Ch-Ch-Changes: We Got A Makeover!

If you haven't noticed, nogoodforme.com did some remodeling this weekend and now we have a new look to show off for it! We're soon to turn five (FIVE!) years old and thought we'd treat ourselves to a fresh new design as part of the upcoming festivities. We're still working out some kinks and you might want to pardon our dust here and there, but check out our makeover (including an amped up About Us page) and let us know what you think! (And keep your eye out soon for a fun giveaway and grooviness all around!)

Big huge eco-fashion sale at Pangaya.com

We're sad to report that online green boutique Pangaya is closing up shop after nearly four years in business. But the good news is that their going-out-of-business sale means you can get up to 80 percent off choice eco-designers like Loyale, Stewart+Brown, Undesigned by Carol Young, and Del Forte. I've got my eye on this Stewart+Brown deep v tank sweater (marked down to 67 bones) and lovely linen/lyocell knitted trumpet skirt (now $100).

Happy Merry from nogoodforme.com + M.I.A. Does Marc Jacobs + Melanie Huynh from Vogue Paris + Wizard Prison

Happy merry-merry from nogoodforme.com to everyone! We hope you have had a lovely holiday thus far and celebrate your New Year gloriously. Because we strive to be both random and enjoyable, I gift you with the picture of M.I.A.'s Marc Jacobs advert:

Is she awesome? She risks over-exposure, of course, but she's a loose cannon that way. And that is always a fascinating thing to behold and be inspired by. I have also been intrigued by the style of Melanie Huynh lately. Of all of Team Vogue Paris, she fulfills the ingenue role quite admirably as the assistant to the ever-amazing Carine Roitfeld and shares with the rest of her clan a penchant for lean silhouettes and aggressive footwear. Here she is with Vogue Paris fashion director Emmanuelle Alt (also highly awesome), both looking like they would benignly destroy you with their booties:

And here she is alone, looking less destructive yet no less fetching in a schoolboy blazer and plaid shirt:

And finally we come to the musical group that possesses the best band name ever: Wizard Prison. They are psychedelic, noise-oriented yet not spastic-bombastic, and listening to them is like hearing the soundtrack to a very strange, mysterious tribal movie shot by the devil child of Stan Brakhage and Andrei Tarkovsky. (A very slow devil child, naturally.) And if you really want to spook yourself in an oddly enjoyable way, drive at a very high speed down a very dark road in the winter countryside while listening to "Arctic Prison Suite" on the stereo, although of course you should not attempt to do this unless you are a professional driver. Mp3s are available for download at their website and for listening at their Myspace. They've opened for Animal Collective, which should pique the more sonically adventurous of some of you, and they remind many of the late great Sun City Girls, which should pique the more musically critical/record store geeky of you as well. And they're named Wizard Prison, for Christ's sake! Doesn't that name bring a smile to your face? It should!

I'm sure they mean this picture ironically. If not, somehow I find that even more awesome. The world needs more of this type of thing.

Shopping Event: The Gift on Grand, Secret Robot Project, Brooklyn, NY

Brooklyn represent! This Saturday, December 15, some of the best local craft and design talent in Williamsburg is coming together in one location for a shopping event -- perfect, of course, for unique, hand-crafted holiday presents for your loved ones (and yourself -- you gotta love yourself, no?) The Gift On Grand is organized in part by Erin Weckerle (of our beloved Sodafine) and features some of the most interesting designers found off the beaten track in Williamsburg (i.e., not Bedford Ave.) These designers include the likes of Hodge Podge, Margarita Saplala and Bonbon Oiseau, and neighborhood shopping guides will also be available at the event, should you be inspired to explore further. Peep the website for a full list of participating designers, see some of the gorgeous things they'll be offering, and go for the opportunity to support a thriving local creative community -- and to buy something truly special for you and your loved ones, of course!

The Gift on Grand (on Kent!)
Saturday, December 15 from 11-7pm
at Secret Project Robot Gallery
210 Kent Ave @ Metropolitan
(entrance on River St)

More holiday sale love: KimonoMomo

Now through December 31, KimonoMomo is offering free shipping on all its deee-lovely Japan-inspired goods. Designer Carol Ziogas (who just opened up an Etsy shop) creates the scarves and bags from vintage kimonos and sashes. A couple of our favorite designs are marked down right now:

(Rainbow Obi Clutch, $65)

(Green Celebration Tote Bag, $40)

Holiday sale at Bona Drag Boutique

Actually, it's maybe not holiday-specific, but Bona Drag's doing a whopping 40 to 70 percent off gifty stuff like Nicole Rimedio's "Past" Shake necklace (now $48), She-Bible's cowl mini dress ($55), and the Heavy Rotation Rad Kitten tee I just bought my little sister (who's not a nogoodforme.com reader, thus the disclosure). The ordering deadline to receive packages before Christmas is December 19, so get a move on.

Ladies And Gentlemen, The Fabulous Laura Faulds!

We've got one more new contributing editor here at the blog, having completed our mission of sucking everyone in our MySpace Top 4 into the nogoodforme vortex. Our latest addition is the incomparable Laura Faulds, a very recent graduate of New York City's Parsons School of Design who just moved back to her native Canada to become our Montreal correspondent. (Well, that's probably not why she moved there, but you know what we mean.)

A little background info: I first met Laura on the street somewhere in the West Village on my 25th birthday, and later on we ate French fries and talked a lot about the song "Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car" by Billy Ocean. But I knew her before that because of zines and stuff, and two things I'd like to share are that: (1) Laura is one of my favorite writers in the whole wide world and (2) her Collected Writings, Summer 2006 - Winter 2007 is my favorite book so far this year.

Another thing about Laura is that she really likes to dance, and one time she even danced for four and half damn hours and recorded the whole thing so we could watch it all (or 8.5 minutes of it at least) on YouTube. Here's that:

Laura would also like you to know that you should email her if you know about any DJ gigs in Montreal. Or any jobs at all, for that matter.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes: Good Things Happening Here

The good times keep rolling, and I'm stoked to announce that we've got a new contributor here at nogoodforme.com. In case you didn't notice, Jane is now our very own street photographer and her eagle eye will be on the lookout to bring you guys that bit of individualistic fashion panache and quirk we find on the streets. There are tons of awesome fashion street photography blogs like Face Hunter and the Sartorialist, but we are always on the lookout for a certain nonchalance and relaxed attitude -- always as chic to us as a fabulous handbag or gorgeous frock. (And we'll try to be good about getting a diverse array of faces and bodies in there as well.) You can peep Jane's bio there on the side in the "About Us" section, she'll be posting weekly and we hope you enjoy the view.

In other fun news, the ever-awesome Liz is now officially executive editor. She's a huge reason this blog keeps going and growing, and she has so many great ideas that will keep nogoodforme.com fun and interesting for you and for us. Keep an eye out for some new features in the future!

Happy Birthday to Us!

I was too busy riding horses this weekend to post, and Liz was probably up too busy with her usual sly, stealthy antics in Los Angeles to write anything -- but nogoodforme.com turned four years old this weekend! (On Saturday, May 19, for those who don't feel like clicking all over the place to figure it out.) It's astonishing to think that what began as a sort of whim is still going, albeit with a few fallow periods here and there. (Okay, more than a few...there was a lot of life to be lived!) I'm convinced blog time is unlike regular human time -- I think we're about 28 in blog years here, which means we should be thinking about growing up and getting a real job soon. But we're not, because we're stubborn and enjoying ourselves too much at the moment. Certainly when we started this, there weren't many other fashion blogs around. (Pinpointing the first fashion blog is a useless enterprise, but I'd reckon that honor should go to the fine people over at lookonline.com, who dropped us a line way back when with some kind words.) And now, quite happily, there are tons and tons, with all sorts of different takes and perspectives on fashion, and we're still psyched to be a part of it. In true slackadaisical fashion, we're going to celebrate belatedly with a few upcoming giveaways and surprises that we will parse out in slow, agonizing fashion. But we're glad to be here, and we are glad you are reading.

Pardon Our Dust: We're Getting A Makeover

It was long due: nogoodforme.com is finally redesigned! That whole Palm Beach drunken socialite color scheme overstayed its welcome, so we've switched over to something that's we'd like to think is both femme and melancholy. Since we're still futzing and implementing the new coding, please pardon any broken links or unexpected jolts of orange. We've also updated our list on links there on the sidebar, including our massive list of shopping links that should give the e-shoppers out there plenty of opportunity to procrastinate when they should be doing work. We hope you like it!

My Fashion Vacation

I haven't posted in a bit, mostly because my "real life" has taken over and taken me to places where there is no time for Internet access, much less fashion. (You can't really be too fancy, stylishly speaking, on a film set.) I've been working on films all summer, and things don't get back to normal till the beginning of next week -- I hope! In the meantime, Liz will be holding down the fort and I will be doing my best not to wear out all the American Apparel t-shirts that I keep wearing over and over again.

Attention, Please! Announcement Time!

The times keep rolling here at nogoodforme.com, albeit at our own idiosyncratic pace. But we've got a new collaborator, so things are looking to pick up. Meet Liz, our official Beauty Director, new writer and West Coast correspondent. Liz is perfect for nogoodforme.com: to quote her bio, she "lives in a very tiny house in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, where she is surrounded by gobs of lovely boutiques that incessantly entice her with their luxury hoodies and wildlife-adorned t-shirts. She has acquired a lifetime supply of organic beauty stuffs in her many years as a women's magazine editor, while her occasional forays into music reviewing have granted her the opportunity to wildly overuse adverbs like brutally, gloriously, and magically." (Very important for this adverb-centric blog.) Liz quite simply rocks, and will help fill in the gaps when I'm caught up in my writing/directing/producing duties or just having one of those weeks where everyone's taken their crazy pills and all is falling apart. So look for amped up beauty coverage in the future, not to mention a dash of West Coast je ne sais quoi that we've been missing hardcore on this site since I moved back to New York.

An Update, Finally!

At long last, I've finally moved to NYC. What this means: Fashion Week! Boutique openings! Celeb spotting! (Not really: for me, it means deadlines, classes and due dates, since I'm starting film school this fall.) I've been plagued with a host of technological/connectivity issue during the transition and my laptop is a nightmare, but I can tell you that leggings under skirts and wooden bead necklaces are all over the place here. What I can't tell you is how regularly I'll be able to publish, but you've known this for, oh, the past year or so. However, I do plan on bringing a few contributors on board soon, so things will v. definitely pick up around here. (I may even be more inspired to write, especially with all the somber, Gothic overtones for the fall season. But let's not get too carried away.)

Extended Vacation

We are almost back to (semi-)regular publishing soon, since our grand life of leisure is coming to an end. (I just have to teach the cabana boy how to make a proper caipirinha, and we'll be on our way.) 2005 is about the ambitious, so be on the lookout for new features and more pictures in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, just some items to sum up what has caught our attention, fashion-wise, in 2005 so far:

1. An unauthorized biography of Kate Moss, Kate Moss: Model of Imperfection, comes out this month. (Actually, I think it's already out.) It's going to be ten times better than Bergdorf Blondes.
2. Helmut Lang leaves his label. Where have all the minimalists gone?
3. The cute designers of Proenza Schouler broke up!
4. Why is everyone so obsessed with those Steve Zissou Adidas? (It's not like The Life Aquatic was that great.)
5. Sienna Miller purported to have Matthew Williamson design her gown for her wedding to Jude Law.

(And by the way, keep donating to organizations for tsunami relief.)

No Good For Me: Extreme Makeover!

nogoodforme.com has a new look! We decided that whole electro '80s thing was just so over and tarted ourselves up with some rather, uh, zingy colors and a "cheap socialite goes to the faux-tropics" look. Don't worry, we'll go back to "classic" colors and clean minimalist lines one day - once the dead of winter is through and we're safely past the Seasonal Affective Disorder danger zone.

Vote!

Need I say more?

And if you want to exert some fashionable peer pressure, ur, gentle reminders upon your friends, send them an e-card from hipstercards.com, designed by various designers and sponsored by 1000flowers.org, a non-profit, non-partisan organization focused on getting women registered to vote and to the polls on November 2.

Summer Vacation

In case you didn't notice, I am taking a bit of a break! Traveling, family stuff, getting ready to relocate to New York for school - all these things have sort of diverted my attention from fashion. But I just wanted to pipe in with some news about the upcoming September issues of all your favorite magazines: those of you sick of seeing celebrities on the cover of your magazine will find a reprieve, at least concerning Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. Both fashion bibles will feature supermodels on their covers, with Vogue even proclaiming "The Return of the Supermodel" on the front of what no doubt will be an issue the size of a concrete block.

A breakdown on other covers for September:

Vogue: Gisele Bündchen, Karolina Kurkova
Harper’s Bazaar: Gisele Bündchen
W: Julianne Moore
Elle: Jessica Simpson
In Style: Halle Berry
Vanity Fair: Reese Witherspoon
Glamour: Penélope Cruz
Lucky: Milla Jovovich
Marie Claire: Jennifer Lopez
Self: Drew Barrymore
Jane: Christina Aguilera
Cosmopolitan: Brittany Murphy
Allure: Kirsten Dunst
Cosmogirl: Brittany Murphy
Seventeen: Natalie Portman
Teen Vogue: Alexis Bledel
YM: Ashlee Simpson
Elle Girl: Drew Barrymore

(List from WWD.com)

10% Off for nogoodforme.com Readers at Active Endeavors

The good people at Active Endeavors are offering a 10% discount to readers of nogoodforme.com on anything on their site (outside of sale and out-of-stock items, that is.) They carry lots of items that I know many of you will appreciate: supersoft C&C California t-shirts, C. Ronson flipflops, Foley & Corinna tops, Petit Bateau tees, Ella Moss skirts and dresses and jeans from the likes of Seven, Citizens of Humanity, Yanuk, Chip & Pepper, paper denim & cloth, Capital Tailors and much, much more.

Just type "Nogoodforme10" in the Gift Message field at checkout. (They process the discount offline, so you won't see it reflected on your online confirmation screen.) I wish I could use it for that white leather Botkier bag - doesn't it look like the result of a Marc Jacobs Stella/Balenciaga motorcycle bag mating? But alas, all my extra pennies are going to film school savings these days.

Happy New Year!

We've fallen victim to the holiday frenzy here, not to mention prey this entire season to a type of wanderlust that has rarely seen us for more than two weeks in any one place. But New Year's will see No Good back in action soon. Till then, enjoy the new year.

WORD FROM HIGH COMMAND

According Trendcentral's newsletter, these are the street trends spotted in LA, Austin, New York and Detroit (Detroit?):

+ the color pink
+ knee socks with shoes and boots
+ ballet slippers
+ mod looks
+ acid wash jeans with stilettos
+ the goth garter
+ cowboy hats
+ big sunglasses
+ and some pair of jeans with a black eagle graphic found at the Vice store in Toronto
+ trucker hats (NOOOOOOOOO)

This is what the mythic "they" say, not me. Personally, I think white ankle boots are hot, as are white leather bags. Clutch purses still reign and I think Marc Jacobs' bustier sweater is going to find variations on the street. Some extreme hipstering will involve acid wash jeans, but personally I'm into my 80s Guess jeans with ankle zips. (I'm all about reviving all the 8th grade trends.) Motocross style is going to be hot, as are tights, and the earth will split open and swallow whole all the damn trucker hats in the world.

A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR

Not that anyone's glued to their seats about the fate of a "fashion" blog, but some people out there have been wondering why there haven't been as many "Spotted" or "What I Wore Today" sort of items lately. The answer is that I am currently preparing for a film screening this fall and have been frantically preparing some work, especially since the U.S. Postal Service has lost two of my films. (I HATE THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE.) This means I've been holed up painting on teeny strips of clear 16mm film, so all I wear are jeans and t-shirts. It also means I don't get out much. Wah.