I love when people send me submissions for Advanced Style and I just received this great shot, from an anime convention, of the "Otakon Granny". I try and display a diverse range of styles from the most elegant to the more avant garde and individualistic. Its great to see an older woman not afraid to have fun and express herself.
The photographer, Nessa Chan describes her feelings on the photo above:
Hi there,
I love reading your Advanced Style blog. I thought you might enjoy seeing this picture I took in Baltimore last month.She's the "Otakon Granny." She was in town for Otakon, one of the largest Japanese animation (anime) conventions in the USA, and the largest one in the eastern USA. I loved her style and lack of concern for what 'others' might think. She was walking hand and hand with a stylishly (but 'normally') dressed gentleman, who didn't want to be in the picture.
As a person who enjoys designing creative costumes myself, I hope that I can be as creative as her when I get older. Her confidence and happiness were infectious!
I thought you would enjoy it.
Carry on!
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Monday, August 31, 2009
A Note On Advanced Style
My grandmother Bluma lived into her 90s and never complained about a thing. She'd share stories about her childhood growing up in Iowa and later her move to New York to attend library school at Columbia University.While looking through her old scrapbooks one time, she told me that because her father was in the apparel industry, that although she may have had holes in her shoes during The Great Depression, she never went without a pretty dress.Bluma always had a new mystery novel by her bed. She seemed to have some kind of magic power that made spaghetti taste even better and had a rare and beautiful sweetness about her. I grew up in San Diego spending most weekends at my grandma's house. It was she who told me to move to New York and she who continues to inspire me everyday.
All of the people I photograph have a story to tell and much of their character is revealed by their unique and individual styles. I have noticed that older people wear their clothes with confidence and pride,whether they are still wearing the beloved pieces of clothing that they have cherished for many years or tend to dress in more contemporary fashion. There is a certain romanticism that accompanies the way they speak about their clothing as if a favorite coat or pair of gloves can inspire memories of the past. Mimi Weddell says in the clip below" I can't imagine going without a hat. The only Romantic thing left in life is a hat."
Advanced Style is about an attitude that accompanies aging, an appreciation of life, and a look at the creativity and vitality that can be expressed through style. I am constantly drawn to and inspired by older people and hope that my project has influenced others to feel the same.
Ari Seth Cohen
The Tree Pod?
(The quilt is handmade by my Grandmaman!)
I'm not sure how or why this tradition started, but I've always named the apartments I live in! My last apartment was appropriately nicknamed "The Coop" because my best friend Stef and I thought that's where a couple o' hens like us should dwell!
Well I just moved into my new apartment with my younger sister and we were trying to figure out what this apartment felt like to us...Mike suggested we call it "The Pod" because he thinks we're two peas and we deserve a pod to stay in...I thought the explanation was cute, but The Pod minus the cute story behind it just sounds like some weird spaceship or something...
Then my sister's boyfriend, Chris suggested that we call it the treehouse because it's up on the second floor and just really feels like a little fort/treehouse that you'd want to live in as a kid!
We are still deliberating on the issue, what do you guys think?
The Riverside in Suzhou
I'm back in Göteborg now. I'll go and pick up Tolouse from Carls parents tonight, and after that things will be back to normal. I'm really looking forward to going back to the university. When I have too much spare time, I end up making corny videos with myself starring and dress up fancy for no reason:
Music by Yao Lee
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Summer Stripes
[Photos by MISTER MORT]
This guy looks seriously awesome in his colorful clothing and cool enough for the kids on the. street. His electric blue hat adds a touch of class and character to this effortlessly sporty look.
Making It Work, Once Again
I got the nicest note from a reader this week (hi Krista!), asking if I was planning to bring back my Project Runway recaps. To be honest, I hadn't even watched an episode of the new season yet, but it was the push I needed to break out the Tivo and get my Tim Gunn on. (Oh, Tim. I know you've been busy working your magic at the Liz Claiborne Co. -- nice job so far on the Liz and Kate Spade lines, btw; love that Isaac Mizrahi and Deborah Lloyd! -- but I've missed you.)
I've recapped episode one over here and episode two right here, should you care to weigh in on the Mitchell-is-a-mess mania. I like that the designers are kind of crazy without being horribly annoying... yet (oh Stella, I do not miss you at all). Should be a fun season.
In other news! We're shipping the Fall issue of FW to the printer tomorrow, so I'll have a little break for a week or two. A break in which to prepare for Fashion Week (yaaaay!) and actually blog a little more too.
Post Stoop-Sale and warm thank you's!
I just want to say thank you to everyone who came and bought things today! And I also want to say that there's a pile of things that didn't sell sitting by the side of our house ... so, come one come all!
Here are some photos from our day!
This is me! I found two aprons amidst the junk I was selling that I thought matched my dress quite nicely. I wore the brown one the first part of the day and switched over to the green for the rest of the afternoon. I decided to keep both.
And my favorite part of the day was this really, really amazing dog. Named Beatrice I think? She was so sweet I want to take her to SF with me!
This is a picture of a picture that someone took with a polaroid camera I was selling. She bought the camera and left the picture!
Just so you know, I've marked a lot of stuff down in my etsy shop - things need to be outta there by Friday - and as the week progresses I'll be marking things down more and more..! so, if you wanna haggle on anything, that's totally fine! (although the romper and penguin dress prices I can't budge on)
yay! happy sunday!
Here are some photos from our day!
This is me! I found two aprons amidst the junk I was selling that I thought matched my dress quite nicely. I wore the brown one the first part of the day and switched over to the green for the rest of the afternoon. I decided to keep both.
And my favorite part of the day was this really, really amazing dog. Named Beatrice I think? She was so sweet I want to take her to SF with me!
This is a picture of a picture that someone took with a polaroid camera I was selling. She bought the camera and left the picture!
Just so you know, I've marked a lot of stuff down in my etsy shop - things need to be outta there by Friday - and as the week progresses I'll be marking things down more and more..! so, if you wanna haggle on anything, that's totally fine! (although the romper and penguin dress prices I can't budge on)
yay! happy sunday!
goodnight summer
these are the remainder of our mini trip photos from this summer. we've had a home full of friends this past week and after a cozy family style dinner of "bangers'n'mash" i'm feeling more eager for the chilly season than ever.
(i'm sorry for all the photobucket links littering this blog, i imagine they should be gone by tomorrow.)
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Jenny
I met Jenny at The New Museum and asked if I could take her photo. She grabbed her beautiful umbrella and we went outside for a little photo shoot.
Getaway! - Robin Hood and lace.
on a recent saturday in nottingham i realised just how much fun it is to re-visit cities. i hadn't been to nottingham in a coupla years and a day out with kristian was just what i needed.
we started off by the lace market and checked out josephine meckseper's window installation at nottingham contemporary. it's going to be a real treat when they open their doors with a big david hockney show. and all that lace-style concrete? i'm in love!
after a yummy tempeh burger at alley cafe we explored some of the run-down alleys and arcades. there's definitely lots of eye candy in nottingham!
when we walked over to the castle i felt my fondest memories of the city flood back. on a field trip for my MA we visited the castle and most notably the quirky, troubled costume museum, which is now sadly closed. to re-trace those steps and have a great supper at 'england's oldest pub' was surreal.
we started off by the lace market and checked out josephine meckseper's window installation at nottingham contemporary. it's going to be a real treat when they open their doors with a big david hockney show. and all that lace-style concrete? i'm in love!
after a yummy tempeh burger at alley cafe we explored some of the run-down alleys and arcades. there's definitely lots of eye candy in nottingham!
when we walked over to the castle i felt my fondest memories of the city flood back. on a field trip for my MA we visited the castle and most notably the quirky, troubled costume museum, which is now sadly closed. to re-trace those steps and have a great supper at 'england's oldest pub' was surreal.
the hi-lite of the day, though, had to be derby road! after just a few hours there i'm ready to get a flat and spend my days troving treasures at celia's vintage, the danish homestore and dreamiest of all: le chien et moi. i didn't get any photos inside the shop (too shy to ask!) but a few peeks in the window are enough to stop anyone in their tracks. walking in is like stepping into temptation-land, with lots of french and english finds sitting side-by-side with reproductions and newer assemblages.
i left lusting after woolen blankets, metal teapots and teacups and the sweetest basset hound who helps run the shop. if you visit their website you can see more than i would ever be able to describe! if i could find a shop like this in london i think i would be set.
celia's was another heartbreaker all-together, i'll be sure to share my finds with you in a future post.
In my dreams
Photographed by Elena Kulikova
What a beautiful image by Elena Kulikova, I would love to know who designed the dreamy knitwear.
3 Days
It's quarter to 10 in the morning' and I have to admit I'm still in bed and feeling so, so guilty about it. I have a scary long to do list today, but instead of chipping away at it I'm looking around my almost empty room and realizing I have only 3 days left in this house I've lived in for 3 years. A really important 3 years.
Please don't get me wrong. I'm excited for San Francisco... but there's certain things about this house I'm going to miss that just can't be replaced. Like my next door neighbor's flower garden, and their friendly orange cat Ella who meows at any sign of people walking by and does flips if you happen to stop and pet her. And I'll miss being able to hang all my old dresses on Alice's porch to dry in the sun after a handwashing. And being able to run downstairs and talk to Alice whenever I want, and hearing her knock on my door to come in and chat whenever she wants. And all those silly little things you might take for granted when you live just a staircase above your best friend.
live in new york.
V Magazine x Mario Sorrenti x Jane How x Freja Beha and Sasha Pivovarova.
A brilliant shoot with amazing styling and and, show from below. I hope to keep seeing that more and more! <3.
Images through V.