10.04.2010

What do you do when a bear rolls up on you?


Sooooo... we went camping in the Catskills for my birthday last weekend. Not a very fashion-y thing to do, but I LOVE NATURE. I am a total nature girl; when I get in it, I JUST HAVE TO RUN.

I don't understand it, but even a trip back from the restroom (this is luxury camping y'all, none of that wild Louisiana stuff) necessitates a run. Everyone was like, "Why is she running?!?!"
Planning the trip was a total pain. This isn't the pick-up-and-go trip that I'm used to. No, you need reservations (for a spot in the woods--are they serious??), a car, and to buy a sleeping bag because no one wastes space having one of those just lying around.

BUT DON'T GET ME WRONG, IT WAS ALL TOTALLY WORTH IT. We roasted marshmallows, turned them into s'mores, and nearly fell asleep on the ground near the fire, untented. One of the best birthdays in recent years, to be sure.

After camping, we took the opportunity for a tiny detour through Woodstock, NY. We stopped at a charming yard sale, a unique and tempting art gallery (their words), and THE WORLD'S LARGEST KALEIDOSCOPE. And look at these pumpkins!
I'm kind of ready for fall.

I had this great fashion-y camping outfit planned that involved a turban, a plaid flannel, and some sensible layering. As it turns out, it wasn't that chilly, so I ended up in a white F21 t-shirt, black legging pants, Aerie sample coziest knit cardigan and gladiators.
(I pretty much stole all of these pictures from my roommate and NYBF's blog. Check her out, she's pretty good.)

10.01.2010

Ding Dong, Balmainia's Dead

I'm not one to be a negative Nancy, but I do think there is some room for informed critique on this blog. Like many an editor at the recent Balmain show, I was completely...underwhelmed.

True, I was never personally a fan of the sharp, crystallized shoulders of yesteryear, but at least I could appreciate the great tailoring and workmanship walking down a runway (or on Beyonce). Decarnin's offering for SS11, on the other hand, seems completely devoid of inspiration. It goes punk, but only weakly so.

Lackluster leathers top the blandest of denim, resulting in some sort of mediocre mom's idea of staying "cool". The makeup is naked and forgetable, the hair barely tousled, the safety pins cliche. It's punk tempered through a mass-market lens, and it's not good.

I'd like to think this is part of some grander statement about fast fashion or fashion in general, but given head designer Christopher Decarnin's penchant for the style, it's not likely. Or maybe all the flack is simply the reflection of fashion's fickle taste and timely turn away from worn out trends. Either way you slice it (or in this case, shred it), Decarnin fails to maintain relevance.

What would have been nice (and much more luxe!) are unique cuts, perforations or slices to the obviously supple leathers. Instead of here-a-pin-there-a-pin placements, the safety accoutrements could have been used to create interesting tensions along the fabric. Or what about beaded or studded pins arranged to create Chuck Close-like images? As for the jeans, I'm not sure if anything could save them.

In sum, I cannot believe these things are on a runway looking like a Rave store. In Paris, no less!