walk on the wild side

new purchases! spring is a-coming. gotta gear up.

I love rings. Having a hand stacked with bands and gems is a combination b-boy and royal, and I can't get enough of it. This means I am constantly on the lookout for more, but while I like quantity I refuse (As I do with all my jewelry) to buy it from a large retailer/ chain store. Stumbling upon unique pieces is my favorite part of jewelry collecting.
I found these babies in the LES on Saturday. And yes, to answer that question, I am rather fond of fauna.


Also, I purchased this a few weeks ago but neer got around to uploading the photo. You may call it ridiculous, I call it sweet as hell. Fringed black biker-style jacket with imitation cow-hair? Yes, please. It's a little giant on me but when I saw it on etsy I absolutely could not say no.

No one can ever say I am anything less than in love with Americana

Stone Cold Fox

W stylist Alex White recently started her own blog, Alex White Edits, where she posts snapshots from her styling sessions and photos of favorite looks with handwritten comments. It's fun, but even better it gives things like behind-the-scenes sneek peeks from editorials: check this glitzy one of Lara Stone, shot by Craig McDean

White's Polaroids

The actual shots by McDean

t be honest, I think I like White's better than the refined McDean ones. They have a noir feel, darker and less contrived. But maybe that's just my nostalgia for Polaroid...

quote of the day

"Dance before you get dressed — put the music on, light the candles, dance naked, and your spirit will give you the right outfit."

- Anna Dello Russo to CNN in an interview presentation of her closet

it's totally true - before big nights out I always get dressed to Short Skirt/Long Jacket by Cake, and it has yet to steer me wrong

devil gonna find me, wherever I go

I'm pretty sure blues rock is the best genre of American music. Nothing has more heart than a soulful voice and real acoustics. Fuck electronica, this is the real deal right here.

2.5 months and counting til my cross-country trip. cannot. wait.

long live the Queen

It would be very glamorous to be reincarnated as a great big ring on Liz Taylor's finger.

- Andy Warhol

RIP, to one of the all time greats.
I shall wear some all-over sequins and enormous cocktail rings in her honor.

let's get old fashioned

it's Grace Coddington's 70th birthday (or was recently)!
and she's still just as fine. I met her once, at the Prada store during the first Fashion's Night Out. She signed my purse. I swooned.

young Grace, American Vogue

styled by Grace, American Vogue, Spring '11

kick one back for her, and the history of US fashion

Rihanna. Yes.

Not gonna lie, I'm marginally obsessed with Rihanna. I love that she rocks red hair, knows how to wear elaborate hats, and stays classy while sporting midriff-baring bandeau dresses and singing a song about bondage. Girl knows how to work it but isn't too self-aware, which is rare in someone of her pop-culture caliber. When rumors began to circulate a few months back that she was to cover American Vogue I was pleasantly surprised, and now that the photos have surfaced I'm downright ecstatic. The cover itself is gorgeous (the flaming locks! the transparent dress!) and the Annie Leibovitz-shot spread does not disappoint. It's typically pretty, as is the Vogue way, but her raw sensual power shines through; I love the lone shot of her wine-colored lipstick snarl. To be honest, she probably would have been a better feature for their Power issue, but Shape works well anyway, especially when she's twisted into a pretzel in a banded Leger suit. Way to go, Vogue, for finally stepping outside your Blake Lively box

all photos: Vogue.com

also, can the costume designer for this video get some type of award? So many plastic dresses. So many jewels and candies. and the colors! I could go on....

soul, girl

Yeah yeah, I'm late on posting this. Whatever man, I've had WORK and STUFF, ok?

I just figured it should be up in case people live in a hole or something.

Mermaids Paradise

I'll be honest, it's rough going trying to keep updated and stayed updated during Fashion Month. Especially when you're in school and have, you know, work and things to do. Thus I've been on a small hiatus until I could take proper inventory of each city's best shows and figure out what's been going on.

There were quite a few prevalent themes - polka dots, Navajo, menswear-inspired suiting - but my absolute favorite was Mermaids, something I originally picked up from an ornate, enamel and jewel ring in W last autumn that drew memories of Polly Pocket and all her lurid, flourescent goodness. It drew memories of this Harper's Bazaar spread I ripped out about 5 years ago - cotton-candy colored pink and blue streaks in some dirty blond, wind-tousled locks.... everything you'd wat from natural hair.Harper's Bazaar, circa maybe 2007?

It was fantastic, and I've been obsessed ever since. LUCKILY, the style set seems to have followed my brain wave - there were quite a few Ariel-worthy pieces floating around.
On the runways, Marc Jacobs reigned supreme. His sequined skirts and metallic sweaters were almost unapproachable: the urban bitch of the mermaid set, the girls who could wrap you around a finger (tail?) with a power suit that was as sexy as it was innovative.

Marc Jacobs

Prada followed in the same vein with skirts and dresses that fell in waterfalls of metallic-hued scales that draw to mind aquatic Amazonian royalty.

Expanding on the aestheically elaborate, glittery sequins and metallics were just as big. Diane on Furstenberg stole my heart - her collection was among my top % of the entire fall collective- and although most of her designs centered around 70s disco-westerns, she unleashed these two fabulous gowns at the end that simply made me drool for an underwater Studio 54.Diana Von Furstenberg

Along the same vein, D&G had sequins and lurex and metallics.. everything a self-respecting expositionist would want. The stars harkened fond memories of my favorite Barbie, who had a light-sensitive dress that sparked stars in direct exposure.

Dolce and Gabbana

Personally, I cannot wait to incorporate some serious glitz into my wardrobe. And, to be honest, I''ve been considering some flossy magenta lowlights. Drastic? I don't know what that word means...

all photos: Style.com