eckhaus latta spring/summer 2013

I do loathe the quick-paced cyclical nature of the fashion industry. Fashion is the only creative venture in which the end product is deemed Not Good within 6 months. This is a mechanism to keep cash registers flowing, to be sure, but it comes at the cost of devaluing the creative process that went into the collection to begin with. Fashion Week is coming up again in 5 weeks (!) and I feel like I haven't had sufficient time to mull over the two most exceptional shows I saw in September. So the next couple posts are my attempt to distill the most meaningful impressions from Eckhaus Latta and Imitation of Christ.

Eckhaus Latta immediately floored me with its earnestness. As this was their debut presentation, so much of the pretention inherent at fashions was thankfully absent. The presentation was held in a tiny space at Milk Studios that was bursting at the seams with showgoers who were eager to experience something new. And something new we received - a relatively diverse cast of models posed amongst cerebral tableaus wearing unironic Crocs and clothes fashioned from found objects. Nothing about this collection felt forced. Not even the cans of Eckhaus Power Juice that littered the ground. Everything was done with a sense of humor. Humor that presented itself in the form of tassel embellishments, cheeky cutouts, and paperbag waistlines. 

It's said that creativity follows a general rule of imagining something not for what it is, but for what it can be. And Eckhaus Latta takes this idea literally, by crafting garments from shopping bags and bits of plastic. When paired with sumptuous knits and delicately sheer silks, the effect was a cohesiveness that was superb.

I was reminded a lot of Boudicca, which is (was?) an avant garde label from England specializing in the hyper-futuristic aesthetic of the early aughts. Not in terms of their clothes, because they couldn't be more dissimilar, but more in terms of the way they crafted momentary contexts; Boudicca with their fashion films, Eckhaus Latta with the tableaus.

a room with a view

Very jazzed about my new Rodarte for Opening Ceremony lace-up booties. This particular print matches my blouse (worn here), but is different enough that it doesn't look like an exact twin. I think back to how inspired I was about that collection, and my excitement over its grandeur hasn't waned one bit. Perhaps it will always remain one of my favorite ready-to-wear collabs, and I'll happily collect as many pieces from it as I can. Thanks to Mattie for picking these up for me at the Opening Ceremony sample sale!

what comes after this momentary bliss

 thrifted faux fur coat, vintage body doily, preen dress (worn previously here), meadham kirchhoff sparkle tights (worn previously here), alexander wang shoes

Purple is my color for this season. My world looks prettiest when filtered through a lavender haze, but particularly in a way that retains a sense of melancholy. I'm fascinated by this notion of taking objects that are at first glance, lighthearted and spritely, and turning them upon themselves into something wholly sinister. Not because I am sad, because I'm not! But I developed love for a haunting, sorrowful aesthetic during a time when I was very sad, and I suppose that love will remain with me forever.

I found this fake fur coat at a thrift store recently, and I've been wearing it as often as possible. It cost me under $10 and is a true gem in my wardrobe nowadays. 

Alan Moore once said in V for Vendetta that God is in the rain, and I think about that idea a lot in reference to colors that I want to wear - and so it comes down to colors that would exist after a photograph was left out in the rain, with the ink running into itself, blurring and combining into neutral tones that are the sum of their whole. Rodarte Fall 2011 kind of expanded on this idea, with all of the colors eventually becoming shades of one another. That's inspiring to me.

 I'm really surprised that these little flowers are still growing in my backyard, because most flowers are dead this time of year.


(For those of you that celebrate it) I hope you have a wonderful Christmas. Peace and all my love.

kudzu kid

risto jacket (worn previously here), vintage blouse, rachel comey pants, margiela shoes, pamela love dagger necklace

I was not, uh, blessed with social graces. Most of the time when I am interacting with humans IRL I am a timid yet blathering buffoon. So for me, my outfits serve a functional purpose beyond just self-expression; sometimes it is the only way I can properly communicate anything about myself because often I am pathetically unable to articulate these things verbally. The busier the outfit, the more statement pieces I pile on, the less fucks I give. I wore this outfit out this weekend and it really helped build up my confidence enough to "joke around" and "be cool" amongst other people. Things that (seem to) come naturally to most people, but are lost upon me entirely...

Been obsessed with these Rachel Comey pants since I scored them off eBay. I had no idea that there was a deep chasm in my wardrobe that could only be filled by purple poppy-printed pants! And excessive alliteration, apparently.

This is one of my absolute favorite vintage prints and wearing it always lifts my mood; something I really needed this weekend. I found a short-sleeved version on Etsy for $14 so if you like this print too, have at it!

My mood has been a little down lately (lack of sunlight, Newtown, ~life changes~), so as a bit of self-care I made another Cocteau Twins karaoke video. I hope you giggle at my take on Iceblink-Luck! Not the most difficult song in Liz Fraser's made-up language, but there may or may not be some Showgirls-style body flailing involved. Please note the Ringo Deathstarr tee and this fake (?) fur coat I found at a thrift store for $7...

substance, or lack thereof

spiewak coat and cheap monday gloves, c/o MissKL.com, proenza x j brand jeans from ebay, creepers from my goth days

Trying to look ethereal during the winter poses the most practical challenges - and honestly, sometimes I don't even care to try! Sometimes I am just cold and tired and recovering from a night out. Luckily yesterday morning's hungover jaunt was made easier with this coat that MissKL.com sent me. I thought it was a winter coat but it turns out to be much more effective raincoat, as the nylon repels that pesky water and wind. Which works perfectly throughout this unseasonably warm December. But really, maybe these warm winters are the new normal? Once the global warming apocalypse hits, winter coats and cheap plentiful food will be relics of the past...

They also sent me these Cheap Monday mittens which keep my hands super warm. I bought this silvery Joy Division t-shirt when I saw New Order at the Aragon Ballroom last month, which yes, that show was every bit as incredible as it would seem. There's a million and a half Unknown Pleasures apparel floating all over the internet but I'm a big believer in licensed merchandise, which is why I typically only buy my band tees from shows or artists' websites. 

Wearing an olive green coat just makes me feel cool. Like Lindsay Weir, though that is so obvious, but it feels like a secret hand shake with anyone who is a little bit weird. I pinned this rad I Want To Believe back patch so I can live out my innermost "Closer" fantasies, both the album and Raf Simons' Fall 2003 menswear collection.

"Closer" is one of my favorite collections of all time because he collaborated with Peter Saville to produce clothing inspired by the bands that mean SO MUCH to me. He emblazoned the olive coats with album art and Factory Records catalogue numbers to create post-punk parkas (a total amazingly oppositional reference to punk jackets). Raf Simons' Jil and Dior is worth talking about but it didn't come about in a vacuum - his menswear remains some of the most progressive and innovative designs of fashion history and it's worth remembering. This post on Hapsical is a good way to become acquainted with his archives, I've had it bookmarked for ages.

Dazzle Ships and Factory Records and Technique AHHH HOW GOOD, RIGHT? 

sunny sunday smile

rodarte for opening ceremony bag and jacket, mbv tee, margiela for h&m wrap skirt thing, alexander wang shoes

The best show of my life was My Bloody Valentine's reunion tour in 2008. Kind of goes without saying, really. I didn't really expect anything less from one of the greatest rock bands of all time, a label I offer not as hyperbole, but as simple fact, something everyone just knows. And while my recollection of the show is still crystal clear I won't discuss it right now because I'd like to keep those memories my own. But my boyfriend and I did buy matching t-shirts! Both of which shrunk to the point where they are no longer wearable - mine doesn't fit me anymore and I've saved it for posterity. Johns' tee doesn't fit him either and he reluctantly gave it to me. I can totally understand his reluctance! But I still cackled with glee because this is the PERFECT soft, worn-in band tee in subtle colors that match everything. Best when worn with a leather jacket because, after all, My Bloody Valentine did start off as a punk band...

Pamela Love dagger necklace to match the knife that the girl holds on the cover of You Made Me Realise.

Not visible very well from the first photo are these leather leggings I had on underneath by Paige that I wear basically every single day. The leggings rule primarily because of the ponte cotton back, so it shapes the legs really well. Sometimes, sometimes, I do like to wear flattering clothes.

Anyway, my boyfriend spent a small part of our Sunday afternoon soaking up each other's awesomeness at Lula Cafe, which is probably the single most important reason to live in Logan Square.

THIS BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WAS SO GOOD OMG.