On Easter Sunday I went to my great friend Mary's, expecting a lovely Easter brunch, when I was presented with a marathon impromptu shopping session. Hours later I would have to take a cab from the Upper East Side back to Brooklyn, dragging three garbage bags full of pre-loved, plunder behind me
Mary's sister Genevieve recently moved to LA. She left in her wake bags and bags and boxes and boxes of things she no longer wants or needs. I could hardly contain my excitement and dove into the pile, coming up for air seldom, sneaking quick bites of quiche feverishly. I asked people what they thought of things. I threw the "thumbs ups" items into a take home pile, which became a mass that took over my chair and soon another chair. Sitting obviously wasn't on my agenda. To name just a few of my scores: a Gucci blazer, a button down vintage Jaeger London blouse, a Vera Bradley Bag and a pair of "Findi" aqua pumps. You heard right, not Fendi's but "Findi's"? Puleez. What's better than the real thing? A knock off with a less than discreet imitation name.
I think I could probably dress myself through the entire summer and into the winter from these bags alone. Thank you Genevieve! I am a huge fan of buying (or being given!) "pre-loved" clothing- for both environmental as well as economic reasons. So, I'm going to start posting pics of me in all of my wonderful new outfits.
Genevieve's Closet #1
The jewelry and maxi dress (photo is cut off but it is a floor length dress) are from Genevieve. The belt was my own. I am belting everything these days. It really emphasizes the waistline, of which I have little. Plus belts rock.
Austerity is more palatable, more fathomable when observed in its details. Focusing on the smaller parts of something large, taking it in sections, the whole then seems somehow less sinister. More manageable. More mysterious, yes, at times. Design mimics life and isn't 2010 about examining the smaller pieces of what is broken to re-arrange the larger picture into something better?
Large and fuzzy headwear is where it's at these days. Wide brims, furry embellishments, dreamy and romantic…. and the bigger the better. There is something so organic and treetop-esque about big, bad hats. The trend certainly belongs to fashion's movement towards more economical ways of dressing- accessorize, accessorize, accessorize! I love the gentleman's hat shot at Lisbon Fashion Week.
Making old things new in clever, innovative, and inexpensive ways in design is a current trend direction. As we reflect on the past, and why our current global situation does not seem functional, we will try and reconcile to two: begging, borrowing, and stealing from an eclectic range of historical periods of design. The artist of this picture is Maurizio Anzeri. One of his mediums is creatively combining embroidery over beautiful old photographs. He collaborated with the late fashion designer, Alexander McQueen.
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