Dirt Off My One-Shoulder.

The one-shoulder has been undeniably one of the biggest comeback silhouettes of the last few seasons.

There's something undeniably feminine about revealing the shoulder just so, echoing how subtly sexy it is when a woman's thin dress strap falls from her shoulder before she quickly fixes it.

Lanvin, Alexander Wang, BCBG MazAzria and Versace have all dabbled in this look recently, and what's superb is it looks amazing both as casual and couture.

One of my favorite fashion bloggers throws together the perfect summer-in-Spain outfit with a white, ruffled Mango one-shoulder dress, pairing it with a (very clutch!) silver studded and black clutch, dangling silver necklaces, ponytail and Wayfarers. It's a more girly take on rock chic, so buh-bye ubiquitous tomboy chic!

The rain in Spain is obviously not that plain here.

Oh, and Happy Friday, everyone!

xo
Haute Hippie

Free Graphic Tees.

Old Navy is having a special promotion: buy a pair of jeans, get a free graphic tee.

For today only.

Just wanted to share the O.N. wealth!

xo
Haute Hippie

Optical Illusion.

Found this photo of a girl who wears her stripes in a most visually interesting way.

The perpendicular angles give boring, straight stripes a fresh (and non-static) look.

Me likes!





I'm Lovin' it: New Banksy stuff.






I'm Over it: My ears were straight ringing after checking out KeysNKrates last night at Fortune Sound Club. But, oh, what good tunes and dancing there was...



Music of the Day: Washed Out, the performance moniker of a dude from South Carolina who makes trippy, lo-fi beach tunes that'll make you feel good and relaxed. Be sure to check out "Feel It All Around".






* Photos property of stylesight.com, woostercollective.com and are used solely for commentary purposes

Bagged.

Sasha Pivovarova posed for W magazine and fashion fotog Craig McDean in a rather brilliant editorial, with Sasha P. playing a (literal) paper bag princess.

Only the paper bags are of the Dior, Prada and Armani kind.

And she's wearing Dior, Prada and Armani to go along with it.

I'd say poor girl, but that's very evidently not the case.








I'm Lovin' it: The Style & Design section of Time magazine did a great article called "The Green Design 100", which lists companies, people, brands, architects and buildings on the edge of luxury sustainability. Some of the mock-ups of sustainable, self-functioning buildings and eco-cities (like Tianjin in China) being built around the world are mind-blowing.




I'm Over it: Why did Fashionista pull images of the Rodarte for Target collection before I could see it?! Oh, the Mulleavys and their cloud of Rodarte secrecy.




Track of the Day: "Harold T Wilkins" by Fanfarlo from London. Fun and peppy. The band is kind of Vampire Weekend-ish. "Ghosts" is a good track, too.







* Photos property of W magazine, Craig McDean, Time magazine, 4ortherecord.com and are used solely for commentary purposes

Danes & Confused.

Among my long, long, long list of favorite magazines is BlackBook, which dangles its glossy mag arms in a lot of cities, including Moscow, Aspen, Los Angels, Mykonos, Vancouver, Cote d'Azur, Paris, Sao Paulo, Philly, Shanghai and St. Bart's.

In the most recent issue, Claire Danes served as cover girl in a very slick and sexy spread that had her looking futuristic, rather than classic (the latter of which tends to be her go-to look).

This is by far the best shot.

And this shot has, by far, the best statement necklace I've laid eyes on all year (a double-trouble layering from both Lanvin
and Alexis Bittar).

Happy Friday!!

xo
Haute Hippie






I'm Lovin' it: It seems Fujifilm is intent on snapping up the consumers that Polaroid left behind when it decided to discontinue its beloved instant camera. Fujifilm's newest version looks like a giant eyeball, but I'll overlook that aesthetic flaw if it'll give me of-the-moment pictures.





I'm Over it: Clouds. Gray. Boooooo.


Track of the Day: "Ancestors" by Throw Me The Statue. Indie-pop of the lo-fi variety from Seattle. They also did a cover of Huey Lewis & The News' hit "If This Is It".






* Photos property of BlackBook, comfortcomes.com, Fujifilm and are used solely for commentary purposes

Elettra Feel.

Elettra Rossellini Wiedemann has some (gorgeous) film royalty roots, and it shows.

Her mother happens to be Isabella Rossellini, and her grandparents happen to be Ingrid Bergman and the late, famed Italian director Roberto Rossellini.

And her outfit at a recent New York screening of Inglorious Basterds happens to be very downtown-chic: white boyfriend blazer, silk shorts and platforms.

I'm feeling' Elettra here.






* Photo property of style.com are is used solely for commentary purposes

Music Tees.

As you all know, music is an essential part of my genetic makeup.

I play it, I breathe it, I seek it out 24/7 and would die without it (an exaggeration, but somehow feels like it would be true anyhow).

Thus, it's only natural I'd want one a Music Tee in my closet to throw on before heading out to a show. Music Tees are the creation of Invisible DJ, a company that programs music for retail stores, and LnA, the brand that does great cotton basics, a la American Apparel.

Each tee has an album cover on front, and the album track listing on the back. Then on the tag is a URL where you can download the album, all of which is included in the $39 fixed price. I'm super digging the Mos Def (album: The Ecstatic) and Amanda Blank (album: I Love You) versions.

You can never really separate music and fashion, can you?!






I'm Lovin' it: Tavi from Style Rookie, the most ridiculously stylish thirteen-year-old ever, made it on two magazine covers: Love and POP. Katie Grand, the former EIC of POP, put Tavi on her Love, her new mag. Dasha Zhukova, the new EIC of POP, put Tavi on POP and commissioned Damien Hirst to put his touch on the cover image. The battleground is now the newsstand. May the best EIC win.




I'm Over it: Went on a hike on Saturday that took a bunch of us through a never-ending cluster of thorny bushes for nearly 45 minutes. My legs are physical manifestations of that dire mistake. They're cut up bad, yo.


Track of the Day: "Deli" by Delorean from Espana (er, Spain). Enjoy.






* Photos property of Universal DJ, LnA, sweetjanemusic.de, POP, Love and are used solely for commentary purposes

Life As A (Tree)House.

This weekend, I came across these amazing treehouses by Pete Nelson and Jake Jacob of Seattle-based TreeHouse Workshop.

When I was growing up, some kids I knew had treehouses to play in -- though I unfortunately wasn't one of them. Fast forward a few years to no hard feelings, because these are the kind I'd want right now as a grown-up.

Nelson, Jacob and their team help clients choose healthy, happy trees that are able to survive with a house built within its branches, then use salvaged and reclaimed material and wood for the construction, helping blend the house's aesthetic with its arbor surrounding.

The results are stunning.

Screw the modern, all-glass house on the beach! (Totally kidding, by the way)









I'm Lovin' it: Harper's Bazaar recently did a shoot with the industry's best designers and Sesame Street characters -- think Oscar de la renta, Oscar the Grouch, Diane von Furstenberg, Big Bird and model Sessilee Lopez. Well, might as well learn couture young!




I'm Over it: I went to buy a small bottle of Pellegrino today, and it was nearly $3. That's grand theft, people!


Music of the Day: So this isn't technically a music post, but The Presets did a sunnies collaboration with COLAB Eyewear that's pretty sick-looking. How much do you wanna bet they'll make it onto the next Presets music video?





* Photos property of Pete Nelson, Harper's Bazaar, COLAB Eyewear and are used solely for commentary purposes

Gaga For Out.

Lady Gaga is to the (pop) music world as Lynn Yaeger is to fashion: bright and outlandish in dress, almost uncomfortably so, but still so utterly compelling to look at that you can't rip your eyes away from it all.

Ellen von Unwerth -- the photog who has done a ton of work with Erin Fetherston, like the short film with Kirsten Dunst for Fetherston's clothing label -- shot she who wears Kermit the Frog jackets and elephant hairpieces like it's just a windbreaker and bobby pins in a spread for Out magazine.

Cross Gaga with Interview with A Vampire and drop of True Blood, and voila!

A gorgeous, if slightly macabre, mag spread.

Happy Friday!!

xo
Haute Hippie










I'm Lovin' it: On Monday, I get a one-on-one meeting with Alex Chantecaille of storied French makeup brand, Chantecaille! More details to come later...


I'm Over it: This morning, it felt like fall. So I pulled on patterned tights under my skirt and wound a scarf around my neck. It's now afternoon, and I'm blogging and sweating on a patio from the surprise return of summer weather.


Track of the Day: The Freshest Kids made up some awesome ringtones for you to download, all snippet remixes of classic hip hop tunes that have to do with phones, phones blowin' up and booty calls. Kerpal even makes an appearance to kick your dog. Download here!






* Photos property of Ellen von Unwerth, Out magazine, The Freshest Kids and are used solely for commentary purposes

LSD.

I dare any other edition of Vogue to top the one from Paris.

Anna Wintour and Franca Sozzani, there's no beating the editorials of Carine Roitfeld!

This recent glossy Paris Vogue spread was one in particular that I really, really loved, because it took an American colleague, the NYC socialite and editor-at-large, Lauren Santo Domingo (formerly Lauren Davis), piled her with killer metal bijoux, mussed up her mane a little and gave her uber-smoky eyes.

It's an American gone Paris.

Not what you'd expect from a Greenwich-bred gal, but c'est sexy chic, non?






I'm Lovin' it: This trailer for The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnasuss makes me tingly with excitement. The visuals are stunning, as is model Lily Cole, who plays Parnasuss' daughter. And it's the last silver screen appearance of Heath Ledger. It's like a Salvador Dali come to life.





I'm Over it: None, because I'm too excited for my three-course culinary class at The Dirty Apron Cooking School tonight!


Track of the Day: My buddy Aroop introduced us to Fresh Espresso, a hip hop act from Seattle. He described them "like Kanye when he drops any pretense of being deep. I think it's preferable." Video of a good live track performance is below for your viewing pleasure.





* Photo property of Paris Vogue and is used solely for commentary purposes

Whirlwind.

Taking a long weekend away equates heavy duty catching up upon returning chez moi.

Therefore, this post will be quick like a bunny but, oh, will you ever be glad you tuned in today.

Once thing I've learned after reading through their book Influence: never underestimate the talent and intelligence of Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen.

There's a reason why these two mini moguls are where they are today, and it's not sheer luck or royalties from Full House and from MK + O Kmart products.

They are simply just brilliant in every sense of the word, both creatively and entrepreneurially.

Check out these creations from their label Elizabeth & James for Fall '09.













I'm Lovin' it: Congrats to my friend Aims and Stevie on their engagement!!!!! Love you guys.


I'm Over it: I went from waterskiing on a bright and sunny day to rain and cold the next. Boo urns.


Track of the Day: I promise two for tomorrow!


* Photos property of Elizabeth & James and are used solely for commentary purposes

Why Is This Friday So Great?

Because I'm heading up the the Lazy River B&B with the crew for a long weekend of boating and floating on the river.




Because I spent a good part of the morning drooling over Alexander Wang's new Fall '09 accessories.






Because Sayn Design gold-gilded 500 iPhone for a limited-edition collection, and they're fantastic.




Because aesthetic changes are coming in the near future to Confessions of a Fashion Fanatic, and I want you to stayed tuned in! Happy happy Friday!!

xo
Haute Hippie


I'm Lovin' it: My girl Steph A. bought these Dahlia Over The Knee Boots from Pour La Victoire for fall. Amazing.




I'm Over it: How do you make a mountainous pimple out into a manageable molehill? Argh.


Track of the Day: "Stillness Is The Move" by the Dirty Projectors. Brownie points for the title alone. And another few for having a llama in their music video.






* Photos property of nymag.com, shopbop.com, FWD, tribulationstrails.files.wordpress..com and are used solely for commentary purposes

That's Rad.

A few days ago, I had a bit of a realization: I'm in love with drapery when it comes to clothing.

My deduction came fast, as I mentally ticked off all the labels I love, like Complex Geometries, Doo.Ri, Donna Karan and local label, Mandula. There's something about the way a fabric can be made to fall that takes my breath away at times, the way it can change the whole aura of the woman wearing it.

That's why when I saw the new Rad by Rad Hourani collection (the designer's secondary line), I basically stopped breathing (in a good way!).

Think more layering, more sharp lines and even more androgyny than Alexander Wang, but with that similar rock-chic edge that's made the latter such a current household name among fashion-philes. There's monochromatic cashmere, leather, rayon, coated cotton, and -- the mother of all drape-y fabrics -- jersey.

Hourani, who grew up in Montreal and was formerly a sought-after stylist, was already on the pulse of this newer aesthetic vision back in 2007, after Rick Owens and before Wang.

So I say hooray for Hourani.








I'm Lovin' it: The mother of Sea of Shoes' Jane Aldrige is so ridiculously stylish for someone over 40, it's criminal. But now it's really quite obvious where Jane gets her knack for the sartorial from.





I'm Over it: Today has not enough hours in it. Sigh. Back to work.


Track of the Day: "Fire Ant" by Bibio. This UK music producer-slash-solo artist came on recommendation from my best guy friend. Though iTunes classifies his Ambivalence Avenue album as folk, it's definitely also one of those where it's hard to pin down particular genre. I like this track in particular because it has very a distinct hip-hop, scratching influence. Very fun to bob my head to.






* Photos property of frillr.com, Rad Hourani, mushrecords.com and are used solely for commentary purposes