dressing for the oscars 2010

These were my favorites from the Academy Awards this year:

Demi is in an Atelier Versace tiered gown.

Diane Kruger is wearing Chanel Haute Couture.

Penelope Cruz is in a red, satin Donna Karan Couture gown.

Jennifer Lopez is in a pale pink Armani Prive gown.

Anna Kendrick is wearing an Elie Saab Haute Couture gown.

All photos from here.

Viktor & Rolf: part 2

Feast your eyes on these gorgeous shoes! The lingerie inspired Spring 2010 line from Viktor & Rolf generated these beautiful creations. There is something ironic about walking in a big clunky heel that is actually feminine and beautiful. I really want these pink and lavender rosette-covered heels to strut around in.

All photos are from here.

ethereal photography inspiration

I love beautiful things and am lucky to have uber talented friends who create beautiful things....my friend Jimmy Pham is a super talented photographer. Check him out here. Jimmy has a unique and beautiful way of capturing people and moments--sometimes very real and others almost surreal and ethereal. I love his photos & him so check him out.

Here is a sneak peak for ya:

jimjims.net

Keep up with Jimmy's latest work here: http://jimjims.net/blog.

stores of the future

This morning I had an epiphany about retail stores of the future, very excited! A friend informed me about a pop-up store for a James Perse sale going on this weekend, which will be held in an old bank space nearby. This got me thinking.... If designers need to blow out tons of extra stock from a past season, they can have a pop-up store and have a huge sale. If the sale is big enough to draw in tons of people: the popularity of the brand goes up, designer/store makes more money than they would at a normal retail store on account of the limited overhead of basically just the rental fee of the space. With the current state of the economy, there are, sadly, tons of empty spaces that are available for these pop-up stores. Thus the pop-up store being the stores of the future. I'm probably not the first person who has thought about this, but it is genius! Happy sale sifting!

p.s. James Perse pop-up store on Lido, Newport Beach, CA

treasure trove of trovata

One of my favorites...Trovata--so me its funny! There is nothing like waking up early and going down to Alta to get a dirty chai latte, breathing in the salty air, reading and then cruising across the street to peer in the windows of the Trovata store. Drake, one of my best friends is clinically addicted to Trovata and claims that everything in that store is sooo me, which I can't help but agree with. Here are my favs for Spring 2010:

photos from: fabsugar

scarves are like ties

Scarves are like ties, they should never be worn without a jacket. The successful execution of wearing an accessory such as a tie or scarf is of the utmost importance concerning men's fashion. Please see for yourself in the examples below...and take notice & notes for yourself:

Photos 1 & 2: AW09 looks from Raf Simons, Creative Director Jil Sander. Notice how put together the first model looks & how the second is lacking a polished completeness to his look. This is nothing against Raf Simons in the least, as I think he is a genius with mens fashion and quite creative pushing the edge in certain areas, while maintaining the traditional structure and masculinity of mens fashion, which is what draws me to his designs.

Photos 3, 4, & 5: The Fall/Winter09 collection from Louis Vuitton illustrates my point about scarves...looks good with a jacket, looks a little incomplete with just a sweater--it needs a large peacoat to embrace the large scarf to bring the look together.

...just my preference, happy scarfing!

dace

d a c e, I think I love you...

Get to know dace in the short film below highlighting the Spring 2010 line...I want to live in this beautiful video!

DACE Spring 2010 from Dace on Vimeo.

I love discovering new designers that I love, it's like meeting a new person and finding out how beautiful their heart is. Dace is the beautiful creation of Dace Moore from Canada. Dace Moore is a true inspiration for any new up-and-coming designer, I'd like to consider myself as one of these. She worked her way up from the bottom teaching herself how to sew, and altering vintage patterns and selling them to consignment stores before she decided to go back to school and pursue a career in design. She is an inspiration for me, as I find myself in the dreamer/sketching/teaching myself how to sew stage of my dream.

Now, Dace is well known brand in Canada, the USA and abroad. I wish dace all the success she deserves for the beautiful pieces she creates! Each piece embodies classic femininity with conservative lines but occasional flirty ruffles (I love ruffles if you haven't noticed yet :) ).

The top four designs below are my favorites for Spring and the last two are from the Fall '09 collection that could easily transfer over into your Spring wardrobe. Pretty, pretty, pretty!

left to right, top to bottom: celle blouse, $160 & danny pants (love these shpants!), $160; dian jacket, $298; annabella dress. $212; martin dress (so cute! & on sale!), $96; thunder one-piece, $140; casey blouse, $105 & charlie skirt (I think?), $98.

zac posen for target

So Zac Posen has done a line for Target, yippee!!! Here are some of my favorite looks from the lookbook. Check out Zac's, yes we are on a first name basis, new line especially for Target, appearing in stores April 25th. I love some of the pieces Zac has put on celebrities--which is of course how he caught my eye, but he gets a little more funky with his line for Target. I will admit that patterns are difficult for me, I love the idea of patterns, especially florals, that are done well; but I have to confess that this is a big step for me, as I am not a huge pattern wearer myself. I'm taking some baby steps here, but I was drawn to the two patterned dresses for their cut, so I hope you enjoy them as well. I will be virtually wearing these, and let you know when I face my fears and actually purchase a patterned article.

tank dress in tie-dye print 29.99

sailor dress in tiger print 39.99, w/braided belt in black 24.99

gown in safety-pin print 69.99

sienna miller

It was my British friend's British themed birthday party the other night and I was very excited that I could go as on of my fashion idols--Sienna Miller. Even though she was born in New York, I legitimized my costume because she grew up in the UK and she has an accent. So in doing research for my role as Sienna, I came across her clothing line twenty8twelve. Here are two of my favorite pieces below: the Truman coat & the Freda dress.

photos from: http://www.twenty8twelve.com

H & M Spring 2010 Garden Collection

I am absolutely smitten with H&M's Spring 2010 Garden Collection!!!! These are my favs! Flowy, feminine, & fun...and even floral! This is what I will be flaunting this spring!

tunic $9.95; shorts $24.95; hat $9.95

dress $19.95

dress $49.95

tunic $14.95; shorts $24.95

dress $39.95

All photos from H&M Garden Collection lookbook on their website.

Edgy it up

I vacillate between hard edgy lines in fashion and soft feminine silhouettes along with juxtaposing these in an ensemble. But today, I offer you my edgy inspiration board, specifically inspired by vampires...via my love for the Twilight series. In naming this blog, I can't help but sing the Edgy 8 Ball song by my friend Molly Jenson--she is kind of amazing. I have to point out this amazing necklace (top left) by Adrienne's Jewelry--it makes the perfect statement with a leather jacket; I just love it! Also, the shoes by Anastasia Radevich pretty much speak for themselves.

Here are the deets: from top left, clockwise: black garnet wrapped in 24K yellow gold, $180, www.adriennes.us; shoe, http://www.anastasiaradevich.com; Rachelle Lefevre in Louis Vuitton dress, photo by Max Abadian, flare.com; Flare Magazine Cover, via tengossip.com, Rachelle wearing Herve Leger dress by Max Azria; Junior Wayfarer sunglasses, $63, ray-ban.com; leather biker jacket, Diane Von Furstenberg, $745, net-a-porter.com; photo via instyle.com

thread social spring 2010

2010 is here!

This is what I will be wearing (if I had money to burn on clothes). I am so in love with the innocent & flirty look of Thread Social. The bows, ruffles, and draping of this spring collection are so whimsical, almost fairytale-esque. Thread Social reminds me of clothes a little girl would wear, but transforms them into super fashionable clothes for young women.

let's have a party!

Fwoosh...this is the sound I made when I saw this dress. This dress makes me want to go to some big fancy party and dance. I recently discovered Rita Saardi and her eclectic designs, which are quite amazing! Each of her collections are different and unique, yet, all carry the common thread of femininity and amazing garment structure. This dress below is my favorite from her Waiting To Be Kissed collection.

image from ritasaardi.com

prairie underground holiday 09

I'm not sure where I discovered Prairie Underground, but the first piece I saw was a jacket similar to this one, below, with the amazing pouffy collar. I love this jacket because it looks so feminine and fun and comfy.

Below, is a cute little cowl neck dress that looks super cute with tights; but what really stood out to me were the pairing of these two colors--so pretty.

Finally, below is a dress style I've been noticing a lot lately--the "too-much-material-you-can-get-lost-in-here dress", i.e. Mary Kate Olsen-esque. With so much material it allows for some different looks, which could be fun to play with, but might get tricky or lumpy...personally I might get claustrophobic.

All in all, I love their stuff. Prairie Underground has very pretty and comfortable(looking) pieces--I'd love to own a jacket by them someday.

New York

New York...the first thing I noticed when I ventured out of our B&B to roam the streets of the city was a strong scent of cologne that wafted with each new crisp breeze; it was inviting and seductive, not over-powering like the perfume counters in a department store.

As I soon caught up with the pace of the city, my stride became like steps in a dance, deliberate and in time with the rest of the inhabitants.

My favorite neighborhood would have to be Greenwich Village--I could roam around here all day and window shop and pop into a cafe for a coffee refuge to rest my feet and perk my energy. It's hard to describe the feeling you get when you combine such old buildings, quaint streets, unique boutiques, a diverse population, the welcoming feeling of home, with the smells of coffee, cigarettes, and a je nous se qua sweetness.

Here are some of my photos from the trip, enjoy!

Central Park.

Time Square.

Bree & I in Greenwich Village.

The street I want to live on in Greenwich Village.

Cool building in Greenwich Village.

photo credits: moi, laurenlhanson

rockin' new year's eve

The perfect outfit for New Year's Eve! Funky & Flirty for a time to rock in the new year! Look like a million bucks, for just over a hundred. Check out forever21.com--I love getting all the latest trends but not paying designer prices.

New Year's Ensemble! by hansi777 featuring Forever21

Items in this set:
Forever21.com - Tops - Dressy - 2054820753, $18
Leatherette Biker Jacket, $33
Urban Faux Fur Vest, $25
Zip Peep Toe Bootie, $30
Genevieve Faux Leather Tote, $35

Urban Cowgirl Chic

Find me on PolyvoreI love taking traditional looks and making them a little bit different, giving them an edge, or mixing it up a bit. To follow that comment, I am in no way taking credit for this look, but I am definitely loving it and partaking, so you should too!
I love combining a delicate blouse with the toughness of jeans and the structure of boots and a jacket. The blouse adds enough softness for this cowgirl to go to work or cruise around town verses wrangling a calf.

J. Mendel

These are some of my favs from J. Mendel's Spring/Summer 2010 Collection. Love the soft spring colors, the soft materials, the draping, and of course the flourettes! You may recognize the exquisite floor-length light blue dress that Kate Walsh wore to the Emmys this year--so beautiful!

pics via J.Mendel.com

i'm in love with a bag

I fell in love with this bag I discovered on NotCot's blog by Hard Graft, called the 3Fold. I wish I had a boyfriend, just to get this rad bag for him...his loss ;) But I love this Italian all leather bag that can transform into 3 different variations. I see this bag on any metro or at least fashionably-conscious male bookin' it to work in LA or NYC. I love items that are fashion-forward, chic, & functional!

Photos directly from NotCot.com

the modern cinderella

Find me on PolyvoreI am super excited about the romantic princess sleeves that have been popping up on jackets and gowns all over the place recently. This polyvore collection is an ode to the Balmain jacket that I am completely obsessed with! I love how romantic and feminine a sleek black blazer can look while maintaining its edgy-ness.
Ever since I was a young girl, I've loved this Cinderella/Sleeping Beauty-esque sleeve from the very first time I watched the Disney movies, so I thought it fitting to call it the Modern Cinderella, appealing to that desire within every girl to be exalted out of their life and into a dream world of becoming a princess. I guess this is how I would describe/express my interpretation of the modern princess--the princess inside of all of us (without getting too cheesy on you, but...) who works hard, is active, social, and always fashionable--this is her perfect blazer.