun way to expand upon my books/music/movies roundups, and continue the Life, Work & Creativity discussion brought up by my awesome Q+A guests in past months.

I learned about this project through Kat, whose responses so far have been thoroughly entertaining and illuminating. I've also borrowed some of her prompts in devising my list, and encourage you to nick any of the prompts I've come up with for your own Reverb. Feel free to leave your link in the comments if you decide to participate online. (If you haven't noticed, I go bonkers for this stuff and would love to see what you come up with!)

DAY 1: RELEASE
What did you let go of this year?

DAY 2: FOOD
What was the best meal/culinary experience you had this year? What made it so great?

DAY 3: FUN
What was the most fun you had this year?

DAY 4: FASHION
What was your most beloved/favorite outfit? Your favorite time wearing it? How would you describe your style this year? How did the way you dress change? Do you have a fashion concept for 2012?

DAY 5: ACCOMPLISHMENTS
What were you deeply proud of doing, making, being, etc. this year?

DAY 6: BREAKTHROUGHS
What were your biggest breakthroughs? This can be in any area: emotional, spiritual, career, etc.

DAY 7: NEIGHBOURHOODS
Which neighbourhoods did you haunt this year? What were your favourite places to discover?

DAY 8: CRUSHES AND LOVE
Who or what did you crush out on this year? Who or what did you fall in love with?

DAY 9: LIFE LESSONS
What life lessons will you take away from this year?

DAY 10: FINANCES
Where did most of your money go this year? How do you plan to change your spending habits next year? What is your Money Philosophy for 2012?

DAY 11: ONE WORD
What is the one word that would describe or encapsulate your 2011? And what word are you aiming for in 2012?

DAY 12: WRITING
How did your writing change? What aspect of your writing were you most proud of?

DAY 13: VIBRANCY
What is the one moment from this year where you felt fully alive? Describe it in as vivid detail as possible…

DAY 14: GRATITUDE
What were you grateful for this year?

DAY 15: REGRETS AND SADNESS
What did you miss/mourn/grieve for this year?

DAY 16: HEALTH & BODY
What was your relationship to your body this year? What steps did you take towards achieving optimum health & wellness?

DAY 17: MORE/LESS
What did you wish you had less of in 2011? What did you want more of? How about next year?

DAY 18: TRAVEL
Did you travel? Where did you go? Where would you like to go in 2012?

DAY 19: NEEDS
Which of your needs got met in 2011? Which ones didn’t? See this list for some ideas, or come up with your own.

DAY 20: LIFESTYLE
Describe your ideal lifestyle: the best possible way to live that you can imagine right now.

DAY 21: ROLE MODELS
Who did you look to for inspiration? What qualities of theirs do you hope to cultivate within yourself?

DAY 22: FAMILY
How did you relate (har har) to your family this year?

DAY 23: THE SOCIAL ANIMAL
Were you a good friend this year? What were your interpersonal dealings like? Do you have any plans for increasing the quality of your interactions with others?

DAY 24: MUSIC
What were some of your favorite records and songs? What song will always remind you of this year? What song lyrics reverberated with you?

DAY 25: MOVIES
Your favourite films of the year. New releases and older titles welcome!

DAY 26: POLITICS
What political issue(s) stirred you the most? How have your political views developed?

DAY 27: BOOKS
Your favourite books/stories/poems/plays.

DAY 28: MEMORY
What are some things that happened this year that you don't want to forget?

DAY 29: CONSUMPTION
Did you buy something that made you happy? Why did it make you happy? Did you buy something you regretted?

DAY 30: SPACE
What space was important to you? How can you change your space to make it the ideal environment for you right now?

DAY 31: EXCITEMENT
What are you excited for in the new year?

NATIONAL VELVET

2011-11-28T12:20:00.002-05:00

Photos by Norman Wong. Model: Anna Edwards of Foxfire

My closet's lacking in CanCon, and Toronto designer Rita Liefhebber has really upped her game in the last year. Soooo, one of those sleeveless wool dresses and any of those slippery velvet tops, please?

E-READING #5

2011-11-20T21:09:00.000-05:00

Photo by Oskar Gyllenswärd for Dossier

1. Cathy Horyn interviews Thomas Tait

“Because I’m young there is a lot I don’t know. I like things that make me not just excited but curious to find out how it was done. That’s fascinating, that’s modern....I don’t think I want a silhouette that’s repeated. I think I’d rather develop a signature way of constructing a garment. It’s difficult for a young designer to gain a reputation for something that people don’t see. It’s easier to be known for your bold digital collections.”

2. “Generation Sell”: A nice companion piece to this earlier Salon.com article.

“The small business is the idealized social form of our time. Our culture hero is not the artist or reformer, not the saint or scientist, but the entrepreneur. (Think of Steve Jobs, our new deity.) Autonomy, adventure, imagination: entrepreneurship comprehends all this and more for us. The characteristic art form of our age may be the business plan.”

3. The Atlantic's Ta-Nehisi Coates writes one of the most consistently interesting blogs anywhere. Here are some recent posts of his that I like, and one poem he links to that is just great.

And if you managed to read all of that, you may like to watch this video for Phlo Finister's cover of “Bang Bang.” That styling? Hot like the barrel of a smoking gun. (via jofuertesknight)

SHOP LAUNCH

2011-11-11T16:27:00.000-05:00

After much hand-wringing and stress-eating, I finally decided to open a print shop. In addition to selling pre-selected prints, I'm also offering personalized one-offs which you can read more about here. Admittedly, this is not the most original idea. As I recall, Vic did something very similar as a flash sale a while ago, and I'm sure there are others toying with this model. That said, I hope that my approach to this project will make it worth your while.

I'm in a transitional period in my life where I'd like to bring my artistic development off the back burner—it's pretty lonely and cold there—but I'm struggling to put together the funds to do so. Your contribution will enable me to slow down, pay more attention to my surroundings and capture little pieces of it, which I will then pass on to you. Call it Artistic Patronage 2.0. Nothing will cost you no more than $15 with shipping. A drop in the ocean, but a small fortune for the piggy bank in my soul.

LESSONS FROM EL ANATSUI'S ANCIENT CLOTH

2011-11-10T15:48:00.000-05:00

El Anatsui is a Ghanaian-born, Nigeria-based artist who is best known for weaving intricate, shimmering tapestries out of liquor bottle tops and wire with the help of his team of assistants. His work touches on an equally intricate network of thematic concerns: globalization, consumption, colonialism, and the “destruction and reconstitution” of same. There are other things I like about Anatsui's work on a very basic level. Namely, its beauty and flexibility, the way it embodies a love of process, and finally, that rare quality that moves me every time, always and forever, Amen: how it demands (seductively) that one just...surrender. See?

Untitled (2008). Source: October Gallery, London

“You can’t run away from the work looking beautiful...But when people get close, they can get beyond beauty.”

Ancient Cloth Series VIII (1993). Source: New York University

“If for instance I worked with bronze [instead of found materials]—it’s distant...As an artist I think that I should work with processes and media that are around me.”

Lines That Link Humanity (2008). Source: North Carolina Museum of Art

“Art has a huge element of play to it, and you can’t play with something that is expensive.”

Drifting Continents (2009). Source: Intramoenia Extrart

“You have all the time you need to make corrections. It’s unlike when you work with power tools like the chainsaw, which is very fast. Then, you need to know what you’re going to do ahead of time, before you start the saw. But with these works there is lot of slack, lots of latitude and freedom.”

Source: Kiss Art

“The nature of the profession is that you never get satisfied with what you have done. There are always new things beckoning at you—vaguely, from a distance. Q: What’s beckoning to you right now? I said ‘vaguely.’ Ha! If you can name what is beckoning, then it doesn’t become interesting.”

In sum:

You’re not selling out by making beautiful work.
There’s an intimacy that comes from experimenting with what you’ve got. Use it.
You can work sloooooowly. But you have to work. Be careful about taking a chainsaw to your life.
You can turn almost anything (all that!) to gold.

Quotes from various interviews with the artist: Metropolitan Museum of Art, Art Info, Leah Sandals for The National Post

UNIFORM: EVERYDAY MAKEUP

2011-10-24T12:26:00.002-04:00

This collage is the result of some pretty creepy behaviour on my part. I was on the bus to work, struggling to secure decent foot-and-hand grips, and visibly perspiring, when I saw her: the coolest, calmest girl I've ever seen on public transit. She looked totally serene, and I think this is in large part because she knew her hair and makeup game was on point, and that nothing could faze her. Girl was a walking advertisement for great, no-makeup makeup that subtly amplifies the natural colours of your face. I stared at her for an obnoxiously long time until we made eye contact, at which point I nodded, businesslike, as if to say, "I salute you." Meanwhile, I had memorized the tone and texture of every product she had on her face and nails.

Illuminating tinted moisturizer / Foundation & Highlighter
Coverage and formulation will depend on your skin type, but for this look I think it's best if you use the least amount of coverage you can get away with, and very minimal shimmer if you choose an illuminating or highlighting product.
Concealer
But only if you need it!
Brow kit
In my book, brows are key.
Brown/Black eyeliner & Black mascara
If you like a bit more definition around the eyes. Low maintenance friends, skip this.
Blush and/or Bronzer, depending on your skin tone
Nothing too shimmery. This should look almost translucent, like the colour is emanating from your complexion instead of something you applied. Gel-based blushers do this job nicely.
Subtle lip gloss
Again, mimicking the natural pigmentation of your lips. You could also go with a lip stain or just plain lip balm.
Robin's egg blue nail polish
Because it's fun to set off your natural makeup with unnatural looking nails.

Photo credits: Dan McMahon, Andreas Lazslo Konrath, IntoTheGloss

Thanks, girl on the bus!

WE ARE ALL THINGS

2011-10-19T19:51:00.000-04:00

Photo by Jacqueline Di Milia for Paper Magazine

Lena Dunham: I always think that the tiny weird things you've done have lent this awesome air of slight weirdness to the big normal things you do.

Greta Gerwig: I also feel like they're both equally representative of who I am. I love weird filmmakers, but to be honest, I really loved When Harry Met Sally. I'm not more one thing than I am another, I think it's just that it's rare for people to honor both things in themselves—to do something completely mainstream and then graphic, simulated sex scenes. I think a lot of people secretly have both parts to them, and they feel like they have to pick an identity. And I think that some of that has to do with being really attached to how you're perceived [...] I think sometimes when you tell the narrative of who you are, you get attached to something that's not entirely true.

Two smart gals shootin' the shit and giving me lots to think about re: life choices, and (in case you thought this wasn't a fAsHiOn bLoG) the existential quagmire that is 'personal style.'

WHEN STEPHANIE “MET” SUSIE

2011-10-07T17:15:00.003-04:00

Photo c/o Susie

If you are familiar with The Loveship, you know that it is a special little corner of the Internet. (n.b.: If you aren’t familiar, I suggest you devote this weekend to exploring the LS archive—we’ll still be here when you’re done.) Susie and Mike bring a combination of thoughtfulness, humour, and genuine affection for clothing that is mighty rare in the world of “fashion blogging.” Which is why I am so pleased to present this latest installment of Life, Work & Creativity: a free-flowin’, and, I think, pretty engaging e-conversation between Susie and myself. Enjoy.

Steph W: I guess I should ask you what you’ve been up to lately, eh?

Susie H: Things are settling down after moving mixed things up quite a bit. I am working part time at a boutique, working on some grant/fellowship proposals for my grad research project, and also trying to publish an article and plan for next year’s conferences.

SW: In our lead-up to this chat you described yourself as a “freelance intellectual.” That sounds pretty badass. Can you elaborate?

SH: I guess that is my “branding strategy” as well as current life goal. There is far too much negativity shrouding “grad student,” and I’m also not certain it captures my intentions for pursuing a PhD. At this point, I want to work on creative projects through which I can use my writing and thinking skills to connect with others. I started the blog as a separate entity, an escape from grad student life, but through it I’ve realized I just want something altogether different for myself. Grad school gave me the opportunity to develop intellectually, and it’s one of the things I most value about myself. However, the endgame of going directly to work in a university became less appealing. So, I hope to write and publish in multiple genres, with a coherent voice and with a clear sense of my most pressing ethical and philosophical questions.

SW: I can totally relate. I definitely feel like my thoughts and emotions demand other, non-academic modes of writing—or communicating in general.

SH: Yes, so finding that balance on my own is where I’m at right now. I’m in a process. But I like the idea of a life always in process. Although at this point I at least have some certainty about what I want the outcome of my efforts to look like. Still, after moving to a new city, things feel pretty open-ended again.

What have you been up to lately? I remember you are thinking of applying to grad school as well.

SW: That’s right. I’m becoming less enchanted with the idea, mostly for the reasons we just discussed. I just started interning at a small film distribution company, and it’s shocking how little my education has to do with any of it—even though I got my degree in film. So that’s what I’ll be doing for the next few months.

I’ve also thought about going back to school for film production, but I don’t feel ready. And I don't really know if I’ll ever be? I think a lot of my indecision stems from the fact that I’ve always wanted to do everything, have it all, etc.

SH: Yes. Same with me. I struggle lately with being content. Like, I have a happy life but I get upset that I'm not doing a million amazing things all right now. I had to make a concerted effort in grad school to be OK with the slowed pace, and knowing that it's not something with a big payoff, or even small rewards along the way, really. But I still dislike the idea that so much of what I value about education seems to have no application—like with your job. I also got a degree in communication and double majored in art history and theory.

My education was mostly all theory—but that was my doing, and it’s the parts of school I love the most. Even in my small way, I am trying to make bridges between valuable ideas and real life situations. Like, to find applications for a theory-based education in everyday life.

I came across this article a few days ago which gave me hope. You might also find it interesting...I just like that these professors are taking what they think about, write about, talk about, and do all day and putting it to use.

SW: Mhmm. And to add to your “million amazing things” comment, I think that’s why I can never roll my eyes at the slashie phenomenon of photographer/illustrators, or uhhh model/actresses. There’s the perception that people who branch out in a ton of directions can’t commit to or master one thing—but I mean, why WOULDN’T you want to every fun n’ cool sounding thing that comes your way?

SH: See also: James Franco.

SW: Ha! I didn’t say anything about being good at everything.

SH: I really love what he's doing for a graduate education.

I have plans to do so many different things, and I really, perhaps delusionally, believe they are still all possible. But in the meantime, I’ve realized that a certain way of living is more important to me than being a major "go-getter." On the one hand, I have a lot of ideas. On the other, I have slowed my pace quite a bit. I value my free time, and relaxing regularly.

By the end of college I had pushed myself into overachiever status. Now, I have both a more narrow focus on what I’m working toward and a sense that it isn't a race. Or, wait—I take that back. It is a race of sorts. But it's the tortoise and the hare. I realized I used to be the hare, but now I’m the tortoise. The tortoise wins though.

SW: That reminds me of this Joan Didion quote I came across on Hila's blog: “That was the year, my twenty-eighth, when I was discovering that not all of the promises would be kept, that some things are in fact irrevocable and that it had counted after all, every evasion and every procrastination, every mistake, every word, all of it.” When I read that I thought, “Oh shit.” But then I thought, you can still build a good life on 3 out of 5 promises.

SH: I’m also into the idea that the everyday counts. A promise is for the future, and you make them in good faith. But there is still chance, which determines so much. So much of what I will become has nothing to do with my own thoughts about it. We readjust to circumstances and changes. But along the way, in everyday acts of human interaction, we have these little chances, I think, to shape things.

That is what I like about blogging—and the fact that you and I are talking right now! I still do not take it for granted that if not for x, y, and z, we would have never encountered one another.

I value chance connections and the unanticipated, because those seem like moments of potential…I want more for not just myself, but for others, too. My own plans are very selfish, so it’s really the unexpected aspects of life that have come to matter to me, because they help me reevaluate my approach and its effects on others...

I may have stopped making sense here. (I should disclose that I am a Pisces.)

SW: I love Pisceans! (Astrology is real!) I’m an Aries—the most blindly romantic sign of the zodiac. Also the biggest baby, which explains a lot.

SH: I very much identify with my sign’s description, haha.

I like that you've initiated this series! A while back I tried to start something similar. I was trying to write back and forth between myself and Michael, and Lorena and Cory of capsulecapsule, do you know of them?

Their blog used to go by another name, which is escaping me right now, but we had this long email exchange about figuring out life and creativity...but then they sorta just dropped out of the Internet.

SW: Oh no! I’ve lost touch with a lot of web-folk over the years. I get genuinely sad if I think about it too hard.

SH: Yeah! Just telling you, I went to their site and got sad. I miss them! They were a good blog presence.

SW: That’s one of the great things about blogging. Lately, a lot of people argue that blogs are too constructed and don't paint an accurate picture of the bloggers’ lives (whatever that means), but 90% of my blog is stuff I’d like to talk about IRL, but don't have an outlet for. I do think you get to learn a lot about people via their blogs.

SH: And if you are smart you can read the way it's constructed to learn about the person. I always liked that it was a projection. Because then I can write my own thoughts, but also edit the content and images to construct something. In that process I am actually also constructing myself. It's a more self-reflexive way of living. I’m more conscious of how I’m “presenting” in real life now. The extent to which I care hasn't really changed, though.

SW: That’s something I want to work on too. There was a time when I believed it was enough to be smart and conscientious, but in my daily life I find myself focusing more and more on things like keeping my voice level (no more uptalking!) and trying to be charming. I hope it’ll lead to a more charmed life.

SH: As far as talking goes, I’m trying to listen more. Endlessly talking runs in my family. I am hoping to learn more by trying to really listen to people.

UNIFORM: NO-FUSS BAG

2011-10-03T18:28:00.002-04:00

Nothing like a trendy handbag to make me question my femininity. Sometimes I’ll spot a woman carrying a perfectly respectable chain-store bought thing, and think, “Maybe I just haven’t found the right studded, fringed hobo sack!” But no. As soon as I come face-to-hide with them in the store, all my suspicions are confirmed: they are, for the most part, objectively ugly. Thus, I’ve always favoured styles that are clearly utilitarian. My trusty Marimekko messenger bag and a full rotation of grubby canvas totes have served me pretty well up until now, but things are getting a little desperate. I’m so committed to going hands-free that the humble fanny pack is starting to look like a viable option...

But wait, what’s that? Baggu bags now come in black and tan leather?

This might not check all my everyday bag boxes (the handle drop is a fraction too short, and there doesn’t seem to be any pockets), but I appreciate how clean, clever, and decidedly unfussy it is.

Q+A: KAT ASHARYA

2011-09-23T15:05:00.002-04:00

Photo c/o Kat

Kat Asharya is one half of the style and pop culture mixtape known as NOGOODFORME.COM. In addition to blogging (and writing to pay the bills), Kat is also busy feeding/petting/slaying the beast that is her YA skater-werewolf novel. She was kind enough to share some of her thoughts on writing from the soul, and the importance of honouring your inner door bitch. Thanks, Kat!

Let's start off with some the usual cocktail party/HR questions: Where are you from, and what do you do? Can you describe your “career trajectory” (I know, I know) so far?

I've lived most of my adult life in New York and San Francisco, but I'm currently outside of Chicago, trying to decide if I want to go back to NYC (probably not, but I change my mind all the time), settle down here in Ill-ville (maybe) or have a little more wandering to do (probably, but not much longer.) I'm actually a bona fide writer for my living: my job is as a managing editor at a major technology website, and I spend my mornings, evenings and weekend writing stories about vengeful bikini waxers, Dracula as a NYC playboy, teenage skater werewolves and tough young ladies discovering their burgeoning sexuality. (Not all in the same story, though.) I also have a deal to write a screenplay for a foreign production company, but I actually can't talk a lot about that. But it's a huge part of what's on my slightly overburdened plate. And it's satisfying to know my film school degree is paying off in some way!

My “career trajectory” is less an arc and more like a spiral, really. I actually have been a freelancer/self-employed most of my adult life. After undergrad, I worked in film production and did some freelance writing in New York, moved eventually to San Francisco and added web design and development to the mix while still doing film. Then I got into film school, so I moved back to New York and maintained a small web design business to earn living expenses.

After getting my MFA, I realized that I couldn't stomach working on film sets anymore and confused everyone around me by starting to write novels. I realized, though, that I didn't have the time or energy to both maintain and build a business while writing a novel, so I settled into this steady gig and here I am!

How long have you been working on your novel? Is it something you've always wanted to tackle?

I've been working on the novel for a little over a year, but I suspect that I'll be pegging away on it for some time to come. I've written first drafts of novels before, partly for Nanowrimo, partly on my own because I wanted a challenge. I think I struggled through two and a half novels before my current one? But this is the first one I've worked on after film school, where I developed the craft, stamina and discipline to write long-form projects with any real sense of sustained purpose and vision. I had to write about seven full screenplays in school to get to that point, though!

Writing tends to be a pretty solitary activity. Have you been seeking feedback from friends or other writers?

Absolutely! I came away from film school with an amazing group of colleagues and friends that I still rely on to bounce material off of. Even though it's a different medium, the instincts for storytelling are still consistent—whether or not a character rings true, where a story feels true and where it feels like it's betraying itself. The price of film school was worth the feedback alone, because going through the process of feedback so much and so systematically actually makes it easier for you to approach your own work consistently.

What is a typical day at work like for you?

It really depends on what story I'm working on and what stage I'm at. If I'm on the first draft or an early revision, I like to get up early before my job to give the story my freshest energy. If that's the case, I'm up at 5:30 or 6, downing coffee and enjoying the quiet and getting lost with my characters. I start work generally around 7:30, and it's pretty fast-paced and demanding, even when working from home. In the late afternoon I'm drained, so I take a break from sitting down in front of a computer or screen and go work out, take a walk, go swimming or riding, see a cute person or two—or just get out in the world in some way. Then in the evenings I might do research, or blog, or just chill out and read or watch a movie before I pass out. Man, I sound boring! I swear to God, I have fun, too!

Do you consider yourself a workaholic? How on earth do you stay organized and motivated?

I actually don't consider myself a workaholic! I mean, I'm not a slacker—I do work hard and I'm pretty disciplined, and I would say that I have a strong work ethic. Being a workaholic is kind of glorified, but I learned early on that if you don't care of your well-being and your energy, it will seriously kick your ass in the long term. It's just not sustainable, and I don't think the quality of work is any better when you work all the time. I actually need a lot of rest and quiet time and opportunities to recharge to feel like I'm working well, so I really try to respect that.

Honestly, a lot of being able to work smart and still be the person you are and have the life you want and be with loved ones is saying no to things that truly don't call to you. I don't socialize as much as I did when I was younger; my social life is pretty pared down now. I don't work on projects anymore just because they sound cool, because I've found my focus and know what I want to drive my energy towards. I don't buy stuff I don't need, and I try to put my time, energy and attention to things I truly want to do. There's a strange fetishization of having a super-long To-Do list—it makes you feel productive and important, I suppose. But really, one of the best things I learned as an adult is not to put anything unnecessary on it, and know your priorities and your deepest dreams and desires and make sure how you spend your hours reflects that as much as possible. It's a weird but semi-entertaining metaphor, but sometimes I think of my schedule and To-Do list like one of those horrible, loud, obnoxious nightclubs in the Meatpacking District in New York: there are all these things clamoring to get on it, but my door bitch is pretty strict about letting in only 3-5 items a day. (Sometimes, though, she has to let in a few jerks, since they keep the place running financially, you know?) Maybe that's my advice to any young lady or artist starting out in life: get in touch with your inner door bitch. Otherwise your life will feel like a crowded, stinky club with bad music, ugly dudes and a stopped-up toilet.

Aside from NOGOODFORME, you also keep a personal website where you post video ‘sketchbook’ entries, updates on your creative progress, and other neat stuff. How long have you been writing & documenting your life online? Is this an important outlet for you?

I've been doing writing and documenting online, or at least for a long, long time. Even back in 1999, when I had a personal site on Angelfire and every page had its own hand-coded design! I think it comes out of my past life as a zinemaker, too. I've made some amazing friends through zines and then the Internet, on LiveJournal and such. I've been slack about it since novelizing, but I try to keep some connection to it. I think of personal websites and zines as a kind of running notebook to document ideas and fascinations, and it's amazing how it stays with youthe novel I'm working on now, for instance, was seeded in a story I wrote for a comp zine that Liz Barker (my partner at NOGOODFORME) was putting together years and years ago.

A lot of people either play down how invested they are in their creative work or keep it a secret, but writing a novel requires so much commitment! At what point did writing stop being ‘just a hobby’ for you, and become something else?

Writing's always been more than just a hobby for me—whether it was screenplays, poetry or now fiction, it's like a part of my DNA, and a huge part of what I feel my purpose on this planet is about in some weird yet compulsive way. I think anyone who's known me in real life knows that I've always been working on something creative, whether it's a film, a song, a zine, whatever. I have been more open about my process and my journey, partly to document it and partly because I've learned so much from others who have been open about their own struggles, successes and such. I always appreciated that generosity in fellow artists.

But I do think you're right that people play down their investment in creative work or keep it a secret. It's very risky to make art, and it puts the maker in a very vulnerable position. You put your heart and soul—your feelings and ideas of beauty, love, and desire, and much else—into your work and it gets out there and eek! People are reading and watching! And everyone fears failing, and failing publicly. But at some point you have to think, “Fuck it” and stop being such a goddamn chicken. So doing it publicly or semi-publicly is my way of being less of a chicken, and also a way to hold myself accountable.

What are your plans for the book once it's completed?

I will probably do the whole thing of trying to find an agent and sell it to a publisher, but I know that's a hard slog. Writing a teen paranormal/urban fantasy novel, when the market's so competitive and publishing is freaking out? It's an uphill battle. I'm impatient and D.I.Y. by nature, though, and a long-term dream of mine would be to have some kind of electronic book/fiction imprint, so maybe this would play into that, in some small way. The publishing industry is in a lot of flux now, so we'll see; I just want the characters to find their audience and meet the world, you know? I'll find any way I can do that! But really, I just want to write the next book: I'm planning it and writing the core scenes now, and I'm so excited.

Any advice for struggling writers?

I feel like I should be canvassing advice, not giving it! But honestly, if you have ambitions as a writer, I think it's important to figure out what you want writing to give you, what its higher purpose is for you. Not stuff like book contracts, or agents, but how you want to feel from it, what it means on a soulful level: community, beauty, justice, mastery, exorcism, whatever. Yes, I would love to write stories for a living, and I do want to shift more of my hours in a day towards it; that is a dream and a goal of mine. But I'm grateful I get to write for a living, anyway. And ultimately I already feel fucking happy when I'm working on a story and everything's just humming along and I feel like my characters are really alive and it's all just working beautifully for some strange reason. It's so cheesy to say, but you have to find joy and beauty in it and a reason beyond accomplishment and ego, and find ways to keep that spirit alive, even if it means writing in great boots and red lipstick and blasting Unwound, or whatever!

Of course, I'm telling this to myself as I contemplate what agents to send my book to and imagine 60-75 rejection letters in my inbox! Ask me again after I've been pulverized by the crushing hammer of constant rejection!

What have you been watching, reading, and listening to lately?

I've been watching “Orange Juice in Bishop's Garden,” a web series about teens in 90s-era D.C. that was created by my lovely and talented friend from film school, Otessa Ghadar. It's a really affectionate, beautifully shot, episodic look at being young: goofing off and getting in fights and drinking and being dramatic in a very high school way—so fun and great, especially for this time of year. And the costumes are fantastic. It's great, especially once it gets rolling in the second season and starts focusing on certain relationships.

I just finished reading the whole series of George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire: A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast for Crows, A Dance With Dragons. In a row, in a huge glut of sex and violence and dragons and crazy ice zombies! And I'm actually really depressed that I'm done with it all and really, really, really want the next book to come out now! I'm starting Courtney E. Smith's Record Collecting for Girls next, as well as Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus. But I'm also making my way through a bunch of Zola novels, too: that's kind of my “project” for the year.

In terms of new music, I like the new Iceage record a lot, since at heart I'll always be kind of a punk and like anything loud and semi-chaotic, and I like those new Charlotte Gainsbourg songs floating around. She's kind of been a long-running girl crush of mine, and I'm really relieved that I like her songs as much as her acting and her style. The Julianna Barwick record from this year is still really beautiful and soothing as when it came out. But right at this very moment I'm listening to the Lil Wayne record and, well, he's such a weirdo. But any guy who likes to rap about Gremlins gets a hall pass in my school.

Finally, what are some of your favourite blogs? Any hidden gems we should know about?

I don't read as many blogs as I used to—blogs, Facebook, all that stuff are some of the things I've needed to cut down on so I can get more writing in my life done, and I've actually made a shift to trying to read books more because they feel less like information and more like knowledge, if that makes sense. (I had this weird worry earlier this year that my intellect was becoming a weird series of fragments and not really cohesive in any way, so I really try to privilege books over blogs now.) I tend to read new blogs like I watch TV—I wait for whole seasons to accumulate and then I read all at once. I also like to read blogs from people I don't normally encounter in my real life, like Mormon feminist housewives and business executives having mid-life crises.

But on my regulars list, I do like The Rejectionist a lot (whip-smart and funny), and I will never tire of reading words by smart, creative, lovely women I first encountered in zines, so I want to shout out Teri Vlassopoulos, Eleanor Whitney, Helena Kvarnstrom, Esme Wang, Laura Jane Faulds, Anke Weckmann and Mimi Nguyen. I met so many amazing people through zines and web journals, and I'm still reading their words and thoughts over a decade later through their blogs.

If you'd like to learn more about the inspiration behind Kat's novel, she has another great interview over at Royal Quiet Deluxe.

YOU ARE NOT JUST AN ORNAMENT

2011-09-16T10:45:00.000-04:00

I never thought I'd link to an article called “10 Ways to Love Your Body” (the fact that it's on a parenting website doesn't help), but it's a short read and it might be a good place to continue our last discussion about body image. I like it because it makes a stupid amount of sense. For example:

“Become aware of what your body can do each day. Remember, it is the instrument of your life, not just an ornament.”

See how silly that just made you feel? Because Emme at Parents Connect is right and you know it: bodies are nice to look at, but they are even better to live in. I've tried to use this blog to karate chop the standards that our society has erected and airbrushed and generally passed off as “the natural order of things,” partly because I want this to be the Roland Barthes of fashion blogs. But I also have to acknowledge that if the industry/society/world is going to change, it will do so at an achingly slow rate—slow enough to make us want to give up. Trying to change these structures by writing and talking about them is noble work, but it's only a start. We gotta work on the macro and the micro, yo!

Forget all those weird fitness motivation boards on Pinterest. People who motivate themselves by posting pictures of “ideal abs” other than their own don't really understand bodies. You can't tell your abs how you want them to look! They don't give a shit! They just want to support you, seriously. Plus, I'm pretty sure runners don't get high thinking about their ideal abs. Set goals like: “I will run there and back” or “I will climb to the top of that hill.” That way it won't be about how other people view you, but about the view from the porch when you come home sweaty and satisfied, or about how different your city looks from way up there. Last weekend I went rock climbing for the first time, and I felt so strong and present I forgot to be afraid of heights.

“Think back to a time in your life when you felt good about your body. Tell yourself you can feel like that again, even in this body, at this age.”

Sometimes I look at pictures of myself before puberty hit, and wish I could have that body now. But then I remember that a) that is certifiably fucked up, and b) I still felt bad about myself back then—not just about my body, but like a million other things I've since let go of and told to get lost, too. The best thing is realizing that lightness can have so much more to do with feeling than with weight.

Q+A: SARAH NICOLE PRICKETT

2011-09-16T10:38:00.002-04:00

Photo c/o SNP

If you live in Toronto and happen to be interested in style and culture, the name Sarah Nicole Prickett is not just a familiar one (her work has appeared in FASHION Magazine, The Grid, The National Post, Dazed Digital, and The Toronto Standard)—it likely means something to you. Just the initials "SNP" are enough to work a certain type of anonymous online commenter into a vicious froth. For the rest of us, Prickett is sort of like the real talk-dispensing fairy godmother you still wish for, even if you don't always agree with her. For this Q+A installment, she was kind enough to share some thoughts on writing, fashion, and writing about fashion. Phew. Merci, SNP!

In your bio, you say that you always wanted to be a writer. Same here. What I want to know is: When did you realize you were good enough to be one?
There was never a realization, I don't think. It was always just what I did. I kept diaries, then I kept blogs, then I kept print clippings. I worked because I had to—not being trust-funded or otherwise possessed of cash money—and because I am a precious child who nearly can't work unless I really like the work, I worked at writing about things I like. It didn't occur to me that I wouldn't be good enough. I was always told I was good, I knew I wasn't good at anything else, and I chose to believe I was good at this one thing rather than turn to 24/7 drugs and stripping. Not that there's anything wrong with stripping. In fact, if I fail at writing, I sincerely hope I fail before I get too old to strip.

Magazines are like secret societies to me. I have no idea how people get a job at one. Can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I applied for an internship at FASHION. Lots of girls—well, enough of them—ask me now how to get this same internship. Let me whisper it in your ear: you go on the FASHION website and click “internships.” You don't know anybody who knows anybody. You write a good letter. You get an interview and put on a nice dress from Club Monaco and you try really hard to pretend you're not a precious child who's also lazy and maybe delusional (see above).

And then while I was interning, my editor/boss, who remains the best, figured out I could write and gave me stuff to do. It was part talent, part luck, part trying, like everything, probably.

Fashion writers usually aren't taken as seriously as their counterparts in film, music, or politics—though maybe that's changing thanks to people like Robin Givhan and Sally Singer. Why do you write about fashion?
I love Sally Singer. If I were Sally Singer, I could adequately and elegantly and concisely explain how much I love her, but I'm not.

I write about fashion—among other art forms and distractions, plus a lot of feelings—for a few reasons. You tell me how good they are.

1) I grew up barely middle class and extremely Christian, so anything name-brand was a luxury, and probably also a sin. My mom shopped for me so she could save money in the ways only she knew how, but also so that she could ensure I was decent/covered/shapeless. For me the mall was like... freedom. And so I still sort of love The Gap and Club Monaco both, even though I know better. But anyway, when I left home and then left my hometown and finally began shopping very much alone, not with my mom or with my high school friends, but for me, that was when I also began to feel like a self-made/made-whole person. So there's that. The aspirational, leading to the transformational, aspect of fashion.

2) It's a challenge.

3) At the same time, it's not a huge stretch. I can look the part, like the insider even? That's gross. But, quick save, I feel like the outsider always.

4) When I started writing it was for Torontoist, the city blog. They needed contributors. I scanned the site and saw that Toronto's idea of a Fashion Week was coming up, and volunteered to cover it for them, as they didn't have style contributors so much. Besides that, my new best friend was interning for FashionTelevision, and I thought it would be cute to hang out. I scammed a media pass and fell into it pretty quickly. Nobody told me you were supposed to praise faintly or lie outright, so I just said what I thought about things and quickly earned, I guess, a name for myself. (It has five letters and starts with a b!)

5) I've never in my life said “I love fashion.” If I had I would be immediately disqualified. As a fashion (or anything) critic, you need to have a mix of adoration and wariness—I said this to Danielle once. My adoration has faded in some places and deepened into dead awe in others, and my wariness has lately become disgust (see: Galliano; ten-year-old models in Paris Vogue; “slave earrings” in Vogue Italia; etc). But as much as I don't wholly love fashion, I love looking at it, I mean really looking at it, you know?

I enjoy the fantasy aspect of fashion, but it seems like the task of calling the industry and mainstream fashion media out on their warped attitudes re: race, body size, etc. is a neverending one. This might be an impossible question to answer, but: Do you foresee any real improvements in this area, or are we all just destined to feel like sad, beached whales forever?
Well, to paraphrase that thing your fifth-grade teacher told you, no one can make you feel like a sad, beached whale without your consent. There's lots of alternative fashion media, from Worn Journal to The Gentlewoman, and so while you can't choose what you see, you can choose what you let sink in, a little more. I do think there will be social progress in fashion, just as there's been enormous change (notwithstanding the ineluctable, scary religious-right backlash) in real life. But fashion, for all it's always seeming to evolve and revolve, is actually moreso bent on remaining the same, and so is verrry slow and reluctant to catch up. Plus it's founded on the opposite of democracy, and I don't mean communism. But now fashion is more and more commercial, and the plus side is you can vote with your dollars—don't buy the shit magazines, don't buy from racist designers, don't buy brands that airbrush the life out of their models.

If fashion media were more critical and less complicit, we'd see change faster. But think about how you even get to be fashion media; it's usually by being “fashion,” in a way an art media person doesn't have to be “art.” I mean, look. Would I be quite as (relatively; insignificantly) successful if I didn't look this way, or if I weighed lots more? And if the answer is no, am I not a little complicit too, for all my criticisms? To get way too fucking serious for a second, I feel like a double agent. But I work for good. SWEAR.

I think that a lot of writers are (or end up being) jerks*, sometimes without meaning to be, just because of the way their lives spill into their work and vice versa. Do you ever worry about crossing that line? *not an insult! just a general observation
“Writers are always selling somebody out.” — Joan Didion.

Is it better to be clever or earnest?
It's best to know when to choose.

Do you have any plans to branch out into fiction?
Yes. That's all I've wanted since I could hold a pencil; maybe that's the realization I'm waiting for, that I'm good enough not just to write but really to write a BOOK. More likely it's just time I'm waiting for, or not time, but enough money that I can stop making it and write for myself again.

Any advice or words of warning for writers who are just starting out?
I'm still starting out! No? My advice for anybody who wants to climb is just: don't look down.

A book (or other piece of writing) that changed the way you thought about the written word.
William Faulkner's Nobel Prize acceptance speech.

A designer, photographer, or stylist you're excited about.
J.W. Anderson. So talented, so blue-eyed. I spent a day/night with him in Montreal, first on assignment, and then just on a pure platonically crushy high.

A song that gets you every time.
Historically, too many. Right this summer, “Midnight City” by M83.

A movie you want to live in.
Ryan Gosling's Body. Sorry, is that not what it's called? I forget.

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN: BUILDING THE PERFECT WARDROBE?

2011-09-07T19:48:00.000-04:00

As I mentioned in my summer goals post, I recently borrowed Ines de la Fressange’s style guide, Parisian Chic, from the library after seeing some teaser material online. Part travel guide, part how-to manual, it'll likely appeal to the Franco-style-philes among you. (Though, how useful it will be to you depends largely on whether you plan to visit Paris anytime soon.) It is one of the less uptight style guides I've read, so I'll proffer a tentative recommendation after a few words of caution: first, de la Fressange is fond of the term "ethnic chic" and uses it often and without irony. There's also a do's and don'ts chapter that's clearly geared towards the stereotypical, drooling American slob, which means you can skip it.

The really interesting thing about this book is that its most “limiting” chapter (aside from the do's and don'ts) is actually its best. As you probably guessed from the title of this post, it's a list of seven wardrobe basics. Oui, c'est tout. The genius is in the way that you can take it to The Next Level by personalizing these items according to your own fancies. You can forget all about “Parisian chic” and work with your own style as it evolves. I'm really excited about experimenting with this pared-down list to paradoxically deepen my options.

Here's de la Fressange’s Magnificent Seven, and how I’d like to interpret them.

1. The Blazer

Lou Doillon by Eric Ryan/Getty Images, Stella McCartney SS/2009

Owning the perfect blazer signifies to the world that you are an adult. Or, put a different way, only grown-ass, in-charge individuals can wear them convincingly. And so I ask you the following questions: Does anyone wear an evening blazer better than Lou? Does anyone make a blazer as feather-light as Stella?

2. The Trench

The coolest French girl on the block, snapped by The Sartorialist

Ideally, I'd like to have one classic tan trench and a couple of unusual variations like my beloved olive corduroy version. Naturally, the above ORANGE SUEDE (?) specimen is irresistible to me. This image is also a constant inspiration for the way I want to dress on low-key days: A bottom layer of basics topped with a wonderfully maximalist, almost goofy touch.

3. The Navy Sweater

Stockholm chick, killin' it on The Sartorialist

How am I just waking up to how great navy blue is? It's a refreshing alternative to black that's just as versatile. Also: Another trench. Colour me obsessed.

4. The Tank

Zuzana, photographed by Garance Doré

...or Tee, or Turtleneck. Great to layer, lazily & sloppily, or wear alone. Lightweight lyocell or tencel versions provide the best drape and are easy to dress up for work or evening, but you'll stay just as cool in coton blanc.

5. The Little Black Dress

Katherine on Turned Out

The top half of this dress hits all the right notes for me: a generous (but not quite scandalous) v-neck, and angel hair-thin straps. N.B. Here is an interesting blog post on the politics of the LBD.

6. The Perfect Jeans

Maya Villiger in her J.Brand wide-legged jeans, Jak & Jil

A perfect pair of jeans? Please. If the silhouette is right, the fit is wrong. If the fit is right, the wash is atrocious. And so it goes. Just call it the Murphy's Law of jeans.

7. The Leather Jacket

The Sartorialist, 1 & 2

What is a prissy leather jacket if not an insult to cows everywhere? Right? Well, I suppose some designers make great liquid-y sleek ones (Theyskens' Theory comes to mind), but on the whole I prefer them tough, scuffed, and a little dirty.

What are your thoughts on the Magnificent Seven? Do you find yourself gravitating towards variations of the same old wardrobe song?

Q+A: ANABELA CARNEIRO

2011-08-30T17:58:00.000-04:00

Photo by Fieldguided

Anabela Carneiro runs an unfailingly lovely Toronto-based blog and shop called Fieldguided alongside her partner, Geoff. For this Q+A series, she generously describes her daily routine and provides some insight into the realities of operating a small business. Thanks, Anabela!

Where are you from, and what do you do for a living?
I am from Toronto. By day I work in a university library typesetting books, and at night I work on Fieldguided or various other projects I have on the go (I do some freelance things).

When did you launch Fieldguided, and how did it come to fruition?
I started the blog when I was in my last year of my library studies degree as a part of a technology class. I had had other blogs before, though, and saw this one as a means of starting fresh. The shop started about a year later after I made a necktie for a friend's birthday and realized I could probably sell them.

Was starting your own business something you'd always wanted to do? Did you have any related experience to draw from?
It is. I started dreaming about having my own store in high school (this even made it into my yearbook blurb when I graduated, embarrassingly enough). I have many years of working retail behind me, and my father has owned his own business for 20 years. These days I’m not too interested in owning a store, mostly because I don’t have the money for it.

What does a typical day of work look like for you? How do you balance the demands of your business with the 9-5/office grind?
I'm a late riser, unfortunately, so I usually wake up around 8.30 and putter until I have to leave the house. Every morning I wake up to about 30-40 new emails, so I pour some coffee and spend time sorting through them and skimming blogs, and, if I'm motivated enough, taking pictures for my blog since the light is so nice in the morning. Luckily Geoff works from home so he is able to squeeze in a few hours of printing during the day. When I get home in the evening I do any number of things: heat-set tote bags, package tote bags, work on side projects, etc. I used to spend more time working on new things but the tote bags have taken over lately. I balance it by letting other things go. For example, I was going to yoga classes regularly for a while but then I got really behind and couldn't keep up. My social life definitely suffers as well. It's kind of a bummer, especially because working on Fieldguided doesn't feel like enough of a real job that I can use it as an excuse to skip out on things. “I have to fix my new logo” is a pretty weird reason not to go out for a drink. I’m basically permanently busy, but maybe it doesn’t seem that way to other people.

Photo by Fieldguided

One of the things I like most about Fieldguided is the obvious care that you and Geoff put into it. From the magazine-worthy product photos, to the sweet packaging—it seems like no detail goes overlooked, and so many skills are involved. What's your favourite part of the job?
I actually really love packing orders. There are a few steps I don't love: I could do without heat-setting and running lint rollers over everything so I don’t ship out a stray cat hair—although those steps are important. But I do love wrapping the bags up, writing thank you notes, and affixing our stickers on the sheet of newsprint. We probably spend too much money on packaging (postcards, professionally printed hangtags, etc.) but I want everything to look just right. It's nice to hear that, though. I'm in a perpetual state of "I can do better," but then I just get tired and overwhelmed.

Your lyric tote bags have an unabashedly enthusiastic fanbase around the world, myself included. (Seeing so many cool girls carrying your Thunder tote kickstarted my Kate Bush education. No joke.) Why do you think they have such a strong appeal?
I honestly don't know! I wish I did so I could create a new design that could be so popular! I think it might be because the design is pretty minimal, and because it's a pretty cool statement. Some people like the Kate Bush reference, but sometimes people buy them without knowing who Kate Bush is.

You're involved in several collaborations, including exclusive totes for Summerland and Robber. How did these projects come about? Has blogging led to other opportunities to do new things?
Blogging has definitely lead to being contacted by cool people. A lot of the collaborations have come about from friends of mine asking if we could work together, although with Robber, I did the asking. I'm pretty open to these things because they can be a lot of fun and make me think about things in new ways, with new approaches.

Do you have any advice or words of warning for people who are thinking about parlaying their creativity into a second career?
It’s never as easy as it seems. At the very least you might spend all your free time on it and wind up with a little bit of extra money that can buy you a new pair of shoes. There are so many tiny little parts to it that seem negligible but end up taking up entire evenings of your life. That said, the rewards can be thrilling.

What have you been watching, reading, and listening to lately?
I’m currently reading The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst which is taking my breath away. I’m re-watching all the episodes of Game of Thrones and watching anything that seems halfway decent on Netflix, and I’m listening to my usual late summer/early autumn mix of Talk Talk, Françoise Hardy’s La question, and Sufjan Stevens’ Seven Swans.

Finally, what are some of your favourite blogs? Any hidden gems we should know about?
I haven’t been reading too many new ones lately (summer is so slow!) but I’ve really been enjoying this one: http://konfektkonfekt.blogspot.com (beautiful photography!) and this one: http://moncheriblogg.blogg.se.

If you'd like to learn more about the inspiration behind Fieldguided, check out Anabela's recent interview on The Iceberg.

A PLACE IN THE (SETTING) SUN

2011-08-29T19:29:00.000-04:00

Click to enlarge. Clockwise from top left: Ari Marcopoulos, Will Davidson for Russh #41, Ari Marcopoulos, Perry Ogden, Hans Feurer for Vogue China
Everyone knows that late summer days are good for idle daydreaming, but we forget that it's also the perfect time to quietly hatch plans. I've been thinking in both modes lately. Mostly—OK, forever and always—about the boys of summer, but also about practical matters like how I'm going to benefit from the new internship I'm starting this week, and whether I should apply to grad school "just in case."

Above all, I've been wondering how people turn their daydreams into solid goals; and because this is the Internet, I haven't been too shy to ask around. In the next few days, I'll introduce the first of a new series of Q+A posts loosely organized around the themes of work, life, and creativity. I get the feeling you'll enjoy it. If you'd like to contribute to this series, or know someone else who would, give me a shout, spread the word and all that. x

THE GIRLIFICATION OF FASHION

2011-08-09T14:32:00.001-04:00

It used to be they only wanted you when you were Seventeen. Now, even 17-year-old Dakota Fanning—who landed a Marc Jacobs campaign in 2007—is being eclipsed by her 13-year-old sister, Elle.

Elle Fanning in Lula Magazine, photographed by Damon Heath

More controversial is 10-year-old Thylane Lena-Rose Blondeau, seen below in Paris Vogue, and already drawing comparisons to Brigitte Bardot.

Photo by Sharif Hamza for Paris Vogue
Bardot herself is widely considered to be the original sex kitten, a new type of post-war woman whose persona combined elements of traditional 50's femininity with the rebellious, “untamed” beauty of the nouvelle vague gamine. In one hell of a not-a-girl-not-yet-a-woman moment, Bardot got married in a pink gingham dress. She was 25. If anything, Blondeau is a sort of inverse Bardot: a little girl outfitted in all the clichéd signifiers for “hot and rich.”

Paris Vogue will no doubt defend this photo shoot as an ironic statement, but I see it as an exercise in irony as deflection. Under the pretense of “pushing the envelope”, a fashion editorial can acknowledge the hypocrisy and exclusion of the industry from which it springs, without actually changing anything. (File next to: Vogue Italia's all-black issue, and June plus-size cover.) It's a cheap move that only maintains the status quo.

The girlification of fashion is a two-pronged affair that involves the infantilization of women and women's style (see: the Lula effect, Zooey Deschanel) as well as the sexualization, not just of young girls, but of the entire false fountain of youth.

Fashion and beauty culture is so psychotically obsessed with age, I feel like the biggest idiot in the room for needing to point it out. Thirteen year old girls read Seventeen, and seventeen year old girls read Vogue or Cosmopolitan. It seems like this has been the case for eternity. Magazines want to make young girls feel older, to feel like the next stage in their development is not a messed-up and meaningful adulthood, but a medicine cabinet full of Magic Elixir™. This is what all the pictures and cover lines say. The unstated goal is to squeeze the happy medium out. Every woman will want to be or look a different age, and none will be satisfied with the age they have earned.

But it's not all fire and brimstone.

Hailee Steinfeld for Miu Miu, via Onryo
Don't think I'm immune to the many charms of a certain type of fashion image that reminds me of trying on my babysitter's silver high heels when she wasn't looking. I see myself at that age, peering into a world of sophisticated delights that would be mine as soon as I got my driver's license. I love seeing that feeling represented so well.

I am OK with Hailee Steinfeld representing Miu Miu at age 15, if only because she was allowed to look happy and they fed her pizza. Sure, there are millions of dollars at stake here, but I doubt that made it any less fun.

Tavi Gevinson in Pop Magazine, via Gary Pepper Vintage
Girls like Tavi also give me hope. But then, Tavi's blog has always been (at least in part) about documenting the process of becoming a young woman and figuring out one's identity in tandem with one's style. Unlike the Blondeau editorial, Tavi's photos show evidence of a mind behind the outfits. But I bet it took a lot of playing dress-up to get there.

SECOND DEGREE BURNS

2011-07-27T12:50:00.000-04:00

As promised, here's my first Diana roll, full of the graffiti and garbage that make this town what it is. The focus is blurred, the black scan borders are uneven, and my stupid finger just had to get in the way. In other words: everything is as it should be. I really got a kick out of taking pictures with such a “primitive” camera on a sweltering day because it reminded me of Dennis Oppenheim's Reading Position for Second Degree Burn (1970). Painfully clever, I know.

SOME, ER, GOALS

2011-07-21T14:41:00.000-04:00

Inspired by the blog Summer Goals and numerous Internet lists of things to do in the summer, here are some of my own, more concrete, goals that fall under the category of General Life Improvement.

S E W I N G

Sewing class sponsored by ILGWU Local 91, October 21, 1966. Kheel Center, Cornell University Archives
I signed up for an introductory class at The Sewing Studio, and it's become the dorky highlight of my week. I do have to get over my crippling fear of fabric stores (one million dollars to the person who designs an uncluttered, well-stocked, easy-to-navigate fabric store), but it'll be great to be able to make basic things like tanks and skirts for myself.

C O O K I N G

Photo by Romulo Yanes for Gourmet Magazine

Oh man, this is starting to turn into a real home ec. syllabus. Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not trying to be a domestic goddess—not that there's anything wrong with that—I'm just trying to eat something that isn't a Jamaican beef patty (absolutely NOTHING wrong with those either, mmm mmm). There's a vegetarian restaurant chain in Toronto called Fresh, which is the go-to place for when you don't really know/care what you want to eat, but you want it to be healthy. They have a couple of cookbooks out, and a friend and I whipped up their coconut curry the other day. So easy.

R E A D I N G

Jane Mount, Ideal Bookshelf 101: Robert Verdi, via 20x20
One of my non-craft-related goals is to diversify my reading list. I used to have a real bias against non-fiction, which never seemed ‘literary’ enough for me. These days, I can't seem to get enough of it. I just picked up Kelly Cutrone's latest, which I'm quite excited to start since I don't actually know anything about her aside from hearing her on talk shows. I've also begun flipping through Ines de la Fressange's book, Parisian Chic.

W A T C H I N G

Catherine Deneuve on the set of The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, 1964, via Lark About
Summer is seriously melting my Film Studies brain. Even though the thought of an air-conditioned theatre/basement in the middle of a heat wave sounds really appealing, I'm finding it super hard to concentrate on things like, I dunno, plot development. Still, I happened to catch an outdoor screening of The Umbrellas of Cherbourg last week, and its general Frenchy film deliciousness reminded me that one of my summer goals is to finally finish watching Rohmer's Moral Tales sextet.

If you happen to be looking for something good to watch, allow me to suggest Certified Copy (Juliette Binoche! Tuscany! Excellent writing!), The Princess of Montpensier (emotionally intelligent historical bodice ripper!), Hannah and Her Sisters (lulzy Michael Caine), or anything with Gena Rowlands in it. TV-wise, there's this Canadian cop show called Rookie Blue that one of my uni teachers sometimes writes for, and it is solid fun summer viewing too.

S H O O T I N G

Marcello Mastroianni on the set of Fellini's 8 1/2, 1963.
Production still by Paul Ronald currently on display at TIFF Bell Lightbox.
As I recently broadcasted over Twitter, I shot my first Lomo Diana roll last weekend. Still waiting on results from the lab, but I hope to show them to you soon! Next weekend I'm shooting my first ever Super 8 film around the city. My test shots came back TOTALLY UNEXPOSED, so this project is like the definition of a disaster waiting to happen. I'm still pretty into it.

What are you guys up to lately?

UNIFORM: SKINCARE EDITION

2011-07-07T11:37:00.001-04:00

I am a skincare hippie. I have so many bottles of oil and vinegar in my bathroom that my friends tease me about “making salads”* in there. It all started when I realized that my trusty Cetaphil-knockoff cleanser had 8 ingredients...and 3 of them were parabens. gRoSs!

But aside from the chemical impact, my biggest concern was actually acne (acne, acne, ACNEEEEE!). I'd been struggling with it in various forms for the better part of 10 years**, and I wondered if switching to a natural skincare regimen would make a visible difference. I like the idea of natural skincare on principle, but frankly, it's only worth it if you get results.

So after a bit of research, I started using the Oil Cleansing Method with a blend of castor and jojoba oils. If I'm in the mood to tone my face I just mix a little apple cider vinegar + water solution. And while my skin is nowhere near perfect, I can tell you that it's in much better condition than it was only a couple of months ago. After I massage and towel-steam my face à la OCM, my skin is radiant like there’s a mothafuckin’ light on under there. (Even if you don't want to try cleansing with it, try substituting jojoba oil for your nighttime moisturizer—you'll see what I'm talking about.) I find that I get a bit less greasy during the day, and I feel much more comfortable leaving the house without makeup on. Such a boon in the summer. And to top it all off, this regimen is probably cheaper than fancy natural cleansers and moisturizers like Kiehl’s or Origins: a 4 oz. bottle of jojoba oil costs around $15 and lasts for well over a year if you store it properly. Castor oil costs even less.

I might experiment with other products in the future, but for now this is working wonderfully. Good skin, like good hair, is so key. Do you have any natural beauty remedies? What’s your skincare ‘uniform’?

* Not a euphemism.

** Truly an awful decade. I've been on ProActiv; Vitamin A acid cream; a whole slew of antibiotics (tetracycline, clindamycin, erythromycin, every ‘cin’); and finally, the devil known as Accutane. Right now my face is relatively clear, but I do get sporadic blemishes on my body which I might talk to a naturopath about.

YOU CAN'T BE ANY POORER THAN DEAD

2011-07-05T16:50:00.001-04:00

Documenting some recent developments in my style world:
1) I'm starting to push my affinity for comfort and slouchiness (some would say slothfulness) away from the black draping I typically wear in the winter, and into a more sportif direction for now. I like the way the bike shorts and ankle boots interact with this dress's tennis player vibe, but in reality the heat is just too oppressive for extra layers and suede foot saunas.

2) Having had some terrible experiences with prints in the past, I've come to realize that the rule about wearing small prints if you're a small person is generally a good one. These pants are black and white and MAJOR and go with everything. I'm happy.

3) The ideal bandeau swimsuit, purchased from J.Crew. Goes gooood with short story collections: Flannery O'Connor and Raymond Carver today. (Any book reco's for me?)

E-READING #4: FATHER'S DAY EDITION

2011-06-19T14:31:00.001-04:00

1. Photographer Laurie Kang on her project, My Father and I:

"I wanted to portray the dysfunctional side of my relationship with my dad," Kang tells us. "I guess every child-parent relationship is dysfunctional in its own way, and though there is no dramatic story or incident to create our dysfunction, there was a constant unnatural silence in our relationship that came to define it.

"The work reflects the lack of emotional presence my father has in my life. They alternate between childhood and adulthood, expressing intimacy and tenderness as well as bitterness, and rejection. I spent a large part of my life resenting my father for his lack of emotional presence, involvement, effort, interest and awareness in my life.

"Though he didn't express much interest in my work, his willingness to participate so vulnerably expressed something bigger. I remain conflicted on our relationship and accept that this is something that may always remain, though I still have a hard time differentiating between complacency and acceptance." Via My Modern Met.

2. "It's Father's Day: Do You Know Where Your Dad Is?" by Gavin McInnes

I asked my dad what he wanted for Father’s Day, and like all dads who never abandoned their children he said, “Nothing.”

Paul & Stella, via nogoodforme
3. "Girl News: Best Things About Having A Dad" by Kate Carraway

Last weekend at a baseball game, some chick I don’t know was telling me about her roommate’s dad refusing to buy her a metallic blue clutch because it wasn’t practical, but because I am A Cunt I couldn’t just be like “Oh that’s interesting” and had to be like “Why is your roommate’s dad buying her a purse? Is she a teenager?” juuust so I could revel in the vicissitude that happens when a girl who usually goes unchallenged has to explain herself. But that, sweetie-peanut, is another whole thing. The real story is that dads are, indeed, the ones who give you money and buy you things, because [...] dads are bummed out about their lost youth while moms are just like “Ugh, let’s get this over with.” By doling out fun-money dads are sort of participating in a world of entertainment and indiscretion, and are tacitly encouraging you to spend it at the track...

4. I always like Amy Merrick's tributes to her dad. My pops calls me the same thing, although I'm sometimes more of a big turd than a little shit.

5. "How To Be There For Your Daughter" by Richard Ouzounian

Being a dad can be like fishing: patience is all. You may have to sit there quietly and wait hours for a nibble, but when it comes, be ready. Don’t let your daughter be the one that got away.

P.S. Thanks for your kind words re: my last post. I'll respond to your comments tomorrow, when I have a bit more time.

“WIDE-EYED LEAVER, ALWAYS GOING”

2011-06-15T15:30:00.000-04:00

Click to big it up

Clockwise from top left: Max Farago for Muse via Fashion Gone Rogue; Drew Jarrett via Foto Decadent; Benny Horne for Russh #40 via Fashion Gone Rogue; Max Farago; Tim Walker; Time's Up Vintage.
I've been a bit neglectful of the blog due to some fairly daunting life stuff, namely job-hunting (no luck) and graduating from uni (no tears). But to be honest, I have a lot of time on my hands these days. I have too much time to consider questions like, "Should I visit New York to curb my wanderlust, or invest in crazier/essential dreams?", and even more time to convince myself that I don't have what it takes to be a real writer and artist. So I need pictures of messy, fern-filled apartments and the pretty-but-tough girls who live in them to distract me.

It's a cliché by now to say that fashion is aspirational, but we don't project our desires onto these images in the same ways. Light changes, moods change. I love that Benny Horne photo of Kate King (top right). Maybe when you look at it, you see a sliver of the kind of cool you want for yourself. When I look at it today I think: "There's a girl who might not know where she's going, but she's going all right."

EARLY SUMMER DAYS

2011-06-02T11:28:00.000-04:00

My smoothie-a-day regimen was tasty but short-lived, though it made for good pre-field trip fuel. Last weekend the city flung open its doors, and I visited the R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant, Ondaatje on my mind. The building itself is mind-bogglingly beautiful by Toronto standards (like, how did we ever get permission to build something nice for once?) but I was too distracted by a few four-legged friends and people's feet to pay much attention. One dog that caught my eye jumped in the lake for a swim, and just flat out refused to leave. I hear you, bud.

It's early summer indoors too, with the Suzy Lake exhibition all riotous peonies and cigarettes on the Lido. Some of the herbs I've planted are starting to sprout, but others are still buried, hiding from the sun.

BAND OF GOLD

2011-05-28T12:57:00.000-04:00

This recent picture on the Topshop blog reminded me of a costume jewelry Photobooth "session" I indulged in a few months ago, complete with cardigan and hand-on-hip stance. Am I clairvoyant or WHAT?

Today I thought I'd give you a closer look at my humble ring collection and my favourite bracelet. Everything pictured was gifted to me, minus the black speckled coconut shell ring, which I picked up at the Florence flea market (as seen here).

I also rediscovered (while trying to clean up my hard drive; please kill me) some photos I took in the Danner Rotunda at the Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich, circa 2008:

The one on the left = like a tin foil necklace but for rich people? I like.

So much chunky, wearable goodness! I don't have a lot (read: any) information about these specific designs, though the collection dates from the 1960's to the present. But because you guys deserve more than that information cop-out, here is a video about the Danner Rotunda featuring people who actually know something about anything:

The Danner Rotunda – Jewelry Arts in the... by vernissagetv

PRETTY GIRL ROCK

2011-05-23T18:51:00.004-04:00

I first learned about the impeccable British makeup artist Lisa Eldridge on For Me, For You, and have been smitten ever since. Lisa really is as soothing as Kate describes, and I could gaze at her poreless features forever and only get a little bit jealous. Well, she must be determined to make me like her even more, because she's teamed up with historian Madeleine Marsh to create a series of videos on vintage beauty products and the history of makeup.

Nowadays we tend to see makeup as a means to an end: Here is what's wrong with your face; here's how to fix it. There's also the whole "Toxic sludge? No thanks, multinational corporations!" anti-makeup argument, which I totally appreciate. But at the same time, makeup can be a celebration of physical transformation, a psychological pick-me-up, a symbol of rebellion, or a million other pretty and empowering things! As Lisa notes, the history of makeup is intimately connected to the history of women in the 20th century. From the permissive jazz age to wartime austerity, from full on "lips and bosoms" femininity to the defiant glam-rock era, it seems like Western women (and some adventurous men) have explored so many possibilities. Watching these videos and tracing our relationship to cosmetics makes me excited to see what comes next.

On top of the social and cultural impact, beauty products are also endlessly whimsical and just plain fun. They're personal trinkets, small luxuries that we come to cherish as they make their way into our daily routines. I still remember getting my first peel-off nail polish at age 6 and having a major "I can talk about it cuz I KNOW that I'm pretty" moment. I still get that feeling whether I'm buying fancy foundation from Sephora or cheapie lipstick from the drug store.

Put on your face to face the day. Rock on, pretty girls, rock on.

ANTIFEMININITY IS MISOGYNIST

2011-05-21T17:26:00.001-04:00

“I want to live in a world where little girls are not pinkified, but where little girls who like pink are not punished for it, either. We can certainly talk about the social pressures surrounding gender roles, and the concerns that people have when they see girls and young women who appear to be forced into performances of femininity by the society around them, but let’s stop acting like they have no agency and free will. Let’s stop acting like women who choose to be feminine are somehow colluders, betraying the movement, bamboozled into thinking that they want to be feminine. Let’s stop denying women their own autonomy by telling them that their expressions of femininity are bad and wrong.

“Antifemininity is misogynist. What you are saying when you engage in this type of rhetoric is that you think things traditionally associated with women are wrong. Which is misogynist. By telling feminine women that they don’t belong in the feminist movement, you are reinforcing the idea that to be feminine and a woman is wrong, that women who want to be taken seriously need to be more masculine, because most people view gender presentation in binary ways. This rewards the ‘one of the boys’ type rhetoric I encounter all over the place from self-avowed feminists who seem to think that bashing on women is a good way to prove how serious they are when it comes to caring about women and bringing men into the feminist movement.”
—S. E. Smith, “Get Your Anti-Femininity out of my Feminism” via Stacey May Fowles.

A PSA for today. Hold tight—more femmy girly programming to follow, if you like.

LOW RIDER

2011-05-17T18:00:00.001-04:00

Kacper Kasprzyk for Dazed and Confused, via Fashionising

Sebastian Faena for AY Not Dead,
via Fashion Gone Rogue

Let's begin with an understatement: Crop tops (Belly tops? What are we calling these now?) are unforgiving. Apparently they are also “back in style” along with all things 90’s. Like cargo pants and brown lipstick, I was going to ignore my better judgement and try wearing crop tops this summer even without a green light from Dazed & Confused.

But I am of two minds about a potential crop top/low rider revival. Too-short shirts remind me of the jazz dance costumes I loved when I was 8, and of the older girls whose belly chains and low slung jeans I so admired. The popularity of the flagrantly inappropriate shirt hem coincided with my dawning realization that there was a thing called Fashion, and another thing called Being Cool, and then there was...well, whatever Disney-themed combo I was wearing. I wasn't allowed to wear crop tops when they were first ‘in’ (good call, Mom and Dad), but I feel strangely protective of them—as though simply publishing this blog post would mean they no longer belonged to me. I guess what I'm saying is: I don't want these clothes to become mere simulacra, temporary symbols for some diluted idea of “cool”. But there is nothing I can do to stop it.

Of course my nostalgia isn't just for the clothes of the 90’s and early 00’s, but also for the freedom and abandon they represent: Days of being as wild as we could manage in our stagnant suburban neighbourhood; the music we blasted over the basketball court. I probably don't need to tell you that I only ever listened to R&B. If you were too young to listen to Nirvana, rock n’ roll wasn't just dead—it had never existed. That meant a whole lot of Janet Jackson, TLC, and my girl, Aaliyah. Aaliyah's style, like that of TLC, was tough, casual, sporty, sexy. As Danielle Cheesman puts it, “Seeing the singer with a full-length shirt on was a rarity.”

Aaliyah's Tommy Hilfiger campaign,
via Fun and Comedy

In an oft-quoted interview for Vice, Rick Owens argues, “Changing your body is so much more hardcore [than changing your clothes]”. This is cruel but true. There's something really aggressive, even macho, about how a 14-yr-old Aaliyah paired her honey-smooth vocals with the baggiest of athletic gear in her very first music video for “Back and Forth”. In this context, the all-important sports bra doesn't emphasize womanly curves so much as adolescent ranginess, or, in the case of Ciara, solid muscle and the dedication it takes to maintain it. Obviously you're in the clear if you're reed-thin without even trying, but the women who really inspire me with their midriff-baring get-ups are the ones who do work. Once you become acclimatized to the wide expanse of skin between here and way, way down there, everything else is movement. All of a sudden, you're in jazz class again.

Don't get it twisted—I'm not telling you to like, get a gym membership or anything. This is, as always, just me conflating a bunch of my hang-ups and teenage dreams to explain that down-ass chick, masculine/feminine dynamic I write about all. the. time. Realistically, I should only ever unbutton my pants in public in order to accommodate a food baby—but the desire to tie a little knot in my tank top persists. For me, crop tops and low riders aren't about trying to be young again. They're about trying to grow up again, stronger than yesterday.

More listening/viewing:

No Doubt, "Just a Girl"

Janet Jackson, "All For You"
Janet Jackson, "Son of a Gun"

TLC, "Creep"
Pink, "There You Go"

Shakira, "Whenever, Wherever"

Britney Spears, "Stronger"

...What else?

MAXINE, I LOVE YOU, MAXINE

2011-04-23T10:02:00.001-04:00

Being John Malkovich (Spike Jonze, 1999) is, understandably, nobody's idea of a fashion film.

While Cameron Diaz's Lotte does boast an impressive collection of irony-friendly vests and fuzzy sweaters, her best outfit is actually a robe lent to her by an old man. However, Catherine Keener's Maxine has got to be the most slept upon style plate of 90's American cinema. In fact, I'm almost wary of posting these caps because Maxine's outfits embody that death-rattle-of-the-90's/Helmut Lang aesthetic so forcefully that from a certain angle it looks like parody.

At the same time, I can't think of another film that makes such a complete equation between minimalist fashion and cruelty. Maxine is 40 kinds of manipulative and awful, but the scariest thing about her is her ability to restrict herself to a palette of black, red, and—most effectively—white.

Maxine is so aggressively unfriendly that greasy puppeteer Craig (John Cusack) is helpless to resist. It's telling that when Craig successfully asks her out, she's dressed all in black. Although this look appears to suit her personality, it is ultimately safer and more predictable than Maxine herself.

On the other end of the spectrum, Maxine's fondness for white is clinical and severe—even subversive. While Lotte's borrowed robe is a cocoon of warmth and comfort, Maxine's outfits are pale sheaths cut from the silk of a black widow, probably.

Her style is focused and self-assured; "effortless" but high-impact. She is, after all, the only character with no interest in being John Malkovich. She is only ever Maxine.

By day, her white button-down says "normie professional," but the dark lipstick, gold-tone watch, and velvety something on her lap (to say nothing of what is likely a $15 panini) are dead giveaways. This woman is a hedonist of the first order...

...And cruel in "love."

She wears the colour that contains and reflects all colours; the colour of purity, mourning, emptiness, matrimony. (Is it just me, or does she not look like a bride waiting in the aisle?)

Maxine's ruthless style lets us know she's trouble from the start. But as with any femme fatale, the spotlight always falls on her: beckoning, menacing, white.

All images capped by me, © USA Films.

E-READING #3

2011-04-11T19:12:00.002-04:00

Anjelica Huston | Off of Broadway via Wearing the Pants
1. Miss Moss and Kate Desmarais have a new ladies-in-menswear Tumblr called Wearing the Pants. So far it's got a nice mix of vintage, runway, and street style. It's worth a browse of course, but I'd like to direct your special attention to this picture of Lauren Hutton looking really happy and wearing what appears to be a windbreaker either tied around her waist or AS PANTS. And also this picture of Janice Dickinson, for which there are no words.

2. Confessions of a Book Hoarder:

“At first I dabbled. I used the library. The church rummage sale. And then, peer pressure. When I went was an undergrad, I fell in with some questionable types: English professors. “You have to have this book,” they said. Who was I to argue?...Now there are piles of books on the floor and every horizontal surface. There are boxes of books in the storage room, books double and triple shelved. I can stop anytime I want, though. It’s not like it’s a problem. Really. I can stop. I just don’t want to.” — Robert Wiersema

Delon with Romy Schneider in 1962, via fuckyeahalaindelon

3. If you want to hoard .pdf files instead of hardcovers, Intellect Books has made the first issue of their journal Film, Fashion & Consumption available to download for free. This issue features a comparison of U2 (lol) and Joy Division on film, and an examination of Alain Delon and Dior's brand heritage.

Photo by Herb Ritts, via Celeb Pictures Collector

4. Riese Bernard's Autostraddle piece on Britney Spears has been making the rounds lately, and for good reason. Reading it, I was reminded of why I ever cared about Britney in the first place ("Even while intellectually scorning Brit, we were secretly really into her and felt all at once totally unlike her and intimately familiar with her") and why I still do (you can't run away from your shadow, or shake off your reflection).

Photo for Les Inrockuptibles Magazine (click for French interview)
5. And on a strangely resonant note re: Britney, Haider Ackermann & Tilda Swinton chat for Interview Magazine (found via Susie's twitter).

Ackermann: I love a woman with a kind of mystery you cannot really reach. I want her to exist on her own, coming out of her shell, to stand there and say, “Listen, this is what I am now.” ... People will say of my work sometimes that my woman looks like a warrior. Well, I had a feeling that she just wants to protect herself, which is a totally different approach.

Swinton: But I would add to that idea of protection by saying that she wants to incubate herself—to build up her own immune system so that she can go out into the world. It is a protected feeling, but it’s not defensive, necessarily. It’s a feeling of building up strength from within. It’s like you’re very consistently seducing...

JUST THE DETAILS

2011-04-09T16:38:00.000-04:00

I like the texture of suede.

And hair that looks blue in the afternoon light.

I like rediscovering the sweet touches on an otherwise dour and drab coat, mine since age 12—or was it 13? (I was a dour and drab kid.) It's nice to wear a piece of clothing you got made fun of for once-upon-a-horrible-time and have people compliment you on it. Did my 12-year-old self just...smile?

I like coming home to carefully wrapped packages on rainy days, as well as the dreamy things inside them. I look forward to swinging this tote all over town, knocking small children over in the process, etc., etc.

In a few short weeks I'll be done with school—this time, maybe for good. So with no plans to tie me down I'm finding more and more comfort in the little things rather than the big picture. Just the details, please!

Quelette boots from Aldo, "vintage" (ha!) corduroy trench from Gap, and Dream Tote from Fieldguided.

ALL SIZES, NO COMMENT

2011-03-31T12:44:00.000-04:00

It was the street style post that had eyes rolling a few days ago. The Sartorialist "Sturdy Legs" post. You know the one. Here's the thing with me and this blog and The Sart: I don't read him regularly, but I do re-post his photos here sometimes. He's one of the premier street style photographers in the world. Everyone knows this. Too bad he's also, how shall I say...a bit of a dickweed.

Angelika, who is both babely and stylish

Some Twitter pals and I spent the days following February 13th alternately facepalming and gagging at this embarrassing NY Mag profile of Scott Schuman and the adorably bonkers but "totally insecure" Garance Doré (thanks Kat, I think, for that last link!). OK, it might be a bit unfair to bring this article into the mix—it was, after all, not written by Schuman himself—but seriously: “I like your hair the way it is,” he’d texted her. “Clean and fresh and healthy.” Taken out of context, blah blah blah, AND YET you cannot make this shit up.

But back to the post at hand. In an addendum to the original entry, Schuman writes: "I don't want to lose the potential power of the post by being caught up in wordplay." Weeeelll. As has been documented on several occasions, I love me some wordplay. GAME ON.

In a moment of Real Human™ vulnerability let me say that I feel weird about the word "curvy," even though I know a lot of women proudly identify as such. I don't want to take anything away from you, my sisters! But I'm small though not "skinny," and I have curves but I'm not "curvy" in the right way—i.e. this way:

AP Photo of Christina Hendricks by Matt Sayles via CBS News
So that word, like the size terminology that tells you whether you are an hourglass or a pear or a dildo—I just don't know what to do with it.

I understand that Schuman was trying to be helpful by breaking down Angelika's lovely outfits in terms of proportion. There are surely lots of "sturdy"-legged women (I'm one cuz I can stand for longer than 5 mins) who are tired of being upstaged by their awesome calf muscles and want to learn how to balance that stuff out. But as blogger Hannah Mudge writes:

"So Angelika, 'bigger' than other bloggers, needs a certain type of shoe in order for her legs to look okay? The notion that you should not wear various items of clothing and footwear because of your body type is one of the most tedious things out there."

This is an important point. I don't want to be reminded that not only do I have big (read: totally normal) calves, I also need to do something about it so I can stop offending the fine sensibilities of people like The Sartorialist. Wanting to pick up tips for how to dress for my body type + Not wanting to be ghettoized by my body type = Major cognitive dissonance.

I suppose what I am trying to say is that when it comes to body size and shape, I'm tired of the sort of unskillful wordplay that Schuman engaged in with that post (Hannah breaks this down nicely). By adding this kind of editorial comment to what was otherwise a couple of beautiful and stylish photographs, he hugely underestimated the intelligence of his readers. Let me take from these photos only what I need, not what the big bad body-hating world wants me to need!

The next day, Schuman posted the third of his so-called bigger blogger images; her name is Eveline. This time, no comment. None necessary.

EASY LIVING

2011-03-22T19:40:00.000-04:00

Dana Lee is a Vancouver-born, New York based menswear designer who seems to specialize in catering to all my daily outfit needs by breathing new life into basics with a focus on dreamy colours and subtle, not-too-cutesy prints. She also has perfectly casual style AND the same name as one of my bestest buds—Hello, raging girl crush! Maya Villager sums it up nicely when she says that Lee's aesthetic “seems more about getting on with a great life than it does about fashion.” Music to my ears.

Above photos of Ms. Lee by Maya Villager via The 189. Lookbook photography by Jody Rogac.

COLD COMFORT

2011-03-13T21:52:00.000-04:00

The long shadow of recent events—the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, all that civil conflict in the Middle East and Ivory Coast—as well as the gray skies in my corner of the world have made it hard (and a bit tactless?) to get excited about fashion blogging. It's a feeling I get every now and then: that there are more important, less selfish things to broadcast into the ether.

Tokyo snaps by The Sartorialist via Trendland
I suppose that's why I've always tried to point out the connections between fashion and the ‘bigger picture’ of culture and politics when I can. But Susie's brilliant post on The Loveship about caring for clothes (one of my favourite blog-reads ever; seriously, she drops a Lyotard quote and a sweet mom anecdote in one go) reminded me of the personal satisfaction we get from dressing ourselves “in our own image.” She writes:

“I can't imagine an inability to be with [clothes] in this intimate way. Take these things away and the inevitable result is a deep sadness. A lack of pride in one's appearance can be truly damaging.”

So I hope that food, water, shelter, and yes, WORLD PEACE will find those who need them most. But as vapid as it might sound, I also hope that the pleasure of getting dressed to face the day is one that they will be able to enjoy again very soon.

Bunka Fashion College by The Sartorialist via The 189

UNIFORM: PANTS

2011-03-07T17:01:00.001-05:00

J.Crew Artisan Pant, J.Crew Jeans, Proenza Schouler slim Jean, J.Crew Minnie pants, Straight Leg Jean, Madewell silk pants, Rittenhouse Jersey pants, Tibi tapered pants

After years of wincing and waddling in my black skinnies, the prospect of pulling on a pair of pants, safe in the knowledge that they won't cause nerve damage, is a mighty attractive one. A breezy trouser in jersey, cupro, or silk fits the bill and guarantees non-violent crotch/pant relations. I bought a dark gray pair from Club Monaco last summer and wish I'd had the good sense to snag them in khaki as well. The black ones second from the left on the bottom row are the Rittenhouse pair I wore in this outfit post, for those who'd like a closer look. I like to wear this slouchy style—cuffs rolled up—with a bright little wedge in the summer or unrolled with brogues in the fall...

Other styles I love: Straight-leg white jeans with ankle boots so I can look like Paul Newman. And of course crisp black ankle trousers with ballet flats, or tennis shoes if you (like me) prefer to be a little sloppy.

I own a single pair of $20 blue jeans which I've worn for about 5 years now, and, well, let's just say our relationship is based on duty rather than passion. I'm thinking of finally stepping out and switching things up. Any suggestions? What else would you add to the list?

GOT TO BE REAL

2011-03-03T10:59:00.002-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I wrote that the most acceptable form of cross-dressing is the kind drenched in camp, but it turns out I can do you one better:

Photo by Max Doyle for Vogue Australia, via models.com

Male model Andrej Pejic has become the poster-boy (like, literally, an advertisement) for fashion's love of androgyny. And it is true that Fashion nurtures the strange—but only if the strange is also beautiful. And I do mean conventionally beautiful (to offset the gender incongruity, you see). So in Vogue Australia, Pejic is paired with Jessica Hart—a real woman!—which lets us marvel at how uncanny the resemblance is. Indeed, Vogue Italia currently features a photo gallery of Pejic titled: "Dude Looks Like a Lady." Really. But the honest-to-goodness, biological truth of the matter is that he's not 'a lady.' And for me at least, that makes looking at a picture like this an exercise in sexual frustration. If only he would remove that exquisite gloved hand! He would be the near-Hermaphrodite of my dreams. But alas, that's a step further than Fashion's definition of androgyny will allow.

And it gets even more depressing. In an article for The Toronto Star, David Graham writes: "Designers of women’s fashion have always used the morphology of young males as a template. By modelling the clothes on men, the designers are finally being honest with themselves." A lot of critics feel that the movie Tootsie (1982) seems to say that "men make better women than women do." I haven't seen that movie yet, but I’m fascinated by the idea of men ironically beating women at their own game. Transgendered model Lea T. might make a case in point. It should be stressed that Ms. T identifies as a woman, and unlike Pejic, she only models women’s clothing. She is very good at her job. Still, there's something demoralizing about the fact that she—who did not inherit a quest for beauty by birth—is already, cruelly, head and shoulders above me in pursuit of it.

But Lea T. is not the first to aim for this kind of success. In 1990, Jennie Livingston released a film about New York's predominantly black and Latino gay ball culture. That film is called Paris is Burning, and it was instrumental for introducing this subculture to mainstream audiences. Unfortunately, it also does a bang-up job of reinforcing social hierarchies by emphasizing traditional success, high-fashion legitimacy, and stardom. Paris is Burning makes the modeling industry look silly, but the drag queens are the ones who appear diminished for desperately wanting to be a part of it.

The film assumes that we're outsiders just popping into the ball world for a quick visit. It uses title cards to explain terms like "shade" and "mopping." But one term looms larger than any of the others, and that is:

Realness is a variation on the Andrej Pejic effect: the notion that you can glide through the mainstream undetected—your drag is that good, the illusion is that complete. The difference is that if you're Andrej Pejic in 2011, you might get a Marc Jacobs campaign. But if you're a black queen in 1988, can you realistically hope for anything more than bragging rights and a ball trophy?

The legendary Octavia Saint Laurent in Paris is Burning, via The Moment

The thing about realness is that it's (surprise!) dictated by the same mainstream culture that rejects those who strive for it. Realness, ironically enough, isn't 'natural' and that makes some people queasy. Voguing (a staple ballroom category) was of course, eventually popularized by Madonna. How fitting that she would become a mainstream gay icon while ball legends like Octavia Saint Laurent remained relatively unacknowledged. In some ways, not much has changed since Paris burned.

For some, like Octavia Saint Laurent and Lea T., the trappings of femininity amount to more than a drag contest. They don’t want to blend in for our benefit but for theirs. The line between mere costume and a deep sense of identity is stiletto-thin. To earn the stamp of realness is to know that you can walk out of the ballroom or off the runway and into the world, unremarked upon. It is to experience freedom in invisibility. If you can do this and be beautiful, it is a kind of victory—but there must be other kinds of victory out there. And wouldn't you know, Andrej Pejic has said that his dream modeling gig is to pose for Playboy. Do I hope he's joking? Do you? (No really, I'm asking.)

To be fair, Paris is Burning is also genuinely funny and nothing if not entertaining. It's available on DVD, but you can also stream it in its entirety here. If you want to read more about it, Film Experience has a blog post that seems totally different to this one, but is actually pretty complementary. Caryl Flinn has written a fascinating scholarly article called "Containing Fire: Performance in Paris is Burning." Most, but not all, of the article is viewable in Google Books.

As always, feel free to chime in or challenge me (vogue-off!) in the comments.

OPENING THE FLOOR

2011-02-26T11:15:00.002-05:00

Photo by Andrea Pola for Tourist Magazine

The sad radio silence around here will likely continue into next week while I take care of a writing project I've been neglecting.

But until then, I want to officially say "Haaaay" to all of my readers—with a special shoutout to those who are new to the blog, and those who've taken the time to comment. I really enjoy responding to your opinions and hellos. Many of you have found me through Fieldguided, Sarah-Wynne, and Dead Fleurette, so thanks to those three dreamgirls as well.

While I do run this little corner of the internet according to my whims and fancies, I'm also trying to carve out a space for friendly discussion. My goal is really to produce something that's valuable for all of us (staunch my bleeding heart!). So. It would please me to no end to hear what kinds of posts you find most stimulating/interesting/useful. Tell me what you want, what you really really want...to see more of, maybe, on my blog. You can leave a comment here or email me at onesleeplessnight[at]gmail.com. Can't wait to hear from you.

HIS AND HERS

2011-02-18T16:21:00.004-05:00

Chloe Sevigny x Opening Ceremony; quote via French Cinema

When I first read this quote* my pulse quickened from recognition, and I'm certain it will ring clear and true for many of you. Fashion can't resist "borrowing from the boys," but how can I have boyfriend jeans if I don't even have a boyfriend? So much 'unisex' clothing is, frankly, men's clothing. Women can wear power suits and be sexy, or pair a man's shirt with tottering heels, and be classic. Men can wear dresses and be (a) drag.

Male-to-female cross-dressing is immediately pathologized unless it's self-consciously flamboyant, in which case, Cool! We're all in on the joke. And it's too bad because I dream of long-haired boys crowned with wildflowers; and if I catch sight of male legs peeking out from under a skirt I will giggle—but only for a second. Then I'm just enamoured. And I imagine that a boy who smelled and tasted of sugar and spice would be nicest of all.

* From the introduction to Madonna's "What It Feels Like For a Girl".

THE SCULPTOR OF DESIRE

2011-02-09T22:04:00.001-05:00

My Art History 101 professor told us a lovely anecdote about the Baroque prodigy, Gianlorenzo Bernini (1598-1680). Even as a youth, Bernini was completely absorbed in his work. He was quite content to spend most of his waking hours holed up in his studio, chiseling away at one sculpture or another. After a few months of this, Bernini's father began to worry that his son's love life would suffer. One day he finally told Gianlorenzo that he was letting his (very) eligible bachelorhood go to waste. To which the young man replied: "It's true, I don't have a girlfriend—I have 16 of them."

This is what he meant.

Sleeping Hermaphroditus, Roman copy of the Hellenistic original of the 2nd century BC, restored in 1619 by David Larique; mattress by Gianlorenzo Bernini in 1619. Photos by Marie-Lan Nguyen.

Camille Claudel, The Waltz, 1893.

Rodin, Eternal Idol, 1889. Musée Rodin.

Bernini, The Rape of Proserpina detail, 1621-23. Galleria Borghese.
The Galatea to his Pygmalion. From a solid block of stone, an infinite tenderness emerges.

ON HAVING ENOUGH

2011-01-24T14:41:00.008-05:00

I want to climb more cathedral staircases, meet more real-life characters, and drink more wine. I want to learn how to do more things for myself. I want to think and write more. But I can't say for certain that I want more clothes.

“400 pairs of shoes, 50 evening dresses, 75 bags”
Stylist Tabitha Simmons by Jason Bell for Vogue UK
How much is enough?
As someone with limited means, I ask myself this question a lot. I fully believe that there is nothing wrong with finding pleasure in material objects. Spending isn't inherently bad, it's just tricky.

Minimalism is often seen as being less mired in consumerism, but if you've ever looked at the price tag on a piece of Céline, you'll know that's a myth. It's weird that someone can own 15 pairs of Chanel trousers and still call themselves a minimalist, don't you think? There's quality and quantity, but style doesn't belong squarely in the domain of one or the other.

At 21, I feel as though I should be experimenting with clothes, but my dwindling bank account can't justify a lot of frivolous spending. This post is therefore based on a minimalism of necessity—not just aesthetics. And anyhow, there is no right or wrong time to experiment.

A packed-to-the-rafters beautiful closet, shot by The Selby
If you feel lost in the Money-Fashion Black Hole of Depression, this one's for you. Here are 5 tips for feeling like you already have enough.

1. Reduce consumption of fashion magazines & blogs
Last month, I purged my bookshelf of a shit-ton of old U.S. Vogues AND IT FELT AWESOME. But before it felt awesome...it felt awful. I wanted to clip my favourite articles, but this meant that I also had to flip through page after page of lithe, poreless creatures wearing clothes that could finance my move out of the suburbs. My self-esteem jumped off a cliff. And yet, this horrible process also taught me that I can and should be selective about the fashion mags and blogs that I let into my "sacred space" (i.e. Google Reader). It's also a great way to nurture your personal style, since it forces you to figure out what really inspires you, and let go of the rest.

2. Embrace Uniforms
Here's the thing about wearing the same outfit all the time: You will think that everyone notices the fact that you only wear black v-neck sweaters, when in truth, no one will. Coming up with new outfits can be a real hoot, but most days, it isn't practical. Some people decide to go on a 6-item clothing diet, but don't think your uniform has to be limiting. Identify some unifying principles that might make getting dressed less hectic: your favourite colour or colour combination (say, navy and mustard yellow), silhouette (long tops over long skirts), or signature item (a cognac leather belt). Then go ahead and wear the hell out of those v-neck sweaters.

3. The Master List
My tragic flaw as a shopper is that I actually have really bad instincts. Like, tweed J.Crew blazer with shoulder-pads bad. But I think I'm getting better, mostly because I keep a master list comprised of basics and/or items that I've mentally been saving space for in my wardrobe. I think it helps channel the desire to shop and accumulate into something more concrete. Making a list is all about considering whether an item is truly worth adding to your wardrobe. I'd recommend mood-boarding your little heart out with this one. I sometimes reach a kind of collage nirvana, wherein just looking at the pictures is satisfying enough. Whoa. Consider list-making as an exercise in subtraction rather than addition. Focus on paring it down to the essentials.

One caveat: it is possible to stick too closely to your list. I think one should always be open to moments of fashion fortuity. If I'd always sworn by my list, I wouldn't have made my best-ever impulse purchase: a gorgeous bias-cut dress that I will either be married or (more likely) buried in. The heart wants what the heart wants.

4. Walk Away and Wait
Speaking of impulse buys, consider this: If you're not 100% sold on an item, why would you ever walk up to the counter and hand over your hard-earned money? I almost failed high school math, but even I know that makes zero sense. If thinking about buying something is making you anxious/causing you to sweat/otherwise embarrass yourself, just...walk away. It will make you feel instantly better. If you find yourself thinking about the one that got away over the coming days and weeks, you can always go back.

5. The Shopping Ban
This seems like the most hardcore, impossible tip on this list, but in my experience it's actually the easiest. In fact, it's probably more accurate to call it a vacation from shopping. A shopping ban is basically a more fully-realized version of "walking away and waiting" in that you wait so long, you actually forget why you ever needed to shop in the first place. It's as simple as avoiding malls and stores (trickier if you work in one, I know), and not checking your usual e-commerce sites. Brainstorm a few other things you can do with all the time you'd normally spend awkwardly maneuvering in change rooms. Go for a walk, read a book, or even learn how to make your own clothes—I know, it's blowing your mind, right?!

The Selby
Above all, remember that those of us who write, read, and think about fashion are already pretty lucky. Remember too that the head on your shoulders is vastly more important than the clothes on your back.

Other Resources:
- Kat from nogoodforme.com wrote a super-helpful article on reselling clothes at secondhand shops.
- Dead Fleurette has plenty of articles on the subject; I think the best place to start is with "The Long Way to the Perfect Wardrobe" Part 1 and 2.
- Gala Darling (whose aesthetic and attitudes differ from my own) has written a series on spending, appropriately titled "Mo' Money, Mo' Problems": Part 1, 2 and 3 that is worth a read.

EN HAUT, EN BAS

2011-01-22T10:50:00.000-05:00

1. Laura-Lynn Petrick, Maxime Ballesteros
2. Andrea Pola, Laura-Lynn Petrick
3. Masha Mel x2
All images from Tourist Magazine.

THE BEAUTIFUL AND THE GOOD

2011-01-15T16:08:00.000-05:00

Normally, the words "embroidered top" do not send me swooning. If you ever catch me wearing one of these, just...pretend you didn't. That said, Tommy's gorgeous 2nd project for The Beautiful and The Good has made me reconsider embroidery as a subtle way of adding pattern and texture to my wardrobe. The pale shade of ecru is also a breath of fresh air. Although these particular shirts have long since sold out, I think some salvaged material and oodles of patience might lead to equally charming results.

PARIS BELONGS TO US

2011-01-11T22:20:00.000-05:00

Because it's a place where even the graffiti has a romantic streak...

And there are two ways to ride.

Where I spent an afternoon peering at girly things in the Repetto shop window.

...And feeling like a little girl again at the Montmartre carousel.

It's a place where the entire street can reek of fish and cheese—and it's A-OK! Just like it's OK that the metro turnstile keeps spitting our your billet (deep breaths), and that you've eaten nothing but croque monsieurs for the past 3 days.

Because you're here, and life is good.

2010: MY YEAR IN MOVIES

2011-01-03T12:17:00.002-05:00

I watched 193 movies in 2010 (including plenty of shorts). And while I didn't log as many hours as a film critic—those brave souls who have the unenviable task of seeing most of the year's new releases—might have, I did sit in the dark long enough to learn a very important lesson in gratitude. This is because most films barely leave an impression. They walk up to you and offer little air kisses when you wish they would wrap their arms around you instead. Many are so dripping with mediocrity that we can't even remember the fact that they didn't suck. Which is why I'm grateful for the films that gave me more than I expected. I'm grateful for the films that pushed me further, held me closer, made me sweat. The ones that had me leaving the theatre in a wide-eyed daze, wondering "What just happened to me?"

But those moments were few. This is likely because making a good, solid movie is both stupidly simple and nearly impossible. This is especially true of genre movies, which can be thrilling, funny, or romantic...but are often just formulaic. Since I'm a film student, the vast majority of the movies I watch are canonical or exemplary of a given period or style. Basically, they're film buff-approved and guaranteed to be worth watching from an intellectual standpoint. But cinema, being a sort of secular religion, is meant to move us. And so there are films you appreciate, films you admire from afar, and films that you namedrop to sound ~cultured—but slicing through all of those are the ones that get inside you. The ones you love. The ones that are almost too much for you to tell anyone else about. But sometimes, sometimes, you try.

Krzysztof Kieślowski
The Double Life of Véronique (1991), Blue (1993), Red (1994).
I was lucky enough to see my first Kieślowski film, The Double Life of Véronique, in 35mm. Upon leaving the theatre I heard someone say, "Is it art because of the doubling?" and I thought, "No, it's art because it's beautiful." I find Kieślowski's worldview, with its chance encounters and missed connections, comforting in a way. It gives me a sense of something larger—a super-consciousness?—watching over the characters, and me too. If you've seen the end of Red, maybe this will make sense: In the act of watching, you too have been chosen and saved.

Pedro Almodóvar
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988), All About My Mother (1999), Talk To Her (2002), Bad Education (2004), Volver (2006).
I dipped my toe into Almodóvar's technicolor universe in high school, but this year I dove all the way in. His work becomes endlessly rewarding when viewed as a whole. You could spend hours tracking references to Hollywood classics and pop culture, or comparing his female-centred films (Women on the Verge, All About My Mother) to the male-centred Bad Education. His work is often discussed in terms of melodrama (literally, "music drama"). And just as there is no such thing as a purely happy or purely sad song (none worth listening to, anyway), Almodóvar understands that the best and hardest thing to do is to make someone laugh through their tears.

Claire Denis
Chocolat (1988), Beau Travail (1999), 35 Shots of Rum (2008), Friday Night (2003), Nénette et Boni (1994), Intruder (2004), Trouble Every Day (2001), No Fear No Die (1992).
Probably my favourite director working today, Claire Denis makes films that are infinitely more beautiful because challenging. Every shot she orchestrates is drunk-making, but there are no gimmicks here. If Denis sidesteps traditional storytelling it is only because her films, and the questions embedded within them, demand intimate new ways of thinking and feeling through cinema. Race, transgression, desire, and corporeality are some of the compelling themes that appear throughout her work. Plus, she has a soft spot for reggae and a knack for recruiting actors whose faces/aura/everything make me wish I didn't have to blink. Erudite and voluptuous, if Denis's body of work was a person we'd already be married.

Catherine Breillat
Sex is Comedy (2002), Blue Beard (2009), 36 Fillette (1988), Brief Crossing (2001), The Sleeping Beauty (2010).
Thanks to TIFF Cinematheque, I saw all of the above films in 35mm this summer. And what a steamy, awkward, sex-filled summer it was. Whether exposing her unusual working methods (Sex is Comedy), rewriting fairy tales with a feminist slant, or staging sex scenes that occupy a third of a film's running time, Breillat never errs on the side of convention. But although she is known as a provocateur (and clearly enjoys her reputation as an iconoclast), her work is not without tenderness. The final scene of Brief Crossing is surely the most quietly devastating I saw all year.

Maurice Pialat
Loulou (1980), À Nos Amours! (1983).
Loulou and À Nos Amours! are sometimes painful to watch; a little like staring into the sun. The performances are so robust, and the filmmaking so unsentimental, it's astounding. Every scene confronts you with real life. Pialat drags you through the shit with his characters, often kicking and screaming, until all their losses and gains become your own. You realize that love can be cold and brutal. You realize that no one really wins an argument. The room goes quiet, and everyone walks away a thousand times lighter and heavier.

John Cassavetes
Shadows (1959)
Cassavetes famously said, "Anyone who can make a film, I already love." I've only seen one of his films so far, but...well, you know the rest.

Horror Movies
Blood of the Beasts (1950), Rosemary's Baby (1968), Repulsion (1965), The Host (2006), Let the Right One In (2008), Dawn of the Dead (1978), Suspiria (1977), The Fly (1986), The Shining (1980).
I'm not a horror kind o' gal. I spent too many panicked nights "watching" The Exorcist/Amityville Horror/Blair Witch Project through my fingers at pre-teen sleepovers for that. But! Something weird happened to me this year: I signed up for a Horror Film class, and it was kind of a game-changer. The nerd in me went nuts over theories of horror and death, and before I knew it, I was laughing my way through The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (sort of).

More more more...
In The Loop (2009), The Servant (1963), The Thin Red Line (1998), Days of Heaven (1978), Sugar (2008), La Danse: The Paris Opera Ballet (2009), I Am Love (2010), Mother (2009), A Prophet (2009), Night and Fog (1955), The 400 Blows (1959), Letter From An Unknown Woman (1948), Days and Nights in the Forest (1970), Code Inconnu (2000), Caché (2005), Hausu (1977), Syndromes and a Century (2006), The Gleaners and I (2000), Sans Soleil (1982), The Place in Between (2010), Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927), Sherlock Jr. (1924), La Belle et la Bête (1946), Grey Gardens (1975), Les Bonnes Femmes (1960).

E-READING #2

2011-01-02T11:29:00.001-05:00

"Achieve Your New Year's Resolutions":

"Go public – Many people keep their New Year’s resolution to themselves. Unfortunately, this makes it all too easy to simply forget about them. Instead, go public. For example, write down your resolution on a large sheet of paper, sign it, and place it somewhere prominent in your house. Tell your friends, family and colleagues about your resolution, and ask them to provide you with helpful nudges to assist you in achieving your goal. Either way, do not keep your resolution to yourself."

I Hurt I Am In Fashion is LOL gold.

Lawrence Dai is going to watch Julie & Julia every day for a year, and blog about it. The results are friggin' amazing.

Said The Gramaphone's Best Songs of 2010 is really comprehensive (100 songs!) and spot-on. Rob Sheffield's Top 25 Singles of 2010 is also lots of fun. If that still isn't enough aural goodness for you, check out Fluxblog's 2010 Survey Mix: TEN AND A HALF HOURS OF WORLD-CLASS TUNES!

Advice to Writers is just that—encouragement from people who've been there, done that, and want you to succeed at it too. Writing often seems mystical, so I like that much of this advice is super pragmatic:

"If you’re afraid you can’t write, the answer is to write. Every sentence you construct adds weight to the balance pan. If you’re afraid of what other people will think of your efforts, don’t show them until you write your way beyond your fear. If writing a book is impossible, write a chapter. If writing a chapter is impossible, write a page. If writing a page is impossible, write a paragraph. If writing a paragraph is impossible, write a sentence. If writing even a sentence is impossible, write a word and teach yourself everything there is to know about that word and then write another, connected word and see where their connection leads." -- Richard Rhodes

And finally, this speech by David Foster Wallace, via Tommy.

2010: MY YEAR IN MUSIC

2010-12-31T14:36:00.002-05:00

Robyn by Pierre Bjork for Bon Magazine

No, not a "best of" list—just a regular old "I played the shit out of this" list. Not all of these songs were new in 2010, but they were new to me. For brevity's sake, I left out music that I adored earlier in the year but not so much now (Janelle Monae, Florence + The Machine); stuff that I am truly embarrassed about (Hedley); and my maybe-favourite song on the planet (D'Angelo's "Untitled/How Does It Feel?"). I went all out and put together a complete 8tracks mix, but you can also click the links for individual songs.

1. Robyn, "Dancing on My Own"
This song is like that moment when you've decided to tell the world to go to hell, only to discover you've got mascara running down your face. The alternate title should be "Crying on My Own," since that's what happens when I listen to it.

2. Kanye West ft. Rick Ross, "Devil in a New Dress"
Not as bombastic as "All of the Lights," nor as winningly self-conscious as "Runaway," "Devil in a New Dress" is nonetheless my favourite track off of Kanye's latest. With its smooth-as-butter bassline, tinkling piano, and just the right amount of guitar fuzz, this is grown & sexy Kanye.

3. Bill Withers, "Hello Like Before"
I could try to list all the ways this song thrills me but then again, that's kiss and tell. Instead I'll say that I'm grateful for the existence of something so dignified, perfect, and true.

4. Curtis Mayfield, "Blue Monday People"
I discovered this gem through my favourite Frenchmen, Phoenix, who included this track in their Musicvision compilation. Instant love.

5. The xx, "VCR"
Makes me want to get up to some sweet funny cuddling business under the covers with someone who just knows, you know?

6. The Commodores, "Nightshift"
The glorious centrepiece from the soundtrack to Claire Denis' 35 Rhums (a film I'll write about...someday). There are lots of things I'd do if I could turn back the clock; one of them would be to hear this song again for the first time. Come to think of it, even then it was as though I'd heard it before in a dream.

7. Gayngs, "The Gaudy Side of Town"
So slinky and smoke-filled you'll swear you're in Studio 54 even if you're really just slouching on the subway.

8. Chet Baker, "My Funny Valentine"
The best version of this song, if only for the way he sings that beautiful word: "stay."

9. Alicia Keys ft. Drake, "Unthinkable (I'm Ready)"
I'm so glad there's still room for someone like Alicia Keys in popular music. There were a few songs of hers that could have made their way onto this list, but "Unthinkable" is the bravest. Play it the next time someone tells you modern 'soul' has none.

10. Corinne Bailey Rae, "Closer"
I can't understand half of what Corinne Bailey Ray is saying, but it hardly matters. When she starts wailing and thrashing around the 3:00 mark, it's 100% ecstasy and wild abandon.

11. Girls, "Lust for Life"
Girls came to Toronto in April—a fact that I sadly learned too late. To make up for the loss, I took a scalding hot bath and listened to "Lust for Life" again and again and again.

12. Best Coast, "Boyfriend"
For when you're acting like you don't care, while inside, your crush is killing you. I like "When I'm With You" and "Crazy For You" too.

13. Katy Perry, "Teenage Dream"
The only song I heard all year that made me feel young(er) and stupid(er). The litmus test for lost youth should be whether or not "Teenage Dream" makes you ache, or just want to dance.

14. Rihanna, "Only Girl in the World"
I didn't always used to like Rihanna. In fact, I probably would have ranked her below Katy Perry(!) "She can't sing live," I said. "Her voice is tit-gratingly awful," I said. But at some point (probably while I was listening to Alicia Keys), Rihanna morphed into the kind of pop star you can turn to when Beyoncé's on vacation. If this song doesn't do it for you, switch it out for the equally danceable "Rude Boy."

15. J. Cole ft. Drake, "In the Morning"
Look, I don't really know who J. Cole is or what he looks like, but he can have my number NO PROBLEM.

16. Seu Jorge, "Tive Razão"
Yesterday I stood on a train platform, shivering in the sub-zero cold. I put this song on and the sun came out.

17. Band of Horses, "No One's Gonna Love You"
"And anything to make you smile / It is a better side of you to admire." The dude version of "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?"

18. Bon Iver, "For Emma"
I know what he means when he says "forever ago."

19. Stars, "How Much More"
Sucks all the air out of the room and makes me feel like I am floating.

20. Spoon, "Out Go The Lights"
Like a window blowing open with the sun going down, and the rain streaming in. Oh, and a voice telling you "You will remember the way / they fall for you like a brick."

21. Joanna Newsom, "Good Intentions Paving Company"
The only Joanna Newsom song I've ever listened to in its entirety, probably because her voice here is more subdued than I'd heard before. For almost 7 minutes, she navigates the terrain between tender and raspy in a breathless, high wire act—this is Newsom as R&B torch-songstress, folk goddess, and MC. There are rappers out there who wish they'd thought of this line: "With a solemn auld lang / Signed, sealed, delivered I sang."

2010: MY YEAR IN BOOKS

2010-12-29T15:39:00.009-05:00

Hello, awesome people! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas if you celebrate it, and a nice couple of days off if you don't. As 2010 winds down, I'll be sharing some of my favourite things. Today's special: Books!

FICTION
1. Bel Canto, Ann Patchett

"Recently life had improved for all the hostages, not just those who were in love." That line is all I would need to convince me to read Bel Canto, but if you require more persuasion, there's always this: "His voice traveled like a drug dropped down the spiraling canals of their ears until they had forgotten everything, until they had forgotten their own names, until they turned and offered themselves up to him, their bodies sweet and soft as marzipan."

The ending crushed me in a bad way, but everything else is sublime.

2. Possession, A.S. Byatt

“It is possible for a writer to make, or remake at least, for a reader, the primary pleasures of eating, or drinking, or looking on, or sex. Novels have their obligatory tour-de-force, the green-flecked gold omelette aux fines herbes, melting into buttery formlessness and tasting of summer, or the creamy human haunch, firm and warn, curved back to reveal a hot hollow, a crisping hair or two, the glimpsed sex. They do not habitually elaborate on the equally intense pleasure of reading."

This is the kind of book that invariably gets called a "tour de force," and deserves it.

3. The End of the Affair, Graham Greene

"I have never been able to describe even my fictitious characters except by their actions. It has always seemed to me that in a novel the reader should be allowed to imagine a character any way he chooses...Now I am betrayed by my own technique, for I do not want any other woman substituted for Sarah...But all I can convey is an indeterminate figure turning in the dripping macintosh saying, 'Yes, Henry?' and then 'You?' She always called me 'you.' 'Is that you?' on the telephone, 'Can you? Will you? Do you?' so that I imagined like a fool, for a few minutes at a time, there was only one 'you' in the world and that was me."

Bitter, sweet.

4. The History of Love, Nicole Krauss

This woman just knows: "Even now, all possible feelings do not yet exist. There are still those that lie beyond our capacity and our imagination. from time to time, when a piece of music no one has ever written, or a painting no one has ever painted, or something else impossible to predict, fathom, or as yet describe takes places, a new feeling enters the world. And then, for the millionth time in the history of feeling, the heart surges, and absorbs the impact."

I read it in two big gulps by the pool this summer, and it left me so breathless I sort of forgot how to swim.

5. The Dying Animal, Philip Roth

Could be thought of as the literary companion to Erotic Man. The most searing take on love, death, and sexuality I've ever read. I couldn't pull a quotation because I think the whole thing's brilliant. Do yourself a favour and take the plunge!

SHORT FICTION

Most of the works below are a combination of funny and sad—like your uncle when he gets drunk, only better.

1. The Complete Stories, Flannery O'Connor

2. Ten Little Indians, Sherman Alexie

3. Where I'm Calling From, Raymond Carver

4. "Natasha," David Bezmozgis

5. "How to be An Other Woman," Lorrie Moore

NON-FICTION

1. The Other Side of Desire, Daniel Bergner

If you want people to think you're a pervert, display this book prominently on your nightstand alongside The Dying Animal. You're welcome!

2. Seven Days in the Art World, Sarah Thornton

Splashy, gossipy look at the ins and outs of contemporary art. A fun read.

3. Lonely, Emily White

A really, really sad read about the psychological impacts of loneliness from a very courageous author.

4. How Did You Get This Number?, Sloane Crosley

Like my short fiction picks, this one goes from LMAO OMG to :'( in a single paragraph.

5. Perfumes: The Guide, Luca Turin & Tania Sanchez

The 5-star reviews are gushing examples of (in my opinion) the best kind of lavender-scented purple prose. The 1-star reviews are a master class in snark.

And the rest: To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf, Under the Volcano by Malcolm Lowry, The Bell by Iris Murdoch, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark, Great House by Nicole Krauss, Room by Emma Donoghue, The Various Flavours of Coffee by Anthony Capella.

P.S. Just realized this looks atrocious in Google Reader. Click over to the blog if you find it distracting!

P.P.S. You can now follow my blog with bloglovin, if it tickles your fancy.

WHYSL

2010-12-27T13:59:00.001-05:00

Predictably, one of my most coveted items is a YSL le smoking—an indisputable classic. But I've always had a secret whimsical side to my style as well. Sometimes I worry that my "intellectual approach" to fashion leaves little room for playfulness, and I have to remind myself that that's totally not the case. (In fact, at this very moment I have a NEON GREEN BODY-CON DRESS open in another tab, oh Lord.)

I think this contradiction also finds expression in Saint Laurent's designs, and is best captured by these images from the book Yves Saint Laurent Style. I love the way he takes simple silhouettes and adds a healthy dose of humour and drama.

LITTLE DANCER

2010-12-23T20:41:00.002-05:00

Have you ever seen someone in passing and wanted to make a sculpture of them? I spotted this girl in Paris, and all I could do was snap a quick (creepy?) picture. This is one of many times I've lamented my sad lack of talent. Edgar Degas on the other hand...

Degas was such a skilled observer, with a great eye for posture, strain, and movement. I think he would have liked the look of the girl in front of the metro as much as I did. I could stare at his bronzes all day.

These photos were taken at the Musee d'Orsay (see also). You can read more about Degas' sculptures at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, WSWS, and The Jerusalem Post.

FUTURE FASHION

2010-12-20T11:55:00.008-05:00

One of the things that struck me while watching Star Trek way back in May 2009 (embarrassing ed note: this article has been sitting, completed, in my drafts for over a year) was “If only I could have designed the costumes...” And I’m not the only one to entertain that fantasy. When the movie was released, The Financial Times published an article on the film's underwhelming approach to sci-fi style. This got me thinking about how "futuristic fashion" fits into a landscape dominated by recycled, often vintage-inspired, trends.

Jak & Jil

Altamira NYC

What is really interesting about these pictures—to me, at least—is the fact that they are both weirdly displaced from time. The two images form a pretty natural pairing despite the fact that one is labeled "modern" and the other "retro." But why? And what does this have to do with Star Trek costumes? A closer look at that FT article offers some ideas.

Author Peter Gutierrez reminds us of how well period fashion has translated into science fiction movies. He cites Blade Runner, with its 1980’s take on a 1940’s aesthetic, as a major example. (It’s like Laura but "bigger.") While it makes sense for Blade Runner’s creative team to draw a connection between the film’s vision of a bleak and impersonal future and the gloom of film noir, isn’t it a bit silly to imagine future earthlings taking style cues from the distant past? In 2784, will people really be dressing the way we did decades ago? If sci-fi costumes are any indication, Hollywood has been dreaming of the same "distant future" for at least 40 years.

Outside of movies, back in the "real" world, our interest in cutting-edge textile technology as it relates to capital-F Fashion (not, like, Goretex) remains negligible. Barbarella was hot, but I don't think she was ever comfortable. Fashion, always ravenous, likes to have it both ways. Just as Balmainia (an awful but undeniably useful word) was followed by the New Sobriety (nothing new about it), high-tech trends tend to be followed by a desire for natural fibers and a human touch.

Future Fashion, mod-60's style

God knows I’ll always love Audrey, Grace, and a dozen other classical Hollywood stars, but that sort of glamour can appear rather (double-pun alert) retrograde. And if vintage clothing celebrates the best of what we were, then futuristic fashion celebrates a crazy, spacey utopia that is equally out of reach. In reality, Mad Men are assholes, and robots don't have sex.

E-READING

2010-12-19T17:56:00.001-05:00

I'm a serious fan of books made out of paper (and a fan of brick-and-mortar bookstores, while we're at it), so I don't have a Kindle, Kobo, or any other fancy electronic book gadget. But I also read tons of articles online—scholarly and er, otherwise. So I figured I'd start doing link round-ups which I shall name...E-READING (SEE WHAT I DID THERE?). Here we go!

Aggregation Magazine is a very cool collection of online articles selected by an eclectic group of contributors. This issue contains two topics sure to thrill OSN readers: Danielle Meder on The Fashion Schedule and Sarah Nicole Prickett on Women in Art.

In the same web-centric vein, Ryeberg publishes "curated video" essays—essays about Youtube videos!

Photo by Jennifer Cox

Pasha Malla's "Does She Love You?" and the follow-up article, "Does He Love You?" are so sweet, smart, and hilarious that if you're not in love right now, you'll hate me for sharing:

"If you’re Gael Garcia Bernal: She loves you.

If you’re not Gael Garcia Bernal, but you’re willing to sit through a “GGB” marathon and agree for 10 consecutive hours that he is indeed the most beautiful and talented man alive—and so down-to-earth, too!—and afterward agree that his portrayal of Che Guevara would have earned an Oscar nod were it not for the implicit politics, agree that taking Spanish classes is a great idea, or salsa, or tango, whatever, agree, agree, agree, and that night lying in bed after sex that ends with her screaming, “Si! Si!” wonder aloud, “But you’re happy with me, right?”: She loves you, man—no one can compete with that Latin bastard. Forget about it."

See? Sorry.

Need more chuckles? Read "Nightclubs are Hell":

"I'm too old to enjoy this," I thought. And then remembered I've always felt this way about clubs...Clubs are such insufferable dungeons of misery, the inmates have to take mood-altering substances to make their ordeal seem halfway tolerable. This leads them to believe they "enjoy" clubbing. They don't. No one does. They just enjoy drugs."

IWDRM

I'm sure you've heard of it by now but it bears reblogging: If we don't, remember me is home to the classiest film gifs on the whole internet.

In the mood for something more literary? How about a little bit of Balzac c/o Lapham's Quarterly:

"To be somebody in one’s own town and nobody in Paris—these are two conditions that call for gradual adjustment, and those who pass too abruptly from the one state to the other fall into a kind of annihilation."

20 Awesomely Untranslatable Words from Around the World. Litost! Saudade! Plus lots more here and here in the comments. There's one word I once heard of that isn't on the list, but I can't remember what it was! It's Japanese for the feeling you get when you meet someone and know you'll fall in love...Does anyone know what it is?

On a similar note: The Most Beautiful Words in English.

Finally, if you liked my post on short hair, this NYT article on long hair in middle age is mighty interesting.

FILMARILYN (1992)

2010-12-14T18:32:00.003-05:00

Marilyn Monroe had a generous face. By this I mean: she gave a lot to the camera. In Paolo Gioli's Filmarilyn, she tries on different outfits. A dark wig, a veil. If this film doesn't convince you of Monroe's beauty and charm, nothing else will. But then, much like Monroe's life, Filmarilyn takes a dark turn. A "wound" in her side drips blood. In the context of Gioli's film, the iconic images from her last photoshoot (with Bert Stern) make Monroe seem less mythic and more vulnerable. She dances across the screen, even as she is being cut and spliced back together. In death, she is reanimated*.

A highly-rated comment on this tribute video reads:

I can't believe they wrote "Marilyn Monroe" on her tombstone. Reading some [of] her quotes [it] seems that she sometimes hated Marilyn. She was Norma Jean Baker. Norma Jean is the one who died. Marilyn's still alive. She always will [be].

How simple that statement is--and how right.

* The idea of reanimation takes a different direction in David LaChapelle's "Marilyn Monroe - Her Last Days".
Photos by Bert Stern

TOASTY

2010-12-13T12:23:00.000-05:00

Lou cashmere sweater / Turned Out / Rosenmunns bottoms & Margiela sweater at Anica / Turned Out / Bunny Ear Muffs by The Future of Frances Watson

Ugh, those luscious long locks--they taunt me still! I could write a separate whiny post about wishing I was a wavy/curly Sue, but I don't really feel like losing all 8* of my subscribers. Hey guys!

So there are two things going on above. The first is the brilliant idea of pairing oversized sweaters with ker-azy prints. I tend to avoid anything that isn't a stripe or a plaid because, let's face it, I'm no Tavi/Susie Bubble. But I often find that the severity of all-black everything can get a bit oppressive. I think super-galactic leggings like the Rosenmunns' pictured (or anything by Shabd) would be a great starting point for print-wimps like myself. Dead Fleurette's bouclé jacket is also a good reminder that "minimal" doesn't have to mean "neutral" or "funereal."

The second thing is: Brown. I do not wear it. But I think I'm going to have to. I mean, brown is such a winter colour: Chestnuts, hot chocolate, reindeer...

*Actually 7.

GROW-OP

2010-12-08T14:45:00.004-05:00

I've started a grow-op. A hair grow-op* to be exact. And like an actual, illegal grow-op, this one is a source of much dismay and guilty feelings.

Joan Juliet Buck's genius manifesto On Short Hair made a convert out of me, and for years I have sung the short & sweet praises of cropped hair. To this day, it carries connotations of rebellion and alternative femininity. Boundary-pushing vamps of the 20's and 30's, straight through to modern fashionable tough girls (see: Kate Lanphear) have all dallied with the razor's edge. And there are plenty of models, namely Freja and Anja, whom I think are particularly suited to short hair.

Photo: Style.com
Without the pixie cut, the category of the gamine (from Seberg and Hepburn, to Carey Mulligan, Mia Wasikowska, and Emma Watson) simply wouldn't exist. What's more, women with short hair tend to have an unapologetic attitude about it, and this makes them genuinely sexy rather than generically "hot."

Photo by Michael Levine

On the flip side, long hair has always seemed a little square to me. Too all-American and same-y. After all, no one had ever complimented me on my straight, black, long hair--a look that gave no indication of my style or personality. But lately I've been haunted by photos like this:

SERIOUSLY.
Since hair this delicious is likely out of my reach, I'm setting my sights on something shorter, more natural, but equally lovely.

All the Pretty Birds
Philosophically, I may always be a short-haired girl at heart. But (as this meandering post illustrates) I find it hard to resist a good, long story.

*This is a term I've borrowed from two of my cousins, who also have a fraught relationship with hair length (a #firstworldproblem if ever there was one).

UNIFORM: COLLARED SHIRTS

2010-12-02T14:50:00.002-05:00

Because someone has to reclaim popped collars for the side of good.

GOLDEN MEAN

2010-11-27T11:58:00.002-05:00

Rad Hourani

So many of the materials we associate with the hard-edged aesthetic du jour (or d'hier if the tastemakers' prediction for a Return to Femininity is to be be believed) come straight from nature. Think leather (and its imitators), and metal, summoned up from the depths of the earth.

Arielle de Pinto

Geometry is nature, too. Fractals, spirals, waves--crazy how they can be clinical in one incarnation, and organic in the next.

Faster by Mark Fast

Fashion takes these functional measurements, these Golden Means, and makes them a kind of adornment. I love seeing how different designers are able to relate these elements to the body in their own way.

RAIN (1929)

2010-11-25T17:56:00.003-05:00

It's dark and drizzling where I am, and on top of that, I'm procrastinating! So I'm taking 15 minutes out of my life to watch this beautiful avant-garde documentary, and I think you should too.

(Note: the music for the video is a little distracting. I think Rain is best viewed silent.)

A day in the life of a rain-shower. As a city symphony Joris Ivens films Amsterdam and its changing appearance during a rain-shower. A very poetic film with changing moods, following the change from sunny Amsterdam streets to rain drops in the canals and the pouring rain on windows, umbrellas, trams and streets, until it clears up and the sun breaks through once again. Although it seems to be one day it took Ivens a long time to film what he wanted to film (for even in Amsterdam it doesn't rain every day). Rain became his major breakthrough as an avant-garde film artist. In 1932 Joris Ivens asked Lou Lichtveld (who also made the music for Philips Radio) to make a sound version of it, and in 1941 the film inspired Hanns Eisler to compose his "Fourteen ways to describe rain" in the context of a 'Film Music Project'. (European Foundation / Joris Ivens).

I WANT TO LIVE, NOT POSE!

2010-11-13T12:32:00.002-05:00

Georgia O'Keefe by Edward Stieglitz

Just taking a quick break from the midterm grind to introduce you to an amazing blog I found via the equally amazing Got a Girl Crush.

It's called Tomboy Style, and if you share my undying affection for babes in menswear you will love it. To be honest, I don't understand what it means to be a "tomboy"--if it's the way you dress, or being sporty, or growing up with lots of dude friends. A lot of tomboys I knew in school who fit that description grew up to be the least interesting girly girls, which is why I like this homage to Martha Plimpton best of all.

Here are 3 more posts that knocked me over, and some images I couldn't resist sharing:

Jane Birkin on ball gowns
Anjelica Houston on femininity
Chrissie Hynde on boys vs. men

Patsy Pulitzer

Rickie Lee Jones

Greta Garbo

PARADISO

2010-10-21T10:11:00.000-04:00

You huff, puff, and sweat (in my case--a lot), and think you can't possibly make it to the top. But somehow, you do--and this is your reward.

Next time, I'll show you what I picked up at this Florence antiques market. Here's a hint:

You'll have to wait and see! But for now...

Always, always look up.

SIREN MAGAZINE

2010-10-18T17:10:00.001-04:00

The wonderful Felicity from The Tempest in the Teacup launched a new feminist blogazine called Siren at the beginning of October, and an article I wrote on American Apparel went live today!

Do check out the site if you're into that sort of thing ("that sort of thing" being a wicked forum for thoughtful debate in the vein of Feministing, Shameless, and Jezebel), and let us know what you think.

THE AVIATOR

2010-10-16T14:42:00.002-04:00

Cass Bird for Dossier, via Vain and Vapid
I know we should all (deep breath) try to be more interesting than our next outfit, but I can't help imagining that the right shearling jacket will change my whole outlook on life and bring me luck/love/happiness, etc.

Tommy's gorgeous WWII original.
The sturdy straps and buckles, the leather cracking over time while the wool softens to perfection...This is the kind of jacket you can live in.

Richard Bush for i-D via Cheapskate Chic
I like clothing that asks you to live large while wearing it, but is still totally comfortable. A no-brainer in the best sense.

The Brrberry everyone wants to cozy up to

I like that if you have $3000 you want to get rid of, this tricked-out Francesco Sconamiglio option, complete with REMOVABLE LEATHER BACK RUFFLE, would do the trick -- but your mom's beloved 70's bomber might do it better.

TIERNEY GEARON: EXPLOSURE

2010-10-07T22:35:00.001-04:00

Photographer Tierney Gearon's use of multiple exposure is fantastic. A perfect mix of clever, sensual, and dreamy. See more images via Phillips de Pury, and read her artist's statement here.

A FALL STORY

2010-09-23T12:44:00.004-04:00

I've had these photos on my Flickr for ages, but I've kept the story behind them squirreled away:

One day it was so hot and humid it was like living in Hades' armpit, only prettier.

The riotous colours of summer squash, peppers, and pears were still on display -- but signs of fall were cropping up in the usual places.

Not long after that I took another walk, and stopped in my tracks when I saw this bench out of the corner of my eye. It looked so inviting, festooned with balloons!, but the wind was picking up and it suddenly felt wrong to loiter. The season for that was over, and the trees didn't look like they were up for visitors. Fall had arrived, and it was okay with me.

TIFF JOURNAL: CONFESSIONS

2010-09-19T14:12:00.001-04:00

Tetsuya Nakashima’s Confessions has just been announced as Japan’s official entry into the foreign-language category at next year’s Oscars. It was a huge hit with its home audience this past summer, and for good reason: This is a disturbing film about teenage violence, viral media, and revenge that would make for a chilling double bill with last year’s The White Ribbon. But unlike that film, which was shot in frosty black and white, Confessions’ virtuoso visual style makes this movie frighteningly easy to enjoy.

On the last day before spring break, a cool and reserved 7th grade teacher announces her resignation. Her class responds by erupting in applause. Brats! But as she explains her motive for leaving, the room quickly falls silent. Her 4-year-old daughter has been murdered, and the crime was committed by two of her own students. What's more, the Japanese legal system is protecting the young suspects, meaning the teacher has had to set her own plan for revenge in motion—and in cold blood, of course.

Still, that’s only one confession, and there are many more nasty shocks in store (none of which I intend to spoil for you, dear reader). In fact, I think Confessions suffers from a glut of plot twists, which often tear the viewer away from the film’s underlying implications. This is a gorgeous and technically proficient movie (with a wicked, Radiohead-infused soundtrack to boot). The problem is that at some point during its fast-paced 106min. runtime, Confessions starts to gloss over the human suffering at the heart of its story. The students treat death and suicide like trends or fashionable experiments, and I’m not sure Nakashima’s heavy-handed stylization does much to articulate the consequences of such an attitude.

Still, there are times when this clinical precision is strikingly effective. Nakashima’s camera often isolates characters within the frame as if to say that in this life, we all walk alone. In slow motion. In the pouring rain. But how well do we know ourselves, and what exactly are we capable of? Water, glass, and doors obscure and distort our view. Like the narrative itself, each character is fragmented. Whose confession can we trust?

As a product of a national cinema (a product that Japan is clearly pushing considering the Oscar selection), Confessions necessarily raises interesting questions about the state of the nation and its place in global culture. If Japan’s legal system protects minors from being prosecuted for murder, what happens to notions of justice and ‘closure’? The rise of cyber-bullying makes it similarly difficult to place the blame squarely on who is responsible.

At one point in the film a character asks, “Is it possible to forget bad things?” As I heard that line I thought, How many times has the phrase “Never forget” echoed throughout history? Would we want to forget, even if we could?

As the TIFF presenter at Friday night’s screening put it, this is what happens when the kids are most definitely not all right.

You can read a couple of thoughtful reviews here and here.
You can watch the trailer here.
And you can listen to the AMAZING Usher song of the same name here.

TIFF JOURNAL: EROTIC MAN

2010-09-12T14:27:00.008-04:00

Since this is my first year doing TIFF properly (i.e. NOT just wandering around Yorkville hoping to bump into Tilda Swinton), I wanted to keep a detailed record of the films I've been lucky enough to see. While Black Swan and The Town are destined for multiplexes across the world in a few weeks, my guess is that "the most upfront and searing look at sexuality you will see in a long while" won't be hitting a big screen near you. That said, my TIFF Journal entries are reflections rather than reviews, so I hope you'll find them interesting reads even if you never get a chance to watch the movies themselves.

________________________________________________________________

Having never heard of the veteran Danish filmmaker Jørgen Leth before, I bought a ticket to the premiere of his latest film, Erotic Man, based on two things alone: the heady promise of its title, and the allure of this photograph:

Schilaine by Adam Philp
The story is simple. We follow Leth on trips to breezy, exotic locales—Brazil, Senegal, Laos, Haiti, the Philippines—as he interviews women for the role of his long-lost, possibly imaginary, lover. These casting sessions are interspersed with scenes of the women undressing, posing nude, lying in bed, gazing longingly at the camera, and generally seeking the approval of the filmmaker & audience.

The better-lit images are sometimes cloyingly sweet and too obviously a product of the shared male imagination (read: not very imaginative at all). But the film’s grainier footage, which unfortunately gives off a whiff of sexual tourism at worst, and amateur porn at best, made me feel guilty, when I was so sure it was the filmmaker who ought to feel that way instead. Yet as the film progressed, I became less certain of my indignation. It slowly became clear that Erotic Man is as much about the limitations and failures shared by Leth and his audience as it is about the obvious physical gifts of his models.

Like many other films and novels that deal thoughtfully with the sensual world, Erotic Man asks whether there is such a thing as the purely physical. What does it mean to say that a relationship is "only about sex"?

The film seems to take the form of the poems Leth recites throughout, full of repetition, variation, and visual refrains. In turn, this film-poem rubbed up against my resistance, my tension receding with the ebb and flow. But never completely. Uncomfortable questions about European male privilege and mobility linger at the edges of Erotic Man. Leth is the one who comes and goes, while the women are as immovable as the lush landscapes they are compared to.

In one memorable scene, a Haitian woman named Schilaine reads her lines while she sits next to Leth, happy to be sitting under the Caribbean sun, happier still to be in a movie. We catch a glimpse of the script she is holding. It says: Je swees oon tray bell fam. Those are her lines, presumably written the only way she knows how to read them.

Woman is still presented as a great, unknowable mystery. “What is she thinking?” Leth asks, to us maybe, or to himself. Isn’t the best way to find out, I thought, simply to ask her? Instead, woman after woman is heard reciting the lines written for her by this foreign journeyman, who looks at her as a reflection of his loss, of his sensual life. Ironically (intentionally?) this is one of the ways Erotic Man brings attention to the many ways that women perform for the benefit of others. From time to time, a woman will say the lines, "Je suis une très belle femme" with utter conviction - a small but meaningful victory.

Rokhaya by Adam Philp
Leth admits that this is a highly personal, egocentric film, and I don’t begrudge him his point of view, despite my misgivings. If anything, it makes me long for alternative points of view from other, more unexpected, places.

Photos from the film's official Facebook page.

BODY HEAT

2010-09-08T20:55:00.001-04:00

I'd been itching to post a playlist for ages, but being the nit-picky mixtape master that I am, I kept telling myself that everything had to be just right before I made my "big debut." Turns out finding a way to upload & distribute music legally is a mega drag. Enter, 8tracks. Unfortunately, 8tracks puts limits on fast-forwarding and shuffling, but these songs should be pretty easy to track down on YouTube/iTunes if you want to give them another whirl.

______________________________________________________________

If you don't want to say goodbye to summer, keep dancing.

Chad Allen and the Expressions, "Shakin' All Over"
Guys, this is the same band that made "American Woman" (!!!). Which is doubly ironic since this song is a prime (but fun!) example of Canadians trying to be British. It also has a great Uma Thurman-in-Pulp Fiction vibe going on.

John Lee Hooker, "Boogie Chillen"
Early electric blues from a man who was inducted into the Badass Hall of Fame from the moment this tune was recorded. The lyrics map out the journey from Mississippi to Chicago made by many a bluesman, including Mr. Hooker, and this song stands as a reminder to shimmy -- even if mama don't allow.

Buddy Guy, "She Suits Me to a Tee"
Definitely the most hot-blooded song in this mix, I love how "She Suits me to a Tee" manages to be raw and masculine without being a) gross, b) threatening, or c) nu-metal. Marry me, Buddy!

Curtis Mayfield, "Little Child Runnin' Wild"
The first time I heard this song I was cookin' up a little seafood pasta for a low-key night of girl talk at my parents' house, you know, the usual. But the first 40 seconds of this masterpiece were so dark, scuzzy, and dangerous that it almost felt like I had instantly apparated to some drugged-up 70's underworld. Almost.

Gilberto Gil & Caetano Veloso, "Três Caravelas (Las Três Carabelas)"
Mmm...more horns. Always. more. horns. This song really stretches my limited (i.e. non-existent) Spanish/Portuguese language skills, but I have deduced that it is dedicated to the 3 ships Columbus wrangled to the New World. However, its flirtatious nature and Gil & Veloso's tongue-in-cheek delivery make me wonder if Pinta, Nina, and Maria are actually just some hot chicks they picked up once.

Seu Jorge + Almaz, "Everybody Loves the Sunshine"
I decided to check out Seu Jorge + Almaz live on a whim last month, having only been familiar with Jorge's Bowie covers, and I'm so glad I did. I met the nicest people in line (Brazilians really are that friendly), there was maybe 1 douchebag in the crowd (compared to the dozens that pack most shows), and everyone was in high spirits. This song is basically all of those pleasant feelings condensed into one chill, easy-to-love musical package. It was hard to pick just one track of their's for this mix (it's a Roy Ayers cover and the album's first single), and I'm a sucker for Jorge's laidback baritone, so expect to hear more from them here.

Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, "Window Shopping"
While no one seems to have heard of Chad Allen and the Expressions, SJ & The DK have been getting all sorts of blog love this past year. Still, Ms. Jones' opening monologue is so endearing ("whiplash!"), and this song is such a great example of musical form and content joining forces to create a bittersweet narrative, that you just can't ignore it. Listen to how she delivers the line "Right now I no longer need you / but I need you to stop convincing me" as though she's trying to convince herself of something too. The horns that kick in at 2:50 aren't just decoration but a relief. The falling strings that make an appearance at 4:09 are the epitome of pathos. And seriously, when will this scrub stop browsing around?

John Holt, "For the Love of You"
To close out our intimate dance soirée, here's a jam that's as sweet, sultry, and borderline-cheesy as only lovers rock can be. Turn your lights down low & enjoy.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST

2010-08-31T16:48:00.001-04:00

According to this very scientific Vanity Fair quiz, I'm a Marilyn rather than a Jackie.
But I like to think of myself as a modern girl-woman...
So can I pick someone else instead?

David Bellemere

PULLING OUR WEIGHT

2010-08-23T14:56:00.002-04:00

On the drive home I slipped on my headphones and turned up The Radio Dept's "Pulling Our Weight." And you know, there are few things better than shuttling across the city, wrapped up in the lightest fog and the right song.

Load the video & the song. Play the song, wait 3 seconds, then play the video. Sit back and bliss out.

EASY VIRTUE (2008)

2010-08-18T16:07:00.003-04:00

After posting a handful of images from Persona, a movie that's almost too good to spoil with screengrabs, I thought I'd post a whole heap from a movie you might not want to waste 2 hours of your life on. That is, unless you really want to watch Jessica Biel get outclassed in more ways than one by Colin Firth and Kristen Scott Thomas. Otherwise, on to the jazz-age/English countryside eye candy!

Awesome, taxidermy-decorated library.

I'll be keeping my eyes open at the weekend vintage market for costume jewelry like this.

OK, so there were some nicely framed/lit moments.

I know someone is reading this and freaking out about the sequinned collar.

"Please refrain from giving my daughter pornographic literature."

Those hats!

Love this look, but I feel like it would be v. difficult to pull of without looking like you're at a True Blood casting.

A more disheveled look with a cozy cable-knit sweater.

And of course, the flashier 20's party frocks & baubles.

DO NOT MESS.

(All images Copyright Ealing Studios/Pathe/Sony Pictures Classics.)

SUMMER GETAWAYS

2010-08-13T20:07:00.000-04:00

Drew Jarrett, Marilyn Monroe, Garance Dore, Notes From Naive, Crystal Renn in Glamour, Miguel Angel Horcajada, Grace Kelly by Howell Conant.

Mid-August always makes me long for fall, but I'll settle for a day (or two, or ten...) in any of these pictures.

MASCULINE/FEMININE

2010-08-06T20:19:00.003-04:00

Sometimes just opening my closet is enough to make me want to give up on the whole 'wearing clothes' thing. Everything I own now seems too fussy, and not in that fun, kooky, filthy rich Anna Dello Russo way either. Reading 'trend reports' in magazines often makes me feel queasy, as though I'm supposed to study them In All Seriousness, when really, it's just a full-page collage of every leopard print accessory ever made.

Oh hey, Florals for Spring!
Most days, I don't want getting dressed to be FUN! and TRENDY! or even experimental, but rather easy, comfortable, and therefore luxurious. I think flat shoes, a t-shirt so soft and thin a spider could have woven it, and a pair of loose silk trousers you can move in is the ultimate luxury playsuit. To me, that is sensual dressing.

(Click for larger) Clockwise from top left: Source unknown, Lou Doillon in Isabel Marant, Michael Thomson for W Mag, Diane Sawyer via Duskin blog, Encens, Josh Olins for AnOther Mag, Jason Kibbler for Teen Vogue.

And of course, nothing else looks quite so elegantly louche when (un)done right.

David Bellemere

IN WHICH I DREAM ABOUT MULTICULTURALISM IN MAGAZINES

2010-08-01T19:14:00.002-04:00

Serious business time now. Style.com recently posted an interview with fashion casting director Natalie Joos. I liked a lot of what she said, and I couldn't get this one quote out of my head:

"Casting different ethnicities, I’ve had clients who have worried that the cast I propose is too diverse; they worry about it looking contrived."

Errr, WHAT?! I know it would have been poor business form for Joos to specify which clients have refused her suggestions for more diverse casting, but I really do think these companies should be called out on the preposterousness of their argument. Diversity is not “contrived”—It reflects the world we live in. And while no one should expect ‘realism’ from fashion images, we should expect them to acknowledge that the fantasies they peddle do appeal to women of all colours. Yes, it’s true!

As someone who makes a point of buying magazines based on the quality of their content, I'm disappointed that so many of my favourites are guilty of ignoring the need for diversity. Then there are those who have decided that the best way to solve this problem is by, ughhh, cultural appropriation.

Culprit #1: The white-girl-on-exotic-vacay photo

Can I escape into this picture? Is there a place for me to see myself represented?

Whoops! Sorry, I guess I forgot they already cast me as the chick with the camera phone.

Photos from this 10 Magazine editorial.

Culprit #2: The legitimating-power-of-the-white-model photo

Vogue China launched in 2005. They decided to kick things off with some Chinese models and...Gemma Ward?!?!

The Defense:
To reason, as some magazine reps have, that featuring, say, a South Asian woman on their cover would mislead readers into mistaking the magazine for a ‘niche’ publication is the equivalent of mistaking their readers for racists. Ghettoization of niche mags aside, I really don’t believe that the white women of the world aren’t interested in looking at Lakshmi Menon or Du Juan. In fact, as readers, I think we are all on the same side here. Maybe publishers should look at it this way: ‘Ethnic’-model covers not selling so well? Try harder. Try smarter. Before crying wolf over the white audience you think you might be alienating, think about the audience you are already alienating, page after glossy scented page.

Lakshmi Menon in US Vogue

It is also commonly thought that white models (and actresses) are more "versatile." By this, I don't suppose they mean horrible miscalculations like Lara Stone in blackface, but rather something much more insidious that Erica at The Feminista Files has written about with regard to Gwyneth Paltrow: The fact that white models or actresses like Paltrow are allowed to embody any aspect of femininity that is prescribed for them, while the rest of us are stranded with even fewer flimsy stock characteristics to choose from. None of us benefit. (Not even Gwyneth).

I want more than this. Shouldn't you?

Arlenis Sosa in "Is Fashion Racist?"

PERSONA (1960)

2010-07-18T17:16:00.014-04:00

Wikipedia tells me that Persona "touches wordless secrets that only the cinema can discover," and I can only agree. It's hard to talk about what really happens in Persona, so let's cut straight to the fashion. Shot in sensual black and white, Liv Ullman and Bibi Anderssen's magnificent performances are enhanced by their graphic outfits. Though black turtlenecks and thick ear-obscuring headbands seem to be strange wardrobe choices for spending a summer by the sea, Bergman and Co. have created an oft-imitated look whose refinement masks the characters' troubling psychology. Beautiful and horrifying.

Images Copyright Svensk Filmindustri/UA

FASTER, HIGHER

2010-07-09T12:27:00.012-04:00

For those who were unable to see Mark Fast's gorgeous Luminato installation in person last month, I've uploaded a few shots onto flickr -- The detail of his work is astounding!