Sharon Tate's Threads

This is kind of intense, even for me: I was trolling the web in search of the latest "Gossip Girl" news (I'm totally hooked! Serena OMFG!!!) and discovered through this article that there's going to be an exhibition of slain actress Sharon Tate's clothes in L.A. later this summer. I don't know why this strikes me as really morbid -- most likely it's the gruesome constellation of facts surrounding Tate's murder in 1969. Tate was quite beautiful and fashionable back in the day, and it might be nice to remember her in ways other than the circumstances of her death -- but it still makes you go whoa, doesn't it?

Coachella '08!

So, yeah, Coachella was this weekend! I didn't go (although I think I'm going to Pitchfork this year), but since being into the whole idea of summer music festivals is part of our stance on life, I thought it would have been fun to peep some of the pictures of famous and semi-famous people at the fest, if only to catch a glimpse at what everyone wore. But, um, there aren't that many pictures! At least not of people we are interested in. But here is Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley, who I always love:

And here is M.I.A., looking kind of Blade Runner-y. I heard she had a stand-off with the show security after inviting people to join her onstage. I'm sure she was thinking "Bring the noise!" when the organizers were like "Insurance liability!" I got a text from a friend during her set that said "MIA'S STARTING A RIOT!!!!!" and I got really excited for some reason.

And this is Sienna Miller. I don't know why I'm posting this since she borderline-annoys me, but it's a cool little dress she's wearing.

Who ever thought that Dita Von Teese would be at Coachella? Not I! I kind of love her; if this photo isn't proof of how utterly committed she is to her aesthetic, I don't know what is.

Oh, and here is Prince doing a cover of Radiohead's "Creep." It's kind of awesome even though watching this makes me seasick:

I Just Don't Know What To Do With Russell Brand

So Forgetting Sarah Marshall's coming out tomorrow and I'm making bets with myself as to whether or not I'm gonna end up with a big fat crush on Russell Brand. Usually I'm crush-immune when it comes to English dudes, for some reason, but you never know who's gonna break the mold. I think the prob is that, now that Natalie Portman's made off with Devendra Banhart, I'm feeling some perverse need to find another unruly-haired quasi-bohemian dandy to fill the gross-out-crush void. Plus I'm vaguely charmed that Russell named his cat Morrissey, and even more tickled that he titled his memoir My Booky Wook. Anyway, here's a bit of his stand-up:

Yeah? No? Totally not worth debating in the first place? I really can't tell.

Natalie Portman, I shake my fist at you.

Dean Wareham's Black Postcards + Liz Phair As the New Michiko Kakutani

I'm always in the middle of a million and one books, but the book I really, really, really want to read lately is the memoir of Luna frontman Dean Wareham, Black Postcards: A Rock & Roll Romance. I love a good rock bio; my favorites run the gamut from Grievous Angel, about Gram Parsons, to Dirt, which is of course the epic story of Motley Crue. But Dean's always been one of those guys I've had a half-crush on for years. First he swept me away with the celestial, seminal indie pop of Galaxie 500 and made "Tugboat" the anthem of my heart for years; then, he stole my heart again with a rougher, more jagged take on his trademark heavenly sound with Luna, whose record Penthouse made me feel cosmopolitan and sophisticated and melancholy when I was going to school in the jankiest town ever. He's got dreamy eyes and a wry, inscrutable way with his lyrics, which is always mystery-producing and therefore fetching. And once I saw his handwriting on a dusty old record at the radio station at Harvard, where he went to college, and I totally squealed, much to my best friend's disgust.

Black Postcards was excerpted awhile ago in Men's Vogue, and I was completely riveted and surprised with how Wareham was both detached and incredibly honest, particularly about his infidelity in his marriage and his subsequent rock romance. I made a mental note to check the book out, but the book recently came back on my radar thanks to an incredibly lucid, smart review in The New York Times by none other than Liz Phair -- herself a 90s indie wunderkind. It's funny; I've been listening to Phair's Exile in Guyville again lately, which I haven't rolled out in years, and am both horrified and amused by how relevant its super-brainy, super-horny point-of-view still is and how it persists in our culture -- it's like a slacker "Sex and the City" rendered in sound, before Carrie and company were even a glimmer in HBO's eyes. Since then Phair's made albums that have made a once-promising discography go down the shitter, but she almost redeems herself with her review of Black Postcards. Check it out here and revisit some 90s-era Phair and Luna below:

Luna playing one of their most beautiful songs in 1992 (and is that a Screaming Trees t-shirt he's wearing? I cannot think of two more temperamentally opposed bands):

I find Liz Phair really obnoxious in most of her videos but this video for "Stratford-on-Guy" kind of rules. You will also note the name-check of Wareham's band Galaxie 500 within the song, which brings things around quite nicely:

Hedi Slimane, Rock Star

Hedi Slimane, Parisian menswear genius and former Dior Homme demigod, has been spotted around Los Angeles recently looking simultaneously morose and secretive. Everyone's been wondering what he's up to -- and now the answer's finally come to light. The modern-day renaissance man has done everything from design furniture to create installations to photograph rock stars -- and now he's looking to join their ranks, having just signed to Los Angeles-based record label Dim Mak. Cornered recently in a surf shop while fondling wetsuits ("Their proportions are so marvelous"), Slimane admitted to his long-dormant desire to become a rock star. "I have photographed them all this time. Most of them are passed out. I think to myself, This is an easy occupation. I think to myself, Why not me?" With his customary single-mindedness, Slimane called in a few favors and found himself in possession of a record contract, booking himself some studio time for later this month. Calls and emails to Dim Mak were not returned, although one flack admitted that they hadn't actually heard a note of Slimane's music. But such prosaic matters as songs do not perturb Slimane, who prefers to think of this phase of his career "more like conceptual art." He looks forward to designing record covers more than anything, and says he will only press vinyl for his recordings -- no digital downloads or even CDs allowed. "They are so ghastly," he says. "I prefer the, how do you say, aspect ratio of records. The scale." When asked about his look as a rock star, Slimane looks modestly down at his feet. "I begin with the shoe," he says thoughtfully, looking down at his high-heeled boots. "I do not know if these evoke Bowie in quite the way I wish for this project. Perhaps these are too Prince-like for this." And about the music he wishes to make? "It is an adventure," he says simply. "We all have to begin somewhere." Somewhere must be an interesting place: a few weeks later, Slimane sent out an email with an MP3 attached, consisting of a single drumbeat played on a loop for 22 minutes and 22 seconds. The email stated simply: "I thought 22:22 looked like a good running time." However, the track remains untitled.

(PS - Have a happy April Fool's Day! And we love you, Hedi, we really do.)

Kazu Makino and Bats for Lashes' Natasha Khan, Serious "Fusionistas"

Wow, it must have been a "Indie Rock Hotties As Fashionista Musos" moment this past weekend. First those Joanna Newsom photos made the rounds, but did you catch these of Blonde Redhead's Kazu Makino (a recent nogoodforme Style Icon) and Bats for Lashes' Natasha Khan (who got my vote for some of the best stage attire last year)? From a feature entitled The Fusionistas in the New York Times Magazine, they're a bit more "90s Gap ad" in feel. They don't have the effect the Newsom photos have of surprising viewers with a shift in perception of the artist in question, but they all look lovely, nevertheless.

And just for fun, here is a picture from the same editorial of a rock star among artists, Shirin Neshat:

Joanna Newsom, Serious Fashionista

Did you catch the Joanna Newsom interview in the latest issue of Paper? It's been interesting to follow the media coverage of the musical auteur of 2006's amazing Ys; everything at the beginning was all, "She's an elf! She's all weird!" and slowly it's moved away from that sort of half-mythologizing, half-patronizing characterization of the indie-folk harpist and singer. But it's been way fascinating to see where it's going now; the Paper interview keeps elements of the fairylike Joanna but it also name-checks some serious fashionista credentials, from her stage attire (Gucci and hot-pink Christopher Kane!) to her shoes (Christian Louboutins!) to her hangout activities in Manhattan (mani-pedis and Cafe Cluny!) to her rumored new boyfriend (SNL's Andy Samberg!) It's like "Joanna and the City," no? It's all a bit fabulous and the pictures are fantastic, but it sort of makes me miss the Joanna who wore funny woolly knee socks and moccasins and dated weirdo-perv/genius songwriter Bill Callahan of Smog. Still, everyone needs a healthy mix of high and low in their wardrobe, and she does look amazing wearing Rodarte, Sonia Rykiel, Three As Four and the like.

Joanna wearing Rodarte:

Joanna wearing Alexander McQueen:

Joanna wearing Sonia Rykiel:

Joanna wearing Three As Four:

Sweet Valley High Sucks

So, yeah, Random House is re-releasing the Sweet Valley High series: you know, the ones with those California-perfect twins, Elizabeth and Jessica, with their blond hair and perfect size 6 figures and shared red Fiat. I read the whole series when I was young, mostly when I couldn't grab a hold of the next Babysitters Club installment. (Claudia Kishi forever!) Of course, on this go-round the twins have been updated for a new generation: now they drive Jeep Wranglers (lame) and, get this -- their size 6s have now become size 4s. I gotta say, you can debate about "vanity sizing" and what not and how today's size 6 is more like an 8, but whatever -- it's still obnoxious. Thanks a lot, Random House, way to go for traumatizing a new generation of pre-teen girls with body image issues! You're the best, for realz!

You know, I think this whole thing might just promote bulimia because I kind of vomited when I read the Random House press release. As the kids like to say on the internerd today: DO NOT WANT.

Hey Hey, We're the Grungies

Remember The Ben Stiller Show? It was a sketch-comedy type deal that aired on MTV for about five seconds in 1990, then on Fox for another five seconds during the '92-'93 season. I was rewatching a few episodes last night and, dudes, there's so much brilliant stuff. But the bit that tickles me pinkest is probably "The Grungies," a totally pitch-perfect "Monkees" spoof - complete with all the weirdo slapstick and fantasy sequences - set in early-90s Seattle. One of the funnest parts is when The Grungies go to see a riot grrrl band called Goo Girls, a sort of Sonic Youth/L7 hybrid featuring Jeanne Tripplehorn as a Kim Gordon-esque bombshell and Janeane Garofalo as...some sort of amalgam of everybody in L7, I guess. (I have a very vivid memory of watching this scene when it was actually on TV - my mom walked in halfway through, looked at the screen and said, "I hate that Courtney Love person!")

Anyway, here's the whole sketch. I must confess that I find Ben Stiller disturbingly almost-hot as a Chris Cornell look-alike, though I'm also so charmed by Bob Odenkirk's spot-on adoption of Mike Nesmith's oh-so-adorable Texas accent.

And watch this bit too - it's an ad for Oliver Stoneland, a theme park where all the attractions are based on Oliver Stone movies. The best part's the Doors-inspired Mr. Morrison's Wild Ride, an "enhanced trip through depression, self-delusion, and crazed egomania." Animatronic Jim Morrison? Yes please!

This Just In: Brooklyn Has A Lot of Bands Who Are Stylish

Hey guys! I didn't know this, but apparently there are a lot of people making music in Brooklyn these days. I know this because I read it in this little newspaper called "The New York Times." It's a really cool paper! You should check it out! They do articles on Iraq and stuff sometimes. Anyway, apparently there are so many "bands" that it's practically a "scene." How awesome is that? Maybe we can go sometime? And apparently these people who play music are also into fashion, so we should dress like them so we can blend in. "The New York Times" had this article that gave me some ideas on how we can do this. I'm stoked because apparently there is this style called "Williamsburg prep" and it doesn't sound too different from mine. Maybe I can bust out my Tommy Hilfiger rugby from 7th grade? Do you think that will work? We have to be careful, though, because I guess Brooklyn is also full of these people called "haters," who will, like, crap all over you because really only one member of Vampire Weekend lives in Brooklyn. I haven't come to a conclusion on whether or not that makes them "Brooklyn" or not. I'm just trying to get my look together first. Things are hard enough.

(P.S. - Snagged from stereogum.com! And on a less, um, sarcastic note, I'm both dismayed and psyched that they left off my most beloved Brooklyn band. Dismayed because who doesn't want some recognition for the ones they love; psyched because at least the douchebag factor will be kept low the next time they play Bowery Ballroom or something.)

Muse of the Season: Aeon Flux? (i.e. A Totally Geeky Entry)

I was flipping through all the runway pictures from the recent fall seasons, wondering why I was feeling super-excited about a lot of the shows. Then I realized: it's all so Aeon Flux-y! Aeon Flux, of course, being the animated anti-heroine of the cult MTV series about a deadly assassin and her various adventures. Created by the brilliantly twisted Peter Chung and resembling a sci-fi Helmut Newton girl channeling both Egon Schiele and Star Trek, Aeon was known for her powers of seduction, coupled with an equally strong appetite for destruction and a penchant for wearing very little but fetish-y black leather:

She was recently incarnated by Charlize Theron in an unfortunate attempt to translate the brilliant cartoon into a live-action film:

And now "Aeon Flux" is popping up all over the runways for fall. Take for instance this look from Yves Saint Laurent: I could so easily see a Breen wearing this! (Those who aren't sci-fi nerds like myself, Bregna is the totalitarian country frequently infiltrated by Aeon, who lives across the border in Monica -- a way more anarchic, sexier place. The Breens are ruled by Trevor Goodchild -- Aeon's enemy and sometimes her lover. Don't ask, just live it.)

When one thinks "sci-fi" and "fashion," one also thinks of Balenciaga's Nicolas Ghesquiere, who could also outfit a whole nation of Breens with his recent fall collection.

Of course, one cannot forget the Goth samurai robots at Gareth Pugh. These clothes are straight outta Monica:

And these weird head thingies at Junya Watanabe totally reminded me of the aliens at the end of the series. Here is Junya Watanabe:

And here are those aliens:

What do you think? Of course, it makes me sad that you won't get this entry if you haven't seen the show, so take a peek at one of the original Liquid Television shorts here to catch a glimpse of the weird, warped, perverse world of Aeon:

And you can download more story-centric full-length episodes of the series at Amazon! Technology is so good sometimes.

Roller Girls: Whip It, Anna Karina, and T-Shirts

We were excited to hear about Drew Barrymore directing, Drew being in a strange way like our pop-culture sister since the 90s. She had her cute-kid years, then her wild-child years and she's still projecting goodheartedness and optimism now that's she's basically a movie mogul and mega-successful film producer. (And still, you know, acting and stuff, although Drewsy, please find a better movie than Lucky You to stretch yourself as a thespian in!) So we were way psyched to hear she's directing Ellen Page in the upcoming production of Whip It, which is billed as a coming-of-age tale in which a girl finds her identity through...roller derby! Psyched! We think there could be a lot of potential to ride some kind of pop culture wave. Can't you imagine "Whip It" on a cute t-shirt with a pair of skates or two colliding chicks or something beneath it? And couture rollerskates? After all, rollerskating is always classic, as Anna Karina demonstrates here in her video for "Roller Girl":

No entry about roller skating would be complete without a Xanadu reference, of course. But I am a little scared of this clip; this movie kind of freaked me out as a child, and not in a good way:

And to be literal, you could buy a roller skate t-shirt and then go to the National Museum of Roller Skating in Lincoln, Nebraska! Yes, there really is one!

And this is our favorite song to roller-skate to, ever:

The store where the creatures meet

Last night before meeting some cats for Valentine's drinks I went to Laurel Canyon Country Store to buy a turkey-and-avocado sandwich and a bottle of wine. The Canyon Store's not anywhere near my house, but I'd been down the hill at Book Soup earlier in the evening, and anyway I'm all obsessy about Laurel Canyon lately. It's mostly 'cause I read Michael Walker's book Laurel Canyon: The Inside Story of Rock and Roll's Legendary Neighborhood a little while back, and it's made me do things like develop deeply anachronistic crushes on Graham Nash and Netflix Woodstock and purchase severely battered/vandalized copies of Neil Young's biography from the bookstand dude at the farmers market. Oh, and every time I go clothes-shopping now I try to find shirts that somehow involve macrame. Life feels different, in a good way.

Anyway, the book is so grand and really dream-come-true for anyone who's a total rock dork and mega-infatuated with anything pertaining to Southern California pop history and/or the 1970s and/or just famous people in general. (That is me. That's exactly what I'm like.) Now sometimes I get sad because I don't reside in Laurel Canyon and it's unlikely that I'll end up moving there anytime soon, but generally I'm okay with living vicariously through Michael Walker's lovely blog (lotsa neat photos of Canyon inhabitants and goings-on, including but not limited to coyote sightings and wildfires) and occasionally dropping by the Canyon Store on my way to bars or the movies. They've got so much British candy and weirdo health-nut stuff and good wine, plus the treats shown above. (The book and the violet candies anyway, as you probably can't buy Graham Nash and Joni Mitchell at the store. But you can download an mp3 of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's "Helplessly Hoping" right here, and that's a beautiful thing indeed.)

"If supermodels can't solve the world's problems, then I don't know who can": That DKNY Bike Thing

Crazy kids! (via Racked)

Random Video Entry: "Addicted To Love," Robert Palmer + Ciccone Youth

The more "left-field" offerings from the recent fall collections in New York got me thinking about dark clothes, slouchiness, a certain "cocooning," loosening and experimentation in silhouettes -- and about the sort of 'character' that would wear the clothes. As I fell asleep, it hit me: it's like those Robert Palmer "Addicted to Love" femmebots grew up and gone to art school and, like, melted themselves trying to escape a post-Soviet winter. Okay, so that's a bit silly and quick, but it gives us an excuse to post the video:

I think it's incredibly hilarious how all the 'bots are totally out of sync rhythmically. Our favorite skewed take on this song, of course, is the Ciccone Youth version of this song, found on The Whitey Album. Dig on the wry brilliance of Kim Gordon, yo:

Mayim Bialik is Not a Dag

Maybe you've already seen this, but just in case: Last week Fashionista.com scanned and posted the entire November 1992 issue of Sassy. It's got Mayim Bialik on the cover, a voters' guide to the presidential election, a tour diary from the B-52s, Luscious Jackson as the Cute Band Alert, reviews of Automatic for the People and that Mary's Danish record with the only Mary's Danish song most people have ever heard...So probably this means I'll have to stop working for the day right now and go read the whole thing cover-to-cover - which is highly irresponsible but so very right. (And I used to have practically every Sassy from summer 1990 on, but then my mom threw them all out while cleaning the basement. Luckily, Miss Teri of Crossed Fingers & Headphones was wonderful enough to send me the one with Juliana Hatfield on the cover a while back, and now I've got Kim Gordon's recipe for Culver City Tuna Tacos.)

Riot grrrls in terry rompers: Fuck Yeah Fest 2006

Last weekend at Fuck Yeah Fest in Echo Park I got to see Partyline, the new band starring Allison Wolfe from Bratmobile. Their set was a blast, especially since they had a dude in a bear suit come out to introduce them (animal costumes = automatic party). But most of the time the band was onstage, I felt all caught up in trying to figure out their outfits: little terry rompers that showed off their tattoos and sunburn lines, striped terry sweatbands, and - on Allison - pompom-adorned pink sneakers and red plastic anchor earrings.

I kept wondering if it was all just in tacky fun, or if Partyline were purposely referencing American Apparel and making some kind of comment on the company's whole 70s-porn aesthetic - maybe the post-post-riot grrrl equivalent of babydoll dresses and Goody plastic barrettes? For a moment or two I found myself feeling nostalgic for when ironic fashion sort of hit us over the head with its obviousness, but then I decided to stop caring and just drink my beer and dance. Whatever the case, Partyline was so awesomely high-energy; Allison's Rockette kicks and aerobics moves alone were enough to keep me entertained for a half-hour, nevermind that the music got kinda boring after a while.

Fun as it was to go back in time for a bit, it was so much more exciting to see/hear/get totally destroyed by Erase Errata's headlining set.

I couldn't figure out what the hell was going on with their onstage attire either, and I don't think I was meant to ever know. The only thing that matters is you need to see Erase Errata when they come to your town next month with The Gossip and L.A.'s own Mika Miko:

Check EraseErrata.com for tour dates.

P.S. All pictures in this post taken by me, and please note that the Mika Miko photo is from the KXLU Fundrazor this past June and not Fuck Yeah Fest. I missed their set last week because I was hanging out by the margarita machine over at The Echo, which is really stupid because Mika Miko is fucking boss. BUY THEIR NEW RECORD RIGHT NOW.

The Most Beautiful Creature of the Future

We’re still droolingly awaiting that Drew Barrymore Barbarella remake that was supposed to happen light years ago. In the meantime, we’ll more than make do with the original, which plays tonight at Sunset 5 in West Hollywood (Anita Pallenberg on the big screen, OMG).

And if we’re ever voted Queen of the Galaxy, we’ll see to it that we get our own fur-lined spaceship, go-go boots, and slinky-shiny outfits at least half as intergalactically foxy as Jane’s and Anita’s.

Barbarella directed by Roger Vadim
August 11 at 11:55 p.m.
Laemmle's Sunset 5
8000 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood

Watch the trailer at YouTube.

Madonna Designs for H&M? For Real?

The possibility of Madonna doing some sort of deal with H&M has set the fashion world abuzz, although, as it is with buzz, everything is at the rumor stage at the moment. At first it was thought to be simply an advertising campaign associated with the Viktor & Rolf/H&M deal, but today WWD reports that Madonna will not be associated with the Viktor & Rolf deal, and could actually be designing a collection for the fast-fashion retailer. Here's straight from WWD:

Sources said the Madonna negotiations in no way involve Viktor & Rolf’s effort. While Madonna has appeared in ads for Gap and Versace in the past, some suggested this time around her involvement could go beyond mere photographs, leading some to speculate she, too, could be designing clothes for H&M. In any case, H&M is expected to make an announcement concerning Madonna in the coming days, sources said.

My question is what would the clothes look like? Cone bras? Faux-Gautier? East Village urchin? Catholic girl gone bad? Or her latest incarnation, sort of a Goth horse whisperer? It should be interesting if this happens, since Madonna is more a remixer of style, pulling together pre-existing elements, than someone who would come up with something sui generis.

Sweater Dressing: Cozies Help Penguins

This may be marginally about fashion, but who can resist the chance to put penguins in their blog? Cute Overload has an entry with penguins wearing adorable little sweaters in bright spring colors. Apparently the sweaters help penguins caught in oil spills by keeping them warm and preventing oil ingestion. Sooooo cute, I can't get over it!

Wassup Rockers

Lately I've been into this fashion editorial, shot by seminal photographer Larry Clark, of the kids who star in his latest film, Wassup Rockers, which is coming out later this month. (But don't quote me on that: movie release dates are notoriously mutable sometimes.) Hailed as a return to form at the Toronto International Film Festival and the best film he's done since Kids, Clark's movie follows the hijinks and travails of a group of South Central Los Angeles Latino kids who rebel against the surrounding hiphop culture by skateboarding and adopting a more rock-influenced style, complete with black jeans and punk t-shirts. Eventually they make a pilgrimage to a skate spot in ritzy Beverly Hills and realize just how out of place they are in the world. Promising near-verite performances, a loose, almost documentary-style narrative and a punk rock soundtrack, Wassup Rockers should prove an edgy antidote to inane middle-class teen comedies, not to mention aesthetics centering on skinny pasty dudes who can barely run down the street in their tight designer jeans, much less ollie off rails.

FLY DVD / Chloe Sevigny Puts On Her Ritz

Some video tidbits for those who love moving images as much as fashion:

+ Are you one of those people who drop double-digit dollars on obscure foreign magazines with seriously amazing imagery and cryptically written articles? (I am.) Then check out FLY: a gorgeous dream of a video magazine, showcasing beautiful clothes in short films created in collaboration with such talents as John Malkovich, Ryan McGinniss, and more. Their press release states, "FLY's Zero Issue includes 140 mins of film content - including 14 short fashion films by established and emerging photographers / filmmakers featuring designers such as Yves Saint Laurent, Boudicca, Zac Posen, Calvin Klein, Cloak, Y3 etc. In addition there are also 6 interviews and documentaries, 9 music videos and The Loop (30 mins of cool film clips from FLY playing to mixed music from Output Recordings)." (Now that is a lot of content.) Have a look here; available in New York at Moss, Seven New York, The Mercer and Soho House.

+ And via Style Bubble, my new favorite fashion blog: Chloe Sevigny's in the film/commercial, 'Carousel,' for Ritz Fine Jewellery, which is a part of the Ritz Hotel, naturellement. I have no idea what it's about, the use of voiceover is heavy-handed, but why am I taking this seriously? It's fun to look at, and anything that quotes from Godard's Band of Outsiders scores points.

Blondie + Marc Jacobs

In honor of Blondie's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Marc Jacobs boutique on Bleecker Street in New York has gussied up their windows to celebrate the icon. And they're selling $20 Blondie t-shirts, the proceeds of which go to Debbie Harry's charitable organization of choice, Riverkeeper. Go to!

Stoned: Short on Story, Strong on Fashion

I caught a screening of the upcoming film release Stoned, which chronicles the life and high times of Brian Jones, a founding member of the Stones who ultimately became a rock 'n roll casualty and died at age 27 under mysterious circumstances. The film itself was on the incoherent, chaotic side (I'm sure the makers would say that they were going after that hallucinogenic feeling, but I know shoddy dialogue when I hear it), but I have to give it to the film - the music was great and the costumes were fantastic. It visually captured the flamboyance and rebellion of the Swinging Sixties in London quite well, and more on point for this blog, nailed down style legend/professional rock star girlfriend Anita Pallenberg's costumes. Actress Monet Mazur plays her as Pallenberg's often described: slightly exotic, foreign, elegant and decadent, and she's decked out fantastically in fur coats, Moroccan caftans, strapless dresses, black eyeliner - all the iconic images that have been inspiring Kate Moss for years. Watching the film is like being inside a crazy fashion magazine editorial - it has approximately the same sense of narrative (um, nil) but a keen visual sense.

Anita Pallenberg and Brian Jones

Anita by herself!

Free Katie!

I know some of you will want this t-shirt from freekatie.net. Get it before Tom Cruise freaks out and sues them!

Are You A Summer or A Marissa? The O.C. Clothing Line

It's hot and the news in fashion is slow, but I know that some of you will be very excited by this bit: you can soon wear a fashion collection inspired by and branded under "The O.C." name. The line, which will be designed by Necessary Objects, won't be bowing in any retail space, but will be available on amazon.com in August, just in time for the show's new season. Look for men's style gauchos, tie-back vests, sequined tube tops, gypsy skirts and other variations on the beach bohemian look. (See picture at left for a look from the collection, courtesy of WWD.com.) Prices will range from $38 to $98, and your "O.C." obsession? Priceless.

Ghosts of Grunge Past: Gus Van Sant's "Last Days"

I'm always on the lookout for signs of grunge in fashion and pop culture in general; it's just one of those things that my mind likes to do when I flip through magazines or go to shows, kind of like a fashion parlor game of "Oh Look! It's Grunge!" (One of the enduring thoughts I took away from a rather epic Dead Meadow show recently: "Oh, lots of mountain man indie rock facial hair - how grunge!") So it's been with great interest that I've been reading the Cannes Film Festival coverage of filmmaker Gus Van Sant's newest film Last Days, whose story was inspired by the life and persona of Kurt Cobain. (If I have to modify Kurt Cobain with some sort of tagline explaining who he is, please, stop reading this.)

A look at the trailer reveals some moody, almost "heroin chic" cinematography courtesy of Elephant collaborator Harris Savides, gorgeous movie stars - Michael Pitt! Asia Argento! - and some very Nirvana-esque guitar strumming. (Not to mention an appearance by the perpetually cool Kim Gordon, bass player for Sonic Youth and personal inspiration through my teenage years.) I could go on and on about the interesting career of Van Sant, director of such American indie classics like My Own Private Idaho and Mala Noche, but since this is a fashion blog, I'm predicting a lot of fashion editorial inspired by Last Days - perhaps not in Vogue or Harper's Bazaar but in those thinner, pricey magazines with epigrammatic, enigmatic titles. I don't think grunge will ever go mainstream again (fashion retail-speaking, it failed the first time, remember?) but as the economy becomes ever so wobbly and our military involvement becomes more and more of a quagmire, more oppositional aesthetics will seep into visual culture. The early 90s are back in more ways than one.

+ Read an interview with Gus Van Sant on "Last Days"

Kathleen Hanna Models for Built By Wendy

Awesome! Like wow! Like totally freak me out! Here's one for those who want to unravel the contradictions of Third Wave feminism: Kathleen Hanna - quondam member of the seminal Bikini Kill, current Le Tigre instigator and now songwriter for Paris Hilton - is currently modelling for Built By Wendy's spring collection.

"Bergdorf Blondes" on WB TV

Variety is reporting that WB is going to turn Plum Sykes' epic saga of fashion and existential despair, "Bergdorf Blondes," into a "comedic drama" series. I can already hear the frothy cocktail-hour type theme song in my head, but I'm wondering if that'll mesh well with the "pensive girl looking out rain-streaked window as the latest Gen Z anthem plays on the soundtrack indicating romantic melancholy" montage.

Latest Nominee for Best (Anti-) Fashion Site Ever: The Grey Sweatsuit Revolution

Because sometimes you have to fight the power: if you're tired of the inexorable pace and consumption of fashion, the tyranny of always having to keep up with it all, take a gander at the Grey Sweatsuit Revolution. The FAQ on the site is a work of genius. (Well - it makes me laugh a lot. And out loud, which makes the good people at the coffee shop where I sometimes work look at me like I've gone batty.)

Versace to Dress Barbie

Barbie, famous dolly and object of controversy for feminist moms, will be getting a designer look soon - according to fashion.net, Donatella Versace will be designing two limited editions for the still-powerful Mattel brand. They'll be two versions, one for the Versace brand and one for Versus, their "bridge" or "spinoff" or "get customers with less money" brand. The dolls will be sold in U.S. Versace stores in July, with a worldwide release sometime in the fall.

When I initially read the item at fashion.net, I had thought they were going to make a Donatella Versace Barbie doll - which would have been brilliant. But only if Donatella Barbie came complete with a gaggle of Italian love slaves wearing nothing but brightly colored Speedos bearing their queen on a royal purple litter. Or a pink Versace jet.

Dsquared + Iraq: Who Knew?

I'm bummed that I didn't publish this earlier (must get those email filters working properly), but a reader named Ron sent in a link to this Ebay auction for a pair of limited edition Dsquared "Iraq" trainers, designed by everyone's favorite fashion twins. (No, I don't mean Mary-Kate and Ashley, I mean Dean and Dan Caten.) Bidding has ended, but I'm putting this up here for those brainiacs out there who wax eloquent professionally on transnational movements, culture and fashion. (And I know you are out there!)

The Dish About Bergdorf Blondes

I'm on semi-vacation this week. (I'm tending to my other life as the moment - in Chicago.) In the airport bookstore, I was sorely tempted by Vogue mascot Plum Sykes' book, Bergdorf Blondes, but I kept remembering what all you kind readers out there wrote about it when I asked if anyone had read it a few entries back:

+ "It's the literary equivalent of Pixie Sticks! It will make your head bloat!" said one reader.

+ "Oh, it was terrible, just terrible. I'll never get those hours back," moaned another named Joan.

+ A reader named Laura wrote, "The book is like a car wreck on the highway - you know you shouldn't look, but you just can't help it."

The hilarious thing is that despite the glam trash factor, the one-liners and the anthropological detail, no one admitted to buying it. Everyone said they sat down at their bookseller and read it in one go, nested away within the covers of some more respectable publication. No doubt I'll hole up at a Borders or something one afternoon and do the same thing.

The Verdict on Bergdorf Blondes?

Okay, dear readers, help me out here. If you've read Bergdorf Blondes by Plum Sykes, you must tell me all about it. I really don't want to have to read it myself, but I'm dying to know...

Drop me a line here!

Tom Ford To Direct Film

It may be Tom Ford's official day of resignation at Gucci, but the famously hard-working designer already has a new plan. True to the rumors, he's going Hollywood. Ford has announced he'll be directing a remake of the epic "Spartacus," to be produced under the auspices of Miramax Studios. The original famously told the story of a slave who led a rebellion against Rome, and has been one of Ford's favorite films "for as long as I can remember," he says. "Something about the Roman fashions against the desert backdrop has always stirred me. It's the same hard-edged sensuality that has inspired so much of my work at Gucci. It's just a natural extension of my aesthetic. Besides, the gladiator thing is always sexy, sexy, sexy."

Ford already has ideas about the visual look and costuming for his debut effort. "The original Kubrick film was fantastic, of course, a classic," comments Ford, clearly already devoting a lot of thought to the matter. "But I thought it was trying to be too historically faithful, especially in the costume detailing. Those tunics lack movement and grace, so I'm thinking of adding some subtle kick pleating in the back so that it skims the backside becomingly, especially when the slaves are running." Ford's famous attention to detail, verging on the perfectionistic, already has honed in on the hair. "The whole Caesar look, I'm over it," he says. "We're going for something windblown, I think, with a few sun-streaked highlights around the crown. It's all about that sexy desert thing."

No word on casting or scripting yet, although Ford is working on it. Ford throws some leading man ideas around off-the-record, adding "Well, if anything, I have acted before." Ford has already tackled the extras issue, which threatens to be an issue with the budget-conscious Miramax people. He plans on using the famous Massive computer program, recently used to animate epic battle sequences in Peter Jackson's Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings trilogy, to create his hordes and battles. His innovative twist? "I'm personally going to be the model for the extras," he says. "I've been working out for years. And we can vary the look, adding a goatee here, or some different hair there. Can you imagine? A million versions of me fighting themselves!" He looks satisfied at the thought. "I can't think of a better adversary than me. There's really no way of getting exactly what you want unless you do it yourself."

Ford will soon select a screenwriter to adapt the classic into a new narrative more fitting for modern times. "We're going to make it even more violent, more graphic, to emphasize the difficulties of Rome. It's the perfect analogy for today's political situations. And of course, we're going to sex it up quite a bit." Film and historical purists may object, but it looks like Ford relishes the possibility of controversy. "I've waited my whole life to do this," he states. "I've always wanting to live in the Tom Ford world, and now I finally get to do it. I can't tell you how exciting this is, for myself - and for the world."

Read more about Tom Ford's directorial debut.