material concern

I met this super sweet girl at dinner the other night and it turns out she’s the designer for the denim line deener. She was wearing some of her pants that night and they looked great; when I looked at her line I was totally impressed with the cuts and colors. The thing i like the best is that the flattering fit follows through with the skinny and the wide leg jeans.

Her website is super cute too: you can check it out above by clicking on deener.

so, we went to a (really lovely) event last weekend and have a bunch of weddings, events and shindigs we have to hit this summer. For me its not hard: I usually wear a lil’ popomomo to represent: but also, lets be honest, I have a closet of frocks ready to be unleashed for: “black tie, ” “summer wedding” and “cocktail attire.” and if i didn’t i could honestly do a close approximation at the local thrift store for less than 60 bucks: shoes and jewelry included.

It’s the boys that have the summer time blues.

I’d like to suggest the following as pieces I’d like to see on gentlemen I associate with at events we will be attending:

seersucker;

of course: and its amazing and classy, and if i can go there: this very waspy suit looks best on those that are NOT wasps. My dad wore his seersucker suit to a wedding primarily attended by people that went to Yale in the 70s, and as a Woody Allen lookalike he really rocked it.

the khaki suit:

this is probably my favorite. a khaki suit with flat front pants is the best possible look a dude can rock at a summer event. I think: james bond, robert mitchum, engineer/architect in a 70s disaster movie: the guys think: maybe i’m not super formal because technically this suit is casual.I would also like to point out that the khaki even makes Mr. Milo Ventimiglia look kinda amazing so it’s gotta be awesome.

Even though the Khaki is my favorite, if i saw a guy in a full madras suit (it doesn’t even have to be Thom Browne like this one), i would:

a. hope isaac had finally taken my advice and bought one

b. introduce myself immediately and make sure all pictures taken included him

c. make sure he met every lovely lady at the wedding and got his number for those not invited.

these madras suits are what I would wear every day if I was a guy, and you can’t really argue with that.

While wandering near traction ave (downtown-ish LA) i finally went into Freaks Vintage Boutique which I had always wondered about.
It’s great, well curated, well organized and looks terrific. Its also not just a store, but also a wholesaler of vintage for other stores.

While we were in there I also came across the not-vintage but vintage inspired bags by TK garment supply…the woman at the shop said they carry and rep the line. The bags are perfectly done, like perfect Double R-Ralph Lauren or some obsessed store in japan might attempt at creating a bag from the past that is completely new….

So, a while ago i got a great tyvek jacket at American Vintage in Hollywood: it has hand drawn wolves all over it: i love it. Maybe you are like me and have bad memories of tyvek from cheesy boys and kinda skanky girls in high school with crazy bangs: but…c’mon now.

With the weather in LA going from hot to super cool at night, its been the perfect thing to shove in my bag because it fold down to nothing and actually keeps me warm at night.

I’m not sure of the environmental impact of tyvek, but i know it lasts: in any case, I’d try to find it vintage. Here are some similarly themed ones I’ve found online:

and please if you buy the one with the dolla bills send pictures:)

So, the kate moss for topshop thing is…you know, a celebrity who could perhaps be a stylist but instead prefers to be referred to as a designer…thing.

However, if you work in fashion, you know that a person who just buys samples and tells actual designers to knock them off is usually called a Merchandiser or the Vice President.

What I do like is that kate moss openly references her style influences…and um, having designed a “celebrity” (lets be honest, a lame reality tv girl) line in my day, i prefer the: “i like this so i knocked it off” as opposed to the “i’m so hands-on on this line.” That having been said, kate moss has taste and access to awesome stuff: like the shorts here.

sorry, that was a long post to talk about some short shorts.

Thinking about Oscar Winning costume designers reminded me of Lizzy Gardiner, who won for Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (with Tim Chappel, below). On the big night, she rocked a self-designed dress made of Gold American Express Cards, all in her name, all expired.

She hasn’t really gotten that many “fun” jobs since (mission:impossible and ghost rider don’t really seem as fun to do costumes as Priscilla), but i will always remember her for that dress!

As you can see from an earlier post, I got a little pissed at Vogue recently…after reading the article I commented on, I left the magazine in a corner in the living room. I picked up yesterday, and was happy to see an article about the upcoming film, Australia, primarily because it’s costume and art designer, Catherine Martin is inventive and immensely talented.
Having won Oscars for art direction/set decoration and costumes in Moulin Rouge, she also did the costumes for (earlier films) Strictly Ballroom and Romeo and Juliet.  She is creative partners with her husband, Baz Luhrmann, who was the director of those films. Their combined vision is awesome and specific and evident in all their films.

okay, this weekend in LA is all triple canopied out:

starting with Friday from 8-11 at Site LA, 2522 Sunset Blvd…

Music by Hecuba, Peter Kolovos, and Revolutionary Patriots. Videos by Dan Hoy, Jen DeNike, Keren Cytter, Ben Russell, Lucky Dragons (yeah!),Michael Robinson, and Felipe Zuniga. Flyer by the lovely Sarah Anderson. $5 suggested donation.

then, on sunday at Family: 436 N Fairfax Avenue starting at 7pm:

Gil Blank presents remote photography
Andrew Maxwell reads literary product trials
Laura Steenberge shows slides of words

Also coming Friday, Triple Canopy’s first print edition of Sumi Ink Club drawings…lovely.

We just finished watching “Be Kind Rewind, ” which i had wanted to see in theaters, but like most films, it didn’t happen. Also, it kinda came and went pretty quickly, so i didn’t really seek it out.

However, Michel Gondry’s elegantly nuanced ode to the culture of movies and story telling was so tender, sweet and whimsically shot that i was completely won over. The cast was excellent and maybe mostly I want to just plug into Michel Gondry’s mind for awhile…i guess i just have to wait for his next movie. What I love about his stuff is how he brings a touch of the fantastic to the normal, and so consistently that you are just swept up in his world without even realizing that your view has shifted.

Isaac put it better than I did, saying its a movie about “when someone starts remaking their culture but ends up remaking their history.”

very charming, but also i want to say anything with mos def is the mos with me:)