Circle Skirts & Chiffon In A Psychedelic Japanese Garden...
[ 27 January 2012, 10:34 ]
One of the things I love most about New York City is the fantastic & wide selection of interactive art. I have never been very good at simply looking at a picture hanging on a wall, even though I appreciate it. I am much more excited by something I can engage with, something I can explore on my own terms.
So it makes sense that when I heard about Park Here, a fake indoor park constructed to help keep the winter blues away, I knew I had to visit immediately, if not sooner!
I met Lydia Hudgens & Rachel Rabbit White there, with a big box of cupcakes & a sense of adventure… & it was even more sublime than I had hoped!
Park Here takes up the entirety of Openhouse Gallery: two huge rooms & a mezzanine entrance. The ground is covered in brilliant green (fake) grass; there are cherry blossoms dangling off the tips of long brown branches. A rose bush nestles up against the side of a park bench. There are hammocks & picnic tables, hanging lanterns & a baby elephant, & best of all, the walls are covered in immense photographs of trees in full bloom.
Of course, it was WARM in there, too! I’d say it’s the absolute perfect place to escape the cold, sad doldrums. Just stroll on over, spread out one of their red & white checked picnic blankets, lie down, & relax.
It also has wifi. Hello, new workspace!
I was in black, gold & leopard-print to mark the occasion. I wore…
Vintage leopard-print coat, from Decades in Salt Lake City
Star cluster collar from TopShop
Black tank top by ASOS. You can’t really see the shape of it because my hair is covering it, but it has a delightfully high neck with exposed shoulders, & it’s SO flattering.
Vintage 1950’s black & gold circle skirt, bought at Decades in SLC. Funnily enough, when I was in Las Vegas last year, Kelly & I found an EXTREMELY similar skirt in a vintage store there! She snapped it up — & of course, styled it impeccably. Isn’t it interesting to see how two different people wear the same item? I think it’s fascinating!
Black stockings
Dr Marten Darcie boots
It’s such an easy outfit but it really works. Love!
The park was so much fun, & we felt so silly taking photos there. Everyone else was just relaxing, while we were primping & preening & posing! With our outfits, the background & the retro music playing, it all felt VERY 1950’s prom!
I’ve spent quite a lot of time with Rabbit recently, & it’s always a total delight. Basically, Rabbit is a beautiful goddess, & goddess is not a word I use… ever. You need to get familiar with her! In addition to her blog, you should also look at her Tumblr. You will love it, I promise.
Soon, though, it was time to put our coats back on, & head out into the blustering cold… It definitely awoke my desire for a beautiful spring & summer! I can’t wait!
Park Here is open until the 15th of February — hey, it would make for a really cute Valentine’s Day date! — & you should definitely check it out!
Photos by — who else?! — the incredible Lydia Hudgens. By the way, if you’re going to be in town for NYFW, you should have her shoot you! Get in touch!
Love & cherry blossoms,
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Hello From Salt Lake City!
[ 19 January 2012, 10:13 ]
Hello from Salt Lake City! I just flew in last night, & boy, are my arms tired! (Hahah, oldest joke EVER!)
I took these photos in the Delta terminal while I loitered, waiting for my flight. Ever since I got my paws on these Betsey Johnson leggings with a skirt attached, I’ve been unable to wear anything else while I fly. They are perfect for my international (or, uh, continental) playgirl purposes!
I wore…
Vintage suede coat
Ted Baker wrap cardigan
Paula Ryan super-warm v-neck
Fox mask t-shirt from ASOS
Betsey Johnson skeggings (?! Is that a word? If not, I just made it up. Skeggings forever!)
Frye boots
Crystal bullet necklaces from Hiya Moon
Betsey Johnson watch, engagement & wedding rings, Besty bow ring
The key to comfortable airplane-wear is lots of breathable fabrics & plenty of layers. Take your coat & your scarf. You may not need them in the terminal, but air conditioning on planes is an entirely different universe! Use an extra dab of moisturiser & go light with your make-up. Drink plenty of water onboard, too!
Jess & I didn’t get much of a chance to explore SLC last night — it was raining, & well, to be honest, we were in our pyjamas by 10pm! The good news is, we both got plenty of sleep… So we’re very bright-eyed & bushy-tailed this morning!
Okay… Now Jess & I are going to make our way over to Alt Summit! So excited, can’t wait! If you’re going to be there too, remember to come & see our panel on fashion blogging at 2.30pm!
Let's talk on Twitter! Add me on Facebook! Enroll in Radical Self Love Bootcamp! Tags: daily outfitThings To Do In New York City: Swing On A Mirrored Carousel!
[ 3 January 2012, 10:16 ]
Things to do in New York City: Visit the New Museum, float about on a mirrored carousel, whizz down an enormous indoor slide, stick your head inside an aquarium full of phosphorescent fish & hang out with some neon animals. Why? ‘Cause I did it just the other day, & it’s bloody brilliant!
If you — like me — are planning on spending your winter in NYC, & enjoy blatting about but don’t relish freezing to death, you are probably — again, like me — looking for some activities which do not require much time spent outside, in the elements.
Of course, there’s MoMA, the Met, the Guggenheim, & all that other cultural stuff uptown. But there’s also a fabulous little gem tucked away downtown, on the Bowery, conveniently located just down from Patricia Field’s boutique! (Hooray!) Oui, & it’s called the New Museum.
Just as the name would have you believe, the New Museum is a modern little blighter, full of fancy new-fangled art, & especially right now. After reading about it in Time Out New York, & knowing that it was something I just HAD to see with my own eyes, I paid a little visit to Carsten Höller’s Experience. It runs until January 15, so you have time if you want to check it out too! I love art you can interact with, & Experience is pretty much the ultimate in getting up-close-&-personal with an art piece!
You probably all know by now that I cannot resist a good carousel, & Carsten Höller’s creation is a real beauty.
Here’s the undisturbed view of it; a fairly sizable steel structure, polished to within an inch of its life, blazing bright with bulbs, & swinging back & forth with sterile stainless steel chairs. Really, it was ace. I’d like to start every day there!
The carousel isn’t the only thing in the room, though. The first thing you notice when you step out of the elevator is the cluster of birdcages hung up high, filled with fluttering songbirds. Then you look over, & a man is handing out bicycle helmets to anyone adventurous enough to take the slide all the way down to the 2nd floor!
There was plenty to explore… & so we did!
You must not use the stairs while wearing Upside-Down Goggles.
There’s SO much more to do at the New Museum, including Carsten Höller’s “Giant Psycho Tank”, a sensory deprivation tank where you can float around in water & feel weightless, enormous mushroom sculptures & of course, the slide which spans several floors! (You can read more about his exhibition here!) Lydia & I had so much fun adventuring our way through it.
Carsten Höller has conceived his practice as a kind of laboratory for the investigation of a diverse range of subjects, including sensory perception, transportation, sexuality, and psychedelic intoxication. Though he has a rigorous scientific background, including a doctorate in insect communication, he has flipped the values of science on their head, prioritizing the act of questioning over the collection of results. With his New Museum exhibition, “Experience,” Höller’s laboratory has been given physical form, as visitors encounter four floors of open-ended experiments that challenge their most fundamental existential assumptions.
To the museum, I wore…
Pink sequin mouse ear hat from Disneyland
Skater dress from ASOS, though you can’t see it because I was absolutely freezing!
Indigo cowl by Trisha Fernandez
Vintage black suede & faux fur coat — am wearing this every day lately!
Black & white-striped fingerless gloves (a winter essential)
Cashmere leggings (also a winter essential)
Glitter booties from ASOS
This cowl is my scarf replacement; I wrote about it a while ago when I talked about winter essentials! I bought it on Etsy & haven’t regretted it for an instant. You just throw it over your head & go! I love the colour, it’s so beautiful.
...& do we all love the shoes?! Yeah, me too. I love them so much, in fact, I picked up a pair in turquoise, too! J’adore that velvet toe-cap with the bow on it…
All photos were taken by Lydia Hudgens! Thanks, girl!
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lifeRevenge Of The Bunnyhead!
[ 9 December 2011, 11:06 ]
For the final installment of the Steve Brings It Holiday Campaign, I put together a few party tips in case you feel like holding your own carnival-themed party!
So without further ado, here are my party tips!
Setting the scene is important. White fairy lights, polka-dot cups & pink plastic utensils will all add to the magic & excitement of your theme. See if you can get your hands on a cotton candy machine, popcorn machine or a bubble machine! You can buy them online if you’re feeling excitable, but renting from a party supply store is a great option too!
Have fun with your hair! Throw some temporary colour through it, attach strands of tinsel or tease it up! Glitter hairspray can be really fun too; it kind of looks like fairies are having an orgy on your head! Experiment with pairs of ears, too… They’re so much fun!
Sweet finger-foods will make everyone smile. One of my favourite things to eat — not that I’ve had it in years! — is fairy bread. You essentially butter white bread, cut the crusts off & sprinkle it with nonpareils! (It is delicious!)
Invite your friends in a creative way: write their invitation on a deflated balloon or frost a cake with the details, then send out a Polaroid picture of it!
Encourage your guests to wear their brightest, loudest & silliest costumes. It will make for fabulous photos!
Be sure to document everything! Don’t just limit yourself to your iPhone camera or your point-&-shoot, either; try experimenting with instant photos (I love my Fujifilm Instax — as evidenced! — but Polaroids are fantastic too!) or a Holga or Diana camera!
There are plenty of other visual treats & goodies over on my Birthday Forever Pinterest board! Go & have a look!
On this chilly day back in November, I wore…
Purple bunny ears — I bought these about a million years ago & have worn them so much!
Black polka-dot HeatTech thermal from Uniqlo
Black dress with quilted skirt from ASOS
Yellow bow belt from WORLD
Grey blazer from Forever 21
Stockings bought in Barcelona
Steve Madden Beasst heels
I love busting out the blazer collection in autumn. They’re absolutely perfect, & they top off a short little dress in just the right way! Too bad the days of blazers have already passed us by… It’s all about faux fur coats now!
These shoes are seriously epic.
Okay, this is the last time I’m going to say it… If you use the promo code GalaDarling15, you’ll get 15% off of SteveMadden.com with free shipping! (Clearance is excluded, & the code can’t be stacked with other codes.) You have until 12/31/11 @ 11:59pm EST to use it, too! Hooray!
Photos by the very talented Lydia Hudgens!
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[ 30 November 2011, 09:00 ]
You might remember that a couple of weeks ago, I introduced you to the carnival party theme with my Twisted Ringmaster post. For part two of the Steve Brings It Holiday Campaign, I was asked to create the playlist for a carnival-themed party. Right up my alley! All parties need good tunes to keep ‘em ticking along. Here’s a selection of tunes that I think exemplify a carnival theme!
Abel – Boogie Nights
The Go! Team – T.O.R.N.A.D.O.
Burning God Little – Notes On Being Snowblind
Alpine – Icypoles (Star Slinger Dreamix)
ARMS – Heat & Hot Water (Birds & Batteries remix)
Bon Accord – Honeydew
Botany – Feeling Today
Coolrunnings – I Am You
Craft Spells – Love Well Spent
Bjork – Crystalline
Click on ‘em to listen… They all make me wanna dance! & of course, I had to get dressed up… Bring on the COLOUR!
We took these photos on East 7th Street, against a fantastic mural of Joe Strummer & amongst the yellow leaves in Tompkins Square Park. My neighbourhood is very photogenic!
Dressing like a carnival requires plenty of colour, some texture, some height & some unexpected flourishes. Wouldn’t you say? Here’s how I did it!
I wore…
Grey knit beanie from Urban Outfitters
Black polka-dot HeatTech thermal from Uniqlo — I bought this last year & it served me VERY well all winter! Their HeatTech stuff is MARVELLOUS, I recommend!
Leopard sweater by Sonia Rykiel
Indigo midi skirt from ASOS
Black blazer by Betsey Johnson (covered in old pins I bought on Etsy)
Ombre dipped lace stockings from Century 21 (not sure of the brand)
Steve Madden Babylonn heels
Yes, that pin says STAMP OUT REALITY!
Balloons are the ultimate fashion accessory!
Those colours! I mean, DAMN!
...& that pin says, GIRLFRIEND WANTED: No experience necessary. I am a class act!
(You find the funniest old pins looking around Etsy — I couldn’t help myself!)
Hey, remember: If you use the promo code GalaDarling15, you’ll get 15% off of SteveMadden.com with free shipping! (Clearance is excluded, & the code can’t be stacked with other codes.) You have until 12/31/11 @ 11:59pm EST to use it, too! Party time, excellent!
Photos — of course — were by the ever-lovely Lydia Hudgens!
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