This Is How We Do: Six Six Sick 2008 Year In Review

Paper Magazine Photoshoot outtake, wearing the chain tops that we made with American Apparel dresses and YSL platforms.

We might suck at taking outfit pictures on a regular basis, but here are some of our favorite Six Six Sick party outfits from 2008.  A special thanks to our favorite party photographers, all the wonderful people we have worked with this year at Happy Endings, Le Royale, Broadway East, Bungalow 8, Marquee, and GBH, our friends at Screaming Mimi's and Paper Magazine, as well as everyone who has stopped by any of our parties and our blog this year.  We love you all!

I hope to see you tonight at our New Year's Eve Party at The Annex, and if not, in 2009...

Paper Magazine Nightlife Issue Photoshoot, wearing our Anglomania inspired plaid dresses with Arms and Armory jewelry and YSL platforms.

Christina at Le Royale wearing a 66Sick lace dress, elastic harness top, and felt carnelian headpiece for our Chanel look.

Nicollette at Six Six Sick wearing a Cheerleader outfit borrowed from Screaming Mimi's.

Christina at Six Six Sick wearing a 66Sick grey jersey dress (inspired by Junya) with an Alexander McQueen scarf and necklace from the district.

Nicollette at Six Six Sick wearing a Screaming Mimi's camisole.

Christina at Six Six Sick wearing our Anglomania inspired plaid dress and ruff.

Bunny and Christina at Six Six Sick wearing the "Alexander Wang for $1" look.  66Sick shredded thermal, jank store beanie, studded cuff from St. Marks, Antti Asplund broken cross necklace and shredded tights.

At Six Six Sick wearing a splatter paint dress Christina made, complete with wet paint.

My Birthday Party at Six Six Sick!  We wore 66Sick harlequin dresses and PVC jumpers, with Arms and Armory jewelry and headbands from the district.

February Fashion Week at Six Six Sick. Wearing an Alexander McQueen scarf as a top, Acne shorts, Wolford tights, Gerard Yosca jewelry, and a vintage turban.

Christina at Six Six Sick wearing a lace dress we made for my Bachelorette Party.

Nicollette and I at the Screaming Mimi's 30th Anniversary Party at Broadway East, wearing corsets and crinolines borrowed from Mimi's.

Nicollette behind the DJ booth at Six Six Sick, wearing a dress from Screaming Mimi's.

-Tiffany

In Living Color

I'm finally back in New York, and compensating for a weeks worth of shoddy internet access to sit down with my computer, indulge in reading all my favorite blogs, and catch up on writing for this one here.

Last week, my friend Gorjan alerted me to the Swedish line, Noir et Blanc, which started in Spring 08, right after I left Sweden. Do not be deceived---In spite of the name, the collection adds a nice touch of color to the otherwise black-on-black colorstory that largely constitutes Swedish fashion. Living in Stockholm, it was hard not to feel like a circus-clown colored Asian homunculus amongst an army of noirish Marfan Syndrome inflicted supermodels. Most of the statuesque ice queens you see walking down the street (as many of you know from looking at Stockholm Street Style), look like they're kitted out in head-to-toe Rick Owens (but more probably are wearing MONKI, Cheap Monday's wallet friendly high-street style chain), layered on in various shades of black, grey, and greige, with a shock of fur for the winter cold.

Of course, this means that Stockholm is populated almost entirely by very stylish citizens, but it must be said that it gets a bit dull when you're living in a sea of sameness, where every article clothing is readily identifiable, since everybody else is shopping in the same exact place as you are. When I was living there a year ago, the colorful attire was either cheap and chintzy shopping mall fodder made for teenagers, flashy and neon for New Ravers (I don't even know if that term is completely obsolete or not), or made by a non-Swedish label. You'll find that people who have a more diverse pallet often defer to vintage clothing, which is even more popular there than it is stateside, as it often provides the best option for people seeking to opt-out of the monochromatic color scheme.

That said, it is always nice to come across a Swedish designer, who makes all the wonderful, subtly complicated, completely cerebral, but entirely wearable clothes that contemporary Swedish designers are supposed to make, but with that eccentric burst of color or print that is so often lacking. I immediately fell in love with the balloon-hipped color-paneled skirt as well as the blotchy black and white prints that liven up their skirts and dresses. Plus, there is a fair share of black, to make everybody happy....

-Tiffany

Harputs Market

Zana from Garbage Dress was wearing this amazing Diana Brinks dress and Jeffrey Campbell open toed boots when I met her at Harputs. She was also wearing a DIY elastic harness---coincidentally, we made a very similar one for 66Sick a couple of months ago too!

Although I haven't had much free time to myself on this Christmas vacation, at Lulu's suggestion, I managed to squeeze in a trip to Harputs Market. Even though it is located on a relatively unassuming section of Fillmore Street, just outside of Japantown, it was well worth the visit. The store workshop style store houses their own label, which can be tailor made on the premise, as well as a large selection of Margiela and Pleasure Principle, better than any I've encountered in New York.

The highlight of the visit though was meeting Zana of Garbage Dress who works at Harputs.  Lulu had instructed me to introduce myself to Zana, who was wearing an incredible outfit, including a pair of Givenchy style open-toe lace up black leather boots, which she revealed were from Jeffrey Campbell. She was incredibly nice, and I definitely encourage anyone visiting S.F. to stop by the store and introduce themselves.  Since I've been terrible about taking pictures during this trip (my computer access has come largely from the Apple store), I've posted some pictures that she took for her own  blog.  Now it's back to New York...

Zana took a picture of me outside of Harputs wearing my Martin Margiela bra leotard, Marc Jacobs coat, Joseph leather skirt, Rachel Comey boots, Kova & T leggings, Topshop Unique cardigan, H&M scarf, Gryson for Target bag, and Antti Asplund cross necklace.

-Tiffany

Fake Tales of San Francisco

Standing outside of my favorite San Francisco cupcake and candy shop, Miette, in Hayes Valley. Marc Jacobs coat, Balenciaga knit top, Burfitt high-waisted denim skirt, Rachel Comey boots, Wolford tights, DIY Rodarte inspired scarf, vintage wool beret from American Rag, Gryson for Target bag, Antti Asplund cross necklace, and Banana Republic cashmere armwarmers.

So I'm back in San Francisco, and the first thing on my to-do list has been to hit up all of the places that I missed on my first trip. For example, I've been wanting to stop by American Rag for awhile, but it's on a strip-mall style street full of car dealerships, and I couldn't bother to head over there with nothing else to entice me. When we stopped by this morning though, I was not only impressed by their incredible selection of vintage clothing, but how reasonably priced most of it was. As I've gotten older, I've also gotten simultaneously suckier at thrifting and digging for vintage finds, and while Nicollette can walk in and out of Buffalo Exchange in five minutes with a pair of Henrik Vibskov sandals in tow for under $20, I almost always walk out emptyhanded, and with a massive headache. Therefore it is always nice to have someone else buy and gather everything under one organized roof, and I was happy to find a vintage French wool beret for $26.

Afterwards we strolled over to Hayes Valley, which is one of my favorite places for cute boutiques and cafes. How could I have possibly skipped over MAC (Modern Appealing Clothing) last time, one of San Francisco's best retail spots, stocking Martin Margiela, Dries, and Tsumori Chisato, among loads of difficult to come by cult designers---even a few that I haven't seen in New York, like Walter Van Beirendonck. After hearing rave reviews from Laura Wills of Screaming Mimi's, and Nicollette, who declared it the best store in S.F., I knew I had to stop by. I certainly wasn't disappointed, and was most taken by their impressive selection of art, which is displayed amongst the clothing. The pieces, which are mostly works on paper and prints, start at $20 for a poster, and go upwards from there. The artwork provides a nice compliment to the clothing, which is equally curated towards pieces that you'll probably see in a museum some day. Even Jimmy managed to entertain himself with the dapper selection of menswear, and toyed with the idea of picking up a Dries pajama-style button down shirt that was on sale for $150. Alas, both of us left empty handed, but I highly recommend it to anyone visiting San Francisco, if only to enter a gallery where you can play with all of the artwork.

We finished off the day with a trip to the De Young Museum to see the YSL exhibition. I nearly balked at the $20 entrance fee, but it was worth every single penny, and I probably spent 2 hours in the show alone, marveling over every inch of silk gazar, and every oversized costume bauble. Note to self: whip up some oversized bejeweled chandelier earrings ASAP!

Now it's off to meet Lulu for a night at a dive bar, which she warns might be resplendent with douchebags! I love this city...

-Tiffany

Going to San Francisco...

Chloe Sevigny for Opening Ceremony mesh paneled dress, DIY shredded thermal, Rachel Comey boots, H&M star covered fishnet tights, Antti Asplund cross necklace, and studded bracelet from St. Mark's Place.

Thank God for the holidays. Weather permitting, I will be flying out to San Francisco this evening to spend Christmas with my Father's side of the family, so I might not be hanging out here on the blog that much next week.

Anyway, Christmas, and Christmas cash, couldn't come any sooner, as I have been in desperate need of some spending money to keep up with the rampant fire of sample sales that have been going on for the past six weeks. This Friday I stopped by the Opening Ceremony sample sale at 11 AM sharp, right when doors were scheduled to open, and found a long line had already developed. Lucky for me, my old friend Lauren was standing at the very front of the line, with a new friend that she had made, Ciana, and I was able to go in with them. It turns out they had been waiting in the snow and sleet since 9:30 AM. And I thought I was hardcore. We quickly dashed in, hoarded our goods in massive piles, and then went through the lengthy procedure of trying and eliminating. Even though the prices weren't amazingly cheap, I was still very happy, since I managed to leave with two items I've been eyeing in the store for the past year.

The first is a Chloe Sevigny for Opening Ceremony sheer paneled black jersey dress, that had the added bonus of being designed by my super-talented friend Madeleine when she worked as a designer at O.C.  It was originally priced around $275, and I got to snag it for $75. The second piece was a Burfitt high-waisted denim miniskirt which I've been lusting after since I lived in Sweden, and which finally went down from around $475 to $90, which is more in my ballpark. Not exactly a steal, but definitely a deal.  Now it's off to marginally warmer climes...

-Tiffany

Highly Evolved

Top: My new Miu Miu wallet, that I got as a Christmas gift from Ashley, bottom: my ghastly old wallet that really needed to be retired.

So, recently I've been complaining about how badly I need a new wallet, given the sad state of affairs of my Lulu Guinness billfold.  I picked up the old thing three years ago at a sample sale for $25, given the even sadder state of the wallet before it---I wish I had a picture of it---a straight off the streets of Shanghai $5 gift covered in smiling cartoon bunnies and candies that literally disintegrated after three months.  It was even stolen, and then returned, as the thief didn't want to have anything to do with it.  At the time, the Lulu Guinness wallet was a huge step up, while retaining the childish colors to distract me from the fact that money isn't really that fun, especially when you're parting with it.  As of lately though, the once white background has turned into a frightening shade of brownish black, and it looks like it's more likely to carry Hepatitis than a thick wad of bills.  I obviously wasn't the only one to take notice of this, and Ashley, being the BFF4L that she is, was so amazing to present me with this new candy-covered Miu Miu wallet for Christmas.  I couldn't be more thankful to have a real grown up wallet which still isn't too serious.  All I have to say is that it's highly evolved from my bunny and candy covered wallet of yore.  Thank you Ashley...

-Tiffany

Ar Du Vampyre?: DIY Gothic Ninja

Lulu wearing a 66Sick top with Rick Owens leather jacket, Forever 21 layering cardigan and shoes, Hanes men's t-shirt, diy fingerless gloves, Little Rooms necklace.

So, all of you readers of Lulu's blog might be wondering what ever happened to her visit to New York, and her stint guest hosting with us at Le Royale for a night.  I had been waiting for pictures of us together in our matching outfits to surface, but none of them ever did, except for couple of lone ones of myself looking like the arse-up loser of a Gothic Miss Chinatown pageant.  Even though I'm not adverse to posting some unflattering photographs of myself , I will spare myself the humiliation of posting them. Anyway, I totally forgot about the entire thing until I saw that Lulu had posted a picture of herself wearing the 66Sick top that we had made for the night, and I thought it would be a good time to revisit the look.

Before Lulu got here, I asked her for some inspiration for the outfit, and she suggested "Gothic Ninja," and sent over a couple of pictures of BOYS dressed in some hot street style Ninja wear.  I have to say, Christina and I were both a bit confounded by the challenge.  Gothic is a common trope in many of our 66Sick outfits, as well as in what we wear in general, but Ninja?  Even though we're obviously all Asian, we almost never draw on our cultural background as a source of sartorial inspiration (unless CDG counts).  And while the boys looked hot in their outfits, how do their looks translate into something that will look good on a gaggle of super-short girls?

We opted to go for a Rick Owens style look, and Christina bought a bunch of crinkly jersey, which she cut into giant rectangles, with two armholes.  The result was a large draping vest of sorts, which we belted and threw over leggings.  I stitched together some chiffon ruffs (which have since been destroyed, and hence, not pictured), which we wore around our heads as headscarves, Camilla Staerk style.  We finished off with dark red lips, and the end result was somewhat Vampire-Ninja.  I certainly feel like we wouldn't look out of place falling from the sky to pounce on unsuspecting victims, like the girl in the Swedish child vampire love story, Let The Right One In.  

How we wore the original outfit: 66Sick top paired with American Apparel black leggings, an H&M belt, and Tara Subkoff for Easyspirit lace-up boots.


"I just ate somebody" style makeup and frightening face finished off the look for the night.

The top was essentially a large rectangular piece of fabric with two armholes cut into it.

The trailer for Swedish vampire film "Let the Right One In"

-Tiffany

CHANullification: Do's and Don'ts of Pre-Fall 2009

DO: I love the sleek modernity of this look, which seems a bit more Jil Sander than the rest of collection, but with just the right amount of high impact costume jewelry to keep it completely Chanel.  Plus, the headpiece is to die for.

So normally I try to hold off on doing collection commentaries (it's not like we need more opinions floating around the internet), especially of the negative variety, but I have to say, Chanel's Moscow inspired Pre-Fall collection has gotten under my skin. I've been trying to ignore it. A couple of weeks ago W.W.D. arrived at the showroom with the image of what looked like a costume from the Metropolitan Opera on the cover. I have to say, that when Ashley and I flipped to the spread, we let out a collective gasp and gag. I don't want to say that the clothing is ugly, and as always, I am a big fan of the accessories (chandelier sized headpieces and Faberge egg styled bags are made for would-be trannies like myself), but really the collection seemed completely lacking in any sort of modern appeal. I felt like I could smell the mothballs wafting from the pages. I know it's immaculately constructed, and I'm sure if I took a close look at the garments and got to touch them, I would probably swoon, but from the pictures, all the details looked fussy and overwrought, and seemed more old-fashioned than old-world (as I assume it was meant to appear). I tried to give the collection a second chance when I flipped through it on Style.com, and then decided to put it to rest.

Then, last night I came across this article on Cathy Horyn's blog, and was fascinated by the outpouring of lengthy, didactic responses elicited. In my mind, I imagine them all to be written by middle-aged high school Art History teachers, bored luxury shopkeepers whiling away time in their empty stores, chatty museum docents with no one to talk to, and effete elder men with extensive doll collections, who apparently spend their leisure hours spinning out essays in the comment section of the New York Times blogs.  Apparently I'm in good company.  This comment, which turned into a socio-political commentary rife with historical and cultural references, was particularly fascinating.

While I spent the better part of an hour reading them and still wasn't able to get through the bulk of it, the general opinion of the collection seemed mixed. While some cited Karl's legacy of timeless craftsmanship, and studious attention to Russian history, others felt similarly to myself, stating that the collection looked like a facsimile from some Russian Cultural Institute of National Costume (I don't know if this actually exists) with few traces of contemporary relevance and perspective. Many also irritably deemed the collection inappropriate in this state of current economic crisis. Anyhow, while I am still left cold by the show, I am at least stimulated by the dialogue that it sparked, and I am interested in hearing what others think of the collection...

DON'T: This look was apparently inspired by Russian Constructivism.  I think El Lissitzky would be insulted.  This gaudy, metalic-sheen take on his Suprematist paintings looks like it came from the poor-man's-Rei-Kawakubo style "wearable art" boutique down the block from my apartment.

DO: Ok, so this look isn't going to go down in the history books, but it's entirely cute and wearable, and I love the mushroom dome embroidery, mixed with the miss-matched scarf, which seems slightly more young and contemporary than the rest of the looks.

DON'T: This floor length coat has the same embroidery as the dress above, yet the added length, layers, and accessorizing not only make the look weightier and frumpier, but has the appearance of being stolen from the set of a theatrical adaptation of Doctor Zhivago.

-Tiffany

1981

Wearing a 66Sick deconstructed plaid shirt, Damaris floral bra, Kate Moss for Topshop Leather Jacket, Kova & T lace leggings, Burberry patent leather booties, Alexander McQueen scarf, Arms & Armory necklace, and Banana Republic cashmere armwarmers.

What is it about youth in revolt that we find so eternally romantic?  1981 was the year I was born (yes, I am old), and it also happens to be around the same time that two legendary teenage cult classics were made, the tale of the original Riot Grrrl rockband, Ladies and Gentlemen: The Fabulous Stains, and the completely devastating German shocker about heroin addicted teenagers, Christiane F.  If you haven't seen either, I suggest you go out and rent them immediately, although I will warn you, Christiane F makes Trainspotting look like a Disney Afternoon Adventure cartoon by comparison.  Both feature amazing soundtracks, and David Bowie appeared in Christiane F, while members of the Sex Pistols and The Clash acted as a fake punk band in The Fabulous Stains.

Additionally, both feature the grungy glam rock looks of the mid 70's and early 80's, and while Christiane F controversially spawned a cult of teenage girls who tried to emulate the strung-out heroin chic of the movie's star, The Fabulous Stains continues to influence fashion today.  While the debate on whether the "tights as pants" look is acceptable or not rages on, one only has to look at Corinne "Third Degree" Burns, to know that those girls wholeheartedly endorse it.  And while I have no interest in shooting anything into my veins (and am even more horrified my the prospect after watching the graphic depictions in Christiane F), I can't help be a little bit sartorially inspired by both films.

For today's 65 C weather, I threw on one of my favorite 66Sick pieces of all time, a deconstructed plaid shirt we made a year ago in honor of our friend Jackson Pollis.  To make the shirt, we bought three completely different red plaid shirts of approximately the same size, cut off the plackets, collars and cuffs, and put them back together mismatched.  It's one of those pieces I go back to time after time, and still serves as a perfect tribute to all the Riot Grrrls of yesteryear.

The deconstructed shirt is open at the front, where it separates from the collar and the placket.

The shirt is also completely open in the back.

The trailer for Ladies and Gentlemen: The Fabulous Stains

The trailer for Christiane F.

-Tiffany

Labbit Labbit

Anna Sui marabou vest, VPL cashmere sweater, Prada miniskirt, Marc Jacobs sequined heels, and Chanel sunglasses.

Maybe all of this week's holiday drinks are going to my head, but I'm finding myself very inspired by Marni Spring 09, via the runway-ready rabbit, Fifi Lapin.  So inspired, that I threw on a marabou vest that has been malting away and collecting dust in my closet for a couple of years now, and decided to wear it out to the LaViola Bank Christmas party today.  Just goes to show that if I keep up my current schedule, I will transmogrify into a cartoon character.

In other loony and completely irrelevant style news, my current penchant for winter whites is also apparently shared by T Magazine. 

Left, Fifi Lapin wearing Marni, right, the actual look from the Marni Spring 09 runway show.

Me, a week from now.

-Tiffany

Dress Up Party

Here are a few photos that my friend Bunny sent me. Enjoy!




-C

Screaming Mimi's 30th Anniversary Dinner!

The theme of the entire evening was pearls, with strands of them strewn everywhere, and at the end of the dinner, The Screaming Mimi's managers presented Laura with a plate of 30 fresh water pearls, inside of their original homes!  L-R: Screaming Mimi's Girls J.R. and Nicollette, Laura Wills, Joey Arias, and Brigitte Engler.

What better way to celebrate Screaming Mimi's 30th Anniversary than a dinner at Broadway East, uniting generations of downtown's fashion and nightlife legends under one roof to eat a spectacular dinner, and fete Laura Wills, the owner of Mimi's (and The 66Sick Girl's Surrogate Mom of sorts).  The event, which was organized by the legendary Thomas Onorato, and hosted by Paper Magazine Editor Kim Hastreiter, took place on Tuesday evening, and was attended by all of Mimi's closest friends, including Pat Field, Tatum O'Neil, Isabel and Ruben Toledo, Richie Rich, Tracy Feith, Lynn Yaeger, Michael Musto, and many many more.  We nibbled on BEast's incredibly delicious menu, which included Oysters Rockefeller, Wild Salmon, Blackened Chicken, and a Champaign and Sorbet dessert, while getting to chat with people who've inspired me since I first picked up Paper Magazine when I was twelve years old.  Laura was also treated to a performance by Joey Arias, and after the dinner was finished, guests stayed on to dance as Harley Viera-Newton and Cassie Coane DJ'd.  Afterwards, the entire gang headed over to Six Six Sick at Happy Ending, where we hosted the afterparty.  Here are some pictures that I took of the night (forgive my lack of skills, I'm obviously not a party photographer!), along with some pictures that Paper Magazine Party Photographer Caroline Torem Craig put up on Papermag.com.

Two of the best dressed women of the night: Hedde, and Lynn Yaeger.

Screaming Mimi's window dresser extraordinaire, and former Paper Magazine Beautiful Person, Eric Vidmar, wearing horns and jewelry he made himself, and the Screaming Mimi's BFF4L, Cheryl.

Our matchy-matchy male counterparts, Andrew Andrew, messing around with some pearls.

Laura Wills with Joey Arias and Kim Hastreiter.  Photo by Caroline Torem Craig.

Pat Field sandwiched by Isabel and Ruben Toledo.  Photo by Caroline Torem Craig.

Tracy Feith, Pat Field, and Tatum O'Neal.  Photo by Caroline Torem Craig.

66Sick Fairy Godfather, Benjamin Liu and Paper Magazine Editor David Hershkovits, who made my night when he confessed to reading the blog!

Nightlife legend and Heatherette designer, Richie Rich, with a friend.

Our DJs for the evening, Cassie and Harley

Jordan Bunny Kinney and Christina, wearing a corset and a crinoline we borrowed from Mimi's along with tons and tons of pearls.

Screaming Mimi's Girls Jennelle and Alice.  Alice and J.R. later DJ'd the afterparty at Six Six Sick!

-Tiffany