Dope Ambition

Don’t lie: you totally threw a temper tantrum in aisle six at Walgreen’s because you’re mom wouldn’t buy you a Lisa Frank folder for every single one of your classes. I mean, you probably wouldn’t blame her now: those bad boys were double or triple the price of the generic cardboard folders in primary colors.

But that’s just the thing: Lisa Frank’s backpacks, pencils, folders and school gear didn’t deal in primary colors. Each of her items was like an acid trip before you knew what acid was. Every multi-colored unicorn, purple tree, rainbow flower and swirly lollipop embodied every tier of pre-adulthood femininity we strived for. I can at least speak for myself when I say I was painfully girly; sports might have well been math olympics, though I loved reading and writing, and kept a diary in, yup, you guessed it: a Lisa Frank diary.

Lengthy intro, I know, but OH WOW! I’m SO excited about Lisa Frank making the transition from schoolgirl gear to grown up clothing. Let’s talk a bit about the denim in this utterly amazing collection: patchwork denim skirt? Ok. Knee-length denim skirt with multi-colored linear splashes? Great. Tie-dyed denim cutoffs? YES! And the best part? If you order more than $50 worth of gear, you also get six free holiday pencil toppers. GO BUY IT ALL here and live up to your childhood ambitions of being the most obnoxious, colorfully dressed girl on the block.

Not a lot of info on this project, but I couldn’t not post. Those at A Kind of Guise (based in Germany) took a trip to the Middle East a few years ago, and bought used carpets from almost every company on the Persian Gulf. Each carpet is hand knitted, and AKOG claims that some even date back to the 19th century. Knitted carpet backpacks? Yes, please. And thank you. Check in with A Kind of Guise for more info, as it arrives.

via// fucking young

“Protect ya neck,” the wise Wu-Tang clan once rhymed. They may have been talking about violent retaliation, but I’m sure they’d be pleased to know the phrase applies just as well to beautiful French silk scarves.

The A/W 2011 collection from the impossible-to-pronounce brand Milleneufcentquatrevingtquatre is full of square scarves that, when opened up, are surreal, geometric works of art of postmodern landscapes, cosmic doorways and scattered birds. When folded around your neck however, the overall artwork disappears and the layered original picture makes for contrasting patterns, alluding to the fact that there is more than meets the eye.

We’ve seen the tough-girl spikes and played out studs adorn the cuffs, collars, pockets and wrists of biker girl chic ensembles for awhile now, both in countless street style pics and on the pages of many an editorial. But being rough around the edges doesn’t have to translate to a cold, calloused exterior. The 3D geometric shapes and jagged edges in Reaction Poetique‘s collection are a perfect example of the tough girl aesthetic injected with ample doses of femininity.

The necklaces, brooches and fan-like cuff bracelets are actually 100% silk, twisted and transformed to make wearable cubes and triangles trimmed in steel and oxidate silver. You’ll also find inkjet digital prints either sprawled across or centered within the silk pieces displaying images with subtle Renaissance references. Check out more of this collection here.

I’ll be the first to admit I love a chunky, oversized almost ill-fitting grandma sweater as much as the next woman, but sometimes it takes an updated cut or silhouette of your staple to make you realize you need a modern upgrade. I really like the cut and detail of these two knits form Florence-based independent label WOMEN-SWEAR; the hand-knitted sweaters offer both texture and fit, almost as if you’re wearing a cozier, softer blazer. I especially love the exposed, frayed seams at the shoulders and on the back of these two knits.

Check out more of the collection over at her website.

I have never seen anything like this. Usually when I think “fringe”, I see a Betty Boop halloween costume, or an overcompensating boho bag, dripping with tassels and suede or leather fringe. But this white fringed hooded dress from independent label Renovatio’s Spring 2012 collection has a lot going on without distracting me. The hood’s layered detail is almost armor-like, but the rest of the dress drips in one clean line of long fringe, silhouetting the body and appearing almost angel-like.

See more of the spring collection here.

I said it once and I’ll say it again: London Fashion Week is overlooked and underrated, and offers more new talent than any of the other cities can claim. London’s fashion industry seems to foster new, young designers (vs. an all well known-designer lineup) with progressive programs like Fashion East, a non-profit initiative established in 2000 meant to nurture emerging young designers through the early stages of their career with sponsorship funding from Topshop, TOPMAN and The London Development Agency.

And sitting quite comfortably amidst some of London’s most exciting young designers such as Christopher Kane and Thomas Tait, Simone Rocha’s Spring 2012 collection of ethereal, lacy pieces paired with transparent, minimal extras earned her rave reviews and respect from some of the most prestigious magazines. As with some of fashion’s most talented designers, the overall collection was rather conceptual, but basic items could be found within it that erred on the side of practicality. A double-breasted black blazer trimmed in a sheer gauzy material, pleated trousers that hit right at the ankle, and a transparent trench-coat that made everything underneath appear as if wrapped in cellophane could all translate from runway to real life quite seamlessly.

But with Simone Rocha’s spring collection, the fun is all in the details: the femininity of her daintily embroidered collars, lacy sheaths and sheer overlays were grounded by forward-looking plastic accessories and menswear-inspired blazers. Check out the 24-year-old’s (!) stellar Spring 2012 collection. On my wishlist? Practically everything. Of course the seafoam green, asymmetrical peplum dress with lace insets is at the top.

images via simonerocha.com//detail screen shots from zoomed in images on vogue.uk

If Miuccia Prada’s Miu Miu sensibilities courted Nicolas Ghesquiere’s eye for structure, and the two merged into a magical potion that was then implanted into a designer’s head, the result would look somewhat like “The Two Headed Bird,” the S/S 2012 collection from Istanbul-based independent designer Zeynep Tosun. After putting in work as a designer at Philosophy Di Alberta Ferretti, she recently won the Elle best upcoming designer award in 2010.

The boxy cuts of a few of Tosun’s vests and jackets echo the Miu Miu Spring 2011 collection, but the similarities really end there. The minimalist silhouettes have sharp, precise edges that somehow don’t morph or overshadow the female form, though sumptuous fabrics like silk add softness within such constructed pieces. The color palette mostly consists of primaries, with a palette of stark white, shades of blue, a potent red, and a few injections of foresty green and deep gold. But with all of the geometric slicing, boxed shoulders and calculated layering, femininity and luxury are seen in the delicate patterns found at the collars, pockets, and joints of the garments. Whimsical, almost tropical shapes intertwine and interlace and altogether eliminate any need for jewelry.

Check out her site for past collections and learn more about the designer here. I hope to see more from her at the next LFW.