028. TWENTY8TWELVE by s.miller: Worth the wait?

Word has been out everywhere about Sienna and Savannah Miller's new clothing line, TWENTY8TWELVE. I myself am not a huge fan of Sienna and consider her style to be rather blah, but hey, I'm a curious person so I decided to check out their spring collection online.

The style is true to the sisters' fashion sense, and I can't blame them for that - why would you want to create a line that didn't cater to your personal aesthetic - but unfortunately, that means overpriced drab plain garments with seemingly nice tailoring but little else.


Siegfried Jacket in Ebonised, $594
RevolveClothing.com
This thing is the demented lovechild of a dowdy housecoat and a raincoat. The three-quarter length sleeves do not work, and the fabric is abnormally thin. It might have some promise if it were offered in a rich purple or emerald, but the black dulls out the look and makes it look trashy.


Blair Tee in Emulsion 50's, $99
RevolveClothing.com
Okay, am I the only one who thinks this looks like a blatant reference to sadomasochism? Located on a bleeding heart, the S and M are strategically placed on each side of a graphic that could be an ampersand! who knows! Only upon close inspection do you discover that it is a pelvis. Is this some sort of jab about the dead seriousness of the label or do the sisters just think it'd be cool if they catered to the McQueen skull-and-crossbones fan base?


Calandra Jacket in Ebonised, $418
RevolveClothing.com
This jacket is the best of what I've seen so far. It's crisp and polished and quite chic. Again, it's the sort of thing Sienna has been seen wearing millions of times. I'm not trying to harp on her style (much), but if you're going to create your own line, might you at least create something you can't buy from OTHER designers?

I just can't decide if I like the line. The basic pieces and ruffled blouses are useful and fashionable, but I'm just not sure if they're worth the price. For basic, deconstructed pieces, TWENTY8TWELVE is your brand, but I'm too apathetic about the collection to generate any real excitement about the clothes.

027. For aspiring designers (and other interested parties).

I try to include a graphic in every post, but this one has little to do with visuals--it's all about what you create.

Bag Snob recently linked me to Fashion Indie's Ten Best Websites for Fashion Designers. While I'm not a designer and this doesn't technically benefit me, the links they recommend are worth checking look at because they remind you of the intense amount of work that goes into showing a collection and/or producing a line to be sold. I mean, yeah, it's obvious that it takes a TON of work (and luck) to strike it big, but it's so hard to fully grasp the implications of entrepreneurship. No wonder designers are desperate to win Project Runway. It really is a free ride past all many of the troubles one would otherwise have to struggle through.

Unless, of course you're Tory Burch, an heiress who has practically infinite funding to launch her own (and might I add, successful?) line.

026. Reading list: February 2008.

Amazon.com
I just finished reading The Collection by Gioia Diliberto. The book tells the story of a young girl from provincial France who goes to Paris to work as a seamstress for Chanel. It's an easy read (it took me about a day to finish the 266-page book), and it helps acquaint you with both the process of making couture and the famous couturiers of the early twentieth century.

In detail, Diliberto describes the meticulous, challenging, and time-consuming work that goes into creating a couture garment: unlike other couturiers, in Chanel's workshop, every stitch is literally hand sewn. The author also fleshes out the personality of Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel (or as the narrator refers to her, "Mademoiselle"), painting her as a brilliant but mercurial woman who fires workers when they become too valuable because she doesn't want to become too dependent on anyone.

It isn't a heavy-duty book, but it's definitely worth a read if you don't know much about French couture or the great couturiers of yesteryear. $16.50 at Amazon.com.

025. Fashion Week UPDATE.

I generally try my best to stay away from coverage of spring's Fall Fashion Week for a few months. This isn't because I'm not excited about the clothes, or that I don't want to see them. It's actually due to the fact that I love fall fashion, and it kills me to see the fashion shows and then have to wait seven months at the very least to be able to wear them. All summer I writhe under the sweltering heat, longing for a day when I can wear those gorgeous peacoats I saw on the runway when snow was still on the ground in February!

So you're not going to get endless posts of runway reviews from me. But if you want a recommendation for a good guide to AW08/09, check out Refinery29 Pipeline, which does a fabulous job of covering everything from the fashion shows themselves to the parties that follow to street fashion seen during. And while you're there, check out the main website. This is the best procrastination tool I've found in a while.

024. And you thought puffy shirts died along with Seinfeld.

ABC.com
I can't help but have a weakness for ABC's new show Cashmere Mafia. Four attractive women living high-powered lives in the Big Apple? Cheating (but droolworthy) husbands? Donald Trump lookalikes? Vacations in the Hamptons? Big paychecks? I hope this is my life in fifteen years. There's no lawyer femme, so my default favorite is Lucy Liu's character, Mia, who has one hell of a fashion stylist. When I saw the poofy sleeves of Episode Two, I was thrilled, awed, and envious. One can never have enough billowy silk tops for the workplace.

It was when I was cruising my recently added Favorites that I stumbled onto this similarly puffy dreamboat of a shirt. Designed by Jens Laugesen, this little number is the dark foil to Lucy Liu's alabaster tunic.


Jens Laugesen
I don't think the puffy shirt is going to become a major trend anytime soon, but it's a niche style that I'm totally digging right now.

023. Something's blooming in Manhattan...

Elizabeth-Charles.com
In light of the new year, I've decided to start cleaning out my Favorites. This has yielded a real treasure trove of forgotten links. One of these newly rediscovered diamonds in the rough is Elizabeth Charles, a Manhattan boutique featuring designers from the owner's own birthplace, Australia (as well as nearby New Zealand). The boutique's website also provides the opportunity to purchase online. Although I've never been to the store, the images and description on the website have managed to seduce me. The About page describes Elizabeth Charles as "nested in the ground floor of an old brownstone" and "furnished with European antiques and modern mid-century pieces, from the ornate gold framed mirrors to the bird cage shaped chandelier." Essentially, the boutique possesses an Anthropologie-like vibe, but with a slightly higher price tag and bigger brand names.

Here are a few of the clothes available online.


Alice McCall long coat
Elizabeth-Charles.com
I love the schoolgirl feel of this dress. It's simple but also a statement piece that can easily be paired with lots of layers in the winter, or worn independently in the spring and summer months.


Camilla & Marc stephanie frock
Elizabeth-Charles.com
This hoodie looks perfect for cuddling up in front of a roaring fireplace with a Jane Austen novel.


Federation crushed wool raglan hood
Elizabeth-Charles.com
I love this color palette: the muted pink with the gray.


Juliette Hogan serious skirt
Elizabeth-Charles.com
So when you get a chance, check out Elizabeth-Charles.com - and, of course, the accompanying blog!

023. Un petit mort.

I've decided to let this post be a homage to Alexander McQueen's legendary pale-green ostrich feather gown, which flared up recently, then disappeared forever from Net-A-Porter's sale section, having been conspicuously in the slightly-reduced sale pile for over a year. With it gone from N-A-P's archives, I believe this terminates the dress's availability both online and in stores. But I still fondly remember experiencing this dress in person last winter at the New York McQueen boutique...touching the feathery expanse of the skirt, the fine embroidery around the neck...

Let this fiery star of high fashion be a tribute to the genius and whimsical elegance of my favorite British designer.


Source unknown

Source unknown

Source unknown
And what's the point of buying a dress like this if you can't have a little fun in it?


Source unknown
Without a doubt, this collection ranks among my top five favorite shows ever.

022. Hark, the clearance sales are beginning--

Fall down and weep with joy, my fellow fashionistas - for the winter sales have begun. For all my complaints about recent fashion, even I can't turn down a good sale.

So here are a few low-key fashion picks to check out. Lesser-known designer names whose quality rivals the big name brands who have been sadly lacking in taste as of late.

First up is Tsumori Chisato, whose dresses are oddly reminiscent of ancient tapestries. Yet the frocks are a casual take on modern street style.


ShopBird.com
Next is Iosselliani's Pearl Stacking rings. While this isn't on sale, I just had to include it. What an exquisite panoply of gemstones! $351 at Adele.


Adele.com
And the perfect little party dress, straight from Nanette Lepore at Shoptwigs, casts a modest but flirty shadow at any bash.


Adele.com
More to come soon, I hope!

021. Woe.

Well, I've been trying to think of things to post here. I could do the usual and comment on some new unusual piece of clothing, but this is not the time. The time has come...To Rant.

What is going on with spring fashion? What has happened to good fashion? I got home after finals, eager to flip through the new Vogue and W, and what do I get? Abysmal editorial after abysmal editorial, not that the articles were any better. I can't even begin to describe the mediocrity of the ads. Prada, fie on thee. And Dior, words cannot even begin to describe.


Style.com
Bring back the glory! Bring it back!

020. Chaos in Fashion Paradise.

(Courtesy of MSN)

Just found this on MSN Travel. This is a picture of the Galeries Lafayette in Paris during the holiday season. Now, let's forget for a second that I have no idea how they got that tree into a building (if indeed it is a real tree, not many small trees glued together to form a contiguous whole). Can anyone explain to me how they fit it into that area?

I don't know if any of you are familiar with the Galeries - it is one of the most famous department stores in Europe - but what you are seeing in the picture is the central area where the cosmetic kiosks are situated (I believe you can make out the words "LANVIN" faintly in the bottom left-hand corner). What kiosk(s) have been completely obliterated to make way for this monstrosity of a Christmas decoration? And more importantly, where did they get a ribbon that huge? I am impressed at the extravagant inventiveness of the French!

Well, the one thing I do know is that the Galeries will probably be getting a lot less traffic this year. The exchange rate for the US$ is currently abysmal, so Europeans are getting much of their shopping done in America. I hope the trend reverses itself soon - even last Christmas, when I was in London, I kept seeing flight discounts to NYC emphasizing the benefit of shopping abroad. You know the exchange rate is bad when you still save money with the additional cost of purchasing a plane ticket from London to NYC.