Kate Moss for Topshop - Part Deux

(Style Magazine)

Kate grants us a greater peak at her new Moss for Topshop line and it's looking magnificently, marvelously Moss!

My faves are the dresses, especially in ingenue white, (both decently priced at 60 quid!) and the striped blazer. Many of her items consist of vintage-like print day dresses, rocker tees, various vests, jeans and a leather jacket. Unfortunately she just has to screw me over by waiting until after I've left London to team up with Topshop. Why?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?

(Kate & spokesmodel for her Topshop line, Irina)

In her exclusive interview, the ever elusive Kate reveals she wanted to create clothes that she would want to wear. To testatment her sentiment, she describes her design process as:

"I just went through my closet, basically, I was just like, 'I'd love this, but altered like this,' or

'I'd love that, but in a pinstripe'"

Unlike other recent famous designer/celebrity collaborations with mainstream mega brands, Moss' line is not a one time deal, it's intended to be a year-round collection. In fact Kate hopes to take her out of 'my closet' designs up a notch by designing next season's line as her "dream closet" and promises that collection "will be more of a story".

Keep it up Kate, because girl you are starting strong!

As an additional treat, check out Kate Moss singing with BF Pete Doherty in their 'music video':

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7q-tfZEfodY&mode=related&search=

Don't you absolutely adore her dreamy floaty frock in the vid? I hope she makes something similar for her next collection.

Vogue on the Streets: Parisian Style

(From the Sartorialist and Sartorialist on Style.com)

Sigh....how do these Parisians do it? Some say it's their certain 'je ne sais quoi'...and as I sit here writing this while listneing to Charlotte Gainsbourg (haha, am I overdoing it?) I don't doubt there is something singularly special about these Parisians.

I think Coco Chanel explained it best in these two statements:

"Some people think luxury is the opposite of poverty. It is not. It is the opposite of vulgarity"

"Elegance is refusal"

(Clockwise from top left: imperolog.com, Japan Elle, Stylescout, the Sartorialist)

And this is how even if you're wearing brick red mammoth sized glasses you are still unbearably heart achingly chic.

I'd say their 'chic' amounts to their innate sense of how to pick a statment piece and build the rest of your outfit around it. This is how they wear their flair for an air of laissez faire. No Parisian will ever look like they're trying too hard....they know there is sophistication in restraint. No kitchsy overdose of trends, Parisians don't desire adoration from the philistine masses, they command admiration from the all knowing few. Whether it's the contrast of a fashion forward skirt with a classic oxford shirt, or trousers + spectator shoes to tone down the flaming femininity of a fuschia coat, they never forget to dress with a raison d'etre.

To build upon a central idea, the surrounding palette for French dress consists of complementary and understated pieces. And they NEVER forget the accentuating power of accessories. Scarves, hats, well made bags and shoes, can go very far to keep a look in du jour terms and add a touch of luxury. Despite all the careful coordination required, even the essence of said planning is refined by undone hair, bunched up sleeves or a 'bare' face. Call it a roadmap towards effortless chic...this is far from the hell of vulgarity.

(Japan Elle & the Sartorialist)

Don't doubt that such an immaculate conception applies to a mere outfit, actually it applies to their entire wardrobe! Their timeless emphasis for quality over quantity is eternally embodied in their dress. Be it a fur coat (and do they ever love their fur), a wonderfully structured dress/skirt, or a well tailored trench, they forgo absorbing every trend like a mindless sponge and instead acquire investment pieces trusting all else will fall into place. Nothing will shine the spotlight brighter on a starring piece than an understated, classic background.

And this is the sheer manisfestation of luxury!

(Clockwise from top left: Stylescout, Facehunter, Elle Japan, Facehunter)

Kate Moss for Topshop - Preview

Catch Kate trying on samples of her new clothing line for Topshop:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=De-J-MfkYhE

She seems somewhat shy despite her superstar status. Also in contradiction with her glamorous image, is her refreshingly common Croydon accent. Check out Moss rock out an uber hip black hat, only she could pull it off while other wannabe hipsters like Lindsay Lohan & Mischa Barton look damn foolish in similar hats.

Her clothes (from what I can see) convey her stylish essence, I'm certaintly coveting a gold satin jacket.......unfortunately the only place aside from Topshop to carry her line will be Barneys.



For more info, see the April issue of UK Vogue, where Ms.Moss models an effortlessly sexy (how very Kate!) LBD:
http://www.vogue.co.uk/vogue_daily/story/story.asp?stid=43367

A Bracelet for the Philistines

(Erikson Beamon for Shopbop)

"We've never loved bracelets more than we do right now" - Shopbop.com

Ok so there's nothing too vomit inducing about this bracelet, gaudy it may be for my liking, I can see why some little teen or even the sority type of girls liking this bracelet.......

However, for almost $400 USD, haha, only a true philistine would covet something that looks like it comes from Claire's Accessories for like $10.

Apparently, Erikson Beamon is know for their "meticulous, handcraft", but instead of implying superb quality, in this case I think that it just means you can do it yourself.

Haha, seriously, how stupid do they think we are?

From Runway ---> to Celeb way

La Dita Bella!!

What this hard to wear Rodarte dress need was what Dita Von Teese epitomizes, Old Hollywood glamour. She saved this dress from looking too ghastly with her vibrant red lips & nails, swaps the frumpy shoes for schnazzy beaded ones.

The material just hangs on the model but on Dita it floats, adding to the dreamy nostalgic appeal for a bygone era.

Rawrrrr!!!! Supermodel Vs. Supermodel

This Versace dress is nice on Jessica Stam, but when I saw Daria wearing it offstage, I immediately heard that Barracuda song in my head (and it's a good thing!)

Daria rocks the dress like a a freakin carnivorous animal, she grunged up the glam with the leather bomber, black leggings and the 'messy', (not unwashed & dirty), undone hair.


She's totally on top of the edgy supermodel style, ( ie. Kate Moss) like a fat kid on cake.

Hhhmmm....to begin with I'm not a big fan of this Luca Luca dress, it's ok but it's not great.

Although I'm glad that Rosario threw away the granny grey tights, this dress is not working for her. The colour washes her out, and in combination with that studio 54 eye makeup, that flat hair, (maybe it's her square jawline + bangs) and the neckline, I would have to conclude that all together it makes her look quite drag-alicious!

So I'm not usually a fan of her everyday style, but when Mischa dresses good, she dresses very very good!

Since she can't really act, she really should just stick to modelling because she really knows how to wear clothes, (when she's not dressing herself).

I loved this Dior dress when I saw it on the runway but it doesn't exactly scream wearable, that shade of green could make the wrong person look barftastic!

But on Mischa it sets her complexion off perfectly and she looks better than the model in this dress, it gives her a vivacity and gives the right oomph to her figure over the model's.

Doesn't this look like a ginormous garbage bag wrapped & tied around Victoria Traina?

Style.com listed this look as the 2nd BEST look of the week. Considering they consistently feature questionable looks on their weekly top ten, I'm really beginning to lose faith in those at Style.com & Vogue (US), after it was Andre Leon Talley himself who was behind Jennifer Hudson's cringe inducing Oscar outfit.

Okay, so I will give her some props for wearing Christian Lacroix, not many can actually pull him off. But......when you are as petite as Victoria Traina, you shouldn't be wearing this dress in the first place, she looks like she being swallowed up by fabric and oh look, here pops out an arm, a head there, and oh there peeps out her toes.

Sigh...and to point out the VERY obvious, if you're going to wear something that busy, then keep all else understated, (leopard print shoes?), despite the drab shade of the dress.

And what is going on with that hair? okay yes it's understated but understated doesn't mean let your 5 year old cousin do your hair.

Philistine Trend Watch: Coloured Tights

Ahhh!!!! Ahhhh!!! (blood curdling scream)

You know I was really hoping, praying even, that in the comming spring people would finally realize that tights are beyond passe, overdone, and that very few (in a miniscule sense) people could actually rock them right.

Well in the land where the philistines roam freely, (you know where those supposed 'starlets' binge upon every trend like a bulimic, so that like a bulimic, what it binges on becomes a regurgitated mess) 2 B Free has found a way to prolong this vomit-like trend; COLOURED tights.

Yeah, that's right, they come in all colours of the freakin rainbow, pink, yellow, blue and of course these shades are unavoidably, loudly, you can't miss me shrieking, BRIGHT!

Hopefully these tights will be bright enough to make me go momentarily blind every time I see them.

Philistines du Jour

Wtf happened to Nicole Richie? From the above left picture, she proves how far she's come since her pre-weight loss, breast flashing days, exuding what looks to be a sense of sophistication. She usually keeps her look classic with bold accessories to add an edge and it works well for her petite frame, inspiring many unphilistine fashionistas.


So why the hell is she in that hot pink moo moo? Haha, it looks like her breasts are where her waist should be. I'm not even going to elaborate upon why one should NEVER wear moo moos, because the look is pretty self explanatory.

Lindsay forgets her panties......er, no I mean pants! Did she forget her pants or was she too drunk/stoned to notice despite being freshly out of rehab? Seriously, this girl really wants to be Sienna Miller, after all she leaves her pants at home like her and reportedly hooked up with Jude Law over the weekend.

Barney pants are NOT cool and they are not working any wonders for Rachel Bilson here, especially when they are paired with those brown last of the Mohiccans boots.

Whoa...this dress has a lot going for it, silver, ruffles, rouching, diamond applique at the neck.... when will the madness end? Aside from its unflattering fit and the fact that it makes her breasts lopsided, Rosario is simply out of this world, literally. Is there any wonder why this dress landed Rosario as Instyle.com's Look of the Day?

Fall '07 RTW: Nina Ricci

This season has been dubbed "frozen spring" and it appears that Olivier Theyskens has taken that statement quite literally.

Within his frozen urban utopia, Olivier cast an ethereal spell, having his ladies sashay down the runways with ostrich plume hair and adding organic touches to each piece, having biker jackets unfold like a flower.

Lines in his clothing and the above boots (how ingenious!) were as twisted as ivy vines.

Indeed Olivier has enchanted us with his urban romance.

For evening, the organic erupted into fantastic petal-like folds. This was not kitsch (cough, Marc), this was high fashion at an art form. Showing off his technical wizardry with gravity defying structural dresses that could have belonged in Swan Lake by finishing the ends like feathers and chiffon ruffled like the tips of a petal.

There is no doubt that Olivier Theyskens has literally breathed life into the house of Nina Ricci and I can not wait for him to flourish further in this role.

Marc: How DARE you?

From the past few collections' worth of hideous bags for Luis Vuitton, and with the Spring collection for his own line, Marc Jacobs must truly consider himself quite the sly fox. Sure, he thinks he can leverage off his name and we being his supposed philistine public will adore whatever garbage he tosses our way.

I'm quite insulted, how dare you Marc Jacobs assume that we, his former fans are philistines? What exactly is a philistine? See below:

Philistine: A derogatory term used describe someone that is said to despise or undervalue art, beauty and intellectual content. Philistines favour conventional social values unthinkingly, favouring forms of art that have cheap and easy appeal.

Hhmph! the audacity!

Whenever I see silly things as this (below), I can not ignore the feeling that Marc Jacobs is taunting us, ridiculing our seemingly senseless philistine selves.

Well FYI Mr. Jacobs, I am NOT a philistine, and would NOT, EVER, pay $548 (USD- as on net-a-porter) for what appears to be the remnants from Ella Moss's factory.

So please stop feeding us kitschy crap such as below:

Don't these shoes remind you of the jelly shoes from K-mart/Zellers you wore as a kid?
Now you see that I'm not some raving, lunatic loser for thinking that he's treating me like a philistine; Jelly shoes? Does that not scream CHEAP & EASY appeal?

With all due objectivity, it's not the overdone shape of the shoe that's the serous problem, it's the commercially crass JELLY.

If Marc really wanted to woo us without any kitsch, he probably would have given us something like this:

(Miu Miu)

(Pedro Garcia)

So thank you Miuccia and Pedro for not assuming that I am a cheap & easy philistine.