Closet Case Vintage

Closet Case Vintage is offering yet another extremely generous giveaway in celebration of their newly released lookbook! In order to enter pop over to their blog and follow the instructions there. I know how I would spend my $200 bones were I to win (well hello sheer organza dream dress)!

All photos courtesy of Closet Case Vintage.

(My comments are turned off so you wont miss out by accidentally posting here!)

Marcel Dyf

The last painting has hung on our wall for the past three years and shamefully I only just recently discovered who was responsible for this favored flea market find (thanks Tumblr), Marcel Dyf. His paintings have such a perfect gracefulness that I find incredibly inspiring and I can't help but want to emulate the bouffant hairstyles of his model (wife, Claudine). Dreamy.

A new 8tracks mix for you :).

Patti Smith Supermoon

Some very warm and sunny photos from the studio! These were taken after I fell on the street and scraped my knee like a five year old and before I shook hands with a (my) most beloved Patti Smith. Yes, friends, I shook the hand of the magnificent Patti Smith and not only that but she said my name. This weekend we went to a beautiful photo exhibition of Judy Linn's portraits of Patti Smith and there she was! There is not one celebrity who I can think of that would make me feel the way I felt when I saw her (OK maybe not so, Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet and Cate Blanchett I think would have me feeling pretty gnarly), it was like somebody punched me in the stomach! When my girlfriend suggested that I introduce myself (as most of our party had already done) I teared up and put my head down because I, well, I don't know why but the thought overwhelmed me (I'm not a teary person really, I can't remember the last time I shed a proper tear so this was especially confusing to me). As the night drew to an end my friend approached her and before I knew it she was coming my way and saying "Hi Hannah" with a hand extended! I said hi with eyes like this O_O and then mumbled "I love you" and then it was over.

I was planning a little shop update at last with the clothing pictured above, only I stained and ripped the pink dress and the pants while bopping around the studio, rwhoops. I will be updating the shop on Tuesday, however, with other less destroyed apparel!

Hope you all had an opportunity to take a gander at the supermoon this weekend!

Studio Visit

Wearing Landon's outer wear.

Landon burning some delicious smelling myrrh.

Lucky Landon is borrowing this amazing studio space from a friend of his for the next few months and I'm tagging along as often as possible to pick up my much neglected pen and paper and take advantage of the glorious light for photos.

Landon's website.
Landon's blog.
Landon's tumblr.

birds bids & bras

This may come as a surprise to you given my chosen vocation but very rarely do I shop for clothing (for myself). Most of the time I'm buying goods for The Loved One and I'll nab a few damaged castaways from our hunts (which has resulted in a closet full of ripped, stained and smelly attire that I wouldn't trade for the world). These last few weeks however I broke my no shopping streak with the addition of not one but five glorious items of clothing. This blouse is especially, err, special, it's in pretty rough shape but those embroidered birds! How could I resist? I found and won it on Ebay a few weeks back. I'm not a competitive person (I think the only competitions I have ever engaged in involved challenging my brother to speed icecream eating so that he'd finish his first and I'd still have some left behind, rather cruel, some early years of ballet competitions and stuffing saltines in my mouth and reading tongue twisters) but something about this top brought out the competitor buried deep inside of me and I sat grinding teeth, chewing lips raw, hair tucked behind ears and fingers clammy with anticipated win and I bid. I bid and I bid some more and I won and after the adrenaline wore off I felt slightly disturbed at the whole event and then excited in anticipation of the arrival of my new blouse. It is exceptionally perfect in my eyes and worth every bead of sweat and blood and all 24 dollar bills that went into winning this treasure.

Elvia and I are starting production on our next collection today. We're adding three new pieces to The Loved One's line in time for the summer months. We've been toying with the idea of carrying some bras not of our making to accompany our line of bottoms until we've released our own brassiere (actually working on one for this collection but that's a surprise you'll have to wait to see later). We've found a spot that will wholesale some old timey bullet bras to us and before we take the plunge and start buying them all up (I actually bought six for myself in one pop and have completely forsaken all my "modern" bras in favor of these) I wanted to know if any of you folks would be interested in this style? I know I'm not the only one that appreciates an aggressive looking chest O_O. Picture after the click through since I think you've been subjected to more than enough undies only (old time internet shout out! for the record, I was a total lurker on that site back in the day) pictures on this blog.

FW Part 4: Leith Clark

Leith Clark by Frederic Aranda

Leith Clark (stylist and editor-in-chief of Lula) has been a long time girl crush of mine and I have a sneaking suspicion I'm not the only one who has entertained daydreams of parading through London in shamelessly girly outfits arm in arm with this talented young lady. After years of internet correspondence and me leaving (possibly creepy?) "i like u" style comments on various social networking sites we finally met in person for an Orla Kiely video shoot she was styling. I promise you internet, she is every bit as lovely and charming as the magazine she is responsible for. She is Lula personified!

1. What was your first fashion-related creation?

I made clothes with my mom when I was little. She did the actual making. I did the imagining. Around the same time my dress up box was vital for play time and many plays/music videos/short films were made with pretty... special costume design.

At 19 shot by Jennifer Sargent

2. What or who inspires you?

Right now especially Jeanne Lanvin and Armand Albert Rateau, Julia Margaret Cameron, Sarah Moon... I adore Gloria Steinem, Coco Chanel. I'm staring at the original poster for 'Bonnie & Clyde' (a Valentine's Day present!!). I'm listening to the new Marianne Faithfull album (especially song 2).

Photo by Yelena Yemchuk

3. Biggest sartorial blunder?

Oh lots. I couldn't choose just one. But mistakes are great. Mistakes make the girl! Looking back I think i have dressed the worst when I've been unhappy or... not felt like myself.

4. What job/project would you consider "a dream come true"?

There have been so many already! Lula is still happy after 6 years and that's dreamy.

5. Any advice to those wishing to follow in your footsteps?

Love what you do. Learn balance. Take rests. Trust your instincts.

Leith's Magazine Lula


In Review: Elvia / Nicole / Tara-Lynn / Kathryn / Alexandra / Kelsey / Victoire / Wray