juliette

Juliette Binoche is set to the play what critics are calling a 'female James Bond' in an action blockbuster called A Few Days in September. But, in my opinion, she can't really be compared to prior Bond iconic femme fatale leads. Juliette promises more depth of character. Will casting her affect the quality of this action-thriller script? Will her dialogue have to reflect the actor's braininess and powerful talent? I hope so!

girl/boy/girl

Ever notice a woman so striking she deserves the description, "handsome"? A masculine undertone can be brazenly feminine on a beautiful frame or a stunning face. Think Cate Blanchett as Katherine Hepburn in the Aviator. Think rocker, Chrissie Hynde.

But what happens when this aesthetic paradigm of androgyny is reversed? Is The Cure's Robert Smith in his smeared red lipstick as desirable as the tough Patti Smith in her equally messy hair and button-down shirts?










For some (probably Freudian or capitalist) reason, the masculine feminine seems to hold more 'beauty' cache than the efeminite male. Case in point, this photo of a statuesque woman... er, or is it, of a beautiful man?
According to The Sartorialist, this photo is of a man named Martin. But I thought it was of an eye-catching woman. Does the way the image strikes you change depending on the gender of the figure? If fashion is meant to be bold, interesting and conceptually daring, this boygirlboy punk poseur is either the epitome of fashion, or its cliché.

elvis week

Photo source

Fashion trend news flash! White jumpsuits emblazoned with crystal embellishments are ALL THE RAGE this season. No, really. These kids are too rad. I had to share. I think I have the same shades as them.

new york burning, brightening, melting, storming

My trip with a few special friends to New York was more fun than I could have asked for.

We stayed in a gorgeous loft in Brooklyn with a view overlooking the bridges and the glistening, (albeit, likely dirty), waters separating Manhattan from BK.

Being well-nourished foodies, we got smoothies at Refresh, brunch at Egg, and lunch at Taco Chulo in, all before 3pm. Not to mention, a nap on the lush grass of McCarren Park in Greenpoint.

We caught the tail-end of KRS-ONE's positively preachy free outdoor performance at Prospect Park as part of 'Celebrate Brooklyn'. He closed the set with an emphatic, "Five minutes before you fall asleep at night, I want you to SEE YOUR FUTURE! SEE YOUR FUTURE!" It sounded like a StarTrek prophecy. What future, Mr.KRS? So confusing.

For the next couple of days, we all did serious damage to our credit cards with shopping. While New York is an inspiring place for 'window shopping', it's even more fun when you walk away with the very item you fell in love with.

I got a pair of Mociun shorts from new charming women's wear boutique, Honey in the Rough. The designer behind the print-based clothing line, Caitlin Mociun, attributes the illustrations of outsider artist Henry Darger as one of the main inspirations behind her wild and bizarre prints. Think tribal lines on comfy fabrics. The print that appears on this Mociun dress is the same one as on my new Mociun shorts.


Next stop: one of my favorite new shops in the Lower East Side, Dear:55, run by Japanese expat, Moon Rhee, who sold me a unique copper ring with a dagger in the centre.

Moon assured me that the quality of the ring was supreme, and that the design was one-of-a-kind exclusive, made by someone with whom he works closely. While I believe the latter of the two points, I'm afraid the quality left much to be desired. For the price tag, (which I ashamedly, shan't repeat!), a ring should not make your finger 'go green.' Nonetheless, I do love the design.

At Dear:55, I also found a DADA bracelet that I'm still pining for (hint hint to friends in nyc), and a pair of Japanese designer, Miharaya Sohiro, shoes that I love.







Sadly, they were three sizes too big. Moon assured me that all the cool kids in Japan are buying their shoes oversized, but c'mon, I looked like a stylin' clown in these metallic beauties. Besides, I was done taking purchase advice from Moon: fool me once shame on you, fool me twice...

After a day of flexing some purchase power, we lunched, standing up and cramped elbow-to-elbow, in what I consider to be the best Indian "restaurant" in NYC. They offer straight-up Punjabi cuisine, where you can eat heartily for $4. The food's delicious but don't expect 'ambiance.' The four of us didn't say a word until we consumed the last of our saag paneer and thanked the friendly staff twenty minutes later. They're located at Houston and 1st.
After a bootless attempt to see Blonde Redhead for free in the park, we went to our generation's cool-kid haven, Enid's. I've never seen so many disgruntled hipsters in such volume. (Pic of the establishment during a quieter time, below, from NYT)
Speaking of Blonde Redhead, I'm told that leadsinger Kazu Makino, gets some of her dresses custom-made at Lyell. I fell in love with two dresses in particular at Lyell.

I couldn't decide which one to purchase, so I got both! My best friend bought one of them for me, and its featured above. The other one (no photo) is ruby red; a real apple pie gem that fits as if it were custom cut for my body. I absolutely love both of them. Shopkeeper, Sasha, was super sweet and very helpful. I made a pact with myself that there will be no more new dresses for the rest of the year. What can I say? I fell in love. Can't deny a girl a little love.

For dinner, we went to my mate, Rhea's, new pad in Carrol Gardens where we met her lovely friends. We eventually made it out to the Brooklyn Social where Rhea's buddy, Joaquin - an extraordinary bartender in his own right - broke down the serious science of a properly mixed drink.
Back to fashion business...

The proliferation of the high-end men's sneaker boutique in New York is a bit tired now. I get the formula now, place shoes behind streakless glass, spotlight them as though they were a piece of art or jewelry, and have a bouncer buzz customers into a dark wood room. The first time, it's clever merchandising. But after experiencing the schtick five times, it's just unnecessary posturing.

We were on a mission to find a pair of dope (but not ostentatiously nu-rave colored), sneakers for J which, ultimately we did find, two pairs in fact, at ClassicKicks. The staff there were the most friendly and helpful out of all the high-end sneaker shops. After walking out of the store with a new pair of sneaks on his feet, J dropped his old RUN-DMC Adidas off outside the shop.

R.I.P. 2001 - 2007

While we weren't really scurrying to fit in too many gallery exhibitions this visit, we were all keen on going to PS1 which was unfortunately closed when we visited on a Tuesday afternoon. argh!









 

We wandered around around Five Points, a 'legal' graffiti site in Long Island City.

We thought it would be hilarious to make like the German tourists and go on a Hip Hop Tour of Brooklyn, hosted by 'Hush Tours,' (you *must* check out their website), but at $55 a ticket, this hip hop knowledge seemed just way out of our league.

No trip for an indie fashionista on the loose in NYC is complete without a visit to the store Opening Ceremony where the current merchandise theme is, fittingly, "USA vs. Sweden"- a clever venture given the extreme trendiness of Swedish design right now.

J bought a simple, 2-button, midnight black blazer from brand new Scandinavian clothing line, Pour. Pudel offer creative non-gendered garments. I got the black Pudel cardigan featured below.
My cardigan has neat detailing which would make my mother pause and remark, "Your sweater's ripped! What - you paid for a sweater with a hole in it??"

I also found a pair of simple, old-man-looking, navy blue flats from Hope Clothing. I didn't buy them. I should have. I have since dreamt up numerous scenarios in which, I imagine, those shoes would be particularly happy holding up my tired ankles. alas...

And randomly, since my appreciation for trouser socks is never waning, I bought a pair of oddball socks.

Our last day was spent stumbling dumbstruck through the Botox-ville quarters of Manhattan, but quickly found refuge and solace beneath one of the world's most generous trees. We let its branches weigh heavy just above our bodies, as we lounged, gratefully, in its shade.

For the pond alone, I don't think I'll ever tire of Central Park.
Seeing the Broadway version of the atrocious eighties box office crash, Xanadu, at the Helen Hayes Theater, will remain not only a highlight of the trip, but also, of my life.

After the thee-ahtah, we ate dinner at the swanky restaurant, Stanton Social, which, was deeelish!

Joaquin hosted us at his bar, Death & Co., a probition-era-inspired speakeasy. We woke the next morning to brave the storm that struck NYC at 7am while we sat aboard our plane waiting for it to pass.

For our whirlwind time in NY, I'm sorry that I didn't have a chance to cross paths with several of my mates who currently reside there, but I should be back for New York fashion week next month.

 























p.s. Paddy, Jazzy Jasmine and the wonderful Jarrett Martineau in particular, made this trip really fun, and fantastic. Je vous aime beaucoup!

bisous, comme toujours. . .
fashyawn minute

les vacances - Off to New York!

oK, fine. it's just for 5'ish days. but still. this time its purely for leisure. we're staying in a gorgeous loft and looking forward to enjoying what feels like the hottest weather 2007 has seen yet. there are already 7 concerts on the running list of things-to-do, a few parties to attend, friends to see, a couple of visionary exhibits to be caught, and much much shopping to be done. and, critically, a bit of neighborhood-scouting is in the game plan since, i can envision moving to nyc sometime in the near future. bon fin de semaine tout le monde.

a communist's idea of luxury

Nobel Peace Prize winner and former president of a communist nation, Mikhail Gorbachev, has a new job: starring in a fashion magazine ad for luxury brand Louis Vuitton. It would seem that the term 'luxury' has radically changed since the Cold War - from having a negative connotation that threatens social virtue, to a cunning scheme supporting consumption.