Tapes 'n Tapes

Insistor


Cowbell

Tapes 'n Tapes has got me all in a tizzy. Check out the videos for two quite palatable songs from their last album.

Wanted!

Gossip Boy

I have absolutely no intention of watching CW's "Gossip Girl," but that doesn't mean you should ignore Chace Crawford, the so-called Ryan Atwood on this "The O.C." wanna-be. Especially not when he's been photographed by Terry Richardson, who can make even Lindsay Lohan look desirable.

Young, Dumb, and Oh So Fun...

Paris Reviews - Lanvin S/S 2008

Catherine McNeil

Raquel Zimmerman

Sasha Pivovarova

Elsa Sylvan

Serafima Vakulenko

Alber Elbaz pulled off a feat in his latest collection. He created one of the most refreshing, directional collections in Paris, all without resorting to the typical theatrics that lesser designers use to engage their audience. In fact, Elbaz created a collection of flowing, gathered shifts and gowns, and, here's the kicker, all in polyester jersey. The result was breathtaking. Using a palette that ranged from rich, conservative neutrals to modern, deeply saturated brights, Elbaz's fan base of gloriously chic women could easily replace their entire wardrobes. There were belted day dresses, easy blouses, and slick pencil skirts for work, incredibly airy gowns and sparkling sheaths for night, and a handful of satin shorts, tuxedos and trenches just because. Absolutely stunning and sure to fly out the doors next spring.

Lanvin is available in Seattle at Barneys New York, Mario's, and Nordstrom.

More Parent's Weekend Fasion Show

There are suspiciously few pictures of either me or my model...

Parent's Weekend Fashion Show!

More to come...

Movie Watch!

I haven't had time to review the last seven movies I've seen, so I'll keep it quick:

1) Secretary - Love and masochism find a way to co-exist in this twisted tale set in a law office. Starring Maggie Gyllenhaal (good) and James Spader (weird) in a somewhat slow, very dark and very dry romantic comedy (?) of sorts. 5/10

2) The Ten - Somewhat uneven collection of ten vignettes based on the ten commandments. Uproariously hilarious at times, painfully drab at others, it goes to show just how useless Jessica Alba is as a human being. 6.5/10

3) Get Real - Decent tale of young gay love between a middle-class sweetheart and a wealthy jock. A fairly good watch, but it felt like a play (likely because it was based on a play). 6/10

4) Beautiful Thing - Bland, indistinct tale of young gay love in a London housing project. Bore me. 4/10

5) Black Book - The director of such masterpieces as Showgirls and Starship Troopers (as well as RoboCop and Basic Instinct) returns with this sharp (if slightly too long) look at World War II from the eyes of a beautiful young Jewish woman willing to do what she had to do to last through the war in Nazi-occupied Netherlands. 7.5/10

6) Avenue Montaigne - Exceptionally charming tale of a gamine young woman from the country who moves to Paris to change her life. Like a modern Amelie, except with slightly less magical charm and more of a realism slant on Parisian romance. Very good watch. 8/10

7) Latter Days - Story of a Mormon missionary in L.A. that falls in love with his manwhore neighbor, which results in all sorts of trouble. Campy beyond belief, more known for its sex scenes than anything else, but Steve Sandvoss is undeniably attractive. Watch it on mute. 5/10

More pictures and full reviews to come...

WTF - Sesame Street + James Blunt

I have no words.

Skankariffic - Michiel Huisman

Yea. Sorry. Actually, no, I'm not sorry. He's hot.

Fall In Love With Pushing Daisies (and Lee Pace)

"Pushing Daisies" is just about the greatest new television series that I've basically ever seen. It far outpaces every series this season, and pretty much every series in the past few years. The last show I watched that started this well was "The O.C." (and we all know how that one turned out). Luckily, this show relies on limitless charm and fantasy, with endless possibilities on the horizon. It seriously feels like a Tim Burton movie. One of his better works. Absolutely adorable Lee Pace stars as Ned, who has the power to bring back people from the dead with one touch. The deal is that he can question them for one minute, at which point he must touch them again to send them back to their death forever, or else somebody else dies in their place. It's a somewhat slippery premise, but with the writing of Bryan Fuller and the direction of Adam Kane and Barry Sonnenfeld, it's completely impossible not to be drawn into Ned's spectacular world. After his childhood love and first kiss Charlotte (who he calls Chuck) is found murdered on a cruise, Ned brings her back and doesn't give her the final touch of death. Their rekindled romance is both heart-wrenching and delightfully, sincerely, and hopelessly romantic. Chuck, played by Anna Friel, is such a revelation. Friel has all the quirky attraction that Zooey Deschanel has made her name on, but without any of the Hollywood pretense. Pace is equally amazing, balancing lonely longing with giddy hope with just a look. Even the supporting cast is amazing, with Kristen Chenoweth, Chi McBride, Swoosie Kurtz, and Ellen Greene all cast perfectly for their roles. You just can't miss this show. 10/10.

Luxury Shopping in Bellevue Update!

Now that the Canadian dollar is on par with its American counterpart, it's (sadly) no longer practical for Seattleites to hoof it up to Vancouver and go for broke. Even as Vancouver's gorgeous new Holt Renfrew opens, there's still a lot to look forward to in our own backyard. For one thing, The Bravern, Schnitzer West's bid at building Bellevue's luxury status, has already confirmed Neiman Marcus as the anchor tenant. Now, Jimmy Choo and Hermès have both confirmed as retail tenants, with Ralph Lauren and Salvatore Ferragamo rumored to be looking into the project. At the same time, Kemper Freeman Jr., the man who created The Bellevue Collection, is also hoping to capture the luxury market. While plans for a Saks Fifth Avenue in Bellevue seem to have halted, Freeman is indeed still interested in bringing luxury retailers to the area, something he's been planning for a long time. Bellevue Square is about to undergo a much-needed facelift, and even mid-market stores like Banana Republic, Williams-Sonoma, and Pottery Barn will all be expanded. It seems like the sky's the limit for Bellevue upscale retail. So what does this mean for Seattle? Apparently, a rivalry is in the making. Who will win? The affluent consumer, sans doubt.

UPDATE:

Part of the problem with the downtown Nordstrom getting Prada RTW would have been the proximity of other stores that carry Prada within two blocks. Namely, Mario's and Barneys pretty much have Seattleites covered in terms of their Prada needs. Mario's (just a block over) has carried Prada for quite some time, and their selection consists of several classic pieces that more conservative types like to wear, while Barneys (now across the street from Nordstrom) has a tightly-edited but more fashion-forward selection of Prada clothing. Between these two locations, there may not have been a need to oversaturate the two-block radius around downtown Nordstrom with even more Prada clothing. While there may be enough business to carry Prada shoes at all three of these places, the market for Prada RTW certainly requires a different kind of consumer.

2ND UPDATE:

Apparently, Aritzia and Lacoste are both coming to Bellevue Square in the next year, meaning the contemporary market is going to see plenty of growth in Bellevue, with Sway & Cake and Nordstrom's Via C, Savvy, and TBD departments already carrying many of the same brands.