Nail Envy

I have to admit, I am not the biggest Lady Gaga fan. While I can enjoy a round of Bad Romance on the dancefloor, the Lady has definitely reached media oversaturation, giving out a fair amount of inane quotable quotes along the way.  Having seen her perform in her early days at one of my parties at Marquee, I can also say that stylewise, she is very much indebted to Nicola Formichetti.  Trash talking aside, I do appreciate Formichetti's hand in Stefani Germanotta's remarkable transformation, and while there have definitely been highs and lows, one element that's remained consistently good are Gaga's manicures.

Gaga's nails are the work of New York based nail artist Naomi Yasuda, who has a long list of celebrity fans, but still makes time to do house visits. While Yasuda's rates aren't above the average ones you'll find for a Japanese 3-D manicure, blinging out your nails with bejeweled tips on a weekly basis is financially impossible for most of the ladies I know, myself included.  Thankfully, Yasuda has come up with several ways to make her one-of-a-kind nails more accessible to the public with several collaborations.  First, she created a series of stone, gem, and chain encrusted press-on nails with artificial nail manufacturer Kiss, selling for $45 a set.  Second, Yasuda collaborated with Minx to create 2-D gold and silver graphic nail stickers, which are $35 for a pack.  Lastly, for the hardcore nail fanatics, Yasuda created a limited edition of hand-cut and crafted nail sets, which were filed into crazy shapes and loaded with nail charms and stones.  Only 30 pairs were made, and each pair costs $225.  Of course, all of the nail sets will be available exclusively at the Barney's x Gaga workshop.

-Tiffany

String Section

All photos by Elisabet Davids and threeASFOUR

Last month I picked up a classic threeASFOUR circle bag at the Opening Ceremony Sample Sale, conjuring up old memories of how obsessed I had been with the design when it first appeared years ago (was it a decade ago, or more?). Recently, threeASFOUR has slipped off my mental radar, and I hadn't really looked at their collections for several seasons. Shame on me, as this fall collection is especially good. This season the eclectic design collective was inspired in large part by string instruments, which were incorporated into the clothes in the form of full violins and miniature harps, as well as plenty of strings, naturally.

I'm particularly obsessed with the bits and pieces they made in partnership with Bollinger Atelier, a family atelier that works with artists and sculptors to help realize their ideas. They created several of the showstopping pieces for threeASFOUR, including this functioning (!!!) harp belt, that was constructed with the help of a harp technician, and two shoulder pieces. The designs fluidly integrate art, music, and fashion, in a synesthetic way that only threeASFOUR could achieve.

-Tiffany

Dame Vivienne Goes Green

Vivienne Westwood Crochet Yasmine Bag

As eco-friendly design becomes a greater imperative, it's been incredible to see how many designers are becoming more green, in whatever ways they can. It is not surprising then that Dame Vivienne Westwood, well known for her political activism, has taken on the green cause within her work. This week she launches a capsule collection, Ethical Fashion Africa, with Yoox.com's eco-friendly initiative, YOOXYGEN, of handbags and accessories crafted from recycled materials. The collection takes several classic Vivienne Westwood bags, and refashions them out of recycled electric wiring, plastic bags, roadside advertisement banners, safari tents, and aluminum cans. In addition to taking these waste products out of our landfills, the initiative went one step further, partnering with the International Trade Commission to base production in Nairobi, employing and empowering local craftspeople and manufacturers in impoverished communities. Even though the bags are crafted with compassion, they are still designed in Westwood's tongue-in-cheek, clearly subversive style, coming in spectacular colors and graffiti prints. I got a peek of the Fall collection during the Starworks press day, and as you can see, they fit in perfectly with the entire collection which, to my knowledge, isn't eco-conscious, but is still great.



Vivienne Westwood iPad case
Vivienne Westwood clutch

Vivienne Westwood multicolor crochet shopper

-Tiffany

Gray skies are gonna clear up, Put on a happy face!

I was only able to snap a few photos of Louise Gray's Fall collection during my London Showrooms visit way back in March, but I still couldn't resist sharing them. First off, this model was just too photogenic, and kept posing and posing, clearly thrilled to be wearing her awesome clashing-patterned getup, and eager to show off how her dress and shoes looked at every possible angle. And who can blame her? I would be thrilled too if I had the privilege of wearing a dress that switched patterns, colors, and textures so often that it almost created a psychedelic sense of undulating movement. The hallucinogenic feel washed over the entire collection, with a gorgeous jacket that reminded me of Joseph's Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and plenty of mixed-material explosions of color and print. All in all, the clothes had a luxury club-kid vibe, which was further enhanced by Gray's jewelry collaboration with ASOS: necklaces with 3-D smiley faces, fast food french fries, whistles, and googly eyes. Put it all together, and you have the makings of a very excellent party.

-Tiffany

Stine for Everybody

Stine Goya x Weekday A/W 09/10. All photos from Weekday

Ok, this is really really old news, especially for those of you who live in Sweden, but after all the blog love that the (absolutely adorable) Laura Mackness x Weekday collection has been getting of late, I thought I ought to post the AW 09/10 Stine Goya x Weekday collaboration, which was largely overlooked. I had the pleasure of meeting Stine last summer when she was living in New York, and I am a huge fan of her gorgeously artistic line. While this collection probably isn't even in stores anymore, I'm hoping I might be able to find a piece or two floating around Judits or Below Outlet when I go back to Stockholm this August. Or better yet, if you're there (I'm mainly speaking to my sister-in-law here), and see anything remaining on the racks, please pick it up for me and I promise to pay you back!

I also hope that retailers over here get their act together and start stocking all these amazing collaborations, which are also easy on the wallet; the pieces here retail for $90-$100. New York stores are overrun with Cheap Monday and Weekday, but for some reason all the best stuff--collaborations and the awesomely inexpensive Monki line--never make it stateside. I'm hoping they will come soon, because having to go back to Stockholm every time I want to buy something is getting awfully expensive (just kidding, I swear I mainly go back to see friends, family, and family dogs!). Anyway, for those of you who love Stine but don't have access to the Weekday collaboration, you can always find her main line at my favorite online retailer in the expansive internet universe (full disclosure: we also sell there), The Moon and Mars.

-Tiffany

Double Trouble

Urban Outfitter just keeps on killing me with their collaborations. They recently added my favorite lingerie line, The Lake and Stars, to their list of ongoing collaborators, creating a lower priced line called Double and Brass. The name refers to when a tightrope walker would simultaneously play a musical instrument while performing, and became a Victorian expression for taking on a second job. Even though the sister line might be more youthful, and less expensive than the original, it is hardly inferior in quality. The collection features the same beautiful details you will find in The Lake and Stars, such as grosgrain and necktie hook closures, and zigzag stitching along the seams, in addition to possessing the same fun, cheeky flair. The pieces will arrive in stores on May 10th--I cannot wait to get my hands on some of these bra tops and rompers!

-Tiffany

Project White T-Shirt

Skyward reconfigured rope into a t-shirt shape, inspired by their seaside hometown of Goteborg.

I don't know if you guys have been following the going-ons of Project White T-Shirt, a charitable organization that has commissioned thirty-one designers from around the globe to remake their own version of the classic wardrobe staple. Selected designers include some of my favorites: Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair, Iris Loeffler, Slow and Steady Wins The Race, Skyward, and Complex Geometries. The project culminates in an online auction of the works, with proceeds benefiting the Belgium-based organization, Designers Against AIDS, as well as a touring exhibition of the reconfigured white tees. The show is currently on display at Welcome Hunters, and will move to an exhibition of Space 15 Twenty in Los Angeles before hitting other galleries and stores world-wide. If you're in L.A. you can stop by the opening at Space 15 Twenty on March 20th, and if not, look out for a visit from Project White T-shirt in your own hometown! Here is just a small sampling of some of the incredible pieces that were created as part of the project--it's amazing to see how different every single piece is, and how much they relate back to each designer's individual creative style. Make sure to visit the website to see the rest of the designs, as well as video interviews with all the participants.

Mundi designer Mundi Vondi wore his white shirt for six days straight, letting random circumstances (food, nature, friends...) leave their imprints on the T-shirt to give it its own identity.

Narelle Dore departed from the classic jersey tee by creating this "winter tee" out of felt, inspired by the felted coats of Kurdish villagers

Kling by Kling refashioned her tee into a giant dream catcher

My lovely friend Iris Loeffler took an oversized tee and deconstructed it, turning it into a robe

Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair cut of the tee and tied it up into a web of knots to create this beautiful bulbous neckpiece

Julian Louie Swarovski crystals to embellish the tee with a necklace

Doktor Doktor and The Bug Collection created a tee made entirely of marshmallows inspired by the Michelin Man

Anntian created a tee designed to fit a horse's body, and then altered it to drape onto a human torso

Andrea Crews created a "double tee" by joining two tees together

-Tiffany

Feet First

I've never understood all the people who walk around the filthy streets of New York City all summer long wearing only the flimsiest pair of communal-shower-grade flip-flops. Beyond the fact that they barely provide a barrier between your bare feet and the squalid cement, they're often pretty unattractive. Don't even get me started on the Fit Flop (although I'm intrigued by the mechanics). One look at Berlin based designer Kostas Murkudis's recent collaboration with flip*flop has given me reason to reconsider my stance. The seventies style platform heels are made out of the same material as a classic flip-flop, but design wise are inspired by the famous Salvatore Ferragamo rainbow platforms in the Costume Institute collection. Although they're not quite as flashy as the original, I love the contrast of the neutral colored leather straps with the pop of bold color below. My favorite pair have a gold and cream leather-covered sole, which look like they're meant for a night out rather than a day at the beach. The best part? They also appear to be quite comfortable, like your average flip-flop, minus any sacrifice of style.

-Tiffany