A Catfight Worth Mentioning

I really don't want to dedicate this blog to washed-up celebrities, but I can't help but gloat over the bit of Brit gossip I read this morning. Kate Moss and Sienna Miller finally went at it! Evidently, Kate accused Sienna of lifting her style at a friend's wedding reception on Saturday.

Can I just say I have been observing this for YEARS?

To be honest, I'm not the hugest KM fan -- she certainly has great street style, but her lack of personality irks me. However, it is quite clear to anyone that follows fashion in any capacity whatsoever that SM blatantly mimics looks Moss wore years before. Sienna resembles every other girl in London -- because every other girl in London copies Kate Moss!

I have one more little tidbit to add to this story. About two years ago, British Vogue editor Alexandra Schulman wrote an op-ed piece for an Irish newspaper entitled, "There's Only One Icon For Me -- And It's Kate."

In the piece, Schulman revealed that she will not let her staff use the word iconic in any capacity -- unless they are referring to Kate Moss. She goes on to say how we use the word iconic too freely in this age -- and in result, it's lost its weightiness.

This September, American Vogue editor Anna Wintour chose to feature Sienna Miller on the cover -- calling her an icon in bold text. Funny thing is, all of these women are British, but Wintour has lived here for years and Sienna's father is American.

Regardless, vote for Kate Moss in this battle. It's certainly not Miller Time in my book.

Peach and Periwinkle: A Winning Combination

I loved Raf Simmons Spring 2008 show in Milan yesterday. The tulle steered towards too-much, but overall, it was more of what I like -- even if it was more of the same. The subtle tweaks he makes each season -- in silhouette, color and fabric -- are reminiscent of classic designers that never go out of style. Armani comes to mind.

So does Lagerfeld for Chanel, even if his pieces are a bit more subversive than the two minimalist's mentioned.

My New Jeans?

I've been toying for months with the idea of buying new jeans. I want super high rise skinnies. Right now, the trend is super high rise flares. For me, the return of the wide leg jeans is just a hiccup. We've been wearing boot cut/flares for over ten years. In about another five, they'll be looked upon as if they are as terrifying as those acid wash French cuffs from the early '90s (which are now, I remind you, experiencing a fair comeback).

But I digress -- the Bardot's from J. Brand have a nice high rise and a skinny -- but too skinny -- leg. I wasn't incredibly happy with my last pair of J's, but I might give these a chance. Plus, they're named Bardot -- and who's sexier than Bridget?

Sing a Song

I'm not a close follower of music -- which is why I've been dreading writing up my two music profiles for Amelia's Magazine. But tonight, I've decided to suck it up -- and finish it up.

Meanwhile, here is the music that I'm listening to today, whilst penning these profound words. Well, typing.

Wilco. My favorite is Summerteeth (album and song), but I also adore Being There, Part 2. Sunken Treasure is my favorite track on that one. Today, I actually listened to every one of their albums. Yeah, really.

Billy Bragg. Shall I Paint You a Picture? Beautiful song -- great, cockney accent.

Hold Steady. Stevie Nicks, Party Pit, First Night, and Boys and Girls in America. Reminds me of my boyfriend. And that his taste in music is pretty horrific, other than the Hold Steady. (sorry, dude)

Elliot Smith. Self-titled. For some reason, I do my best writing listening to this suicidal album.

Cyndi Lauper. When You Were Mine. Cyndi's version of the Prince song -- a little shout-out to my Ponies.

Johnny Cash with June Carter Cash. I'm Going To Jackson. I love their love. You can hear it in this song.

Talking Heads. And She Was, Love For Sale. They might be the best. Ever.

A Clean Desk

As a procrastinator, the thing I love to do most when sitting on an assignment is cleaning. Mind you, I don't do it very often, so when I do, it means that the story I'm working on is particularly daunting.

In lieu of this confession, I've decided to redesign my desk. I do have a cubicle, but it's off in a corner, so I'm separated from the rest of the pack -- I even have a window! Kind of like my own little office.

So, here it goes. I need to DESIGN. No painting, no wallpaper, just an image and some fixtures. Pink and black? Pink and yellow? Yellow and black? Who knows what I'll settle on.

These images provide some inspiration...

Attention All Shoppers

I've officially made my first Etsy purchase. my friend Ann turned me onto this commerce site, which -- as I'm sure most of you know -- serves as something of an online bazaar, selling prints, original artwork, jewelry and even some clothing.

For just $8, I scored this Gocco bird print on the page of a French book. As a Francophile who also hasn't quite gotten over her love for Audubon sketches, this seemed like a reasonable investment. The bird comes from an original sketch by the artist as well.

And no, I couldn't have Gocco-ed this by myself. Have you ever tried to use a Gocco printer? It's not for the uncreative/creative type (those with creative ideas who are unable to express them in a visual manner). You know who you are. You're also called writers.

My Favorite Lady

I've been obsessed with Leslie Hall since my days in London. The sequin sweater lady was featured in Vice magazine, with 24 pocket-sized, school photo-inspired images right next to her profile. I promptly cut them each out and sent them in my Christmas cards with absolutely no explanation.

Leslie is famous for her sweater collection -- which she matches with gold lame leggings -- as well as her band, Leslie and the Lys. They're playing in Philadelphia this November, and I'm tempted to take the Path train down there.

Why do I love Leslie so? I don't know if her get-up is an act or the real thing, but there's something refreshing about someone who let's It all hang out. And by It, I mean pounds of flesh.

Also, I kinda dig her gold lamé chevron sweater.

For Me, Fashion Isn't All About Consumption

I'm doing an accessories piece for work, scouring the web for "Future Classics." The pieces I personally love are a little more of-the-moment, like these YSL wooden heel oxfords. They would look incredible with a pair of stirrupped leggings.

This is where practically trumps fantasy. Although they're beautiful, these shoes are totally out of my price range, and, more importantly, I can't walk in heels more than two inches. Even if I could afford ten pair, purchasing these stunners wouldn't be worth it, unless I was planning on displaying them atop an end table.

So, maybe I am obsessed with fashion, but that doesn't mean I'm overly materialistic. I appreciate nice things, but I also appreciate useful things. Reveling in the beauty of form is what really gets me going.

People always ask me what kind of makeup I wear. This is a. because they think it looks good or b. because they think it looks ridiculous and have become fascinated by my clownish face. I'm hope the answer is a.

The truth is, I don't change my makeup routine much, and unlike most girls, I started out with lipstick, foundation and blush at 13, only recently moving into the world of eyeshadow, eyeliner and mascara. It's sort of a reverse evolution, I feel like a great deal of women focus on the eyes rather than the skin, cheeks and mouth.

So here are my mainstays and tips for wearing them:

Clinique Perfectly Real Makeup. If you don't need foundation, don't wear it. But I suffer from the occasional breakout as well as large pores and uneven skin tone, so I feel it's necessary. The great thing is, most people don't realize I wear foundation, which is the point.

Nars Orgasm Blush. To me, blush is the most underrated cosmetic. It instantly brightens any complexion, especially an imperfect one. My good friend Pam -- who happens to be one of the hippest, coolest people I know -- turned me on to this in college. It's honestly the best blush color ever -- peachy pink with shimmer. I think nearly ever skin tone looks great in it.

Mac Lip Conditioner. I'm a huge lipstick person, but I also love this balmy pot of color. No flaking lips, I promise. I have the conditioner nude -- the pink is beautiful as well.

Mac Mascara. Smells like rosewater and is great for everyday.

Dior Mascara in Electric Blue. With just a little blush and a pale lip, this looks really unique -- not scary, I promise.

Smith's Rosebud Salve. Not only is this a great clear balm, it also looks hot on eyes with a bit of shimmer gold eyeshadow.

Any shimmery nude eyeshadow. Brush on brow and cheek bones for a highlighter effect.

In terms of eyeliner, I still haven't found my one-and-only. Any suggestions?

Fashion Week Wrap Up

I'll admit it. I don't exactly "get" MJ's show yet, but I'm letting it marinate. Lord knows, he's never gone wrong before.

Best Trend: Dove grey mixed with pastels. MJ did this last Spring (see what I mean??) but it was everywhere this year. And I love it. Best interpretations? Ralph Lauren and Jeremy Laing (my favorite show this year).

Glad to see: The blazer is really, truly back.

Best newcomer: Elise Overland. Went to the show last night (spotted Plum Sykes!) and was very, very impressed. Her palette of tan, nude, mauve and royal purple -- with occasional copper accents -- was stunning. The show had a sexy, cool and -- at sometimes -- pristine vibe:

Sexy -- Off the should mauve satin blouse
Cool -- Nude Shift with Kim Gordon's surgeon-masked face painted on the front
Pristine -- Royal purple high-waisted skirt (I want!)

Biggest Disappointment: 3.1 Phillip Lim. Still my pick for the CFDA, though. There were pieces I will definitely wear, the collection in its entirety just wasn't as fluid as Fall.

Best Party: Is yet to come?

What I'm Really Excited For: Writing a post that isn't about fashion week. But it had to be done, people.

Shown: A new look from BOY. Bound to be my new look.

Short, Short, Red Nails.

I'm not very adventurous when it comes to nail polish. It's either ballet slipper pink or navy blue-black, but this season, the influx of dark, dark shades has left me a little bored.

Thus, I've begun to maintain short, red nails with Essie's Really Red. It works well with my wardrobe (mostly grey, black and navy) and actually looks cute with some chips -- unavoidable, if you're a mean typist, like me.

In other news, fashion week is almost over, but today is Luca Luca, Elise Overland and Nili Lotan. I'll give you a round up of what I've seen and -- more importantly -- what I think, tonight or tomorrow morning.

OK, I Skipped a Party or Two...

But really, did I need to head up to Koreatown for Alexander Wang's after party? Hopefully, my editor doesn't think so.

Wang's clothes looked great at his show earlier in the day, with oversized blazers and short shorts, but I really loved Canadian designer Jeremy Laing this season. Really, best collection yet, in my opinion. He did quite a few long, skinny and slim suits and closely-cut silk dresses in an exquisite dove grey. I'm happy to see designers are finally moving away from the bubble skirt -- it still looks fresh right now, but it's been interpreted in every which way.

I'll admit, I was pretty disappointed with Karen Walker. Her floral prints were nice, but many of the cuts just looked plain dated -- or sloppy.

In a departure from fashion -- which seems to be taking over my world at the moment -- I'm interviewing Ra Ra Riot tonight before their show with The Editors at Webster Hall for Amelia's Magazine. It's been a rough couple of month's for the buzzy band -- their drummer, Jon Pike, was found dead in Massachusetts this past June. I'm interested to see how such a tightly woven human tapestry deals with such tragedy.

The Cheese Platter at Fashion Week

I've only been to a couple of shows thus far, but tonight at LAMB, I witnessed the appearance of the one and only....drum roll please...the hated Melrose from America's Next Top Model!!!

No, she wasn't modeling. She was just hanging on the arm of some dude who was sitting two seats over from me. Why, although I deny any interest in reality TV whatsoever, did I feel a certain delight -- and at the same time rage -- when I caught her out of the corner of my eye? That's a question for my shrink, I suppose.

Other cheesy sightings at the tents: ever-present Robert Verdi, Nylon Accessories Director Dani Stahl (still rocking peasant chic like it was Britain 2004), some woman with words written all over her jeans.

Cool sightings: Bazaar editor Glenda Baily, who -- if I am standing next to her at a party -- looks approachable enough to speak to, NYT's Cathy Horyn, Teen Vogue's Amy Astley, Gwen Stefani holding her babes (who wore headphones during the actual show), and lots of other people that I am too tired to remember. Oh, I saw Bam Margera at Koi after the show. Quality.

The clothes. I always love LAMB for it's signature Rastafarian/ska/prep/punk style, but I would rarely wear it. However, this year, I really appreciated the plaid boy blazers, navy cocktail dress and red, blue and white woven belt on the waist. Well done!

Everything Grunge Is New Again

I've been rocking the grunge look -- for the second time around -- since last fall (I have a perfectly tattered plaid dress from Edun that makes me feel very Singles), but this season, it's time to take the plunge and revert back to an old standby, black Dr. Martens.

I'm going to rock them with my Edun dress, leggings and high-waisted, skinny jeans (which I refuse to give up -- I'm not a wide-leg kind of girl). Not only will my Docs look completely Fall 2007, they're also significantly cheaper than the Loeffler Randal boots I've been spying (sorry, Jessie).

I'd also like to comment that this is the first real trend that I have been old enough to embrace for two rounds. It's been over a decade since I fell in love with MJ's Perry Ellis line. Guess that means we should expect the resurgence of corduroy insert pants (haa...joking...I hope).

Girl About Town? Heeee...

So this week, I am going to be all over Manhattan attending parties. Yikes.

I know, I know, tough life, right?


Sure, the glamour of fashion week excites me. It also makes me light-headed and short of breath. I'm the type of gal who likes to take her time at the gym, go home, read a book and pass out by ten. I'll venture out for a night or two -- but seven in a row? Let's see how I survive. Bring on the gin and soda.