Spring 2013: Exclusive Wallpaper
One of Spring’s major motifs is the eternally sunny, ever-optimistic wheat stalk. It showed up as prints, quilting, embroideries — you name it. Even the side braids our models wore were inspired by the golden grain. Now you can incorporate that happy, hopeful graphic into your I-life with the downloads here.
Eugene Souleiman On: Recreating His Runway Braids
Leave it to hair stylist Eugene Souleiman to whip up a look that fits our Spring 2013 wheat motif to a T: a loose fishtail braid. “It’s a little pulled apart, very relaxed and natural — which worked well with the bohemian spirit of Tory’s collection,” explains Eugene, who shares his expert tips to recreating the style here.
Tory’s Playlist: SXSW 2013
SXSW is always one of the highlights of our year — like spring break for techies, musos and the film set. No better place than Austin, Texas, to take in the latest in all media. Here’s a playlist of songs we’re hoping to hear live, wrapped in with tracks by two of Austin’s native sons, the great Roky Erickson and the incomparable Daniel Johnston. See you at Franklin’s Barbecue.
Listen now on Spotify.
Best Dressed: Roopal Patel
Roopal Patel is a front-row fashion fixture who’s known for finding and cultivating new design talent. Now, she’s head of her own consulting firm, helping retail and luxury clients zero in on the right trends, merchandising and branding. When we asked Roopal to style any look from our collection any way she liked, she chose the wheat-print Chelsea dress, paired it with some Proenza Schouler stripes and bohemian jewelry finds and then shared her thoughts on how it all works together.
Tory On: Spring’s Wheat Motif
Spring’s wheat motif, one of the biggest trends on our runway, sends an optimistic and cheerful message. It’s also one of Tory’s favorite looks for spring. Here, she talks about the different ways she works wheat — and yellow, that other big spring idea — into her look.
Spotlight On: Dinner with Sloan Barnett
When Tory was in San Francisco earlier this year, longtime pal Sloan Barnett threw an intimate dinner to celebrate her trip out West. She eschewed the typical seven-course menu for fun and fresh California tapas, pulled from local farmers’ markets. We chatted with Sloan about the evening’s inspiration and got her secrets to the perfect girls’ night in.
Tory Entertains: Yellow Blooms
If you haven’t noticed, yellow is the color right now. But why limit that cheerful hue to your wardrobe? Floral designer Raúl Àvila gave us three tips to incorporating that sunny factor at home, too.
To Do: Anselm Kiefer in Paris
For his massive Morgenthau Plan exhibit at Larry Gagosian’s new gallery in Paris, Anselm Kiefer planted an entire wheat field and encased it within a steel cage that is over 16-feet high. And, no, the German artist wasn’t thinking purple mountain majesties and amber waves of grain, even if the show does nod to a slice of American history — Henry Morgenthau, Jr. was Roosevelt’s U.S. Secretary of the Treasury who wanted to turn post-war Germany into a pre-industrial, agricultural state. But hurry, Anselm’s provocative sheaf session ends this week.
Photo by Charles Duprat, courtesy Gagosian Gallery © Anselm Kiefer
Accessories Guide: Spring 2013
Bags. Shoes. Jewelry. Everything you need for the season — and how to wear it. What else can you expect? “Sunny colors,” says Tory, “plenty of texture and a sense of wanderlust.”
Inspiration: Yellow & Wheat
What’s the best antidote to the winter blues? Yellow, in all its bright, cheerful, optimistic glory. It’s the instant mood pick-me-up whether via fashion, home décor or finding that unexpected hit of lemon yellow on your travels. It’s one of nature’s favorite colors, and it’s one of ours, too.
Print Primer: A Little or A Lot
When it comes to prints, we all fall somewhere along the spectrum of a little or a lot. Whether you’re a dabbler or a master mixer, the graphic and golden wheat print from our spring runway is easy to weave into your wardrobe. Make your statement with a cheerful bag or double — or triple or even quarduple — up with print-on–print. There are many ways to go with the grain. Shop the Looks.
Book of the Week: The Contact Sheet
Contact sheets may be a relic of film photography, but they’re worth a close look for all they reveal about the photographic process — which, as The Contact Sheet shows, is often as bewitching as the final product. In the book, you’ll learn the back stories to some of the most iconic images, too. Like whom Peggy Moffitt was channeling while she modeled Rudi Gernreich’s infamous topless monikini. And the children’s tale that partially inspired Chuck Close’s first self-portrait. And whether Robert Doisneau’s legendary shot in Life of a couple kissing in post-war Paris was, well, spontaneous. P.S.: It’s Babe Paley, Gulliver’s Travels and no.
Street Style: Blush Hour
If you think pink is purely for the girlish sort, think again. That rosy hue offers a nice hit of color and joie de vivre, even for those who usually shy away from the all-out feminine. Take model Nadja Bender here, who pairs Tory’s Simon Utility Pouch with white sneakers, tomboy jeans and a leather-and-leopard-print coat. The shot of pink lifts the look from street-chic casual to just plain chic.
Arianna Huffington On: Success & Failure
Last year, The Huffington Post won a Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting. A remarkable feat for any news outlet, but more so for one that is available exclusively online. But such is the vision of its founder and Editor-in-Chief Arianna Huffington. In seven years, HuffPo has become a one-click stop for news fiends, whether you need the latest headlines on international happenings, science discoveries or fashion trends. Huffington herself posts with the prolific frequency of a cub reporter hungry for her next story.
As part of our salute to International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, Arianna shared with us her best advice (from mom), her favorite quotes and more.
Nancy Pelosi On: Knowing Thy Power
There are amazing women doing amazing things every day in every corner of the world, and we salute them. Today is International Women’s Day, and March is Women’s History Month, but there’s just not enough space or time to cover everything we’d like. So here is but a teaser. But what a teaser it is. We asked Nancy Pelosi, Minority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, for the best advice she’s received and given, her hopes for the future and the role women play in our collective futures.
Tory’s Playlist: Like It’s 1999
Sometimes we forget that there is genius living among us. So it’s nice to be reminded that Prince still reigns. From the first time we heard — and then saw — him we have been captivated by his incredible talent. Never a more compelling advocate of the dirty mind, Prince has fueled our passions and our dance parties for years and years…. So tonight, as legions of stars line up to pay him tribute at Carnegie Hall, we will party like it’s 1999.
Hear it now on Spotify.
Spotlight On: A Duke of Melrose
Christos Garkinos is a familiar face on the fashion circuit. As co-owner of L.A. vintage and designer consignment store Decades with Cameron Silver, he’s plundered the closets of VIP clothes hounds and long been a go-to for stylists, designers and the Hollywood set. You name it — Chanel! Yves Saint Laurent! Thierry Mugler! Comme des Garçons! — they’ve got it. Now, the duo are primed to be household names, too. They’re starring in their own reality show, Bravo’s Dukes of Melrose, which premiered last night. We got some one-on-one time with Christos and talked (resale) shop.
Most Wanted: Miles Sneaker
As A Tribe Called Quest once asked, Can I kick it? Why yes, you can. Right now, sneakers, kicks, tennis shoes — whatever you call them — are the must-have shoe. And we’re happy to report that, if the current Fall 2013 runways are any indication, the trend for casual kicks is going to continue all year long. The point of difference now: Chunky wedge sneakers are giving way to sporty-yet-streamlined silhouettes. We’re partial to the Old-School skater look. We just filled the brightness quota on our Miles style with fun floral prints.
Spotlight On: Knicks’ Baron Davis Off Guard
Coming to a small screen near you: the not-so-small NBA star Baron Davis. The Esquire Network just announced a new summer show, the tentatively titled How I Rock It, in which the Knicks guard interviews stylish celebs, athletes and musicians. Here, sitting in his music room — with a wall of his favorite musicians and a beloved pair of bespoke sneakers — Baron talked about being an L.A. son in New York City, his nonprofit Rising Stars of America, the brotherhood of ballers and the importance of heroes — both on court and off.
Lia Williams On: Harold Pinter and Licorice Allsorts
“Electrifying” is how Lia Williams describes mentor Harold Pinter, who both directed and acted alongside this award-winning Cheshire, England, native. But it’s also a pretty apt description of the current London revival of Pinter’s play Old Times, which stars Williams alongside Kristin Scott Thomas and Rufus Sewell. The plot involves a married couple Kate and Deeley, who are visited by the former’s old friend, Anna. Anyone familiar with the Pinter oeuvre knows things are never as they seem, but there’s an added twist here: Williams and Scott Thomas are swapping roles every night, sometimes last-minute depending on a pre-show coin toss. We chatted with Williams about the theatrical ménage à trois and more.
Word of Mouth: The New Aperture Magazine
For its 60th birthday, photography magazine Aperture got a glossy new facelift: bigger pages, more pages, better paper stock and a splashy new design by the award-winning London studio A2/SW/HK. Not all the changes were cosmetic, though. The new publication includes an impressive lineup of interviews, features and essays for all generations of art and culture lovers. Photographer Philip-Lorca diCorcia, for instance, offers an insightful look at one of his big influences: mid-20th century street photographer Garry Winogrand — who, it so happens, has a major show opening this Saturday at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
Untitled, c. 1969, by Garry Winogrand; used with Permission © The Estate of Garry Winogrand, courtesy Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco
Meet the Songstress: Yelle
You enjoy life? French electropop star Yelle does — so much so that the singer (born Julie Budet) created her nom de guerre based on its YEL acronym, with a femme twist. She recently released a new single L’Amour Parfait, her first after 2011’s Safari Disco Club album. It’s still as kicky and infectious as her other dance tracks — not to mention coolly laden with synth sounds — but a bit more grown up and richly layered. Here, we chatted with the chanteuse, who also announced a new addition to her CV: Petit Bateau brand ambassador.
Charlotte Moss On: Scrapbooks and Style
Nothing inspires interior designer Charlotte Moss quite like a well-curated page of images collected over time. So it makes sense that, even in this Pinterest-crazy world, Moss has devoted her latest book to an art form she clearly believes has staying power. Charlotte Moss: A Visual Life: Scrapbooks, Collages, and Inspirations even includes tips straight from the scrapbooks of Jackie Kennedy (whose White House menus and private-dinner notes are made public for the first time) as well as entertaining doyennes Elsie de Wolfe and Evangeline Bruce, among others. We spoke to Charlotte — who’s speaking at the Design Blogger Conference today and is auctioning a collection of art and furnishings at Doyle New York on March 7th — about her tricks of the trade.
10 Minutes with an Entrepreneur: Edie Parker’s Brett Heyman
The name Edie Parker may conjure up the Beats for some — she was Kerouac’s first wife — but for the fashion set, it means one thing: Brett Heyman’s collection of statement acrylic clutches, all glitter and glamour with a Fifties/Sixties bent. Here, the former director of public relations at Gucci talks to us about the inspiration, what it’s like to be head honcho and, of course, the story behind that moniker.