Autumn in New York

Stine Goya jumpsuit, bag courtesy of Rebecca Minkoff, sunglasses courtesy of Norma Kamali, Minimarket wedges, Cheap Monday socks, VPL bra, Triskaidekaphobia necklace.

After a long sticky summer, fall has finally arrived in New York. I love autumn, and I'm soaking every last moment of it in before I move to Stockholm in November.  As you can surmise, I will have the awesome timing of arriving at the exact same time as the first blasts of deep arctic chill and endless darkness creep in (can you tell I'm really excited).  While I spent part of my week stockpiling "HEATTECH" undergarments from Uniqlo in paranoid preparation, I am also trying to get the most use out of my transitional clothes.  I bought this Stine Goya jumpsuit about a month ago from Urban Outfitters, but it's been mostly too hot to wear until now.  Now I've finally had the opportunity to break it out in full Man Repeller form (the only thing less sexy than a printed jumpsuit is HEATTECH long underwear).  U.O. is actually having a massive sale right now, including plenty of stuff from my favorite Scandinavian designers, like Stine. I suggest you check it out while it lasts, I even bought these Minimarket wedges for $20.

-Tiffany

East Coast West Coast Worldwide

Shirt courtesy of EastWest, Acne shorts, Chloe heels, sunglasses courtesy of Norma Kamali, cuff courtesy of Joomi Lim, Triskaidekaphobia gear necklace.  

A little while back, I was emailed about the launch of a small new online boutique called EastWest, featuring a tightly curated little collection of cool drapey basic pieces and fun accessories to wear with them. The cool and cheap aesthetic reminds me quite a bit of the beloved Swedish chain store Monki, but somehow EastWest is even cheaper. Plus, Monki doesn't ship to the U.S. yet, and EastWest, which is based out of Hong Kong, ships worldwide.

While the selection is limited to one page, all of the items are desirable, and even more impressive, all are incredibly affordable. Woven shirts average around $25-35, and the most expensive item is a pair of shoes for $80. Things are already starting to sell out, so I hope and expect that the shop will eventually grow.   Emma let me pick out one of the shirts, and the sheer cascading top is definitely going to become a layering staple.  I highly suggest you make a round through the site before everyone else catches wind and everything disappears.

Draped Frill Top $35

Cut out sleeve top $35
 

Asymmetrical sleeveless top $30

 

Buckle boot $80

 

Sheer paneled drape-top $40

-Tiffany

Gimme Shelter

This is just a quick post before I run off to Stockholm and Scandinavia for the rest of the month. I don't know how my internet connection will be yet, so posting might be shoddy, but expect updates from Stockholm Fashion Week whenever I can get a chance (hope to run into some of you there?). In the meantime, please check out my partner Christina's side project, Shelter. She just started this beeswax candle line with our friend Sofia, using custom molds that they crafted themselves. They're only $15-$18 each, so there's no excuse not to snatch one up. I am definitely going to buy one of the horsehead candles for myself once I get back in town!

-Tiffany

Tiny Sculptures

All photos by Helveta Vyotlag

A while back, I met the jewelry designer of Helveta Vyotlag, Jocelyn Shipley, who obviously also shares with us a penchant for obscure and unpronounceable names. While ruminating over how exactly to pronounce the vaguely Swedish sounding "Vyotlag," I'm reminded of how tripped up everyone gets when I tell them that my jewelry line is called Triskaidekaphobia. Ah well, the jewelry is meant to speak for itself right? The collection, which mostly consists of hand carved wood pieces, look somewhat like children's building blocks or beads, restructured with architectural angles and exaggerated jewel facets to form chunky cuffs and jaw-breaker sized rings. Since I have no idea how to work with wood, and doubt I would have the patience to hand carve, sand, finish, and color a single piece, much less an entire collection, I am extra impressed. Each piece is obviously unique, and I would love to stack a dozen of the surprisingly lightweight wooden bangles on my arms in a bunch of different colors. You can find Helveta Vyotlag at International Playground, and on Jocelyn's Etsy store.

-Tiffany

The Fabric of Our Lives

Ay Not Dead

A few months back, I attended the launch party for a site called Fabricly, without knowing exactly what it was. I had assumed that it would be your average online fashion boutique, but after a few clicks, a little more research, and an incredible visit to the Fabricly offices to view the pieces in person, I found the purpose of the company to be entirely unique, and especially intriguing from the viewpoint of an independent designer. Fabricly doesn't just sell a selection of clothes from under-the-radar brands. Incredibly, Fabricly looks for design talent that's just starting out, even kids who are fresh out of school, and partners with them to take care of the entire production of a small capsule collection. All the designers need to do is draw their sketches and hand them off to fairy-godmother type Alice Barlow, who then sources the fabrics, and takes care of all the Los Angeles based factory production.

The first collaboration was with one of my favorite brands, Ostwald Helgason, which was a natural start since designer Ingvar Helgason is the brother of one of the Fabricly founders, Ari Helgason. While the incredible collection sadly sold out before I could get my hands on it, there are plenty of other great designers on the site, including Caycee Black, Otis & Maclain, Ay Not Dead, and Mono Lake, and almost everything is under $200. If you aren't familiar with some of those names, it's because a few are launching their first collections on Fabricly. I only wish that the team worked with jewelry and accessories designers too as it would be a wonderful resource to have. Unfortunately they're only sticking to clothes right now, but if you're an aspiring designer, you shouldn't think twice about sending your sketches and ideas over--Alice is always on the lookout for new talent!


OH! by Ostwald Helgason

Otis & Maclain

Eve Gravel

Mono Lake

Ay Not Dead

OH! by Ostwald Helgason

-Tiffany

Dame Vivienne Goes Green

Vivienne Westwood Crochet Yasmine Bag

As eco-friendly design becomes a greater imperative, it's been incredible to see how many designers are becoming more green, in whatever ways they can. It is not surprising then that Dame Vivienne Westwood, well known for her political activism, has taken on the green cause within her work. This week she launches a capsule collection, Ethical Fashion Africa, with Yoox.com's eco-friendly initiative, YOOXYGEN, of handbags and accessories crafted from recycled materials. The collection takes several classic Vivienne Westwood bags, and refashions them out of recycled electric wiring, plastic bags, roadside advertisement banners, safari tents, and aluminum cans. In addition to taking these waste products out of our landfills, the initiative went one step further, partnering with the International Trade Commission to base production in Nairobi, employing and empowering local craftspeople and manufacturers in impoverished communities. Even though the bags are crafted with compassion, they are still designed in Westwood's tongue-in-cheek, clearly subversive style, coming in spectacular colors and graffiti prints. I got a peek of the Fall collection during the Starworks press day, and as you can see, they fit in perfectly with the entire collection which, to my knowledge, isn't eco-conscious, but is still great.



Vivienne Westwood iPad case
Vivienne Westwood clutch

Vivienne Westwood multicolor crochet shopper

-Tiffany

Electric Feels, Electric Heels

It's not often that you hear about shoe designers coming out of Helsinki, Finland.
Even though the Finns are very stylish and fashion-forward, the last time I visited, there were only a handful of cool shops to visit, and a few noteworthy designers, the most prominent being Ivana of Helsinki. I obviously missed Minna Parikka, who crafts colorful shoes, bags, and gloves with eclectic details, and has dressed the likes of Beth Ditto and Lady Gaga. Her designs seem to tap into that strange connection between Finland and Japan, with styles that are more colorful, fun, quirky, camp, and generally kawaii than your typical monochromatic Scandinavian fare. The shoes come in about every color of the rainbow, and are adorned with plump lips, paint drips, and enough sweethearts and pussy cat bows to give you a toothache. Some of the styles are admittedly even too over-the-top ridiculous for me (the shoe adorned face mask takes fetish to a whole new level), but there are also plenty of styles to love. I will be visiting Helsinki again this summer, and will definitely try to make a stop at the Minna Parikka boutique.

-Tiffany

Hairy Situations

The kids at Howkapow always have the cutest gems, and I'm constantly ogling their adorably off-beat selection of wares. My latest discovery from the site is Hairy Sock, a line of hand-crafted polymer clay baubles made by visual artist Ruta Kiskyte. The pieces, which are essentially tiny wearable sculptures, have the crafty feel of the Fimo clay that I played with during my childhood, but are enhanced with bunches of pearls, bits of velvet, or hanging tassels. My favorite piece is the clustered pearl broach, which looks like your classic lapel pin, but on second glance, reveals the addition of two wee feet in white socks and Mary Janes. I hardly ever wear broaches, but I am seriously considering ordering one of these, especially since they're not terribly expensive.

-Tiffany

Stop Teasing Me So Bad

Bernhard Willhelm dress. All photos from Maryam Nassir Zadeh.

Not a day goes by without me asking myself why I'm not a millionaire already. I don't need a fancy car, a giant house, or a private jet. I don't even need many more things. I just would like to be able to afford all those gorgeous clothes I spend all day and night dreaming about but can never actually buy, the ones that feel like out-of-reach museum objects that are guarded jealously by boutique keepers who stare you down while you paw at their wares with dirty hands. Bernhard Willhelm's collections always embody everything I love, but cannot afford. Yesterday I received an email from Maryam Nassir Zadeh, one of my favorite stores on the Lower East Side, announcing the arrival of the latest collection, which might be my favorite yet. Melding his assymmetrical and off-kilter silhouettes with mesmerizing watercolor prints and over-saturated hues, it hit all the high notes that I look for in clothes these days, and the multi-colored poncho dress might be the gown of my dreams. Sadly, everything hovers around $1000, and like the grapes dangling over Tantalus, the clothes are out of my reach. When I do get around to winning the lottery/robbing a bank/whatever, this will be the first place I stop at for a shopping spree. In the meantime I will have to satisfy myself with staring at these photos and hoping that they jump off my computer screen and make their way to me.

-Tiffany