Happy Valentines Day!! As cynical as I can be about a lot of things ( for example, at Blenz they are doing this thing where you can get a red coffee sleeve and that way people know you are single and can make a move.It's just so cheesy. It's cute and cheesy, I haven't really made up my mind on how I feel about it.) I kind of like Valentines Day. Everything is pink and red and it's acceptable to eat obscene amounts of chocolate. It'd probably be more fun if I had a boyfriend but it's still fun to bitch with my girlfriends about "single awareness day". I am not going to lie, I love romance and Valentines Day. The best Valentines Day ever was a few years ago and my mom gave me a small vintage Chanel 2.55 bag that she miraculously found in a thrift shop. I love that bag so much it's ridiculous. And because today is the day of love, below are two bags from the spring 2011 collections that I love the most.
I know that it's so cliche to talk about Valentines Day and then put nothing but red and pink clothes everywhere ( and I won't) but this bag is way too sweet. It looks like a giant cinnamon heart. I love the little studs at the bottom. If I was carrying it I would feel festive but not like a total cheese ball because it has a little edge. Even though I am a total cheese ball.
This gorgeous black bag is by Yves Saint Laurent. It's just beautiful, I love it. I really enjoy good quality, beautiful,classic clothes (with a little bit of a contemporary edge so it's not boring) that can be worn easily with many different things, over and over again. Black is a colour that goes with everything. It's an absolute staple for me, in fact I probably wear black too much. Anway, in my opinion there are two kinds of black. Soft black, sophisticated, quality black. It's the kind of black that you just want to bury your face in. It's black that doesn't make you look like you belong in a morgue. And there is the stiff, boring hard, black that everyone manages to look bad in. This bag is soft black and I love it.
This has absolutely nothing to do with anything I am about to say, however, as a sidenote, I just realized that I have been studying french for nine years and I know little more than "bonjour" and "j'adore vos chaussures". What can you do? I mean, I have been studying french since the fourth grade and I still don't know how to use my "le conditionell". I went to france in the spring and it was amazing. A lot of cute french boys who really know how to dress. They could teach canadian boys a thing or two. I am a proud canadian girl, born and raised on the west coast. British Columbia is a great place to grow up, a great place to have fun, surrounded by both mountains and the pacific ocean. It is a great place to find some excellent designers, both established and up and coming. I love where I live and I love being canadian but there are times when I ask myself, what is canadian style anyway? How would one define canadian style? By touques and moccasins? Yeah, that doesn't cut it. At the 2010 Olympics I remember checking everyone out to see if there was a pattern, any distinct canadian style, or any style that foreign people at least thought was canadian. I got nothing. Unless one would consider clothing plastered with Quatchi and Mika, characters that look a lot more like asian anime characters than anything else , to be canadian style. I have yet to have found a real answer to my questions, but my theory is that it's because Canada is such a mix of different cultures. Canada has a little bit of everything so I guess canadian style can't really be defined because it's a melting pot of so many other countries. Which is great, just a little confusing. But to make it clearer to myself I decided to do my research and check out some cool canadian designers, both under and on the radar. There are definitely many more, these are a few, although I'm working on it. It's my kind of homework. Dace Moore
Dace Moore is so awesome! She is one of my absolute favorites. Sometimes I see a questionable garment that I want to like (but can't) because it's by a designer that I love (ie. Chanel icecube flap bag. It's made out of resin and it costs a couple grand. Paris Hilton wore it. I don't understand) but with Dace that never happens because it's just so easy to love everything she designs. Her clothes are so gorgeous and with a lot of attention to fit and detail. Did I mention how much I love her clothes? A lot. The clothes are pretty relaxed and chill, and canadians are supposed to be relaxed and chill ( I can't say that I am). Above are a few looks from her Spring 2011 collection.
(I'm sorry. I love Chanel but this, personally, I'm not fond of.)
C'est Joli- Alison Dawson Alison Dawson, creater of jewellery line "C'est Joli", is from Vancouver. Her jewellery is completely unique, for example, her Loop Metallic Necklace is a slightly tangled, beautiful mess of cream coloured cords with tiny little golden beads.
Loop Metallic Necklace (love. I love "messy" jewellery like this)
This is the Scribble necklace in black (also comes in cream). It looks exactly like a scribble.
This would definitely get some looks on the street but it's interesting and it's a great statement piece. I keep picturing it with a white or grey t-shirt dress. Something simple so that this crazy piece can take centre stage. Love it.
This is the Corrugate Necklace in navy. It's pretty.
This is the Colour Block necklace. It's so exotic for summer.
Her jewellery is gorgeous and it's special. It's whimsical and eclectic art. Alison Dawson's jewellery is inspiring and so is her drive. C'est Joli had only existed for three months when she lined up at Henri Bendel at 5:30 in the morning for the spring 2010 open see ( designers show their stuff to potential buyers). Only four hours in a buyer offered her a trunk show. Now, in Toronto, she is busy making her sweet, eccentric jewellery.The pieces above are from her Spring 2011 collection.
Dsquared21
Dsquared2 is a fashion label by Dean and Dan Caten, identical twin brothers from Toronto, Ontario. Before launching their own label they worked for Versace and later on for Diesel who funded them and helped them start their own line. Their designs are always punchy, sexy and full of energy. Above are a few looks from their Spring 2011 collection.
There are a lot of Canadian designers and I am going to do my best to find as many as I can so that I can have even more to write and obsess about.
While I was nursing myself back to health yesterday with lemon tea and The Godfather one and two, I recieved my Elle magazine from my monthly subscription. That was a sunny spot in my delusional haze of advil and gangster movies. Anyway, apparently 70's inspired fashion is all over the place, not just according to Elle, but according to designers like Marc Jacobs and Rodarte. Marc Jacobs (one of my favorites) Spring 2011 collection was sexy and very reminiscent of clothing from the "groovy" and promiscuous 70's. The clothes were damn gorgeous and if the 70's are coming back then I am glad they are coming back in this way. As I was leafing through the different designer's collections I started to make peace with this trend. Although, I hope to god the hairstyles won't come back because I will never, never buy into the whole feathered hair thing. Even though Farrah Fawcett still looked gorgeous with it (she was beautiful period).
As conflicted as I felt yesterday about this trend ( I was quite medicated, that could have been the reason for my confusion) I am pretty excited about it now. I have always felt like I had a classic style and my style is pretty modern. However, fashion is supposed to be fun and exciting and although I used to look at the seventies as being way to eccentric for me (hello, bellbottoms? No.) that is the fun of it! I am ready to switch things up. I don't think I am the only one who feels that current times are a little boring. Everything is just so easy, so easy that it is boring. Everything is easy and technology makes everything inpersonal. I text people more than I talk to them and it makes me wish that we all would go back to sending eachother handwritten notes and letters. It's so personal and romantic. Except, I would get over that really quickly, so nevermind. Sometimes, I don't feel like people are going to look back to the 2000's and 2010's in a few decades and be particularly inspired. What is really new fashion wise? Styles come in and out and in again but in slightly different ways. I guess that's what's great about fashion. So bring the seventies on. I'm ready for the one piece pantsuits, peasant tops, and disco, art deco clothing. I won't do bell bottoms or floods though, you can't make me.
Mischa Barton wearing a 70's inspired, embroidered peasant top, before she started dressing like she's on acid. I used to love this girl's style.
A few looks from Rodarte Spring 2011
Marc Jacobs Spring/Summer 2011 collection by Style.com
