See ya next year

Well 2010, it's been a real trip. But now, sad as it is, we have to part ways. I've got a new year coming up and there just isn't room for the two of you. In remembrance of our time together, here's a nice lil' review of all my favorite things you brought along.

Music
This year saw an explosion of surf rock and, being from the beach, I welcomed the change with open arms. I'm not much of a super-low-fi fan, but I did find love in Wavves King of the Beach and spent my summer repeating it through drives down the salty OC highway and drilling it into ears at every iPod-controlled party. My second love: Surfer Blood. I heard small mentions of them early in the year and begged a friend to accompany me to Market Hotel to see them in February. It was one of the years best.
Living in Spain, with a nightlife that was primarily spent in nightclubs, gave me a newfound appreciation for club music. From that sprung my love for Nicki Minaj, whose Pink Friday debut is nothing short of baller.
Lastly, there were quite a few new releases by old favs: Arcade Fire's Th Suburbs, to state the obvious; Sufjan Stevens The Age of Adz; and most recently, Girl Talk's All Day.
To sum it all up, a list in no particular order of my most reminiscent of 2010 tracks (some are not neccessarily from 2010, they just happened to be my most played this year):
1. Momma's Boy - Chromeo
2. Dog Days Are Over - Florence and the Machine
3. King of the Beach - Wavves
4. King of Spain - Tallst Man on Earth
5. Congratulations- MGMT

6. We No Speak Americano - Yolanda Be Cool

7. Cold War - Janelle Monae
8. Suburban War - Arcade Fire
9. All My Friends - LCD Soundsystem
10. Floating Vibes - Surfer Blood
11. Tell 'Em - Sleigh Bells
12. I'm the Best - Nicki Minaj
13. Sons and Daughters - The Decemberists

Fashion
I threw myself closet-first into Americana this year, as my friends will attest to having seen the great breath of my red/white/blue wardrobe. This manifested itself in two ways: a re-discovering of silver jewelry via my summer Navajo obsession, and a real appreciation for the classic American sportswear aesthetic. My top picks from this year / those that every woman should have on hand:

1. A really great blazer; My most recent fav is the creamy white one I found at Zara in Spain, although I will never forsake the classic Navy.

2. silver bangles

3. A statement ring; nothing can trump the handmade-by-gypsies silver and stone ones I bought in Granada, although this may come close...

4. Lace-up booties

5. Leopard print, in all its incarnations. But mainly, sweaters.
6. SpectatorsBlazer: Gap; ring: Etsy.com; boot: Sam Edelman; saddle shoe: Vans.

Everything Else
What did I learn this year that is worth sharing (not much) ....

- Wedged heels really are more comfortable
- Never, ever go on Etsy.com when you have money, otherwise you will very soon find yourself poor again.
- Don't shop at American Apparel
- You can never own too many pairs of socks
-Anna Dello Russo can do no wrong
- I am inferior to a 14-yr-old in many ways
- and a 9-yr-old, for that matter
- Clubbing is fun until you do it multiple times a week for 4 months straight; then it gets tired, like the arches of your feet.
- Frye boots can withstand central European blizzards

Now I anxiously await all those year-end magazine specials that I'm an absolute sucker for even though they don't really tell you anything new/ anything you couldn't read online. Whatever.

Happy New Year everyone. See you in 2k11.

In with the new

It's a post-snowpocalypse wasteland here and with nothing better to do I've obviously just been slowly chipping away at my future rent money by online shopping. I usually avoid net-a-porter since I can't afford basically anything on it and it makes my heart hurt, however, it was tons of fun to peruse and construct a fantasy New Years outfit. If I would I could...

top: Stella McCartney. jacket: Balmain. skirt: A.L.C. shoes: Marc by Marc. ring: Anita Ko

idol.
Karen O

Black Swan

As any proper Rodarte fan, I've been salivating in anticipation of The Black Swan; the preliminary pictures of the costumes and sketches of the Mulleavy sisters' work were absolutely tantalizing with promises of an exquisitely dressed movie. It didn't disappoint, neither with those gorgeous feathered tutus nor with a seriously twisted plot. The disparity of the two swans - white and black, good and evil - mirrored Nina's fracturing personality beautifully. In the sweetness we saw an almost child-like girl, tucked into bed by her mother in a stuffed-animal-laden room; riding the subway quietly, hands folded, with a white fluffy scarf and baby-pink coat. Her voice is a whisper, her eyes well easily under criticism. But this facade cracks so easily, like her delicate skin under the daily punishments and anxious hackings. The latent devil emerges - blood-red eyes, angular black makeup. Bloodshed and hallucinogenic scenes aside, there was perhaps no better indication of the transformation than the pointy black feathers sprouting from her skin. It was no regal development - I cringed, watching them poke through her skin was almost painful.
Honestly, it was one of the finest films I've seen all year. The good vs. evil has been so overdone that it can easily be tired or cliche, yet here it came off fresh and, finally, realistic. The mental breakdown is raw and painfully recognizable; what better medium than the habitually demanding ballerina figure? We watch as Nina batters her body and pushes her mind to its farthest borders and succumbs to the pressure in her own literal grand finale. Haunting and poetic, fantastically styled and masterfully executed; I will be stunned if this does not receive awards come show season.

surprisingly awesome

I heard this on the radio in a random store in Sevilla about 2 weeks ago and was seriously confused over it's legitimacy as a real song; apparently it's not only real but actually has an awesome video with the perfect combination of Bronx B-boy/ hipster style (I'm twitching for home). Check it out...

Chloe Sevigny for Opening Ceremony

Chloe Sevigny's much-anticipated line for OC debuts Monday - I burn, I pine, I cannot afford. A few shots have been floating around for a few months but now the full collection is available for preview and delivers exactly what we all hoped for; in trademark Sevigny style, there are girly frocks with peter pan collars, tough boots and stacked heels, and vintage-inspired graphic ts, all layered. Part of me is happy to avoid the certain avalanche of women who will flock to the boutique at ungodly hours of the morning to wait in line for these and part of me is dying to be back in the US to do just that (I think the latter wins out).
All I want for Christmas is....

review: Girl Talk, 'All Day'

Nothing like a little Black Sabbath and a rousing, “Move, Bitch” to really get things moving eh? So begins the nonstop 70-minute flow of All Day, the latest musical epic by Girl Talk, alias of mash-up artist Gregg Gillis. This heavy intro heralds the seamless, fluid mix that will surely provide soundtrack for every iPod-controlled party for the next several months, years if one measures it equal to his previous endeavor Feed the Animals in popularity; a very real possibility given the hype of All Day’s release and the many overridden servers it caused.

Of course, that hype was based on the exceptional work of Feed the Animals and many (myself included) wondered how another album could measure up given the repetitive nature of mash-up style. It has to be said that Feed the Animals was no doubt influential, bringing mash-ups to the masses. Amongst the many none are quite as comprehensive or smooth as Girl Talk, whose work flows seamlessly so no matter how polarizing adjacent samples may be all meld perfectly for an entirely new track. And it has serious power in recognition. Take the soundtrack from a party where someone grabbed the iPod and played old favs that got everyone screaming off-key and play that over something spun by a pitch-perfect DJ. It’s no wonder Feed the Animals kept up momentum for so long.

It’s in the energy where All Day steps away from Feed the Animals’ shadow. This new endeavor is a bit slower but overall better developed. Primary vocal samples take the spotlight, backed by the melodies from both obscure and well-known songs which are layered themselves, with one taking precedence and the tempos of the other samples/ voice tracks altered to fit. The method isn’t new but it’s matured; All Day has more depth and variety: more heavily-sampled periods, some obscure instrumental accompaniments. There’s an onion skin element that is undoubtedly complex but appears completely fluid. Take a section of the opening track, Oh No: there is a final heavy Black Sabbath chord when ‘Teach Me How to Dougie’ rings out; Sabbath fades and Jane’s Addiction’s ‘Jane Says’ eases in to replace it; meanwhile, in between the pause in words 'Dougie' has been sped up to meet the pace of ‘Jane Says’. It all lasts about 26 seconds and the older melody folds out, a third eases in and a new vocal track begins. Many times a third instrumental has been barely audible the whole time and fills space in between sets of ‘bigger’ samples, often changing the track’s mood entirely. It’s with that that Gillis has made a slower album, one less conducive to ragers but one that displays much more skill and attention to detail.

Of course, there are a few clutch sections that demand revelry. Let It Out is an excepcional track, especially the ‘Twerk’ midsection and the ‘Rude Boy’ ending with a heavy beat that’s reminiscent of the ‘Lip Gloss’ sample on Feed the Animals. Jump on Stage emerged an early favorite too, including a fantastic Skee-Lo (‘I Wish’) throwback and a pounding ending that combines Gaga’s LoveGame and Beastie Boy’s ‘Hey Ladies’ over instantly recognizable ‘Lust for Life’. Another all-around winner, Steady Shock, samples three oldies – the first 50 seconds combine Nicki Minaj over Blue Oyster Cult and then fades to Bruce’s ‘Dancing in the Dark’ topped by Soulja Boy (an admitted favorite of Gillis); later on there’s a little Drake on top of a tweaked Flock of Seagulls.

It’s likely the general population will listen to this album primarily while inebriated and thus find it identical to Feed the Animals, which is a pity. The depth and attention to detail are truly impressive, like hearing "Wiz Khalifa’s ‘Black and Yellow’ while recognizing the Stones 'Paint it Black' in the background – those with attentive ears will appreciate Gillis’ progress on All Day. He has, in fact, done it again.

the climax: Tom Ford

And the moment you've all been waiting for kids (right?): pics from the super secret Tom Ford runway show. As expected, they give a glimpse into a hell of a collection with all the Tom Ford glitz and sex. And the women who modeled them! nothing shy of Amazonian and, it goes without saying, legendary; Ford used models all the way to age 70 (Lauren Hutton, still bangin') reflecting a small slice of fashion history. Personal delight: the show opened with my main lady, Beyonce. Especially loving the Joan Smalls afro, and I personally can find no fault with Daphne Guinness. Beyonce

Lauren Hutton

Daphne Guinness

Joan Smalls

all photos: Harper's Bazaar UK

bundle up

As I prepare for low-20s temps in northern Europe I can't help but long for the entire wooly knitty wonderful collection from Spanish store Oysho, a place whose entire stock could potentially be sleepwear but isn't, quite. I'd never heard of it until encountering a branch in Sevilla and was immediately hooked - it's as affordable as it is super comfy, and there's nothing more appealing than clothes that look like you could wear in bed all day and not have to change to leave the house. Their lingerie is girlish and pretty, the knitwear is appropriately chunky, and everything slouches, folds, or softly drapes: perfectly made for layering and snuggling. It makes me love winter. And long for a fireplace and hot cocoa.

Here, a few looks from their too-comfy-for-words AW'10 lookbook.