A couple of weeks ago I was able to attend the Dietch PR Fall 2010 Press Day Event at the Launch Pad Showroom in Lower Manhattan. First of all, it was an honor to be able to view some of these incredible, up and coming talent coming out of the West Coast. One of the collections I was excited to see was Le Sang des Betes which I had written about before. On top of that there were all of these amazing designers that I hadn’t heard about before.

I was blown away by the talent of the designers showcased, i.e. Gabby Applegate, who is completely self-taught but you wouldn’t be able to tell by some of the designs. I think I need the backstabber coat in my closet like now. Leather and mohair jackets – yes please!

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How is it that I still don’t have any jewelry from Digby & Iona???

I first wrote about them back in 2007 because of this awesome stag ring.

I still covet it.

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Hello!

This Monday is a little damp and dreary. Perusing the interwebs I found the perfect dress to beat those Monday blues. If I Only Had a Heart dress by Alexandra Grecco on Etsy.

♥ the alchemist

I love that design houses are releasing little videos to accompany their latest collections. Making a visual 3-5min representation of your work is an added bonus that just watching models saunter down catwalks wearing the clothes.

One of the first mini-videos I ever fell in love with was Erin Fetherston’s Wendybird directed by acclaimed Ellen Von Unwerth. Here is Vanessa Bruno’s Printemps 2010 collection starring Lou Doillon.

vanessa bruno- printemps été 2010 from maggieontherocks on Vimeo.

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I have a thing about jewelry, especially rings. Bigger=Better. Bolder=Better. Except for a few keepsake rings I have, the majority of my rings are either huge, cocktail, vintage or a combination of all.

This is why I have a thing for these wooden rings from I Am Dorkas. Yes, wooden! Plus, they have a sculptural beauty to them that I really love.

Look at how gorgeous the Riptide ring is. Good thing it can be resized because I’m seriously thinking that I might need this in my jewelry life :

Or the aptly named, Lights Out, which really packs a punch.

The Time Stamp ring is a hand-hammered brass two-finger beauty:

Designer Mariana Dorkas Jamadi has made this business a family affair working with both her mother and her beau to create stunning jewelry and lovely textiles. I’m looking forward to seeing what else they churn out.

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I missed the opportunity last year to write about the sadness and shock I felt when Michael Jackson passed; a childhood hero, a person who shaped pop culture forever. As more and more time passed, it started to feel like there was no real way for me to talk about that influence from the King of Pop.

Life is fragile and each one is precious. It’s hard to explain to someone how a person you’ve never met or knew could impact you in such a huge way. Lee Alexander McQueen is one such person. An enormous inspiration in my fashion aesthetic, his genius could be felt and appreciated by many. Someone who used their creativity to the maximum, always pushing the boundaries, bringing something new to the table. This kind of innovative freedom is what I strive for and want to nurture and appreciate in others.

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During New York Fashion Week, I went to the Untitled 11:11 fashion show and I was blown away by the clothes and the presentation. I saw their debut collection last year at Williamsburg Fashion Weekend which literally left me speechless, so I was really anticipating something equally amazing.

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Around this time of year, it always happens like clock-work. I start getting tired of winter, of all the cold and the slushy ice and my mind drifts to spring and the thought of wearing outfits without having to be bundled up under a wool coat.

Spring dresses, sandals, frolicking in the grass without shoes. I also immediately associate spring with bright colors, patterns and a general sense of happiness.

Looking at Risto Bimbiloski’s Spring/Summer 2009 collection, I don’t get that same candy-colored neverland that I imagine. Instead the palette is neutral in black and white but that doesn’t stop me from wanting a few items.

I am in love with this knit dress and shrug!!!

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I found this set on Flickr by Jolis Paons who created a paper dress out of old phone books.

It looks incredible and it immediately made me think of past Project Runways seasons and I know there was a similar challenge but did not produce anything so stunning.

Jolis sewed, pleated, stuck and glued everything by hand.  AMAZING…

I would so wear this… on a clear and cloudless day of course!

click here for more amazing pics

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Okay, by now my love for Rodarte is pretty much solidified. Those sisters can basically do no wrong in my eyes. I want to hang out with them and absorb some of their amazing creativity.

Can we sip tea, while talking about J-horror films and doodling on pads of papers?

Maybe?

Especially after watching this little gem of a movie with Jenny Lewis, owls and Rodarte’s clothes. Let’s not even talk about those amazing tights that are still haunting me. Must. have. them. soon.

Here’s a brief description of the film:

“Rodarte’s interpretation of modern women has taken a darker turn with their A/W 2008 collection, inspired by Japanese horror films, and accordingly, ’Vox Humana’- Latin for ‘Human Voice’ – examines this decidedly sinister side of their design ethos. Featuring one of the sisters’ signature (and suitably distressed) ‘slasher’ dresses in plucked and laddered mohair, a setting straight from their Californian hometown and a melancholy soundtrack sung by their grandmother in the 1940s, Vox Humana is a resolutely personal creation. Nevertheless, as with their painstakingly handwrought creations, it represents a new aesthetic with major global impact.”

Enjoy!!

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This year’s Williamsburg Fashion Weekend was a two-day extravaganza filled with independent designers with great aesthetics set in an amazing venue.
Secret Project Robot Gallery provided the backdrop for the event which added to the festive, creative energy in the air. Arthur Arbit, founder of Williamsburg Fashion Weekend, wanted to create an event for designers who are not necessarily eager to be mainstream and are willing to take more chances.
One thing that I loved was that all of these Brooklyn-based designers use eco-friendly and fair-trade materials. The designers who showed on the first night, Friday were SDN, Compai and King Gurvy. What I liked about the shows were the presentation of the designs, art meets fashion in a very installation type of way which made it all the more interesting to observe.
SDN by Marcus Hicks was a dark show with interesting silhouettes and a fantastic, edgy mood.

Compai by Faith and Justina Blakeney showcased their one-of-a-kind limited edition pieces made from recycled materials. I loved all of the quirky details in this particular show including the use of vintage gloves as embellishments.

Last but not least, King Gurvy by Arthur Arbit showed pieces that reflected his love of using recycled materials to create wearable pieces for both men and women.

The 2nd night kicked off with Untitled 11:11′s debut collection which I was simply blown away by.

The show was infused with a flight theme with the models acting like flight attendants and besides the beautiful designs, the styling of the show was perfection. There were some really amazing dresses that I drooled over as they passed by. The models helped to make the show interactive when they passed out in-flight treats to the audience. Honestly wherever designers, David Peck and Laurel Anderson were taking us I would follow in several of their amazing creations!

Next was Racecar, a new menswear line from designer Jeannette Tiso which is a collection of handmade vests. There were some great looks in there that would be perfect on those cool guys in your life.

The last show was a combination of three designers, Sodafine, Dear Birthday and Treehouse Boutique. All the models went to a picnic in the middle of the space and popped champagne and ate apples while wearing interesting pieces.

All in all, I was amazed by the scope of talent from the designers who while they all had their own unique aesthetic were united in their quest for bringing something new and fresh to the fashion scene.

Here are some behind the scenes shots:






for more pics of the event, check out the Williamsburg fashion weekend flickr pool

special thanks to Tom McAlister for all of his help!
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I love Rebecca Turbow’s design aesthetic and her video for Spring 2009 is frantic, interesting and just plain cool.

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