THIS IS THE UNIFORM

 

images via This Is The Uniform

I think it's safe to say that everytime I fall in love with a label or designer, I fall hard.  When This Is The Uniform started following me on Instagram a few days ago, I checked out their account (@thisistheuniform) and I instantly struck sartorial gold. 
The athletic wear silhouette is something that I'm clinging onto right now--I can't get enough of sports bras and exercise tanks as everyday wear and I'm vying to get a pair of cool sweatpants/trackpants soon.  With This Is The Uniform, they've updated those classic athletic wear styles by doing them in luxe textiles and adding unconventional twists. The tee shirt and sweatpants are instantly a must have item when redone transparently with solid hems/piping. Bomber styled garments are boiled down to basics with straight lines and cuts (the white jacket is one of the few that wouldn't make you look like a marshmallow). I also just love the styling and general aesthetic of this brand; it's very edgy and "rah rah" but manages to retain a sense of fresh, minimalistic beauty. I can't wait to see what else TITU brings in the future.

Pieces I'm eyeing: every pair of sheer pants and that silvery long sleeved top ♥

xx

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ISA ARFEN

 

images via isa arfen
Simple yet undeniably stunning, the clothing of Isa Arfen is everything a modern woman needs.  The label is an anagram of the designer's first name, Serafina; I didn't realize it until I read the bio on her homepage and it all clicked (haha). Likewise, the FW13 collection is filled with fascinating surprises. 
Elegant, crisp lines and solid colors are juxtaposed with various bits of unconventionality, from the high-shine knotted patent leather crop top to the baby blue teddy bear fur coat. I'm absolutely in love with the use of volume as well--the boxiness just looks so good with a V-neck!  I'll take one of everything, please.

xx
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MASHA MA

FW13 

 

SS13
images via masha-ma
I recently came across the stunning work of CSM graduate Masha Ma through a not-so-recent article in W called The Rising East. Consequently, I found her site/portfolio, clicked through FW13 and SS13 and immediately fell in love. Artfully draped and cut garments in clean palettes are obviously the way to my heart.
I absolutely adore play on volume and texture (that bejewled frock is everything) in FW13 and the deconstruction in the SS13 origami-esque pieces, phenomenal!  I'm definitely looking forward to what this Chinese talent has in store for us in the upcoming season. 
xx

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YOKISHOP | Let's Go to the Beach

A colorful array of surfboard fins lined up in the front window 

I recently stopped by YOKISHOP on the PCH with my friend Cristina, who's an intern there, and spent some time looking around at the amazing garments created by Jeff Yokoyama and his team. 

I shot a lot of images but, with my newfound editing skills (I practiced!), here are my favorite shots showcasing the shop, the merchandise, and its happenings. 

The maker (L) in his workshop

A board on the left wall containing items like jersey bikinis and washed ashore flippers for a cool upcoming collab

I'm sure my local readers will know / have come across the work of Jeff Yokoyama, the acid wash flannel pioneer and creator of iconic streetwear brands Maui & Sons, Modern Amusement, and Generic Youth, to name a few. 

Newly relocated to the PCH, Yokishop is a little smaller than the former Generic Youth store in Costa Mesa but nonetheless retains the same laid-back yet eclectic beach vibe with details like surfboards on the ceiling and "found" pieces displayed around the store complementing the aesthetic of the merchandise. 

image via Yokishop

If you have never encountered Generic Youth, it all came about from the mind of Jeff's equally creative  and entrepreneurial daughter, Coco, a friend of mine. GY was primarily based on repurposing textiles and creating amazing, one-of-a-kind garments. That same process is practiced in Yokishop today, as seen below.

 Piles of fabric ready to be made into one-of-a-kind pieces for their beach-bound customers.

When I visited the shop, a girl walked in, chose a beach towel and had her order taken for a custom jacket. Pretty sweet!

 Interns Annie (testing out a pullover being remade) and Cristina (wearing a stunning vest in process)

Some rad Supreme decks and a string of abandoned plastic beach toys found in the sand hanging from the ceiling

As if the decor wasn't inspiring enough, tear sheets and old magazines, including this issue of Seventeen and an A&F Quarterly from the '70s, took us on an exploration of vintage advertisements, fashion trends, and an abundance of unconventional inspiration. On the right is a small inspiration board tacked with various photographs and fabric swatches that set the theme for Yokishop.

Flashback to my interview with Yoki's Garden for Atomica Magazine issue #4, Slate! I came across Yoki's GARDEN gear again on the center table, and this time split down the middle with rivals USC and newly licensed partner UCLA side by side. 

On the left wall hung a rack of their fantastic garments, including these french terry pullovers that I am obsessed with and cool board shorts in geometric prints. 

Being in the shop, hearing the 'design dialogue' and observing the start-to-finish creation of custom garments was an entirely awesome experience in itself and I'm happy to have seen the team in action.

With that said, no more talk...

LET'S GO TO THE BEACH!

find Yokishop on the PCH at 

2429 West Coast Highway #102, Newport Beach, CA

or at

yokishop.com

xx

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JACQUEMUS | Á la piscine

images via jacquemus
A steamy public pool was the set for French design star Simon Porte's FW13 collection, hence the name of the collection La Piscine and the ensuing rubber slip-on footwear on the 'runway.' 
The collection explores clean lines, unconventional details, and a perfectly French color scheme among others. Well-tailored and über cool separates were boxy and voluminous in all the right ways--things I love in a design aesthetic. 
In addition to their runway pics, Jacquemus shoots the coolest lookbook images and short films for each collection. La Piscine, as you can see above, featured shots of the girls in Jacquemus on the gritty streets looking like the most chic band of semi-uniformed students that ever existed, while the video followed the girls strutting edgily down the street claiming "we're going to bust up some guys," documentary style.
Pieces I'm eyeing: the black quilted short sleeve sweatshirt, blue overcoat, and red diagonal slit skirt. xx INSTAGRAM | BLOGLOVIN' | FACEBOOK

DESIGNER PROFILES | Daniel Silverstain

 images via Daniel.Silverstain

Every day I walk to school, I am reminded of how truly astonishing it is to be immersed in an environment that is flowing with creativity and innovation.

I had the pleasure of meeting and photographing Daniel Silverstain for my internship and later learned that he was a graduating from the fashion design program at FIT. I also came across his work on the Muuse site, where his gorgeous capsule collection is now up for pre-sale!

One can see the evident reference to the grid layout of the island of Manhattan in his architecturally beautiful constructions; I love the influence of the city in his pieces. Also, the palette of pure white, beige, and stunning shades of blue is so clean and fresh! 

See more of Silverstain's fascinating work here

xx

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kookily kool karolyn

karolyn, 27, of paris, france has SKILL AT UNFATHOMABLE LENGTHS.

i cannot even comprehend the beauty in EVERY one of her pieces. each of them all exemplify a personally unique yet high fashion taste that is on-key. the first sketch, a mix of mcqueen summer '10 is breathtakingly flawless. the second picture is a model from dior, and looking at it, you can just see the classiness and ladylike aura oozing out of her. and SIRI TOLLEROD AND COCO ROCHA! when i saw these, my heart lept. they truly capture the brightness in the eyes and the whole look of each model, perfectly. the last picture, a look from stella mccartney summer '10, is flowing gracefully and the punch of color adds a light playfulness into it. i also love how she leaves the face and skin without color, it really adds her own aesthetic into her avant-garde work.

karolyn puts her heart and soul into all these drawings, so i suggest you take a look at her blog, do you like my tight sweater?she is DEFINITELY my favorite fashion illustrator. this girl is something you just CANNOT miss. please visit her blog, and maybe you will soon be devoted to reading and admiring all her beautiful work.

xx

NEW designer profiles

(images from google.com)

I'm starting another thing called designer profiles, where i post some pictures and get information about a currently cool designer.

my first pick issss : REI KAWAKUBO!

her aesthetic is AMAZING, and i love all her designs for CDG. they are also TUTU MATERIAL (the pictures i uploaded up there :D i love them)

Rei Kawakubo (川久保 玲, born 1942-10-11 in Tokyo) is a Japanese fashion designer, founder of Comme des Garçons. In 1973, she established her own company, Comme des Garçons Co. Ltd in Tokyo and opened up her first boutique in Tokyo in 1975. Starting out with women's clothes, Kawakubo added a men's line in 1978. Three years later, she started presenting her fashion lines in Paris each season, opening up a boutique in Paris in 1982. Comme des Garçons specialises in anti-fashion, austere, sometimes deconstructed garments. During the 1980s, her garments were primarily in black, dark grey or white. The materials were often draped around the body and featured frayed, unfinished edges along with holes and a general asymmetrical shape. Challenging the established notions of beauty she created an uproar at her debut Paris fashion show where journalists labeled her clothes 'Hiroshima chic' amongst other things. Rei likes to have input in all the various aspects of her business, rather than just focussing on clothes and accessories. . Her Aoyama, Tokyo store is known for its sloping glass facade decorated with blue dots. Rei is known to be quite reclusive and media shy, preferring her innovative creations to speak for themselves. Her designs have inspired many other late designers like the Belgian Martin Margiela and Ann Demeulemeester, as well as Austrian designer Helmut Lang.

(from wikipedia)

more to come!

xx