AN EXERCISE IN PROPORTION

were a single hem to exceed a centimeter beyond those in this look, the entire thing would fail.

emporio armani fall 2013

WISHLIST: FUR AND MORE FUR

would not mind wearing this coat every day indoors here in stockholm!

coat, Co

Co FW 2014

Co are designers stephanie danan and justin kern. for their fall/winter 2014 lookbook, they hired photographer amanda demme, who shines in darkness. her low-light portraiture is at times gerhard richter-esque in the focus she has on the physical structure of her models; it's very intimate and beautiful but most of all i appreciate her sense of composition and the way she structures it with the balance of light and lines--- they're rollercoasters of chiaroscuro and tension. her subjects are softened and the colors are rich. i love photographs that have tactility, and deep, deep blacks that create the effect of being painted on velvet. 

what a great choice for Co and this collection, with the mesmerizing reds, blacks and knits that are causing me mild panic attacks. here are some of my favorite images from the lookbook, via style.com:

RODARTE FW '14

ready to wear designers, particularly ones who show in new york, can often be predictable (positively and negatively, and that's not to say the power of branding isn't built on consistency, but perhaps the lack of interest in evolving can lead to... lack of interest). girls in new york are louder, sportier, and wear a whole lot more black leather than their counterparts in the other major fashion capitals. they do a lot of walking, and drummers. that is to say--- new york girls are pretty rock n' roll. 

and living in new york is to live a life of spontaneity. if that's not your thing, don't live in new york. 

but you don't have to be from new york to fit right in, and kate and laura mulleavy--- the sisters behind rodarte, who hail from the left coast--- have dug out a really entertaining and often poetically beautiful niche in the fashion star system. no other brand will be predictable solely in the sense that if you really look, you can always find an inexplicable mix of ancient greek classicism and at moments shakespearean with a jessie spano/saved by the bell finish. they are consistent only in that, which is so deeply expressive of their brand, but just so funny and i love them for that. it doesn't always work but you get where they want to go with it, and at the very least their pieces will always photograph beautifully and feel modern, albeit inspired in such large part by ages past. 

rodarte is just such a fun brand to watch each season. 

the classic draping

yes that's star wars--- on a gown, but which also finishes in sparkly socks--- more on that further down

mermaid hair (my goal hair) and a 1981 by-day-librarian/by-night-studio 54 look 

closeup on the raspberry rendition--- adore the makeup

and going all the way in this nasa-approved exploded supernova coat

as mentioned above, they ended with star wars imagery printed on gowns, regretfully. the collection didn't need novelty and now the headlines are "rodarte releases star wars-themed collection" despite just the last few going there. 

but, at least you always know, and don't at all, what the mulleavy sisters are thinking.

 what's your take on this?

photos: ny mag

DUVET COUTURE

the other day i spent 170kr on this coat, bittersweetly (the bitter part for not having found it before any one of the previous hideous swedish winters i've endured). it's the closest feeling fashion can feel like bedding, that i've found (aside from the margiela x h&m coat, below). which is really the goal... [score]

CHANEL S/S 2014

you may or may not have seen this particular hairstyle on dogs of the small, horrible variety and other unfortunate, defenseless small humans. 

suspend that reference for a moment though because otherwise you might miss the hypnotizing color values here, and a silhouette ---of a generally conservative neckline and skirt length that make the exposure of the neck, wrists and waist so perfectly in balance--- that says everything about what the brand is and its purpose. the toy dog hair with the 2.55 bag convey such a strong message that the icy otherwise-dead space occupying the rest of the image feel serene and necessary.

karl lagerfeld has created a chanel girl that's infinitely elegant, but doesn't let you rest for a second thinking she's not also a little--- to a lot--- insubordinate, and impossibly ahead of you.

photo: chanel news

ON LIGHTING

you may search long and hard in swedish stores for something a bit different when it comes to decor, as the design pool in the scandinavian market is fairly large, but largely limited to a number of brands that are sold in most shops. my experience is that the number of retailers with more varied and dynamic brands and lesser known ateliers are rare. and, what's interesting as well is how much the average swede seems to spend on lighting in particular. the general price points in the decor market are extreme--- you're either going for the IKEA piece or you're without blinking throwing down 7500kr (roughly 1100$) on a table lamp. granted, i live in vasastan, where it's not uncommon to see the that 22,000kr flos chandelier hanging in any random apartment, but the mid-range isn't really there. correct me if i'm wrong, i'm always looking for new places!

it's really the weather. where darkness and awful cold essentially shut you in for a good deal of the year, your home becomes a real focus; as opposed to living in new york, where you're never actually at home so your shoebox apartment is a vehicle for sleep. here, it's all about adding value to your apartment, and making the winter easier to bear. or at least more beautiful.

i'm interested in pieces that are both brutal and organic, that breach the you vs. your inanimate living environment divide a little bit, generally very physically heavy. two of my favorite sanity regulators (lighting design artists) that more than achieve that are lindsey adelman and michael anastassiades.

a custom piece from adelman's branching series, which if you're in stockholm you can see in the hotel Ett Hem

adelman's practically melting "catch" floor lamp

one of my all-time favorites, name included: anastassiades' "tree in the moonlight". sold on the danish site the apartment.

are those not totally insane?

what are your favorite designers? online shops?

HALLWYLSKA MUSEET

despite having lived in stockholm for some time and hearing of the eye candy that is the Hallwylska Museum for some time, i just got to visiting today. it's fairly hideous outside and felt like rococo rooms would offset the grey... and was not disappointed. walls made of velvet, walls made of silk, enough gold for the Shahs of Sunset to appreciate--- it's a wonder. the story of the house however lacks a bit in ... story: the gorgeous townhouse was built in 1893 for the owners, (a couple, whose children were already married off and out of the house) with the explicit purpose of one day being a museum, displaying the wife's ornate belongings and antiques. while that works still, as she had great taste and endless finances and obviously amassed a fine collection that should be displayed, there's a sense that with all of the many family portraits that fill the walls there should have been generations of the family running through the halls. i don't believe they lived there for more than 30 years, when the wife fell to her death on the stairs to her bedroom. what it lacks in history and that sense of human presence it still makes up for in the insane details, and i imagine that in good weather the inner courtyard is divine.

right at home with my baby björn

[j.crew cashmere sweater/black fur vest/chanel skirt, bag, boots]