Make a house a home

Whilst I find Ikea market hall a world of fun, I just don't need any more innovatively shaped ice cube trays or tea lights. So rather than battling the rest of Manhattan for a Malm bed frame, this weekend we ventured to Brooklyn Flea in Fort Greene to find some cheap thrifty finds to help make our apartment look more like a home...

{market find: Japanese wind up jewelry box}

{old crates and drawers fixed to the walls double as great shelves}

{different sized pictures fixed randomly on the wall}

Tweet

Everyone's Invited

The democratization of fashion is an interesting conversation which began as a whisper and has become increasingly audible in recent months. This season, I watched as Oscar De La Renta sent splendid Shibori silks down the runway, Coco Rocha walked as only she knows how, and in the front row, Anna Wintour conversed with Sarah Jessica Parker {she talks!}. My seat was comfortable, came with a great view and when the show inevitably ran late, I got up and made myself a cup of tea. And after the show, as the heavens opened in one of New York's most awesome thunderstorms, my hair didn't even get wet.

Whilst I may be trying to delude myself that watching the live stream of Oscar De La Renta was better than the real thing {@oscarPRgirl are you reading this? perhaps next year?} I certainly don't deny that the ability for fashion houses to live stream their shows is a huge step in making mere mortals feel part of the exclusive fashionweekpalooza. Of course the ultimate objective is to increase sales, and live stream veterans Burberry are staying mum on whether pre-selling outerwear after last season's show was a profitable success.

Although not all designers are keen on inviting the world to eyeball their collection shows as they unfold. If you like Bottega Venetta, and planned on tuning in, you had better get yourself a credit card and start buying up poste haste. The live stream of their show this Saturday remains exclusive for top customers or those unable to make it to Milan only.

{photo by Vanessa Jackman for Lucky Magazine}

Tweet

Glimpses of fashion week S/S 2011

{Vogue IT}

Tweet

You don't have to name the price...

Recently, I wrote about a subject which resonated with a few readers {Glad to hear I'm not the only one who feels compelled to yell out the price of my outfits} It got me thinking of the debate about how personal style bloggers afford their clothes. 

After a reader of the blog 'Style Bubble' questioned the prices of her designer clothes, Susie Lau, {obviously offended}, defended her spending on the grounds she worked hard for what she bought. As humans, we are inherently touchy about money, but I think it's unreasonable bloggers should ever have to elucidate the prices of their purchases.

However, that's not to say I don't think some fashion blogs portray an unrealistic aesthetic. {I read a few blogs where I think, how the hell can you afford all those shoes!} , and whilst I'll admit I'm mostly jealous because I'm trying to scratch a living in New York, and they have every right to those purchases, I question whether it's the right image to project to readers, and if that lifestyle is sustainable.

It's a debate that has only recently concerned style blogs but has questioned magazines for decades. In a similar way that Vogue editorials feature high end designers and Shop Till You Drop focuses on affordable fashion, there runs a gamut of blogs accommodating a range of budgets.  Talking with a friend yesterday, we concluded our favorite style blogs are the attainable ones; sites like Whatiwore where appeal lies in the fact we can relate to the content. 

 

{Outfit: shirt, skirt, bag & belt: Vintage, shoes: Tony Bianco, nail polish: Geranium by Essie}  

Tweet

YSL comes to Brooklyn

Did anyone manage to snag a YSL Manifesto limited addition bag this week?

This year's accompanying booklet stars Daria Werbowy as photographed by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, and on Tuesday at the Bedford L stop, girls decked out in chic black YSL jumpsuits handed out giant white envelopes containing the book to totally confused looking passersby {Presumably flogging giveaways emblazoned with YSL is easy} . You have to give credit to YSL for venturing into the wilds of Brooklyn for the PR stunt, but sadly there was no evidence to be seen of the much talked about limited edition Stefano Pilati bags.

Tweet

Name the price

This is the outfit I wore to the A Detacher show on Saturday. I've always been a fan of uncovering bargains in thrift stores {the thrill of the chase gets me every time} but according to my boyfriend, I need to stop announcing the knock down prices of my clothes. 

Last night over cocktails, some friends and I were talking and we drew the conclusion chiming in with the price, rather than smiling nonchalantly and politely thanking the person asking, is perhaps a uniquely Australian/ British thing. Personally, I think I suffer from some kind of tourettes which inclines me to shout "$10 Flea markets!" or "$15 Vinnies!" every time someone admires a piece of my clothing. So, one last time: leopard print dress: $7! from a charity shop!

{outfit; dress $7! Charity shop! shoes: Sportsgirl, jacket: H&M, shirt: Zara, accessories: vintage, glasses: Rayban} 

Tweet

A Detacher S/S 2011

For as long as I can remember, going to New York fashion week has been right up there on the ol bucket list.

So on Saturday, when I had the chance to go to the A Detacher show, I was pretty much over the moon {I'm a girl from Birmingham, what more can I say} 

It helped that I'm actually a fan of the label. Now, print does strange things to me {i.e loosens my grip on my credit card} , and next summer I could definitely wear the the rolled up cuff breezy-loose pants or the emerald green pencil skirt.  But for now, with these crisp mornings, I'm thinking about their autumn winter collection {here} which is full of caramel hues and thick knit tights. 

Tweet

According to Emily from Cupcakes and Cashmere, the key to perfect outfit photos is a willing photo taking boyfriend. {Who is not adverse to bribery}

I learned this at the IFB conference, an event where successful fashion bloggers and writers like Bryan Boy, Phil Oh and New York Magazine's 'The Cut' editor Amy Odell delivered advice on 'bringing your blog to the next level'. I had mixed feelings on whether to attend the event, I guess because sometimes I'm not entirely comfortable in the 'fashion blogger' scene, but I went along with an open mind {an apparently with not quite enough clothes on- it was a demonstration of arctic aircon at its best}

For me, highlights included Emily and Susie Lau, who both prepared presentations featuring information pertinent to those wishing to write successful blogs,  and included tips on editing content, finding your direction with writing and the metrics behind their blogs. That's what I wanted to hear.

I'm not sure the event offered much in terms of helping me 'bring my blog to the next level' but I did come away with the belief writing is one of the hardest hurdles in blogging.  Taking a great outfit photo is easy, so is repurposing an image from another fashion site; but the writing is the flesh which creates personality and brings an article to life. Your opinion iterated through writing is the reason someone will visit your blog rather than Style.com to read runway reviews.

So that's it, oh, and that Amy Odell is kind of scary, but very cool, and if you are PR reading this, never, ever, ever send her an email attachment.

{outfit: Shorts: Topshop, bag: Mulberry Shirt: Zara, Jacket: Zara, Belt: vintage, Accessories: vintage, Glasses: Rayban}

Tweet

{Outfit: skirt & shirt: H&M, jacket: vintage, shoes: Marc Jacobs, bag: Mulberry} 

Tweet

Tweet