Loving these photos by Rob Banks and Justin McManus

Photo by Donato Sardella

Photo by Donato Sardella

TGIF. Like you wouldn’t believe!!! I swear the weeks keep getting busier . . . and the busier they get the faster they fly by . . . and then all of a sudden WHAM, it’s 2010!! Anyway, I’m posting Krys-n-Jack a little late (I meant to post last month but got preoccupied) but just in case you haven’t seen their creative, fun Spring 2010 collection, here you go. I absolutely love their playful designs and their choice of models. Gorgeous!

Krys-n-Jack is the collaboration of Jacquetta O’Dell and Leslie Henry. The two met in 2003 in Oklahoma, where they maintained independent clothing lines, putting on several fashion shows. From there they moved to London, studied for a year, and then moved to Los Angeles to get out of the rain and finish school.

Leslie has worked in fabrication her whole life, perfecting her craft in not only fabric, but leather, wood, and metal. Leslie has a background in interior design and upholstery; she finishes her BFA in Fashion Design in September 2009.

Jacquetta takes on most of the design and business side of the partnership. She also oversees an Online Boutique for EM & CO and they both design out of the upscale store on 3rd St. She graduated with a dual degree in Fashion Design and Business and is currently getting her Masters in Creative Writing.

(Bio from Fashion Windows)

I’ll leave you with some music for your weekend from the infamous Kevin Nottingham. Enjoy!

I had the craziest dreams last night! What does it mean when you drive down a little dirt road and come out to a sand bar surrounded by 9 foot swells that appear like they’re about to come crashing down on you but, at the very last minute, dissipate into a cool refreshing foam? Hmmm…..

Anyway, I could have sworn that I wrote about Lizzie Fortunato in the past but I couldn’t find the post anywhere. I figured since she helped dress up VPL (yesterday’s post) it would make sense to post about her now! Here’s the skinny from The Cut:

Lizzie Fortunato Jewels‘ mantra is that high-end jewelry should not be limited to precious materials. Designer Elizabeth Fortunato uses ecofriendly found and reclaimed objects from around the world, while her twin sister, Kathryn, handles the business end of the company. The young women have grown from winning over their peers during their days at Duke to becoming favorites of Condé Nast editors, and they recently designed jewelry for VPL’s runway show. With their notably statement pieces taking New York by storm, we sat down with the dynamic duo to talk about old-school Betsey Johnson, Obama, and the open road.
Read more: Lizzie Fortunato Jewels Thinks You Should Ditch the City for a Harley — The Cut: New York Magazine’s Fashion Blog 

VPL through the eyes of Sonny photos

I am on a roll tonight… great music, gorgeous fabrics for all of you budding designers out there and great photos from VPL’s SS10 collection. I have been bombarding my senses with fashion and music this evening. I had a somewhat disconcerting series of encounters over the past week or so . . .   experiences that were so diametrically opposed to my internal sense of fairness that it’s going to take me a while to reconcile things internally. Anyway, my loss is your gain! More about VPL:

VPL began with a simple concept of drawing the innerwear out. By bringing underwear out to become a visible, stylish part of our everyday uniform, VPL style begs the question: what mystery really lies beneath?

VPL (Visible Panty Line) launched its first line of undergarment-inspired styles in Fall of 2003, when well-known stylist Victoria Bartlett had a vision to design a capsule collection to fill the niche between lingerie and sportswear. As a stylist, Victoria acknowledged the growing demand for utilitarian yet stylish undergarments that can be mixed, matched, and layered, hence, the building block factor she encourages in her designs. Furthermore, Victoria began to question the assumption of sexiness in undergarments. With the bold assertion that “I don’t do T and A,” she challenged the fashion world with an innovative conception of sexy.

While each season embodies the utilitarian-chic style in new ways, VPL has continued to incorporate elements of functional uniforms with daring shots of color, unexpected accessories, and creative styling pieces. The VPL aesthetic remains rooted in the foundational principles of comfort, functionality, and style. By injecting the everyday uniform with the unexpected panty line, the peeping-out bra strap, or the bold shock of color, each season unveils a new dimension of the standard-issue. The design details and trims such as sliders, elastics, and zigzag stitching, extracted from architectural quality of vintage underwear, have become a recognizable characteristic of the brand. From the militaristic maverick to the institutional ingénue, VPL style attracts the woman who eschews traditional sexy, yet exudes a sensuality all her own.

Loving this…. enjoy!

I’m really feeling his music… and I love his story:

When MATEO walks onstage, sits at his piano and starts one of his heartfelt songs it’s clear that this is an artist on a mission. It’s no coincidence that Mateo lists Lauryn Hill, India.Arie, Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, Justin Timberlake, and Robin Thicke as influences but he’s also quick to give a nod to alternative acts such as Radiohead, Coldplay, Daft Punk and Kanye West. “Everything is merging together, and I like that in my music; a mixture rather than one flavor only; R&B/Pop/Alternative/Soul—Urban Mod—if you want to pick a new genre.” Mostly recorded in a humble apartment studio in Los Angeles, MATEO’s upcoming album artfully avoids the assembly line of modern pop music by having thoughtful lyricism and sweeping melodies at its core. The first single, “Complicated” is an example of that, with its introspective and honest description an unintended love affair that is now reaching critical mass. A graduate of the prestigious Morehouse College in Atlanta, with degrees in music and marketing, MATEO almost abandoned plans for a music career for the steady, but soulfully dry world of finance. MATEO explains, “I was on track to do the business thing, interning at American Express, spent time in New York, graduated and got a job at a consulting firm. It was a cushy job, but I hated every minute of it.” Interestingly, while in college, MATEO applied for an intern position at Boston Consulting Group, which oversees business trends. He was interviewed by none other than John Legend, who was also a consultant prior to launching his own career in music. “I didn’t get the internship, but looking back, it was kind of funny that John was also a consultant,” MATEO laughs. MATEO felt if he wanted to realize his potential, he would have to dive head-first into music. With the decision made, MATEO’s career began to take shape at a rapid pace. He found a studio in Brooklyn, where he scratched out ideas for songs, and then met Jae Staxx, a producer from Philadelphia who was about to leave for Los Angeles to work on rapper/actress Eve’s new television show. Staxx invited MATEO to join him. Seizing the moment, MATEO quit his consulting job and hopped a plane to Los Angeles in 2005. “It was one of those things that this was a chance, an opportunity. I didn’t want to be one of those people that had regrets of woulda, shoulda, coulda…” Mateo wrote music for “Eve” until mid-2006. A close friend pushed him to go even further with his music. “He said, ‘Yo, you need to do a live show, but I was scared to death of live shows”, MATEO explains. “Performing in front of people, I was like, ‘man, what if I suck?” After getting up the nerve, MATEO held his first live show at the trendy Hotel Café in Hollywood. It went off far better than Mateo could have imagined, and he realized his fears were unfounded. “That was when I got the fever. I was like, Man, this is good; this is fun!” Encouraged, MATEO posted his first song, “Human,” on his MySpace page, which attracted thousands of fans, over 200,000 plays and led to requests for more shows. “The responses from MySpace really brought it home that I should continue; that I’m doing something right.” An encounter at a show with CSI New York actor Hill Harper led to a meeting with Harper’s friend, former MTV VJ, Quddus Philippe. Philippe is currently an A&R consultant for MySpace Records and was instrumental in signing MATEO to the label in June, 2008. “I came in for a meeting, and I just liked the feeling, the vibe of it better than other labels I had gone to. It felt like they have my back.” MATEO also appreciated the freedom MySpace allowed him to develop, musically. “R&B music has turned more into head-bop music; hip-hop beats over hip-hop loops. I want to bring R&B music back to where people actually have some type of emotion when they listen to my music. I want them to feel that not only is it my story, but their story as well; that they identify with it, and will be able to recall the song ten years from now.” MATEO is doing what came naturally. His father, Roy Gartrell, played guitar with his mom – MATEO’s grandmother – vocalist Kitty Gartrell. And his grandfather, Freddy Jordan, played guitar on Charles Brown’s classic “Home for Christmas,” but his major claim to fame was being a studio musician at Kings Records where he played for the Godfather of Soul, James Brown. On his down time, MATEO follows American politics. He sang at several Barack Obama 2008 rallies in Los Angeles and attended the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado. He is also style savvy and can be found playing spur of the moment acoustic showroom shows around Hollywood. He is aware that artists need to be involved in all aspects of there careers. “In this day and age, you can’t be the dumb artist; you’ll get stepped on.” MATEO is an artist committed to making art that matters. “Any song can change you either in a positive or a negative way. I just want people to change in a positive, therapeutic way when they listen to my music, whether it be happy or sad songs. All in all, I’m a love song writer, and that’s where I want to go. I’m the new wave of what that is.”

You guys all remember Jerell Scott from project runway, right? I had planned on posting about something else but I loved these images so much, I wanted to share. He recently presented at BOXeight along with several other talented designers…

Anyway, more to say but no time to write… I know I owe you a giveaway soon!