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Today I woke up to discover Andy Spade’s latest project, Sleepy Jones. This concept makes me happy. A line of sleepwear inspired by the lifestyles of artists, musicians, writers, designers — and anyone else who knows that getting dressed is sometimes a hassle that gets in the way of art/life. The images above of a quiet, private, unplugged vacation really struck a chord with me. Doesn’t it look heavenly? I’m placing my first order today!
Miss Dior Cherie, by Sofia Coppola
Sigh… don’t you just adore Sophia? She really has a distinctly feminine point of view with everything she creates, even silly perfume ads. It’s fun to see the world through her eyes. She directed this commercial for the fragrance Miss Dior back in 2008. I love the playful song “Moi Je Joue” sung by Bridget Bardot. Tres chic!
I was poking around the matteo los angeles website today and discovered their beautifully styled collection of linen apparel. I really like the back-lit/x-ray effect in these photos. Reminds me a bit of Adam Fuss’s My Ghost series. I would really like to add one of his prints to my collection, but in the meantime maybe I could just print and frame one of these product shots!
This fun zebra print wallpaper was created by Franco and Flora Scalamandre for Gino Circiello’s New York Italian restaurant in 1945. Gino’s was located at 780 Lexington Avenue and operated with famously little change for over 50 years. The kitschy wallpaper eventually became a symbol for not just the restaurant, but for the city itself. Wes Anderson payed homage to the iconic design in The Royal Tenenbaums (seen in Margot’s bedroom) and Kate and Andy Spade used an apple green version of the pattern in a bathroom of their home. Gino’s Restaurant may have closed in 2010, but the Scalamandre company has re-released the pattern as part of their “Cabinet de Curiosites” collection. Above are a few of the colors available.
As a kid, I served as some sort of wallpaper apprentice to my mother who was a very ambitious decorator. We had a system down — I soaked, she pressed, I rolled. We got good. Real good. Busy Laura Ashley florals? Vertical stripes? Tight corners in bathrooms? No problem. Unfortunately, hanging wallpaper is only one of my Super Gen X Skills that has yet to pay off for me as an adult… Let’s not even talk about C++. But I’ve been thinking about doing my bathroom in the yellow zebras, so maybe it’s about to come full circle.
Let’s just hope Mom’s up for it.
image sources below: top two photos from Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York, The Royal Tenenbaums directed by Wes Anderson, 2001
Solutions for those of you uninterested in making the mistakes of the eighties all over again (read: PERMANENTLY GLUING trendy paper to the walls.)
01. yellow pillow // 02. red scarf // 03. red umbrella //04. red tray
It won’t surprise many of you that the first installment of “Wheels” features a certain orange Volkswagen. This was my very first car that I drove all through high school (and college as well.) It currently lives at my parents house but lately I’ve been thinking about bringing it back down to Austin. I took it out for a spin the other day and fell in love with it all over again. It brought back all kinds of memories of fun road trips, cigarette smoking “routes” and awkward makeout sessions. There was also a Franz Ferdinand cd in the player. I decided that it would be a fun idea to style a costume around each car in the “Wheels” series. You can read below for more information on both the costume and the car.
THE CAR
MAKE: Volkswagen
MODEL: Superbeetle Convertible
YEAR: 1974
ENGINE TYPE: horizontally opposed air-cooled 4 cylinder
CC: 1600
PLACE OF MANUFACTURE: Karmann, Germany
TRANSMISSION: manual 4 gear
THE COSTUME
HAT: vintage Liz Claiborne
ROMPER: BCBG
BOOTS: Madewell
GLASSES: RetroSuperFuture
RING: James Avery
HANDBAG: vintage Caro-Nan
LUGGAGE: vintage American Tourister
TURKISH BEACH TOWELS: JM Drygoods
*images top to bottom: lounging girl by Chris Shipman, brunette in front of yellow by Lilia Stroker, daisies by Thayer Allyson Goudy, girl with straw hat by Jody Rogac, girl on country road by Jody Rogac, red scarf by Chris Shipman, portrait of Isabel Asha Penzlien jumping by Susanna Howe, portrait of Linda Rodin by Susanna Howe, black mercedes by Thayer Allyson Goudy, girl in white car by Chris Shipman, inspiration board by Julia Leach, photo of Julia Leach from LA Times
Julia Leach is a creative whose work I’ve admired for years. She started out in advertising as an art director, then spent a decade as part of a team that built a hugely successful fashion brand. Now she’s started her own clothing line, Chance, and the branding is really nice. There’s just a certain sophistication to it. Most of the photos above are from the Chance website. I look up to Julia because she doesn’t seem to draw hard lines around design, fashion or fine art. Her approach is always… thoughtful. Smart. Artful. And that appeals to me. When I found out she was the driving force behind my beloved kate spade books, I knew Julia was the cool older cousin I never had. She also seems to get that good solid vintage cars are really the ultimate statement accessory… I think we’d get along.
It’s finally starting to get chilly in Austin — I even got to light my ecosmart fireplace for the first time on Friday night! While I try to enjoy whatever season I’m in, I’ve never been too keen on long stretches of cold weather. I’m definitely already looking forward to spring fashion, like these pieces from Brooklyn designer Morgan Carper’s spring 2013 collection. I love the bright colors and vacation-y vibe! Select pieces will be available on www.morgancarper.com and at these stores. Now I’ll just need the vacation to go with it. I could totally imagine packing these pieces for a trip to Palm Springs or Carmel… Where would you like to go in 2013?
Tell the boys at Warby Parker there’s some competition in town! A few weeks ago I bought a pair of RetroSuperFuture shades downstairs at Spartan and I love them. I’m thinking about including a pair in the first SCOUT giveaway. Or maybe a Karen Walker pair. Or maybe gas station cheapies, depending on funding. Stay tuned for more information.
With a name like Tennessee Hamilton you pretty much have to be cool, right? The LA-based designer did not disappoint with her new collection of clothing, jewelry, antique reproductions and originals on Wednesday evening. Austin’s really not much of a “fashion town”, so having a real LA designer drop in and bring us a little west coast style was pretty rad. The collection was previewed in suite 40 of the san jose, which is a pretty perfect way to do a small showing in Austin, if you ask me. Tennessee’s collection consists of colorful graphic prints, sculptural jewelry and some really gorgeous convertible evening gowns. I tried one on in “Jerry Hall red” and have not stopped thinking about it since! The whole collection had a real Maude Lebowski-vibe to it. Very edgy and artistic. This event turned into a pretty fun party and Tennessee was kind enough to give me an impromptu photo session modeling her amazing red and black blazer and pant set. Thanks, Tennessee and come back soon! To see where Tennessee will be showing her collection next, check her website at www.tennesseehamilton.com.
sources: 1. GARZA marfa // 2. amsterdam modern // 3. amsterdam modern // 4. pinterest // 5. innit designs // 6. innit designs
My favorite shape is the circle. It’s the friendliest of all shapes, don’t you think? I’d love to have one of these cool round chairs but I’m running out of room for any more furniture at my place. Which one is your favorite?