Vintage Crush

There has always been an underlying fear of thrift stores in Park City, but after Macklemore's song Thrift Shop came out, that fear has been replaced by a sort of hankering for them. Like never before, it's been "the cool thing" (mostly among the guys) to go shopping in thrift stores. I sincerely doubt that the majority of these guys are thrift shopping for the fashionably vintage and retro qualities of clothes but nevertheless, its put a new perspective on the act of thrift shopping.

I for one (mind before the song), have found thrift shopping a great way to get clothes that are unique and have the "cutting edge" properties that you simply can not find in most currently manufactured items. Although slightly more time consuming than your standard outlet mall shopping trip, it'll be worth it to get the few exclusive, trend-setting pieces that your wardrobe needs. The more thrift shopping you do, the easier it is to find places that prefer. 

Inside Decades (they told us not to take pictures... oops!)

From my personal preference, I’ve found that Decades (a thrift store located on downtown Salt Lake City) has a greatly diverse and interesting selection of clothes. The name itself it pretty self explanatory; the all completely unique clothes accessories are from all different eras of the twentieth century. Wether your there to just look around or get down-deep thrift shopping done, Decades is the perfect place to engulf yourself in visuals of fashion from years past.  

I highly recommend that if you find your self in Utah... Salt Lake City to be precise, stop by this monumental stop and take a look around. You may find a piece to add character to your wardrobe  and even if you don’t purchase anything, it’s sure to be just a great day trip with your friends!  

From This Year's Haute Couture Runway Shows to Your Closet

This years 2012/2013 Autumn and Winter haute couture collections by Valentino, Christian Dior, and Chanel feature some of the the season’s not so traditional interpretations such as floral patterns and shades of pink and apricot that would usually be accustomed to spring. The garments stared, create a whole new light to this fall and winter season. With that, you can take looks from the runway and accompany them to your everyday look.    

Valentino’s Autumn and Winter collection includes gowns comprised of the colors navy, a somewhat dirtied rose, apricot, red, and even some burnt yellow. Intricate, Japanese inspired floral embroidery is presented on the fine silk and sheer chiffon garments. Just as well, this years collection was mainly focused on the aspect of shape and color; chic, slim figured dresses with a high neck, swelled sleeves, raised waist, and gem-like hues. The line is a modern undertake of the traditional with its warmed winter colors of pink, yellow, and red.

The Autumn/Winter collection for Dior is a modern twist on the traditional outlook of winter clothing. Using sheer and tweed weaves along with floral prints (similar to Valentino), Dior succeeded on taking even the dullest of colors and brighting it up with color block, winged eye makeup of blue and lip color of scarlet. Peplum was along with the trends used over narrow-legged trousers and pencil skirts. Recurring colors from the Valentino collection of rose, navy, and red appeared multiple times in the fabric and embroidery. Chunky crystal chokers and bracelets alongside extravagant fur were extravagant dressings, causing a dramatic effect to the entire show.

A girly take of tartan plaid, tweed, and metallic-inlaid wool weaves alongside sparkly statement collars were trends elusively featured in the Chanel 2012/2013 Autumn-Winter haute couture collection. Initially Chanel’s classy suits went down one after another, infused with bubblegum pink and silver, then tulle skirts for evening outings shown in a steel grey and sugar-almond pink (a color very much similar to the pinks used in Valentino and Dior) made there way down the runway. It's apparent that this year’s fall and winter line for Chanel was aimed for a magical winter-like feel but still border-lining spring with its nontraditional colors and fabrics. 

To acquire these looks and keep up with these occurring trends of peplum, floral prints, statement collars, high waisted bottoms, color block makeup, nontraditional fall and winter colors, and the other current trends underlined above,  pieces like the ones below can be added to your closet.

These are a few items from my favorite online stores; examples of elements that can keep your closet up-to-date with visibly borrowed traits from the runway:  

Jessica Hart Twill Blazer in Floral: an adorable statement piece that can be put together with contrasting block colors

Sequined Alva Clutch- Anthropologie: a versatile floral-patterned clutch heavily embroidered with sequins

EQUIPMENT washed silk shirt: a dusty pink button-up with a metallic, statement collar 

M.A.C. Pearlglide Intense Eye Liner in  Petrol Blue: an eyeliner with color-block intensity

Rosie Silk Peplum Dress: mink colored peplum dress with a high-set neck, sheer sleeves, and stylish cutouts

Kimchi Blue Floral Chiffon Jacket: sheer-weeve, lightweight jacket in an enlarged floral print 

Burning Man

Burning Man is an annual, week-long festival held in late August, in the dry, scorching heat of the Nevada sun. The name “Burning Man” comes from the main event of the festival;  igniting a 70 ft wood structure, epitomized as the figure of a man. People travel here from around the globes, some come in RV’s, while others, in profusely decorated cars; either way, they are all coming to enthrall themselves into the art world and have a good time.What makes people endure the 107 degree heat? Large scale projects of sorts are the specialty of Burning man artists. Whether it be a life-sized ship, sunken surreally in the desert ground (see below), or an automobile disguised as a deep sea creature (to the right), the art is hardly  unnoticeable making for a dream-like experience. During the night, after the sun goes down and goosebumps arrive, the expansive grounds light up with glow-sticks and LED lights. It is arguable that more people are out at night than in the day; while the daylight may offer opportune lighting to see small details, certain unique perspectives and characteristics blaze up when the world gets dark. 

The first Burning Man was held in 1986 with an eight foot man structure and but a fraction of flame of the up to 80 foot structures that they build today. The Burning Man is built throughout the duration of the week long festival. Planned and drawn out by artists, then created by the labor multiple people from the ground up, it is ultimately engulfed by the flames the people who built it. This symbolic bonfire ritual is held on a Saturday night, the last night of the festival to wrap up and “burn up” the festival. The art displayed at the Burning Man festival attracts thousands of people every year and the number is rising. With such abstract ideas and eclectic art, it’s no wonder Burning Man has such an immense pull on people.

The Introduction

On my journey to find blogs with a combination of fashion, art, and of course good taste, I started first on Pinterest, a place where “pinners” frequently post material from personal blogs. Following mainly graphic designers, blogs, and fashion magazines gives me multiple links to sophisticated blogs.  I found many links to the Nasty Gal Blog's cite, leading me to an artful, stylish, but edgy blog. Including beauty tips, fashion look books, vintage inspiration, and more, this blog swims against the current, sharing fringe style and trends using interesting graphics with a creative title and easily read posts making for a fantastic blog.

 BOOOOOOOM! is an blog that encompasses several different mediums; film, photography, music, design, and artwork from artists of all types. Posts consist of pictures and information of final works, allowing one to explore numerous different styles of art and the artists who made them. Within the first couple minutes of looking through the feed of recent posts, I quickly found the wide range of diversity within the blog. Quirky but artistic short films caught my attention while visually stunning murals, drawings, and paintings took my breath away. Their photograph, used as the blog title illustrates an eccentric feel about the entire blog. I’m completely inspired by the collection of carefully curated pieces; treating my eye and mind without too much of an artwork overload, allowing me to really appreciate the pieces shown. 

A sophisticated and high-end blog, Her Blog incorporates overviews and pictures of newly released designer lines, fashion on the runway, and patterns of trends showing up in the latest haute couture collections. With a sharp and modern format, Her Blog emphasized futuristic vogue to me the first time I entered. Having a white background got it strait to the point, acting as a canvas for the numerous pictures of the posts’ topics.  Posts cover completely relevant and frontline subjects such as Fashion Week, Fendi’s Resort 2013 Collection, and countless fall/winter designer’s collections out right now.

Having looked thoroughly at these blogs, I’m inspired and excited to start this blog! I’m attempting to get a sophisticated (like Her Blog) yet artsy (similar to BOOOOOOOM!) style and feel but at the same time somewhat applicable to a teenager (Nasty Gal).

Art Meets Fashion at Red Butte Gardens

Piece from Beckett & Robb's Menswear Collection

Design by Sophie St. Claire

Fashion Floral Art Pieces designs made by Shelly Huynh

This year’s  Art Meet's Fashion annual event, held recently on September 8 at Red Butte Gardens, featured local Utah's artists and fashion designers and was a gathering worth going to.  The setting was perfect with a cool breeze drifting through the beautiful gardens and the models sporting the artful designs, floating down an aggregate path in rhythm with the music.

People sat alongside the path allowing everyone an exceptional, closeup view of the garments. I found myself eating the delicious hors d' oeuvres of bruschetta and seasoned meatballs, allowing me to not only feast my eyes on the extraordinary designs but treat my tastebuds to mouthwatering food. Two women dressed in nature inspired gowns and head wear stood atop the podium, serving as centerpieces for the occasion, while the designs for the main event passed along the trail. The show lasted about two hours and featured the designs of four local fashion designers; Sophie St. Claire, Beckett & Robb, Heggy Gonzalez, and Nephi Garcia. Sophie St. Claire's line with modern but edgy dresses, suits, and gowns was my favorite. St. Claire's line used a mixture of sheer and woven material, and nicely contrasted feminine and rough.

After all the lines were displayed in the fashion show, we went down to the stage and dance floor area. The group CB jazz played music from the 1930's on the stage and was a surprisingly good touch after the electric pop played during the fashion show by bands Custom Model and Alistair Nee.  Set aside from the retro music, the area was decorated in a modern style with boxy tables, bright LED lighting, and an equally well lit dance floor. Throughout the dancing and music, I looked through a few curated paintings of local artists Blake Palmer, Alexander Ferguson, Chase Mccleary, and Cody Chamberlain. I found many interesting and unique photographs and paintings within the display, some striking me as surreal, and others quite realistic.

On the whole, the event was a five star experience, exploring many different mediums of clothing design, painting, photography, music, with food an added plus. The beautiful shrubbery, flower beds, and trees at the setting made for a visually stunning presentation. I am already looking forward to next year’s event!