Petal Pusher

So… now that fall is settling in, florals are no longer part of the trend equation? Well, I don’t know, as the flower and female personae have gone hand in hand for as long as the human race can remember. Looking at these two pieces first by Valentino, check out the cuffs… it’s sculptural genius and Jil Sander does a similar thing in a more clean, modern way with the collar mimicking a budding tweed rose. These petals are just gorgeous, and personally I’d like to move the Valentino blouse over to the Jil Sander tweed coat. I know it’s over the top, but I’d swoon over it anyway.

The C Word

In case you didn’t know what C U Next Tuesday means… As Larry from Curb Your Enthusiasm finds out, the word is not to be thrown around lightly.

Here are some pieces I’m coveting at the moment:

The Plaid Crinkle Dress, Currently $24.99 ends 09/03
1950’s White Cocktail Tuxedo Jacket, $298 ends 08/31 (Buy it Now)
1930’s Black Scalloped Crepe Dress, $34.99 ends 09/03
1960’s Green Bows and White Buttons Dress, $39.67 ends 09/07

A few weeks ago, I received a package in the mail from the lovely Sophia from Nasty Gal, who’s recently launched her new online boutique. She included a little note specifying that the watercolor peplum was a ’skirt’ but I can probably wear it as a dress.. you bet I’ll wear it as a dress! But upon fiddling with this piece, I thought there was much more potential with this… a dress, yes, but what about wearing it with another skirt? With the right piece it an be an empire waist, or a flapper-like drop waist… or with a blazer for work, and yes.. even a skirt.

In college, one tutor told our class rather jokingly, “Good designers copy, great designers steal.” While in graphic design it’s somehow impossible to really do, copy someone, it’s an enormous problem in fashion. Even large luxury corporations suffer from counterfeits. Steve Madden steals from Christian Louboutin, Forever21 steals from Diane von Furstenburg, we all see it and recognize what’s going on blog about it and point our shameful fingers at them, then go buy their stuff anyway.

But what happens when small lesser known labels get ripped off by larger lesser known labels?

MissMalaprop writes about a long time favorite local (New Orleans) designer, Trashy Diva:

Trashy Diva is a very small, New Orleans based company that has been selling vintage style clothing for nearly 12 years. Designer and owner Candice Gwinn takes great pains to adapt and modernize vintage patterns and tweaks them so much that these styles are truly her own, vintage inspired designs.

One of her best-selling designs, the 1950s style halter top “Trixie” dress has been tweaked and perfected many times since it made its debut in a silk ballerina print in 2002. Gwinn released this dress in an affordable cotton version in 2007 and it has been an even bigger hit, with both her retail boutique and web customers and wholesale customers alike. Only one of those wholesale customers, Unique-Vintage.com has now taken it upon themselves to steal this dress design, have it manufactured in other colors (pastel yellow, baby pink and black with white polka dots) but using the exact pattern, and sell it as their own. When asked about this blatant theft, Unique-Vintage did not deny it.

The problem with this, aside from the whole ’stealing’ thing, is that even if there were a lawsuit, in the end the news would never make it to the consumer who would never know that her dress came at the expense of an independent designer.

Here’s how it works:

1. Pick up the nearest book.
2. Open to page 123
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people, and acknowledge who tagged you.

My book, being the Berlitz German Phrase Book & Dictionary, page 123 happens to be about shopping:

Das steht Ihnen gut. — That looks great on you.
Passt es? — How does it fit?
Wir führen Ihre Grösse nicht. — We don’t have your size.

Since my Saturday mornings are usually spent at the Frankfurt Flea Market on the Main River, I thought I would share my shopping experience. There is digging, there is haggling, and more digging. But in the end I often come up with a few pieces. Today I was lucky, and found a really cool selection of florals and tie dye. When I come home I try them all on… Rocky will give me the “that looks great on you” bit, usually in English, search for anything that I might have missed that will need mending or stain treatment… then I throw it all in the wash. Here’s today’s loot on the drying racks:

I hereby tag: Bikes & The City, Style Symmetry, Style Jungly, Hello Lover and Market Publique

This weekend (Independence Day Stateside) EC is having an up to 75% sale… here are three finds UNDER $100…

Alice McCall Linen Shift Dress, $84.75

Alice McCall Stripe Dress, $57.25

Kirrily Johnston Swimsuit, $87

“In my past life, I was a Leather Jacket.” says the cute little handbag as she nestles into a pretty blouse. One may say she’s been talking to too many new-age junkies. But then again, we’re the ones talking to handbags.

It’s true, in the Haut Marais district of Paris, you’ll find this lovely studio/boutique where leather jackets are transformed into functional bags. At Matières à réflexion design duo, Laetitia Azpiroz and Cyrille Railliet collect jackets and transform them into handbags right in the shop. Most of the jackets come from Emmaüs, a French charity organization, some of them come from Eastern Europe, particularly the ones with 70’s detailing. One can even bring their own jacket for transformation. Each piece is selected for it’s detailing and quality making the bag extra special.

“We look for details such as pockets (which we usually keep as such on the front of the bag), ‘fronces’ (plies ??) on the shoulders or on the front of the jacket, geometrical paterns on the back of the jackets …”

The boutique itself it also a a wonderful experience, as you’ll find not only bags but clothing and accessories all from local Parisian designers. Giving not only the bags a complete ensemble, but the feeling that this shop is really about supporting the community of designers. Railliet also writes for Haut Marais, a great blog about this budding neighborhood (worth a peek, even if you’re not headed to Paris).

Matières à réflexion
19 rue de Poitou
Paris 3e - Haut Marais
01 42 72 16 31
www.matieresareflexion.com

Above: Bags displayed with Karine Jean blouses (the jewelry is too small to see in pic, but it’s lovely)

Lower pics from top left: Small clutches with chain straps.

The bags in the boutique, and the workhorse sewing machine

Cassette & Microphone necklaces! I love them!

shopnastygal.com