Professionally Trendy

Je Suis Belle, bien sûr!

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:11:00 +0000

You may have already heard of Je Suis Belle's spring 2010 collection from eerily quick on the uptake blogs such as Style Bubble and Kingdom of Style. I generally avoid repeating content but for this case I'll make an exception, as the relatively unknown brand deserves more press and they were kind enough to send an info package filled with lovely high-res images directly to my inbox. I love being able to see the details for a change! I'm rather bored of using tiny style.com photos over and over again.

Je Suis Belle is the brainchild of Dalma and Tibor, who met in university in Budapest and have since been on a mission to create clothes for the self-confident woman, who seeks gracefulness, playfulness, and appreciates a sense of individuality. The spring 2010 collection was inspired by the works of contemporary Hungarian artist Attila Szűcs, whose paintings were printed all over the body, on lightly draped dresses and blouses. Straw hats were sliced in half, creating a casual visor, perfect for picnics in the park or lounging on the beach. I was a bit confused by the shoes. Were these clobbered together backstage before the show or are they intentionally made so haphazardly unfinished? Sure looks like an easy DIY...

I set runway shots side by side with images of Szűcs' paintings below. I enjoyed browsing through the online gallery, definitely worth a look-see! I love the mysterious hazy images. Especially the ones depicting the curious electrical engineer Nikola Tesla. Yes. Oh, and I just wanted to add, the painting names were taken directly from the website. I'm not sure if the typos are intentional or not...

Donkey

Dog with christmas-tree lightnings

Two standing figures

Figure with pinkish blindspot

Tesla in a desert

Restlers on singularity

Photographer: Hendrik Ballhausen, painting captures from szucsattila.hu

“Always watch where you are going. Otherwise, you may step on a piece of the Forest that was left out by mistake.”

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 23:05:00 +0000

Prada's fall 09 lookbook has sold me on the collection. Seriously, I loved gazing at every page of it. It's very surrealist, sometimes haunting and sometimes tongue-in-cheek. Maybe even making references to the occult? I've been seeing so many uninspired lookbooks lately that this rather random photoshop job suddenly seems so appealing. The cave-man dress paired with a wolf's head is a nice touch, but my favourite is probably the men's runway shot with a full moon shining overhead.

See the entire lookbook here.

The Shower Curtain Coat

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 03:40:00 +0000

Hey guys! The scuba dress post seemed to be very popular! I was thinking Miu Miu myself, but I can also see the Preen and Michael Kors in it, as some readers suggested. Actually, maybe even a bit of PHI resort 2010. My mum said it looked like Thor Heyerdahl 1979. Who is he you ask? I was wondering the same thing. So I googled him:

Norwegian ethnologist and adventurer who organized and led the famous Kon-Tiki (1947) and Ra (1969–70) transoceanic scientific expeditions. Both expeditions were intended to prove the possibility of ancient transoceanic contacts between distant civilizations and cultures. For the most part, Heyerdahl’s theories have not been accepted by anthropologists.
-britannica.com

Haha mother, haha. Anyways, yesterday I went on yet another thrift excursion and picked up this very 80s wool coat. My boy said it looked like a shower curtain. Haha Kevin, haha. If I paired it with a bright orange body-con dress and geometric make-up I could pass for a Liquid Sky extra. What a strange but stylish movie. I'll see if I can screen cap it for the blog. Alas I have no such dress, but I am warming up to the idea of orange as a wardrobe color some more.

I've paired the coat with a blouse made by my grandmother, H&M skirt and booties from The Shoe Warehouse.

I also picked up another sheer dress and two purses. More on those when I get around to taking photos of them!

The Scuba Dress

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 22:05:00 +0000

Finally, my DIY project is finished! Except this wasn't really DIY, since my grandmother helped me with it. I forgot to take the "before" pictures. Sorry guys! The original thrifted dress had sheer black panels where I placed the blue. It was lovely, but far too showy for my personal tastes, and I really did want to wear it out. I originally planned on replacing the sheer with a stretchy nude fabric, but couldn't find any that didn't wash out my skin. Then I came across this four-way stretch electric blue fabric, and fell in love. I instantly thought of the colors and fit of scuba diving costumes. And thus the scuba dress was born. Sewing stretch fabrics is a nightmare though, I tell ya. My grandmother says she just aged 10 years sewing and fitting and re-sewing and re-fitting, and so on. The blue fabric was stretch but much more stiff than the original thin mesh.

Fashion Mag Goes 3 Dimensional

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:48:00 +0000

"This month, Dazed & Confused leaps out of your hands, taking fashion into the third dimension with a specially commissioned shoot of Marios Schwab’s 3D-inspired collection. Featuring 3D photography by Terry Tsiolis and styling by Nicola Formichetti, plus a specially inserted pair of 3D glasses and exclusive interview with the innovative designer."

3D fashion! I must thank the editors of Dazed for giving us a bit of peek into what one might have experienced at the Fall 2009 Marios Schwab show. I loved the anaglyphic prints. 3D glasses or no 3D glasses, they are still some crazily cool prints!

It Speaks to Me

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:36:00 +0000

This morning I received a hello from Marisa, a part of the team behind Speech, a hand-made jewelry line conceived in the place they call the "dungeon" in Queen West. She seemed pretty sure that I would like some of the pieces. Why yes, I did! The collection was inspired by the beauty of everyday hardware, such as an old mirror frame nail, the starting point for the collection. The jewelry is rendered in gold or oxidized sterling silver, elevating the mundane to form a sort of Dadaist-inspired art. To me, it's all about the gritty rock and roll. The large nail is probably my favourite. Check out their blog for a bit of bad-ass inspiration (Kasabian meets Greasers meets Galliano's tongue...), and also check out Marisa's blog C'est Girl So Chic. She's a former Teen Vogue intern! Neato.

Images via ssspeech.com

Couture Fall 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:05:00 +0000

"Haute Couture should be fun, foolish and almost unwearable."

- Christian Lacroix

Below are my favorite picks from the Haute Couture fall 2009 shows. In particular, I am eyeing Valentino's lace shorts, Stephane Rolland's long and loose blazers, Gaultier's future/classics woman, and Josep Font's standout new variation of the statement-shoulder trend. I am also eagerly awaiting high-res photos of On Aura Tout Vu's tree branch dress.

Images from via thefashionspot.com

Wrap Me Up

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 21:13:00 +0000

Images via Coutorture

As soon as I laid eyes on the Opening Ceremony for Pendleton collection I fell in love. The 100-year old heritage brand lent it's iconic Navajo prints for a celebratory capsule collection. This is probably my favourite brand collaboration as of yet. The pieces are extremely modern, with on-trend peplum and cape silhouettes, yet the stunning traditional prints are steeped in rich history. The colors are simply amazing. I can't stop staring. Below is an excerpt from the Pendleton website.

In 1863, traveling down the Atlantic seaboard, crossing the Isthmus of Panama on a burro, and sailing up the Pacific coast was a grueling four-month passage. Yet for Thomas Kay, a young English weaver, it was a dream come true. An old hand at sea voyages, he had already crossed the Atlantic years earlier to work at east coast textile mills. With skills honed, he was now headed to an area with ideal conditions for raising sheep and producing wool. A place with moderate weather and plentiful water - America's newest state, Oregon.

Kay helped organize Oregon's second woolen mill in Brownsville, where he oversaw the weaving operation. Soon he was made a superintendent of the company. In 1889, Thomas Kay opened his own mill in Salem, Oregon. From these humble beginnings rose a dyed-in-the-wool American success story...

...The production of Indian blankets resumed as the Bishops applied intuitive business concepts for quality products and distinctive styling. A study of the color and design preferences of local and Southwest Native Americans resulted in vivid colors and intricate patterns. Trade expanded from the Nez Perce nation near Pendleton to the Navajo, Hopi and Zuni nations. These Pendleton blankets were used as basic wearing apparel and as a standard of value for trading and credit among Native Americans. The blankets also became prized for ceremonial use. Under the direction of the Bishop family, Pendleton expanded into other areas of woolen manufacturing. In 1912, the addition of a weaving mill in Washougal, Washington, broadened its capability for fabric variety, including suitings.

As I was browsing the Coutorture website for the above collage, I noticed a commenter who claimed that Opening Ceremony was ripping off designer Lindsey Thornburg. Having never heard of her, I did a quick search and discovered more wonderfully cozy wool capes! For her most recent collection, Lindsey journeyed to Machu Picchu where she was very inspired by the Highlanders' boldly colored attire. I can relate to her love of their traditional costumes, as I have myself admired them (sadly only in books) many times. I'm not really bothered by who copied who, but I would like to snag a similar item myself. My only hope would be to a) miraculously discover something at a thrift store or b) wait for a highstreet store like Zara to pick up on the trend. Actually, I have seen similar blankets around, but they are far too rough and itchy to wear as clothing...

Images via LindseyThornburg.com

After having been inspired by these two amazing collections, I decided to wrap myself in a few cozy pieces of my own. Not quite the same, but it's a start. Luckily, we're having a very chilly and rainy 14 degree day today. I'm wearing a thrifted Ralph Lauren Polo cardigan, thrifted grey wool cape, Zara jeans, and a Romanian scarf handed down from my mum. I should have shown the scarf a bit more in the photo. It's much larger than it looks and the beautiful print is very much in the theme of today's post.

Teen Vogue Love

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 06:35:00 +0000

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE was my reaction when a reader mentioned they just saw me on the Teen Vogue website. I submitted for girl of the week a few days ago just for fun. I didn't think they'd pick me, and even forgot about my application until today. Thank you a million Teen Vogue! I'm glad they kept in the part about new talent and men in top hats. I love to share what inspires me. Maybe now the sales people of Holts will have heard about Mark Fast whom their company does in fact carry!

DIY project report: The seams are proving difficult to take apart without leaving a trace. Hopefully it'll be finished tomorrow then...

McQueen Resort 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:47:00 +0000

Images via wwd.com

Alexander McQueen and his genius strikes again! I can't believe I managed to miss the resort collection for a week before I stumbled upon it at the fashion spot forums. McQueen has been heavily inspired by artists, a motif that hearkens back to his menswear collection. But the inspiration was taken even further with Escher-esque prints gracing leggings and dresses, and LeWitt-style mind-bending line arrangements. I wish those sheer leggings would be mine right now.

The funny thing is, the above-mentioned artists were the two I turned to just a couple of months ago for inspiration. I even made a collage featuring Alaia's ss 09 collection with an Escher piece as a backdrop. Maybe McQueen can read minds. Maybe he's like Sookie Stackhouse from True Blood but with a far greater field of reach. Maybe True Blood should have aired another episode last weekend instead of taking the week off. Because I'm a little obsessed. Obviously.

Anyways, the my diy dress project has started. I went to Dressew this morning to pick up the fabric and my grandmother is helping me replace the sheer panels. Hopefully it will be finished today!

What I'm Wearing 04.07.09

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 07:42:00 +0000

Wearing a thrifted sheer dress, bag and belt, sandals from Payless and black tank dress underneath from Winners.

Yesterday I went shopping before my shift at Value Village and purchased two dresses. The first is a sheer number that I'm wearing in the above photo on top of a black tank dress. It was absolutely beautiful outside today so I stopped by the beach to get some sun. The colors are dark but with a light breeze and sheer fabric it felt just right. The second dress I will post about later because it's a bit of a diy project. It has some very revealing sheer panels on the side which I would like to replace with stretchy nude fabric. The panels also had a few holes in them so leaving them in is out of the question. But why did I even by this dress? The form the cut outs make is just amazing. Look forward to it soon! I'm hoping to get it all done on my day off Monday.

PS: I played Rock Band tonight. I think my character looks like someone threw in a bit of Chanel, a touch of Givenchy, a sprinkle if the Sex Pistols and a science lab skull into a magical rock star blender. Nice, eh?

Layers of Air

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 06:15:00 +0000

Left to right: Matthew Ames spring 2009, Damir Doma spring 2010 via The Fashionisto, The Sartorialist

Nothing like light and airy layers of fabric to match the nice breeze and sun combination we have been having here in Vancouver lately. Slightly chilly, slightly warm, and just right. Does anyone think Matthew Ames is the Damis Doma of womenswear? Or vice-versa? I love both of their aesthetics.

By the way, note the intentional color palette of this collage. Happy Canada day to the Canadians out there reading the blog! I'm off to hit the beach now.

The Girls of Dries

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:36:00 +0000

Images via Garance Dore and style.com

Yesterday I eyed a pair of Dries van Noten heels and couldn't tear myself away. I find his laid-back but graphic collections very inspiring. It seems like I'm not the only one. These women rock Dries like nobody's business.

Hopefully I can get a longer post in tomorrow. I have very little computer time to spend today unfortunately. But it will be Canada day so... here's hoping!

June 29, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 03:34:00 +0000

I felt a bit claustrophobic looking at my own blog this morning. Hence the rapid layout change. The old theme was starting to look a little too haphazard. I hadn't even updated it to be compatible with blogger's new (now, old) features yet! So I redesigned everything and painstakingly added all of the links back in. Things are looking much more organized now, don't you think?

Yesterday I decided to go for a boyish 1950's look. I wore a thrifted blouse that very much reminds me of something Izzy from the Dandy Project would wear. I really dig his stylish self designed shirts. The sunglasses I'm sporting are also second hand. They are my absolute favorite pair and I wear them with everything. They have a bad habit of going missing for a few weeks during which I miss them immensely. But they've reappeared! The belt and bracelet are also thrifted and the jeans are from Zara.

Check out this awesome powder blue car! It matches my retro-themed outfit perfectly. It seems like all the vintage car collectors only pull their beauties out of hiding when summer comes along. I've never seen so many amazing cars in one week!

Changes

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 01:50:00 +0000

Time for a layout change! Don't freak out if things look off for the next few hours.

What I'm Wearing 27.06.09

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 23:27:00 +0000

My brain refuses to work so I apologize for this very brief post. I thrifted this lovely pink sheer blouse a few days ago. I like it best layered over another bright pink top, but I'm open to other suggestions!

Fashion Bloggers Take Over Holts Windows

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 22:29:00 +0000

Yesterday I stopped by Holts again to take photos of their ode to the blogosphere. I couldn't help but chuckle as not all the windows really capture the essence of the blogger they are supposed to represent. Apparently the bloggers themselves had no say in it. Sorry for the reflections in the windows, I didn't have my polarizer on me at the time. Darn. Also, check out Anita Clarke's window from the Bloor Street, Toronto location. I think it's much more snazzy than Vancouver's.

Tommy from Jak and Jil

Garance Dore

Scott Schuman from The Sartorialist

Anita Clarke from I Want - I Got

Bryan Boy

Jane from Sea of Shoes

Tokyo Boys

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 19:13:00 +0000

Both Jane of Sea of Shoes and my boy's best friend are in Tokyo right about now. I have to say, I'm extremely jealous. I'd be a kid in a candy store people watching in that city! Here are a few of my favorite looks from dropsnap.jp from the last few months. The first boy is wearing Pelican Avenue! I recognized the rainbow print instantly, having blogged about them before. Isn't it just amazing worn so casually?

What I'm Wearing 26.06.2009

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:41:00 +0000

Today I stopped by Holts in the morning to check out their blogger window display that I mentioned a couple of posts ago. They hadn't actually finished it when I got there around 11. Or when I returned at noon after browsing through the store and Pacific Center mall. Drats. I will be back in the area tomorrow to take another look. I did, however, see a miniature Tour Eiffel, a stack of magazines, and snapshots of various fashionistas including Kate Lanphear peeking out from the bottom of a white curtain.

I also ventured inside to see what sort of pieces they're stocking. I rarely venture to Holts because I know I'm never going to buy anything (maybe in a few years). But I was surprised to find a gorgeous printed Jean-Pierre Braganza dress there, because from snooping around online I thought the collection would only be sold in Toronto stores. I also asked the nearest sales lady if they carried Mark Fast, but she had never heard of him, and neither did another sales associate she asked. Way to go guys! He's even featured in your catalogue! I guess his pieces are only stocked in Toronto then. It's too bad, I was just itching to have a close-up look for myself.

I was wearing a newly thrifted bright-pink tank underneath my current favourite blazer (that I wear far too much these days) with Topshop trousers. The shoes are inconsequential. Brown sandals. I felt the need for comfort.

Out and About

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:12:00 +0000

Yesterday I met up with my friend Andra for a early morning stroll through Vancouver's Chinatown. She wanted to document the Main St/Chinatown area. I brought my camera around to take photos as well. It's been ages since I've used it for anything else besides the blog. As a warning, if you're squeamish, or vegetarian, two pictures towards the bottom show dried lizards and dead fish. Just warnin.

The forecast called for rain, and it was drizzling a bit when I left the house, so I put on my rainboots expecting to splash in some puddles. But the rain never came, and I felt like a bit of an idiot walking around with heavy duty rainboots and a tweedy blazer. Am I still living in Vancouver? Where has all the rain gone? I changed later on in the day and put on a pair of brown booties. I called this look great depression chic version 2.0, because the Federal Reserve is between a rock and a hard place right now. Seemed fitting.

I don't know what my friend saw in a discarded can of beer, but I was into her matching tights and shoes contrasted against the blue wall.

The photo directly below reminds me of something my boyfriend would take.

I was fascinated with the dried lizards. Does anyone know what they're called? And what their purpose is? And how they're used?

What I Was Wearing 24.06.09

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:34:00 +0000

I was a little worried for a couple of days when I couldn't find my USB cord to upload photos, hence the lack of outfit posts. But huzzah, it has been found! Don't you hate it when other people clean up your stuff and hide it away where you have trouble finding it? Maybe I should just stop leaving my things around the house... Anyways, a while back ago I made a post about my sort-of Doc Martens, but just a week after that I found these babies at my favorite thrift store. I think someone gave them away because one of the laces snapped, making them shorter, but I really don't mind leaving them partly undone at all. Well, what do you think?

I'm off to go thrifting again before my shift. I found some nice things last night that I'm hoping are still in store...

I think I'll also be checking out the blogger expo going on at Holts tomorrow. If I do, I'll be reporting back!

Alexander McQueen Men's Spring '10

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:05:00 +0000

I am blown away by this man's ability to churn out a great print. The first couple of outfits actually look like reflective molten metal! I'm seeing many designers turn to digital and photographic prints these days, with spectacular results. The possibilities are endless! You can turn a dress into just about anything these days. Abstract perfume bottle? An atomic explosion? You name it, someone will be trying it. I am also happy to see geometric patchwork appearing again. If that isn't another print it must be super time consuming!

Images via alexandermcqueen.com

RIP Kodachrome

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:53:00 +0000

After 74 amazing years of rich color photography, Eastman Kodak has finally called it kaput on the oldest brand of color film in existence. Kodachrome has a special place in my heart because it's my boyfriend's favorite color film and I've dabbled with it myself a few times on my trip to Prague and Romania last summer (too few! *sniff*). I was kind of expecting the death knoll after learning that only one place in the world still processes k-chrome slides. It's all the way in bloody Kansas. My boy would have all of his rolls shipped out there and we would wait a few weeks for their return. Most of you may not know about the slide film, but you might recognize certain famous photographs taken with it, such as the Afghan Girl captured by Steve McCurry. Would her eyes have shone as brightly on any other film? Digital photography has come a long way, but even though I mostly do digital myself, the quality just doesn't compare to film. Unless you're willing to shell out a few thousand for top of the line equipment, that is. Remember the end of Polaroid film just a while ago? How many more photography greats must we part with in the future? Darn you, declining demand!

Images via National Geographic, Labby Road, Neatorama, PentaxUser, Historic Photo Archive, Adorama

And below, photos of me taken with Kodachrome by my boy Kevin. What speed is this by the way Kev?

Away for the Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:27:00 +0000

Hey guys, just as a heads up, I'll be away on a trip to Galiano Island until Sunday evening and I didn't have the time yesterday or today to prep a few posts. Ack! See you all soon though!

A Recipe for Glamour

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:08:00 +0000

You take a party, throw in some Bowie, a touch of Boy George and a smattering of Steve Strange and you have this Vogue Italia editorial. It's such a refined and perfected homage to the Blitz Kids. I will go sulk now because this level of coolness just doesn't exist in real life anymore.

Images scanned by Diciassette (17) from tfs.com

I refrained from adding in my carrots this time. The editorial is just too pretty.

By the way, I've slowly started to sneak in larger and larger images in the blog. If they're loading too slowly for you, please don't hesitate to tell me. I'll go back to smaller sizes if I get enough comments about it.