Kathy, the superwoman/designer/hot mama behind Katherine Kwei Handbags invited Claire Geist and I over for one of the loveliest afternoons in her SoHo studio. We got a good look and guided tour of the Katherine Kwei Autumn/Winter 2013 line.

Can you believe she’s made two babies AND runs, designs, promotes her own luxury handbag company? There are a few women whose career-life balance I look up to, and Kathy is one of them. She manages to do it all with a great attitude and style cooler than I could ever possess. Posing with Claire who’s wearing the ‘Carrie’ pictured underneath in the snake print with paint splatter.

Actually obsessed. It looks too rad. Excuse my hurried and blurry photo of it – it doesn’t do it justice, I swear. The ‘Carrie’ works well as I’m an Amex plus iPhone kind of girl. Keep it efficient with this one.

Also mesmerized by the cobalt lizard. I love cobalt so much I would name a child after it. I naturally gravitated toward the smaller accessories, clutches, and wallets – plenty were introduced this season. Who was it that said the bigger the bag, the bigger the girl? Don’t lose yourself (or your keys) toting a hamper around town.

Mood board with lots of brights, neons, and metallics.

Kathy with one her line’s updated favourites, the Donna box clutch.

More from the perfect-for-a-night-out section. Lots of the traditional Chinese knotting that you see in her signature pieces meets edgy reptilian metallic sheen.

Would happily lug my laptop to work in this two-zip tote. Simple, the skin packs all the oooh into an outfit that you’ll need without the effort.

I went home with the cobalt lizard ‘Charlotte’ shoulder bag. Wanted something that would also fit my camera without being too cumbersome, the adjustable shoulder strap was key for a shawty like me. I haven’t used any other in my own bag collection since. Thanks again Kathy for the flowers, candy, and gifts! You’re too sweet!

So baby hid in the corner with Natalie Suarez and Chris Reed.

Grabbed itty bitty bites catered by The Fat Radish and had a few martinis with Susie G and Miguel Guesso.

We swiftly left to make room for all the suckers in line and headed to the NMRKT Fashion Series Party at Mister H.

Hosts Julia Jacobson, Kelsey Panicco, and Ryan Fleisch in their red light best.

This neon sign says LOVE HAPPINESS DRUNKENNESS

which aptly describe myself, Vesper Wolfe, and Max Bosch. I’ll let you decide which one of us is which.

And since none of the chicks were prostitutes, the boys had to play a game of who’s taller than whom to score ‘em.

But hey, why not take ‘em both for 13 feet of fun!

Or an AZN and a JEWZN cuz it’s all good when you’re up to no good.

Dennis Stock’s collection of photographs featuring icons, Audrey Hepburn, James Dean, Grace Kelly, Marilyn Monroe, and more is up now at Milk Gallery until the 17th.

I’d take James Deen over Dean any day but boy, what a sight to behold on any given afternoon, eh? Babe, diner, cake. Die.

Speaking of babes, Christine Kohler, Chris Reed, and Milk’s made Jess Conatser.

Fire and ice, Valissa Yoe and Micaela McLucas.

The only person you’d ever want to see in Times Square.

Plus these people, Ali Sky, William Yan, and cute little Coco Daniels.

MUPPETS!!!!! Joel W Henderson

Our new pet, Vesper Wolfe, and I.

In da hood they call me 2phonezzzzzz Chris and the very techy Jiddy Committee.

Joel Eel rolling up ready with a black panther pin and a Muji pen. All set.

Then I bounced with Rocky Li and R2D2 to make some sweet sweet songs.

Stock you on the internet, later.

I am really lazy about getting dressed because who wants to wear any clothes ever, amirite? So since it hasn’t fully sprung into Spring in New York, I’ve opted for this cold weather uniform, varying only slightly from day to day.

Fisherman Beanie: American Apparel
Circle Scarf: American Apparel
Fisherman’s Pullover: American Apparel
Mape Petite Black Leather Jacket: Acne
PS1 Wallet: Proenza Schouler

Matte Lamé Zip Leggings: H&M
Studded Boots: Tony Bianco

This custom nameplate by my darling, Jake Andrew.
He created the first of its kind for me at a shorter length of 13 inches, with an adjustable clasp. NO GOOD cuz I ain’t any.
Get yours for $169 here or email sales@dandq.com.au.

Others identified with the D&Q nameplate: Nikki Moose from Dirty Flaws, Todd from PENDV, Nadia from The Animal Orchestra.

Perfect addition to my armour collection:
NO GOOD nameplate necklace: D&Q
Skulls Bangle: The Great Frog
Endless Love Ring: Nora Kogan
Watch: Cartier

Now let’s go win a war.

A Coca Cola is three dollars here
and an iced coffee is a coffee with ice cream
but you couldn’t find an

orange mocha frappuccino

even if you had
all the gold coins in the world island

And even though I miss
the love of my life, Albert Einstein,

and you,
the love of my nights,

I’m in no hurry to come home, baby,
cuz Mr. Ocean had it right

Why see the world,

when you’ve got the beach?

Except that you were gone.

I couldn’t move, I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t do anything but cry and listen to the sound of my emails coming through hundreds of times all day like they do every day. Except for the first time in years, I had absolutely no intention of dealing with them.

Ping
Ping

Ping

Ping

There wasn’t much of the ceramic floor that wasn’t covered in kleenex butterflies.

Marissa got a flight to Miami.
Remember when the three of us had lunch on the patio at Urth Caffe? It was years ago. But not so long that I couldn’t tell you exactly what was said. What happened in the days after, word for word.

I didn’t sleep.

I got pretty the next day. I held Charlie’s hand in the cab from the airport back to 14th and Collins. He asked me how I’d been and I had to tell him “My ex passed away” and pretended to be ok.

It was a lot of pretending to be ok.
We ate and we fucked and we hung out on the beach. And then Marissa arrived, for my sake, and it was a lot of fun like it should have been. Listening to Mario, wearing leopard prints, singing Disney songs drunk, and ordering tater tots at The Standard pool. And it was the same, mostly, for the rest of the year.

A lot of coasting by.

But there are times. Like when Dov said I could write a memo to the staff about you, between a plate of oysters being removed and another dish being placed on the table. Or when I had to live in the house I last shared with you, for months. And I could feel you in every corner. Making fun of me. Or every single. fucking. time I see that polaroid of you, the one that Maceo said was his favourite of all.

And today.
Today, it will be hard.

And I think the worst part of it all is knowing that they will never understand – all the people, everyone who hadn’t gotten to know you – just how incredibly special you were. There will never be another you. Absolutely not.

And I know, by no means, am I a patron of your memory. These are just mine.
And I miss you.
Forever, at times.

Richard Scott Gimbel II, February 17th, 1979 – January 15th, 2012.

I’m in Melbourne, avoiding you, and I’m too busy non-plussed to blog (like ever).
Luckily for me, I’ve got New York’s prettiest young thing, Drex Drechsel, by my side.

I think at one point I said my New Year’s resolution was to be less cruel to the people I love.
Which, I’m pretty sure I’ve already broken.
I’m not a good person, you know that.
You love me anyway.

I have managed, however, to stay pretty nice to Drex, though. Which is why there’s a photo of me and Kiki Li Ricci happily jumping on the bed on New Year’s Eve for your viewing pleasure.

Happy 2013.
Keep it real.

Photo Credit: Drex Drechsel, yewyork.tumblr.com

Snapped while walking past the Sydney Opera house wearing my Layla earphones by Frends.

Life has taken me to some pretty strange places and I’ve got to say, I wouldn’t be here without a little help from my friends. Both IRL and otherwise.

A few weeks ago, Keir sent me a DM through twitter asking if I’d like to try a pair from him and his buddy’s new jewelry-inspired headphone line, Frends. I was actually always losing my own iPhone earphones so much that I’d steal Chris’ then I’d lose those and then I’d find myself some terrible cheap plastic ones around Chinatown and misplace them, too. So, I totally said yes, I’d love a pair. I’d already heard about them via friends at Milk and their Frends with Benefits shoot.

It got cold in New York. I started wearing them every day as earmuffs. I wore them every single hour out of the 35 that it took for me to get from New York to Sydney. I’m not just saying this because I got them as a gift, but because I genuinely use them. They’re also beautiful enough that I keep the headphones hanging around my neck most of the time. Pretty much every dude babe I know asks about them – shiny! new! technology! on a girl!

I’ve never even met Keir, in fact, I’ve been internet acquaintances with him for years probably without even really knowing how it came to be. Yet here he is, responsible for an item that I include in my every day armour. Never underestimate the value of social media and the relationships you can develop through taking things offline.

So thanks, Keir, FRENDS, and the world wide webternet. They’ve been a great help.

Layla headphones can be purchased at Apple stores and online.

Anyway, it was Halloween and you can’t tell what my costume is because it’s a shit costume.

Being immigrants – and if you don’t already know, immigrant parents give zero fucks about your bullshit-made-for-drugstore-sale holidays – the story I’ve retained in my head was that my Asian mother forgot about Halloween. We get to school and everyone is in a costume and I can’t be the only kid not in a costume. We jump back into the Ford Taurus and my mum sews leaves and patches on to my clothes. Rubs dirt on my face et voila! I am a bum for Halloween. I am three and I am a bum for Halloween. My mother dressed me up as a homeless person and she thought it was hilarious because she gives zero fucks about Halloween.

I, on the other hand, am three and I am fucking devastated and humiliated.
You can tell because in this picture I am clearly the only child without a ‘real’ costume and I am not smiling.

I got over it.

It doesn’t matter that I was strange and upset because in the end, I triumphed. I don’t know what happened to almost all of the others kids in that class but I also don’t care because we can betcher bottom dollar that I WIN.

It’s been a while since anyone’s talked about Tiger Moms, but every day I am reminded that I am a product of a Tiger Mom and as a result, totally a Tiger Mom myself. This is related to the rest of the post insofar as I believe that you need to focus on what matters (personal success) and what doesn’t (being dealt a bad circumstance).

Some moms don’t subscribe to Halloween. They might make you feel like shit from time to time.

The important thing is if they direct you to your highest potential.
That they teach you when you get knocked down by anyone, anything, or any occasion to get the fuck back up.
So if you have to cry, go outside for this is not the place, and I am not the kind of person you should be going to.
I am the kind of person who will tell you to go home, get that dirt off yo face, try harder, and win at life.

Happy Halloween!

(From my Asian mother’s facebook timeline, because all of a sudden, Halloween’s a thing she does now.
I guess I’ll ease up when I’m older.)

I love this colour, it looks like juicebox punch.
This shade is exclusive to the American Apparel kids collection, I bought a size 6 and am wearing it as a crop top.

Are you mini like me? Try browsing through the kids section at your usual retail haunts.
Youth or teen sizing may fit you just right, plus the prices and taxes are a lot less!

Outfit:
Coral Kids Fisherman Pullover: American Apparel
Black Patent Reversible Leather Belt: American Apparel
Black Cotton Ottoman High-Waist Hot Short: American Apparel
Black Sheer Luxe Pin Dots Shapes Pantyhose: American Apparel
Black Suede Square Wedges: American Apparel

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