Tonne Goodman is My Style Sister

I was having dinner a few weeks ago with a friend who is a blogger at a prominent fashion website, and she was telling me what the other editors in the office wear.  In a nutshell, she described it as so over the top with prints layered with stripes layered with bold colors and big accessories on top of that, and we collectively decided that it was completely over-styled and worn to say 'look at how fashionable I am' as opposed to looking great.  Basically style amateur hour. 

I guess this is why I love Tonne Goodman's style so much.  She favors classically understated pieces, a neutral color pallet, flats, straight hair, white jeans, minimal makeup, and I could go on and on.  I cannot deny my inherent love of black turtleneck sweaters, and you will never see me layer garments in a dizzying spectacle.  She is one of my favorite editors at Vogue, and I took it as a huge compliment when my friend J said I was 'totally giving him Tonne right now' when I layered black and gray turtleneck s (two of my favorite colors and one of my favorite winter looks).  So, every time I am feeling the 'dressing room dumps' that I just don't feel like myself in a of-the-moment leather jacket, sky-high platform heels, or a flouncy dress, I channel Tonne and say to hell with them all.  I am dressing for me.

PS - check out Tonne's inspirations for the month in Vogue's February issue (page 142).

Balenciaga @ The Queen Sophia Spanish Institute

Before last week, when I thought of 'Balenciaga' the first thing that popped into my mind was Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, and the "Classic" motorcycle bag that was all the rage in 2005.  I knew the house of Balenciaga had much more depth than the "Bimbo Summit" as the NY Post so proudly proclaimed, but I had no clue as to the history or how the founder, Cristobal Balenciaga, drew inspiration from his Spanish seaside upbringing and translated it to Paris haute couture.  Being the fashion nerd that I am, I went to the Hamish Bowles lecture at FIT on his curated exhibit, Balenciaga: Spanish Master, at the Queen Sophia Spanish Institute in NYC to get the scoop from the expert.  I totally adore Mr. Bowles' writing in Vogue, and I am constantly amused by the complete out-of-his-element assignments he receives, most likely from La Wintour herself, being that he is a total dandy.  My personal faves include surf school with Blake Lively and living with an urban gardener slash dumpster-diver type.  

Back to Balenciaga--during the hour of going through one amazingly famous photograph after another with one amazingly gag-worthy garment after another, Hamish narrated the connection between the designs and how they related directly to Balenciaga's Spanish upbringing (along with plenty of lol and quote-worthy anecdotes).  The Cathlolic Church, Spanish regional dress, flamenco dancing costumes, bullfighting, and Spanish artists from Velasquez to Miro have all influenced his designs in such a direct way it is like a slap in the face and Ah-Ha moment in one.  To fuel the fire of my newfound obsession, I headed to the exhibit at the Spanish Institute the following day.  There was no time to be wasted while the info was fresh in my mind.  Up close and personal, the clothing is even more breathtaking, and the attention to detail and finishing made my own ensemble look like a home-ec project.  Below are some of my favorite pieces that are featured in the exhibit.  If you are a fashion-phile or a lover of luxe you will enjoy this collection.  I have been truly inspired, and who wouldn't love a designer who told his protege, Hubert de Givenchy, "A ruffle must be intelligent." 

Balenciaga: Spanish Master

curated by Hamish Bowles

through Saturday, November 19th 2011

Queen Sophia Spanish Institute New York

Park Ave. between 68th and 69th

Cost: $15

Or, catch it in San Francisco at the de Young Museum from March, 26 through July, 4 2011.

 

Grace Under Fire

Any one remotely interested in fashion would know that ginger mane in a second!  My bestie snapped Mme. Coddington heading to work.

Image by T.V. Joyce

Vogue's 100 Fall Trend Finds Under $100

Well, isn't this a tasty little morsel of procrastination for your Friday afternoon.  It's Vogue's 100 under $100 featuring top fall trends like plaid, 50's, rock chic, country weekend, clean and chic, etc.  The exciting/scary thing is I actually love a few things from each trend so I should be pretty on point this fall.  Time for a mini wardrobe update!  Have a wonderful weeekend!

Vogue.com's 100 Under $100

Image courtesy of Vogue.com

Jump in a Jumpsuit

Call me crazy, but I am loving the jumpsuit makeup-artist Alice Lane wears as her 'work uniform' in October's Vogue.  I totally dig the simplicity and casual fit of the jumpsuit.  Neither does it scream ghetto/skin tight/J.Lo, nor does it look like something the super at your building would have on.  Paired with fun sandals (not sneakers), messy bun,  and a casual tote, this could be a look.  What do you think?  White jumpsuit after Labor Day, or save it for next summer?

 Word to the wise: When Googling to find a match use 'coveralls' and steer clear of anything called a 'playsuit'.   Alice purchases them at uniform stores.  Bingo!

PS - She is totally giving me a young Grace Coddington (one of my heroes) right now, and I love it!  I have even been inspired to throw my hair up in a top-of-the-head bun today. 

Check out Alice Lane's portfolio.

Image courtesy of Vogue.

The Perfect Boyfriend T-Shirt for Girlfriends

I feel like there are definitely three tiers to t-shirts: The Barney's level (James Perse, Splendid, and anything else charging $50+ for a basic tee), the American Apparel level (including Uniqlo and J. Crew), and the Hanes level (self explanatory).  I love t-shirts and wear them constantly, but I am not about to start populating my wardrobe with hundreds of dollars of high-end t's...it's just not the S-C way.  On the flip side, bottom rung tee shirts just make my skin crawl.  They look cheap, don't wear well in the wash, and look like you bought them in a 3-pack at Sears.  American Apparel has been my go-to tee outlet, but they really have only one shirt I love, and I am looking for something fresh for spring that shows a little more skin:  A lovely boyfriendy, but made for a lady t-shirt that has nice finishing and is not completely see-through (but maybe just a little).  Vogue's March issue has turned me onto a gem.  I spotted Daria Werbowy sporting the tee that meets all my 'musts'.  The Milla t-shirt from Market has a slouchy, boyfriendy feel with a deep v-neck and comes in four colors.  I will most likely stick to white and gray (because I am not allowed to buy any more black clothing for the rest of the year), and for a great price of $33 I can pick up two and not feel guilty.  I can't wait for mine to arrive.  Will report back.

www.Market-Ts.com

My Favorite Fashion Docs

My friend Sara and I have been going back and forth over the past few months on the subject of fashion documentaries. I always find it completely mesmerizing to see the behind the scenes conceptualization of a sketch of a garment and how it turns into something that is hanging in your closet. The hard work, long hours, and hundreds of people with needles and thread is hardly glamorous, but it is on par with creating a masterpiece...especially the couture collections. And, I just gag over watching Anna ask "Where's the glamor...this is Vogue", Karl fuddling around with his rings, and Valentino with all those damn dogs. So, since it is February, I heart fashion, and it is the perfect season for some couch/blanket/tea time here is a quick list of my favorite docs. Please feel free to let me know if I have missed any or what your favs are.

Marc Jacobs & Louis Vuitton - Great to see Marc flip flopping between LV and his own label. He is so hands on and amazingly quirky. This was filmed when he was transforming from totally endearing nerd to stud magnet with Lorenzo.

The September Issue - Anna, Grace, Andre, Virginia, Tonne....my idols at work. This is truly my favorite. And, now I know that Anna lives one block over from me which has completely changed the way I get places (why not stroll past the Wintour residence). The DVD comes out this month with another hour and a half of unused footage. This is a must buy!

Lagerfeld Confidential - What a freak! The ipods, the rings, the ponytail. So great.

Valentino: The Last Emperor - This is complete fashion porn. Just watching the little ladies stitch on bead by bead and paillette by paillette is fascinating. And, Valentino looks like a classier version of the Jersey Shore cast with that carrot hued skin.

Unzipped - I have never been a huge fan of Isaac Mizrahi, but this is during the early 90's hey day of the supermodel: a true time capsule of a bygone era.

Seamless - Follow Doo.Ri, the boys from Proenza Schouler, and other now mainstream fashion designers compete to win the first Vogue/CFDA Fashion Fund award. Forget Project Runway, this is how stars are made.

PS - Grace Coddington was absolutely amazing last night at the Q&A for The September Issue at IFC.

Meet Grace Coddington Tomorrow at IFC

Put this on the schedule!

Special Q&A with The September Issue darling Grace Coddington and director R.J. Cutler at the IFC Center at 6th Avenue and West 3rd street. Come on...you know you want to see it the movie again, and with the added bonus of commentary by laCoddington this is a no-brainer for a Wednesday evening. Also, I can't resist getting another peek at Andre Leon Talley's garish Louis Vuitton tennis get-up. Well worth the $17. AND, it has the added bonus of being right around the corner from Anna's townhouse on Sullivan between Bleecker and Houston for easy access to stalking apres movie.

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