New In: Christmas Gifts

  Here are some of the highlights under my Christmas tree - my family really went all out with their gift-giving to me, and I loved everything I received. However, most importantly I value how much love they showed me and how much thought went into each present.


                    Anthropologie teacup, Betsey Johnson earrings, Anthropologie cotton lace blouse.

        This Anthropologie top is absolutely exquisite, and I am going to be wearing it for my graduation in Spring. I've always wanted to avoid the "prom" look of satin and sequins, and when I first saw this top I knew it was perfect. Bring forth The Virgin Suicides vibes of wheat fields and ethereal suburban surrealism! - I am ready for thee.

  Ah, the Betsey Johnson's! These are my first Betsey pieces, which make them all the more exciting. I love how youthful they are.

Material Girl studded blazer.

This Material Girl tuxedo blazer is extremely timely as I have had no black blazer these past months. I love the YSL le smoking vibe it gives off. I've always had a massive craving for the androgynous Marlene Dietrich look, and this blazer is definitely getting me one step closer to that.

Urban Outfitters checked dress, American Eagle studded coin belt.

My brother gave me this charming dress and belt, both of which items that shall be extremely useful and easy to throw on in a pinch.

Left to Right: Emporio Armani briefs, American Eagle earrings, American Eagle socks, Dynamite belt, Topshop necklace, Joe felt tam. Beneath: Chapters cozy faux fur and fleece blanket.

Topshop key necklace.

Chapters owl globe.

                                                     Joe lambswool neutral check coat.

                        This coat is one of those items that, when put on, is transformative. Its cut is effortless, and on the hanger it is done no justice.

Diana F+ camera.

My brother and sister gave this amazing camera to me! I cannot beleive they did this - it is the full Diana F+ set including each lense type, frame variation and extra. Not included in these photos are some of the kits various extended items, which shows just how vastly this camera and its abilities have been made available to me. I can't beleive how perfect this will be for developing my artwork, not only to draw from my own photographs now, but also when I head to Emily Carr University of the Arts in the fall. I shall be able to truly capture my visual inspirations in a much more minute form.

                        And so, those are my gift highlights. I am so lucky, and I love them all!.

The Christmas Season

So, here are some late Christmas greetings!
I was very blessed this year, both with gifts and with my family time.

                                                       Me on Christmas morning.

                                                    The Van Duzein Gardens in Shaunessy, a beautiful Vancouver area.

Editorial Inspiration - Suzie Bird by Thomas Whiteside

This editorial of model Suzie Bird by photographer Thomas Whiteside is one of the best editorials to come out all season. It isn't following any real trends, but rather it is recalling old-school beauty and fashion in a pure and fresh way. Look through the pictures and be amazed.

Inspiration - Casual Night Out On the Town

Left to Right: Rag + Bone rusty leather pants, Bottega Veneta cotton corset, Zara heels, Topshop fringe waistcoat, Valentino studded bag, Erickson Beamon earrings.

 Sometimes all you want is an outfit to go out at night in that feels attractive and yet does not capitalize on your assets by being all out with feminine sexiness.

The Vacancies of the Peppermints

 There is something about winter that is very nostalgic.

 This could easily be attributed to the holidays, or to the scent of dead leaves, or to the looming end of one year enabling the beginning of another. However, to me it is this way because of the empty spaces. The trees are lonely in the cold - isolated. Frost embalms the decayed plant life, and the sun lies only briefly upon their icy heads.

Vero Moda knit vest as scarf,  vintage boots, vintage oversized Alfred Sung coat.

This coat belonged to my grandmother. It is beautifully cut with menswear lines in its gracefully aged thick navy wool. When you put your hands inside the silk pockets you can still feel the crevices left behind from where my grandmother used to store crisp white peppermints in starched wrapping paper. She would slyly  deposit one in your hand as you stood by her, the secret between you shared with no one else. Not even  a  glance was made at the transaction, for she never made eye-contact with you as you suckled on the mint with delight.

Now that I feel inside the pockets I can feel the empty spaces, the vacancies of the peppermints. Their wrappings are gone, their saccharine clots swallowed, and yet I somehow feel happy about this absense. In this way the spaces of winter are familiar, and with familiarity comes the feeling that one is safe.

Thrifting Pride

 As a student of limited funds, thrifting is really a lifesaver! The fact that it has become a more acceptable, and even cool, way to shop is a complete bonus on top of just how practical it is for someone like me, who has the frugal university life in her very near future.

 When I first started thrifting - and this was way back in the early middle school years of embarrassing haircuts, awkward lunchtimes, and tedious "does he like me?" drama - the words "vintage", "cool", and "personal style" just were not associated with the idea of stepping into a thrift store. Thrift shops were for Halloween, everyone knew this! The stamp of "WEIRD" was dealt out by the cool kids as easily as teenage hormones deal out pimples. Let someone know that the adorable new outfit you were wearing was actually a product of someone's discarded hand-me-downs from their cat lady grandma and you would be regarded as the next bearded lady at the world's most pathetic travelling circus. I even once had a friend, (or rather a "frenemy", as I would say if I were on a TV show about Californian teens with hot bodies that look like they're no less than twenty-seven), who told me that he could see me being very content in life as a bag lady with a cart of vintage clothing.

 But then, something drastic happened!

 By the time middle-school ended, the idea of not having a brand name spread-eagled across one's chest became vastly more appealing. A tweedy sweater, be it of cat lady origin or not, became more than acceptable: it became desirable. All of those insecurities holding everyone back from accepting the fact that wearing something that was worn before, and was true to one's own style, was actually a good idea fell away. No longer were the days of answering, "Cute outfit! Where's it from?", with "Um, I don't know - I got it a long time ago..." Instead, I can now answer, "Thanks! I thrifted it!" And, depending on the person, they may even get to hear the glorious bargain at which it was purchased.

 Hoorah for thrifting pride!
 In celebration of my many years of being a vintage addict, here is a trip out with my friends Cleo and Jamilla on the hunt for bargain deals:

              Me in a Vintage leopard shawl, Forever 21 navy bodysuit, and oversized H&M trousers.

Jamilla, (left), Cleo, (centre), and I found matching 80's leather jackets. You can't touch this.

Our rolling baskets - Jamilla bought a fabulous fur coat! (centre)

                                                                          Une tres bon journee.

           Tommorrow you shall see my amazing finds! But first, I have to get batteries for my camera.

The Artist's Lense: Rimi Yang

  To me great art is an interpretation of life. It can be dramatic, or sad, or funny, or haunting. It can be whatever the artist wants it to reference. However, it is best when it reflective of an interpretation of life. This is why I was so taken aback by the Winsor Gallery display, (on until Dec. 4th), on South Granville of artist Rimi Yang's work. It is reflective of her influences of the Renaissance, traditional Japanese culture, (where Yang was born), and of fashion and its' impressions.
  Essentially, I was very impressed and inspired.

                                                            Marie In Red. (c) Rimi Yang

                                                          Portrait In Red (c) Rimi Yang

Pursuit of Sensation (c) Rimi Yang

The Fall

  One of the most visually inspiring movies, both in fashion and in art, is the movie The Fall directed by Tarsem Singh. It is also one of my favorite films, for it posseses the rare power of being able to capture the surreal in life while still staying so truthful to the daily occurences of human nature.
  When I first heard about this movie I was sitting upon the sandy shoreline of Vancouver, the sky lit up in a bright tangerine as lightning flashed down upon the water. Rain began to fall against the light, and the storyteller - a person of enigmatic speech - continued to speak about this amazing film, describing in detail its visuals. In a way this moment parallelled the film itself, which is also about a story being told to a young girl, (though I am older than she), and about her visualization of it.

                            Each image is like a painting - every moment is framed to perfection.
                                      The costumes are absolutely stunning and inventive.

                                                                   Above is the trailer.

 Watching this film never fails to make me feel inspired by both the mind's scent of daily memories, and the exhilarated despair of great and transcending beauty. I find that it is in the recognition of the extraordinary that the importance of the ordinary is found.

New In

I just bought this sweater from Urban Outfitters - it is a black knit with sheer stripes and a "U-cut" in the back.

     But, wait! There's a surprise! It was only five dollars! How brilliant is that? For all of its overpricing Urban Outifitters does at least know how to do a very good sale.

Winter Inspiration

Winter has officially begun in Vancouver, as tonight was the first evening of snowfall of the cold season. However, I will clarify that, contrary to all of the lovely stereotypes, we Vancouverites do not actually have to battle the snowfall that often...Rather, we get to enjoy it just enough to sit inside with a steaming mug of hot chocolate, and to go outside without having completely forsaken fashion in the name of winter-weather survival. Here are some of my cravings to brave the chilly outdoors:

      From left to right: Etro coat, Lulu Frost bracelet, Zara leather ankle boots, Topshop trousers,
              Proenza Schouler bag, Alexander Wang waffle knit, Topshop enamel earrings.

                           Vintage fur jacket, H&M heeled booties, Joe Fresh faux leather pants

This is what I wore out yesterday night to see Martha Marcy May Marlene last night, (which I shall be doing a seperate post about, and which I highly reccomend). The fur jacket was an absolute find at only $22.00, and the leather pants are still available from Joe Fresh for $39.00, although I got them on sale somewhat. The H&M booties I have had for at least three years, and despite their extremely thin soles they have done me rather well.

         Essentially, this is one of my favorite versions of a luxe, yet budget-effective, look - clothing with large amounts of texture is less common with cheaper fabrics, so adding dimensioned textiles is one of the most effortless ways to live well on a student budget, as mine unfortunately is.

Photo Credit:  Sally