partners in surrealism

Spent my Saturday at the Legion of Honor taking in the surreal photography of Man Ray and his muse/artistic partner Lee Miller.  Miller, a former model, met Ray in Paris in the late 1920's, and she became a frequent subject of his photographs and eventually his lover. She had a background in photography as well, and together they explored the abstract and surrealist movement through then-radical photographic techniques like rayographs and solarization.

Lee followed the traditional paradigm of artist's muse with her striking beauty, but she was also a true artist in her own right. She spent years working as a fashion photographer and exposing the surreal in everyday life through her personal photography. When WWII broke out, she became the first female photojournalist to travel to the front lines and photograph the war for Vogue. The photos she took of the blitzkrieg and the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp have become some of the most iconic WWII images in history.

If you're in or around SF, I highly recommend seeing this exhibit. Now I just have to go see Gaultier at the De Young. And since this wouldn't be a proper post without a poorly executed photo collage, here ya go--a bunch of rad surrealist-approved apparel I found on the interwebs, some of which is potentially quite wearable. Yes, I'm talking about the black gloved bra as a top.

L to R: Jean-Charles de Castelbajac F/W 2011, Moschino Cheap & Chic lip print tunic dress (avail, here), Elsa Schiaparelli gloves, Nicholas Kirkwood flats, Salvador Dali ruby lips brooch, Elsa Schiaparelli shoe hat, Nicholas Kirkwood "pony" heel, Viktor & Rolf look from Spring 2010

i'm your national anthem

lorick dress from Gilt Groupe, Swedish Hasbeens for H&M, etsy earrings

I'm not sure what's the most awesome part of these pictures from our 4th of July trip to Sonoma: the fact that Wardell looks like Captain Ron (ironically??) or the fact that this amazing dog Bruno was there and we totally hung out with him and he is such a little buddy. OR the fact that I am in the best outfit ever, one that combines two of my favorite things: warm weather dressing and thematic dressing (red, white, and blue baby).

Thematic warm-weather dressing rules. Also, weenie dogs rule.

The outnet clearance: the good, the bad, and the incredibly ugly

The Outnet clearance sale has commenced, giving mere mortals the chance to swoop heavily discounted designer thingies at prices that they're actually worth. Unfortunately, I'm not even in a position to be having bargains, but that doesn't stop me from dreaming up all the places I'd wear the striped Carven jacket or the Miu Miu top. In the spirit of delusion, won't you come with me on a virtual shopping adventure wherein I fill an imaginary shopping cart with items of clothing that are theoretically in my size and that I would like to figuratively buy??? Oh, but won't you?

1. Carven striped canvas jacket, $174 (was $1,090)
2. Hervé Léger odette leather sandals, $92 (was $575)
3. Felder Felder Lily silk dress, $93.60 (was $585)
4. The Row Williams silk twill pants, $158.40 (was $990)
5. Miu Miu cutout leather and satin top, $303.20 (was $1,895)
6. M Missoni long embroidered wool coat, $285 (was $1,780)


And now, please brace your gag reflexes for just a few of the bewilderingly ugly items on offer at the sale.

Anna Sui dress that looks like something my mom would have confiscated from me in high school because it violated the no "underwear as outerwear" policy. Also, because it's just plain terrible looking.

Marc Jacobs usually knows his way around a vintage inspired look, but this just reminds me of those puffy, velvet flocked hangers in dress form. I imagine it would also make your bust very, very sad.

Marchesa, or the Kardashians for TJ Maxx?!

Thanks to Herve Leger and what can only be described as a patchwork frayed denim freakum dress, I am reminded that 1999 was definitely not among the finest of our sartorial moments. Why anyone would choose to resurrect the trends of the era is beyond the scope of my comprehension.

I won't be losing any sleep over not busting out the pay later card on these particular items. It's no Barney's sale.

calmate guey

Mira! Mexico was a wondrous journey away from my iphone and towards total and utter relaxation. We spent the majority of our time in the picturesque town of Tulum, about two hours south of the Cancun airport. It is, quite literally, a chickens-in--the-road kind of town where they only take cash and time merely plods along as opposed to sweeping your feet out from under you and punching you in the solar plexus. In fact, the only thing I did with any kind of rapidity while there was burn through 900-pages of Shantaram. Here's what it looked like:

Beach combing in a vintage caftan I purchased last time I was in Palm Springs. I'll give you one guess whether I have ever worn it before, and whether I'll ever wear it again... (hint: San Francisco is currently 58 degrees)

Continue the magical photo tour after the jump!

back in action

I'm back from Mexico! You probably didn't know that because I'm a dickhead and didn't say goodbye in the first place. My family and friends are also pretty mad at me because I didn't send them a single postcard or email during my stay. Apparently I took to the whole "off the grid" thing a little too seriously.

I'll be back with a seriously exhaustive, self-aggrandizing look at the whole journey right after I run to the toilet. All I want to know is, who was this Montezuma, and why does he insist on taking revenge on my intestines?

keep it simple

wearing J. Crew dress from about 11 years ago, Derek Lam sandals

Just rediscovered this linen dress from J. Crew circa 2001. There are pictures of me wearing it while moving into my Freshman dorm at Tulane, a day I will never forget because the elevators broke, it was August, and I lived on the 12th floor. It served its purpose as the sartorial equivalent of air conditioning while living in New Orleans, and even though sartorial air conditioning is just about the last thing needed in San Francisco, I'm suddenly feeling its simple, pared down silhouette. With minimal jewelry, of course. And flatforms. Always flatforms.