Let the Games Begin

Twice a year, every year, fashion junkies to magazine editors and everyone in between emerge from their respective corners of society and congregate in the name of fashion. The occasion means something different for everyone. For some, it is a way to get seen. For others, it is a way to get heard. No matter who it is, though, these people share a mutual appreciation for an art form as timeless and controversial as history itself. Fashion Week is a "shining beacon of hope," in the words of Nigel from The Devil Wears Prada, for those who can only see their dreams come to fruition with their eyes closed.

Three years ago, Vogue and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) created the ultimate global event to alert the world of fashion's boundless influence. Fashion's Night Out is one of the only successful methods I have seen of blurring the line between the fashion world and the real world. Despite the fact that I feel that the night's festivities have become more exclusive and inaccessible for the average person to enjoy to its fullest capacity, it's easy to get lucky--or know exactly where to go--and have an unforgettable experience. Last year, I met some of my and the world's favorite bloggers, designers, and icons. At the time, I had no idea that the Man Repeller would know who I am after a few months, or that I would meet up with Emily Weiss for tea one day after school. Perhaps in the future I will get to know Jason Wu. But for now, I am on the path to forging relationships (I dream big, guys, you know that. Go big or go home. Isn't that the NASCAR tagline or something? Or just the motto of the southern United States?) with people I see daily on my computer screen and covering the pages of magazines. As a friend put it the other day, "It's not fair. I only get to see these people on Hulu and you get to meet them." If we're talking fairness, I don't know if I can agree with him on that. But I try to remember everyday what this blog and Fashion Week have done for me. The shows I see in the tents (and online) are about the seamless amalgamation of artistry, commerce, cult-like obsession, subjective beauty, and evolution. At least that's how I see it. For me, Fashion Week reminds me that this is all real.

When I saw Anna Dello Russo standing a few feet in front of me on 5th Avenue on Thursday night, I freaked out. I have pictures of her saved on my laptop. I've watched her every sartorial move (take that lightly, I'm not a stalker, just an avid street style follower) since I first saw her on Harper's Bazaar's website god-knows-when. She is a modern fashion icon among the ranks of Daphne Guinness and their slightly elderly fellow fashion devotee Iris Apfel. When she turned around and I saw her face and heard her speaking rapidly in Italian, I couldn't wrap my head around what was happening. Incidentally, I was on the phone and my camera was in my backpack, so I just started shout-whispering profanities at my friend on the other line and my mom who was standing next to me. I thrust the phone into her hand, and, by my mother's urging nonetheless, bolted (safely, always wait for the walk light, kiddies) across the street to stalk her like there was no tomorrow. Consider her thoroughly paparazzi'd. It was crazy how she seemed totally unfazed by me getting up so close with my flashbulb going off all over the place. She's used to it.

That was my Fashion's Night Out. Photographic documentation can be found below.

[Photos by me.]

La mère sippin' free champagne and livin' it up. Pinkies out! 

I had to take a picture of this girl's shirt. It was too good to pass up. Whoever created it is a genius. 

Miss Dello Russo herself, rocking what I originally assumed was Versace, but I am unsure of what she's actually wearing. Beauty, that's what. 

[EDIT: it is Versace.]

That is one hefty cut-out, wouldn't you say?

And she's still here! She was probably telling all of her Italian friends what a creep I am. That's why that guy was laughing in the first picture of her. 

Fashion Week and the beginning of sophomore year are a horrid mix, in case you ever thought the combination could work harmoniously. I won't give you any of the details of my troubles because they'll just making me sound terribly ungrateful and snooty. That's not what the vibe is about.

In the past two days alone, I've had awesome interactions with some of my favorite bloggers from all ova da place who knew who I am, like Stacey Belko of Devorelebeaumonstre, Nadia Sarwar of FrouFrouu, and Claire Geist of De Lune. I attended my first show of the season on Friday night, Erin Barr. It was an awesome presentation that I will be sharing with you when time permits. I won't be as consistent with my Fashion Week updates as last season because it is the first week of school, but it will be up eventually. As stressful as everything is, I've just got to remember, as my friend Elly has taught me, "I-i-i-i-i--inner peace."

If you're in New York, all eyes/lenses are on us.

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Nailed It

In addition to McKayla Maroney's stick landing in the Olympics, other things that have been nailed: nails of the finger variety. I've always been intrigued by painted phalanges, but recently I've been particularly drawn (no pun intended--jaykay, my puns are always intended) to the artistry of them. The possibilities are becoming progressively more endless as people begin to open their minds to the prospect of neon-glitter nails and intense designs. The door to the industry of nail art has swung open wide, and with it has come a sea of people ready to jump on the band wagon. WAH Nails, for example, is a company that opened in 2009 in England and has now expanded to New York. Blogs have been posting nail art tutorials and DIYs left and right, so all of the sudden--as in at the beginning of the summer--I've become enamored with the idea of painting my fingers in fancy and inventive ways. When I paint my nails, they better be a work of art or I rub the lacquer off and start again. Remember these red sparkle explosions from the winter? Those made an incredible statement even when I wore the most boring of outfits (which I tried to keep to a minimum).

Fashion Week is creeping up upon us quite rapidly, so in light of that, I thought I'd inspire you all--and myself--with a lilabet (lilabet = a little bit; courtesy of Elly Goetz) of photos displaying nail art in its prime. I intend to try several/all of these out, at least one before my internship (what?!).

The Cherry Blossom Girl's Alix is one of the most put-together and classy-as-hayl people I've ever seen. I tried to rock the same design as she did on my nails before I realized that she had done it(I even used gold in the same place she did), but it was a complete failure.

Find her tutorial here.

Shini from Park & Cube has some surrious skillz when it comes to decorating fingernails. Those gradients are dainty and painterly. 

Find her tutorial here. 

Annabel Wendt of LoveMore is one of the coolest Australians I've seen to date (although I know some pretty cool Australians), and her extremities are no exception. These nails are so recreate-able that I just might have to do it. 

Ivania of Love Aesthetics is a whiz at doing crazy shiz to her fingers. Exhibit A: paint-splattered nails. So Jackson Pollock. 

Find her instructions here.

Ivania does it again, this time with an even simpler, more minimalistic design. These are a perfect example of a "Hey, I can do that!" sort of project. 

Find her instructions here. 

Don't leave your nails naked. You wouldn't want to walk out of the house with nothing on, right? Don't answer that question.

It's the weekend! Olympics? Beach? Burritos?

P.S. Expect a DIY minus the D, the I, and the Y (unless you are masochistic or own a darning needle and a shizton of time and patience) in the near future.

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Can I Have Your Closet: Eleanor Goetz

Note: An ungodly amount of parentheses follow this sentence; continue reading if you think you can handle it. 

Eleanor Goetz (but everyone calls her Elly, so we will too) is one of those people you don't find all too often. She's a little wacko (in a Portlandia sort of way; it's a good thing for the most part), sometimes to the point where no one understands what she is talking about (remember when I told you she says things like, "Uganda dobby gureli!" expecting people to get what she means?). The other phrase she says frequently is, "Anita lilabet a Lucy," meaning "I need a little bit of loose leaf." You'd be surprised how often she can slip that one into conversation. In addition to her oddities, Elly has a unique sense of style. Reoccurring themes: sweaters, animals, one dangling earring and one stud (one time she had both in one hole, which sounds quite painful to me. She confirmed that it was.), scarves. Another constant fact about Elly is that she is always adorable. It's kind of her catchphrase. The alternative to that one is, "Elly Goetz, such a badass," but that one's used more sarcastically, like that time she left science class two minutes early. 

There's something very natural about Elly; it might be because she doesn't wear make-up and is still pretty (Octavia is the same way), or how she's almost always smiling and/or laughing. She's just a fun little bubble-tea-and-Portlandia-and-Park-Slope-and-Florence-and-the-Machine-loving munchkin. 

Enjoy our somewhat unrevealing interview (that's why I wrote kind of a lot about her): 

Elly: Hi.

Odelia: Hi. Okay, how would you describe your style?

Elly: Um...Fun?

Odelia: Like a munchkin? Anything else?

Elly: Pretty munchkin-ish...There's a lot of animals involved in my style.

Odelia: A lot of sweaters?

Elly: Yes! Sweaters are my life.

Odelia: Who are your fashion icons and who do you admire aesthetically?

Elly: [Looks slightly frantic] No one. [Giggles] Myself, not even kidding, okay...

Odelia: Where are your favorite places to shop?

Elly: H&M...and H&M, and um, I go to Urban Outfitters, but not a lot. So mostly H&M.

Odelia: If you could own one fashion-related item right now that you don't have, what would it be?

Elly: [Pause] Hold on, I got this. [Pause] Can it be... a nose ring?

Odelia: Yeah! Of course it can.

Elly: Cool.

Odelia: Would you say that fashion is a big focus in your life?

Elly: No.

Odelia: No? You just let it be? Just whatever happens, happens?

Elly: Yeah.

Odelia: How about jewelry, earrings, how do you feel about that stuff?

Elly: I like jewelry! [Laughs]

Odelia: You have this whole, like, wearing one earring, one non-earring earring thing—

Elly: Yeah, it's just because I lose things easily. [Laughs]

Odelia: Okay! I think we're good—

Elly: Birds. Put a bird on it.

Photos by me. They were taken on different days--the first two on the same day, the last three on the same day. 

She wears these all the time. Put a bird on it, am I right?

You can tell she's an art major. 

Elly Goetz, always adorable! 

Birds, cats, animals in general are just kind of her thing. 

They have the same backpack! And our friend Ramona (and Lola), and probably lots of people in Iceland. 

Hooray! Up next week: Edith Hollander. Remember her? 

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