More Reasons To Heart Marc

image

(photo: Fernanda Calfata)

Besides the clothes, accessories, fragrances and just the man himself, after hearing Marc Jacobs at the 92Y this past Wednesday, I left loving him even more.  Part of the Fashion Icons with Fern Mallis series, Marc’s raw honesty, enthusiasm + ‘exaggerated’ humility (like dropping the names of his nutritionist, psychiatrist, tattoo artist + gym since credit is given where credit is due) in answering Mallis’s questions seemed to give you some real insight into Marc Jacobs the designer + the brand or at least I’d like to think so.  

With business partner Robert Duffy, always there to make sure Marc makes the right decisions, Marc was able to take the fashion world by storm yet not without a few hiccups.  When Fern asked him about telling Mr. Bernard Arnault (Chairman + CEO, LVMH) he needed to go to rehab and how he did it, he nonchalantly said he was very direct, with no apology, as his demons were so transparent.  When asked what helped him stop smoking, Marc answered needlepoint (of course), which was taught by his grandmother.  Coincidentally, his grandmother also helped him knit sweaters for his Op-Art graduate collection at Parsons.  Another habit he admitted to was how much he loves attention (+ who doesn’t), even when your life is played out for you + everyone else, on Page Six like his broken engagement to Lorenzo Martone to which Marc commented how he asked him then changed his mind, that simple.  They are still friends + he’s very much in love with new beau, Harry Louis.  – as they say, any press is good press.    

When discussing Louis Vuitton‘s artist collaborations, the inspiration behind the initial concept was interesting.  For his first LV collection, he drew inspiration from LV’s archives in the form of a plain grey trunk, which back then, the monogram was on the inside while the outside was solid.  This resulted in a minimalist collection which was ill-received as everyone kept mentioning ‘the monogram, the monogram, where is the monogram?’  Then he thought back to is childhood and remembered wanting a Lacoste shirt so badly simply because of the alligator and Ray Ban’s because they were Ray Ban’s – he realized then how crucial the monogram was to his designs as it stood for, luxury, class and money, something most people want, crave or already have.  Although Louis Vuitton was a successful company in it’s own right, Marc sought to reinvigorate the brand his way.

Again he thought of the brand and the importance of the monogram and of all people, Marcel Duchamp came to mind as his inspiration, specifically his work entitled  ’L.H.O.O.Q’ (which roughly translates to ‘She has a hot ass.’ since the letters when spoken in French form the sentence  ”Elle a chaud au cul”),

image

where Duchamp draws a moustache on the ‘Mona Lisa’ – deface something iconic with some humor and wit.   From this, four successful capsule collections (comprised of clothing, shoes + accessories) evolved with the collaboration of famous artists including

image

Stephen Sprouse, Richard Prince (top), Takashi Murakami + recently, Yayoi Kusama (bottom).  I’m sure the fact that Marc already loved the work by these artists, collaborating with them must’ve been fun but also frustrating.   Then Marc raised a valid point in  how much cheaper it is for someone to own a LV anything reinterpretation by either of these artists as opposed to one of their paintings, sculptures or any other medium.  Yet, when it comes to reinterpretations, the funniest was the one related to Victoria Beckham – After Marc saw a pic of her on a magazine cover with a fake LV bag, he sent her a real one – now, they’re friends.

When asked what he thought about what critics had to say,  Marc only cares when it’s someone he respects.  Of his 33 tattoos (which were done by his tattoo artist friend, Scott Campbell), Fern wanted to know what was up with all the cartoon tattoos including Spongebob Squarepants and Marc replied, ‘Kids seem to like them at the beach.’  On the ‘PERFECT’ tattoo on his right wrist, it came from ‘I am a perfect being in a perfect world where everything that happens benefits me completely,’ which he learned in rehab. ‘I thought it was a very good way of letting go and saying, ‘Things may not go the way I want them to but I’m happy with things and everything is where it is supposed to be.’  But ‘perfect’ best described his life (but emphasized he’s by no means perfect, no one is) especially his new found sobriety and healthy, fit lifestyle.  Which brings me to how Marc became so toned + healthy thanks to friend Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth whom suggested he see a nutritionist who then had him eating dirt, styrofoam and liquid chlorophyll – not really, but that’s how bad it sounded.  He couldn’t eat anything with flavor including sugar from fruits which made the audience gasp – I guess a diet that disallows eating fruit is very terrifying to most.

Regarding upcoming projects, a new fragrance called ‘Dot’ is to hit stores in July while his cosmetics line with Sephora is due to drop sometime around Fall 2013.  

image

(photo: Sephora)

When you look at this picture, it’s kinda crazy he’s almost 50.  Fern finally asked Marc what he had on his bucket list (which Fern had to explain) and he replied, ‘Have more sex. Eat more food. Go to the gym more often. Do more collections. Have a manicure. Buy more art. See more art.”  As Iris Apfel always says, ‘Less is a bore.’

In the end, Marc Jacobs is proof that it doesn’t matter how you fall down but how you get up.

Gold Confetti Earrings To Graze Your Shoulders ‘Just So’

image

(photo: Ca&Lou)

For SS/13 

Thanks to the creative minds of Ca&Lou designers Carolina Neri and Bérangère Lux, you’ll  be able to accessorize your Spring looks with these chandelier earrings made of 24k gold plated copper strips called ‘Alexandra’.  Part of a collection with pieces that represent favorite Italian + British designers including ‘Camilla’, ‘Carine’ + ‘Lea’, these ‘Alexandra’ earrings – available in yellow + rose gold, silver + encrusted with Swarovski crystals – seem to represent that carefree ‘je ne sais quoi’ feel, with graphic abandon one hungers for when it’s warm out.  You know that feeling when it’s warm out + all you want to wear is a sheath of the lightest linen or silk, where less is more – it’s all about quality, not quantity.

(via Vogue Paris)


A Closer Look At dark level For AW/12

image

image

image

(photo: dark level)

Comprised of designer duo BaldiBloom, the dark level brand (also the label behind the previously mentioned fashion film ‘UTOPYA’) looks to imperfections, randomness + juxtapositions of silhouettes + materials to give birth to ‘the idea of the ‘unfinished’ where only the woman herself by wearing the garments will end the story connected to the garment itself.’  As noticed here, their AW12 collection is full of pieces that when paired together or separately, they can make the wearer either ladylike with a lot of edge, casually chic in sport looks with luxurious patinas or just plain comfortable.

Supporting the ‘Made in Italy’ and nourishing the union of quality and functionality, dark level is never the ‘dark horse’ for getting fashion right.

Here’s an arrestingly beautiful fashion film called ‘UTOPYA’ for dark level‘s AW12 collection, directed by the genius Mustafa Sabbagh, whom never disappoints.  Written by BaldiBloom, the designer duo behind dark level, in it, we see a split screen of a friendly woman with cropped platinum blond hair on the left while on the right, the story starts to unfold.  An old tune bearing a voice similar to Billie Holiday’s, sets the stage for what appears to be a twisted ride complete with two men and a crazy blonde with weird red lips.  As the actors on the right only speak with action and fashion, the woman on the left acts like their emotional gauge of sorts – although her emotions don’t always match the ‘moments’, that’s what’s great about the whole thing isn’t it?  

The Maison Martin Margiela For H&M Capsule Collection Confirms A Lot Of People Are Not Ready For Wearable Art

image

(photo: H&M)

Now you might think, ‘Where does she get off?’ – after all, the collection was (and still is, but we’ll get to that) being sold at H&M, where disposable fashion trends flourish – but this is Maison Martin Margiela.  True, a lot of people had problems with the extraordinarily high price tags attached to pieces on the onset of premiere sales but there was a catch that made it all make sense.  

With another designer collaboration like the Marni for H&M collection, where designer Consuelo Castiglioni‘s pieces were designed specifically for the retailer, the Margiela collection is comprised of re-editions of past collections.  Marni’s H&M collection, although great (I stood in line starting at 6am that morning), the prints, silhouettes + jewelry were how one could determine it was a Marni piece and not badly made I might add – but again, specifically made for the retailer.  But for Margiela, you are owning a re-edition of an original piece for way below cost, like the adjusted motorcycle jacket, which originally retailed for about $3,000 in stores not too long ago but at H&M it initially sold for $250.  Apparently, that ‘low price’ wasn’t enough as now you can buy the jacket for $129.

Since the merch didn’t move, H&M did the unthinkable and slashed Margiela’s prices dramatically including $250 leather shoes with lucite heels now selling for $99 and $50 tromp l’oeil bodysuits now down to $15.  It just broke my heart to find Margiela items consorting with discounted H&M pieces that were selling for $15, $39 et al as if they were worthy to be in such company.  I guess some people will never get fashion as an art form the way that Margiela approaches it, with a lot of wit + intellectually instinctive fun.  Unlike most, some of us don’t always care to show off our curves and deliberately, look for different + interesting ways to delineate between our heads and our ass the way this collection brilliantly succeeded in achieving this goal.

For the women’s collection, there were dresses (good luck in finding one) that wore asymmetry as accessory, with lengthy draping on one side that cinched on the opposite shoulder, exposing a slim skirt underneath in red + blue; and There were those that had a slight thinly belted a-line skirt that was also sleeveless on one side while the other side had a long kimono-like sleeve that looked like you were holding the dress’s ‘train’ in black.  The separates were just as great including oversized trousers, trousers with an attached short skirt in grey wool (still available), trousers made of the combining of two different trousers in men’s fabric (still available) and mirror ball leggings in black emblazoned with shiny silver rounded squares.

The men’s collection sold me on their outerwear with an inside out fake shearling coat and a trench coat made of two different types of trench sewn together.  The high top sneakers were pretty sick but sold out faster than a blink.  Then of course, were those inside out jeans which I tried on a lot to realize what I already knew – men aren’t built like me with hips and a butt, well at least not most anyway.

Overall, I hope we’re as lucky, many times over, to expect more designer collaborations of this caliber.

How Fashionable Wit Took Over 2012 With Simplicity

With 2012 coming to a close, I couldn’t help but reflect on how a lot of fashionable wit was commonplace on the most common of clothing items, the tee shirt.  The tee shirt, a staple in mostly everyone’s wardrobe, has definitely graduated into a sophisticated something, of various lengths, silhouettes, cuts and motifs.  Yet, the tees I’m referring to, are drenched in irony with lots of fun wordplay.

Take these by Brian Lichtenberg – 

image

The HOMIES | South Central tee, a riff on the Hermès logo + FELINE | Meow, on CÉLINE – for sale online at REVOLVE.  Available in various colorways including HOMIES tee in orange with black logo or the FELINE tee in black with gold foil logo.

Then you have these limited edition tees by Conflict Of Interest (COI) – for sale online + available in black + white:

image

  GIRAUNCHY for Givenchy                                                                                

                                                    image

                                                        BALLINCIAGA | Harlem, 10 Avenue Lenox V  

image

BODEGA VENDETTA for Bottega Venetta.

                                                                        image

Plus, they come in this cool evidence bag similar to those used for storing faux designer good that are confiscated by the police.

How about this one for GUCCI, I mean GULLY | Go Get It By Any Means, by Staple:

image

For sale at HYPEBEAST Store + available in black + grey.

Not to mention these treasures by Russ Karablin’s SSUR streetwear brand:

                                                                                                                                                                      

CHANNEL Zero / CHANEL, available in black + white 

COMME des FUCKDOWN for COMME des GARÇONS, available in black, white + grey.  For sale online now at SSUR.

Now that the xmas is over, isn’t it about time your start buying for yourself?  I’d start here, of course.

What Can Possibly Help You Keep Your Resolution Of Preparing Your Bod For Summer?

image

(photo: MostFit)

The Portable, Light + Easy To Use MostFit Suspension Strap, That’s What

Hitting the gym / exercising in general, is usually one of the top ten resolutions for the new year.  Unfortunately, not everyone can succeed without a gym membership or having to endure understanding weird contraptions at home which claim to be easy + quick.  As hard as it is to even imagine exercising with NYE right around the corner and it being super cold out (I’m in NYC), no matter what, you should seriously consider trying now or bear the heavy burden of starting too late in the game.  

As one whom takes her fitness seriously, making it to the gym when it’s this cold is not cute so the next best thing is exercising at home.  I’ve tried a variety of fitness DVDs including P90X, Insanity and Jillian Michaels which require either light weights, lots of reps, high energy cardio + using my own body weight for resistance. But let’s face it, repetition leads to boredom then calorie gain.  Enter the MostFit Suspension Strap.

When I was approached about this product, I was a bit suspect thinking it was just another band on the market but when I received my very own MostFit after seeing their video and trying it out for myself, I was in shock at how effective it is.  Living in an old NYC apartment, my doorways sadly can’t handle a pull-up bar.  Luckily my apartment welcomed MostFit with open arms.  Created by LA fitness experts Andrew Gavigan + Erin Fukuda as a solution to ‘grab + go’ fitness, this lightweight + compact conveniently anchors to doors or can even be wrapped around a branch so you can workout at the park, hotel, office or wherever you are.  The best part, it’s only $29.99.

Now before I continue, I want you to know that I was not financially compensated for publicizing this product but am doing so as we all need support when trying to reach a fitness goal.  How cool wouldn’t it be to work on strengthening major muscle groups, improve your balance + core strength, build lean muscle + tone while watching the highly anticipated new season of GIRLS, a few weeks away – which won’t be too far from creator Lena Dunham’s M.O. after celebrating this year’s birthday at Soul Cycle –

image

(photo: HBO)

Or watching the third season of ‘Downton Abbey’ with newest cast member, Shirley Maclaine.

image

(photo: PBS)

So take it from me + consider easing your way to a better you for the new year even if it’s just toning your arm for faster tweeting or downing champagne, martinis, shots or scotch, toning your legs to make your Louboutins that much more enviable or help perk up your ass that much more, under a vintage Azzedine Alaïa bandage dress.