Vuitton in Technicolor

It's no secret that bags are the big revenue generator for Louis Vuitton. While the classics bring patrons back, it's the shock value that bring LV free publicity. So for Spring 2008, in what appears to be free reign over the collection despite the bottom-line, Marc Jacobs went ballistic, and in collaboration with artist Richard Prince, devised the most insane line that I've ever seen Jacobs do. They have really pushed the boundaries between commercialism and art.

To start off, the palette was inspired by SpongeBob SquarePants. What you end up with is a very nonsensical but uniform array of neon and acid colors, where some bags appear to have been spray-painted on, others imprinted with text, and in some cases, there is a Warholian effect with the color inverse of the famous LV logos and flowers.

The show itself was a very straight-forward inspiration from Prince's work. Models dressed as nurses were inspired by Prince's Nurse paintings.

The colors of SpongeBob permeate the line of clothing, starting with the bright yellows, melding in with the soft dreamy blues, creams, exploding with the red, and finally, ending with the darks, as if entering the bottom of the ocean. The collection ends with your eyes descending on the myriad of purses that look like they fell out of a rainbow on crack.

Even the self-references on some of the bags made me laugh. It's like the painting on the wall in a museum, and you need to look at the plaque to read the name. So when I look at this bag, not only is it a bag, or that it's an LV bag. You can now call it by it's catalog name. It's really going beyond branding, and re-assessing the identity of the piece. (Think I'm bull-shitting? This is what the art world's all about, my friend.)

The big question is, would you buy it? I think there's something so fundamentally free to be playful and just let all proper wisdom go out the window, and create something really edgy and zany and not be apologetic about it. But beyond "art," can the same view be that this is less about the artist, and more about capitalism at its worst? Now that Jacobs has taken the classic house of Vuitton and turned it upside down, but will charge you double or triple the norm, how do you take this piece of art and not look at it with some sort of distaste, as if the joke isn't so much the humor of taking something so dowdy as the classic monogram and having fun with it, but that the joke's on you 'cause you bought into the hype and mass hysteria for a bag that aesthetically, is, quite honestly, pretty ugly?

How different is the bag below from the Coach Scribble line? Who copied who, since Coach was copying inspired by Murakami's Multicolor Monogram? Why not buy the Coach instead, if "art" is really what you're after? (Yes, I really don't like Coach, which is why I bemoan the fact that you would even compare the two. Coach cannot replace LV!) When do you hit yourself on the back of your head and say that this is all a scam? Do these artists really believe in their work, or do they think that the can keep pushing, and no one can ever push back?

I have no idea which of the actual pieces will be available for sale, but I would love to see it in person. I have read comparisons of this collection to the Murakami collections in the past, but I thoroughly disagree. Murakami's pieces were of a very decisive, simple, direct, feminine, and clean aesthetic. Prince went the opposite. He didn't reign anything in at all, it's in all directions, some pieces still running with the ombre fades that was influenced by Vermeer, others mocked the proper printing of the logo on canvas, and yet others had really bad cartoon art on it. Seriously? Seriously.

If you catch me carrying one, would you call me an art collector or a sucker?

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sex and the city - everything wrong with the clothes?

I'm DYING to see the Sex and the City movie, but I'm heavily re-thinking that, if only because thus far, I've been terribly disappointed by what the wardrobe department has in store. While SATC has a legacy of really exciting fashions, it was only after several episodes of re-runs last night with the girls over food and wine that we really panned a lot of what they actually wear on the show. Everyone had at least one awesome outfit, but some were boring, most were really over the top, and most memorably, Carrie's outfits were the absolute worst...hoochie mama hooker, anyone?

And now, this. I don't know what the plot is, and I generally like to NOT know before I see a movie or read a book, but assuming this is for a wedding with Mr.Big, really, what is going on here? Don't get me wrong. I love love love the veil and hairpiece, especially the peacock feather. It's very haute couture...actually makes me think of something Dior would do. But the make-up! It's so...clownish. And the dress! What is up with the ill-fitting top? If she's too thin for boobs, couldn't they stuff her, or get her a push-up bra? It looks ridiculous.

It appears the other girls are her bridesmaids. How did they fare? Charlotte is in her boring black dress with pearls. Miranda's bright orange hair is done up in these silly Shirley Temple waves and wearing a royal blue dress. Samantha has some sort of Carmen Miranda thing going on in a bright red frock. It's all very discombobulated.

zombie boobs...ugh

What do you think? Am I being too harsh? If this is the wardrobe for the wedding, what are they wearing for their "normal" scenes? Maybe the movie folks will light this thing just right, and they'll all be behind Vaseline lens, and the dream wedding will indeed look very dreamy. For their sake, I really hope so. :P

UPDATE: According to Perez Hilton, this is just for a fantasy dream sequence. Thank God! I would've cried for Carrie if she really wore that to her wedding. I had a feeling anyways; why would the producers and publicists be lame enough to let plot-revealing scenes leak out? But still...how can this be her fantasy dream dress?!?

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Dress Me Up, Dress Me Down

I'm not a great shopper in terms of clothing, but I do love design. Call me cheap, but I really hate paying retail price for clothing. It doesn't matter if it's high-end or H&M, I will dig through the sales rack. This probably goes against the grain since I will pay an obnoxious amount of money for handbags, but that's because a bag could last me forever. Clothes? Not so much. A few washes here, a snag there, and then it needs to be replaced. So what can possible change my tune? Marimekko, that's what.

So this isn't exactly Newbury Street, but out in Cambridge, a Marimekko concept store has opened up for business. Based out of Finland, Marimekko is branching out around the world to spread their high-concept Finnish designs.

Run by independent retailers, Marimekko concept stores are shops that sell exclusively Marimekko products and carry a comprehensive selection of merchandise from all the different Marimekko lines: clothing, interior decoration and bags. Developing and anchoring the concept store idea based on Marimekko’s lifestyle thinking represents an important part in Marimekko’s internationalisation strategy.

While browsing their online catalog, one designer stood out in terms of design. Samu-Jussi Koski's classic and clean lines are at once modern, but if paired with the right accessories, are also quite whimsical. His current collection was influenced by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren's novel "Madicken," set in the 1920s, and Mai Farrow's film roles from the 1960s. Both influences are obvious, from the silhouettes of the billowy dresses to the fun, colorful prints.

I might even consider paying retail for design like this...!

Check out the collection at Marimekko Cambridge

What was the big deal anyways?

So I fluttered over to Target the other day to check out the Alice Temperley collection, and what a disappointment. I don't think any of the fashions looked quintessentially British (which is what exactly?), or even Temperley-like. I thought she was famous for all the beading and gilding and tunics and such. Or did I confuse her with another designer? The looks felt so old and dowdy. And French looking. What's with the berets, bows, and ruffles? I just checked her official website, and it seems that this season, she was inspired by Paris and Russia. OH-KAY...but was this the best representation of her work for the mass audience?

There weren't that many things that I wanted to try on, but I did try on these four items.

The first was this ivory cropped jacket. Online, it looked fun and whimsical. But in person? The fitting felt off. It was short, and puffy. I felt like a misshapen mushroom. Also, the material didn't feel like wool. It felt like a very soft felt or fleece material. Wasn't very awe-inspiring. So unfortunate.


What I really wanted was to try on the blue version. Maybe that would've looked better.


The next item I tried on was this dress. It was cute in concept, but I'm more of a busty girl, and the ruffles were far from flattering. Also, the cotton material felt like it could wrinkle easily, so I didn't think it would work if you run around a lot. Especially for someone like myself, who commutes for over an hour each way to work every day, by the time I get to the office, there would be wrinkles all over my ass.


This dress was cute, but not very special. I guess this is considered one of the few pieces that have that pop of color, but the print itself wasn't especially stylish. Especially since this season is all about the geometrics, the floral pattern felt off, neither classic nor trendy. Also, why would I pay $40 that looks like something I can get for $10-$15 bucks at like a Tello's or something? :P The one redeeming thing is that the fabric is nice, much better than the dress above.


This shirt was by far my favorite. The version I tried on was gray, and it was a very nice, muted piece. The shirt I tried on was the last one left, and it was smaller than I'd like, so I didn't buy it, but the fabric was nice and flowy, the ruffles actually work really well on this piece, and I could see it matched with jeans and heels for a night out. I couldn't even find the gray one online, so maybe I'll be able to catch it in another Target.


Anyhow, I would say that altogether, the collection is a mixed bag. I would say that most of the collection was uninspired. Not a very successful GO collection from Target this time around. But check it out for yourself.

Alice Temperley Melton Wool Cropped Jacket - Ivory - $44.99

Alice Temperley Melton Wool Cropped Jacket - Athens Blue - $44.99

Alice Temperley Long-Sleeve Cotton Voile Dress - Cloak Gray - $29.99

Alice Temperley Short-Sleeve Floral Crepe Dress - Pink - $39.99

Alice Temperley Victorian Ruffle-Front Blouse - Antique White (but get it in Gray!) - $29.99

Simply Vera, Simply Fabulous

The Simply Vera collection by Vera Wang has barely made it out of the gates, but already, Kohl's is offering 30% of on most of their store, including the Vera pieces. Don't feel ripped off, though. If you were holding out on some of her signature pieces, most of them have already been sold out, and are now being held hostage in the land of eBay.

I was lucky enough to visit the local Kohl's early on and bagged several items, which aren't even on the website anymore. I bought the signature piece from the collection, the pleated navy blue dress with exquisite beading details. Love it!!! It fit me perfectly...I bought the last one that ran in the smaller size. I plan to wear it to a friend's wedding in Nov...I think it will look very cute and pretty!


This coat looks really nice in person. The black version was a tad dull, but the camel fabric shines in the light. You can also see the texture of the fabric much better in the lighter color. A perfect light jacket for fall.


I love these two purses. The monochromatic clasps really work for me. I don't like the hobo in the black, but I'm contemplating getting the clutch in black. Can be both dressy and casual, and black is always versatile.


I already wore my camel jacket once, and it's great. However, just because I found some pieces that I like doesn't mean that the entire collection was perfect. More about the not-so-great pieces in the next post.

Kohl's Simply Vera Collection

Gossip Girls - Dressed to Sell

I was watching the CW's Gossip Girl last night not because I thought I was going to see the best acting on television (although Blake Lively's performance was certainly enlightening and refreshing to watch), but because of the fashions! This is supposed to be Sex and the City Lite, where all the people are pretty, and the clothing, impeccable. There were some very pretty frocks featured, since in only the first episode, there were already TWO parties that took place. Throw in some preppy school uniforms that HAD to be accented with designer duds like Chanel, and this show can easily become a walking ad for all the fashion houses.

One piece that caught my eye was Serena's gold sequined top for her date with Dan. She dressed it down with a jacket and long scarf over it, so it was more boho-chic and not disco diva. Remove everything and only wear it with a gorgeous tan, and I think it's a dress for all seasons. I scoured the web to find out more about it, and only came upon this article. They mentioned that items from the show were going to be featured on their website and will be for sale, but the CW site doesn't seem to have this feature up and running yet.



Anyhow, I'll probably keep watching because the storyline is interesting thus far (I know that this is shallow drivel...this is why it's called "guilty pleasure" and no different from The Hills, imho), but looking forward to seeing all the fun fashions they're going to put on screen. At least, until the REAL Sex and the City opens up in the theatres.

P.S. Loved Serena's mom's purse...it looked like an ostrich Hermès Birkin

Tory Burch Sequin Tunic Dress - $450