Style Nomad

2011! Oh! Silly Rabbit...

2011-01-08T11:30:00.000-08:00

"I'm late, I'm late... for a very important date!"... Been out wayfaring the sea of life as you know. But I'm back and newly docked at my favorite, little harbor. So happy to see you here in this Year of the Rabbit.

So it's upward & onward in full effect you say? I say yes. And don't forget the lusciousness. Cuz that's onboard too.

It's ready to spill compelling content all over your mental pinafores...

So hold onto your napkins!

Get inspired...amused...and enthused.

2011 has all the dress maker markings to be the best yet...

After all, it is the Year of the Rabbit! So let’s spring back into the swing of things........

I’m working on several projects right now and am inspired by so much. In the coming days, I’ll be covering some of my great loves in music, art, literature, design, photography, food and of course - fashion...

As music is our soul, let’s start with...

Makana

Makana is from Hawaii. At the heart of it, he’s a slack key guitarist having studied under great masters such as Sonny Chillingworth. But what makes Makana’s music unique...and makes him a growing influence to other artists...is that he draws from an exquisite mix of global inspiration - rock, bluegrass, African, Latin, Celtic, modern and folk traditions.

Vibrant and diverse, Makana is an artist who reflects a serene and conscious spirit....independent music at its best.

I think music has the ability to transform us, draw out our own inner voices and dreams.

It makes the subconscious - conscious...

Transcends our momentary concerns, our daily life...it talks to each of us on such a personal level - to the very heart of who we are, what we love and where we want to be...

-- STYLE NOMAD 01/08/11

Photo Credits: (Top) Tim Walker for Vogue Italia March 2010. (Middle & Bottom) Makana

reBIRTH:

2010-04-09T15:25:00.001-07:00

spring...is almost here. It is still cold in Switzerland. I am back from hiatus with no regrets. Only a deep desire to get back into it. Here I am peeking forward from my nest after hibernating in adventures and melodies.

Speaking of melodies, my good friend Loren Lopez, an absolutely brilliant + talented girl, just released her first album - BLUE CANDY. Loren's voice is at once luscious, soft, rich, and tender. But it has strength & power to it. A bit of a jazz edge that reminds one of luminous evenings in the 1920's when subtle elegance was key. It's available on iTunes and her single "British Attraction" just got picked up by MTV, Virgin, MCM (French MTV) etc. I am bursting with pride. We used to be peas in the 9-5 pod but she broke away and concentrated full time on music, her true love. She always would sing and do gigs at night or on weekends after her day job. Little by little, she worked her way into her dream. That's the best story I think. Not the overnight success that makes it all seem like luck. But the very adult, real world story of working to pay the bills while chipping away at your dream one layer at a time. For many of us this is the one and only action plan.

So I am here to let you in on a sweet masterpiece by an emerging artist. The director and creator of the video is also a young, emerging French talent. They created the video with pretty much no budget. Just friends, a couple of plane tickets GVA to LONDON, a rented British taxi cab in Grenoble, France (for the interior shots), and maniac cool ideas. Oh, and some wicked fierce style from Miss Lopez courtesy of Zara and H&M (yes that's right! It doesn't cost much to look goregous. Don't believe what you hear!) If you dream of love affairs in Paris, luscious adventures around the world, and being a techincolor girl in a black and white world...Loren's music will take you away and inspire you.

Welcome to Spring! We're so glad you are here.

LOREN LOPEZ - "British Attraction" music video
envoyé par amourangora. - Regardez la dernière sélection musicale.

Thought for the day....

2010-02-01T12:05:00.000-08:00

What if we all lived our lives like this?...

I, i am a verb...

2010-01-30T17:30:00.000-08:00

I live on earth at present and I don’t know what I am. I know that I am not a category. I am not a thing - a noun. I seem to be a verb, an evolutionary process - an integral function of the universe...

exceptional & exquisite

fervently fearless

work in progress...

- and this is my sacred dream...

I created this (above) tonight. The visuals and poem. I have been doing this thing recently - where I put images together that I love and have collected or that I find which are inspired by dreams I have or poems or stories I am writing...and then I write the words to go with the images so it becomes a bit like a visual prose poem. The first paragraph was directly inspired from architect, poet extraordinaire B. Fuller's idea that he was a verb. The rest is all me.

Sometimes little pinprick writing helps to inspire bigger writing...especially when one lacks the discipline all great writers must have had :P

Off to pirate away my dreams...

Worth a thousand words...

2010-01-29T13:36:00.001-08:00

WoRdS can create thousands of pictures in our mind...musings...& daydreams of how our lives are...or how we wish them to be...

Kind of like an invitation to use your imagination...

or embark on a year's worth of resolutions....

to live what you believe...

SHOW stop(!)-her...

2009-11-29T03:58:00.000-08:00

celebrate!-ing a 9 years on the net... SHOWstudio is a living, breathing space where fashion designers, artists, photographers, and stylists interact with the public. Brain child of prolific UK photographer extra-ordinaire, Nick Knight, SHOWstudio sees to redefine the world of design & fashion.

Autumn 2009, saw the exhibition at Somerset House in London where the public was able to go behind-the-scenes and experience live photo shoots as a part of the exhibition. You can submit a video on SHOWstudio that may be chosen for the next Lady Gaga video...watch a visio-bio on designer Rick Owens...or download patterns from John Galliano, Alexander McQueen...etc. as a part of the project archives. The Galliano & McQueen patterns are wicked fierce...

You could spend hours just looking through the archives or the blog curated by the top UK stylists...or if you are awaiting spring, buy the bunny ears Lanvin's creative genius Alber Elbaz wore for the New Yorker magazine photo shoot...

“SHOWstudio is based on the belief that showing the entire creative process—from conception to completion—is beneficial for the artist, the audience and the art itself.”

Nick Knight

PHOTO CREDITS: All SHOWstudio.

ciao bella...

2009-11-29T03:15:00.001-08:00

The song "Ciao Bella"...by Rose came out several years ago...but I thought it would be lovely to introduce her to you if you don't know her. Rose is a French singer and reminds me a lot of Lauren. This song is about the passage of time and shows her dancing between screens where she is a child again with her grandfather...I love the visual juxtaposition of her going from who she is now as if she is dancing between the present and the past...pretty cool. Ciao Bella!...have a lovely Sunday...

A Frenchman in Shanghai...

2009-09-13T10:45:00.001-07:00

Lions of Puxi...just heard about a band from Shanghai, China and saw an inspired video that made me smile. Their songs are sung in everything from English to French and Chinese. Combining my love of travel, making a life for yourself doing what you love living abroad, and music...especially the little-known...thought I'd share...

Gauthier Roubichou, Lion's lead singer, originally from France, did a cover - "with apologies to Sting"- of "An Englishman in New York" as joke with his friends. It's totally taken off in China and the Lions of Pux i are now set to sing the official song of the Shanghai Expo in 2010. The song, "A Frenchman in Shanghai" features slightly altered lyrics about eating baguettes...drinking wine...etc. Lions of Puxi do funky songs in Chinese with reggae, funk & groove beats and are squarely situated in the heart of Shanghai's famous nightlife....

i HEART Hawaii...

2009-08-31T12:45:00.001-07:00

A Day in the Life of Hawaii...imagine watching a fisherman at sunrise in Kahala, taking an afternoon walk through banyan trees, or watching a group of surfers during a brilliant Waikiki sunset...well, you can..no matter where you are right now. Intimate images of everyday life in Hawaii are captured in vivid detail & storytelling by Hawaii Fish Eye. A blog that captures everything from local street art recently done in homage to Michael Jackson to the local Japanese bon dancing festival or the humor of a glass bottom boat full of tourists checking out local surfers instead of the local, underwater fish.

With dates and exact time the pictures where taken, there are also quotes that provide great story telling, humor, and peaceful contemplation. A joy to behold and check out, Hawaii Fish Eye offers a break from your everyday life. Kind of like a mini Mai Tai break or breathe of fresh air....

ALL PHOTOS: Hawaii Fish Eye

the ReMiX...

2009-08-11T14:41:00.001-07:00

over at the selby...they're staging a "peek-in", artist style. The Selby has always reminded me of Nathalie Lecroc. She's a Parisian artist I once met & interviewed who did portraits of women's handbags...or rather the inside of their bags. What spilled out onto her table revealed a lot about people and what was going on in their lives at the time. Her watercolor portraits are like an anthropology experiment. The idea that what we carry around with us speaks volumes of who we are and what's most important to us. The Selby is doing something similar with glimpses into the homes of artists & creative spirits. André in Paris was featured recently. More about him and Miss Lecroc in an upcoming street style post...

ALL PHOTO CREDITS: The Selby

Rock N' Rolla...

2009-08-06T13:52:00.000-07:00

"Don'tcha wanna be a rock n' rolla?"...I know I do. Something's been on my mind lately. Something I've observed. It's like all these influences from the 60's, 70's, and 80's...these very distinct & different decades are happening all at once.

And I have a theory.

(of course I do.)

Earlier in the year when the f-bomb hit..(a.k.a. the global financial crisis)...up-to-the-minute coverage of "we're in a shitty place but we don't know where we're going.."...we were seeing influences in fashion and design from the art deco era..1920's and 1930's. Structured lines, clean color patterns, simplicity and hard edges. People were seeking comfort from the storm, reassurance, structure, straight lines & ironed flat hair. But now we're seeing hair tousled and shaken up, t-shirts slashed with carefully placed holes a.k.a. the 1980's.

And now...

...Now there feels a slight head turn towards the future, towards 2010. Is there an upswing on its way to us?

All I know is that when people start to see glimmers of relief come end '09/early '10, they're going to want to break free...if only just a little. Not to spend money like they spent before or rack up more credit card debt. No, this is not what I mean..I think people will just want to let go of this past year's stress a little bit. -- Feel a little bit freer, express themselves more. Shout n' let the boogie man out.

And so this is my theory as to why we're seeing influences from the big 3 decades...60's,70's, 80's. It's because each of these eras reflected freedom & charisma in a different way. Zeigeist from expressive and carefree senses of time and place.

Whether it was Woodstock, Studio 54, or an urge to Flashdance, get Footloose, or find some Fame...all these eras were inspired by the idea that "enjoy today...because you never know what tomorrow will bring.."

Usually, one specific decade stands out in a fashion collection season. But this Fall & Winter '09, hints and nods are popping up all over the place in homage to these three vibrant decades...1960's...1970's...1980's.

forwardforward.com features collections by brands such as Superfine and my all-star favorite: Alexander Wang. Cuz this Fall's all about heavy metal. Being done up in zippers and studs, laces and braces. In the lines of Guy Ritchie's "Rock N' Rolla".

The Joan Jett movie "The Runaways" hits screens in 2010 with "Twilight" actress Kristen Stewart playing the infamous rock queen. And there's this whole kind of "I want rock n' roll all niight...and parrty everyday" kind of expressionism. We're tired of being good and responsible and counting our pennies through the f-bomb. We just wanna hang out with friends and party. Good times don't need to cost a thing...

>>>60's-70's

Then there's the whole 60's and 70's peace & love imagery coming through fashion brands like Wildfox Couture.

Their collection would've fit so well in the film, "Across the Universe". Brainchild of Julie Taymore (Creator of "The Lion King" on Broadway), the film featured young actors & actresses playing out a story line inspired by Beatles songs. With an appearance by U2's Bono as a Jim Leary-type character, a young guy named Jude lives with a girl named Prudence...and the story reveals itself through Beatles songs..a work of art really.

>>>80's

Then there's the lovely & talented Erin Fetherson's collection. Poufy skirts and structured jackets are topped off with saucy minx accessories. The new power suit shoulder jackets meets Madonna like-a-virgin vivacious-ness. Mini skirt outfits combine the audacity of structure with the delicate air of a ballet dancer.

Like something for a recital scene in the Fame movie hitting theaters later this year. Ladies & Gentlemen, Welcome Back to the Future...via the 1980's.

I just think people are going to be more than ready come this Winter '09/Spring '10 to break out of the mould a little bit. Let their hair down and party like it's 1969. Or 1989. Even if just a little bit. And even if they do it BYOB or potluck style and get home by curfew, people are restless and ready to put down their calculator and take a walk on the wild side...

ALL PHOTO & PRODUCT CREDITS: will be posted by 8/9. ;)

Thought for the day....

2009-08-05T13:59:00.000-07:00

TOP> Inspiration quote I love on a pants hanger. Great concept....place nails at precise points across your wall, hang up elegant pant hangers, you can even paint them different colors or keep them in wood...then change whenever you want. Hang tear sheets from magazines, photos of loved ones, children's artwork... A great & moveable feast.

BOTTOM> The lovely stylist Emma Cassi featured model Hayley's tattoos when photographing her jewelry line. (above) Emma is a stylist outta London who also does lovely beadwork & crocheted jewelry. I believe Miss Emma has styled for the uber-delicious Milk.....concentré enfantin pour parents contemporian. 2 Loves I am sharing = for today. A stylist's work and a great magazine. Short but sweet. :) Good Night, good day, wherever you are!

EAT LOVE...

2009-08-04T13:22:00.000-07:00

the proef is in the pudding...Proef out of Holland is an amazing concept colliding "the verb of eating" with design in symphonic timing. The brainchild of Marije Vogelzangs, who graduated from the Design academy in Eindhoven, Proef is a creative studio centered around food concepts. Located in Amsterdam's Westergasfabriek cultural park, Proef recently published "EAT LOVE" a book chronicling its foray into the alchemy of = design + food.

Marije travels the world, lecturing everywhere from Bangkok to Dubai, London and Cape Town. A consultant for the food industry she redefines the idea of not only eating "with your eyes firsts" but also with your heart and mind...

DUTCH DESIGN TO NOURISH YOUR SPIRIT .....>above

Design philosophy is eaten by characters sketched on walls as an installation of drawings linking art, food, and philosophy....screens project previous Pröef projects...*Excerpt from wall* “Forgotten memories recovered through food” & “why do we eat when we are not hungry?

SUGAR & ICE & EVERYTHING NICE .....>below

Sugared icing drapes the glass windows in front of Pröef’s installation space, a delicious & entirely new kind of window blinds...

TOOTHLESS CANDY BOX .....>below

“Thinking about all these people with fake teeth, I decided to make a toothless candy box. Filled with candies you don’t need your teeth for.”

FUEL EXHIBIT .....>below
“Photosynthesis-tree.The leaves of a tree can make energy and food from sunlight through the use of photosynthesis. This tree can make cookie-leaves using the energy that comes from the lightbulbs."

DUTCH NATIONAL TAP WATER TASTING .....>below

“An installation of 12 kinds of tapwater from every Dutch province. Every kind in 130 literbottles of water to show the amount of water a dutch person uses every day. Guests can try all the waters and notice that the flavours of the different kinds of water are very different and that, as with wine, ‘terroir’ is very important. But nobody seems to care as much for tapwater as they care for wine. We just flush it through the toilet.”

As any good foodie knows, to nourish ourselves from the inside out is to awaken all of our senses so the experience of eating is a joy and a pleasure. Proef is a Guggenheim-curated picnic...somewhere on the flip side...where everyone's invited...

PHOTO CREDITS: All photos by Proef

KONG...

2009-07-20T13:52:00.001-07:00

starck beauty... all done up in lucite and floor-to-ceiling graphics. KONG in Paris, France sits atop the LVMH building. I was there the last time I was in the City of Lights with clients....it's been open for awhile and definitely worth checking out if you're in Paris.

The stunning pop art colors and gorgeous graphics juxtaposed against lucite and massive ceilings overlooking Paris takes your breathe away. So does the chubby, little sumo boy who greets you as you leave the unisex loo.

Sumo boy takes up the entire wall by the bathroom sink. Makes you jolt to a stop at first, then...smile. ;) Kinda what you want from design. Everyone has their own opinion about Starck but I fell in love with the interior design, ambiance, and lovely drinks at KONG. Food's not bad either...

KONG

1 rue du Pont Neuf

75001 Paris

France

Tel. +33 (0)1 40 390 900

ALL PHOTOS: KONG

Charismatic S.O.B.

2009-06-02T13:57:00.000-07:00

Anuhea...straight outta my hometown of Hawaii, U.S.A. This girl is gonna be big. Just one of her amazing songs. You can check her out on i-tunes!!! She just made no. 8 on the i-tunes pop chart. Go Maui Girl!!! :) :)

playing dress up...

2009-05-17T14:58:00.000-07:00

in the spirit of spring...(above) is a photo of designer Alber Elbaz of Lanvin which I love...this photo reflects his gentle inventiveness. (below) is a quote from Pamela Love, whose designs I also HEART very much. (Just got her bear ring & I wear it everday as a talisman...)

"Francesco Clemente once said to me fashion is the quest for perfection and style is the acceptance of one’s flaws. I completely agree with this. I love style. I love seeing the way different people dress, how they put things together, how they deviate from the current trends, what they are referencing, and what this says about them and who they are. Style is a way of communication. Fashion has much more to do with money, retail and commercialism. You can buy fashion. You can’t buy style. It’s just something that is part of you. A girl can have style wearing a sweater she found in her mother’s closet and her boyfriend’s hat. It’s all about how you wear it and how you feel in what you wear." -- Pamela Love - NYC.

And, on the other side of the Atlantic...

just a little peek...at Pebbles London -- where stylists and well-known fashion designers go to get inspired and bring home exotic baubbles to mix and match with their collections. inspiring & fun...

The latest from Colette...wish I'd picked up The Selby's Paris exhibition book before it sold out...Colette always has something new and these helmets and shirt have me dreaming of zipping around on a moto or at least a moped this summer... :P

ALL PHOTOS:

Lanvin

Pebbles London

Colettte

harlequin dreams...

2009-05-11T13:18:00.000-07:00

anne valerie hash...reconstructs modern feminism from the str ucture of menswear and a kind of belle epoque beauty that mixes 80's super heroine fierceness in strong shoulders, hidden ruffles, and cinched waists. Her poetic opera of construction & grace mirrors a kind of romanticism and strength that reflect a modern girl's desire to be both feminine and at ease in her own personal sense of power. Perhaps it's Hash's eccentric, almost gothic beauty and origami like construction that has me both mesmerized and bemused. She's been a mainstay on the Paris fashion scene for handful of years. She started her first collection with very minimal funds and has been deeply sought after every since. She recently held her "atelier de curiosites"exhibition at le palais royale in Paris along with publication of an exhibition book I am dreaming of owning....

ALL BLACK & WHITE PHOTOS: Fabrice Laroche

ALL COLOR PHOTOS (ABOVE) : Mixed plate of Anne Valerie Hash's 2008-2009 collections

LAST TWO COLOR PHOTOS (BOTTOM): 3 Suisses Collection by Anne Valerie Hash

Geisha Princess & a bit pUnk roCk

2009-05-06T13:12:00.000-07:00

kimono style... yes! I'm back! :)... after a long absence. Apologies to all my darhling ones reading this. I am still kicking reboot after a couple of weeks so check back often as I am about to start a whirlwind of postings. ;) In the meantime, I am in love with all things kimono. I have been for years but my fever is just now returning...

Can you imagine vintage, silk kimonos redone as jackets and dresses...with little ballet slippers covered in punk-rock studs? I can..

When ebay first hit the scene as the first virtual, everyman auction house, you could find the most delicious vintage kimonos online for about as much money $ as a couple of lattes. There was this one kimono style that I adored called the 1920's "paper" kimono. Drew Barrymore and other actresses would wear this kind of kimono in movies as bathrobes...ie. "50 First Dates". It's kimono done flapper style - straight from your grandma's era. Paper kimonos were selling for like $35 USD but I never bought one. Now you can hardly find them and if you do they're upwards of $250-$300 USD. All the lovely kimonos and hand-embroidered vintage pieces I so easily found online a few years ago are now practically impossible to find (big sigh)...lesson to the wise, when you find something you love, and you can, buy it...

I can still be inspired though by fashion and interior designs taking their cue from the land of the rising sun...and I think mala beads are a beautiful reminder of what is important in life...centering yourself while sharing a wink and smile at inner style...

Inspiration also comes from books like the great Omiyage by Kumiko Suda. She does amazing books on Japanese handmade crafts and I have made delicate little butterfly pouches from instructions straight from Omiyage. Omiyage is the Japanese word for gift. Butterflies gilded in kimono fabric (I will post my kimono creations back into this post when I get the chance)....

And then I came across this beautiful flurry of getas in the photo below- which reminds me of what Anna Karenina would wear if she were a Geisha dancing through the snow on the way to meet her true love. And the vintage Japanese FireFighter kimonos shown further below are so lovely and cool...I would love to deconstruct one and redo it up as a tight-fitting jacket and pair it with some black and white stripe-down-the-side Adidas track pants...how cool would that be...

I am also dreaming of re-creating this lovely vintage handbag...jade handles... embroidery, and tassles..all done up in good luck & silk threads...

Finally, who doesn't love a little Yoshitomo Nara...

In dreaming of all things Japanese, I am obssessed with his clock...different drawings on the hour...this is something else I should have bought when I first saw it...from $150 USD a few years ago you can no only get your hands on one of these puppies for $350 USD...

Champagne tastes on a beer budget...thank heavens there's always window shopping and sewing machines!

With Love,

;) K.

painter's palette...

2009-04-10T01:09:00.000-07:00

inspired...by a painter's palette that's expressed across interior design, fashion, food, art, and accessories. perhaps it's our gradual and hopeful move into spring or the idea that the time will come to heal even just a little bit some of what we've seen over the last year. there is still so much work to be done but also so much beauty. childlike fun and play are being evoked across brands and market categories as people look for small joys that put smiles on their faces...much like how theater ticket sales rose and people still danced during the great depression...looking for an escape or perhaps just to bring some color, life, and vibrancy to difficult times....

ALL PHOTOS: Photo credits to be posted shortly. Sifting through archives...

yummy...seconds...

2009-03-30T14:39:00.000-07:00

check! check! mate... if jan taminiau was serving up structured tiers of delicious tissued concontions, i would greedly ask for seconds! at least there is always another fashion season around the corner, another heady collection coming to inspire and spellbound me. taminiau is über-talented. i don't know how else to describe him. he interweaves fabrics in a meticulous and fluid way - mixing classical & innovative construction techniques - undoubtedly a reflection of his time spent training under greats like olivier theyskens and hubert barrere in paris (corsetiere to Dior, YSL, etc.).

taminiau presents twice a year at paris fashion week and has featured installations at colette's in Paris. taminiau's dutch hertiage mixes with cultures and influences from around the world both modern & antique. he recently launched his pret-a-porter line passe-partout SS09 and showed his couture collection check! check! mate. (see above).

taminiau continuously seeks to bring forth the character of the wearer. he likes to leave behind what he calls the "fast-paced and fickle," modern world in order to return to something that is, in today's world, "almost a nostalgic source: security, respect for craftsmanship, and awareness of the importance of transience."

taminiau inspires with his blending of old and new, easy and tough. art inspires art no matter what it's form...whether it's your own finger painting with a child or music that helps you get up in the morning and go straight back into that 9-5 gig. taminiau inspires me to dream and sew again and write and to imagine a new image, a new thought, a new idea blending what has come before and never been done. he puts it best when he says, "i am continually translating the asymmetrical mirror of life."

how lovely to do the same in our own lives. redefine what beauty and art and love and the best of ourselves is. what would our best look like?

jan taminiau 2008 collection below

ALL PHOTOS: Jan Taminiau

great things come in little packages....

2009-03-26T16:18:00.000-07:00

brand design strategy...packaging design...is my day job right now. So I guess it makes sense that I'd smile at the tongue-in-cheek commentary art, as I'd call it, done by The Flow Market. I want to redesign our office space...or at least my area of it in colored plexiglass and white lacquer desks (a girl can dream)...and a shelf full of these little puppies. I'd pick and choose which ones I'd featured based on what I'd like to say. A wink of the eye - packaging simplified...contents amplified...

A whole 'nother way of looking at it...

ALL PHOTOS: The Flow Market

ashes & snow...

2009-03-23T13:13:00.000-07:00

intimate conversations...between the natural world and human world are captured through the expressive beauty of gregory colbert's photographs. ashes & snow is a traveling exhibit of colbert's photography taken around the world in remote and exotic locals. through colbert's magnificent eye, wild animals in intelligence & grace shift and meld into human contact. colbert's stunning work has even been transformed from metaphor to literature in a book that chronicles 365 letters from a fictional character to his wife...where in the end, you understand the beginning...

colbert also takes on artful alchemy in his codex project which binds his photography between ancient parchment paper and vintage book covers centuries old. breath-taking & atypical, colbert's photographs remind us of what we already know...that from which we are born, we will one day return...our intimate impact on the natural world around us has ripple effects. "the love that consists in this: that two solitudes protect and border and greet each other..." - Rainer Maria Rilke

ALL PHOTOS by: Gregory Colbert

silly, young heart...

2009-03-22T13:57:00.000-07:00

i don't believe in ever growing up...at least not completely...so remember that little girl... the whimsical and stylish character dancing in polka dot rainboots and heart-shaped sunglasses even though the sun was shinning....who fearlessly mixed colors and ran barefoot through the grass only to set up tea parties for princes and kings an hour later. three lovely illustrators are bringing back playtime with vivaciously charming characters who are anything but wallflowers...

emma magenta (great name, right?) creates child-like illustrations that remind you of the best of your creative spirit, unbound by lines and rules...i love the "maybe dancing will help" plate...i feel like that sometimes at work...maybe dancing will help?! ;)

emma has a line of home accessories like decals, kitchen towels, & plates. she's also written charming books like "a gorgeous sense of hope" and "the peril of magnificent love..."

while kat macleod's lovely girls spend hours playing dress up...wondering what they're going to be when they grow up...playful possibility in each brush stroke and scribble...

kat's created a lovely home accessories like decals (above) and pillow cases (at bottom). she's lent her stylish eye to musician's CD covers and Bloom's skincare packaging. her luscious book "the cocktail" came out last year and she's recently illustrated "like i give a frock" (below)...

and then there's chère fifi...the one and only. all dressed up with everywhere to go. A girl's wonderland of rykiel and lanvin in watercolor hues...with prints to hang on walls, certified and ready for day-dreaming....

fifi, the stylish lapin* that she is...has collaborated with le sportsac on darling lunch bags and travel sacs that make one smile...

*French for rabbit

emma & kat can be found stylish & carefree over at third drawe r down, a lovely little artist's palette in its own right. and fifi, she has a site all her own...

ALL PHOTOS: emma magenta & kat macleod and fifi ;)

through the looking glass...

2009-03-17T14:58:00.000-07:00

heidi merrick...reflects visions of who we're meant to be by redefining feminine and modern style. Her clothes are made with sumptuous fabrics that navigate shoulders and hips -creating grace in all the right places. From linen to silk, lined and precious...influences seem to appear from the past in entirely new ways...20's & 30's glamour girls who just threw something on that happens to be lithe n' luscious...the 40's collegiate princess who's pursuing both style & intellect...the cool, carefree bohemian traveler who looks gorgeous no matter what, no matter when, no matter where...

Merrick's shapes and silhouettes have somehow brought the past forward in modern versions of a muse who is at once delicate and graceful, strong and adventurous. I feel in some small way that I'm already that girl wearing her clothes, as if I've always been and always want to be soft, graceful, agile, and lovely....all at once.

You can find Heidi's heavenly creations at her store in Los Angeles or online.

ALL PHOTOS: Heidi Merrick - Fall '08 and Spring '09 Collections.

om shanti...

2009-03-16T15:58:00.000-07:00

lily lotus...is a wonderful yoga clothing company from Hawaii. I met Laurie Chee when I interviewed her for Modern Luxury Hawaii magazine a few years ago. She had just started her clothing company Lily Lotus and was an avid yogini at Yoga Hawaii, the same amazing studio where I first discovered yoga in Hawaii. She has grown to offer Lily Lotus around the world.

Lily Lotus' flagship store is in Kaimuki on the island of Oahu , not far from our Yoga Hawaii roots. If you're ever in paradise, I highly recommend you stop by. Her yoga clothing is so comfortable it's as if you're wearing nothing...nothing but air & style. It's clothing I sleep in, dance in, do yoga in, and spend the day out with friends having fun in. Laurie's bright, warm personality is evident in the store's environment filled with light and sunset paradise colors. Also featured in the store - jewelry by Sonia Picard, spa accessories made with lavender from the island of Maui, and many other goodies to bring you back to the center of your own well-being. Lily Lotus select styles and wholesale inquiries are also available online.

ALL PHOTOS Lily Lotus.

illustrator love xoxo

2009-03-16T15:17:00.000-07:00

love fashion + illustration....? welcome to the world of Laura Laine. Whimsical with a slightly dark, sophisticated edge, Laura's designs remind you of art deco style political satire drawing style mixed with Miu Miu, Escada, and Lanvin. Lovely and luscious all in one...

ILLUSTRATION CREDITS: All by Laura Laine.

lions and tigers & bears...oh my!

2009-03-05T13:31:00.001-08:00

it was love at first sight... this new urban twist on the animal & nature trend. The once banal concept is starting to pop up roses. It's now something positively dripping with chic-ness and a luscious rock edge. Jewelry designer Pamela Love is my absolute favorite designer right now. She's an assistant to Francesco Clemente during the day and has collaborated with Zac Posen, Yigal Azrouel, and Marchesa. And did I mention she shares an atelier with none other than Julia Restoin-Roifeld, daughter of Paris Vogue's Editor-in-Chief Carine Roitfeld. Sigh...now that's what I'd call a girl who's dreaming right. I covet her creations madly... especially the two-bear ring where little bear cubs seem to be peeking out from beneath lovely fingers.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

the gothic, wandering heart in you... will beat wildly for Digby & Iona.

It's jewelry to go out in. Be fierce and wild in. Fall deeply & madly in love at midnight in some bar - all disheveled and gorgeous in. You know who you are ;)

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

And for a Rock & Roll Safari... Angelina-Jolie style...Alex & Chloé kicks it all to the curb with their crazy, lovely full antler necklace...

PHOTO CREDITS:

(Top): Pamela Love

(Middle): Digby & Iona

(Bottom): Alex & Chloé

here's lookin' at you kid...

2009-03-04T13:26:00.001-08:00

milk & cookies...and coming in from playing outside. If summer days and imaginary journeys could be captured in all of the light-hearted adventure of childhood, it would be through the lens of photographer Jan von Holleben. He's produced a wonderful photography book that's somehow found its way to the very top of my wish list.

PHOTO CREDITS: All photos by Jan von Holleben.

to the edge.....

2009-03-04T12:42:00.001-08:00

> take me to the edge and set me free... OakNYC rocks it like nobody's business. I'm in love their clothes - urban, chic, edgy, unique - unlike anything else you'll see en ligne (online). Anne Valerie Hash jackets, Pamela Love jewelry...delicious and divine for the everyday.

PHOTO CREDITS: All photos by Oaknyc.

oh la! la! colette

2009-02-13T12:45:00.000-08:00

chère colette...comment je vous aime! I've loved Colette ever since I first laid eyes on her back in 1999. I was studying at the Sorbonne in Paris when I heard of this lovely mother and daughter team who had just opened what essentially became one of the first concept stores in the world. They wanted a space that was filled with new designers from around the world....cutting edge fashion and accessories...unknown music groups and obscure design magazines. They installed an H2O bar... a big deal back then.. and within a year, all the fashion designers and models were flocking there like migratory birds during fashion week. It's been nearly 10 years now and although Colette is very much on the radar and no longer the *underground* spot it used to be...they still bring forth and rock the best mix tape of fascinating designs and limited editions....not to mention those obscure, cherry picked Colette compilation CDs. Chez Colette, it's always a delight to find hidden treasures not many people know about. Yet...

www.colette.f r - a classic then and now. If you peek closely, you may see Karl Lagerfeld or Agyness Deyn shopping in the background....

ALL PHOTO CREDITS: Colette

future BLOOM...

2009-02-08T13:06:00.000-08:00

though she's often called the "anti-florist"...to me Krislyn is anything but. The Los-Angeles based floral stylist is more like an alchemist with sheers who brings the future forward in full bloom. She interplays floral space and natural matter into a kind of relevancy that's rarely seen in florists and more often seen in cutting edge designers. Think Yoji Yamamoto or Azedeine Alaia and how they transformed fashion with their cuts and sculptural effects with fabric. Krislyn does the same...creating breath-taking works of art. They're pieces that evoke natural transformation with a modern edge. Crystals and driftwood found at the shore dance among...delicate sea fans and shells juxtaposed with luscious feathers, seed pods, and orchids...

From fairy dresses made with golden leaves & blue feathers to mica garlands that give way to nautilus shells lush with crystal trees...Krisyln's designs charge empty spaces with visuals that seem PhotoShopped in from a wild dream....

Perhaps we're finally finding the answer to what happens after the downfall of all that bling - simple crystals handcast onto seed pods remind us that balance is key. Light luxury combined with natural elements bring us home to the true artistry that is found in natural environments.

Krislyn's creations offer us a return to nature with accents from the future of design...if I could fill up my space for spring, I'd take one of everything..... -- STYLE NOMAD 02/08/09

*you can visit Krislyn's online shop here...just try not to drool...

PHOTO CREDITS: All photos care of Krisyln Design

i HEART the selby

2009-01-19T14:21:00.000-08:00

if...it were possible to be in-love with a virtual space, then i would be head over heels for the selby....i must say, it was LOVE at first sight...pureGENIUS LuV....

creative spaces + innovative faces...

-- STYLE NOMAD 02/04/09.

PHOTO CREDITS: All by the selby

something borrowed, something blue...

2009-01-16T10:54:00.001-08:00

every girl's dream... is to have delicate, precious light reflecting off of ear lobes & wrists especially on her wedding day. I came across the truly luscious Bijoux Odalisque jewelry line recently and thought the gorgeous but quite expensive accent pieces would be perfect for a bride-to-be. A once-in-a-lifetime occasion would be the right time to splurge on these semi-precious wonders. A lot of independent jewelry designs keep copy catting each other till nothing independent seems fresh anymore. Enter Bijoux Odalisque...lovely and luxe over at Etsy. -- STYLE NOMAD 01/16/09

ALL PHOTOS by Bijoux Odalisque.

the tao of nao...

2009-01-15T14:28:00.001-08:00

nao... branding by Figtree for Jumeirah Hotels. Targeting young professionals seeking out a new and different kind of luxury experience, the UK agency was asked to identify and create a proposition centering around a modern, zen-luxe experience where quality, service, and knowledge take precedence over the staid, out-of-fashion baroque and pop-art hotel experience offered by many boutique and chain hotels the world over. Redefining luxury for the next generation, the nao hotel was set to open in San Francisco but its launch date continues to be undetermined. -- STYLE NOMAD 01/15/09

lyrical beauty...

2009-01-13T14:08:00.000-08:00

youth is delicate... it waits for no one. And yet those days wrapped up in carefree idleness and free-spirited adventure leaves us with distant memories that linger like a sweet after taste of something we knew so long ago. Sally Mann captured these nuances of youth and childhood...those fleeting moments of almost inperceptible growth as we shift-shape and change from children into budding teenagers. Many of the portraits are of her own children. My favorite - Night Blooming Cereus, which I find breath-taking, is what lead me to her work... - STYLE NOMAD 1/13/09

Tokyo Milk, please...

2009-01-11T07:11:00.000-08:00

Rare...is it that I find a product whose design *and* scents sound unique and enticing. It seems like everyone keeps doing the same thing ad nausem. I came across wicked pretty Tokyo Milk months ago (I have an archive of cool finds - am posting as much as I can here one at a time). while it is a bit reminiscent of Lollia, the skulls and 18th century-like doll heads give Tokyo Milk a bit more edge. I love anything unisex, so there's Dead Sexy. A deep vanilla, exotic woods, white orchid, & ebony scent that's "crushed and distilled to perfection" - the perfect Feb. 14th gift for the X or Y-dominant chromosome set in your life. There's also Let Them Eat Cake - Sugar cane, coconut milk, vanilla orchid, & white musk; Kabuki - Sugared grapefruit, lychee & sweet jasmine; and Ex Libris - Fig leaf, magnolia, bronzed musk & cardamom.

Branching out into lovely soaps and lip balms, it's a simple treat for your bathroom or yourself. I think it'd be cool to send one, carefully chosen treat for each of your girlfriends to remind them that with or without "that special someone" they're loved this V-day. I've got my eye on the Rose Water lip balm...for lips sugared sweet, tasting just like roses...-- STYLE NOMAD 01/11/09

an imperfect duchess for the new world...

2009-01-09T11:26:00.000-08:00

spring... is still a long way off but I'm dreaming of it, surrounded by winter-wonderland temperatures so cold I'm a human popsicle dipped in hot chocolate & wrapped up in fuschia, papaya, & citron cashmere finery (thank you J. Crew!). I am in love with the past few seasons J. Crew has done. Apparently they hired new CDs (Creative Directors) in recent years that are très talented. Talk about reviving a brand. Luscious colors and elegant, hip designs and prints have been taking this brand to a whole new level. You can't call J.Crew preppy anymore cause it's turned into something entirely new...very urban cool if you ask me.

Or perhaps I am already dreaming of warmer weather that leads us to tea parties Marie-Antoinette style because sometimes creating little joys or integrating small bursts of color into our lives are easy and simple ways to brighten our moods and our hopes during difficult times.

What's been inspiring me as of late is this kind of imperfect duchess style for the new millenia. Think floods of color like in the movie "Marie Antoinette" by Sofia Coppola. But think of it as if that same Marie Antoinette was lying on a second-hand seatte she got for free from a friend and covered it in luxe silk she got on sale at an obscure fabric store...

PHOTOS by the very talented: Jimmy Backius

Given our fragile times, I think we all need something happy. Something bright. Something that reminds us to still live well and keep our chins up because happiness gives strength, balance & energy through the storm. The television reflects gloom and doom which probably makes people so nervous we support our economy even less. I think everyone needs to be smart, serious, and take the appropriate measures to have safety nets and do what they can. But just giving yourself a warm meal, treating yourself to a single flower put in an empty soda bottle, or even just staring up at the sky for awhile and breathing in fresh air is modern luxury - redefined. Luxury should not be about $ but about taking good care of yourself. Treating yourself in simple, non-extravagent ways.

There's a place for beauty and it's right now. Beauty can come from window shopping, drinking a cup of hot tea, trying an exotic fruit, or treating yourself to a new scarf. Even a luxurious bubble bath. Anything that draws a little joy or beauty into your life has deep meaning and purpose. Now more than ever.

The idea of being an imperfect duchess is finding luxury in treating yourself well, not in spending money. Often when the world is chaotic, we deprive ourselves when we really should be taking care of ourselves and the quality of our lives & what we have now, not later. A little goes a long way to nourish our hearts, minds and spirits.

To see how beauty & color have their place in serious times, look at the La Fete de la Coleur ("The Festival of Color") organized this past Nov. 20th for UNICEF's Day of International Children's Rights. People were encouraged to participate by making donations, joining rallies, or painting themselves and loved ones in campaign colors of pink & orange. L'Express magazine joined forces with MAC Cosmetics to create special edition pink & orange make-up sets that were available at MAC kiosques around Paris. People were encouraged to place rose and tangerine palettes on their cheeks, hands, or have friends place them on each other...arms, noses...anywhere...in joint participation & support for children around the world. Just what I mean. Exactly. Design and beauty have their place in this world. To inspire, to brighten, to bring hope and joy...and even to help.

So be an imperfect duchess. Don't feel guilty to buy a can of paint and finally paint your living room pink. Do what you can with what you have. Treating yourself will give you energy and warmth beyond measure during this wintery, cold, uncertain season. And that is something that money can't buy. -- STYLE NOMAD 01/10/2009

Winter Musings...

2009-01-09T05:14:00.000-08:00

Lovely... resting and healing from being sick (hence no posts recently). Thought I would share a lovely, lovely version of "You Really Got A Hold On Me" by Zooey Deschanel - from her latest album She & Him, Volume 1. The video is a bit shaky in the beginning but beautiful sound still. A little listening treat for the day. I'm definitely adding this to my melodic library. Off to rest amongst warmth, dreams, and other winter musings... - STYLE NOMAD 01/09/09

Happy New Year 2009!

2009-01-03T07:38:00.000-08:00

Sante! Cheers!..the new year brings with it a time of renewal and rebirth - a chance to set forth your sails, fearlessly towards what you define as your best life. In this spirit of change & growth, here are my own personal resolutions...9 for 2009:

1. Write...as much as I can wherever and whenever I can.

2. Yoga...do lots and lots of yoga.

3. Create...continue to work on my line of jewelry & accessories and branch out into painting, clothes, and photography.

4. Healthy...food, make more of it! Cook, eat well, take care of my body so it will take care of me and set up boundaries to make it happen.

5. Balance & Focus...be more disciplined in doing what I want and what feels right to me. Following my bliss. I often put other people and things before me and I need to remember that I can do and give more if I first do right by me.

6. Be Fearless...it's important to be fearless. It's something we loose as we get older and outta college. The ability to see life as full of limitless possibilities. It still is even when you have responsibilities, we just don't always look at things in the right way or open up our hearts & minds to the idea that anything can happen if you open yourself up to the possibility.

7. Heart...I will be great at keeping in touch with people. Better at sending cards, photos, and fun care packages. Loved ones are the most important thing.

8. Inspiration...I will incubate in ink and melodies that inspire me...read books, travel, listen to music, go to concerts and museums. Expand heart & mind horizons.

9. Peace...I will be at peace with myself. Give myself permission to not always have everything figured out or be perfect. If the laundry isn't done and I watch movies in my pajamas on a lazy Sunday morning, I will enjoy it. For every time there is a season and a reason under heaven - love life and LIVE life with full permission to be beautifully, imperfectly human through my own personal evolution, revolution, nouvelle renaissance...Welcome 2009! I am so happy that you're here! - STYLE NOMAD 01/03/08

PHOTO CREDITS: 1. Photo - unknown. 2. Photo - unknown. 3. Photo by STYLE NOMAD of Yoga Hawaii. 4. Photo by STYLE NOMAD of Marie Antoinette Necklace @poifed.com. 5. Photo - by AlchemyOkatu17 @deviantart.com. 6. Photo by she hit pause studio @etsy. 7. Photo -unknown. 8. Photo by Artist Christopher David Ryan. 9. Photo - unknown. 10. Photo - unknown.

back to cool

2009-01-03T04:29:00.000-08:00

the click clique...jimmy backius is a photographer whose images make you think of the coolest kid in school...the one who wears something no one else does...safety pins on a jacket, a cool porkpie hat....the kid who has so much style that he stands out too much, then pretty soon everyone's copying him and following his lead. Backius is based outta Sweden and his images speak louder than words. If "A picture is worth a thousand words." then novels and movies pour out of backius' photography in just one glance.... - STYLE NOMAD 01/03/08

PHOTO CREDITS: All photos by Jimmy Backius.

urban art deco

2008-12-28T11:37:00.000-08:00

wicked cool...i have been deeply inspired by ART DECO design for awhile now but am seeing the emergence of a new kind of URBAN ART DECO that makes sense to me. if you think about it, years ago the aviator graced movie screens with its sumptious but soft lit images that were both muted and brillant at the same time. it's that idea of going back in time through a lens that reveals fluid grace and clear lines. the same lines that evoked security and structure for the unsure depression era.

with its clean lines, geometrical structure, and subtle but unique form, ART DECO is a soothing design style. it's simple and modern. everything from interior design to fashion seem to be taking its cues from a kind of art deco, structural assurance...perfect for our modern-day uncertain times...you can see it in chevron patterns, the same uniform lines that can be found in vintage art deco pieces. there's something reassuring, beautiful and modern in something so timeless.

case in point: i've coveted for some time items like Oscar de la Renta's chevron flatware & serving pieces from his home collection. it's a kind of modern & urban art deco look that's at home in relaxed & organic environments that let accent pieces have center stage. these de la renta pieces are sold out everywhere, but a girl can still dream. artel also has gorgeous chevron patterned crystal barware infused with vibrant colors...kinda like the new ipods of barware.

joya also makes luscious oil diffusers and candles in scents such as himalayan goji berry, and the literatti cool gunpowder green tea...which you know 18th century French poet Baudelaire would have written to by candlelight. and the jasmine absolute & sugar which Colette would have hidden in between flapper embroidered lingerie. The asteroid shapes...black & white...with simple accent images remind me of something phillip starck would create if he was time machined back to the art deco era and had to show everyone what the future was like. i particularly love the octopus oil diffuser (my nephew is currently obssessed with them and i must admit i truly share his love affair with these sea creatures) .

the skull and cross-bones candles look like something a modern day f. scott fitgerald would have in his loft apartment in the east village or what would inspire a gautier pirate & punk rocker collection...

....i'll cover more of this trend under a future VINTAGE FIGHTING SPIRIT post this week. i would certainly expect to see more of this art deco inspired design in the future...ie. hillary swank is working on that new Amelia Earheart-inspired movie and i sense more structure, clean lines, to move us forward Great Gatsby style, bringing structure & clarity of design to our shaky times... - STYLE NOMAD 12/28/08

PHOTO CREDITS: 1.-4. Aviator movie by Warner Bros. 5.-6. Oscar de la Renta home acessories. 7. Artel glasses. 8.-10. Joya candles. 11.-13. Photos by Unknown.

while sugar plums danced in their heads...

2008-12-26T13:26:00.000-08:00

joyeux nöel & mele kalikimaka...something to listen to and be inspired by...I discovered the talented Priscilla Ahn awhile ago but thought the holidays was the perfect time to share her song "dream...."

STYLE NOMAD 12/26/08

inspiration

2008-12-23T13:26:00.000-08:00

inspiration...Coco Chanel once said, "La mode se demode, mais le style, jamais..." I've wanted to do this blog for a long time, because she was right. Fashion goes out of fashion but true style lasts forever. Style is something you have even if you can't afford those thousand dollar Gucci shoes. Style is expression and grace and beauty and personality all rolled up into one...it's that indescribable it factor that makes someone, something, or some place unique.

i've worked in magazines as a stylist and editor, am a published writer, and have also worked in advertising and brand design....yet at the heart of it i think i am some kind of visual stylist, finding that i can't fall asleep without visions of sugar plums...inspiration running randomly through my head..so i had to capture it and leave it all somewhere..like a butterfly that is free but needs a place to rest. so here is my nest, my little bursting cocoon stuffed and filled with goodies and delights i hope you enjoy as much as i do....smile, relax, and be inspired to set sails in your own life. we connect the dots sometimes through inspiration so run off after reading this blog to be a style nomad and fill your life with beauty. for life truly is BEAUTY full.

Tim Walker (above) is an amazing fashion photographer. He creates whimsical visual landscapes with humor and wit...stunning juxtapositions of opposites and objects in impossible placements ...as if you've fallen through the rabbitt hole. Much has been written about Walker and his Alice-in-Wonderland, beautiful, other-worldly photographs but he's one of my favorite photographers so I wanted to start off this blog by writing about him. Walker's most recent exhibit was at the Design Museum in London this past Fall. Their online shop still has his prints, exhibition books, and 2009 calendars available. --- STYLE NOMAD 12/23/08

PHOTO CREDITS: All photos by Tim Walker.