Shoot From the Hip

SQUAT installation opening at the VPL store

The Hipstamatic app is by far my favorite iPhone program, and I've taken such a fancy to the faux-aged digital images that I almost like them better than the photos I take on my much more expensive REAL camera. You can change the film, the lens, and the flash for varying results, but they all have a wonderfully dreamy, washed-out, vintage feel, like they were dug up from your parent's photo albums from the seventies. Here are some of my favorite photos that I shot in the past two months. Do you use Hipstamatic? What are your favorite settings?

My cousin Vincent and his beautiful bride Jenny cutting the cake at their wedding

Jimmy and I at Jenny and Vincent's wedding. I wore a Stella McCartney dress and a Kate Moss x Topshop leather jacket.

Chandelier at the Catherine Malandrino x Lacoste launch party at the Mondrian Soho

Olov celebrating his birthday at home

Olov's collection of headphones, wires, and miscellaneous stuff

Artist Allen Grubesic having a cigarette break

Artwork at a warehouse installation in Gowanus, Brooklyn

Urs Fischer's 'Untitled (Lamp/Bear)' in front of the Seagram's building--built with the help of 3D modeling!

-Tiffany

Red Stripe + Goat Curry

This camera hogging stray dog followed us around for twenty minutes and insisted on jumping in all of my photos. Cropped tee courtesy of Blood is the New Black, Acne shorts, backpack courtesy of Fjällräven, Charles Anastase sunglasses, Havaianas flip-flops.

Last week I got a birthday present better than I could ever deserve: a surprise trip to Jamaica. Jimmy had hinted that he would take me on an excursion, but I didn't know anything until twelve hours before our plane departed for Kingston. We spent the first part of our trip in the beach side city of Negril, and then spent the last two days of our vacation in the lush and verdant Blue Mountains outside of Kingston. I have to admit it took a couple of days for me to adjust my city girl self to doing absolutely nothing, as well as being in nature with half of the known members of the animal kingdom creeping around. Nonetheless, I got acclimated to our beautiful, if slightly random surroundings: a little resort hotel that was mostly populated by middle-aged, topless sunbathing, pot-smoking, single females from America and Germany who had taken Jamaica as their second home.

After this strange but lovely interlude in MILF country, we moved on to a more quaint and cozy bed and breakfast called Rafjam's nestled into a nice little valley in the Blue Mountains, which felt more like a home stay. Susan, who owns and runs the bed and breakfast with her husband and young adorable sons, couldn't have been a more wonderful host and guide, and I would honestly go back to Jamaica just to visit there again. In addition to the idyllic setting, the goat curry by the side of the road is worth a plane ride on it's own. While our hiking was minimal, we did take a little trek through Alex Twyman's family run Old Tavern Coffee Estate, which is a must see if you're in Kingston. We got to see how coffee is grown and produced, in addition to tasting plenty of it. Thankfully, one habit that laid-back Jamaicans and high-strung New Yorkers share is conspicuous caffeine consumption.


Birthday dinner at The Rock House in Negril. Alexandre Herchcovitch x Rosa Cha skirt, Chloe Sevigny x Opening Ceremony top.


Alex Twyman's farm and house on the top of the Blue Mountains

Alex demonstrating how coffee beans are roasted

Freshly roasted coffee beans being cooled

The view of Alex's coffee farm from her living room window


My pathetic attempt at a hiking outfit, wearing the best sneakers I own. Something Else by Natalie Wood dress, VPL bra, Rogan x Target leggings, backpack courtesy of Fjallraven, Charles Anastase sunglasses, sneakers courtesy of Jeffrey's x Keds.

Jimmy at the Kingston military base

Rafjam's Bed and Breakfast

Typical Jamaican breakfast at Rafjam's

The view from our hike in the Blue Mountains

-Tiffany

We Pray For Japan

Owl mullet dress courtesy of Leila Shams, Mango tank top, corduroy leggings courtesy of HUE, shoes courtesy of 80%20, Henrik Vibskov bag, Devaki hat, Slow and Steady Wins the Race sunglasses, Triskaidekaphobia tooth necklace.

So this post actually has nothing to do with my outfit today. This afternoon I had lunch with my brother, who was supposed to fly out to Japan this weekend, but obviously canceled the trip after the recent earthquake. I'm so thankful that he wasn't in the country at the time, and my thoughts have been overwhelmed with the devastation going on in the aftermath of the disaster. I have a bunch of relatives and several friends in Tokyo, and I was incredibly grateful to hear that they are all okay, although completely shaken, and I'm still very worried hearing about the ongoing aftershocks and of course, the nuclear power plant crisis.

I know it seems like we can't do very much from so far away, but here are two quick and easy ways to donate a little money to help out with the earthquake relief, if you feel so inclined. First, Groupon is taking donations for $5, $10, and $25 to the International Medical Corps for providing emergency relief in Japan. Second, Lady Gaga is selling We Pray For Japan wristbands for a donation of $5 or more on her website. All of the proceeds go directly to Japan relief efforts. There are plenty of other ways to donate, and even if the amount you can give is small, I am sure every last bit counts.

-Tiffany