Lola Re and The Whatnot

HERE'S A THEORY FOR YOU TO DISREGARD

2012-02-12T16:49:00.001Z

Someone recently asked me how my blog was going in the light that it's fashion month around the world. I (obviously) didn't have much to tell her. You see, just like most fashionistas worth their salt, I've recently become more interested in acting. (Of course later on, I'll probably just want to direct but we will cross that bridge as and when).

This is far from the end however, and I actually have been dressing as decadently as before - just ask my coworkers. My favourite brand of the moment has got to be Spanish Moss - I'll be a good blogger now and show you why...

{Title: A quote from Lester Bangs in Almost Famous}

OH GURU!

2012-01-17T13:30:00.001Z

{Images: Leif Podhajsky}

TURN THAT ALOOSE

2012-01-17T13:23:00.000Z

{Video Art : Leif Podhajsky}

THINGS WHAT I LIKE

2011-12-30T05:29:00.000Z

{clothing from Nasty Gal + American Gold}

RIVER FOG MORNING LOOKING AT SUN

2011-11-03T13:25:00.009Z

{image source}

WHO ARE YOU TALKING TO?

2011-10-31T12:56:00.000Z

{Title: Quote from the film Donnie Darko}
{Music: Little Richard, "Rip it Up"}

INSANITY IS DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND EXPECTING DIFFERENT RESULTS

2011-10-31T12:53:00.001Z

{Title: Quote from Albert Einstein}
{Music: Johnny Cash, Get Rhythm}

PHENOMENOLOGY

2011-10-09T14:35:00.000+01:00

This Navajo print bag from Bershka is almost perfect. If only it were a rucksack. Life would be that much better.

TO CALL OR BE CALLED

2011-10-05T20:25:00.000+01:00

I have a fetish for elegant cutlery and tableware of which Zara Home is very much an enabler. Now see here:

Roger Decanter

Dafne Tumbler

Alhambra Jug
Silver Plate Charger

Alhambra Water Tumbler

Carmen Bread Plate

Badrick Butter Dish

Cactus Coasters
{Title: The definition of the Mandarin word 叫. I was in class and thought 'How beautiful!'}

KAVEKE

2011-09-26T18:30:00.004+01:00

One of my favourite new designers, from a recent show at London Fashion Week - Kaveke. Thanks so much to the team at La Geneve North for the kind invitation to come along. All images taken by the lovely Rosie Allt.

BE STRONG

2011-09-12T14:21:00.002+01:00

{images: Art from Pakpoom Silaphan. Photo from ida.freshnet.se}

SHE COME GROOVIN UP SLOWLY

2011-09-06T13:59:00.000+01:00

{images: Eduard van Amstel, Obscur and one of Gustaf Mantel's amazing cinematic GIFs. Watch the eyes...}

{title: From The Beatles' song "Come Together"}

OH LORD MAKE ME PURE, BUT NOT JUST YET

2011-09-02T10:01:00.001+01:00

{Title: Quote from St. Augustine}

{Music: Cecilia Bartoli - Vivaldi - Bajazet - Sposa son disprezzata}

LIKE HONEY AND TROMBONES

2011-08-25T14:24:00.001+01:00

Jenny Grettve and Ravishing Mad had a showroom far away from the center and in that showroom, on the 2nd floor of an apartment building, I met with them and spoke to them about their collections for S/S 12. So, I went into the elevator

up the stairs

and down the proverbial rabbit hole.

Jenny Grettve is both an architect and a fashion designer, a fact which comes through in her sculptural pieces. She's got something interesting to say about eco-friendly fashion which stuck with me: "Make fashion you can wear for a lifetime."

So true - why don't we just get it right the first time?! If you produce quality, well-made and classic pieces, then people will love them for years and won't need to buy more or waste the ones they have already. Right on, Jenny! Her pieces stand up to the rhetoric; have a peek at some of my favourites (including the perfect wide-legged trousers she's wearing herself):

Also, have a look at an art video she produced of the entire collection below:

Anna from Ravishing Mad was an exercise in contrasts. Her style is irreverent and her ideas are complicated - when describing her denim she said "I intentionally do everything the denim world tells you not to do." I could see what she meant - instead of distressing her jeans, she paints directly on the fabric. Her creations have high waists and ample thighs, and she even uses denim to create sculptural haute couture pieces inspired by evolved skeletons and and rorshag tests. I only wish I'd gotten a picture of the amazing 3/4 length navy silk jersey dress she embellished - with burn marks.

My favourite piece of denim from her S/S 12 collection below:

And a few more pieces from the same collection which I found on her website:

A great fashion collaboration made in Malmö (pronounced "malm-oh"), the 2nd city of Sweden, which these girls hope to make as much of a fashion hub as Stockholm. They may just be on to something.

{title: From Anis Mojgani's poem "These things are how you make me feel" - like honey and trombones! This is the very first of his poems I ever heard, and still one of the most beautiful. Video above.}

HOW LONG IS NOW?

2011-08-23T18:50:00.002+01:00

I wandered into lots of different retail stores during my time in Sweden, at most of which I knew what to expect. However, when I happened upon the Zoe store (with a giant "sale" sign in the window) I got a nice surprise.

The management was kind enough to let me add some photos of my favourite styles.

I'd never heard of the brands: I spoke with the saleswoman, and many of them are available in the UK and internationally, so I've included links to all the brands' websites I could find: Sixty Seven, BDK, Moheda, Vagabond, Shoe Biz, Gardenia, 67 and Ten Points.

So much joy. My joy is your joy. Enjoy.

Also enjoy today's poem, which I found on the Aisle 16 website. Aisle 16 are a 3-person London performance poetry collective with an amazing spoken word night once a month. "Our love was a conspiracy so powerful it never could have existed." O-KAY!

{poem: Ross Sutherland "The Love Conspiracy"}

THIS WAS DUE TO AN ERROR IN THE SPACE TIME CONTINUUM

2011-08-22T05:33:00.004+01:00

I questioned what I was doing at the Boutique Frash Exhibition as I wandered past the guy getting a tattoo.

Then I saw this beauty.

It stopped me in my tracks as I thought, this is giving me California! Spoke more to the guys at the stand and indeed, my intutition was right, as this line (OBEY) was born in LA - the brainchild of Shepard Fairey who was already an established graffiti artist (you might also know his work from Obama's 2008 Hope campaign) here's his manifesto:

"The Obey campaign can be explained as an experiment in Phenomenology.
The first aim of Phenomenology is to reawaken a sense of wonder about one's environment.
The Obey campaign attempts to stimulate curiosity and bring people to question both the campaign and their relationship with their surroundings.

Because people are not used to seeing advertisements or propaganda for which the motive is not obvious, frequent and novel encounters with Obey propaganda provoke thought and possible frustration, never the less revitalizing the viewer's perception and attention to detail."

They didn't want me to take too many pics (I don't think a lot of fashion bloggers came through there, though I'm really glad I did) so I got a couple, then did some more research on the brand on the internet, and got more images from karmaloop.com, obeyclothing.co.uk, urbanindustry.co.uk. I looked in the men's sections for a lot of the items, since a lot of the pieces seem quite unisex to me.

Cool huh? Also, besides selling clothing they have an annual cause to which they donate 100% of the proceeds for a special line of t-shirts to a deserving charity. AND, they are proponents of street art and most recently completed a wall on Copenhagen called the 69 Wall, which reads "Never forgive, never forget".

I hate to leave this until last because it's so incredible... but it's 5am so I need to wrap this post up. I've been listening to a lot of performance poetry podcasts on indiefeed.com and I came across the incredible Anis Mojgani. Several hours of YouTube later, and I find this beauty, called "the tree branches are full and these orchards heavy." Just... listen.

{poem: Anis Mojgani "the tree branches are full and these orchards heavy"}
{title: From a poem by Ross Sutherland called "The Three Stigmata of PacMan. View his YouTube channel here.}

EVIDENTLY, I DON'T EXPERIENCE THINGS AS RATIONALLY AS YOU DO

2011-08-17T19:05:00.002+01:00

Another huge hilight of Stockholm for me was the Stylein show, which began with dance video art as the show was inspired by dance and movement.

Now that I look again at the color palette, it's incredibly sophisticated - neutrals, dusky earth tones, pastels and a gentle floral, with subtle metallic accents - which means that every woman can find something to complement her skin tone. It's easy elegance; I kept thinking, it must be so easy for the models to slip into these pieces on backstage.

I especially loved the hair and makeup - a soft smokey eye and a high messy bun. I can see this look working for just about everyone.

OK enough talking from me, pics below - some taken by me, mixed in with images from http://www.mercedesbenzfashionweek.se.

The garments were just as incredible from the back:

Detail shots:

Later I went backstage to take some pics of the Max Factor makeup area. Heaven!

Want more? Visit the Stylein website here.

{title: From the poem "Hurling crowbirds at mockingbars" by Buddy Wakefield}

YOU SEE A MOUSETRAP - I SEE FREE CHEESE AND A CHALLENGE

2011-08-15T19:22:00.005+01:00

I hope you like Sweden. 'Cause THAT'S ALL I'M WRITING ABOUT FOR THE NEXT WEEK. :D

I went to Stockholm Fashion Week last week, and lots of little stories to tell you all. To begin though, let's get to one of the hilights - "unconventional and sophisticated" House of Dagmar.

Inspired by Morocco and all things relaxed and bohemian - so long as they are black, white and neon. I really liked the live band who are dressed in the collection, and the models strolling on a runway that weaves through the audience, who were relaxing on cushions and sipping champagne. It was SO laid back! Looooooooooooooooooovely.

Images of some of my favourite pieces below (all from http://www.mercedesbenzfashionweek.se).

And for your aural nutrition and musical sustenance, another little gem from Babeshadow. How amazing would it be to have them play for a fashion show...

{ Title: From Scroobius Pip vs Dan le Sac's song "Introdiction"}

{ Music: Babeshadow "Days of Old"}

SAY IT TO MY FACE

2011-08-05T17:22:00.007+01:00

My skin is looking pretty good recently, but I'm not really sure why... I started using several different products at once. Anyway my good fortune is your good fortune, so herein lies a review of some products I've been using over the past two months and how I likes 'em:

OH! Before I start I must say - I stopped eating refined sugar (SOB) and started drinking 2 litres of water a day ((yay)) about six weeks ago, so my skin looking good is probably more due to those changes in behavior than anything else. Ugh my sister was right all these years...

So, here goes, in order of how I rate the product, on a possible scale of 5

Naruko Total Defence Repairing Dew:

I heard about the Naruko product line from YouTube beauty guru Fuzkittie. The line comes from Taiwan, and you can find it on sasa.com, imomoko.com and (if you can read Mandarin) naruko.tw. Gives me glowy, dewy, hydrated and clear skin.

Burts Bees Honey Lip Balm

All hail the holy grail of lip balms. I. Love. This. And how! Honey for hydration, beeswax and coconut oil to seal in moisture and protect your skin, and no crap chemicals to get in the way. Can't be without it.

La Roche Posay Effaclar K, La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo

I've used these together, so I figure I should rate them together. The only reason I'm taking half a check off is, it took a month for me to see any results. But my skin is clear now so all's well that ends well.

Avene Hydrating Serum:

Not too sure if this made a difference, but I've been using it on my decollete, and it seems to be keeping me hydrated. No adverse reactions. Pretty good.

Aloe Vera Gel with Tea Tree Oil:

I use aloe vera gel on and off under my moisturiser, during winter when I need some extra hydration, and during summer because it gives you a cool tingle. It's all natural, and it's one of the true universal skin products, you can use it everywhere! My favorite incarnation is this gel with tea tree oil. I use it after toning and before any serums. It doesn't make a huge difference, but it doesn't hurt either. My skin definitely feels a little dehydrated if I don't use it. 3 checks.

Aquaphor Healing Ointment:

I should have known better. A quick glance at the ingredients could have told me that this contains mostly devilish chemicals you don't want on your face: mineral oil, paraffinum liquidum... it felt like I'd smeared Vaseline on my eyes or something, because they felt greasy and dry at the same time... how is that even possible?! So disappointing, because I have heard so many good things about this product from Makeupalley, YouTube beauty gurus, etc. I even heard Beyonce used this as a night treatment - but I didn't even like it as a lip balm.

(My friend called me a beauty product junkie the other day but I really have no idea what she's talking about...)

I STOOD UNWOUND BENEATH THE SKIES, AND CLOUDS UNBOUND BY LAWS. THE CRYIN' RAIN LIKE A TRUMPET SANG, AND ASKED FOR NO APPLAUSE.

2011-08-03T17:43:00.023+01:00

A feast for your ears above, a feast for your eyes below. Bob Dylan and high waisted, wide legged, retro 70s jeans: A dream within a dream...

Lay Down Your Weary Tune

by Bob Dylan

{Jeans from top: Patricia Field, Couture Candy, Jeans.com, Grey Ant (x2)}

Lay Down Your Weary Tune

by Bob Dylan

Lay down your weary tune, lay down,

Lay down the song you strum,

And rest yourself 'neath the strength of strings

No voice can hope to hum.

Struck by the sounds before the sun,

I knew the night had gone.

The morning breeze like a bugle blew

Against the drums of dawn.

Lay down your weary tune, lay down,

Lay down the song you strum,

And rest yourself 'neath the strength of strings

No voice can hope to hum.

The ocean wild like an organ played

The seaweed's woven strands.

The crashin' waves like cymbals clashed

Against the rocks and sands.

Lay down your weary tune, lay down,

Lay down the song you strum,

And rest yourself 'neath the strength of strings

No voice can hope to hum.

I stood unwound beneath the skies

And clouds unbound by laws.

The cryin' rain like a trumpet sang

And asked for no applause.

Lay down your weary tune, lay down,

Lay down the song you strum,

And rest yourself 'neath the strength of strings

No voice can hope to hum.

The last of leaves fell from the trees

And clung to a new love's breast.

The branches bare like a banjo played

To the winds that listened best.

I gazed down in the river's mirror

And watched its winding strum.

The water smooth ran like a hymn

And like a harp did hum.

Lay down your weary tune, lay down,

Lay down the song you strum,

And rest yourself 'neath the strength of strings

No voice can hope to hum.

WHO WANTS CAKE?

2011-07-31T13:46:00.001+01:00

The funniest dinner party ever from my current favorite TV show, Californication. Who's at the table? Writer Hank Moody and his longtime girlfriend Karen, and their daughter Becca. Family friends Charlie and Marcy Runkle who have had a little too much refreshment on the way over. Mia - the impish daughter of a man Karen's left for Hank on her wedding day, and who also has a schoolgirl crush on Hank. Sonja, who got with Hank once and her fiancee Julian, a new-age spiritual guru and self help entrepreneur who may or may not be full of it. And Lew Ashby, a successful record producer who Hank met in jail and his date, who Hank also got with, (but by mistake). If that isn't confusing enough, there's a big surprise at the end of this meal for everyone .... I think that deserves a slow hand clap.

TEACH ME YOUR WAYS

2011-07-28T14:09:00.000+01:00

Also, Forever21 officially has a store on Oxford Street in London - I dropped by yesterday and it looks very promising. Wahoooo

GOD CHUCKLES, AND SO I LET GO

2011-07-26T18:08:00.004+01:00

{music: Sugar Water by Cibo Matto, 2 Japanese-American sampling queens of the 90s}
{title: lyric from spoken word artist and musician Dizraeli}

I'M VERY UPSET THAT YOU CALLED MY FIESTA A WASTE OF TIME

2011-07-26T15:08:00.002+01:00

Detail shots from LGN's summer showcase. Designers from the top are: Rose Willis, Agnieszka Światły, Cernei, Rose Willis

{Title: A quote from textsfromlastnight.com. Classic}

GIV MIG DEM

2011-07-22T15:05:00.003+01:00

RIP Lucien Freud.

{Image: Boy Smoking by Lucien Freud 1951-1952}