Adventures in Duty Free: Reiss at Heathrow Airport, London

Of all the various hells of modern life, layovers are purgatory. There is nothing more dullsville than being trapped inside a building with no real air, no real soul and nothing but time, time, time to kill till your next flight. A very strange thing happens to people when they're stuck in an airport; they lose all sense of judgment and drink very strong cocktails in the middle of the day, they waft in an existential malaise that no amount of connectivity can kill, they drift about in a crowd of people and still manage to be utterly isolated and alone. In short, it is like an intense version of urban life. And naturally, the geniuses behind airport engineering and design allay this with a variety of shopping options -- just like real life! The problem is, though, that the choices are so reductive and bougie that you find yourself doing things like contemplating buying weird little cosmetic kits full of Dior lipglosses in colors you'd never wear or trying Kate Moss perfume that smells really cheap-o and gross and is only appealing because no one else would have it in the States yet or eyeing cognac in bottles so huge you'd instantly seem like an alcoholic if you carried it around. I mean, why not? It's duty free, after all, and what else are you going to do after you've read all your magazines, checked your email a million times and it's still hours upon hours till your connecting flight? Gah! Time to channel my evil twin and go to Dior and pretend I'm rich enough to buy $400 sunglasses!

It therefore continually surprises me that in the shopping carnival that is an airport, no one puts more clothing stores in, because nothing sucks up more time than clothing shopping. Really -- wouldn't it be genius if Topshop had a little outpost in Heathrow? What could be more British? Granted, the shopping at Heathrow is way better than many airports, what with all the super-fancy boutiques and such. But it still was with a great joy during a particularly long layover to stumble upon the little Reiss boutique in Heathrow recently, probably with an excitement disproportional to what I may have really felt if not stuck in the land of airport hell. I had passed by Reiss many times while in NYC but never stopped in, but had read and heard about it before; it's positioned itself as a bridge between fast fashion and schmancy designer, so it was great fun to wile away the hours trying on various schmattes and such. I honestly probably would not have ever tried on their clothes to such an extent if I wasn't a prisoner of my circumstances.

What I discovered is that Reiss has perfected a sort of easy-going sophistication that's similar in niche to Club Monaco, French Connection and the like; there is nothing super-trendy, but they have a knack for subtlety with a bit of an eye-catching twist that manages to be both youthful but still chic. The styling of many garments was excellent, although the fits were hit and miss, so it's advisable to try everything on. (I find the same thing with Club Monaco, actually -- I call it the "frustrated supermodel" fit, where you seem to need to be tall, but somehow even the tall, skinny people have trouble making it work.) And even though the materials are decent and the finishings are okay, I found the prices a bit high -- probably because every moment in London gave me a bit of a heart attack when it came down to figuring out the exchange rate. (Oh, American dollar, why do you suck?) But I'm told Reiss often has good sales, so there you go. So, yes, Reiss -- a good thing, and next time you find yourself stranded in Heathrow, check it out, especially after you've wandered through the duty free perfume aisles for the umpteenth time and want to drink yourself into a stupor because you're so bored.

Fashion Drive-By: Target Go International Private Label Collection

Target steals your soul. I mean, there you are, innocently buying your Liquid Drano/Plumber/whatever for the umpteenth time because your building super still hasn't come around to fix your bathroom sink drainage problems. (Rudy, where are you?) You feel all Zen and virtuous and content and not tempted by the impulse buying fairy, no matter how alluringly packaged the various candles, dish towels, and grooming products are. And then you catch a gander at the store's new "Private Label" collection for its Go initiative and muahahaha, completely suckered! Gah! Seriously, I think it's just simple enough to say that I like this little collection better than most of the Go collections so far, and there's not even a designer-y name attached; the designs don't seem so much like costumes than they do a group of pieces that can punch up your wardrobe for the summer. Sure, there are some iffy fabrics, and the cuts can be wonky. But when Target gets it right, it gets it pretty right, and this can definitely compete with the best of Forever 21 and H&M.

Anyway, in between deciding if I should go for a "foamer" style drainage product or buy an actual plumbing snake, I dawdled among the clothes at the Bronx Target for a bit; just some quickie observations:

+ The double layer Grecian type tank dress was pretty much all gone in all the sizes.
+ I was at the store during a pretty busy hour, and people seemed to be really into the clothes.
+ The satin dresses seemed a little icky to me, as did most of the polyester items.
+ This dress was pretty awesome; I love the little pleating at the front. Apparently the floor sales person told me this "flew" when they got it in.
+ All the bright pink and yellow accents on various dresses are even brighter in real life than they are in the photos on Target's site. I think they got the "neon" memo, no?
+ I love the idea of this dress. (Hot pink! navy blue! Together at last! And dope pleating on the pockets.) But you have to have just the right body to make it work; it's definitely a try-on.
+ The one-shoulder dress is soft, comfy and is cut beautifully, at least for my build. And electric blue!
+ Dudes, the dressing rooms at this store are a straight-up mess.

I tried on a bunch of stuff. I didn't get anything because I ran out of time and couldn't make decisions. Should I get any of these? They're available on Target's site till 5/17.

So there you go! Service journalism at its best, ha ha ha. Now back to Draino!

Subversive for Target On Sale Now

It wasn't slated to go up till March 23, but perhaps Target figured, "What the hell?" and went ahead with launching its Subversive for Target line, which you can find here. Not everything is available for shipping right away, but you can still order your favorite pieces now. It's quite a range with about 40 pieces available, and whether you're into ornate quasi-Victoriana or art-damaged Miami Art Deco, you should find something to love.

Lyell Sample Sale: March 9-10, 2008

New Yorker types who are fans of Lyell and their vintage-tinged, impeccably feminine designs should be sure to check out the sample sale going on right now! Their lovely fall 2007 is heavily discounted and other past seasons are insanely low in price. When I went this afternoon, there was much to be had and the crowds weren't nutsy in the least. I picked up an incredibly lovely wine-colored silk dress and a maroon pintucked camisole for a mind-blowingly low amount, so I am spreading the love about this low-key sample sale! Some items are available for as little as $20, but most will run you about $60 - 180 -- still a hefty discount from their usual prices. Get pretty at:

Lyell Sample Sale
102 Forsyth Street between Broome and Grand
Noon - 7pm
Cash only
March 9 & 10, 2008

Love: Popomomo Accordian Dress

I have lots of dress crushes, especially as spring/summer approaches, but I think this Popomomo dress is instant pure love for me. I used to hate orange as a fashion color, but now I find certain shades of it uniquely sunny and flattering, especially in the warmer weather. This accordian dress is in a nice melon-y shade, and the pleating and drape of it is subtle, artful and slightly Greek-inspired -- perfect for drinks, hanging out, making out...all the best things of summer! It's available at our beloved, ever-awesome Sodafine, and bonus points for being 100% organic cotton and 150% lovely, of course.

Beau Soleil (On Sale!) Tashkent Shoes (Not On Sale, But Still Insanely Chic!)

Here's a reason to say "yay" today: Up-and-coming eco-friendly label Beau Soleil is way on sale over at funkylala.com. (Whose boutique in NYC, by the way, has some of the nicest people ever working there. And they have free ground shipping. Rock city!) Beau Soleil is the sustainable brainchild of Anne Salvatore Epstein, who used to work at Marc Jacobs, and the designs are both modern, comfortable and subtly chic. I've been eyeing the back criss-cross dress for awhile, and since my latest Ebay sale was way, way more successful than I ever could have thought, I can finally get it! But now I am distracted as well by the wrap dress, which is sold out everywhere else on the Internet. Decisions, decisions!

Funkylala.com also features a shoe that I have been stalking for ages, the Tashkent J Colette in grey suede. Not that I'll ever get them, because I know myself enough to know that I can barely stand in heels, much less walk in them. But I can definitely admire them for their sheer gorgeous insanity, no?

Love: In God We Trust Shirley Denim Dress

By now you are probably dead sick of winter and can't wait to see and feel some real warm sunshine on your skin, no? I can't help you with the weather, not being God or anything like that, but I can help you dream a bit. For instance: imagine yourself in this completely adorable but un-twee dress from one of our favorite boutiques, In God We Trust, worn with flip-flops and your hair in little braids or something, sitting in the park listening to music at one of the free summer concerts. Or, you could be wearing this in the back garden of some casual yet fabulous restaurant, your hair tied in a messy bun and your feet in gold strappy flat sandals. I love this dress and want all of you to wear it. Okay? Plus, it's on sale!

PUPPIES! On T-Shirts! What Could Be Better?

We've done owls, horses, birds and basically a whole zoo of animal motif, now it's time to bring it back to basics: PUPPIES! For real, how can you resist the big old puppy-dog eyes on this t-shirt from Heavy Tees? You kind of want to die when confronted with the adorability of it all.

There's also this more stylized puppy t-shirt which would be great for the Japanimation maniac/cuteness addict:

God, the cute is practically painful. Excuse me while I run out and find something to smush!

Found: Christopher Kane Hoodie

I'm personally always a bit iffy on posting things on Topshop. First of all, because it's so easy: there's always cute, instinctually covetable things on their website. (And of course, there's the matter of their lack of transparency on their labor issues, but you probably knew that.) But it's like they can read your mind. I swear! Because last night I was wearing my trusty, years-old, now-grotty grey sweatshirt hoodie and thinking, Hmmm, it's time to replace you. I love you but you are destroyed. And then, this morning, I'm cruising the Christopher Kane section on Topshop's site (because I am obsessive about trying to figure out what is selling and what isn't) and look at what I found:

Yes, a Christopher Kane hoodie! It's like they know exactly how to suck me in. And it's swingy, which is a real weakness with me. (I think it's because I'm so petite -- things swing more easily when you're closer to the ground.) But it's just scary -- it's really like Topshop can read my mind. What's next? Brainwashing by osmosis? Psychic possession? Is it all preparation for when they open Stateside and suddenly we all descend on Topshop like on "Night of the Living Dead" or something?

As my beau says, "Step away from the website, Kat. Step away from the website."

Conspiracy: Topshop Wants to Drain Your Wallet With their Designer Capsule Collections

Since we're on a British kind of roll here, perhaps it would be timely to note that all the designer collabos are available now at Topshop: not only Christopher Kane, Louise Goldin and Jonathan Saunders, but Richard Nicoll, Todd Lynn, Peter Jensen, Preen, and Marios Schwab. That's a lot of hot design talent right there! Our picks:

For the pretty-pretty, we like this Richard Nicoll dress:

If you heart the 90s, why not this Marios Schwab dress?

You are rock. You like tailored things. You would like this Todd Lynn jacket:

Futuristic? Vaguely ethnic? Okay, you get this Louise Goldin dress:

This dress by Peter Jensen is kind of dope:

Fantasy Shopping Spree: Topshop.com

The most failsafe method I've found to beat the blues and blahs is, ridiculously enough, by going on fantasy shopping sprees online. I pretend that I'm a world-famous Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist with an unlimited budget to buy any and everything I want; it's, um, really rewarding. Today it is a bone-chilling five degrees Fahrenheit in Montreal, and I'm more than just sad: I'm S.A.D.
Having spent my entire morning faux-shopping on the Topshop website, I figured I'd put my laziness towards some sort of productive task and share my imaginary scores with the world. Have fun!

PS: The temperature is expected to drop by another five degrees tomorrow. J. Crew, anyone?
PPS: Why didanybody think it was a good idea to build a city on a mountain on top of an island in the North??

Obligatory Valentine's Day-Related Post: Chocolate and Champagne

So, yes, Valentine's Day is coming up, bringing forth endless opportunities to participate in holiday/novelty consumption, if such is your wont. I personally like to go bowling with my beau on the day, but that does not mean I'm immune to certain trappings like chocolate and champagne. (That reminds me: more food needs to be in this blog, no?) You can be all fancy with chocolate and go for the equivalent of Louis Vuitton (Godiva, blah, blah) but I think I'm more of a Vosges Haut-Chocolat girl myself: what's not to love about combining chocolate with flavors like wasabi, chile, or ginger? Trust me when I say it's all too incredibly delicious. I find the Mini Exotic Candy Bars box set to be incredibly charming in both the range of taste and the packaging. It has all my favorite flavors by them (go Red Fire!) and doesn't it look so adorable and literary?

If you're a little more old-school in your chocolate palette, then these Mint Dark bars from Divine Chocolate are also delicious as well (not to mention being fair trade, hooray.) I am also quite fond of the quirky-Baroque label myself, and the chocolate itself is quite smooth and rich without being sickeningly sweet. But my favorite chocolatier in the world is Joseph Schmidt, who makes some astonishingly delicious truffles. Seriously, you have one of these and your head will explode from the goodness.

But more than chocolate, what I truly love is some delicious Champagne. Okay, okay: sparkling wine, but whatever. Bubbles are bubbles! I'm not even going to go into the intricacies of Champagne and sparkling wine here (although sometimes I think it would be incredibly fun to start a champagne blog.) But if you're going for pure style and verve, of course the Sofia Mini Blanc de Blancs, inspired by Sofia Coppola, is lovely in its charming presentation.

Unfortunately, it is also a bit excreable in taste. (Sorry, Sofia: we love you anyway.) Much better is the a bottle of Gloria Ferrer NV Blanc de Noirs, which despite its lowish price, is truly excellent and happy-making. Of course, you can lay out for a bottle of real proper Champagne like Veuve Cliquot Brut Yellow Label and be fancy. And why not? We are firm advocates of chocolate and champagne all-year round, not just during some weird made-up holiday!

Quickie Bangkok Report: Smocks and Tunics, Richard Prince Louis Vuitton Fakes, Christian Siriano Hair and More

I'm nearing the tail end of my trip to Bangkok, Thailand, and while most of my time has been devoted to matters not related to fashion -- and half the time here you don't even want to wear clothes 'cause it's so freaking hot and humid -- my eyes and ears have been peeled for various style bits here and there. I've definitely gone to enough of Bangkok's astonishingly huge shopping malls and plazas to contemplate writing a kind of shopping guide to the Thai capital. (Should I? Should I not bother? Anyone care to tell me?) And in the midst of scrambling to meetings with film producers, dancing with old friends and eating huge amounts of food with family, I've made a few observations:

1. The smock has taken over. It's like a few smocks and tunic tops settled into the streetscapes of Bangkok and then bred all over the place, because all you see on every female from housewives to teenagers is a variation on the smock or tunic top. It makes sense: Thais are famously modest in their everyday dress, and the smock is loose, comfortable and flattering to a range of body types. Still, it's kind of crazy -- you walk down the aisles of any street market or through the boutiques in the huge shopping malls here and it's like flowy top central. Of course, these flowy tops go from $3-6 each, which beats Forever 21 any day.

2. The Richard Prince Louis Vuitton fakes. I know that the whole anti-counterfeiting "movement" is getting a lot of publicity these days, but designer fakes are still going super-strong in the street markets of Thailand and in fact seems to have flourished since I was last here in 2003. You can find anything if you look hard enough and know how to ask. (Just from a quick survey of various sellers, it seems Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Chloe command the highest prices; less expensive are Gucci and Prada, if that means anything about the demand and interest in certain labels. There also seems to exist a "second tier" of fakes, comprising of Dior, Juicy Couture, and Dolce and Gabbana. And Mulberry fakes, though rarer, seem to be of extremely good quality and compare in price to Louis Vuitton.) Near the street market stalls around Nana Plaza I spotted a trickle of Richard Prince Louis Vuitton fakes, which totally makes sense, seeing as the whole area caters to foreigners, especially those fluent with the absolute latest It bag. I couldn't judge on the quality of the fake itself, having only seen it in magazines, but in all honesty, does it really matter? Richard Prince, after all, is a subversive artist whose idiom prominently deals with appropriations, fakes and copies in a dryly humorous way, and no doubt he knew what he was doing when collaborating with a luxury house whose products are probably the most in-demand in terms of fakes. (I was really amused by reports and complaints that the "real" bags are so "fake" and "hideous" because I'm sure that Prince is an astute enough of an artist to do this -- and astute to know that the desires and appetite of a luxury customer, aspiring or otherwise, are enough to make them the unwitting punchline of their own one-liner joke.) I'm sure at one point that Richard Prince will buy a bunch of fakes, sign or authenticate them in some way and then display them as art. I was thinking about all this as some American woman was fiercely bargaining with a seller to bring down his price of 6000 baht (close to $200 US) -- and how Prince knows half the LV/Prince bags carried in a few months will be fakes and thinking how brilliant the whole project is in an art mindfuck sort of way. But of course, not brilliant enough for me to part with my own money for what are kind of garish bags.

3. Christian Siriano's hair is all over the place. I read somewhere that Project Runway contestant Christian Siriano described his hair as being inspired by Asian lesbians or something nutsy like that, but it's really the schoolboys of Bangkok that have adopted kinder, gentler variations on the asymmetrical, topiary-inspired hairstyle.

4. A strange emergence of military gear in Thai street fashion. As I was visiting various outdoor markets and indoor shopping bazaars, between all the assaultingly bright accessory stalls, women's clothing mini-boutiques and handicraft sellers I would spot an occasional booth dedicated to American military gear -- we're talking camo and leather vests, army pants, weird patriotic t-shirts, assault weapon belts, combat boots, even an occasional (fake?) weapon. It was like an intensely well-curated Army-Navy store but a little more freaky. (Must have been the whole flotilla of machetes I saw in one booth.) The whole thing culminated for me in observing a group of schoolboys hanging out in front of the Tawanna street market. Usually most kids wear their school uniforms when hanging out after a day at school, but here these guys were in all kinds of crazy haircuts and skinny jeans, smoking up a storm and all decked out with some element of military wear right down to combat boots and the occasional Rambo-like bandanna. The whole thing was really fascinating and kind of weird and I haven't quite begun deconstructing it in my head yet.

5. Best fashion moments: I specifically remember two very awesome fashion moments, illustrating two very different poles in terms of the style continuum for me. The first was as I was wandering in Siam Paragon Center, the very large, very fancy shopping center in Bangkok in the city's center. (You can buy a Lamborghini along with your Balenciaga bag at Siam Paragon.) I spotted a very tall, very willowy model type dressed in a perfectly slouchy outfit: drapey, baggy, men's tailored pants in black, with perfectly cut black vest over a white t-shirt, hair scraped back and wearing black Chanel sunglasses. Perfectly minimal, tomboyish, comfortable and yet the details were completely impeccable down to the cuffs in the pants and the sleek sandals. Because I suck at fashion blogging, I was too shy to take a picture, but I snuck one anyway, so you'll have to put up with a view from behind.

My other favorite fashion moment came at the food court at the Kalare Night Bazaar in Chiang Mai, where I spotted an elderly Japanese gent, wearing loose blue and white plaid cotton pants, and a shirt in a different type of blue and white plaid cotton. And his wife was wearing a variation on the same outfit: loose, comfortable cotton clothing in variations of blue and white plaid. It was thoroughly awesome. I only hope to end up with a fellow who will do the same thing with me when we're old and trekking through Asia as part of the liberated AARP set.

Reader Question: Where To Go Shopping In Bangkok

Good Lord, folks! I like to be helpful, but it's crazy when you email me about wanting places to shop and then tell me you're leaving in 24 hours. But because Thailand is the home of my ancestors and because I need a break from editing, I'll be accommodating (but brief).

+ The best place to shop: Chatuchak Market. The world's largest open air weekend markets, you can get anything from a $10 massage to a llama at Chatuchak. But the clothes are fantastic, especially for women, especially if you are into the whole Marc by Marc Jacobs vintage/flea market sort of vibe. (There's also some hot vintage as well, but I don't remember the stall numbers.) Learn how to say "hello" and "thank you," and bargain politely. (There are about a million markets and shopping centers, and if I had time I'd tell you more.)

+ For a posher vibe, go to one of the Central department stores. (Central Chitlom was the best, from what I remember.) The local Thai designers featured in the young women's section are fantastic if you are looking for stylish, pretty clothing; my favorite line was Senada, which was rocking a definite Marni/Louis Vuitton/Marc Jacobs vibe last fall.

Built By Wendy: Online Sale

The title says it all: 25% off all regularly priced items over at builtbywendy.com, including the Wrangler 47 collection!

Mass-Clusivity: Designers Weigh In on Fashion's Final Frontier

Now that Karl Lagerfeld has done H&M, and with no plans to extend his collection or attempt another foray into the new world of what fashion people like to call "mass-clusivity," who will be next? It's clear that there is a real level of excitement in the retail arena for name designers to make their mark on wares that theoretically reach larger audiences and extend their brand. And in-the-know shoppers and street fashionistas clearly love the high-low combination. But are other designers jumping?

According to WWD, the reaction from many other designers regarding the Lagerfeld/H&M partnership has been positive. Vivienne Westwood is up for the challenge of blending design with economy, and according to her people, is "in talks" with an unspecified company to produce a line. Norma Kamali is currently working on a deal, and Jean-Paul Gautier has already designed a spring collection for catalog giant La Redoute. But most exciting of all for regular readers of this blog: “I would do it,” Marc Jacobs said Friday. “To be completely blunt about it, I understand Karl was paid a great deal of money to do it and that would be a great incentive.”

(A Marc Jacobs/"fast fashion" partnership would be magic, I think, not to mention incredibly exciting to his devoted following, who have long had a proclivity for mixing luxury with cheerful thrift-store chic. It's almost a better fit than Lagerfeld, I think, whose design sense has always had a certain rarefied elegance that may have been dulled slightly by the compromises of mass production. But Jacobs's magpie, vintage-inspired aesthetic would suit the disposability of the clothes, especially since one of his gifts is taking offhand, throwaway-seeming clothes and making them into statements all their own. Someone give that man a pile of cash and get him started!)

However, not all designers seemed eager to participate in the new arena. From WWD:

Plenty of designers seemed downright uncomfortable even talking about the topic, with the likes of Nicolas Ghesquière, Rei Kawakubo, Miuccia Prada and Angela Missoni all declining to comment on the prospect of an H&M stint. Via a spokesman, Giorgio Armani said he harbors “no point of view” on the subject.

Highly ironic, considering that Armani is probably the most massive design brand of them all.

Karl Lagerfeld-H&M: More Post-Mortem

Finally! I'm getting some firsthand reports of the whole Karl L./H&M phenomenon, and let me tell you: don't believe the hype, my friends. Scads of comments about the ill-fitting nature of the clothes abound, and one Manhattan fashionista mysteriously calling herself V. says, "DUDE, IT WASN'T THAT BAD, I WENT IN THE NYC LEXINGTON STORE LATER THAT MORNING AND THERE WERE STILL LOADS OF STUFF OUT!!!!! BUT IT DIDN'T MATTER BECUZ IT ALL FIT BAD!!!!!!" (My guess is that V. is very emphatic on this matter.)

On the international front, Karla sent in her blog entry about it in Norway, and says to those NYC folks deprived of their Lagerfeld, "Tell those NYC folks to come to Norway, they will find plenty."

Gaultier for La Redoute

Those looking for haute French fashion through more quotidian channels may have had your hearts broken when Karl Lagerfeld's H&M collection sold out in a few hours. But don't fear: Jean-Paul Gautier is stepping into the breach, designing a capsule collection for LaRedoute.com, the catalog company who have been working with top designers such as Viktor & Rolf, Issey Miyake, Yves Saint Laurent, Sonia Rykiel and Vanessa Bruno long before Lagerfeld was a profitable twinkle in H&M's eye. Judging from vogue.co.uk, it sounds as if Gautier's work of La Redoute will be a little more conservative than his usual shocking (though technically marvelous) oeuvre: there won't be any conical bras like he did for Madonna, for instance. (Damn! I really wanted one of those!) It's almost too bad that Gaultier's fanciful work will be a little watered-down; his doesn't seem like a vision that should be diluted. But then again, everyone wondered if he'd translate over at Hermes, and his work for the venerable house has garnered raves.

Tread Lightly: Winter Boots

Okay, now that Hurricane Karl has been covered and I've finally run through my last bit of post-election stress disorder, let's talk about something that affects us all profoundly: winter boots. Everyone has piped in with their comments and predictions about the subject, and whether its Mukluks, moon boots or the still-ubiquitous Uggs, the consensus is winter footwear is heading in a decidedly comfortable, practical, almost rugged fashion. I have a theory that the footwear that shows up on the streets actually suggests and directs the rest of "fashion": I'm thinking of how cowboy boots were everywhere a few years or so ago and just this fall I'm seeing western shirts and a general Southwestern flavor to things in stores (and selling quite well on Ebay, judging from the amount of times that I get outbid on perfectly shrunken boy's plaid western shirts.) Or how 60s and 70s-inspired slouchy suede boots from last year seemed to precede the other relics from the era, such as ponchos. (Personally I've taken to wearing my beat-up riding boots around town, not only because I actually ride horses but because they are incredibly well-made and comfortable. And they look great with pea coats and herringbone blazers!)

Boots have taken on an outdoorsy, almost rustic air, and people seem to be veering from the ironic 80s aesthetic into a comforting, almost pastoral homespun feel rooted in the early 70s. (This in itself is highly ironic, considering the intensely urban milieus that such displays pop out of.) But what's next in the stylish boots saga? I personally am awaiting some sort of combat boot happening, no doubt from a subconscious desire to evoke the joys of my fast-receding adolescence and no doubt because a little punk energy would be welcome in the air of an uncertain political climate. (Not to mention that the schizo tendencies of fashion dictate that after a few seasons of one direction, we may sharply veer towards its dialectical opposite.) Deep in my basement, just waiting to get out, there's a pair of beat-up black leather army boots held together with duct tape, with "I OWE YOU NOTHING" scrawled on them. (I was a huge Fugazi fan in high school.) With any luck, they'll be showing up in a Marc by Marc Jacobs runway collection anytime soon.

H&M Dregs

I've already hit some Karl Lagerfeld/H&M fatigue, but FYI: A reader from DC wrote in and mentioned seeing pieces at the M Street store, "but no one was lining up like crazy. The sales woman I spoke to said she thinks no one here has a clue who he is."

(Maybe some of the crazy desperados paying super-inflated Ebay prices should take that money, fly out to DC and pick up some KL at H&M?)

H&M = Hectic & Mad

Some bits and pieces about Karl Lagerfeld @ H&M:

"'This is like a rock concert,' said Hugo Chung, 28, a graduate student at New York University, just before diving toward the main floor racks, which were clotted with bargains for men and women: $59 for narrow black wool trousers, $99 for a silk cocktail dress, $129 for a black sequined wool dinner jacket. Those prices are less than the sales tax on one of Mr. Lagerfeld's $4,000 suits for Chanel. " - from NYTimes.com

In New York, even a wintry rain didn’t keep customers away from H&M stores. At exactly 9 a.m. Friday, the line of Karl-o-philes standing outside the H&M store on the corner of 34th street and Seventh Avenue stormed in to grab what they could. The items, merchandised in a small area at the front of the shop, had to be restocked starting at 9:02. By 9:20, the store’s stock was all out on the floor.

At the Fifth Avenue flagship, there were over 300 people on line for the 9 a.m. opening and in the first hour, 1,500 pieces were sold. By 1 p.m., the store had sold between 1,500 to 2,000 pieces per hour. Sanna Lindberg, H&M’s U.S. country manager, was anticipating that the collection would be sold out by day’s end. - from WWD.com

And it was crazier in Europe (more from WWD):

“One women grabbed a sweater out of my hands!” said an incredulous Julie Perchenet, a 30-year-old lawyer who staked out the La Defense location but had no luck finding anything in her size.

On Rue de Rennes at 11 a.m., women visibly dejected by the sight of bare racks resorted to asking H&M staff if they could buy the T-shirts — depicting Lagerfeld’s face — right off their backs. Offers went up to 100 euros, or about $130 at current exchange.

My guess is that everything will fall apart by February and will show up on Ebay shortly thereafter.

UPDATE: Oh, wait, it's already showing up on Ebay! How enterprising.

Mission Lagerfeld

Some pretty birdies have told me that Karl Lagerfeld's collection for H&M is arriving "like, soon" or "kinda now, I think?" (Also, I've been lurking on certain message boards where the ladies are planning on lining up at the doors at, um, 7:30 AM, so take that as either a sign of obsession or a call to action.) Since we're H&M-less here on the West Coast (otherwise known as that left-hand sliver of blue-tinted United States), I expect some of you good lovelies out there to send me some photos, reports, whatever of the goods. I have got to know and so would other fashion-curious folks. Put your cameraphones to good use and send photos (and words) to kat (at) nogoodforme (d o t) com.

Hey, If Karl Can Do It For H&M: Tara Subkoff Does Easy Spirit

What with Karl Lagerfeld designing a collection for H&M, Imitation of Christ's Tara Subkoff will be putting her name on a collection for Easy Spirit, the shoe company known for its practical, comfortable designs. Yes, you read that right (and I looked twice when I was reading about this in WWD.) Inspired by an article Subkoff read in W about a woman's bone-slicing operation for better stiletto-wearing (which was admittedly gross and disturbing) and wanting to empower women who want to both look stylish and, um, walk right, the designer got in contact with Easy Spirit and offered some ideas up. The result is a small collection of flats, gladiator sandals and heels, inspired by India and Greece, that will retail for around $160 at better specialty stores. Says Subkoff in WWD: “We are in the future. It’s almost 2005. We really are designing for women who want very much to be comfortable, but they care about fashion and want to look good, too. They don’t want to compromise their integrity or their sense of style.” Personally, I think it's cool that a designer, known for her political ideals, is willing to use these to initiate design projects. Now if we could only get Christian Louboutin for Payless...

Zen and the Art of Shopping

For awhile I was running around, telling everyone that I didn't want anything for fall in terms of shopping, that the whole ladylike thing turned me off and whatever. But I guess I lied: I thought I had reached a perfect state of Buddhist detachment about fashion, but then all those photos of boots, coats, jackets and such must have affected my brain. (Not to mention that saying that you don't feel like buying anything for fall when you write a fashion/style blog is affronting an annoying moral superiority, much in the way of a starlet or model airily professing, "Oh, I never diet or work out. It's my metabolism...and all those pills and drugs I scarf down every night.")

I'm trying that very disciplined thing of buying very few items, but everything must be high quality. Is it working? I guess it depends on your definition of success...I've only managed to buy one sweater so far, a black silk ballet sweater. I keep contemplating various items (a cashmere sweater, some slouchy boots), but contemplation is as far as it goes since I keep musing, Is this quality? Am I going to wear it for the new few years? Am I going to be sick of it after this season? Am I making some poor lady slave away in an Indonesian sweatshop for long hours and minor ducats? The whole mental process puts me in a state of consumptive paralysis, and eventually I just end up in a cave, emptying my mind and chanting "You do not need clothes, you do not need clothes" as I slow my heartbeat to the rhythm of a turtle dancing. Just kidding...I just end up falling asleep after all that strenuous planning, and when I wake up all the stores are closed.

Built By Wendy: Sale!

The outrageous coolness that is Built By Wendy is having a spring/summer sale online and in-store starting today. Indie ingenues and Sofiaphiles should take note and snap up the little seersucker jackets and perfectly tomboyish yet feminine shirts.

Urban Outfitters: Coming to a Mall Near You

Hot Topic, watch out: Urban Outfitters, already a fixture for fast, "street"-inspired disposable fashion in college towns and major cities, will be expanding to suburban malls in the future, according to today's WWD. The highly successful retailer will be right there, rubbing elbows with Gap, American Outfitters and everything else, and happily, the whole world can be outfitted in the latest in global hipster fashion, including semi-offensive t-shirts, jelly shoes and hot pink everything.

Perhaps I will date myself here, but I remember way back (in the early 90s, crikey) when the nearest Urban Outfitters to my hometown was all the way in Madison, Wisconsin. (There wasn't even a store in Chicago at that point.) As the textbook high school weird people at a time when R.E.M. was still "college rock" and the economy was in the doldrums of a recession and a bad Republican administration hangover, my friends and I would literally make the pilgrimage to the nearest major city to see bands, buy Docs and, yes, to go Urban Outfitters. It wasn't just to buy things that we went to UO or Chicago - it was to see what other kids were wearing, listening to, seeing. It's been interesting to think upon how quickly economic structures have shifted to where what used to be "underground" or "subcultural" fashion is now readily available everywhere you go as a sort of template, as long as you have an Internet connection and a credit card.

Underlying all of this, of course, is how information about what's hip or not just moves differently - quickly, in all directions, etc. If stores and the environments around them aren't just purveyors of goods but sources of information in themselves, the nerd in me wonders how Urban Outfitters' idea of hipster reads in a mall environment versus an urban environment, especially when its target customer is your 18-to-30 year old with an investment in looking and knowing what's cool. It makes you wonder: is the "underground" impulse still there, or just a fashion utopian dream? Are malls really cool? How does it change the aesthetics? Will things just get even more gauche and extreme? Do I really want to bid on those 70s Rochas sunglasses on ebay or not?

Remainders: Lagerfeld, Bono + Rogan

+ Karl Lagerfeld is designing a small "collection" for H&M, to hit the store in November. No word on details, according to WWD, but there are rumors that the slimmed-down design star may also appear in an ad campaign.

+ I hate to keep lifting from WWD, but the following item is just too hard to resist mentioning, especially since we're nothing but fascinated by musicians-turned-designers here: Bono is apparently talking with Rogan Jeans designer, Rogan Gregory, about creating a clothingwear line. It's all just talk at this moment, but little birdies mention the possibility of using ecologically sustainable materials and processes in the creation of the line.

Seaplane

I keep forgetting to mention this, but since I'm on a sort of "regional" streak, I wanted to draw your attention to the lovely Seaplane boutique out of Portland, Oregon. Many soothingly romantic, vintage-inspired reconstructed sweaters and tops are featured on their website, and I'm told their events are quite fun. Their site also mentions a fashion show on March 27th at the Plant, so Portland citizens, please check it out. The clothes seem gorgeous enough to want to hop on a plane for an impromptu trip...but I seem to be doing enough of that lately.

Austin Calling

I came back from a few days in Austin, Texas, about a week ago. There were Jelly Kelly bags aplenty carried by the cool girls, and a nice amount of shopping to be done. (Purchases included handmade Peruvian opal earrings and a poncho, by the way; I figure that Texas is one of the only places where it's appropriate to buy a poncho.)

I knew there was a strong punkish rockabilly influence to Austin style, but there's also an arts-and-crafts slant as well. (Some stellar work can be found at Austin Craft Mafia.) Curiously enough, there aren't a lot of stores that specialize in local designers, at least from what I could see from my brief time there. My lovely hostess and I did manage to come across one newish shop, Parts and Labour, that carries nothing but local clothing and jewelry on consignment. No website yet, but Austin folks, do check it out (and bring your own wares there!) There's an especially nice jewelry selection to be found...

Parts and Labour
1604 S. Congress Ave.
Austin, TX 78704
512.326.1648
open Wed. - Mon. noon - 10pm

Miller Harris On Sale at Anthropologie

Attention, Miller Harris fragrance junkies in San Francisco...

I was floating around in Anthropologie in the Market & Powell Street area today, trying to decide how crazy it would be to buy a $98 appliqued t-shirt, when I stumbled across a bonanza of Miller Harris eau de toilettes, bath oils and body oils in the sale section. Normally about $88 for a 3.4oz bottle of eau de toilette, they've been marked down to $39.99 - bath and body oils are going for $19.95. They are carrying the Fleur Oriental, Citron Citron, Terre de Bois and Coeur de Fleur scents.

I ended up getting the Fleur Oriental and Citron Citron eau de toilette. And I did NOT get the $98 t-shirt! It just seemed too insane at the moment, although I do periodically lose my sanity every now and then when it comes to the retail situation.

For those unobsessed with scented liquid, Miller Harris is a British parfumeur whose fragrances are noted for their clarity and their nature-based formulations (not to mention very pretty bottles.) Lyn Harris, who started the company, also has a close association to designer and fellow Brit Matthew Williamson, whose Miller-designed Incense perfume commands a sizable cult among British hipsters.

Kirna Zabete Sale

I have the worst timing! No sooner than I leave New York than the high fashion wonderland that is Kirna Zabete is having a fall/winter sale starting today: 30% - 75% off of Balenciaga, Chloe, Gautier, and more. Kirna Zabete is a bright, fun, friendly Soho space with a wonderfully curated selection of fancy designers. I stopped in last weekend and had many covetous moments with the Balenciaga shirts and a grey beribboned Viktor & Rolf dress with the amazing bell-like sleeves. Someone go buy it and put us all out of our only-inspiration-shopping misery.

ISA TAKES MANHATTAN

A little birdy told me that hipster Williamsburg boutique Isa will be opening a location in downtown Manhattan, so those of you who never deign to grace the boroughs can still sport the latest coy-yet-snarky slogan t-shirt and customized/deconstructed/destroyed/decrypted jeans straight out of Brooklyn. But even better, it will feature a special section devoted to Rogan Jeans, so all you New York obsessives now have another place to indulge.