WELLIES ARE FOR WOODSTOCK

Living in London, I have two problems with heels - 1) I have to walk too far to ever hope to wear anything over 1 inch all day or all night 2) Its always raining and I'm terrified my nice shoes will be ruined.

Enter the Melissa Amazonas above.   They dont look like much on their own, but on my feet they look incredible.   The rubber might scare you off, but they dont look particularly rubbery, and this material  makes them the most comfortable pair of 4 inch heels i have ever worn (correction, i never wear anything this high because I normally cant handle the pain inflicted).  The best part of all - I dont give a damn if its raining.

Customer Co-Creation - Shoes of Prey

There has been a huge movement towards customer co-creation in the digital 2.0 sphere - Polyvore, Zazzle, NIKEID are the ones that most of us are familiar with.  Letting the customer take centre stage in the design process is an interesting concept.  But what are the results?  As the average customer is probably not a designer themselves - do we end up with mediocrity?   Or is beauty in the eye of the beholder?  I prefer the tactic of assisted co-creation - the best sites allow a good balance between artistic suggestions and the desire to exercise our inner creativity. One of the best new examples I've seen so far is from Shoes of Prey - an incredible design it yourself shoes company.  Unlike similar custom shoe sites, these shoes are high end and clearly made well, follow trends closely(they have an ankle boot and gladiator style), and  have an excellent user interface. And although they are based in Australia (and from what I can tell - manufacture in China) - they understand the key to the success of any online retail outfit is fast, cheap logistics (15GBP flat to anywhere in the world!) and a top notch return policy (if it doesn't fit they will remake you another pair!).  

A quick snapshot of their starting designs:

A few of the style suggestions I'm loving:

I'm just a few clicks away from ordering the gladiator in leopard calf hair!

WHITE, LEOPARD, AND SILVER

White, Leopard, and Silver by gems+jules

1.  Lover three quarter sleeve sweater
2.  Richard Nicoll crepe skirt
3.  The Lake Stars leopard bra 
4.  Nixon The 51-30 Chrono watch
5.  Alexander Wang zipper handbag
6.  Miu Miu leopard platform shoes

TAYLOR TOMASI - Blue and Yellow

Outfit inspired by one of my favorite Taylor Tomasi looks during fashion week. 

VINTAGE OSTRICH BAG

I've been looking for a classic style ostrich bag for ages - this vintage one is incredible - ok, its not ostrich but embossed leather - but for $40 on ebay, i cant complain.

NEW AT ZARA - LEOPARD, MAXI SKIRTS AND KIMONO SLEEVES

Zara never fails to deliver great items every season - just a few things I couldn't resist.

QUENTIN JONES

I love these playful short videos by film maker Quentin Jones.  They remind me of collages from childhood, the sounds of black and white cartoons, and sesame street lettering. More videos can be seen on her website.

HOMEMADE BAGELS FROM ALLRECIPES

Surprisingly easy to make, these turned out really well on the first try - elastic on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside.   Recipe is from allrecipes.com.  I substituted 1 cup of whole wheat flour to make it a bit more healthy.  I also added sesame seeds, but would recommend an egg white wash to make them stick on better.  Otherwise, they fall everywhere but your in your mouth when handled (arggg...).   They were perfect with smoked salmon, cream cheese, capers, and my morning drip.

THE JEWEL BOOK:Duchess Anna and Duke Albrecht V of Bavaria

Completed in 1550 , this manuscript is a visual representation of the jewels owned by the Duke Albrecht V and Duchess Anna of Bavaria.  The detailed drawings of over 100 pieces were done by Hans Mielich and took over 2 years to complete.  Thanks to the digital library of the Bavarian State Library - the book in its entirety can be viewed here: The Jewel Book

More after the jump...

Saskia Diez

Jewelry designer Saskia Diez makes beautiful pieces that are so simple, yet so ingenious and modern.   My favorite of her collections is the sterling silver diamond ring (above and also in gold) - in the same form as a traditional engagement ring but the diamond is replaced with a silver replica.  

The bags are from the "Papier" series - a collaboration between Saskia and Stefan Diez.  They are unbelievably made of paper (a synthetic version called Tyvek®), but are water proof and tear proof - strong enough to compete with any leather or fabric bag.  

HELEN GORRILL - WOULD SHE MAKE A GOOD HUSBAND

All images from HelenGorrill.com

A British Artist, Helen Gorrill had a controversial degree show in 2009 - ink drawn images are of dominatrix women and subservient men.  The collections are titled 'Would She Make a Good Husband' and 'Would He Make a Good Wife'.  They are beatifually drawn and large in person (averaging 203cm x 114cm)- commanding a presence in any room.   Definitely saving up to own one of these!

More after the jump...

THE WEDGE TRAINER / SNEAKER - Isabel Marant & See by Chloe

Images: Isabel Marant trainers (via Garance), See by Chloe Trainers (via Zappos Couture)


If not obsessed, who wasn't intrigued by the Isabel Marant wedge trainers (or sneakers where I'm from) released last year? 


More after the jump....

Diamonds in the Rough

Inspired by rough or uncut diamonds and the jewelers who set/design them. 

Clockwise from top left: Diamond in the Rough Iceburg ring,  Rough & Cut flower ring,  Sarah Perlis bezel set ring, Melissa Joy Manning solitaire earrings, Diamond in the Rough Orielle ring, Todd Reed ring, Antique kundun broach and earring set, Rough & Cut ring and wedding set, Diamond in the Rough Orielle ring.

PREEN FALL 2011

I love the Preen collection.  Although said to be influenced by the Northern California Arts and Crafts Movement, I'm drawn to the Op-Art qualities of the prints.  Growing up I was surrounded by a lot of pop- art by artists like Bridget Riley, Josef Albers and Victor Vasarely (background image), so its nice seeing a collection draw from it in such a wearable way. Definitely more sophisticated than the Piet Mondrian dress from YSL in the 60's.

TRIBAL JEWELLERY

  

Clockwise from top left: Burberry cuffs, Kabiri ring, Pamela Love cuff, Thai door knocker,Kabiri bracelet, Pamela Love necklace, Vietnamese tribal cuffs

COS SPRING SUMMER HIGHLIGHTS

My favorite high street store.  Not all of it is in store yet - but the black leather vest is incredible in person - thin and buttery. :-)

THE POUCH CLUTCH - CELINE & COMME DES GARCONS

The leather pouch as a clutch - from top: Celine lambskin leather pouch in blue and red, and Comme des Garcons fluoro and red leather document holders.

Images from Jak and Jil (via Style.com), Streetfsn, and Oki Ni.

THE SHEER MAXI

 
Helmut Lang leather jacket
Pamela Love necklace
Helmut Lang Shirt
Falke cotton touch tights
United Nude boots
Topshop sheer maxi
Proenza Schouler clutch

JOHANNA BLAKLEY: Lessons from fashion's free culture

Insightful video on TED about fashion, innovation, and protection.

THE NEW EDITOR OF VOGUE

At least in the world of the Muppets. Miss Piggy plays editor of Vogue in the upcoming Muppet movie. Considering all the recent press on French Vogue, it makes for a more lighthearted change of news.