taken from post.fashionism. read the original article here.

taken from post.fashion (my personal fashion blog)

This week’s selection of clothing was inspired by the post-apocalyptic feel from one of my favorite designers, Mihara Yasuhiro. Each piece is carefully picked and curated based on the theme I choose for the week. Nocturnal punk embodies an edgy, sharp tone with a modernistic feel. The selection contains several looks for that fit the theme. Enjoy.

Pieces from left to right:

1. Gas Mask T-Shirt | BR.UNO

2. Bondage Print T-Shirt | BR.UNO

3. Headphone Skull Sweater | Hydrogen

4. Lamb Leather Jacket | Lanvin

5. Calfskin Jacket | Rick Owens

Pieces from left to right:

1 & 2. Skull hoodie (front and back) | BR.UNO

3. Multi-zip biker jean | Balmain

4. Nocturnal jean | Dior Homme

5. Technic Fabric Shoulder Bag | Puma Urban Mobility

Pieces from left to right:

1. Black scarf | Mihara Yasuhiro

2. Beanie | Y-3

3. Woven Leather Necklace (of Thorns!) | Ann Demeulemeester

4. Aviator sunglass | L.G.R

5. Skull Watch | Tendence

Now this is really exciting. I got the amazing opportunity to interview Amy Smilovic, the head designer and founder of fashion label Tibi! This is perfectly timed as NY Fashion Week is rapidly approaching and Tibi will be on the major players hitting the runway this season. If you are like me, you’ll have seen her great pieces in Bloomingdales and other stores. Most of you know Tibi for its colorful, feminine, and casual wear found in higher end department stores across the nation. Now is your chance to learn more about the woman behind the brand and some of the business policies that have led them to be on top of their game. I really admire Amy and her team’s business savvy and operational efficiency. It’s really awesome.

Some pretext to the interview, I did ask her about the Tibi Pre-Fall collection as a potential cue of a new design trend for her. If you have not seen this collection, you should check it out! It certainly seems to me to be a different direction in Tibi’s design sensibility – a change I wholesomely welcome and love. The question of course is – is experimentation or a new direction in Amy’s style? Well, read the interview to find out!

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[the3st]: Amy, Tibi is an extremely popular line across the nation, and especially with the younger, college-aged demographic, can you give me some insight into the ideal woman you’re creating clothing for?

Amy Smilovic: The Tibi girl is fun and fresh with out being overly match-y or perfect, never preppy and always fabulous. Tibi is all about tons of color with an unexpected detail or edge.

[the3st]: Your collections have a great conceptual cohesiveness with regards with materials (soft), cuts (casual), and colors (vibrant, almost like a rainforest). This style is what has made you famous. In your Pre-Fall 2010 Collection, you introduced leather for the first time and went for a slightly edgier look. I applaud you for this move because this to me represents two things: one) your expansion into new styles and forms, which demonstrates the versatility, creativity, and guts of the designer; and two) I love the edgier look myself! Can you comment on this? Are you breaking from your former style or experimenting with new forms? Can we expect the same from your F/W collection on the runway?

Amy Smilovic: I have always been open to new forms and love incorporating edgy and unexpected accessories or punctuations to the line which I always want to keep fun and fresh. I never wanted the line to be too cutesy and introducing leather was what came next in the natural progression of the line. The Fall line is all about contrast: masculine and feminine, structure and flowing fabrics, deep jewel tones with brilliant neon pops. There are a myriad of fabrics and textures utilized to create the great collection, you will not be disappointed.

[the3st]: Can you comment on your inspirations and concept for your F/W 2010 runway collection?

Amy Smilovic: I was inspired by the romantic standard of masculine and feminine, hero and heroine, Napoleon and Josephine, Samson and Delilah; the contradiction of flowing delicate fabric and bold embellishments, feminine draping and masculine structure. In addition, the works of Peter Beard were a component that led to the ethereal nature and feel of the prints and palette, as supple hues merge and slide, appearing cracked and crumbled fusing animal prints, natural textures and shadows of the wild.

[the3st]: In light of Mark Fast’s refusal to lend Lady Gaga his clothing out of fear that her image was not aligned with his brand image, a lot of consumers have been paying more attention to who wears whose clothing. Do you engage in the lending of samples to celebrities? If so, can you list the top ones and how it aligns with your brand image?

Amy Smilovic: Obviously I love to see people wearing my line. I enjoy seeing it on the street and all the adaptations girls make to keep the style theirs which only highlights the beauty and nature of each piece. The quintessential Tibi girl is exemplified by Kristen Bell and Rachel Bilson, they are both beautiful and easy going. Tibi is a line you just throw on and instantly look and feel fabulous – no fuss fashion. The cast of Gossip Girl are also fans of the line and we are featured regularly on the show.

[the3st]: One of the most impressive aspects of your business that impresses me is your multi-channel retail distribution system. You are carried in so many top department stores and seem to handle that process well since your still expanding. Can you comment on whether your experience on American Express (which hires a lot from our school, Wharton) helped you give the business savvy necessary to do this? Or, is this a combination of your past experience and an amazing business team working with you?

Amy Smilovic: We have a great team at Tibi and my husband Frank and I, whom I met at American Express, have really worked hard to make sure that we have the proper staff in place. We are sensitive to the market and to our needs. Though we have had to make some tough calls at times, we learn from our mistakes and have been lucky to grow and expand even in thin periods such as our industry is experiencing presently.

[the3st]: How do you navigate the murky waters or horizontal product placement? That is to say, if you’re selling to so many stores that target the same consumer, how do you manage relations so none of them feel alienated that you’re doing business with their rivals? Do you give different selections to different stores?

Amy Smilovic: We maintain a distance between the boutiques we utilize. Our intent is never to saturate the market and find that all of the boutiques we distribute to have a unique fashion perspective and our line presents many options so that each of these showrooms are able to present a fresh and specially tailored cross section of the collections.

[the3st]: Lastly, since many of our readers who are in Ivy Leagues here are dying to know – does Tibi hire interns or the like? If so, what is the process for that?

Amy Smilovic: We are always looking for great interns. Many of our past interns have come to be valuable permanent employees. To apply- please send a cover letter with resume attached to Reception[at]Tibi.com specifying the department you’d like to work with.

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A sneak peak at the Tibi F/W 2010 Collection.

Check out Tibi’s S/S 2010 Collection.

There you have it! And yes, don’t forget to take opportunity of that amazing opportunity to intern with a fashion firm this summer! I highly recommend you email if you’re interested. You can always email me too if you have career questions or internship opportunity questions. I am always willing to help.

Well, I mean… Gaultier looked like this on purpose to match with his boxer-inspired collection, what with the beaten up look.

But REALLY?

This photo is too good to be true.

So, my mini-feed has lately been showing pictures of people wearing snuggies in semi-fashion-attempting poses. What is this? Snuggy epidemic trend at Penn or just a Van der Waals coincidence  (har har, poor chemistry joke)? (Or perhaps a cruel prank on Facebook’s part).

Check it out.

Penn kids – see any more snuggie rocking peeps? Send them my way: tony@the3st.com

A Touch of Frivolity

Edited by Retro Chick

It’s been a long time since pay day and this weeks Links à la Mode brings a touch of much needed frivolity as we crawl into the second month of a new decade. Idiosyncratic Style takes Scooby Doo’s Velma as her style inspiration, Dirty Hems is inspired by dolls houses and Ode to Awe shows off her leopard print nails. Want something for nothing? A few Goody Gumdrops has an Aspinall of London bag to giveaway and Retro Chick (that’s me!) has 2 Valentine goodie bags to giveaway worth over £100 each. We’ve also got some great designer interviews and some practical advice.

On a more sober note there’s some timely tips from Sway, Sway, Sway! on how you can continue to donate to Haiti without getting scammed, Shoe Daydreams discusses Tanya Golds “Why I hate Fashion” article and Ventures of Jenn shares her opinions on the body image debate.

Bring on February!

Note from Editor : Please be sure to check out the IFB Conference at NYFW : Evolving Influence

Links à la Mode: January 28th

• 39th and broadway – 5 Questions To Ask Before Beginning a Career in Fashion
• A Few Goody GumDrops – A Few Goody Gumdrops and Aspinal of London are Giving away an ever-so chic and sophisticated beige patterned skin clutch!
• Analogue Chic – Looking good while doing stuff – braving the weather and the commute with a sense of style.
• Bonne Vie – Invest in Quality Denim; featuring How-To Tips from Denim Debutante
• Cafe Fashionista – Style Secrets: Cowboy Boots Made Classy
• Cindy Whitehead – The Modern Snow Bunny
• Denim Debutante – Aeropostale Gives Back with Teens for Jeans Campaign
• dirty hems. – In the Dollhouse – Miniature inspiration and a teeny resulting DIY
• Dramatis Personae – a feature & interview with the designer behind i am dorkas
• Fasshonaburu – I challenge myself to follow my own dress code regulations in order to wow up my day to day ensembles.
• fête à fête – Clarins debuts first certified organic beauty soap
• Idiosyncratic Style – Inspired by the sartorially underrated Velma Dinkley.
• Independent Fashion Bloggers – IFB Presents : Evolving Influence Conference NYFW 2010
• kaKofonie Of si(gh)lenS – Interview with Janeane Marie Ceccanti
• Ode to Awe – I review Minx Nails, plus my glamourous Russian Garnet cocktail ring
• Oranges and Apples – Vintage teenage hair inspiration
• Retro Chick – Valentines Day is on it’s way and Retro Chick has 2 goodie bags worth over £100 each to give away to help you celebrate!
• Shoe Daydreams – Fashion Influences (?)
• Style Eyes Fashion Blog – I have avoided eco and ethical fashion in the past because of the price but I have just discovered it is affordable and stylish.
• Style Symmetry – How to Choose Items at a Clothing Swap Party
• Sway Sway Away! – A passionate plea from a member of the global community to her fashionable brothers and sister: help Haiti!
• THE COVETED – Suzy Menkes, Facehunter, LeMads & The Coveted talk about fashion blogs
• ventures of jenn – on body issues

This shoes are mindblowingly trend setting. Forget about Mcqueen’s Armadillo shoes. These are brilliant.

The play on form, the playful wittiness of the materialization, the modern construction.  They shatter me.

Remember back when Noah Cyrus made a small splash of news with her lovely outfit choice? Now, check out Noah’s rendition of Tik Tok.

Oh my. Gotta say, is that guy helping her the babysitter or what? That’s a pretty cool babysit I must admit.

Such a petty update. I know.

Earlier I wrote about the Barbella Bag that I received from the Aspinal of London, which is a great buy if you love the style and material and prefer not to wave around a branded bag.Now, I have the pleasure of reviewing their men’s leather weekender bag, which I can only give raving reviews.

So let me get it out there – I LOVE this bag.

There are so many things right about this bag and so few wrong things with it. The economic value it provides (a real bang for you buck, really), the luxurious material used, the classic and sophisticated style, and its attention to details really make this bag well worth it. Just so you can get an idea of what the bag looks like, I’ve included the official product picture here.

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Economic Value: I cannot stress this point enough. For around $600, this bag is really steal. I don’t know if you’ve ever shopped for luggage before, but it sure is costly! But who wants that clunky, hard plastic bag that’s unfashionable, hard to handle, and costly when you can get a convenient and well-desgned bag at around the same price?

Now here’s where the bang for your buck comes in – the bag is made from full grain Cognac English Bridle Leather and solid brass metal zips and fittings. It’s also designed to handle stress and weights. For the luxury and style it provides, this $600 will ensure no buyer’s remorse.

Luxury: I swear I’m not normally a showoff nor do I particularly enjoy do it, but something about this bag makes me just want to pretend to have a thick British accent and tell people that this bag is made from “fine leather.” But wait, not just any kind of leather, but “bridle leather” (with a thick drawn out accent). And not just any old bridle leather, but “full grain bridle leather.” Ok, you get the point. But really, with quality this subtle and nice, you just want to brag about it to the world. I’ve already done it. You can too.

Style: I must profess that in the debate of classic versus trendy, I tend to lean towards the new and edgy. But sometimes, it’s nice to have a timeless classic that exudes a sense of sophistication and grace. It’s also nice to have pieces that pair down the otherwise trendy pieces I would prefer. But it’s not just that this piece is classy, it’s so versatile. I can see this piece being used by so many different people. I can see it being used by the busy traveling investment banker who needs to travel with a well-designed, spacious travel bag while still wanting to impress others. I can see it being used by the young indie college student who loves to travel, loves style, but doesn’t want to show off in a flashy and tacky manner. I can also see it being used by a fashion blogger traveling to NY Fashion Week running around hectically to attend all the shows (hint hint).

Attention to Details: The icing in the cake is the attention to detail that this bag possesses. It really highlights the commitment to detail I consistently seem to have encountered with products by Aspinal of London. Whether it’s the thick and durable lining inside the bag, the Swiss-made zipper, the double stitching on the leather, or the gold-foil destination tags provided, this bag really makes you feel special. The kind of detailing here makes you feel as if Aspinal of London really made this bag for you. This kind of feeling can be rare in today’s mass consumerism of luxury fashion where companies try to find ways to reduce detailing to save costs and produce for a mass market.

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If you’ve decided you want to get this bag, or want more information about it, be sure to check it out here!

Click on bag you want to purchase.

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I’ve attached some shots of the bag in candid for you to see and feel what I did when I first got the bag. Hopefully the qualities and pros I spoke of above will be reflected in the images below. Enjoy!

It’s all in the details.

This just reeks of good quality. Notice the double stitching.

You can’t feel it, but the lining inside is so quality.

In action.

Gotta love it!

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Buy it here.

spring 2010 collection by mihara yasuhiro.

post apocalyptic chic.

can that exist?

you bet it can.

love that last look with the double layered short. i want it so bad.

sleek silhouette, grungy look, frayed ends.

makes me think it aint so bad to live in the world of resident evil. now if only I were as kick ass as leon kennedy.

It’s always refreshing to be able to claim to have an eye-catching bag that doesn’t command a glance because of a prestigious logo which inherently demands a hefty sum from your coffers. Sure, a LV bag is nice. It’s quality. It’s got a classic style that’s enhanced by the pronounced logo embellishments. But for those who care more about the actual construction, style, quality, and price point why not try to go beyond the conventional bag route and look for something unique?

Looks like Santa heard my wish – or at least Aspinal of London, a (as the name would suggest) British fine leathers accessories company, did. They sent me a wonderful dark indigo patent leather purse with gold chains that fits all the above criteria. It was really quite mouthwatering and I definitely suggest you strongly consider it as an affordable piece of quality (think of it as an investment, really).

I decided to include a product photo of the purse from the website first, since I had to do the personal shots in my house in California – which is not studio quality. Add that to the fact that I’m working with patent leather and you can imagine the problems that using a standard camera would have. It’s just too shiny! But shiny is good.

There are a variety of other colors available past the blue I got here. But look at that handbag. It’s just a feast for the eye alone. But trust me, the party’s just getting started.

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Pros: And there are a lot.

Italian calf leather | Aspinal of London prides itself on quality, and this bag is no exception.

Patent leather | Great colored finish that gives the piece an elegantly flashy flair that makes it a great night and day time accessory

Good size | It’s not too large to be a bulky hindrance, but my friends were easily able to fit in all their necessary items: wallet, makeup, keys, water bottle, and other assorted personal tiems.

Good structure | The patent leather really lends itself to a great structure that means that even if you weigh it down, it’s still looks great!

Chains | The golden chains in the purse give it an edginess that really brought me over the fence in terms of style!

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Cons: There aren’t too many, but here’s the main one I have.

Patent Leather | If your hands are oily and you touch it, the finger prints do show and it’s not pretty in lights. This is the kind of purse for you’ll have to clean every so often, but think about it this way – you’re making sure the purse lasts longer by being extra careful with it.

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Summary: The Barbella bag is wonderful quality and a great style. But, the style isn’t for everyone. It’s a very trendy bag so if you prefer the branded bag or a more conservative look, you might find the price tag a bit hefty. But, if you love the style as I do, then the price tag doesn’t seem bad at all!

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Here are some more pictures of the bag in candid:

Here is what the bag comes with! Great packaging is a major plus. It shows that the company really does care about you.

The chains on the bag are really hefty and show good quality. They are really sturdy too, which is good, since I hate it when a bag strap breaks.

So, in addition to trying to complete my F/W 2010 collection in time for the show and in time for my FSF award dinner, I decided to take on a pro bono project with a company called Terracycle to make a fashionable, trendy purse made out of completely recycled materials.

This level of recycled is so raw, it’s called upcycling, you literally take the item recycled like empty chip bags or juice pouches and make something out of it. The great thing about this process is that it requires very little processing, maximizing the recycling process and reducing greenhouse gas emissions for products made form it. The problem – limited design possible from high material/process constraints.

So, my challenge is to create a fashionable purse out of such materials. I thought it would be a fun side project that would be at worst something to kill time and at best a way for people to save tons of greenhouse gasses from being emitted by using entirely upcycled parts in their purse. I got a bunch of materials them – caprisun bags, chip bags, cliff bars, and even a doggie food bag (with some kibbles left!). All of these items were in various states of processing – for example some bags were in 2 layers of wrapper with a non-woven fused in between.

So my approach was to focus less on the colorful front side of the wrapper and on the silver metallic side. I choose to fit the theme with my recurrent motif of armor in my F/W 2010 collection and made an armored bag from only caprisun bags. Check out the fruits of my labor!

Recently, I was at an exhibit in the De Young museum in SF about Amish quilting. There, I came face to face with the amazing art that is Amish quilting. At first I wasn’t sure what was going on. Why were the Amish emulating the designs of the relatively contemporary art movement we call abstract expressionism? It turns out these two communities developed their artistic styles quite independently of each other. It’s amazing to realize how two completely different groups reached the same art form via completely different paths.

For the artists, the idea behind the movement was to take art and distill the very basic forms and colors used in art and eliminate all representational context to it. In doing so, symbolism and meanings were stripped from the art itself. Only the color and forms were left to be enjoyed for what they were. This was to enjoy art purely for the sake of art and not the object it was supposed to represent.

For the Amish, art for the sake of art was considered pointless and perhaps even sacrilegious. It is not readily apparent to me the reason for the designs or how it came to be. However, the fact that the designs usable, the colors chosen, and even the way the quilt is made is based on community consensus and strict rules of conduct highlight how much of a stark contrast it is to the abstract expressionists. What for the Amish is an extension of their restricted lives in order to live our their life in service to God was the liberating movement of artists to free themselves from meaning in their artworks.

This to me draws parallels in the world of fashion design. We oftentimes hear people arguing styles being copied and reused by designers. This is typically looked down at and perhaps even unethical. Now, pure copying in fashion I would have to agree precludes any legitimate claim of novelty in design. But, in our post-structualist zeal to only look at the final product, I think we forget that the intent and process in reaching the design is too important.

It’s funny since I’m a strict post-structualist when it comes to literature (I don’t like to take the author’s context and personal life into my interpretation of the novel). Nevertheless, this exhibit made me necessarily think that constructionism is important in fashion. We should take into account the reason and path in reaching a certain collection or style. Two pieces that look similar might have radically different stories behind them. That to me merits consideration in weighing a collection.

While you ponder this, check out some more Amish quilts.

Credits: PBase

Evolve

Edited by Sandra/Debutante Clothing

It’s over kids – 2009 is done. Everyone is probably completing their resolutions list, which we never keep past March. This year, I have no list. I have just promised myself to evolve – learn something new, try new products, evolve in my style. Making yourself better, not different, seems to be on many bloggers’ minds. Fasshonaburu evolves by discovering her style, Fashion Cents helps us shop for designer while feeling great about our budget, and Hello Beauty teaches us how to finally do a smoky eye, quickly and simply. We don’t need to spend a lot, try too hard, or even shop a lot to start anew – we can make 2010 the year we get one year better than the last. Happy New Year – Cheers!

Links à la Mode : December 31st

• British Style Bloggers – positive body image campaign for 2010 needs your help!
• Daily Diva Dish – Urban Decay Giveaway – Book of Shadows, Volume 2
• Debutante Clothing – ‘Couture’, 1990s – Trends in Vintage To Keep and Say Buh Bye To
• Dedicated Follower of Fashion – Style Soundtrack: A Winter Wonderland. Plan a pretty outfit, listen to a pretty song
• El Fashionista – did an illustration for a 2010 Shoe Calendar (and there’s a high-res download!)
• Fashion Cents – gives you 3 tips for successfully shopping online sample sales
• Fashion Pulse Daily – snags an interview with the woman behind the lovely Love Rocks NY jewelry line, Limor Ratzabi Zenker
• fasshonaburu – surprising revelations about her personal style
• Fine Social – editorial – Color Theory
• grit and glamour – 2009 Fashion MVP – Which fashionista has transformed herself from LA-skanky to uber-swanky?
• Hello Beauty – Review of new Urban Decay Smoke Out Kits that make it really easy to do smoky eyes
• House in Tillford – A look back at the trends of 2009
• Ideefixemon – styles Rodarte for Target
• Idiosyncratic Style – Who do you think rocks the leopard spotted coat?
• Intrinsically Florrie – interviews the talented young fashion illustrator Derek Cardigan
• Retro Chick – :Ethical Design Spotlight – Cruelty free shoes from Beyond Skin
• Style On a String – The New Age of Sexy
• the3st – A conversation with Mei Mei Ding of the revived Central European brand Alter & Kiss, about the firm’s rich history and commitment to cultivating top fashion talent globally
• twentyteneightyfour – ‘One Size Fits All’ editorial in V Magazine – not convinved
• Unfunded – Christmas Detox, Coset Peekage and Secrets to Successful Thrift Shopping

Divine and regal. This is truly a ring to be purred after (excuse the bad pun).

0.10 K Diamond inserts, ruby eyes, 18K golden ring.

P: $1,840

Thoughts?