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Tavi: the New It-Girl in Town

by: Jade Jorda

Tavi Gevinson, a Chicago-native blogger and 13 year old fashionista, is the girl everybody's talking about lately. She is the muse of many designers in Tokyo, she has become a regular front-row guest at fashion shows and she is in part the inspiration for Rodarte's new line at Target. So, like me, you're thinking, "how has a 13 year old become the talk of the town?" Especially since Tavi describes herself as "Tiny 13 year old dork that sits inside all day wearing awkward jackets and pretty hats."

Well, here's the thing:

Her style is first of all outstanding, she can pull off whatever she wants. From plaid button ups, to destroyed tights, tye dye tights, to pink low heels, funky headpieces, and all the way to a mix of colors that one would never think would work together... Tavi, is definitely an inspiration. On top of it all, her writing is way beyond her years and just exquisite to read. She doesn't sound like she's 13 all the time but some things that she writes just make your heart melt and remind you that she's not all grown-up yet like, "but for now I'm too lazy to upload any photos or even go downstairs to get a glass of Nesquik even though it sounds really good right now." So cute right ?? Finally, the fact that she's 13 and so in touch with fashion is intriguing to many people. If I were a designer and knew a girl that age was talking about me, I would be so honored to know that she's able to appreciate what I'm doing. Her age definitely worked at her advantage because it makes her way more approachable than, say, a 20 year old like me. I mean.... If I went up to James Franco and started talking about freaks and geeks like she said she did in a post, he'd for sure think I was the freak. (Oh well... if that gets me to talk to James Franco, maybe I'll try it one day... nothing to lose right ?! haha)
Here's a couple pictures of this cutie pie pulled directly from her blog, which is definitely worth a look if you want to know what all the fuss is about.



;-)

A Little Bit Of Me

By: Vera Gushansky

When trying to pull of a look which conveys your desire to appear fashionable, without giving off the impression that your ensemble was carefully calculated, dressing casual, while still looking chic, is always a must. With that said, I decided to dress casual to a local sushi restaurant yesterday evening.


Wardrobe:
★Flannel - Urbanoutfitters.
★White Cami - Zara.
★Black snake-skin leggings - AmericalApperal.
★Shoes - Stella McCartney

Today, I took a stroll up Runyon Canyon. Runyon Canyon is famous for its argeous trails which whisk your body into perfection, a great location for spotting celebrities, and most of all, it's beautiful views of Los Angeles. Apparently the heavens were on my side today because this afternoon I was supplied with the clearest, most crisp landscape view I have seen, ever since I can remember.





Wardrobe:
★Red, Skinny Leg Pants with ankle Zipper - Zara
★White Cami - Zara
★Cardigan with faux fur Trim - RoseBowl Flea Market
★Moccassins - Rose Bowl Flea Market
★Glasses: SLOW originals

"Celebrate the Sun"

by: Jade Jorda

Karen Walker, a New Zealand-based designer recently came up with a m a z i n g sunglasses. When I say amazing, I mean I am ready to bookmark a currency converter app to make sure I find out the price in US $ right away every time I want to buy something. I discovered them as I was flipping through the pages of the December/January 2010 issue of TeenVogue.



All the sunglasses are unisex. No need to have a penis to rock the ones above although for some, one would need to have balls. ;-)

The pictures are taken directly from the website which is definitely worth a look. The pictures are so so fun: www.karenwalkereyewear.com

Velvet, Not So Underground.

by: Jade Jorda

That's right! Velvet is making its big comeback and is taking over the sidewalks, ladies. So get to your closest American Apparel store and get this gorgeous form flattering dress:
Other velvet styles to look out for: all available at American Apparel.

Left: Stretch Velvet Stirrup Legging / Right: Stretch Velvet Tank Thong.

As the model above is showing, wear the stirrup legging with a white shirt (hint at the Androgyny post earlier this month) and booties and you're good to go. Wear the tank thong with skinny jeans, men inspired oxford shoe, a white/creme blazer or bolero of some sort and you are ready to rock your sidewalk ;-)

Stoners In Stilettos?

By: Jade Jorda


We, as Californians, are well accustomed to intermingling with potheads on a daily basis. We recognize Mary Jane lovers amongst different groups of people, such as our friends, and occasionally, within our family. Some use it recreationally and some use it medically. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if you knew someone who possesses a "club card". Furthermore, I wouldn't be surprised if you've asked them to... you know... "smoke me out, man".

Today, it is not uncommon to drive by a smoke shop selling an array of paraphernalia: pipes, bongs, vaporizers, etc.... all of which are dedicated to marijuana use. Even popular places visited by tourists like Melrose Ave., Venice Boardwalk, Abbot Kinney, host either smoke shops or Medical Cannabis clubs and sometimes both. What has particularly desensitized people to marijuana use is... you've guessed it: Fashion.

There have been few occasions, especially over the past year, that the notorious pot leaf has taken over the runway. Designers such Sonia Rykiel, Lucien Pellat Finet or Gerlan Jean have emblazed a weed leaf on some of their garments. Take a look.



Gerlan Jean:

Runway out-takes: HERE

Sonia Rykiel

Lucien Pellat Finet
To buy this cashmere sweater click on this link: BUY


Inspired by: Laura Yacoe, on Refinery29.com
Also check out this really interesting article from the Los Angeles Times.

Happy Thanksgiving: A Weed Bit of History

Here is a little story that is not well known about the pilgrims and their first Thanksgiving and the new world.

How many of you have heard of a plant called ‘Datura’? It grows all over North America. In the east, it’s known as jimson weed. Out west, especially in the southwest, it is known as the sacred datura, the moon lily, moon flower, the dream weed or the devil’s trumpet.


Now they didn’t have this plant in merry ole England. The Pilgrim Fathers didn’t discover it until they came to the new World. Most likely it was one of the indigenous Americans who turned and pointed out the plant and suggested that if the immigrants wanted to really give thanks, and at the same time do themselves a big favor, they should nibble a bit of this plant. Any part of it – petals, stems, leaves – taken internally launched the person into a world they had never known before.

Not only was datura a guaranteed hallucinogenic, it had curative powers as well. For example, when consumed in a fire and the fumes inhaled, it aided respiration. The plant was also used as a poultice to salve burns and sores. Merely rubbing the eyes after pulling the leaves off the stem could cause the pupils to dilate.

This is a plant that could both heal you and kill you.

In India, for example, assassins used it to dispatch their victims. The priests of Apollo at Delphi ate datura to assist them in making prophecies.

Now let’s be realistic, how many of you have sat at a groaning Thanksgiving day table, bored out of your skull, stuffed to the gills with sodium-loaded turkeys, seated next to some long-lost cousin who can only talk about all the money he is spending, and wishing you could be anywhere else than where you are.



Well, thing about those first pilgrims who, before they sat down to enjoy their first major repast in the New World gobbled down a handful of petals from the ubiquitous moon lily. There are reports of pious Christian elders getting to their feet midway through the sumptuous feast and dancing on the table, singing at the tops of their lungs, and attempting to remove critical articles of clothing. Others, it is reported, were found hanging from tress, giggling maniacally.



Think about it. Is this not a good way to celebrate the arrival of the Europeans into this brave New World? This we do have to be thankful for.

(Jimson weed = James Town + weed)


Top and last (1932) paintings by Georgia O`Keeffe, second and third images from desertusa.com, and fourth homegrown from Missouri Plants.

Model Style - Kate Moss

By: Vera Gushansky

Supermodel and one of my personal fashion icons, Kate Moss, has made an a profound impression on the fashion industry, much vaster than many would think. Many fashionista's do not realize that the direction fashion has turned could be credited to Kate Moss's style philosophy. Before celebrity's such a Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Nicole Richie, and Lindsey Lohan publicized their boho-chic attire, Kate Moss had been rocking her signature look for nearly a decade. It is was not until teen idols hoped on board that fashionista's alike skewed their polished prep style for a more earthy, vintage look. After long-term Kate Moss devotee's spread the word that, in reality, it was Kate Moss who transformed the rules of looking fashionable, many began to view Kate Moss as a style guru. Below are a few images of Kate Moss's recent street style.







A few easy ways to stick within the realms of Kate Moss Style:

Mix together different fabric textures
Stick to neutrals, earth tones, and washout out colors
Tuck your jeans into your boots
Mix vintage pieces with new-age pieces to create unusual, yet up-to-date looks
Throw a scarf around your neck
Layer your jewelry

A few tips that I find very helpful when trying to mimic Kate Moss's Style:

Make it look effortless
Wear your cocktail dress loosely belted; don't brush your hair for the red carpet; wear teenage black kohl eyeliner; hack off hemlines with a pair of scissors; buy vintage clothes and accessories that are already a little beaten up. Moss never looks like she's trying too hard which makes it all look effortless, and cool, and fun, and young, and sexy. Take note, Victoria Beckham.

Be a dress code rebel
If there's one sneaky style trick that always guarantees Moss is the centre of attention, it's this: she'll wear the exact opposite of what is expected. From a grey, pared-down knee-length shift dress on the red carpet at the Cannes film festival, to tight leather trousers and a tuxedo jacket at the strictly-black-tie Metropolitan Ball in New York, to a sweet 1950s prom dress and swept back hair at the NME music awards, to sequins at a muddy music festival, or, ahem, white-hot pants to a wedding, Moss disregards the dress code and yet somehow manages to make everyone else feel like they're the ones who got it wrong.

Wear it tight on the torso

Moss has spent years watching the world's top designers and stylists tailoring clothes to her frame for catwalk shows and photoshoots, so she knows about fit. And she always wears her clothes tight to the torso. Moss is short (5ft7in) and very petite, but this is a great tip for flattering and slimming any body shape. Moss regularly has clothes altered that do not fit her signature ribcage-hugging silhouette; it's a simple but subtly effective device and means that the clothes always look as if they were made for her, and could never have been worn by anyone else.

*tips taken from guardian.uk. For more tips and the rest of the article check out:

Due to Kate Moss's recognition as a style expert, she decided to create her own line for TopShop. Sneek Peek of Kate Moss's new line for TopShop:


To purchase these, along with dozens of other pieces, visit Kate Moss for TopShop

The Modern Look-ANDROGYNY

By: Jade Jorda

Agyness Deyn
is one of our favorite models here, at STRAPLESS. My lovely collaborator, Vera, published a blog earlier in the week called "Suspended", which included photos of Agyness wearing suspenders. Go ahead and take a look. The British icon is not only famous for her tall and skinny figure; she is also well-known for her androgynous look. Agyness Deyn may very well be the epitome of androgyny in our modern society.


Androgyny is more than just a look, it’s an attitude. It’s about girls being able to embrace their inner masculinity and boys embracing their inner femininity, as well as incorporating that newly found masculine attitude out there in this, "man’s world." The counter-culture movement of the 1960s pushed people towards self-exploration by experimenting with drugs, and emphasizing individual freedom as well as self-realization. People began transforming their views of women during the time period they were no longer considered as "stay-at-home wives that solely looked after the children, the house, and the kitchen." But, when women started to provide for the family as well, little by little, they was no longer regarded as passive and emotional. They rose to the same level as their husband and therefore, took the liberty to start wearing "the pants".


So girls, this brings me to say, take a look in your boyfriend’s closet because you might find exactly what you’re looking for in order to consider yourself as an understood, powerful woman.
A few ideas that you should watch out for while peeking in his closet: white, button down shirts (on the Vogue's Most Wanted list for October), wife beaters, baggy jeans, ties, suspenders and anything you think you could confidently pull-off. All the while, still incorporating a dash of a "female look", as opposed to looking like a girl who's primary desire is to appear as a boy.

Oh and by the way, the cigarette isn't cool anymore. No need for that cancer stick to complete the androgynous look. ; )

Stylish or Shocking?

By: Vera Gushansky

Presenting: Spring/Summer 2010 Most Outrageous Collections at Paris Fashion Week, London Fashion Week, New York Fashion Week

Grade A fashion designers are undeniably sheer geniuses. Occasionally they produce collections that raise many questions, and not in a good way. I've incorporated a list of my top eccentric shows for Spring/Summer 2010. Chic or just plain ludicrous? You be the judge.

Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2010
1. Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 2010:



Runway Show

2. Paris Fashion Week Garth Pugh Spring/Summer 2010





Runway Video


3. Paris Fashion Week Lie Sang Bong Spring/Summer 2010





Runway Show:


4. Paris Fashion Week Vivienne Westwood Spring/Summer 2010





Runway Show:


5. Paris Fashion Week Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2010





Runway Video
(Part One)


(Part Two)



1. New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2010
Alexandre Herchcovitch Spring 2010



Runway Show:


London Fashion Week: Katie Early Spring/Summer 2010


Runway Video: