eleven objects all over my neck

One of the highlights of New York Fashion week was a studio visit with Eleven Objects, a luxury accessories line designed with Christine Rhee and LT Do. We had been twittering back and forth for a while, primarily due to my clinical collar fetish and their love of shoegaze so you know, match made in heaven and stuff. I got to ogle their outstanding collars from their new spring collection and try some on so you all can see how they look IRL (and uh, not gonna lie, I totally wanted to dress up in them).

You never realize how much you use your neck each day until you're made keenly aware it! Luckily these collars are meant to withstand some abuse. The collars look so delicate, yet in the hands they feel weighty and durable. The craftsmanship is incredible, though I'm not sure how they'd hold up against a passionate makeout sesh.

I was greeted by a plate spangled with savories - Christine and LT know the way to my heart.

The spring collection was inspired by a Cope Cod beach and other assorted sandy places. Embellishments included seashells, coral, crystals, and studs.

Do try to ignore my unflattering poses in these photos. I had been going to shows all day and I had serious Afternoonface. This collar was my favorite because even though the red coral is obviously very beachy, from afar it looks like dripping blood and that heavily appeals to my spooky side. The collar of a ~*vampire's kiss*~.

This collar looks like glittering sand around your neck! Good things, my friend, all good things.

Pinstripes n' crystals n' wood, for when life requires serious collar action to get you through you day.

I liked this one a lot too! Not my ordinary color scheme, but the teal looks so good against black and imagining this collar against a lacy black shirt gives me goosebumps.

Now on to the spiked collars! My eyebrow glasses and this leather tan piece looked so good together that I cried inside when I had to take it off.

Durable silk that holds its shape even with the weight of the studs...

...and also super luxurious calf hair.

This collar should really be in every single issue of Lula Magazine.

And introducing collarsleeves, their newest objective endeavor! Are are you wearing a sleeveless top and feel just too...sleeveless? Are you wearing just a plain old t-shirt and feel that it could be vastly improved with raglan sleeves? Are you the kind of person who's always wished your sleeves and collar were somehow...different from the rest of your shirt? Collarsleeves are for you. Collarsleeves are for everyone. Collarsleeves are the future, and the future is now.

say three hails marys, turn around, pray about it

One of my biggest aesthetic inspirations comes directly from my own childhood. I grew up Catholic and a deep appreciation the beauty of Catholicism has always remained with me, even if my faith in its doctrines have long since subsided. I've always admired the way Catholicism inspires such passion and the fervor with which believers create atmospheres of holiness. For Catholics, celebrating the beauty of our religion is the ultimate physical realization of our faith.

While I don't agree with reappropriating religious symbols for uh, trendy purposes (like this for example), I do believe that inspiration comes from all places. The mysticism, sanctity, and reverance of Catholic icons and imagery is something that everyone can appreciate.

I stopped into St. Patrick's Cathedral while sightseeing on 5th Avenue in New York, and took some photos. A bit of humility was exactly what I needed during Fashion Week. I sincerely you'll appreciate its beauty as much as I do.

risto bimbiloski spring/summer 2012 RIGHT HERE

I had a couple sads when I learned that Risto would not be presenting at New York Fashion Week. He was the one designer I had my little heart set on seeing the most. When I wear Risto, I feel like his clothes are the most easily indentifiable representation of who I am; in essence, wearing his clothes makes me feel the most like myself. It's utterly ridiculous to find myself with such voracious Comme-level devotion to a designer, but Risto really does have this startlingly creepy ability to design clothes that so perfectly capture my personality.

Anyway. I was sent over the lookbook for his new Spring/Summer 2012 collection and I am delighted to share it with you all today! There's whimsy, there's classic pieces, there's his signature exquisite knitwear, but most importantly (for me!), there's spooky feathers and ethereal peach-colored abstract prints. That long sheer feather dress in look #22? Um, NEED IT. Oh yes, it will be mine.

last outfit post from fashion week I SWEAR

(mandy coon leather top, henrik vibskov scarf worn as a skirt, rodarte x oc jacket, rodarte x kirkwood shoes, thrifted bag. photos via)

Wearing these shoes at Lincoln Center was like moths on a flame, in the most obnoxious way possible. Photographers wouldn't let me walk 5 five feet without stopping me to photograph them. I won't lie - it was a bit of an ego boost, and I'm the type of person who could always use those kinds of things in moderation to help myself through the self-loathing times. One of the hardest parts of my teens and twenties has been my struggle to accept myself the way I am. As women, we're taught to scrutinize every single aspect of our bodies and ourselves and amplify the (perceived) negatives and ignore the positives. And while I haven't successfully been able to celebrate my positives, I've at least come to terms with my (perceived) negatives. Trust me when I say that I've come a long way.

and now for something completely different...

After the serious business of Fashion Week, here's something that will hopefully make you laugh. Feel free to laugh at me as well as with me!

"it's a skin condition."

(rodarte x opening ceremony cardigan, horace sweater, austra t-shirt, risto leggings, gareth pugh shoes. photo by amy)

I'm going home today! Good lord, I am SO READY for my puppy and my own bed. I look awake because this photo was taken on day 1 of Fashion Week, which feels like so long ago that it may as well be its own epoch of my life. BFW (before Fashion Week) and AFW (after Fashion Week) will be the new guides of references for my twenties. Pathetic, yes? Anyway, these moon leggings are my ~new favorite thing~ and I think it's funny how they make me legs look like I have alien legs. It reminds me a lot of the pilot episode of Invader Zim where Zim is trying to pass for a human in his new classroom, but Dib is pointing out all of his alieneqsue features and Zim responds simply with "it's a skin condition." Kind of a great metaphor for how I feel about fashion blogging in general! Don't understand the reference?! Watch here (start at 8:08)!

gauntlet

Just a super quick post before I head out! Arabelle and I ran into each other outside Lincoln Center and hammed it up for our respective cameras. Don't we look like goth princesses? That's kind of the only way I want to dress nowadays.

Arabelle is wearing the Comme jacket that I gave her and it was probably meant to be hers forever. We are also both wearing Zana Bayne harnesses. I'm wearing way too many collabs: Rodarte x Target dress, Chole Sevigny x Opening Ceremony paisley tights, Rodarte x Kirkwood shoes, and Mandy Coon leather top that got wrinkled in the rain that we had earlier that day. Tissue-thin leather and water are not friends.

kaelen spring/summer 2k12

As I feel my style changing into something that I'm not sure I even understand, I'm constantly on the lookout for new designers that help me to understand where my brain is nowadays. Kaelen was a really great example of where my taste seems to be heading - ethereal, whimsical, slightly otherworldly, moderate femininity. The Rorschach ink blot prints were my favorite part of collection, along with the macrame gowns, micro pleats (GIVE ME ALL OF THE PLEATS PLZ), and pretty sparkling champagne colors.