Whip It!

Drew Barrymore's directional debut was absolutely PHENOMENAL. This sounds so corny but it made me want to follow my dreams no matter what the road blocks and no matter who tells me to do otherwise. I haven't felt the inspiration to do that or be like that because of something I watched late one night a midst a blizzard, well ever. I want to be my own hero, I want to be corky (already am but to a new extreme), cover my arms in tattoos, dye my hair erratic colors, wear old band t-shirts with shoes that were bought next to antique bongs, I want to work at a restaurant where I have a pig apron over my clothes, and at night I want to be part of a kick ass roller derby team. My team mates are my sisters and throwing out a punch on the rink is more than okay, it's recommended. It's also a place where you can wear fish nets and slutty girl scout uniforms and it's known as "uniform", and my personal favorite "you can never have to much eyeliner" of which I agree whole heartedly. Ellen Page stars as a girl named Bliss with not much confidence, but a big brain and an even bigger heart. She just doesn't know what to do with that love and that intelligence in a small suburb town outside of Austin, Texas. She gets good grades, she earns a decent teenage salary working at a pig themed diner with her loud mouthed best friend and a boss the duo refers to as "birdman", and as for extra curricular her uptight mom is obsessed with pageants that she signs her up for weekly. The movie starts with Bliss at a pageant, dressed in a beautiful white gown, and her hair is dyed bright blue. You know from that point on we're in for a typical Ellen Page like treat. While shopping in Austin with her uptight mom, she sees a few tattooed badasses on skates dropping off flyers, Bliss snags a flyer and a week later she and her best friend attend a roller derby match, which resembles the looks of a concert/ wrestling match. After the race she goes to congratulate the girls by saying "You're my new heroes" and they invite her to try out the following week. With barbie skates she wows the girls by going faster then the normal. From then on it's history, Bliss finds something she's in love with, she finds the sisters she's always longed for, and she even meets a guy played by musical favorite Landon Pigg. She eventually even teaches her uptight family to accept her love of roller derby, and her now found self. On top of it all her now found confidence teaches her to deal with bullies on the rink, like skating nemesis played by Juliette Lewis, and even childhood enemies in school like snobby prom queen, Corbi. Catherine Marie Thomas is now a hero in my eyes for being the costume designer of this film. She did an amazing job using vintage band t-shirts, floral high waisted skirts, tattoos, trendy harem pants, tons of eye liner and funky eye shadows, blue hair dye, doc martens, tie dye, ripped jeans, fish nets, and metallic booty shorts..all together to dress a fabulous, corky, and bad ass cast who topped it off in chunky roller skates and awesome moves. We all knew from Grey Gardens that Catherine Marie Thomas was more then capable of transforming a group of modern actresses to a different time and different life using clothing and accessories, but FUCKING WOW. I LOVE YOU WHIP IT!

Hisham Oumlil

born in the autumn of 1972 in Casablanca. This city has captured the romantic imagination of so many, including his. The name Oumlil was adopted many generations ago and is an ancient Moroccan name of Berber origin that means the color white. After more than a decade in the fashion industry working in design, merchandising and sales, Hisham founded his eponymously named company in 2005. The goal was to unite the tradition of old world tailoring with a progressive aesthetic, so as to elevate men's fashion to a level where design and craft are of equal importance.Inspired by the tradition of Women's Wear Couture Houses, Hisham began building a private clientele as a foundation for Oumlil. Working closely with this clientele from fitting to styling while building their wardrobe, has been and will remain for years to come a pleasure, a privilege and a constant learning experience.Oumlil's commitment to exquisite tailoring continues in the Ready to Wear Collections, where Hisham strives to incorporate the art of tailoring and at the same time speak with a more modern sensibility. We encourage you to break free from preconceived fashion notions and embrace emotional responses that truly reflect your sensibilities and surroundings. Hisham believes that, "The harmony and the beauty of the universe around us is our mirror to a life we all deserve to live".

How could I forget!
the Marchesa show was also a very memorable show this year @ the fall 2010 presentations. Famous for the gowns that stalk the red carpet, and usually flow off the perfectly polished bodies of a-list celebrities, Marchesa is formally a designer that makes dresses. That hasn't changed from the spring 2010 season to the fall, but the inspiration for the gowns has changed. The designer was inspired by Eliza Rosanna Gilbert, known by her stage name Lola Montez.The designer Georgina Chapman and her partner, Keren Craig, seemed to find Montez an intriguing and never ending subject of design. Like the inspiration herself, the performance was just as dazzling and elaborate as the shows Ms. Montez starred in. Short feathered dresses in blush pink and sky blue: colors of the spring, yet it was a fall presentation. A gorgeous one-shoulder minidress in embroidered teal, and a gown in black embroidered organza with overlapping pinwheels of tulle. The futuristic effects contrasting with old hollywood were extremely pleasurable, and of course another magnificent hit was the silver bugle-beaded gown with a tight sheer bodice embroidered in silver. A personal favorite of mine was the tulle dress with an upper black blazer structure, the earth toned tulle came out of the bottom of what appeared to be a structured tuxedo blazer. Fabulous only describes so much. I'd love/ wish for the possibility of using Marchesa for my prom!

Children of the Night

Have you ever wondered where Lady GaGa gets her fantastic, very costume like, and well bizarre look from? She promotes gay rights and does so in an over the top brilliant way and it expresses it through her clothing and performance style. Although she is a very unique individual she didn't do it all by herself. In the warm summer months of 2008 Destiny Pierce, Sarah Van Buren, Nick Schiarizzi and Stina Puotinen were interested in spreading their creative insight and having a little bit of fun on the journey. They are four artsy friends who liked to dance @ house parties in Williamsburg Brooklyn, but somehow ended up becoming children of the night, and with that they became party promoters, performers, and members of a video collective. Although they were quite content dancing on top of coffee tables at locals flats throughout Brooklyn, they soon became bored and during the summer tried their way @ The Royale, local dive club. They decided since this wasn't their usual scene they wouldn't go about it in a normal and usual way. They decided to label their first night at a legitimate club by referring it to the night of "Cheryl", they danced the "Cheryl" and they referred to their GaGa before GaGa look as very "Cheryl". The line to get into the club was so long that they almost left, but they were already painted head to toe, and decked out with different color and styled hair extensions clinging to their scalps. Instead of waiting hour by hour to get into the club and get over shadowed by music that would eventually leave them with bleeding ears and a pounding head aches, they decided to start their "Cheryl" right their on the street. As they danced the "Cheryl" many passer byres glared at the "weirdos" but as many as 25 others joined in. The group passed out hair extensions and they danced the unforgettable "Cheryl" forever it seems. More then a year later the group has moved onto other themes besides "Cheryl", they have "Pizza" and "Arctic Fury" They have started the trend where young people actually dress up to go clubbing again, and have loads of fun expressing themselves through dance and costume. The group has moved onto even bigger clubs, and their trends have waved onto the minds of even Lady GaGa..we've always wondered if she just woke up one day and decided to be who she is currently, but now we know that Cheryl might have given her a tip or two. Their fun has now turned into an actual career for the group, and they can be seen @ parties for promotional reasons as well as for performances, and can even be seen in a video montage or two.

Christopher Kane:modernized geisha with grunge rocker vibes and color schemes
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/style/fashionweek/runway.html#fall_2010_kane_christpher

Matthew Williamson: different from his usual hippie looks: light silk tie dye colors are incorporated but instead they're mixed with tweed suits, leather pant, and over sized brightly colored blazers and pea coats. Silk materials come out of the seams of tweed squared dresses, and a lot of the silk is draped over leather bodices. Draping was a big deal in this show.
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/style/fashionweek/runway.html#fall_2010_matthew_williamson

Fall 2010: NY Fashion Week

Fall 2010 Fashion Week
Marchesa: classic chanel esque pieces>>the idea of mixing masculine with pretty girly pieces, bows and feathers, but also mermaid like scales on some dresses. DRESSES=Marchesa collection in every season
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/style/fashionweek/runway.html#fall_10_marchesa
Oscar De la Renta:
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/style/fashionweek/runway.html#/fall_10_de_la_renta/slide_show
3.1 Phillip Lim: casual, classic pieces, knit pieces, excess leg room to layer, bright colors contrasting with dull grey tones, and of course some of Lim's own personal flavor: cheetah prints mixed with great sweat pant materials, metallic business suit, and drapery using sequins hanging over grey under tones.
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/style/fashionweek/runway.html#/fall_10_lim/slide_show
Marc by Marc Jacobs: earth colors mixing with bright knit colors, knit pieces, classic trench coat pieces and classic kaki, color scheme= blue, red, purple, army green, and grey, oversized looks for women, layering, detective like looks (messenger bags, oversized trench coats) but with materials used for army and cargo looks.
Rodarte: flower patterns, tweed, shoulder pads, unusual shaping and draping, bohemian folk look but with materials used for classic Chanel women's suits and electric flower patterns, light flowery colors, sunday tea.
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/style/fashionweek/runway.html#/fall_2010_rodarte/slide_show
Chris Benz: club looks, plaid patterns consistently shown, same old over sized parachute pants paired with a fitted flirty top and metallic/ sequined structured blazer, and big afro like hair styles to jazz up the club scene line.
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/style/fashionweek/runway.html#/fall_2010_benz_chris/slide_show
Derek Lam: equestrian old english meets the rock and roll scene of leather pants, leather built in vests, leather shoulder pads, and something leather in every equestrian esque look.
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/style/fashionweek/runway.html#/fall_2010_lam_derek/slide_show

RIP Alexander McQueen,

found hanging at his Mayfair home in central London thursday, was said to have left a series of notes for his loved ones explaining his actions. But it was obvious, according to the timing of things, that the reason was mainly because he was mourning his mother Joyce's death which happened 10 days previous to his own. Also McQueen and his lover ended things rather badly weeks previous to the suicide, and the designer was said to have been very depressed his last year of life. Rather then looking forward to the future he was discouraged, but that never once appeared in his art work. However, his death is not what makes him remarkable and legendary. A style icon and a revolutionary designer, Alexander McQueen will be terribly missed and will always live on through his designs and the inspiration he gave to countless others.

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Emma Watson: actress who plays intelligent Hermoine Granger in the Harry Potter movie series, English born, face of Burberry, student at Brown University, cover girl for Teen Vogue in august among many magazines over the years. Emma is now onto her next big venture as designer of a new organic clothing line for the line People Tree. The line is unique because it allows every day people to wear casual clothing that is accessible, but still chic, unlike much of the clothing celebrities wear day to day. The clothing reflects on Emma's own personal casual style, but with a mix of what's trendy and what everyone wants but can't have, until now! The majority of the clothing is hand knitted, and the embroidery is done by hand. It consists of about 26 different women's looks, 15 different mens looks, and the clothing itself is casual pieces like cotton shirts and jersey dresses. But not everything will be casual and preppy, some hand embroidery came to play with head pieces, and even furniture.

The line will not be available in every country, but it will soon be available in the States.

>>peopletreeyouth.co.uk

Paris Haute Couture opened a few weeks ago with a big bang. A combination of the basic looks with a twist we've been seeing, so far, this spring but also the military theme (possibly inspired by worldly military help in the relief towards Haiti) has been streaking the runways, leaving trails of blood, literally. We've seen cigarette cut white jeans with blood splatters, cargo jumpsuits, and the color satin red printed everywhere. Ironically, all european designers are following in this path, and the majority of the time different designers from different countries go opposite directions, since sides were made in the past World Wars. However, in the spirit of helping Haiti, we've all joined forces, and fashion follows closely behind. Also in the tradition of Haute Couture, ready to wear labels are only a few steps behind. Just last weekend, after tea time @ Bergdorf Goodman's I was on my favorite floor near the Elizabeth & James section/ The Row and I saw a denim jumpsuit on a mannequin. I have my own denim jumpsuit from the summer, of course, but this denim jumpsuit was more of a drapery piece in the form of a cargo/ military jumpsuit that was stalking the runways only days previous to this.

...We may have evolved from the separation of wars, but copy catting is still in it's same state.