hooray it's friday!

rooftop garden

the rooftop garden in paris was Hermes' inspiration for their 4th "garden" perfume collection "Un Jardin Sur Le Toit"

j.mendel spring 2011

quite an amazing collection.... Gilles Mendel never fails me and my style taste buds. finding & writing about his collection I N S T A N T L Y takes me back to my dreamy days in NY, happily prancing through these amazing stores that made me proud that i chose to study the art & craft of fashion design. lets briefly flash back to his spring 2011 collection. although the styles varied he had one thing consistently on his mind: ballet. Gilles is the master of all draping master. the Madame Gres-inspired draped silk chiffon and jersey dresses were dusted with powdery make-up hues of blush pink and pale nude and completed with that bright coral punch on the lips and toes {apparently the brilliant wedges are Louboutins wrapped with grosgrain ankle wraps to evoke the ballet slipper}. the fur is tibetan lamb and shadow fox. which are mounted on tulle to make them semi-transparent and super light {the perfect summer sweater}

2 things...

Dad, you continue to awe me.... you are the one who sees to it that i internalize qualities that will only lift me up and empower me. You embody true loyalty, confidence, craft, wisdom, generosity, stability, and connectedness. Because of your constant presence and guidance, I am confident to say that I stand firm in who I have been and who I want to be. How blessed am I?! You will always have my heart... thank you for being you!

Dave Holston: The Strategic Designer

Dave Holston: The Strategic Designer

norenberg gardens, orono minnesota

wishful thinking

{pictured: 1. metal bike Capers in Excelsior, 2. tweed couch with black piping, Gabberts in Edina,  3. terraniums, Gabberts in Edina, 4. pillow and dish display Ampersand in Edina,  5. apple display, Gabberts in Edina  6. book, DB & Co in Excelsior, 7. gunny-sack table cloth, The Find in Eden Prairie,  8 & 9. The Sitting Room in Excelsior}

eloise

an ode to Sara+Ryan

i am off to witness a wonderful wedding between one of my greatest friends Sara & her fiance Ryan. the wedding is in jordan, a beautiful town south-west of the cities. Sara was a college roommate and fellow design classmate of mine. she is truly one of the sweetest girls, and knows how to properly throw one back. i am ready to have a good 'ole small town minnesota celebration!! stay tunes to after pics of wedding finds and details

congrats you two xx

a brighter mix of things

a styling collection by carolyn tate angel in the june 2011 vogue

 popomomo's fall 2011 collection

from their site:
POPOMOMO stands for post-postmodern movement, creating intellectually sexy pieces that never play catch up. each season, popomomo draws inspiration from the world around us. Past seasons have focused on Tony Duquette, Russian Constructivist painters, the Source Family Cult, Buckminster Fuller, Patti Smith and Eve Babitz. popomomo believes that sustainability is an important function and purpose of design. all pieces are designed and made of sustainable fabrics in Los Angeles

buttoned-up

what's on the forefront for men's current styling? clothier John Meegan (and owner of Top Shelf in south minneapolis) sees the styles taking on a more tailored look with slimmer shirts and ties. the trend evolved when designers began playing with plain-front pants (rather than pleated). This yielded narrower legs, then skinnier ties. the look is trim and fit, fresh and experimental.

1. slim shirts >>custom shirts tailored 1-2.5in beyond the body (traditional cuts are 4inches), make sure there are pleats in the back for when he, ahem, grows out {pictured: Ralph Lauren Purple Label}

2. even slimmer ties >> the most extreme are just 6cm across. got a closet full of fat ties? bring them into a tailor to have them altered! which in turn is probably cheaper than buying a whole new collection {tie collection found on OhBob}

3. wool for all seasons>> a high end Italian manufacturer perfected a technology (called "super-twisting") that makes wool (formally sterotyped as a winter-wear's bff) as "airy as a pair of silk boxers". wool suits in the summertime!

4. 80/20 rule >> stop worrying so much about being matchy-matchy. make 80% of your look conservative and 20% not. get creative. {ties from 3sixteen}

full article is in the Spring 2011 Artful Living Magazine 

"brighter side of pale"

june 2011 vogue

made to measure

it's a rarity to find bespoke hats made-to-measure. this little shop is just one of the few original hatters left in Cologne, Germany. The shop owner, Jurgen Eifler, holds the term "bespoke" to it's original meaning: "a garment made by an individual, for an individual, by an individual". simply meaning that the owner of the shop will create/alter stock sizes to your very own measurements. everything in the shop is a sample, hardly anything can be taken away immediately {unless of course you, and how dare you, want to take home something that is not fit precisely to your measurements}

today is..... SUNDAY FUNDAY!

orange-alicious!

bff

sigh, those best friend's necklaces. this was the perfect "update" and "more adult" version of those cute little charms. same idea, different use! rebecca minkoff creates a modern spin on the 80s bff classic.

feeling..... opulant, rustic, excessive, characteristic

happy birthday ms monroe..... would've been 85 today