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Today on Canal Street...Cops cracked down on counterfeit bag sellers!

Does this mean we'll never have to see another Louis Vuitton knockoff that uses J and ? instead of L and V?  Lets hope so...

Oscar the Grouch

The truth:  the Oscars hold about as much appeal for me as the Super Bowl, which is to say, very little.  Sure the dresses are gorgeous, but far too much attention is given to "who wore what", and the films featured are not always so stellar.  So instead of watching the Academy Awards, I have busied myself by reading Rousseau for class and clicking around tinyvices, a very cool site.  Take a look!:

Lets Kick It

I have to admit, I do have a bit of appreciation for super sweet sneakers, but I've never owned any, and they go against all of my aesthetic morals.  That being said, I still browse shops and the nets for them weekly and plan on one day investing.  What do you think... Ugly or kind of cool?

Perfect Plumage

Feathers!  Whether worn as earrings, headbands, or in a dress, they are simply gorgeous.

Seattle Stereotype

I spent my weekend getting away to Seattle, Washington where for perhaps once in the city's history, it was sunny!  Seattle was as lush and beautiful as always with the best architecture for miles.  While it always has been known as a music capital of sorts, I was surprised by the number of hipsters I spied milling about looking coolly glum in their slim slacks and plaid shirts.  While plaid has long been a favorite of the preppies from Ralph Lauren and Gossip Girl,  it covered Seattle in a nice cozy flannel way that was much edgier than the way Scottish lads wear their kilts.

However, Seattle-native Chris Benz's designs contain not a drop of this age-old pattern, and while he references Seattle as one of his primary inspirations, he looks to the colors of the Polartec Fleeces worn by the city-dwellers, and not the grunge legacy of Kurt Cobain.  For those who inhabit northern climates, fleeces are a particularly common sight though not a particularly fashionable one, which is why I was so interested by his choice.  This prodigious young talent interned under Marc Jacobs before starting his own label in 2007.  His unusual color palette and exquisite skill makes him quite the up-and-comer...

Printastic

While this may be old news for some, I was ecstatic beyond belief to hear that H&M is pairing with Marimekko to create a line of colorful spring clothes.

Swedish H&M has long been a favorite among shoppers for its cheap stylish clothes and accessories, and now that it is teaming with Finnish design house Marimekko, we can expect some outrageous prints.

The Sartorialist

Scott Schuman was director of men's fashion at Bergdorf Goodman before started snapping pictures of beautifully dressed men and women on the street.

He posted his pictures onto a website, and that's where it all began.  Now he works with GQ and French Vogue to capture the latest in street style.

His images are always beautiful and he truly does manage to find gems in the most unlikely of places (Chinatown included!).

Within recent years, there's been an influx of street style photog blogs, with another fabulous and more European-centered one being Facehunter.

However, the Sartorialist is my favorite one of its kind because in it the pictures and text are so intimate and give such great attention to detail.  (Above is Colette Rousseaux of Colette in Paris!).

Headstart

Now that New York's fashion week is over, we can have fun looking back at all that we saw.

One trend that I spotted was the number of unusual hats that appeared all across town.  The following two are from Friday night's Marc Jacobs show (/Sonic Youth concert).

Marc said he got the idea for the triangular hat from pictures of Paul Revere, an original source if I ever heard of one.

The next two are from the Ralph Lauren collection, and I was struck by their modernity and unique appendages.  Definitely something Isabella Blow would have worn.

This beige fedora, though not unusual in shape is unique in color choice, and appeared at the Vera Wang show.

And the last comes from 3.1 Philip Lim, who seems to have added a peacock feather and a curled brim.

Wang-Doodle

Alexander Wang is only 23 years old.  But that's not the only reason his clothes are so cool.  A former intern of Marc Jacobs, Wang's clothes are edgy but wearable, form-fitting but laid-back.  

In this cute interview, he talks about his own personal style and how he is particularly attracted to the skateboarder culture, and how the clothes he designs are inspired by skater's girlfriends.

His color palate For fall/winter 08 consists mostly of blacks, greys, and neutrals, though lacking in vibrancy certainly are given a kick by minute details such as chains attached to ripped jean shorts.

Jane Birkin, Je T'aime... Moi Non Plus

When asked what her inspiration was behind her f/w 08 line, designer Charlotte Ronson pointed to France's (and Britain's) 60s and 70s icon, and one of my favorites, Jane Birkin.  

British born Jane first came into the spotlight when she became the girlfriend of French pop star, Serge Gainsbourg (2nd and 4th pictures).  Always beautiful, she was known for her style, dramatic bangs, and the "orgasm" featured in the duet she did with Serge on "Je T'aime...Moi Non Plus" (1969). 

Not to mention, she is the mother of both Charlotte Gainsbourg (top) and Lou Doillon (bottom), two fashionistas in their own rights.  Notice how they wear their mother's trademark bangs.

Wayyyy too much wayfarer

While I love Ray Ban Wayfarers as much as anyone, I knew some sort of line was crossed when I saw not only Ashlee Simpson wearing them, but Zac Efron, Lindsay Lohan, and Fergie.  Yikes!  I started getting some serious doubt when the trend managed to penetrate my school, a boarding school in a bubble, and it was among the BOYS no less.  Anyways, Lily Allen has reignited some hope in me for these iconic shades with her choice of a lovely olive green pair from Chanel!  Way to go Lily!

Atlas Sound

Deerhunter was one of the biggest break-out bands of 2007, due in part to notoriously nasty Pitchfork giving them one of the best ratings of the year.  Although Deerhunter is on a "hiatus" right now (whatever that means), Bradford Cox has started a side project known as Atlas Sound.  While I am always impressed with what comes out of Atlanta, Georgia-born Cox, the Orange Ohms EP blew me away.  Check it out.

baby take a bow

There were bows galore at Proenza Schouler's f/w 08 show in NY yesterday.  

While bows are normally Erin Fetherston's forte, I like how they've managed to do them here while avoiding the whole clown-with-a-bow-tie look.
Another trend at Jack and Lazaro's show were these really rich jewel tones, such as emerald green, deep purple, blue, with some splashes of pink! (Note the shoes on the model above).