Unearthed Family Fotos Part One

When I was creating my Mommy collage a few months ago I unearthed a whole lot of amazing family pictures from as early as the early 1900's to as recent as ugmo graduation pictures I wouldn't let my mom put in the album (yeah, she still uses one of those..) Anyways, these are two of my particular faves that I think were taken in the early 50's. The left is my great Aunty Frances cuddling with her daughter Kathy at the cottage. The right is what I assume a Ladies Lunch looks like as everyone is exiting the building. That oysterish looking one on the left is insanity.

London's Kaleidoscope Eyes

You know when a hopelessly uninformed relative asks you what the hot color for the season is and you're just like, shut up? Well, pleebs...that's because exploration of color (and I mean any color) is what's always hot, fresh, fascinating...insert adjective here. Take a cue from London, where any and every shade, pattern and shape is up for grabs....especially when thrown all together in one big explosion of fabulousness.

Clockwise from Yellow: Mary Katrantzou, Louise Goldin, Jonathan Saunders, Holly Fulton, Josh Goot, Louise Gray, Erdem, Basso & Brooke, Christopher Kane, Peter Pilotto, Burberry, Duro Olowu

Temperley Walks the Tight Rope

Like Britney before her, Alice Temperley is the latest lady to be tempted by the lion tamer. To showcase her Spring 2010 collection (and to celebrate London Fashion Week’s 25th Anniversary), Temperley, along with the folks at Milk Studio's LEGS, created this Circus Zoetrope video installation, which if I may say is superbly trippy in the best way possible. And while some of us might think raunchy thoughts when we think of the circus (oh wait, I'm the only one?), I am reminded of the days when I used to prance around in my diaper singing about the caged baby elephant! Does anyone but me remember Dumbo’s Circus? No one ever does, when I bring it up in one of those 'remember that show with the little cartoon people on the beach...' conversations, but it was the BEST SHOW EVER! Anyone? Anyone?

Richard Phillips' Business Art

MAC's Fall campaign is part genius, part slick business. In case you don't already know, what the cosmetics giant did was ask New York based artists, Marilyn Minter, Maira Kalman and Richard Phillips, to interpret their Fall 2009 palette into art. Now, I guess this really isn't too different from Vuitton's collab with Murakami or any of the other frequent art-commerce combos that have hatched in the last few years, but what I thought was particularly interesting about this one was that rather than creating a new work, Richard Phillips simply airbrushed an old one with eye shadow and lipstick.

Most people strolling in the mall won’t recognize his earlier work, Der Bodnesee, but is that what he meant by it? Was this like not having enough time to hand in an assignment, so you rework an old one? Whether the intention was devious or not, the result is completely transfixing (a big word for a makeup campaign). All I keep thinking of is Warhol’s famous words, “Making money is art and working is art and good business is the best art”.

The Best Collection Ever...Thanks Proenza!

I can die now. I've seen heaven...and it's Proenza's Spring 2010 Collection. Thanks for everything mom, but I've got what I need. Seriously though, I haven't been this orgasmified by a collection since Balenciaga Spring 2007 and so until my next fashion heart attack...I'm content to stare at this for the rest of my life.

Our Take: Rodarte Makes Death Pretty

We all know bad things are coming. Might as well make it look pretty, right? I'm assuming that the Mulleavy sisters agree with me, because a sort of beautified gloominess pervaded over their latest offering in a much more powerful way than in the last few seasons (if you're asking me, that is).

Everything about this collection was truly a work of cobwebbed art, from the precise draping to the haphazardly splashed sparkle to the tribal arm candy. Even right down to the faded red to black lipstick it screamed, "I am woman, hear me roar".

Even if the woman in this latest fairytale is roaring into the desolate dessert winds, I want to be her.

Thakoon's Killer Details

Let's call this a footnote, an aside, whatever...just - how stunningly perfect are these prints? Honestly, this whole collection was just wowowowowow for me, the prints are really out of this world, aren't they?...just wanted to say that. AMAZING!

Our Take: Marc Jacobs' Frothy Journey

Ok, you know what I said about dying for Marc one season and then being perplexed by him the next? Well, this season doesn't exactly follow that cycle...because I'm loving and perplexing all at the same time and I can't decide what side of the fence I'm on. But that doesn't really matter at all, does it?

What matters most is that I love where Marc's head is at. I love his modern twists on Japonisme and the Ballet Russes... all the frothy over-the-top references to movement and that. But what threw me off a little was the overall presentation. The makeup for one was just too unoriginal for a man like Marc. Also, I didn't love the dips into Marc by Marc territory....after all, isn't his eponymous collection supposed to take the lead?

Like I say, loving and perplexing all at once... but who really cares. Lighten up, it's just fashion!

Flare Thinks I'm One of Canada's 30 Most Influential Women?

Like actually that heading is real...I'm not making up! Flare Magazine, otherwise known as 'Canada's Fashion Authority' (so you better listen up!) included me in their list of the country's top ladies! Like the other people on the list are Coco Rocha, Anna Paquin and Ellen Page...and then there's...me. Check my profile out below! ...I have a Sharpie ready for action. Just saying.

I Want To Live Here!

On a super random note, I just saw Sophomore's Fall '09 lookbook and rather than noticing the clothes or the absence of The Virgins' Don Cummings...I couldn't help but dieeeee over the shoot's setting! Where the eff is that place and why can't I live there forever and ever?

Our Take: Alex Wang Goes Deep

Looking through Wing Wang's latest foray into beige Americana kinda felt like the first time walking through the halls of high school. I knew I'd kinda been there before, but it looked different and that was irking me out. And I always feel like that when a newish designer throws a curve ball like this. It's like 'wait, if I don't like this are you all going to judge me for being narrow minded'?

So, I'm just gonna put it out there....I expected slick body-con and what I got was bleached cheerleading...and actually you know what? I kinda liked it! There was just enough Wang angle-slashing to remind me of the good old days, but enough of a new direction to widen the horizon of Wang's future mass appeal. I'd give a whole-hearted bravo, but I'm still getting into it...

I Love Music I Can't Understand

I love French music...like listen to it all the time. But I don't understand it. Barely a thing! Regardless of how shortsighted I was in high school, having dropped the language classes in grade 10, I like many others, am totally enthralled by everything french - and that includes the sexy sounds of francophone pop in the sixties.

It all started with a crush on le Serge and sort of exploded from there...soon enough, I couldn't get enough of Francoise's folky beauty, France's chirpy innocence and of course, Jane Birkin's bilingual ability to moan in the background...

Because I can't get enough of the francophone action...I've put together some of my favorite music I can't understand.

Our Take: Rachel Comey's Sunny Spring Offering

Welcome to another season of 'Our Take', where we blab about what we loved and bitch about what we can't afford. And while I sit here all bitter about the fact that I can make no use of my Fashion Week invites, I'm thankful that I can at least get into the spirit online. It's never stopped me from dissecting Balenciaga, so why should it stop me now, right? Anyways, thank goodness for people like Rachel Comey then, who's sunny dispositioned clothes act as a complete antidote to my frowny 'tude.

What I think is Comey's strongest suit is that she knows how to take the edge off. Never too put-together, her looks are always wearably quirky...kind of like what you imagine your ideal self wearing. I love everything about this show, from the frizz hair to the addition of bags, to the always-amazing prints. The prints! My god....if that middle skirt isn't mine by next April I don't know what I'll do!

Katie Girl of the Month: Anna Apse

While we may have forgotten to nominate a poster gal for August, Anna Apse has got enough 'tude to last two months long. Anna's naturally beautiful face, always flawless hair and overwhelming cool factor are just a few of the qualities that would lump her into that familiar category of friends that I used to/still do envy. Also, her parents' garage is a barn.

Since meeting Anna back in fashion school, I've always thought that Anna was one of the coolest cats I knew. Maybe it's her hair, but she really just reeks of 'it-factor'....


Urban Outfitters agrees. Working her way up from the floor to heading the displays - Anna just got promoted to Trend Forecaster at Urban headquarters in Phili! While I'm sure the Toronto stores will miss her quirky ways of layering tights, Anna's cool-sharing abilities will now go to a greater good: teaching the kids of America that mixing floral and plaid will save you for life.

Last year, Anna came to visit me in New York during Fashion Week. When I wised up to the fact that I could actually manoeuvre a friend into parties with me quite easily...I was so thrilled to have a gal like her as my date! She's hip! She's cool! She's The Katie Girls' September pin-up!

Samantha, The Sea, and England

‘Ello all, this is my first post… I am a virgin blogger and I’m very excited to share my adventures with all of you. Every summer my friend Jack and his friends from college go on a camping trip in Cornwall, and this summer I was lucky enough to be in England and so Jack invited me to tag along. This excursion was by far my favorite part of the trip, which is somewhat baffling since who knew I’d love the sea and countryside more so than the city.

Cornwall is located at the Southern most tip of the United Kingdom, and happens to be the major surf spot for the UK (surfing in England, who would’ve thought?) Cornwall is absolutely beautiful and they even have their own Cornish ice cream and flag! Also, a little interesting tidbit is that some of the Cornish people are seeking greater autonomy from the UK, as they wish to self-govern. The perks of this 7+ hour car trip was the scenery. Along side my two adorable blonde haired proper English- boy friends, we ventured to Exeter, passed Stonehenge and even saw six rainbows on the ride home. All in all I loved my time in England! Yay!

The beach. Oh glorious beach!

Beaching with Prepsters and doing my best hippie van pose with Jack

Jack and Ollie (like obviously his name is Ollie) and the Exeter church!

On my way back from the outhouse...

If Jack were a bird!

Reading Rainbow: Sara and Rebekah Maysles' Grey Gardens

It seems funny that although I've been on the reading train for the last few months, I haven't been able to quite figure out how to express what I loved (mostly) and what I didn’t love (just a little bit) about the books I was reading. Between Simone de Beauvoir’s Les Belles Images (total existential snore), Michael Chabon’sThe Mysteries of Pittsburgh (amazing and addictive as usual), Philip Roth’s Goodbye, Columbus (great but out of date in poignancy) and J.D Salinger’s Franny and Zooey (Franny kind of irritated me but Zooey sounds like a babe) – the one thing that really stood out as perfect for The Katie Girls is Sara and Rebekah Maysles’ ode to all things Edie, Grey Gardens.

The beautifully put together art book is half stream of consciousness sketches, collages and Edie to Edie dialogue and half memorabilia from their father and uncle’s archive (which apparently is in a pretty Beale-esqe state itself these days!)

The pages are full of even more Beale anecdotes and witticisms than in the film, like the evil prediction Little Edie got from a horoscope machine in Grand Central Station, "I'll never go near a computer again as long as I live. Never! I'll absolutely run!" Also, there is a disc at the back with even more forgotten Edie dialogue! Hilarious, enchanting and wild...I honestly couldn't love the Edies more if they were my own relatives!