RUSSH into It

Huzzah - the September/October 2008 issue of RUSSH magazine is out now! Get thee to a newsagent asap!

Photo credits: http://www.myspace.com/russhmagazine

How to Spring Clean

The Messy Room, by Janice Jong

September deserves a big HOORAY because it's officially springtime (at least for us in the Southern Hemisphere), all the good TV shows come back on air (hello, Gossip Girl) and it's my birth month!

I love it when the seasons change - to be honest, I'm really an autumn/winter kinda gal because I like the feeling of snuggling up indoors and of layering on lots and lots of clothes, but there is good news in the onset of spring, namely spring cleaning!

I know, I know, I am a little nuts for actually getting excited about cleaning. What can I say, I'm a little OCD. Still, you have to admit that there's a sense of satisfaction to be gained from a neat, organized closet. So in that spirit, here are some tips for spring cleaning!

• Step 1: Empty out your closet. That means take out everything and dump it on your bed. It might be funny to take a photo of the gigantic pile that builds up.


• Step 2: Clean the inside of your wardrobe so it's fresh and airy. (This is the bit where you can channel your inner 50s housewife and vacuum/dust/spray to your heart's content.)


• Step 3: Stocktake your clothes, shoes and accessories. Be absolutely brutal. Toss out anything that: (a) doesn't fit you anymore; (b) doesn't flatter you; (c) you don't like; (d) you haven't worn in the past year. This can be difficult...who wants to part with the really expensive pair of shoes they bought but that don't fit? I tell myself that if I'm never going to wear it, I don't need it. If you really, really, really can't bear to part with the item, put it in a box, label it and store it somewhere far, far away - if you don't even notice it's missing, dump it next spring.


• Step 4: Reorganize your remaining belongings. I like to group everything by item of clothing - coats, dresses, pants, jackets, tops, shoes, bags (I also like to order them by color but that's optional...I warned you I was a neat-freak) so it's easy to pair things together.


• Step 5: Get rid of everything in your "outcast pile". If they are still in good condition, you can hold a clothes swap with your friends (you know what they say, one woman's trash is another woman's treasure), or you can join a clothes swap event like Swap My Style or The Clothing Exchange. Alternatively, if you have some nice pieces you could set up a stall at a market and sell them. If they're a little worse for wear, donate them to The Salvation Army.

You might want to team up with a friend and spend a day each cleaning out both of your closets. It'll speed up the process, provide you with a voice of reason (to force you to let go of your tattered college sweater), give you inspiration for new outfit combos and facilitate some clothes swapping.

Ta-da! That's it, five steps and you're done. Happy spring cleaning!

Photo credits: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5428569

Rambling...

• Is it weird that I like to plan out my outfit for the next day? It helps me fall asleep...very relaxing, like Wardrobe Tetris where you get a mental picture of all the pieces fitting together.


• Still giddy from Favorite High School Teacher commenting years and years ago that I have a fashion designer-y name...(yay!) I think she was just being nice though.


• I have a color aversion. My wardrobe = all black and white (with the occasional cream, gray and blue). I blame working in a corporate environment. It's not too bad though - at least everything matches.


• Most recent best compliment (from Fashion School Person) - "I'll see you on Project Runway in 3 years!" My dorky response: "Uh, okay, yeah!"


• I need some therapy for my retail therapy problem. I could never do a shop-tox like My Lookbook has done...several times.

Adieu til Monday!

 

Images of various fashion industry peeps via the fabulous Fashionista!

Photo credits: http://fashionista.com/

On the Fly

DesignBoom has done an interesting piece on contemporary airport design. 

These state-of-the-art airports are all being built in countries whose industry and tourism is accelerating more rapidly than the available infrastructure. A luxurious airport would certainly be a drawcard as a stopover point - but would it persuade you to actually step out for some sightseeing in the city?

The best airport I've been to is probably Singapore's Changi Airport. It almost makes transit a joy - free Internet, free cable TV, a menagerie of shops, a wide selection of food, an airy atmosphere...Plus, if there is a long gap between connecting flights, you can catch the MRT out to the city for the day.

What's your favorite airport?

Photo credits: http://www.designboom.com

A Long, Long Way From Home

Oh, to be young and free! I went to a fashion school open day last week and all the attendees were, like, 15 and so fresh. Sadly, I'm on the wrong side of 20. It's not so much that I envy their youth (hey, I'm not that old!); rather, I wish that, like them, I had known that this is what I wanted to do from the very beginning.

Publication: Lula Magazine, Issue #7

Title: A long, long way from home. Stop wherever you find yourself.

Photographer: Yelena Yemchuk

Model: Ali Michael

Photo credits: http://community.livejournal.com/foto_decadent

Wardrobe Wishlist

I finally, FINALLY finished putting together my portfolio for fashion school so I feel like I can relax (a little bit), at last. This should get me in the right frame of mind for some kicking back...

Tank Top, One Teaspoon at General Pants Co, AUD$89.95

Vest, One Teaspoon at General Pants Co, AUD$89.95

Jeans, Wrangler at General Pants Co, AUD$139.95


Ballet Flats, Witchery, AUD$149.95

Earrings, Ryan Kundrat at RISD / Works, US$50.00


Tote, Maptote at Creatures of Comfort, US$15.00

Artquirk

Nina Clough is a talented illustrator with a great eye for detail in architecture and nature. Check out her etsy shop here. I love this series on Little Red Riding Hood. I think that was my favorite childhood fairytale.

3 Little Red Riding Hood Illustrations, by Nina Clough, US$50

Photo credits: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5039982

Running the Numbers

Photographer Chris Jordan exposes America's wastefulness in his latest exhibition entitled Running the Numbers.

106,000 soda cans are used every 30 seconds in the US. Amazing.

Cans Seurat, 2007

See here for more.

Photo credits: http://www.designboom.com

The Selby

Photographer Todd Selby has been collecting photographs of people, some of them well-recognized, in their homes. The voyeur in me loves this idea - I'm always curious to see the way that people live; I think you can learn a lot about someone from their natural surroundings because people are at their least self conscious at home. Go here for more.

Alexander Wang, Fashion Designer

Erin Wasson, Model

Marvin Jarrett, Editor in Chief of NYLON

Photo credits: http://www.theselby.com/

Knock Knock

"Every exit is an entrance somewhere else." - Tom Stoppard

Photo credits: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com

I Heart Miu Miu SS 08

Sleek but flirty - lots of lace and silk, short hems and lightweight volume. What's not to love?

Photo credits: http://nymag.com/fashion/fashionshows/designers/bios/prada/

Need a Lift?

Shadow of the Past by LadyLoulaHoop, US$40

The Old Bus by LadyLoulaHoop, US$40

Streetcar by LadyLoulaHoop, US$40

Photo credits: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6136299

Feeling Delicate

Delicate by AutumnRussell, US$95

Photo credits: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5070130

Playing with Smoke and Mirrors

Found via Lost at E Minor:

Smoke and Mirrors is a new brand of cards illustrated by renowned artist Si Scott in association with Dan and Dave. The deck has been engineered with the highest quality stock and manufactured with the US Playing Card Companies’ latest printing technology.

I'm game!

Photo credits: http://store.dananddave.com/smoke-playing-cards.html

Brooklyn / Hello Stranger

Just one more week 'til next season...

Brooklyn by dkim, US$35

Hello Stranger by dkim, US$35

Oh My Cuteness

OK, I'm not normally into "cutesy" stuff but I'll make a concession, just this one time.

 

These inside-out bears by Kent Rogowski are heartbreakingly adorable...They have way more character than a normal teddy bear. Don't you just want to take one home with you?

 

 

The entire collection of portraits has been published in a book called Bears.

Photo credits: http://www.kentrogowski.com

Another Important Culture

August is my favorite month of the year. The reason? It's when all the magazines come out with their "fall fashion" issues, my idea of an editorial Christmas - more content to drool over, more articles to absorb, more advertisements to peruse!

Anyways, I picked up the latest issue of Lucky and wow, there is a great feature on up-and-coming designers from around the globe. I am absolutely enamored with this Japanese label called Another Important Culture

Oooohh, so, so pretty! Designer Manami Kobayashi caters to "the sohpisticated bohemian woman", drawing inspiration from an assortment of cross-cultural sources like the San Francisco hippie movement of the 60s and a Russian circus in the 70s. Keep an eye out for this one!

Photo credits: http://www.anotherimportantculture.com

Eat, Drink and Be Merry

That is my recipe for a happy weekend! I'm really excited about hosting an afternoon tea party with the gals (really, I just wanted an excuse to bake scones).

Photo credits: http://www.condenaststore.com/

Vintage Bally Posters by DDB

These shadow silhouettes remind me of Peter Pan...

Bally - Le Pas Vers la Mode, 1980

Bally - Der Schritt zur Mode, 1980

Bally (Shadow on Boat), 1980

Photo credits: http://www.internationalposter.com

Check In, Check Out

Attention all bookworms:

If you're heading to New York, consider staying at The Library Hotel. The floors are themed as categories of the Dewey decimal system (such as art, history, literature and science) and each suite is brimming with books in that floor's genre. But best of all, the hotel is situated on the corner of Madison Avenue and 41st Street...just a hop, skip and a jump from the actual New York Public Library.

Photo credits: http://www.libraryhotel.com