You'll Poke Your Eye Out, Kid

Ok, I know that when quoting A Christmas Story, one should never mess with perfection, but I had to say it. And here's why - Doesn't this seem like kind of a bad (although rather chic) idea?

Barbara Gongini
3 Stud Ring $77.00 USD 
idontlikemondays.com



These, on the other hand, are definitely a bad idea, and I definitely want them:

Barbara Gongini
Spiked Pumps
$398.00 USD 
idontlikemondays.com

Cheers,

Renata

Love Potion No. 8

I bought this top at the bazaar in Istanbul, and had no idea that I had tapped into such an online trend. I was randomly surfing around tonight, and I came across a TON of similar t-shirts (granted, the shirts I found say Love Potion No. 9, while mine is still in the prototype phase - No. 8. FML)

Top - random Turkish flea bazaar, probably under $5 (hence, the rhinestones...)

Tank, Leggings - New York and Co.

Boots - Delias from like 9th grade or so (a decade ago..again, fml)

Hat - Bailey of Hollywood, to hide my unwashed hair. I'm a busy girl!

Found these on Boutique to You, here 

Somehow, everything looks more chic when you're flipping a bunny.

And this Markus Lupfer Perfume Bottle sweater on net-a-porter, $410

Cheers,

Renata

PS - TODAY'S MY BIRTHDAY!!!!! (October 27th...still counts!)

Power to my scorpios <3

It's really come to this

This is what it takes to get noticed and sell clothes in today's Age of Overload and A.D.D.


This past September marked the second High Street Fashion Week, which was held "above" London's Oxford Circus on Oxford Street, which is Europes busiest shopping street. But to redefine the meaning of "high street" from "everyday" to "WTF", they couldn't throw a regular old fashion show, could they?

So this year instead of models, they used professional stuntwomen. And instead of a catwalk, they used the sides of buildings. Kind of makes sense.

Models/Stuntwomen wore looks from HMV, River Island, H&M, and French Connection as they descended from rooftops suspended from body harnesses and wearing 5 inch wedge heels.

I guess they were trying to top last year's subway tube fashion show, which was another extreme - below ground.

 

And in August, a department store in Seoul, Korea, celebrated its opening by holding an underwater fashion show. Models swam around tanks while wearing traditional Hanbok dresses by designer Park Sul-nyeo.

While I love all the envelope pushing and risk taking, I feel like the words "Fashion Show" are being thrown around a little too liberally...at some point this becomes literally more of a circus than a fashion show! Is this what it takes to get noticed in today's overload of talent and genius? I feel like one day in the not-to-distant-future, a plain old catwalk runway show is going to be so far from the norm that that will be shocking.

Opinions? Epionions? I'm dying to hear if you love it or hate it.


Cheers,
Renata


Photos from Refinery29, Jezebel, UK Metro

Bits and Baubles

Here is the outfit I wore to the Lobo Mau fashion show. I am especially proud of the necklace, which is a piece I made and is for sale on my etsy shop. It is hand knit wire with torquoise beads. It was one of my first forrays into crocheting with wire, and I love it! I also really love the two finger snake ring I found for $12 at Matthew Izzo during Philadelphia Fashion Week. I literally snatched it and threw money at Mr. Izzo himself before scurrying away like my dog does when I give her a treat.

Holding a bunch of pieces by Scorpion Disco for Lobo Mau at the fashion show last week!

This outfit is super easy and a little edgy, in an Angelina Jolie kind of way. I wear it days in a row sometimes. Gross. But I do. I love the flowy stretch of the jersey tee and long skirt. It's like walking around in my on-trend military-inspired PJ's all day!

T-shirt from Gap

Skirt - Random hand me down from Mom

Boots - Lucky

Snake Ring - Matthew Izzo

I have a great new DIY to show you guys soon, involving a couple hundred safety pins, a-la' Norma Kamali.

Birthday Package from Paris!!

Last week I got the most chic, most unexpected, most welcome surprise from my lovely soul-sister Esther in Paris. We were inseparable in college, but alas, like all things Parisian, she went back to her motherland and left me to pick up the pieces of a life-less-chic.

So of course I was pleasantly surprised when the mailman handed me this treasure chest of luxuries. What a great way to start my Birthday Two Weeks (subject to change - the actual celebration of my birthday may be more or less depending on mood and availability, but readers be aware that the Holy Day is October 27th!!)

 Among other things - A Longchamps tote, the Lanvin Postage Stamps I requested a few months ago (minus a couple that her lovely but uninformed boyfriend Vincent used), Carambars, a keychain from Laduree, and a few beautiful necklaces! Does a better package exist?

Carambars (my all-time favorite candy, although I have recently come to the realization that there is no glamorous way to eat one) and a lovely handwritten note.

  

 A beautiful necklace and a keychain from Laduree. I would have been happy with just the pink Laduree box!!

 By the Seine in Paris in 2008

 Us in a toddler-sized train, for toddlers, in Lille (north of Paris), July 2008

Looking impossibly chic in St. Tropez, July 2008

By the sea in Cavalaire-Sur-Mar, on her birthday in July 2008

I think its quite clear that I miss Esther like Paris Hilton misses fame. We had a great sophomore year together in Boston, between drives down to Philadelphia to have long dinners with my parents, to trips to Miami, where we shared a room (and two beds that we artfully pushed together) with two Pakistani kids and a Spaniard in an effort to save money. I'm glad that even though it's been a couple years we still have a great bond, and I hope we'll reunite soon!

Tu me manques!

xxxo
Renata

PhlFashionWeek Randoms

I only got to go to two nights worth of this seasons Philadelphia Fashion Week. It's nothing like New York, Paris, London, Milan, but I think we are on the right track. There's definitely a strongly burning passion here, and we just need the right designers to inspire the rest of the masses. Being so close to NYC is a blessing and a curse, because I think so many of our promising youth just make the 90 mile move up north to the fashion capital rather than try to bring some of the down here to Philadelphia. I guess they figure its just easier to go to fashion than to bring fashion, so I really appreciate the good people behind PhlFW.

Here are some random shots from the shows:

  Duke from Duke and Winston Tees

 Susie rocking a leather coat and mean-muggin'

 My beloved Umit Unal coat

 Keeping cool behind the ice sculpture

The ladies of Ban Thor Phan

 Gorgeous Ban Thor Phan top. I can see this being perfect with leggings -- it's a really organic, simple, androgynous piece that adds a lot of texture and "otherworldliness" to an outfit.

You can thank me later for the next two:

 Dress: Park Bravo in Istanbul, Body Harness : Scorpion Disco for Lobo Mau


I have a few more that I want to post from Carmelita Couture and Ban Thor Phan, so keep an eye out.

Cheers,
Renata