the fabulous stacy lomman...

one of the things that surprised me about social media...was the connections...and much more than that...the friendships that have been formed...some of these wonderful people i have had the opportunity to meet face to face...and some...although we've never met face to face...i feel like we've been friends forever...kind of strange...no? but in fact...tis true...

one of these extraordinary people that social media gave me the fabulous honor of knowing...is stacy lomman...we ALMOST met face to face...the last time i was in new york...but...it ended up being a week before her FIRST collection being shown at fashion week...i would say...she was a wee bit busy...and NO time for socializing...

which brings me to this post...one thing (among many) that i so admire about stacy...is that she is following her dream...her designer's dream...(btw...i highly recommend clicking on that link you just passed...and read her story...and see pics of the first collection...) now where was i...oh yes...and...she is a woman after my own heart...in that...she isn't letting obstacles get in the way of her dream...

so what type of obstacles would a new designer have? people...there is SO much that goes into a collection...let alone the runway...you've got to think about fabrics...oh and photographers...models...the list goes on and on and on...but that didn't stop stacy...she looked into kickstarter...a way for people to fund projects...and it worked...her spring 2010 collection was shown at fashion week last year...and now here she is...ready to plunge into the 2nd collection...of many many more to come...this one...the fall 2011 collection...YOU can be a part of...and who wouldn't want to help bring beautiful clothing into the world? what is great about it...is it could be any amount...because any amount truly does help...so...if you are able...let's help launch stacy lomman : new york fall 2011...click on the kickstarter link above...and forward to your fashion lovin friends...

my absolute favorite from the spring 2010 line
photo credit: randy brooke

sponsor a dress...

the lovely stacy of taffetadarlings is working on putting her collection together for spring 2011...and we can help! so...if you are able...sponsor a dress...actually...donate any amount...click above on stacy's blog to get more details...

i have seen some of stacy's sketches...and some of her designed pieces...here is my absolute favorite dress of hers...the front of the dress is gorgeous...but then you see the back...hello...just enough of a peak of leopard...and it screams sexy...
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here is the lovely wendy brandes modeling the gorgeous dress...and for who it was designed...front view...
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back view...doesn't wendyb make a gorgeous model?



remember this scene from sex and the city 2? see those earrings? well...wendy brandes is jewelry designer extraordinaire...the earrings that samantha is wearing...the talented wendyb designed...18k yellow gold and diamond cleopatra earrings...be sure to take a look at her website...her jewelry is unbelievable...



wendyb said it best..."get involved with fashion in a meaningful way by investing ANY AMOUNT to get a great collection off the ground!"

so what can you do? donate if possible (any amount) tweet and/or blog about it...get the word out...lets get stacy's collection to spring 2011 ny fashion week!

a little classy with a dash of trashy...

it sometimes amazes me how often someone will ask me specifics about a fashion rule...seems that many spend their days and nites worrying about making mistakes and social faux pas...ok...that may be a slight exaggeration on my part...but work with me here... =)

why not just go ahead and do it intentionally? relax and have a little fun by adding a touch of trampiness to your ordinary outfit...ignore rules of jewelry; wear ropes of pearls with your jeans...like coco chanel, who wore pearls while riding...her big ropes of pearls were fake...of course...which adds a bit to their trashiness...but what fun would that be? or wear your diamond bracelets with a casual outfit...don't wait for that big "black tie" event...

here is the secret: as long as you know the social rule...(no diamonds before 5 pm., say, or no white after labor day), you can choose to openly flaunt it and impress people with your daring side...if you don't know the rule and break it...you look like a rube...if you do know the rule and break it...you are the ultimate sophisticate...and as taffetadarlings so eloquently wrote about "white lies" and not to miss in that same post...wendyb's take on wearing white...

diana vreeland said, "a little bad taste is like a nice splash of paprika...no taste is what i'm against..."


so...go ahead and add a leopard print scarf to your sedate blue business suit...go ahead and wear fishnet stockings with that sedate business suit...go ahead and wear silky underthings while helping out in your child's kindergarten class...it can be your little secret...

all puffed up in down...

my favorite section of the ny times is the fashion & style (big surprise...right?) and of course...i can never get enough of bill cunningham "on the street"...he basically rides his bicycle around ny city and captures people and fashion on the streets of ny (yes...i would love that job)

this last week bill cunningham did a segment on puffed coats...i have to admit...i did not realize there were so many different styles out on the streets...but the pictures prove otherwise...and he tells the history of the first down coat...interesting listen...

i seem to have been surrounded by this theme of puffed coats...as i've read about them in different blogs...my favorite being taffetadarlings AND the lovely stacy from taffetadarlings even posted a pic of herself in her puffy coat...even though she had a bad dinner experience...doesn't she look adorable?

our weather here in northern california does not really get cold enough to warrant the need for a puffy coat...but if it did...i would be sporting that red number in bill cunningham's video...nice pop of color on a gloomy grey day...

speaking of being surrounded by talks of puffed coats...my girlfriend treated herself for christmas & news year's by traveling to italy...(i know...can you stand it?) and she said that it was strange to see the puffed coats in almost every store front window...

hmmm...guess it is all the rage...do you like??

photo by lorena...in italy!