Model Smarts.

Contrary to popular belief, there are mannequins in the business who are so much more than just being "really, really ridiculously good-looking".

Carla Bruni can sing (and has a best-selling album).

Tyra Banks and Heidi Klum have made themselves into entire brands (which include television production).

Coco Rocha can highland dance the crap out of anyone (and did so down a Givenchy runway).

Helena Christensen helped start NYLON Magazine (and still looks 28-years-old at 41-years-old).

Cindy Crawford scored an academic scholarship to study chemical engineering at Northwestern University (before her beloved beautymark changed the definition of a super model in the '80s).

Milla Jovovich can act, sing and design (respectively, The Fifth Element, Dazed & Confused and Jovovich-Hawk)

And now model supe Sasha Pivovarova -- who is has a knack for photography and was enrolled studying art history at a Russian university -- is illustrating for Chanel, at the behest of Kasier Karl himself.

The figures in her sketch below somehow have the same alien-esque eye shape as she does, which you'll probably recognize from her six-year run as the face of Prada.

Talk about being more than a pretty face.







I'm Lovin' it: Complex Geometries got so popular with their awesome drape, hooded tees via NYC boutique Oak that they had to start their own website. Awesome.






I'm Over it: Where. Is. My. Digital. Recorder. Can't find it!!!! Not good.


Music of the Day: Here's a widely known fact -- I'm obsessed with all things French. Especially of the Parisian variety. So that explains me being into The Plasticines, an all-girl band from Paris who rock out in cool haircuts and cool clothes.






* Photos property of Anthem Magazine, fashionologie.com, nitrolicious.com, Complex Geometries and are used solely for commentary purposes

And Now The Thrill(er) Is Gone...

The whole world is collectively mourning the passing of Michael Jackson, the King of Pop.

With a smile through a few tears, I've spent all morning listening to everything MJ, as in tracks from the Jackson Five era to the time when Michael was on the very top of his game.

Not only did MJ bring us the greatest hits music has ever seen, he brought us the "Thriller" video, the moon walk, crotch grabs, Neverland Ranch, sequined gloves, fedora hats, white socks and black loafers, flashy military jackets, mind-blowing performances and moves the dance floor will never see again.

Never has one person or musical artist brought the world so much happiness through song and dance. And no one will ever come close.

Rest in peace, Michael Jackson.

We'll all continue to sing to "Billie Jean" and moonwalk in celebration and memory of you.

(Click here to download an amazing MJ tribute by a local music station)

Gap Snaps.

Here are the pics I took of me trying on the Gap/CFDA collaboration items by Alexander Wang.

No love for anything here, except for the simple black dress with hidden pocket, which was -- funny enough -- not a collabo piece.









I'm Lovin' it: I don't know why, but this F21 dress reminds me of Gwen Stefani's "Cool" video. Maybe it's the girly 50s aesthetic.






I'm Over it: This is an easy one. Rain on the third official day of summer?!


Photo of the Day: I was playing around with my iPhone came and took this shot of my shadow while I was walking. It turned out kinda neat, with my foot stepping into my shadowy self.





* Photos property of Haute Hippie, forever21.com and are used solely for commentary purposes

Haute Heels, Sickening Sneaks.

Exhibit A: Very haute (and hot) purple ruffle heels from Topshop, which are blatant but admirable Givenchy knockoffs and have a little space reserved in my shoe collection.




Exhibit B: Very ugly neon sneaks from House of Dereon I spotted the other day, photographic proof that Beyonce and her mom really should stop designing things.




* Images property of Topshop, Haute Hippie and are used solely for commentary purposes

For The Love of Shoes.

There was a very, very big shoe sale that occurred this weekend at our luxe department store downtown.

Ladies were being pushy in the politest of ways, but I did witness an elbow jab here and there in attempts to get to the right size shoe racks.

I usually waver between a size 5 and size 6 in footwear, so how lucky was I to spot not only a color-blocked Fendi wedge, but a sky-high cream pair of Versace heels in my section?!

The unlucky part, however, is budget-related. Loosely translated, that means there was no way in freakin' hell I could fork over six hundred big ones for Fendi (and that was already slashed in price).

But, like always, I have no shame in taking snaps.









I'm Lovin' it: This image of Anne Hathaway, who snagged the role of White Queen in Tim Burton's upcoming remake of Alice in Wonderland. I think she looks absolutely stunning here. Also on the thespian roster for this movie: Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen and Alan Rickman as the Caterpillar ("Whooooo are yooooooou?").





I'm Over it: Looking outside and then getting dressed appropriately, only to look outside again to witness a weather 180 and having to change again.


Music of the Day: What do you get when Jack White of The White Stripes partners up with Allison Mosshart of The Kills, Jack Lawrence of The Raconteurs and Dean Fertita from Queens of the Stone Age? The Dead Weather. It's great alt-rock from Nashville, TN. White and Mosshart have an eerily similar pale skin-black hair thing going on.






* Photos property of Haute Hippie, Disney, dailymail.co.uk, pastemagazine.com and are used solely for commentary purposes

Etch A Sketch.

Cedric Rivrain is a massively talented illustrator that counts so-cool-it-hurts publications like Tokion and Dazed & Confused -- oh, and John Galliano -- as clients.

He recently captured mega models like Kate Moss, Sasha Pivovarova and Anabela Belikova via sketch, all wearing big labels like Jil Sander, Prada, Balenciaga, Yves Saint Laurent and Lanvin.

But instead of drawing the mannequins wearing accessories, Rivrain drew them decorated in band-aids. Yep, like the good old Johnson & Johnson kind.

It's admittedly a little weird, but the drawings themselves are really quite pretty, especially the one of Sasha.

Rivrain just showed his drawings at a show curated by the one and only Martine Sitbon, a great for the already well-known sketchman.

C'est bon when you land Sitbon as a curator!







I'm Lovin' it: Nicholas Kirkwood, you have done it again. Look and weep in joy at some of his Autumn/Winter '09 collection. Warning: these heels are of the sit down and look pretty variety.








I'm Over it: Situations that put you in states of discomfort, especially when said discomfort: a) is not something you feel often and b) comes in the form of an uncomfortable situation. Ever have one of those?? Yeah. Fuuuuuun.


Track of the Day: "Love and let love" by The Gossip. Lead singer (and not-so-closeted lesbian) Beth Ditto has become somewhat of a fashion icon lately, despite her not-a-sample-size frame. LOVE magazine even featured her on their highly anticipated first cover. I'm not sure what I think of her sartorial "it" status, but I do like this song.






* Photos property of Cedric Rivrain, fashionologie.com, refinery29.pipeline.com, Nicholas Kirkwood, highsnobette.com, johnnyblueeyes.com and are used solely for commentary purposes

Way More Wang.

Alexander Wang might be getting a little ubiquitous for some, but I have yet to tire of him.

Today's a bit of a rush, but here are a few more AW pieces from the Resort 2010 that deserves some posting props!

My girl Steph A. chopped off the sleeves to a light wash, cropped denim jacket that was sitting in her closet, and it looks similar to the Wang one pictured below. The best thing? She saved a couple hundred bills doing it!

You gotta be resourceful these days...

On another Alex W. note, I went to a Gap/CFDA pre-sale this morning for the new collaboration collection and tried on his cropped safari jacket and rolled-up khakis.

Here's my verdict:

1. The jacket is tres cute, but can make a petite gal look a little overwhelmed and a bit boxy. But it's certainly an individual try-it-on-for-size-yourself situation.

2. The khaki pants are also tres cute. My girl Reebs liked the pants on me, but suggested going a size bigger -- even though I didn't need to -- for visual effect. I agree wholeheartedly with her advice. Though I'm still on the fence about the pants, I think I'll head back with a pair of heels because that might be a winning look. Flats, those pants and me were a no-go, however.

I'll post pictures soon, which I sneakily took in the change room...









I'm Lovin' it: Terry Richardson shot the upcoming Pirelli calendar! Lots of gratuitous supermodel skin.





I'm Over it: Unpredictability can make one craaaazy.


Track of the Day: I've been on a huge old school hip hop and rap kick lately. Found an old mixed CD full of G-funk sound. "Nobody Does It Better" by Nate Dogg brings back a lot of chillin' and illin' memories.







* Photos property of nymag.com, Terry Richardson, fashionologie.com and are used solely for commentary purposes

Hey, CFDAs.

The CFDAs went down yesterday in New York, an annual glittery and sartorial event that commends and honors those who make fashion the industry what it is today (read: fabulous).

So congrats to the winners, all of whom are very deserving, from Marc Jacobs to Scott Sternberg to Alexander Wang to Rodarte to Proenza Schouler.

But most of all, congrats to these stylin' gals -- Lake Bell, Maggie Grace (who is apparently dating Blake Mycoskie from TOMS Shoes?!), Kirsten Dunst, Fabiola Beracasa, Diane Kruger, Lisa Mayock, Sophie Buhai, Erin Fetherston and Dree Hemmingway -- who are my personal Best Dressed picks for the night.

And, oh my god, Kirsten Dunst is wearing Nicholas Kirkwood heels.

Damn her.













I'm Lovin' it: Being the newest contributor to VIA! Thanks to Danielle Ow of Once Loved Threads for the intro and thanks to VIA and Club Mumble founder Bob K for bringing me on board!! Look out for not only my posts (ie. random iPhone pictures of cool things spotted around town), but for more big, exciting things to come from VIA as the year goes on!


I'm Over it: How did I get so confused about last night's show at the No Limits digs? I thought Ladyhawke was playing, not Ladyhawk. Whoops.


Track of the Day: "Nothing But A Miracle" by Diane Birch. A good, slow, peppy song for this cloudy day.






* Photos property of style.com and are used solely for commentary purposes

Cut It Out.

When it's undeniably warm out -- as it was on an overnight trip with my girls Berry, Steph A., Ovitch and Saritz this weekend -- the key things to have are a loose and light summer dress, sandals, sunnies, bikinis and a pool (if you can score lounging at one).

I, unfortunately, miscalculated Saturday's heat and very unfortunately wore jeans when I should have been wearing something like this cut-out Lattice Knot Festival Dress from ASOS, which is a sartorial cross section of 60s hippie and Southwest.

Sure, it would look good for traipsing around Coachella or Sasquatch, but it would have looked even better walking through Whistler Village this past Saturday.









I'm Lovin' it: Pharrell Williams and Takashi Murakami joined forces for an art project called "The Simple Things" that unveiled at the recent Art Basel in Switzerland. It was really anything but simple, considering it took two years to complete -- and that the project's objects were bedazzled in 18k gold and precious jewels. Oh, and it sold for $2 million, partial proceeds of which probably most likely went to Williams, who -- in an ironic twist of fate -- is already part of something he dubs "The Billionaire Boys Club", meaning he doesn't need that $2M in his heavily gilded pocket.





I'm Over it: Attempting to reorganize things makes me realize just how disorganized I've been of late.


Music of the Day: Ladyhawke will be on hand tomorrow night for a special show at the showroom/party house of some industry acquaintances. She's probably perform "Paris Is Burning", I betcha, but what I want to hear is "Back of the Van" (for its 80s vibe).







* Photos property of asos.com, miikkavarri.files.wordpress.com and are used solely for commentary purposes

Happy Friday!

Well, another end of the M-F work week is here. It's gonna be a good weekend with some heavy activity itinerary.


1. My girl Phyll's engagement party tonight.

2. Billabong party tonight.

3. Some sleep.

4. Whis with the girls.

5. Barely any sleep.

6. Drive home.

7. Lazy Sunday that might include that car-free party/festival happening on Main Street. Or hopefully a boat going up to Indian Arm.


Whatever you do, just make sure your iPod is jampacked with good music. And if you're around on August 25, make sure to pick up your ticket for Bat for Lashes!!!!!

She's coming into town and -- unlike The Field and The Juan Maclean -- I'm not missing this show this time around.

Can you say girl crush?! And I'm pretty sure that's a Martin Margiela wigcoat she's wearing in the video. Yeah. Wow.

Happy Friday!

xo
Haute Hippie



Bat For Lashes - "Pearl's Dream"

Philo's Back.

Fashion cried long and hard when Phoebe Philo bid adieu to the industry and the House of Chloe in 2006 to raise her young family.

Fashion then jumped up and down ecstatically when LVMH chief Bernard Arnault inserted her at the head of Celine in September 2008, marking the return of Philo and her design vision that beckons to many who love the sartorial.

Oh, what a triumphant return it's been.

She showed her first collection -- which included a good number of suits, separates and cocktail dresses -- for the French label during the recent Resort 2010, a re-entrance that had editors, buyers, stylists and their ilk clamoring for a closer look.

And accessories fans, she's taking care of that category, too, so if you can't afford the apparel, at least you can financially handle the bags.

Welcome home, Phoebe Philo.







I'm Lovin' it: Keep sneaks in The Ramos midtop. Tried on a pair in Livestock a few months ago in a purple/black colorway and didn't end up getting them that time. Then I saw them again at another sneak shop and wondered why I hadn't gotten them in the first place.





I'm Over it: Birds have an affinity for using my car as a toilet. Why?!


Music of the Day: The Engineers from the UK. Easy-going, slightly trippy electro-rock that's probably best described as shoegaze. Their second album Three Fact Fader hits store on July 6. Mark it down.






* Photos property of style.com, keepcompany.com, surfingonsteam.blogspot.com and are used solely for commentary purposes

Two If By Sea.

I went for my first bike ride of the summer earlier this week, and pretty much knew there was no way I could live anywhere that wasn't near the sea.

I'm a sun and water baby for sure.

Maybe that's why I really, really like Sea New York, designed by Sean Monahan.

Okay, not really. But I do admire the look book photography (the latest has models cavorting with the Easter Bunny) and the clothing (cool enough for the downtown girl, luxe enough for the uptown girl, which are pretty great to look at.

Plus, isn't there a photograph floating around somewhere of fashion and portrait shutterbug Terry Richardson with the Easter Bunny or at least holding a bunny costume head?!

(Note: I just checked, it's a photo of him in a cartoon bear, not rabbit, costume)

You'll soon see what I see in Sea.





Reader Comment of the Day: To the reader who asked about those men's-inspired Oxfords, Steph A. confirmed they're from a Parisian shoe store called La Scarpa!


I'm Lovin' it: Opened my inbox to find an email from my old Santa Monica, CA, roomie, Em! She's a brilliant photographer, from weddings to whatever. Check out her work.


I'm Over it: I got stuck in my apartment elevator, alone with only the elevator TV for company. Yes, I was saved, but now not only do I really know what claustrophia feels like, I never want to see another movie preview for Land of the Lost again.


Track of the Day: "Anti-Orgasm" by Sonic Youth. These guys have their 16th album now out called The Eternal that's pretty much in line with SY tendencies, I think. A taste of their new music is below. Yay, Kim Gordon.





* Photo property of Sea New York and is used solely for commentary purposes

Ga-Ga for Gaga.

I'm not a huge fan of her music, but I have to say: Lady Gaga's got style.

At this point, you're probably rolling your eyes and begging to differ, but it's style. In a crazy, look-at-me way, of course: no pants, platinum blonde locks in ridiculous hairdos, silver armor dresses, zipper eye patches, hairbows made from her own hair and more.

I absolutely dig this shot of her with conehead hair, vintage Emilio Pucci sunglasses, massive star ring and handcuffs.

So who's her stylist, you ask?

A lady never tells.

(Okay, it's B. Akerlund)







I'm Lovin' it: Stella McCartney is Gap-bound for a children's collection. She is, hands-down, the collaboration queen when it comes to fashion, from Adidas to LeSportSac to H&M. And don't forget she helped turn Chloe around back in the late 90s before Phoebe Philo did in the early to mid-2000s. What's next, Miz McCartney?! (Said in an excited tone, because I heart Stella)


I'm Over it: Missed out on The Field and The Juan Maclean last night. Sigh.


DIY of the Day: Garance Dore instructs the fashion masses who follow her blog religiously how to make sweatpant cutoffs look chic. All you need is scissors, coffee and heels!


Track of the Day: "Percussion Gun" by White Rabbits. Something about this song reminds me of The White Stripes.







* Photos property of anthemmagazine.com, highrize.files.wordpress.com and are used solely for commentary purposes

Crahay For Her.

Envy is not something I feel too often, but then today I discovered the lovely Laetitia Crahay, director of jewelry and accessories at the House of Chanel.

She's uber-chic, sample-sized, has Chanel (at presumably a heavy discount) at her French manicured fingertips, is close to Karl (as in Lagerfeld) and has wicked, wicked sets of accessories to make me very green with one of the seven deadly sins.

I would give my left hand to have the massive rings she has on in the picture below.

But then again, that would be defeating the purpose.







I'm Lovin' it: First bike ride of Summer '09 last night! I took my Parisian oxfords for the spin with me. Oh, and The Field and The Juan Maclean are in town tonight.


I'm Over it: No good food in the fridge for lunch.


Track of the Day: "Mouthful of Diamonds" by Phantogram. Comprised of Josh Carter and Sarah Barthel, this hip hop beats-meets-shoegaze duo kicks it in Saratoga Springs, NY, and have created a pretty darn good summer track with this one (I also like that they shout out the late J Dilla as being one of their influences).






* Photos property of style.com, thetripwire.com and are used solely for commentary purposes

Resorting To This.

In between ready-to-wear and couture shows is a group of lesser known collections -- to the public, at least, because not everyone can afford vacays in Biarritz -- called resort (or formerly known as "cruise").

The brands who showed Resort 2010 very recently included Marc Jacobs, Chanel, Yigal Azrouel, Anna Sui, Alexander Wang, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Zac Posen, Doo.Ri, Prada, Rachel Roy, Stella McCartney, Thakoon, Vena Cava and a string of other very well-known labels.

Among my favorites were Alexander Wang, Yigal Azrouel, Stella McCartney and basically the ENTIRE 15-look Rag & Bone collection (oh, to have this as my early Fall '09 wardrobe!).

Happy gazing!

















I'm Lovin' it: How cute are my -- and Steph A.'s -- Parisian oxfords?! She's got the two-toned creams, I've got the whites.






I'm Lovin' it: Muggy weather, begone.


Track(s) of the Day: "The Kid" and "Lately" by All Wrong and the Plans Change. Hailing from Los Angeles, California, Kassia Conway and Amy Wood left Stella's Ball to form their new group in early 2007 (they also picked up a guitarist along the way), and man, do they have a great sound (which I find a little hard to define, quite frankly). Please listen to them and their debut EP A Learning Problem.






* Photos property of style.com, Haute Hippie, s3.amazonaws.com and are used solely for commentary purposes