Fashion for everyone

Rodarte x Target dress, Vintage sweater, YSL Tribute boots, Devaki hat, and Triskaidekaphobia jewelry

Jimmy and I spent the entire day lounging around and wasting time between our brunch at Little Giant and our dinner at Hiraku's workplace, Menkui Tei. I finally got the Rodarte x Target lace leopard-print dress that I've wanted for so long off of eBay for the same price as it was in stores, and I love it, even though the fit is a little wonky--super tight in the chest area, and super loose at the hips, leaving me a little pear-shaped. I've been wearing it almost everyday since I got in the mail at the beginning of the week. I also stopped by Topshop to see if the Mary Katrantzou collection had dropped, but strangely it hadn't hit the store yet, even though it's already up online. Whatever. I managed to score one of her perfume bottle dresses at the Barney's Warehouse sale on Friday for only a fraction more than what her Topshop collection costs, so I'm happy (pictures to come soon).

DIY Sweater, Elizabeth and James tee, VPL bra, Carin Wester pants, Dieppa Restrepo brogues, Devaki hat, Slow and Steady Wins the Race Sunglasses and purse, Triskaidekaphobia necklace and ring.

So, I know I haven't put up a DIY in ages, but I kinda got hung up on one monster project that took me a lot longer than I could ever have anticipated. If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know I have a thing for Rodarte, and have tried my hand DIYing their tights, dresses, and leggings. All of those projects went relatively quickly, taking no more than a few weeks max, so I thought I would take a chance and give the Rodarte hairy-looking looped cardigan a try. I went for a Where The Wild Things Are-inspired muddy color story, which felt appropriate for such a shaggy mess of a sweater. I knew it would be an ambitious undertaking, but I didn't expect to take me almost a year to finish.

Most of that year was a eight month long pause between last winter and this one, getting sick of the ridiculous project, and wondering why I was devoting so much time to something so fashion-jokey (I will be the first to admit that this sweater looks like a prop-piece from Zoolander). It took me less than a week to knit the body of the sweater, but the main bulk of the time was spent latch hooking the whole thing. Judging from the runway images, I made the mistake of thinking that the Rodarte sweaters were entirely latch hooked, and didn't realize until I saw them in person that their hairy texture is composed of a mix of loop-knitting and latch hooking. If I had figured this out before knitting the sweater body, I would probably have saved myself a lot of time. Latchooking seems easy, but when you're working with such bulky, chunky yarns, it actually is a huge pain in the ass.

Anyway, I'm not actually going to bother going through the DIY instructions for several reasons. First, I'm not going to delude myself into thinking that anyone else would want to make this, wear this, or look like this. I know that I'm probably the only person in Manhattan willing to be mistaken for an Asian-Amish vagabond (yes, I actually walked out dressed like this, and yes it did elicit a lot of funny looks). Second, even though I got every single scrap of material I used for free from my former job, it probably amounted to about $500 worth of yarn, which is a rather huge amount of money to drop on such a fashionably questionable project. Third, I never work with a pattern. If however, for some reason you would like to give it a try, or are working on something similar on your own, feel free to leave any questions in the comment section and I'll be happy to explain or clarify any of the steps I took.

Now that this nonsense is finished, I think I will get back to some lighter projects--maybe some more practical sweaters and scarves for winter that don't involve making yarn-dreadlocks. On the plus side, the monster sweater was a great way to get rid of scrap yarn, and I have to say--it's as crazy-warm as it is crazy-looking.

Stine Goya blanket coat and sweater, Blumarine skirt, French and English Confectioner's patent leather backpack, Dieppa Restrepo brogues, scarf courtesy of Wood Wood, sunglasses courtesy of Urban Outfitters, vintage turban, H&M tights, necklace courtesy of Ben Amun, Triskaidekaphobia ring.

I know I've already written plenty about the Around the World collections, and the event we DJ'd last week at Urban Outfitters, but I genuinely cannot get enough of it. I have been a longtime fan and supporter of many of the Scandinavian designers involved, and am so happy to have them at arms reach rather than an ocean away that I've started making compulsive visits to the store to see if new stuff has come in (yes, I am a freak and I need to get a life). As I mentioned earlier, I was lucky enough to score the Stine Goya blanket coat that I had been eying all winter at a serious discount during the party, and it's been perfect for the recent round of mild weather we've been having in New York. Now that the spring collections are making their way into the stores, I have my eye on a whole new lot of goods. The U.O. team really outdid themselves putting together the lookbooks, hiring emerging photographers from all across the globe to shoot each of the different designers involved, as well as commissioning infamous director and artist Harmony Korine to shoot the Spring Preview. In some shots, the clothes are a little difficult to make out, but you can get a general idea. I know that our friend Carin Rodebjer's confetti printed pants are on the top of my wishlist!


The Local Firm photographed by Tania Shcheglova and Roman Noven

YMC dress photographed by Zhang Jungang & Li Jie

Rodebjer cape photographed by Charlie Engman

Rodebjer top photographed by Harmony Korine

Rodebjer pants photographed by Harmony Korine

Minimarket dress photographed by Harmony Korine.

Earrings courtesy of Joshua Hall, tank dress and paneled leggings courtesy of Ying Chu, Araks bodysuit, Marni shoes, Triskaidekaphobia bandage cuff

With a few exceptions, I almost never wear jewelry that I haven't designed myself. If I'm going to represent another designer other than myself, it has to be something I adore, and I love the sterling silver studs that Australian jewelry designer Joshua Hall sent my way. Joshua was kind enough to send me two pairs: a set of extra-long (and pretty sharp) spikes that stick out far from the ear, and a smaller starburst of six spikes. I prefer wearing my earrings mismatched, and have been wearing the two sets together. Now I just wish I had a few extra holes in my ears so I could wear them all at once!

Joshua Hall Neo Stud Earring, necklace my own design

Joshua Hall Alcander Stud Earring

Christina and I with our polaroid photos from the Impossible Project. Photo by Urban Outfitters. You can see the rest of the photos from the event here.

Last Friday, Christina and I had the pleasure of DJing a party at the Broadway Urban Outfitters celebrating the latest arrivals from the Around the World collections. As I've mentioned before, Around the World brings together some of my favorite labels from across the globe, and on this occasion, fans of the lines got to meet the designers behind Dagmar, Minimarket, The Local Firm, and Rodebjer. Normally, I have to go back to Stockholm to get full access to these lines, so it's really nice and convenient to have them all here in one place. Everyone was given passports to stamp at each designer's booth, which they could later exchange for a treat-filled goodybag, including stuff from Rodebjer, Stila, Nyx and Urban Outfitters. They also enjoyed free manicures by Tracylee, drinks from Izze, and polaroid snaps from The Impossible Project.

I personally was excited to meet some of the designers who I hadn't met before, catch up with old friends who were participating in the event (hi W29!), and eat plenty of the hard-to-find Swedish candy on hand. Of course I couldn't help myself from doing some shopping while I was there, and bought a Stine Goya cape that was on sale from the previous fall collection. Stine, who unfortunately was not on hand for the event, is one of my all time favorites (I even chose to wear one of her dresses to the event), and thanks to Around the World, she's finally available on a large scale in the U.S. market. Now if they could only get the excellent Weekday collaborations in stock, I wouldn't miss Stockholm nearly as much! What do you say Team Urban? Can we work on it?

I wore my Stine Goya dress, DIY Rodarte leggings, Giraffe wedges courtesy of 80%20, Cheap Monday socks, vintage turban, and Triskaidekaphobia matchstick necklace. Photo by Joanne Perez of Pretty Provocative, see her coverage of the event here.

Linda, the designer of Minimarket, in head to toe Minimarket of course! Photo by Urban Outfitters.

Kristina from Dagmar

Some cute pieces from the Wood Wood collection. The kiss print blouse has Amanda's name written all over it!

Lea and Axel from The Local Firm. Photo by Urban Outfitters.

Joyce from Urban with an armful of passport stamps.

Free manicures by Tracylee! Photo by Urban Outfitters.

The crowds getting their designer passports stamped! Photo by Urban Outfitters.

Zana Bayne harness, Risto bomber jacket, Rick Owens cardigan, Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair top, jeans courtesy of Charley 5.0, Alexander Wang Sunglasses and boots, bag courtesy of Katherine Kwei, Iosselliani ring.

After a lot of deliberation, I finally got a hold of my very own Zana Bayne harness. It took me a while (let's be honest, a full year) to figure out which color and style I wanted, but I eventually settled for the double-wing harness in brown, which has a nice equestrian feel to it. The harness arrived right in time for fall, and while it's unfortunately too bulky to fit under jackets, it seems to work quite well over them instead. I wore it out this past weekend to go for fika (coffee break) at the Svenksa Kykan (Swedish Church) with Jimmy. Speaking of which, Svenska Kyrkan will be having a Swedish Christmas Fair this weekend, and we'll be stopping by again for ginger snaps and glogg.


Jimmy at Svenska Kyrkan

Scuffed up white Keds, Elizabeth & James tee, Future Classics gray top, Byblos skirt, H&M tights, Antti Asplund necklaces, Iosselliani ring, Topshop headband

Dante from Keds was kind enough to send Christina and I a couple of pairs of their classic canvas sneakers. While most of my fashion industry friends will never leave the house without heels, I will always be a flats girl. On the list of seven deadly sins, I'm most guilty of Sloth and Gluttony (tied for first place), with Vanity coming in third. This means that instead of waking up an hour early to do my makeup, I'd rather have the extra sleep and look like a fug, and if I'm given the opportunity for seconds on dessert, I will take it even if I won't be able to fit into my pants the next day. Kate Moss had it all wrong when she said "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels," cause skinny doesn't feel nearly as good as chomping your way through an all you can eat chocolate buffet (try it sometime).

Anyway, in the same vein of thought, my YSL Tribute boots look amazing on, but feel good for a total of ten minutes of standing before I have to sit down. And at the end of the day, the lazy girl in me believes that looking good doesn't really feel quite as nice as sliding your tired stiletto-battered feet into a pair of slipper-soft shoes, like a pair of Keds. Here's the pair I got in white, which we'll probably DIY eventually (that is, if sloth doesn't get the better of me).

Christina and I have both skipped the majority of shows we were invited to this week, partially because of all the work we need to do to get our own line in order, but also because of general laziness/inability to cope with nasty New York winter weather/indifference. For the good shows, you're likely to get a better view on Style.com anyway. Of course, there are a few exceptions, and I knew I couldn't miss Katie Gallagher's show, especially since several of my friends helped out (Ashley did a wonderful job with the hair). Once again, Katie delivered a spectacular collection, filled with multi-paneled tops, jackets and leggings, creating looks that were both femme and futuristic. I love the way she mixed incongruous fabrics and textures into sleek, streamlined pieces. The hair and makeup, styled after Katie herself, was also a highlight, featuring melted press-on nails--something I would definitely like to try at home!

Of course the presentation was jam-packed with people, so I couldn't get very many decent pictures, but I did run into a lot of friends, including Nikki, who was wearing a Gareth Pugh coat she got off of eBay for a steal! She gave me some awesome eBaying tips, after managing to score the the Pugh from a girl who apparently didn't know anything about the designer.

These paneled leggings were incredible up close, I wanted to steal them right off of the model



Loving the angular heels on these shoes


Melted acrylic fingernails + killer paneled leggings


Nikki wearing the Gareth Pugh jacket she found on eBay!

Hanging out with Andrew and the Lanvin bombshell doll, who's looking very much like Brigitte Bardot in Le Mepris

Yesterday evening, Jimmy and I stopped by Envoy Enterprises to celebrate the latest issue of Block Magazine, featuring our friend Andrew Yang's couture-clad Kouklitas. Only a year ago, we were celebrating the launch of Andrew's doll line with an intimate gathering of friends at a tiny Soho boutique, so it was a pleasant surprise to arrive to a completely packed gallery filled with strangers. I'm so happy for Andrew, who is now able to support himself off the dolls, and even has an extremely exciting upcoming project for next fashion week (I won't disclose it here, but it the biggest names in the industry are behind it). He'll be working nonstop for the next few months, and I've already promised to help out with doll jewelry and knits, in exchange for a doll of course.

My dear friend Gabriella Loeb was also in attendance after flying in from Sweden, where she's starting her clothing line, and was modeling one of her stunning new dresses. I've already written about her incredibly meticulous craftsmanship, and Andrew's favorite doll, Snejana (the original Kouklita prototype), was even wearing one of her dresses. It's so inspiring to be surrounded by such creative, talented friends, and whenever I have the inevitable case of shoe/bag/dress envy, which is particularly heightened by fashion week, I'm always reminded by those around me that the most special and unique things are the ones you make yourself.

Gabbi wearing a dress of her own design, made out of vintage fabric she found in Sweden, with a necklace and shoes from Chanel

My personal favorite, the Proenza Schouler doll. Andrew colored her Mongolian lambswool hair with magic marker to create that dip-dyed effect!

The pouty Rick Owens doll reminds us of Angelina Jolie

Andrew's personal favorite, the Ann Demeulemeester doll

Hanging out with Andrew's first doll, Snejana, who just had a facelift (she's had one too many kisses) and was wearing one of Gabbi's designs

Six Six Sick dress, H&M skirt, Lanvin boots, Coven belt, Urban Outfitters tights, tiara of my own design, Miu Miu bracelet, Iosselliani ring

I normally don't wear sunglasses inside, I swear, but it's so much easier than putting on makeup and trying to look good. Boots courtesy of 80%20, Daniel Palillo shirt which Aapo gave me, C. Neeon leggings, Alexander Wang sunglasses, Triskaidekaphobia necklace.

For someone who grew up getting a lot of flack for not speaking any Chinese, and generally not being Asian enough (I had a childhood dread of Chinese food, having suffered from a massive over-consumption of it), I think I grew up to become a somewhat typical Asian girl. Not only have I overcome my distaste for dim sum, but judging from my Hello Kitty toaster (and waffle machine and hairbrush), and the fact that I regularly dress in matching outfits with my best (Filipino) girlfriend, I definitely feel like I fall into some major Asian girl stereotypes.

While I probably just barely met any of the requirements for being a young professional Asian, I was lucky enough to be invited to attend the Museum of Chinese in America's Young Professional Expo on Wednesday night, which was essentially a combination of all my favorite Asian things in one place. While the crowd was definitely more my baby brother's scene than mine (he's off being an uber-young professional Asian at Harvard Business School), I still had a really good time. There was an unending assortment of dim sum and Asian snacks from local restaurants like Dim Sum A Go-Go, Lair, and my personal favorite, Kyotofu. And of course, two of my favorite young Asian designers were on hand selling their wares: Mary Ping of Slow and Steady Wins the Race, and Ce Ce Chin of 80%20 shoes. I attended the 80%20 five year anniversary party this summer, and each collection just gets cuter and cuter. The current fall collection might be my favorite yet, and I was lucky enough to leave with my favorite pair--the Heide wedged hiking boot, which are also really comfortable and easy to walk in.


80%20 ponyhair boots with a hidden heel, as modeled by 80%20 staffer Kristina

Another shot of the Heide boots

Shearling booties with a hidden heel

The wool Eliotte booties

Mary Ping's fox stole and four-sided bag

Slow and Steady Wins the Race bags--I have the Chanel-style one!


I had to include a song by my one of my favorite Asian-lady fronted bands, Asobi Seksu, for good measure.