Truly Charm-ing

The Fall 2013 Collections gave us numerous drool-worthy accessories but two pieces that really caught my attention, and made me fear for the well-being of my wallet, are these two pieces from Givenchy and Saint Laurent by Hedi Slimane. These two collections were among my favorite from all of fashion month. Although a bit biased because of my obsession with Riccardo and Hedi, I still feel that these two were the most edgy and exciting collections, overflowing with that cool, downtown energy. These two bracelets are essentially modern day, grown-up charm bracelets. Givenchy's version has a single medallion hanging from the chain. The Saint Laurent by Hedi Slimane bracelet (much like the glorious boots in this collection) has multiple charms and other embellishments attached to it. Needless to say I'm obsessed with both. 

Givenchy F/W 2013

Saint Laurent by Hedi Slimane F/W 2013

All images via style.com

Skyping with Cyndi Lauper (Kind of)

It's important to take every opportunity that comes your way, or so I've been told. This is a philosophy I'm trying to get used to so when I was presented with an opportunity to take part in a Huffington Post Live segment featuring Cyndi Lauper I knew I had to say yes. Check out the video of the segment.

My Love Affair with Man-Skirts

My love affair with man-skirts is a rather recent phenomenon. It occurred during my transitional period from normal color wearing college student to all black, skinny jean wearing fashion bitch. This was during the end of my freshman year at NYU. During this transitional period I stumbled across an image of the Givenchy Homme Spring/Summer 2012 Birds of Paradise printed skirts and although not part of my all black aesthetic, I still fell in love with these skirts and so a romance between me and man-skirts developed. As a struggling college student the romance never reached fruition (as a poor college student I could not afford a Givenchy man-skirt without selling an essential organ) but nonetheless my love grew and was only rekindled when I saw the pleated skirts Riccardo Tisci designed for his Givenchy Homme Fall/Winter 2012 collection. It was as if Riccardo was looking into my dark, Gothic soul and pulling out my inner darkest desires. These skirts screamed "Fuck Off, You Commoners" which is basically what I want my everyday look to scream out. Other designers have attempted the man-skirt/kilt but most efforts have been sub-par except for a few notable exceptions such as the Prince of Darkness Rick Owens who expanded the man-skirt to a full on man-dress and most recently Thom Browne who produced the most drool-worthy kilts for Moncler Gamme Bleu. Man-skirts are certainly not for the weak of heart or fat of calves but wearing a Givenchy man-skirt is at the top of my bucket-list.

Givenchy S/S 2012

Givenchy F/W 2012

Rick Owens S/S 2012

Thom Browne for Moncler Gamme Bleu F/W 2013

Safety-Pin First

Some people are big fans of a crisp basic white button down, unfortunately I am not one of those people. To me white button downs always look the same and they always look boring no matter who it's by, whether it be Dolce & Gabbana or H&M. In my own closet I only keep a single white button down for when I'm feeling more conservative than usual. To my amazement Thom Browne has created such an amazing white button down that even I'm obsessed with it. Known for edging up classic menswear pieces, Thom Browne has added safety pins to a white oxford resulting in a powerful, statement making shirt. Definitely adding this to my dream to-buy list. 

Thom Browne Safety Pin Oxford $750 at barneys.com

Tommy Ton for style.com

Five Reasons Why A Fendi "Baguette" Is Better Than A Baguette

The iconic Fendi Baguette bag is celebrating it's 15th anniversary so I thought it was only appropriate that I dedicate a blog post to this iconic bag, which is often hailed as having started the "it-bag" trend. In addition to the book, "Fendi Baguette" which is due out in just 4 days, Fendi is reissuing the bag in six of its most popular incarnations. I'm fond of five reasons, so here are 5 reasons why a Fendi Baguette bag is much better than an actual baguette.

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1. Too many Fendi Baguettes are never a bad thing whereas too many baguettes just make you fat and no one likes the fat girl.

2. The Fendi Baguette is a work of art whereas a baguette is just a piece of bread, delicious, but just bread.

3. People will compliment you on your fabulous Fendi Baguette but no one will compliment you on your expanding waistline courtesy of too many baguettes.

4. A Fendi Baguette bag carries the Lagerfeld seal of approval whereas everyone knows the Kaiser doesn't eat carbs.

5. A Fendi Baguette bag makes you a better person because of its high chic value. Everyone knows chic = better.

Bite Me

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Givenchy Shark Print Tee $320 available at bergdorfgoodman.com

I've been obsessed with Givenchy for years now and consider myself a true devotee of the Tisci Tribe. Ricardo Tisci is a true visionary when it comes to fashion, specifically menswear. His menswear collections are always bold and powerful wth a fuck off attitude. His inovative syle can best be seen by his decision to launch a Pre-Fall 2012 Collection for men. Other designers have followed Tisci's lead but none of their collections are as impressive. Continuing the beach theme from his Spring 2012 women's collection, Tisci has created some amazing shark printed garments that are sure to become highly coveted, such as this amazing Shark Print Tee Shirt which I'm dying to add to my closet. Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, not many retailers have picked up the pre-fall collection which is truly a shame. Hopefully more retailers start stocking up on the Givenchy Menswear  such as the amazing Givenchy Men's Resort 2013 collection which is full of great camouflage inspired prints.

Givenchy Men's Resort 2013

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Vanitas Love Affair

H&M Skull Bracelets

Perhaps it is due to my study of and love for Dutch still-life painting, or perhaps it is because I am a dark and depressed soul but I have recently become obsessed with skulls and everything related to Vanitas paintings. The term Vanitas refers to a genre of art that emerged in Northern Europe during the 17th Century. These paintings differed from regular still-lifes in that they contained symbols of death, the most common being the skull. The skull is a little dark, a little macabre but I absolutely love it.

Still Life with Bouquet and Skull (1642) by Adrian van Utrecht

Nowadays it is super easy to incorporate the skull motif into your everyday look. First pioneered by the late Alexander McQueen, the skull is now a common fixture in fashion. One of my favorite ways to rock the skull is in a bracelet form. You can find skull bracelets almost anywhere from fast-fashion retailers like H&M to higher end jewelry companies like the 2011 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Finalist Finn Jewelry.

Carras Skull Bracelet
$28 available at shopthegallaxy.com

Finn Black Silver Skull on Cord
$150 available at finnjewelry.com

Although I may be a dark and dreary soul I love juxtaposing the skull motif with something more romantic and dreamy such as roses or other bright flowers (must be the fag in me). One of my favorite images is when the skull is completely composed of cutesy little flowers and butterflies such as one this t-shirt from H&M, which is only $5.95 USD.

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