i’m sure most of you know how fucking excited i am for Black Swan. (i love Natalie Portman, i love Swan Lake, and i love Rodarte.) so of course, the film premiered at the 67th Venice Film Festival. Natalie Portman showed up wearing Rodarte, as she has done on many prior red carpets. this dress is what Rodarte does best, and should stick to. true, i believe that Rodarte is a sort of one-trick-pony, but they’re really good at their one trick – dyed and draped silk chiffon and crystals, lots and lots of crystals. i think Natalie looked stunning to be honest. the film releases December 1st.
so i might be a little behind the times, but apparently, Lanvin is just on a mission to place retail stores in the major US cities, Bal Harbour, NY, LV, and finally Los Angeles. (if they want to expand even further i definitely feel Dallas and San Francisco would be next in line.) anyways, the store is supposed to be located on Rodeo Dr, occupying 6,000 square feet, with a spacious area with separate entrance for VIP clients. not going to lie, i’m determined to make the VIP list…or at least, have my mother be on it. anywho, i’m excited, but this also means that as soon as those doors open (in December apparently), i’ll have to pay sales tax. with the 9.75% Los Angeles sales tax, buying a Lanvin dress can easily tack on another $400-600 in tax alone. hmm, i have a couple months to get all my tax-free purchases. let’s make it happen, shall we?
i’ve actually had this post in my que for a while, but finally got around to actually saying something. in preparation for my visit to NY in a couple weeks, i’ve been saving money to spend at FNO, and specifically the Lanvin store (considering they have old merchandise as well.) this necklace is just so very…Lanvin, at least for Fall 2010. it’s dark, moody, kinda eclectic, but still very adorable all at the same time. i love the idea of wearing a crystalized deer head (well hello, Bambi) around my neck. it was available at Net-A-Porter but has since sold out, so i’m hoping the store will have it when i visit. idk if i’d buy it or not, considering i remember the price to be over $2,000, but it would be a perfect statement necklace to add to my random jewelry collection. Lanvin and Chanel always make the absolute best costume jewelry, but they also charge an arm, a leg, a kidney, etc…for them. :(
Chanel will be releasing a collection of khaki based colors on Fashion’s Night Out, Sept 10th. to be honest, it’s perfect for this fall, considering the return of camel and all things neutral. (though i still love my black for fall…and spring…and whenever). manicures featuring the colors will be done at the SoHo store on Sept 10th. also, like last year when Chanel offered “create-your-own-bag” on FNO, this year they will be offering “create-your-own-ballet-flats”. that’s right. you get to select the color, the lining, blah blah blah. as far as i know, this is a FNO exclusive event, and will only be done at the 57th St. store in NY. luckily i’ll be in town, so i’m going to try and stop by and force my sister into making her own flats.
and here my various Chanel polishes. i can’t believe people were/are paying $100+ for Jade. thank god i got mine for $25. seriously people, $100? no. just…no.
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as an annual pass member, i go to disneyland a lot. also considering i live in southern california, of course i’d be. well California Adventure recently opened a new water show called World of Color. i’m usually unimpressed with these kinds of things and so i figured i could wait a few months before i saw it. well, i’m glad i finally got around to it. you can watch videos on youtube, but it’s honestly something you have to see in person. i definitely recommend it if you’re ever visiting Disneyland on a trip or whatever, make time for World of Color.
and here is the true nature of Disney.
so originally, i had wanted something that looked regal. i thought, “purple and gold” would be regal, but then somewhere along the way it turned out a little less royal and a little more vegas. not that i mind. i mean, come on, Balmain is all about being tacky. so here are my Balmain inspired nails. i used the marbleizing technique again, this time with ORLY Luxe as the base, with Illamasqua Baptise and OPI Bling Dynasty as the swirls.
you guys know how excited i was for the NY Lanvin store. and it’s finally opened it’s doors and i can’t wait to go in when i’m back in the city in a few weeks. Julia got a glimpse of the magic behind the doors, see the rest of her photos over at modelizing.
need these tights and bracelet in my life. thanks.
these shoes. spring 2009, one of my favorite Lanvin collections ever. the colors, the puffs, the sequins, the crystals. i can’t even. these shoes are too small for me, and i have a personal thing where i wouldn’t wear pumps, but these are just gorgeous. my sister has the classic all black + crystal heel from this season, but this sequined version is just…i can’t even. maybe they’ll have other merchandise from this season too cause i have to get my hands on it. also, i need that figure on my desk thanks.
we were going to get this figurine for our mother as a Mother’s Day gift, cause when it comes to designer clothing, our mom is pretty much wears Lanvin exclusively. and being an OB-GYN, she has a penchant for things that involve mothers and children. (which is another reason why she wears Lanvin, as Jeanne Lanvin devoted her life to her daughter, thus the Lanvin symbol is that of a mother and daughter.)
seriously, check out all the quirky Lanvin glory at modelizing.
it should be no surprise by now, that i love excess. i love sparkles, over-the-top 80′s shit, in-your-face clothing. granted, it’s usually in all shades of black/white/grey, but still. i love the obscene and the tacky. (but hey, at least i own up to it, right?) so, it should probably come to no surprise that i love Balmain. above all, my problem with Balmain was the pricing. Balmain had the audacity to charge prices in the couture range, when the pieces were NOT couture. Balmain has learned their lesson, and while still overpriced (as most luxury brands are) they have brought their prices down to similar designer ballpark.
so, this season i’ve fallen in love with a Balmain blazer. i love outerwear by the way. it was shown on the runway in grey pinstripe, but also comes in navy blue. my sister tried on the navy blue and it was just divine. i haven’t seen the pinstripe in person, but my sales lady took pics and texted them to me. prices are around $2,400 i believe, which while still a reach for some, it’s definitely a better price point than before. and not to sound like an addict, but these blazers would definitely be an “investment” piece. i’m partial to the pinstripe, cause it reminds me of some 80′s power exec on Wall St.
my only gripe is that my shoulders require me to wear a women’s 12. sure, my legs and waist can fit into a women’s 6, but nevertheless i am a 6′ man, and therefore have broad shoulders. as such, very small quantities are ever ordered in my size, if at all. :( i’ll have to scour for the pinstripe in my size. wish me luck!
oh, and let’s not forgot to mention the Prince-Purple-Rain version of the blazer. i’m really loving the romantic baroque, lace, floral trends that are popping up. it makes a nice contrast to the hard edged minimalism that is fervent in fashion as well.
so remember how i got that Lumix LX3 a few weeks back? well i finally got around to making it a little more…me. all the crystals are Swarovski, and the pearls as well. i buy them wholesale, so it cost me about $50 for them all, and probably took me a few hours to apply it all. it’s really blinding as hell in person.
