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Posted by Jessie Pascoe at 8:51 PM, January 31, 2007
Tomorrow marks the physical opening of Etsy, the online crafting phenomenon that's turned individuals' DIY designs into hot, tradable commodities. Imagine vintage plastic lamb necklaces, "ribbit ribbit froggy Mary Jane slippers," "wallets made of duct tape," or camouflage dresses and you've only peeked into the inventiveness of this site.
According to company, the Brooklyn location will be:
A cross between a community center, a school, a store, an artist's studio, and an in-house production facility, the Etsy labs will provide a place for artisans, who have been influential in the DIY resurgence, to connect and share their crafting skills.
This fusion of all things craft-related hopefully will allow them to sustain their "eBay-style community of crafters" beyond a virtual reality. After all, it's hard to imagine paying New York rent on the exclusive exchange of "geekery" items.
Etsy
325 Gold Street, 6th Floor
Brooklyn, New York
Posted by Jessie Pascoe at 1:17 PM, January 31, 2007
Threadster has learned Built by Wendy's previewing items from their Spring 2007 collection. Start resembling a preppy pirate today by snagging up boat print t-shirts ($35), nautical minidresses ($135), and naval jumpers ($180). This look won't be complete until their line debuts entirely February 15 and their sailor stripe motifs and anchor prints are unleashed. If only their accessories included parrot pins in addition to sailor belts.
Built by Wendy
7 Centre Market Place
New York, NY
212-925-6538
Built by Wendy
46 North 6 Street
Brooklyn, New York
718-384-2882
Posted by Jessie Pascoe at 3:33 PM, January 30, 2007
Min-K's sample sale is in full swing. Outfits that were $200 are now drastically reduced. Think striped t-shirts, apple print dresses, and full cotton skirts for $20-$40. Although most of these fun pieces we love, their silk boyshorts give us pause. And judging from their ample leftover supply, we aren't the only ones.
On a retro note, Sweet Tater's vintage wares are currently 50 percent off. This Nolita boutique specializes in "reincarnate[ing] the 1950's through the early 80's." Not to worry if you favorite decade is now. They've reduced their contemporary items around 20 percent. Our only words of caution are not to sport their buffalo check tunic (was $142, now $98) with their black leather belt. This combo's on their website and veers into lumberjack geisha territory.
Min-K
334 East 11th Street
New York, NY
212-253-8337
Sweet Tater
280 Mulberry Street
New York, NY
212-219-6400
Posted by Jessie Pascoe at 9:26 AM, January 29, 2007
(See slideshow)
Saturday afternoon found us surrounded by fuchsia banners, pink crowns, rose dresses, magenta feathers, and blush-colored vests. No, a Claire's boutique didn't explode. We were with Code Pink at UFPJ's DC anti-war protest.
Code Pink's call to action, according to co-founder Starhawk is this:
We call on women around the world to rise up and oppose the war in Iraq. We call on mothers, grandmothers, sisters, and daughters, on workers, students, teachers, healers, artists, writers, singers, poets and every ordinary outraged woman willing to be outrageous for peace.
And on Saturday such outrageousness was everywhere. The Raging Grannies dressed up with bright-hued hats with the occasional flamboyant boa thrown loosely around the shoulders. Giant paper mache masks of Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Condoleezza hung out behind a courtroom skit condemning Bush. Flaming red costumers walked on stilts. Some camouflaged themselves as bugs. One person even donned a gorilla suit.
Our impression of the Capital being a chino wasteland evaporated with this carnival revelry. We've already started imagining our outfit for the March on the Pentagon.
Posted by Jessie Pascoe at 4:59 PM, January 26, 2007
February 4 should be circled on everyone's calendar. It is the official launch date for Proenza Schouler's Go International collection for Target. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette notes:
The spring daywear and sportswear line, designed by award-winning duo Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollogh [sic], includes colorful skirts, tops, jackets, dresses, pants, shorts, swimwear and outerwear. Prices range from $12.99 for tissue tanks in five colors to $139.99 for a cropped suede jacket in light khaki.
However for those that can't wait, Opening Ceremony will showcase these threads two days earlier. According to the Times:
Mr. McCollough and his design partner, Lazaro Hernandez, are so enamored with their Target collection that for four days, beginning Feb. 2, they plan to transform the Opening Ceremony store in SoHo into a pop-up Proenza Schouler for Target boutique.
To catch glimpses of the line check out this Target commercial. We just wonder if the surfboard's included.
Opening Ceremony
35 Howard Street
New York, NY
212-219-2688
Posted by Jessie Pascoe at 4:20 PM, January 25, 2007
January finally feels correct. We recently walked around and found funky tweeds, modish lines, and '70s fur collars inspiring many a winter vision. It seems global warming has failed to change our wardrobes—this season.
In the East Village, splashes of orange, red, and white reigned against a prevalent mid-calf coat. Brief glimpses of denim appeared before being hidden again inside leather boots. The best accessories run from the eccentrically knitted to the petite and irreverent. We also learned camouflage jackets don't look half bad on Chihuahuas.
Posted by Jessie Pascoe at 1:34 PM, January 25, 2007
Expansion plans are underway for H&M. Women's Wear Daily reports the Swedish chain plans to enter the home textile market, open Collection of Style (COS)—a "more expensive" chain—and develop "an 'extended shoe assortment' for women." WWD states:
Strong holiday sales propelled Hennes & Mauritz’s full-year profit ahead a better than expected 17 percent as the Swedish fast-fashion chain said it would push into the home textile market and start opening stores for its new more expensive chain this March.
What does this mean for your interior design fantasies? According to the BBC this domestic line will encompass "bedding, curtains, towels and cushions, via online and catalogue sales."
Unfortunately, Collection of Style opens first in London, so U.S. customers will have to wait—or troll eBay. Take heart, their new footwear will launch, says WWD, "in some 200 H&M stores this spring." We pray in a zip code near us.
Posted by Jessie Pascoe at 6:56 PM, January 24, 2007
Their website declares, "we love . . . a bargain." But with discounted prices still in the quadruple digits, it's hard to believe Intermix does. But, if you feel like blowing rent, feel thrifty by purchasing the Fendi "B" bag for $1,399. It originally cost $2,000. Maybe Intermix does love a bargain!
Aside from the Italian luxury brand, expect trends galore, such as sweater dresses, clunky platforms, and lots of leggings. Grey Ant's high-waisted braided jeans topped our must have list, especially since they're $79. Even though they hark to the '70s wide-legged craze, we tried them on—they flatter in ways unimaginable to skinny pants.
Posted by Jessie Pascoe at 11:18 AM, January 24, 2007
Kangol's Ushanka—It's lived better than us
Threadster came across a very special hat this week. We spotted it at Project, a gathering of sportswear retailers at Pier 40. Amid a sea of vendors selling silkscreen t-shirts—a trend that needs to die—was Kangol's booth. Front and center, their Ushanka hat grabbed our attention.
A rep quickly told us its story. Designed by Rustan Karablim, aka SSUR, this little number had an actual Russian violinist play its debut party. Later we learned it comes in a "custom debossed hatbox, designed to resemble a caviar tin." If only we had had a coming out party or traveled with references to delicacies.
We pondered the good life of this hat. Later our friend told us of a swanky party she attended, honoring the release of limited edition sneakers. Although we have no problem partying for products, it's odd to have a social live inferior to an accessory.
Posted by Jessie Pascoe at 7:07 PM, January 23, 2007
This week our fashion expert, Lynn Yaeger, visits Nan Kempner's exhibit at the Costume Institute. A display of haute couture past, the late socialite's wardrobe can't help highlight the industry's contemporary wane. Yaeger explains:
Now so many faithful haute couture customers have passed away that the institution's very survival is in question, especially since the granddaughters of these customers, today's "social girls," are more often than not only interested in couture if it has the name Juicy attached.
Despite this popularity decline, Harold Koda, the show's curator, sums up couture's eternal appeal:
"I love it because it is breathtakingly beautiful. It is beyond anything you see in your life! It's like Vermeer versus the Washington Square art show."
Nan Kempner: American Chic
The Costume Institute at the Met
1000 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY
Until March 4
Posted by Jessie Pascoe at 11:02 AM, January 22, 2007
In the Times' Sunday style section, Sam Knight details London's rave revival. Reading this brought back painful memories of phat pants, body sparkles, candy necklaces, and platform sneakers (okay maybe we still wear the latter). Although this current scene isn't an exact replica of the past, it shares a love of all things florescent. Knight writes:
Still, there were glow sticks—a kind of waving coral reef of neon pinks, yellow and greens—and between acts, young men in leather jackets nudged their way around the dance floor, offering Ecstasy. Teenage fans wore reflective jackets, neon paint, sunglasses, beads and whistles as they hurled themselves back and forth, up and down, suggesting that if this wasn't rave, then it was certainly a somehow-related cousin.
But don't start looking for your phatties yet. It seems drainpipes are here to stay—just add a bright accouterment.
At a New Young Pony Club gig, Oisin Butler, a psychology student who said he was starting a band called Aids Baby, sat wearing a purple bow tie, a red cardigan and glasses with Day-Glo frames and no lenses. His jeans were so tight there was no room for his keys. "You can wear anything, as long as it's odd, or glittery, or neon, or is really disgusting," he said.
"Odd, glittery, neon, and really disgusting" sounds like a recipe for fashion disaster. Plus, people should really only have to witness adults with pacifiers once in their lives. We hope this trend stays across the pond, but it might be too late.
Posted by Jessie Pascoe at 2:05 PM, January 19, 2007
(From Floating Ip)
According to a Threadster reader, Derick Melander is not the first artist to take to pressing used garments. This honor goes to Laura Bruce, who made similar constructions four years ago.
Floating Ip details Bruce's work. They write:
Arranging the clothes into a landscape is a small act of transformation, of a certain kind of longing, that ultimately never manages fully to transcend the banality of the material used to represent the wide open space of an imagined land. Infinity, freedom and nature are conjured up within the very narrow confines of a pile of newly laundered shirts, pullovers, bathrobes, T-shirts, coats and jackets. This is a physically slender facsimile of unlimited space that is, at the same time, a distillation of extravagant hopes into the channels of domestic work. This is not a cynical or depressing outcome. Despite the limits of the repetitive and routine acts of washing, folding and piling, the landscape lifts the spirits like a gorgeous voice singing from the heart.
We'd love images of her work. If you have some, email threadster@villagevoice.com.
Posted by Jessie Pascoe at 6:00 PM, January 18, 2007
Strolling down East 10th Street, we were stopped in our tracks by the view through a basement window. There before us was a giant horseshoe-shaped wall of tightly folded t-shirts, tops, belts, and pants. We couldn’t move. Clearly this was an art installation; the wall looked to be at least six feet high. We asked nearby stores if they knew about this pressed clothing vision, but they confessed ignorance. Being obsessed with all things related to the thread, we needed to know more.
Thankfully Google came to our rescue. We discovered Derick Melander to be the artist behind these unusual sculptures. Aside from giving us clearer images of his work, his website explains why folded clothing. He writes
In my current practice, I gather, categorize and fold exorbitant amounts of second-hand clothing. I then use this clothing to create large columns & walls.
The sculptures often interact with the surrounding architecture, sometimes extending from floor to ceiling or cascading from wall to floor. Attention is paid to the ordering of the garments, for example the stacking can relate to the way a person would dress (clothing that is worn on top of other layers is placed at the bottom of the stacks, while clothing that is worn directly against the skin is placed on top).
We only wish he organize our closet like this. He could easily become the next California closet phenomenon.
Posted by Jessie Pascoe at 10:41 AM, January 18, 2007
Hell has officially frozen over. It happened yesterday morning. The notice came in our inbox: Sckoon Organics has started making organic pet apparel. Aside from an assortment of dog t-shirts, the company offers—what for it—an eco-friendly canine kimono in blue or red.
According to the company:
Sckoon Dog Kimonos are an option for dressing up a worldly and sophisticated furry companion.
Will this spark parallel inventions such as pet sushi? Ah—it's too late. We shudder to think what's next for pet fashion. Flamenco outfits? Shoulder pads? Vintage threads? Thoughts?
Posted by Jessie Pascoe at 8:06 PM, January 17, 2007
The label that branded "JUICY" across the asses of women's track suits continues its global expansion. According to Women's Wear Daily, Juicy Couture will open its New York flagship store this Friday. WDD writes:
The 3,500 square foot store at 368 Bleecker St. houses the entire Juicy assortment, from women's apparel and accessories, the Couture Couture high-end collection, men's wear and children's wear to pet apparel and accessories.
The new flagship will also be the first to house the company's new baby line, Juicy Baby, when it launches for spring.
Juicy Baby sounds a little off to us, but okay. Just please don't have the words "JUICY" plastered across the back of a diaper.
Posted by Jessie Pascoe at 6:51 PM, January 17, 2007
This is a golden age for purses—or so hailed The New Yorker in their last style issue. It's easy to see why: waiting lists for new designer items extended into the next year, vendors hawk fakes everywhere, and ubiquitous advertising convinces you a life is incomplete without a Chloe Paddington. Threadster took to streets to see what people were clutching this winter.
In Brooklyn, aesthetics varied, with large styles dominating. Yet, whether leather or velvet, red or tan, practicality mainly reigned. When stopped, most pedestrians shrugged off their handbags with a casual "oh this old thing" attitude. Some admitted to dragging their carryall everywhere; others confessed it to be a cheap street purchase.
Although functionality beat out status, such practicality has its health hazards. In an "Unhealthy Fashion Trend?," Jessica Aspiras reports:
[A]ccording to chiropractor Dr. Denise Rassel, carrying a large, heavy handbag on your shoulder can create problems. "What happens is the woman has to raise her shoulder up to keep the purse on and what happens is it tightens up the musculature. And it actually translates the head over and the shoulder up."
Dr. Rassel recommends carrying an over-sized bag by your side and not overstuffing it. She also advises weighing it to make sure it's no more than ten percent of your body weight.
Thankfully these health risks haven't quite translated into a counter-trend. We would hate to see next season's styles come with clunky, extendable luggage wheels.
Posted by Jessie Pascoe at 10:30 AM, January 16, 2007
January 27 will be a sad day for New York. It is the official closing of Ghost, a label known for their luxurious fabrics, machine washability, and flattering lines with slip on ease. According to U.K-based Managing Director Sandy Goldsbrough, "since 2000 financial results have been poor" and "the original owner sold the business early in 2006." And since the "two U.S. stores were loss making [they] have thus been closed."
Fans of the brand can travel to the U.K., where "the new owners plan to focus initially on building brand awareness." There, the original two stores will remain and six new ones will open this spring. Goldsbrough adds that "the brand is also working as a concession in key department stores such as Brown Thomas and Selfridges."
If you are lucky enough to shop across the pond, look for Ghost's extended line that will soon included "knitwear, jersey, silk print, leather handbags, and belts."
However if you're like the rest of us, you have less than two weeks to snatch up Ghost's discounted merchandise—some at 70 percent off.
Ghost
28 Bond Street
New York, NY
646-602-2891
Posted by Jessie Pascoe at 9:47 AM, January 16, 2007
There are few things in life more satisfying than a witty tirade against low-rise jeans and the unfortunate consequence of "whale tail". And so after reading Andy Propst's review of Angry Young Women in Low-Rise Jeans With High-Class Issues, we promptly ordered tickets.
Although the play pokes fun at absurd dating rituals and modern sexuality, the first act's rant against dropping waistlines and jeweled thongs pulled our sympathy strings. Entering with an article declaring the end of low-rise jeans (our very own Corina Zappia noted their rumored demise last year), actress Devon Pipars, distressed from years of bad fashion, rants against such styles made popular by Britney Spears-like gals, the current inverse proportions of men and women's underwear, and the brutal Brazilian. Such aesthetic, she laments, results in clit cleavage being in vogue. Pipars pledges to immediately purchase a pair of Jordache jeans. We left the theater praying her decision remains a temporary antidote; high-rises are equally traumatizing.
Angry Young Women in Low-Rise Jeans With High-Class Issues
By Matt Morillo
Theater for the New City
155 First Avenue
212-868-4444
Posted by Jessie Pascoe at 1:34 PM, January 12, 2007
Fashion exhibits are a frustrating display of clothes porn. Not only can you not try on the designs, but you're prohibited from touching anything, usually by a plane of glass and the stern stare of security guards. An open bar only increases this design lust. Despite these irritations, FIT's opening of Ralph Rucci: The Art of Weightlessness last night attracted throngs of admirers, including the designer's friend, Martha Stewart. The domestic diva strolled around in fine form, appearing to travel with her own lighting kit.
Located on the bottom level of The Museum at FIT, the show's first room contains the designer's personal sketches and ancient art collections, combined with a few designs and accessories such as "obituary gloves." Interesting yes, but we wish our initial contact with the world of Rucci could have been the next room. The designer's famed Infanta dresses, set center stage and in the air, are the exhibit’s real exclamation points. The proportions for these sculptural pieces were calculated using the classic Greek formula of the "Golden Mean." For the "Ripple Effect" Infanta, the advanced "Fibonacci Sequence" determined the appropriate spacing for the graduated insets. Try replicating that on a McCall pattern.
Inspired by artistic greats, such as Francis Bacon and Cy Twombly, and Buddist aesthetics, Rucci's luxurious threads and laborious processes' evidence why he remains the first American to show at Paris couture since Mainbocher in the '30s. Although not nearly as well known as the other Ralph, this retrospective will surely resolve this relative obscurity.
Ralph Rucci: The Art of Weightlessness
The Museum at FIT
Seventh Avenue at 27 Street
212-217-5970
January 12-April 14
Posted by Jessie Pascoe at 11:04 AM, January 12, 2007
Living in New York, Threadster remains blind to the reality that car racing enthralls millions. If we lived elsewhere or knew anyone who had actually attended a competition, we might be more convinced. But statistics exist and bend to reality we must.
However, the limits of our style sense were frazzled when a press release for a NASCAR shoe collection arrived in our inbox. Car racing chic? Bend to this reality we can't.
Yet Genius Fashion Inc's President and designer Shannon Hanna is convinced that NASCAR has enough brand cache to speak to its 30 million plus female fans. Realizing that not everyone one is a die-hard "pedal-to-the-metal" junkie, Hanna's vision extends from racing strip-colored leather boots and bright red platforms to suede flats and refined loafers accented with a subtle metal strap of two crossed flags. They even have a wedding line—think pastel heels, jeweled details, and the NASCAR logo on the inner sole.
We have to admit, scrolling online at Zappos, their funky red and black polka dot pumps, stylish “crack up” pattern ankle boots, and strappy “mod-themed” sandals grew in appeal. If you need a conversation piece—this is it! But our racing culture appreciation ends here. We just can't take the next step and netflix Talladega Nights.
Posted by Jessie Pascoe at 1:56 PM, January 11, 2007
Throw out your "Stand Back 200 Feet" FDNY t-shirt and store anything that says I [HEART] New York, 'cause the Sanitation Department is the new city logo to be seen. According to an Associated Press article:
An unlikely top seller has emerged in a new line of official New York City apparel—not from the fire and police departments that have long enjoyed the spotlight, but rather from the agency that moves mountains of trash every day.
A fashionably grungy brown cap with the Sanitation Department's light blue logo is the new must-have item—even among celebrities—since the city launched the products last year. The collection is part of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's goal to profit from the city's official landmarks and logos.
The scuffed hat is sold at Target stores nationwide. To rock the full "trash removal look" don one of the Sanitation Department's funky t-shirts, available from The Official Online Shop of New York City. Popular styles are the "DSNY Dumps Like A Truck" in tan, and the DSNY "Clang Cans" in light grey.
Those who can't part with a navy blue NYPD hoodie take heart. The article notes:
NYPD and FDNY gear are still selling strong, according to Lloyd Haymes, vice president of licensing for NYC Marketing.
But he said new apparel, like the gently frayed Sanitation cap and faded T-shirts with old-fashioned taxicabs across the chest, tap into a different consumer base that seems to be drawn to a more subtle, "authentic New York."
"There's a chance to make it this underground style brand, kind of like, 'You don't know how cool Sanitation is, but I do,"' Haymes said. "That's popular right now —it's just the right style at the right time."
What city agency will be the hip emblem of the future? Garbage is a tough look to follow . . .
Posted by Jessie Pascoe at 11:30 AM, January 10, 2007
Ever feel like your wardrobe is incomplete? That you really aren't pushing the boundaries of thread? Don't fret, just get yourself to The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, where Judi Rosen's eccentric styles (think '70s American kitsch) are on sale for the month of January.
Discounted selections that caught our eye: "slutty thermal union suits" (were $170, now $90); flattering cigarette pants—not an oxymoron— now $120; classic Miss Dater Polly heels, a comfortable 50 percent off; and ultra-flattering high-waisted elephant bells. Complete the look with blood-red lady's driving gloves—although supplies on these snazzy t-straps are "very limited."
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
85 Kenmare Street
212-473-3769
Posted by Jessie Pascoe at 10:33 AM, January 10, 2007
Clearly one of the most pressing concerns of climate change is how it will transform peoples' closets. At least this is Threadster's point of fixation, being a fashion blog and all. We took to the streets this past weekend, when the mercury hit 70, difficult style choices had to be made, and seasonal confusion set in.
In Brooklyn, we witnessed the "no white after Labor Day" rule thrown to the warm wind as a white knit dress was paraded down Bedford Avenue. Thankfully (for some), cut-off jeans were also thrown into the muddle—together with wool ponchos and fur-collared coats. It seems some had checked the forecast in advance, while unfortunate others dressed for "normal" January weather.
Over on the island of Manhattan, the t-shirt, in long and short forms, was really put to the test, paired with a wool scarf or under an opened fur coat. Nonetheless, Threadster found red-flamed "wooly-mammoth" snow boats and tundra-inspired jackets mingling in the same zip code as these warm weather inspirations. Unprecedented? Maybe. Seasonally confused? Definitely. Trend forecasters take note: This maybe the paradigm of many seasons to come.
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