Fashion for everyone

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.

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).

My BGF (Best Gay Forever), Brandon, is currently interning at Alejandro Ingelmo, so I stopped by last Friday to take a peek at the new collection, while gossiping and snarfing down Baked by Melissa cupcakes (none of the other food-phobic fashion-folk wanted anything to do with them). The collection was filled with sky-high booties with built-in platforms that will literally put your head in the clouds. In spite of the vertiginous heights, Brandon & Co. claim that the shoes are actually quite comfortable---some styles even have built in shock-absorbers etc. I'll have to try them to believe it. Maybe they will lend me a pair so I can give them a test-run myself? I'm personally dying to get my hands on the faux-pony fur booties that are partially covered in a waxy treatment, which gives them an oddly appealing smooth/furry texture. And who could resist the winterized version of Ingelmo's signature strappy-sandal, with all the straps in the same place, but encasing a suede round-toe boot? They look like they belong on the feet of Judy Jetson. Anyway, here is some good old fashioned shoe porn, enjoy!

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.

Chau Hur Lee's futuristic heels were another treat that I discovered at the London Show Rooms a few weeks ago. Mixing traditional materials like leather with cut acrylic and stainless steel, Chau's shoes cut a defiantly cool, if not necessarily functional, silhouette. One pair is lacking a heel, and the thin metal plates that serve as heels for another pair look like they require an incredible sense of balance. Her pieces are machine-like, with multiple parts and pieces serving different functions, and one pair of plastic heels can even be taken apart and assembled like a puzzle. Which are your favorite pair?

Giraffe-print pony wedges courtesy of 80%20, Stine Goya cable sweater, The Bitches With Cigarette Burns sheer dress, American Apparel mini-dress underneath, Alexander Wang sunglasses, turban courtesy of Mike Gonzalez, bag courtesy of Katherine Kwei, H&M tights, Triskaidekaphobia tooth necklace and buckle ring, Iosselliani ring.

Last week, I had the pleasure of attending Blue Stripe PR's blogger get together, where I got to catch up with some of my favorite internet ladies and meet a few amazing ones I'd never talked to before. In between chatting, we snacked on candies, sipped on mini-Sophies, and previewed the showroom's new Spring collections, which included 80%20, Pleasure Doing Business, Mike Gonzalez, and GAR-DE. I was so busy talking that I only got a few photos of the clothes, but photos of the event the lovely bloggers who attended are up on Laney's blog.

I did however snap a few of 80%20's spring collection, since I'm always a big fan of Ce Ce's, and have been wearing my Heide boots all winter. The spring shoes were full of colorful french linen prints, tie-dye leather, and rainbow striped wovens, which provided a nice contrast to the black/grey slump I've been in due to the drab conditions outside. At the end of the night, we each got to take a bunch of goodies home with us, including our choice of 80%20's from the fall collection, and I picked out a pair of giraffe-print pony wedges that I'd been lusting after for a while. They've got a hidden platform, which provides the height of a heel while making them as comfortable as flats, and I already know that I'll be stomping around in these all fashion week.

My Mom told me that this hairstyle made look very "ancient Asian" whatever that means. I think she was talking about the people on her antique vases. Uh, thanks Mom.

Then my husband told me that my shoes looked like a cross between London punk and orthopedic comfort shoes, but are still cool, which is kinda the truth. Does your family comment on your outfits like you're not in the same room with them?

The Feather cork wedge

The Yossi wedge

The Dawn wedge

Ribbon Woodpecker clog

I know how most of you feel about clogs. Most approach them with acute disdain, while a few raging fanatics (Christina included) are dying to bring them back. I myself am on the fence: I don't usually mind them on other people, but don't foresee myself adding them to my closet anytime soon. When Aapo sent me pictures of these Finnish "Woodpecker Clogs" from a store in Helsinki called Onni, I began to think about changing my stance. Made out of a wedge of wood riddled with Woodpecker style holes, and several strands of cord or ribbon, they have the traditional heft and clunk of a clog, but wrap around your foot with the grace of a ballerina slipper. The most enticing part of the brand however seems to be the shop itself, which is located in one of the designer's homes, and where they make their goods on the premise and take orders directly from the customers. It's supposed to be reminiscent of the way that traditional cobblers worked in the "olden times," and I love the way that many of their handmade designs are infused with a sense of craft, without looking out of date.

Cord Woodpecker Clog

Woodpecker Clog made with multicolor rags

I also fell for this ridiculous looking children's bag made out of rags and woven with stuffed animals

The interior of the Helsinki store

After many years of hard partying in very very high heels, I've officially messed up my feet. Without going into inappropriate TMI detail, they are beyond mangled at this point, and give my husband a good scare (when he deserves a good scare, as he often does). I have an entire closet filled with pumps, boots, and beautiful shoes that are collecting dust, and I'm constantly on the lookout for nice and comfortable flats to add to my completely inadequate selection of reasonable walking shoes. When I saw George Esquivel's Spring presentation, my eyes were opened to a dizzying array of options. Esquivel is an experienced cobbler known for his incredibly crafted handmade shoes, and he presented an assortment of women's, men's, and unisex styles, with nary a high-heel in sight. Inspired by the architecture of Frank Gehry, each shoe offered a decidedly new spin on a classic style. Highlights included suede brogues in eye-popping bright colors, lace-up boots and ankle booties with peekaboo cut-outs, and some T-strap sandals with twisting leather details which revealed flashes of gold.

London based knitwear designer Mark Fast presented for the first time in New York, showing his  diffusion line, Faster by Mark Fast, as well as his collaboration with ALDO Rise. While the collection displayed Fast's signature skintight, formfitting, and super-revealing clothes, in eye-popping bright colors, the diffusion line obviously lacked a lot of the intricate details.  Instead, the Faster line simulates the sexy stretched out knits that made Fast famous with fishnet dresses and cutout bodystockings and bodysuits. The result are clothes that are only flattering on the absolute fittest of bodies, and even the skinniest model would probably think twice before having a meal in one of those outfits, as the slightest bit of a bump or bulge shows.  Also, you can just forget about wearing any sort of underwear with these clothes, so you have to have superstar confidence to wear these clothes (or a supreme desire to piss off your parents).

With this in mind, the real draw of the show for me was the ALDO Rise collaboration. ALDO has really stepped up their collaboration game, reaching out to young designers across the globe.  The knee-high stocking boots and the two toned heels both had some serious WOW-factor, and you don't even need to have toned calves to wear them.  I just hope that the prices have a similarly WOW inducing effect when the collaboration arrives in stores in spring!