Brittany Murphy Inducted Into Secret Society

Film still, "Uptown Girls" from allmoviephotos

Brittany Murphy, we love you. I still remember when you were Cher's beauty experiment in Clueless. You really grew from there. If there is one way for all to remember you, it would have to be in this outfit from Uptown Girls. I love the distressed denim with the patches. I will wear this outfit this Spring and dedicate it to you. You've been inducted. Love, Secret Society

Just For The Long and Short of It

Long, elegant and accessorized to a t, loving these outfits from chicheroin.com .

The exaggerated silhouette of the boots really amplify the sex appeal, making it easier to wear this look.

The coat also adds to the sex appeal. It's unexpected, but ties in with the textures and accessories perfectly.

Speaking of blogs, and I speak of mine a lot lately, a friend showed me this: chicheroin.blogspot.com. While the blog focuses on one girl taking pictures of herself, something I can find a little self-serving, I will forgive this girl for doing it well. And, I have to admit...I love her outfits. Anyway, I was REALLY lovin' this one, with the long dress. Part relaxed boheme, and other part rock star, she looks ready to run off with the band any moment now. For the upcoming summer months this is a definite do. What a refreshing move from yester-summers short shorts and mini's. How much skin can we bear to bare? Here's to a long, long decade.

Color Stories

This just in from NPR: atoms splitting can look really cool. I just love the three shades of grey with the red in this illustration. Oh, the wonders of science.

Peruvian High Life

Group dyeing yarn using the cochineal beetle. This beetle in central to dyeing techniques in this part of the world. It produces colors from pink to red-orange to a deep burgundy red.

Man wearing traditional vest and knitting chullo. Knitting is practiced mostly by women, but by both men and women in some communities.

Woman spinning thread on her phusca, or drop spindle. Spinning is done by most in these villages, especially those unable to weave because of extreme youth or old age. All photos from the book "Weaving in the Peruvian Highlands" by Nilda Callañuapa Alvarez

OMG, so absolutely fabulous. Totally jealous of anyone who gets to wear these clothes on a daily basis. I am just ready to rip an item of clothing off from each wearer. I would coordinate them with my skinny jeans and tromp down the mean streets of New York City. There I would shock and awe all with the wondrous creations I'd be wearing. These are from a book I got for Christmas (thank-you Marina!) . If you knew the work each person put into each textiles you would never take a piece of cloth lightly again.

Pantone Color Swatch of The Year

Swatch depicting Pantone's color for 2010. Go to their website here to read more.

At first I thought they were crazy. I mean, turquoise!? With all the new colors I've been excited about right now like fleshy peach, lemon zest, and jade, how could they choose turquoise!? It felt like a violation. But still, maybe they have a point. Turquoise does remind you of the serene waters at your favorite island get-away. You know, the one you can't get to this year because it costs too much damn money? Yeah, that one. It also is a great way to segue from the greens and other warm colors so popular of late. Even so, given my choice, I'd vote for a different color. Maybe reddish purple. This color, seeing tromping all over runways this season is also a great way to segue from warm to cool. And as for its soothing qualities? Er, I'll have get back to you about that one.

Color Charge

I just felt so inspired by the colors in this photo from Sunday's New York Times I had to share.

Shabba Ranks: A Trailer Load Of 90's Fashion

So maybe you remember him better as Mr. Loverman. However you remember him, you gotta love this video I found. What I enjoyed best are all the hot 90's trends featured in it. There is enough day-glow and underwear as outerwear in in this video for an average girl to wear from now straight into 2020. I was literally hard pressed to pick a favorite outfit, but forced to make the choice I'd say it has to be a toss up between the peach spandex body-con shorts outfit and the green sequin hot-shorts. Keep your eye on the black outfit with the gold coin embellishment. That is what I see reinterpreted for 2011. Oh, and Mr. Ranks? Love the hair.

Dear: Rivington Street

Window display

Clothing dislay. Love the color and texture.

Example of some of the interesting antiques Dear carries

The other night while it was dark and wind was whipping debris around on the street I found myself on a desolate section in the Lower East Side of New York. Suddenly, like a beacon to a parched sailor I saw a light. Wedged between an abandoned building and an old school tailor was the store Dear. A light glowed softly from the white rooms inside and spilled out onto the sidewalks. The glow from inside illuminated whimsical mannequins who floated in space. With their black, white, and red poofs of tulle the displays were truly magical. Number decals danced along the windows, creating more interesting designs. Always afraid of math, I was beginning to think that Dear could give me the power to embrace numbers. No matter. Dear gets even cooler inside, where you can find clothing, accessories, and antiques. You should check it out for yourself: Dear, 95 Rivington St., Lower East Side, New York City. Comment what you think.

Fela's Women

Close-ups Of Fela's wives from the play "Fela!" now on Broadway. Photos courtesy of the New York Times, from the article "Finding Depth In Fela's Women".

I have been inspired by Fela Kuti's music for years now, but recently heard that there's a new play on Broadway chronicling his life. Special focus has been put on the Afrobeat musician's many wives and their costumes, which are indeed great. Fela, according to the New York Times article "Finding Depth In Fela's Women" married his 27 co-wives in unison as part of a protest against what he considered governmental degradation of traditional Nigerian culture. I love the rich colors and bold patterning in these photos, especially the hair and the make-up.

Street Life: Baby It's Cold Outside

Looking At These Folks Is a Helpful Lesson In How to Stay Warm While Being Cool

Love this look, cozy with just a little bit of folkiness thrown in

So chic. Just love her fur vest.

Again fur...this time in white. Am I sensing a pattern?

An easy, casual outfit with an ethnic touch

I love a guy who can pull off rugged and fashionable at the same time.

Just the right balance between preppy and street.

Etsy: Creating A New Type of Employee? Or Making Dreams Unravel?

Yookoo Gibran, in her Oatmeal Soopascarf, who according the article says she knits 13 hours a day, then works on business related things when she is done. The article likens her workload to a law associates. Photo courtesy of NyTimes.

I recently read this article in the NyTimes. Apparently, some people have had so much success with their online shops on Etsy, a purveyor of handmade goods, that they now are the owners of bonafide businesses. Some generate 6-figure incomes. However, all of this has not come without a cost. Some of the women in the article go through periods where they are working almost 24 hours a day making, and then shipping orders that their customers have placed. One interviewee said it was the hardest job she had ever done. Some have argued that the fact these women think they can turn a hobby into an income generator is all fantasy. Sara Mosle, a New Times Contributer wrote an essay on the topic, was quoted in the article as follows:

“What Etsy is really peddling isn’t only handicrafts...but also the feminist promise that you can have a family and create hip arts and crafts from home during flexible, reasonable hours while still having a respectable, fulfilling, and remunerative career.”

Ouch. Have we really created the antithesis of our feminist dreams? If you are working every waking hour, is that really woman's emancipation? Harumph. Designing takes a lot of work. In a start up business you execute every function that exists in company yourself. But in the end at least you can say you created a product you believe in. How many people can say that about where they work?

Dazed and Confused No More

Images from December 2010 Dazed and Confused Magazine featuring tie-dyed hair

These photos from the recent Dazed and Confused (for December 2009) are just so...wow. The title explains that the look is a tie-dye for hair to take "it beyond its hippie heritage". These colors are perfectly aligned with the electric colors seen for Spring 2010 on the runway (see: It's Electric). I felt a charge just looking at them.

Godspeed 45/06: Document No. 2

Bookcover for Godspeed 45/06 Document 2. Everyone, pick up this book! It's great.

Cool bike spotted outside the launch party. Hopefully the book will show more people the workmanship and design that go into these bikes.

Slideshow at party featuring pictures from inside book.

The author Cicero DeGuzman and his girlfriend Katie Maguire (who are quite possibly two of my favorite people!)

The most exciting thing I did this weekend was attend the book launch party for my friends Cicero deGuzman and his girlfriend Katie Maguire. The book is a project that Cicero has been working on for a long time, with Katie's assistance and support of course. Cicero works doing creative director work for others, so it's so exciting to see him have completed his own project. And what a project it is...the book is beautiful with page after page documenting motorcycle builders, their workshops, and their lifestyles. Cicero told me that he started this project after riding for a while and deciding he wanted to build a bike of his own. He took a year off, and went to mechanic school in Florida. While there, he realized there was quite a bit of style to go around, and since he enjoys recording and documenting, an idea was born. If you have never appreciated the beauty of a good bike, now is the time to start. Check out the book: Godspeed 45/06 Document No. 2 by Cicero DeGuzman Jr. You can buy it at godspeed4506.com .

Print Happy

Kudos to Dolce and Gabbana for showing us that roses get mixed up sometimes too. Thanks Style.com for photo, Dolce and Gabbana Spring 2010.

Coming Up Roses

My art history teacher says that every decade has it's flower, and when you think about it, it's true. Art Nouveau has its iris, the 60's the daisy, and the 80's had the lily. Well, I hearby de-clare 2010 the decade of the rose. The roses were popping up all over the runway this season, from Dolce and Gabbana to Oscar De La Renta. I consider an them an ode to the classics. No-thing gets more basic than an old-fashioned rose. Because a rose is a rose is a rose.

Givenchy's girls are of a different stripe. Thanks Style.com for photos, Givenchy Spring 2010

Walk The Line

Almost as classic as a rose print was the black and white stripes seen all through out fashion week. It was shown in a sort-of minimalist, I'm-too-cool-to-wear-anything-but-black-and-white-but--oh wait--here I am mixing it up with stripes aren't I fun?-sorta way. I say throw caution to the wind and where them with your rose print stuff. Hey, you only live once.