Who What Wear Daily Feature

Here's my WWWD Myspace Muse feature that was up on their Myspace page (should I say Myspace again?) in October. Sadly they didn't run it on their actual page...not yet anyway. Still all very fun though!

Article:

1) Favorite designers (daily, going out, events)?

I LOVED what Paulo Melim Andersson did for Chloe this fall - sheer orange dropwaist minidress, black zippered dress, high waisted mirrored miniskirt, ink-splotch abstract dress, slitted ankle boots...so on point (realized only after I properly lamented the end of Chloe's ethereal/girl about London dresses and '70s inspired accessories. Sigh.) Also loved Burberry Prorsum's silhouette with the belted coats, opaque tights, and elbow-length leather gloves. Miuccia for consistently glorious accessories, Olivier for Nina Ricci because if I was a fairy princess with access to modern design I would dress solely in items from his most recent collection.

2)Favorite up-and-coming designers?

I have been waiting patiently for Uli from Project Runway to come out with a line of non-cheesy beach-appropriate garb - where is she!!

3)Favorite stores (clothes, shoes, cosmetics, accessories, vintage, home, gifts, ONLINE preferably)?

Shopbop for wistfully adding items to my shopping cart that will never actually be purchased ooh and browsing their highly inspiring lookbook, FCUK (have I been unjustly ignoring them for the past ten years or did they just step up their game about 68,000 notches?) for cheeky detailed almost-too-short dresses, Aloha Rag ( aloharag.com) for obscure jewelry, being able to grope so much Balenciaga at the same time, and their adorable Japanese staff who tolerate said groping, Topshop when the desire overcomes my resistance to $20 shipping, freepeople.com for insanely pretty pixie-ish dresses, American Apparel for basics, the occasional semi-questionable lame purchase, and the best actually-warm thigh highs I have ever owned, eBay for unique vintage jewelry and vintage boots and the occasional board game (and my beloved vintage ebay store - Treasure Chest Vintage!!), St. Tropez Leisure ( sttropezleisure.com) for lingerie that kills, APC for smugly thinking "I'm wearing APC".


4) Who are your personal style icons?

Melanie Huynh at French Vogue - fellow half-Asian girl that gets to absorb Carine all day? Yes I'm jealous. Natasha Poly - complete mastery of the tough/pretty thing that Lucky magazine is always going on about and her seemingly vast collection of Chanel bags. Ashley Olsen because she doesn't annoy me when she wears leggings. Also, Clemence Poesy, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kate Hudson, Melanie Laurent, Lily Donaldson, and Valentine Fillol-Cordier, all for knowing how to wear clothes that suit them.


5) Favorite new trends?

The shrunken leather jacket, high waist but not for jeans, riding boots, long sleeved minidresses, oversized clutches, feathers, nude patent heels, LWDs, stained lips, black sequins, plaid, lack of color in outfits (black, gray, cream, white palette), t-strap or ankle strap flats (so sick of plain ballets, sorry), metallics, big annoying chains on bags, non-matching bikinis, leather bags with wide canvas cross-body straps, the new Prada stockings, mirrored shades, textured shift minidresses, pyramid studs.

Still loving: electric blue, beach hair, sweater dresses, gladiator sandals, playsuits, Chloe's platform Oxfords from last winter, Maryjanes, tent dresses, slouchy berets.

6) Trend you're over?

Always looking like you might be going to the gym at any given moment, denim skirts with leggings (duh), Wayfarers, fake bags, ahhh and those WEIRD Vera Bradley bags that I will never understand.

7) What is the best purchase you've ever made and why?

Well it was a gift but my black Balenciaga city is by far my favorite - suits my wardrobe perfectly and just gets better with time. And my vintage woven leather Bally shoulder bag with gold chain straps that I scored for $3 at a thrift store in San Francisco.


8) Beauty tips? (favorite products, how you keep your skin looking great, the best colorist/facialist/manicurist in town)

Tips I've gotten from other girls that actually make a difference - use a Sonia Kashuk eyelash comb to realize how pathetic (and tame) all the plastic ones you've used are, ELF's eyelash curler is perfect and um 99 cents, white shimmery color at the inner corners of the eyes to instantly look made up and alert, that aspirin honey mask really works, Almay makes the best eye makeup remover, Maybelline waterproof Volum' Express mascara won't kill the curl, Milani's blushes (especially Luminous and Glimmer Stripes in Honey) are really finely milled and induce "the glow", if I use Tigi's After Party or Paul Mitchell's Skinny Serum it doesn't matter how awful my conditioner is, Urban Decay liquid eyeliner won't budge after a full night of partying, and the only red lip color I'll go near is L'oreal's Colour Juice Stick in Cherry Freeze.

9) Right now, every girl needs a _____ ? (gold metallic clutch, pair of black platforms, deep red lipstick etc.)

pair of Tom Ford sunglasses.

10) If you could raid anyone's closet, who would it be and why? (ideally not obvious icons like Sienna Miller, Kate Moss)

Melanie Huynh's, so I could dive Ebenezer-style through a mountain of holy grail ankle boots, perfectly cut military coats in navy and black, cozy slouchy sweater dresses, Chloe wooden platforms, Miu Miu pumps, and sparkly Paris-worthy party dresses...that Givenchy Nightingale bag looks handy too. And in my mind she is a beneficiary of Carine's cast-offs and shops in the French Vogue sample closet.

11) Favorite places to go out?

My secrets :)

12) Music that's on your iPod right now? (Top 5 bands/songs you're obsessed with and why)

I'm kind of bored by a lot of the music out right now. Which probably means I'm boring. But a lot of Middle Eastern and Portuguese music lately. Secondhand Serenade when I'm feeling plaintive. Country music for driving. Kylie for the gym.

13) What do you buy at the newsstand?

LULA!! W, Nylon, British Elle, Lucky, Vogue, Bazaar, i-D. And Junior Mints.

14) Where do you go to stock up on great, inexpensive items?

I honestly think I have more fun hunting around for treasures at Forever21 or thrift stores than being surrounded by widely coveted goods at Bloomingdale's or something. I peruse one particular Forever21 outpost so often that a salesgirl there sees me carrying my booty around and proclaims things like "That is so you!", proceeds to show me other items she thinks I might appreciate, and is actually right. I should probably consider paying her. Some of my most prized items in my closet are from there, from embroidered cutout detail tent dresses and perfectly cut skinny jeans to floaty bohemian printed dresses and black opaque tights. I pretty much only buy their cotton and silk things though. Nine West wins hands down for well designed heels at affordable prices...plus their 4-inchers are almost weirdly comfortable.

15) If you had $1000 to blow on one item for Fall what would it be?

Burberry nude patent ankle boots..I would wear them with EVERYTHING. Or a vintage Chanel bag.

16) What item of your wardrobe do you rely on during the fall?

Flat boots, with dresses and tights, jeans, and shorts - I find them sexy in a noncommittal, semi-nonchalant way. Especially if there are buckles involved.

17) What style secrets do you have right now?

One look I've been loving is cozying up a made-for-summer Missoni looking knit dress with a gray slouchy beret, opaque tights, patent platform Maryjanes, a smart cropped jacket, and a bunch of layered short necklaces. I also really want to find a longer military-ish parka to toughen up little dresses with.