happy st.patrick's day!

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, here is some beautiful green inspiration...enjoy.

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happily ever after

Here is a montage of my favorites from ever's Spring 2010 line. Now that it is starting to heat up...I can't wait to wear lighter clothing. I am a lover of ever, and so will you. If you are local, they have a shop at Fashion Island, but just to warn you their prices are a bit high--check out their sale stuff, you are bound to find something great!

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.

Viktor & Rolf: part 1

I almost have to let the Spring 2010 collection from Viktor & Rolf speak for itself, because it is so out of this world, but I just can't. The creativity that goes into their design blurs the line between fashion and art, taking your eyes and your mind to new heights and dimensions of what constitutes a gown. I love it! The gowns featured above are my personal favorites from the collection, especially the two on the left. Some might describe Viktor & Rolf as bizarre or weird, but I love the ingenious fantasy that Viktor & Rolf enkindle in their design.

Monday is part 2....completely dedicated to Viktor & Rolf shoes....I know!!!! Just wait!

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.

Martin + Osa Spring 2010

Martin + Osa is one of my favorite stores...because it is made up of pretty classic stuff. All of these pieces are excellent for spring--classic, nautical, & easy to mix & match. Check Martin + Osa out here.

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

Lanvin

"A woman of talent : Creative, innovative, endlessly curious, Jeanne Lanvin created her own universe within fashion, perfume, and decoration." (via lanvin.com)

photos via Elle

Here are some of my favorite looks from Lanvin's Spring 2010 collection. Absolutely beautiful! I just purchased a pair of nude Guess pumps and need the perfect neutral dress to pair it with for Spring.

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

terhi for tuesday

Something beautiful for Tuesday. Terhiteja shoes are so beautiful, feminine and unique in their design along with the natural elements they are created from, including ecological reindeer leather and curly birch. One of woman's greatest obsessions and means of expression are through their shoes, which Terhi Polkki taps into. Terhi "designs shoes for women who want to stand out from the crowd" so if you, like me, are obsessed with shoes, please enjoy...

www.teriteja.com

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

john varvatos

Okay, so I've had a friend who has been bugging me to do a guys blog, so here is my first attempt at men's fashion...Jimmy, this is for you. I love john varvatos. I went to a fashion show in the Fall of '08 and fell in love, with the models and of course the clothes. I love how slim and clean the lines are in his collections. This is any slim man's perfect clothing line. The shirts are super soft--the type of material you never want to take off (I will admit that I own a John Varvatos v-neck t-shirt I wear with a tank and jeans & I love it!). Certain looks that are put together can look a little too feminine for me, but I love the pieces shown below--manly, yet stylish.

Also, for those of you who live near me, there will be a fall/winter sale at the John Varvatos store at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, with up to 70% off!--because let's be honest, it's a bit on the expensive side. Just mention the "friends and family" discount! The sale lasts from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mon-Fri; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday; & 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Sunday at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, 714.545.5551

Left to Right, row 1: short sleeve slub v-neck, $98; slim fit spread collar dress shirt, $225; 2 button notch lapel slim suit w/center vent, $1595; row 2: zip utility pant, $198; row 3: multi stitch peacoat sweater, $598; slim fit peak lapel jacket, $895; cotton stripe bandana w/fringe, $225; row 4: utility patch pocket jacket, $325; aviator glasses, $395 & canvas/leather bowery oxford shoes, $598; coated cotton plaid trench coat; $595.