Proud Parent of a Male Model

(Very few) belated highlights from men's Spring 2009 runway.

- Number (N)ine
Steampunk, anyone? Wiggy.

Ann Demeulemeester decided to do her collection entirely in the vein of a certain pirate in a certain Disney movie about pirates. Cool, Ann. Really super (although, she alleges she was inspired by German intellectual and man-of-cultural-import Hermann Hesse. Whatevs.).
On a positive note, LOVE those strappy man-sandals.





More Ann D. Look, it's Keith Richards.



Also, I have a huge crush on Henrik Vibskov:

- C

Summer Sole

I've recently spent a lot of time looking for a good summer shoe. One that is office-appropriate, but also cool with plenty of air flow and also allows for sockless wearing.

I've found it! A friend who lives in Santa Cruz tipped me off (in Santa Cruz it is always summer so I had no doubt she'd know), they're called Toms Shoes (above) and they are wonderful. Breathable, light, attractive, easy to slip on and a good replacement for you people out there in Internet land, male and female, who are tired of sneakers and/or ballet flats (aren't we all!).

Mine are white, and I have a feeling they'll get dirty fast, but it's worth it. Dirty shoes are sexy.

Big plus: for every pair sold they'll give a pair to a child in need.

- C

The 80s Will Never Die

... or cease to be amazing.

Check this really killer vintage e-shop Nasty Gal. There are some seriously sweet cyborg sunglasses, killer must-have hooded rain emergency ponchos, and, obvs, the dress above.

Hurry though, the stuff tends to sell out VERY FAST. Because, sorry, you aren't the only one who is cool enough to go vintage shopping. :(

In Vogue?

Fashion magazines are pretty much evil. Fabulously evil (or something).

Yesterday was the 20th anniversary of editrix Anna Wintour's reign at fashion mag Vogue, and apparently she's done a whole great deal of good for the image of the publication, according to obsequious Robin Givhan, who penned in-case-you-weren't-aware-Vogue-is-really-great for the Washington Post.

Givhan spends the majority of the piece talking about how Vogue has become a cultural icon in its pure fantasy glamor and the fetishization of skinny bitches, celebrity obsession and luxury goods.

[Vogue] taps into that core desire to be gorgeous and declares it righteous and worthy and, most important, smart. [It] validates the modern careerist's fantasy, that she can run the world and look fabulous doing it.

Is that really all we ask from a fashion magazine? That it validate a consumerist cultural stereotype of the power female who not only wants to make a lot of money but spend it too? I mean, is this really celebrating, or even covering in a journalistic sense, the art of fashion? Sure it gives more attention to the few mega brands (CHANEL! PRADA!), maybe even fewer "up and coming" names who are already mostly well-known (Givhan reports that Vogue helped "two promising young designers" by paying for trainers and nutritionists so they could lose weight -- my money is on the Mulleavy sisters of Rodarte who DON'T NEED TO LOSE WEIGHT and have pretty much made it in the industry) but does that provide a cultural service? Or a consumerist one?

I don't know if we could really call Vogue, or Ms. Wintour for that matter, a cultural icon. I think it's more of a capitalist icon. Congrats to you Anna on 20 years of shelling out shit to the uber-rich! Here's to 20 more.

- C

WARNING: NO FASHION HERE

I have an unrelated question I'd like to pose to the Internet:

Why do you think South Koreans can form enormous protests that cause the government to shiver in their booties, but we here in the US can't?

Don't you think we have better reason to? I mean, I don't eat American beef either, and it's totally worthy of mass protesting, but COME ON. We need to get our shit together. What do you think?

- C

Braided twists aren't just for vending machines anymore.

Your new best-friend summer shoe:







Forever 21, $7.50. No, really. Let that pedicure see the sunshine!

Say what?

I take a considerable degree of pride in hating American Apparel for generally being poorly marketed, overpriced hipster bullshit. I also could not be more obsessed with this mélange jersey tulip skirt:









Considering purchasing multiple colors. Be concerned.