Ombre-tastic: Tie-Dye Redefined

Ombre (n) A French word meaning “shaded.” Usually a multicolored stripe with colors graduating from light to dark.
This technique of dyeing from light to dark has been around for a long time. It’s basically tie-dye’s distant (high-fashion) cousin. But, don’t expect the kids at your local YMCA summer camps to start making ombre T-Shirts instead of traditional tie-dye gear. Ombre is an extremely rigorous process because the color effect is actually intricately woven into the fabric, which is why sporting the dip-die look can be pricey. Total cost depends on labor, colors, and the number of transitions (read: how hard the garment was to make).

I assume the trend will last all thru the summer. That’s fine with me because I love the look. (Hippie-chic, ultra-girlie, colorful...)
However, my only problem with the whole ombre-fad is the style of the garments themselves. It’s like they got lazy and just took all of last year's bubble dresses, maxi-dresses, 60s-inspired frocks, tank tops and tunics, and updated them with ombre prints. And while the new color palettes are eye-catching and its an easy-to-pull-off look that requires no accessorizing, it still seems half-assed to me. Come on! I'm tired of over-the-top billowy boho-glam. Enough already!
This is why I don’t think I’ll be investing in any ombre-patterned clothes or accessories. Not to mention my New Year’s Resolution was to stop purchasing of-the-moment trends. And if I must have it, it must come from Forever 21. (And all bills must be paid in full) I’ve done pretty well and my boyfriend has actually convinced me to clean out my closet and *gasp* get rid of things! I know, I know—love will make you do crazy things!

One Skirt

The Balancing Act

Danish art student Nadia Plesner designed this T-shirt depicting a Darfurian child holding a Louis Vuitton bag and a Chihuahua. Her point being that we are more interested in celebrity culture than the genocide in Darfur. In February Louis Vuitton hit Plesner with a copyright lawsuit demanding she pay $20,000 a day for each day she continued to use this image and reimbursement for legal fees. Plesner continues to fight and has refused to stop using the image.

“My illustration Simple Living is an idea inspired by the media’s constant cover of completely meaningless things [ie. Paris Hilton], ” Plesner said. “My thought was: Since doing nothing but wearing designer bags and carrying small ugly dogs apparently is enough to get you on a magazine cover, maybe it’s worth a try for people who actually deserves and needs attention.”

I admire Plesner’s guts and I think her intensions were 100% sincere. After all, the LV bag could be swapped with a Prada, Gucci, or Dior handbag, the Chihuahua could be swapped with a Miniature Pincher or a Bijan Frise—I get it. Part of me is like, “who cares if LV’s mad, Plesner’s point is solid, besides they have enough money and loyal customers, this won’t even ding their public image, ” however; since I love to play devil’s advocate, the other part of me has to ask, “is it fair to use a high-profile company to promote your cause?” hmmm…

More than likely, this will blow over by the time I post this blog. And, if Plesner’s observations about our inability to watch and/or care about current events are correct, no one will ever be aware that this situation exists—unless E! News decides to cover the story.

Instead of LV turning this into an attack against their brand and suing, LV needs to TAKE ACTION and immediately do something to set a good example. If I was their PR rep, this would be my plan:

Step 1. Amend this situation. Louis Vuitton should drop the suit, which will end up costing millions and instead donate that money to the Dafur Awareness Movement.

Step 2. Redirect the negative press. Instead of immediately getting defensive, I’d make them step back and find out what the public is thinking. Get discussions going via YouTube, respectable blogs, and other neutral, third-party media outlets. Then use their high profile status to raise money and awareness for the cause. ie: Design a bag specifically for the cause and donate all proceeds to the Darfur Awareness Movement.

Step 3. Inadvertently, with dignity, elegance, and style, continue to be part of the solution. Isn’t that what makes the Louis Vuitton brand iconic in the first place—being a brand us regular folk adore as the epitome of dignified, elegant style?

Final Thought: Not every American is out-of-touch, celebrity obsessed, and superficial. We’re not a complete lost cause—Sheesh!

 I listen to NPR in the morning, but I also watch Showbiz Tonight.

 I read the Washington Post during my lunch break, but I read Lucky Magazine before bed.

 I care about the upcoming election, but I also care the Jen Aniston is dating John Mayer.

 I take part in the “ultimate form of recycling” and buy practically everything second-hand, but I also take part in good ol’ fashioned Shopping Sprees at Banana Republic or Ikea.

 I confidently believe that you can be “pop-culturally” conscious and still be socially conscious. I think that that’s the direction we're headed. (slowly but surly—and God Bless any celebrities who are leading the way…(think Brangelina, Ryan Gosling, Sheryl Crow, and Leonardo DiCaprio)

 I love both ends of the spectrum equally---and I’m pretty sure there are plenty of other people who do, too.

Perplexed in the City

The Sex and the City movie hits theaters on May 30th, the studio is kicking their promotional efforts into 5th gear. This movie's premiere is set to shake up the lives of impressionable, forward-thinking, young women and gay men everywhere. It's the movie equivalent of Uggs and Skinny jeans. However—like skinny jeans, uggs, and other relentless trends—this movie isn’t for everyone. And, from the looks of this picture, it seems like the stars are wondering if it’s even right for them.

Now for my favorite activity, à la Perez Hilton... Let’s Fill in the Blank:

Kristen Davis is ________________.

· Photo-shopped into the picture. She couldn’t make it because she’s been too busy whoring-out every beauty product on the market for the past 5 years.
· squealing, “ooh, a shiny penny!”

Cynthia Nixon is ________________________.
· The new spokeswoman for Forever 21’s over-40 line.
· Doing her best Hillary Clinton impression.
· Very, very uncomfortable.

Sarah Jessica Parker is ___________________.
· Having a nicotine fit.
· Laughing because she makes twice as much money as Kim Cattrall, but has ½ the acting chops.
· So hungry, she’s eating her hair. Someone please feed her!

Kim Cattrall is __________________.
· Wishing she’d shown more clevage.
· Feeling very overwhelmed (you just can’t tell because of all the Botox)
· Thinking, “SJP, if you bump into me one more time, I’m gonna snap your boney ass in two!”

All jokes aside, here is a sneak peak of the upcoming movie. I know I can’t wait! Can you?

A Yellow Kind of Day...

For some reason, lately I've been feeling like I need more yellow in my wardrobe. Luckily, I satisfied my urge by shopping on Polyvore.com, instead of at the mall. Here is what I picked out...



While I was there, I decided my living room would look good in red. What do you think?...

Today's Inspiration

I spent my lunch break scanning through Face Hunter and decided to share some of my favorite pics. These capture the essence of thift-store-street-chic that I LOVE! Enjoy!

In the Name of Fashion!

British designer Antonio Beradi’s latest creation definitely caught my eye. Innovative? Yes. Comfortable? Probably not. I must say, going completely heel-less may be a little bit much. And this is coming from a girl whose shoe-size is “between an 8 and a 9 ½, depending on how bad I want the shoe!”


These bad-boys are 5 1/2 inches off the ground and cost between $2,000 - $4,000. In London there’s a 5-week waiting list to own a pair of these super-high heels. (Can I call them that?) But, celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Uma Thurman have a pair—so why shouldn’t you?

Could I see myself in a pair? Sure—but it would have to be a stairless facility and I would have to put a 2-drink limit on the night. Still, despite all the obvious downsides, I am dying to try on a pair.

But, most of all, I want to know why my favorite pouty-lipped fashionista Victoria Beckham hasn’t been seen in a pair? They have Posh Spice written all over them. Don’t you agree?

My favorite quotes about these shoes:

“You can tell they were designed by a man. Typical.”

“Do they come with a helmet and knee pads?”

“I call these WTF shoes”

Sounds Good to Me

I can't get enough Chester French! Too bad I can't hear their music anywhere but MySpace. Their sound? Well, think Franz Ferdinand meets The Beatles meets The Beach Boys meets Andre 3000. Their inspiration? Think retro sunny melodies and 60s pop with a modern, electronic edge. Their songs? Think refreshingly different and more innovative than any of today's over-produced cookie-cutter pop music and bling-bling rap that won't seem to go away. (This week's Top 40)

And, to top it all off, the unique throwback sound is created by only TWO people! The talented, preppy twosome (D.A. Wallach and Maxwell Drummey) met while attending Harvard and began making music in their dormroom. Eventually, their demo made it into the hands of rapper/singer/producer/superstar-extraordinaire Pharrell Williams, who wasted no time and signed them to his record label Star Trak/Interscope immediately.

In an interview with HipHopDX, the duo was asked, "What does Chester French bring to Hip Hop," they responed:

“If there’s a movement that we stand for, it’s about breaking down barriers. Just by the virtue of the people we--with Kanye, Pharell or any of those people--the value that they see in us is the fact that we don’t make music like them,” says D.A. He goes on to say, "Up until now, people have been making music in boxes. You maybe had some Rock to Pop crossover shit, but for the most part, the same people who listen to Lil’ Boosie aren’t the same people listening to Maroon 5 or Coldplay. I’m not saying that they should be…The way we look at it is, music is music and people are people…for Hip Hop fans we want to turn them on to other stuff, but still be appealing to what they’re used to.”

And, as if I couldn't love these guys any more than I already do, I discovered that Chester French might be my musical soulmate when I read this great quote from the guys' interview with the Boston Globe:

The musical direction of Chester French can be traced to the pair's dissatisfaction with the current state of popular music. Aside from hip-hop, they see little value in Top 40 offerings, and they get downright belligerent when the subject of indie rock is raised.

"Indie rock people don't like us," says Wallach between bites of Caesar salad. "And we don't like them at all."

Mark My Words: These guys are gonna be HUGE!

Check them out: www.myspace.com/chesterfrench

Now, excuse me while I take a dance break...

I Dig It

Opening early July 2008!

The Baltimore Area's Premier Location for Classic Vintage Clothing in the Heart of the Historic Federal Hill Neighborhood

Location:
1211-A South Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21230
(410) 244-5664

Hours: M-W 11am-8pm; Thur-Sat 11am - 10pm; Sun 12-6

Website: http://www.theclothingwarehouse.com/

Looks I Love

I am a big fan of Diane Von Furstenberg. Unfortunately, with the exception of a wrap dress I scooped up at Nordstrom Rack for 50 bucks, I have to admire her gorgeous designs from afar.

Recently, I discovered her line of fine jewelry and spent an entire hour browsing every piece in awe. The bright stones, clean lines, and clunky, chunky quality of the collection is right up my alley. I wouldn't mind picking up the gorgeous Love Knot Necklace, the Temptation Rocks Hoop Earrings, or her Rutilated Quartz Power Ring (all pictured below). Hey, a girl can dream, can't she?