#30) ultimate eye candy: john galliano glass and enamel necklace

i know, i know...it's april. hardly the time to be thinking of fall, but in the world of fashion i'm already late. i sort of missed fall 08 fashion because i had some personal/family things happening and it was the first time i haven't gone to cover the shows in a few years. lately my mind's been buried in my spring/summer 09 designs and so i decided to take a little break this morning and check out all the fall accessories, plus it's always nice as a designer to see where your ideas lie in the overall continuum of fashion. candy pratts price did an amazing job putting together the best of bags, boots, and jewels for fall over at style.com-- 571 picks altogether(!) believe it or not, i went through every single one and picked out my favorites. it was impossible to even think about making it a top 10 list, so i thought it might be fun to leave you with a little weekend eye candy. for better or worse, here are my top 30 picks for fall:

#29) marni horn and resin cuff
there's a lot of sea-inspired jewelry for fall--coral, shells, and other maritime motifs, mostly shown in gunky clunky clusters around the neck. maybe it's me, but having heavy things bunched up around my neck makes me feel claustrophobic. i thought this cuff captures a lot of the essence of the trend in a more wearable form.



#28) christian lacroix heart-shaped necklace with stone detail
that said, if you are going to wear something big around your neck, why not wear your heart?



#27) etername enamel bracelet with sapphire and white gold
this lavender bracelet will compliment all of fall's deep purples.



#26) delphina delettrez elephant ring
i love oversized rings and this is the best one i've seen for fall.



#25) bottega veneta white gold and diamond bracelet
there's something about this and it's weighty texture that just looks it would feel good on.



#24) tom binns sterling silver safety pin
i love everything about this--it's the kind of conceptual novelty piece that's rare--it (like totally) works!



#23) christian lacroix satin multi-strap sandal with crystal detail
these are a lady-like take on the multi-strap trend for fall. pretty!



#22) manolo blahnik pony hair ankle boot
funny, circus colors are around for fall, and who better to do it with than manolo?



#21) bruno frisoni taffeta ruffle sandal
with the right dress this is a great evening shoe!



#20) michael kors rhinestone encrusted cameo heel
blingy, i know. but with a beautiful simple black dress, these could be stunning.



#19) christian dior suede pump with crystal detail
these would make you fall for your favorite little black dress all over again.



#18) donna karan suede peep-toe pump with crystal studs
i just love these. they would work even with jeans.



#17) christian lacroix ankle boot
spats are big for fall and not my favorite look, but these are subtle spats and the knot gives the boots just the right amount of je ne sais quois.



#16) lanvin mid-calf patent boot
as it turns out, in the season of "the shoe", my favorite looks are all boots. these three (#16-#14) are amazing in my opinion, each one better than the next!



#15) valentino boots
these would just make every day boot-wearing so pretty...



#14) miu miu leather lace-up boots
ugh. i just hate it when fashion gets to me like this--i think i might truly suffer if i don't get this pair!



#13) gucci
on to bags now. sorry everyone, i know shoes trump bags these days, but i will always be a bag lady at heart. this one just squeaked into the line-up, i've never approved of logo fabric, but it's pretty cute, right?



#12) emilio pucci patent leather tote
another big logo (eek!) but somehow pucci can get away with it, at least in my book. it feels more happy than your usual fall bag, maybe it's the summery shape combined with bright purple patent and great handles.



#11) lanvin pantent leather pise handbag
a great black bag with a little punch.



#10) renaud pellegrino leather uma bag with cabochons
a bag to brighten the dreariest of days!



#9) chloe leather shoulder bag
another great day bag.



#8) missoni patent top-handle bag
this is a super cool take on your grandma's bag.



#7) marc jacobs patent clutch
i like it. it's simple and the baby pink will really pop against fall's textures and deep colors.



#6) lanvin grose grain drape handbag
i can't imagine saying no to this handbag.



#5) tod's leather diamond lock handbag with patent trim
this is where it gets hard because each one of these could be my #1 choice for best fall 08 accessory. i'm rating this one #5 only because the colors and utilitarian shape may seem a little boring to you--although it pains me because it's so my cup of tea--a real working bag that's also luxurious.



#4) mulberry suede dahlia clutch
yum!



#3) mulberry leather maggie handbag
the color, the leather + patent, and the size--it's altogether fantastic.



#2) bottega veneta pleated goatskin shopper
perfection.



#1) alexander mcqueen brittania clutch
who cares that skulls are over? this clutch is insanely fabulous!

today i meant to post about the worldwide explosion melding art + fashion, but as i'm on deadline for a column, this will have to wait. instead, i thought i'd share a more mundane tale about decorating my house. you may remember an earlier post: more questions from the design challenged--that being me.

since writing that post, most of my design purchases have been straight-ahead functional (although the white couches are questionable). but a few months ago i thought i'd make a whimsical leap and put this bed (see above) in the master bedroom. very victorian modern, or at least maximalist to the point where it made me smile. i thought i could balanced the whole thing out with something incongruous like a david lachapelle photo across from the bed. sadly, it was not meant to be. i spent the morning waiting for the delivery of this headboard, thinking there was no way it could arrive damaged a third time...oops. while brocadehome was very nice about it and said they will refund me, i am still without a bed, and now without a box spring, as i gave mine away when the frame arrived two months before the headboard. why is it that re-doing an entire dress when the sleeve is wrong, or a tweaking a jewelry design never seems exhausting, but trying to get a mere bed delivered intact is so difficult? any one out there have the same problem? anyone??



well the good news is that this frees up the possibility of the moooi dandelion chandelier that i've been pining for lately...ah, but the bed, what to do?

i've never been too keen on the men's fashion sites--the intricate discussions about jacket skirts and peaked lapels always put me into a state of lucid dreaming. luckily it came to my attention that there's a site which actually addresses issues for guys who want to, well, not look like a toolbag. the first posting i read, top 10 ways to look like a total toolbag deals with almost every fashion faux pas i see on a regular basis at the supermarket near my house. even better, i love mb's suggestions on how to fix the problem--check out how to do hawaii right. it's about time someone addressed men's fashion with a sense of flair--well done! check out more reasons to dress better over at magnicentbastard.com.

sorry, today i've been slammed with work, but i wanted to at least share with you this little snippet of cape verdean music by lura--love the grainy color saturated old film look of the background--(my idea of true beach living). i'm running out to meet up with some friends and then hear her perform tonight--can't wait! more soon...

photos courtesy style.com; katy rodriguez

whether le rouge et le noir was meant to symbolize the church and the state or just love and death, stendhal's famed novel which portrays characters with opposing words and inner thoughts seems to capture the buttoned-up/sexy-goth zeitgeist of fall 08 fashion. for those of you who wouldn't regularly read style.com, i thought i'd take their hot legs round up and go a bit farther. risky, i know, considering the controversy around pantyhose that erupted here at tys last week. call it a girl can't help it moment--here's to "the happy few" who appreciate high fashion.


katy rodriguez


katy rodriguez


jean paul gaultier


alessandro dell'acqua


alessandro dell'acqua


vera wang


jasmine di milo


jasmine di milo


jasmine di milo


erin fetherston


zac posen


iceberg


lacoste


y3

and just for the heck of it, the black and the red...


vera wang


alessandro dell'acqua


alessandro dell'acqua

on friday i went to a press lunch l.a. louver held for london-based artist jason martin. his works have been included in many landmark exhibitions around the world, and oceania, the solo show of his new paintings is opening this thursday. if you're in los angeles, i recommend dropping by--the richness of the painting's saturated iridescent colors is even better in person.


primavera, 2007; courtesy l.a. louver

the title of jason martin's latest exhibition evokes all sorts of rousseau fantasies of the south pacific, but the mostly monochromatic oil-on-aluminum paintings themselves are open to interpretation. all sorts of analogies were bandied about at lunch--from turner and o'keefe to seaweed and of course, hair. the curves are created using brushes he has specially adapted and uses in an extremely physical way that record the movement of his body.


fin, 2007; courtesy l.a. louver

stay tuned, jason will be dropping by to chat with trust your style in the next few weeks.

oceania runs from april 17-may 17 at l.a. louver, 45 north venice boulevard, venice, ca 90291 telephone 310-822-4955

unless you've been hiding out in the most remote corner of the earth, you've probably noticed that the fashion world is all about florals right now--from stella mccartney’s sheer fields of wild flowers, dries van noten’s mix of leaves and buds, balenciaga’s baroque blooms, to marc jacobs posies galore.

i've been working on my beauty column for affluent magazine and thought i'd share some of the wonderful products of the season, which reflect blossom-mania at its best. true to the natural goodness of a great garden, these goodies will not only help you look beautiful, but they’re good for you!

bouquet of spring color

each polish in nubar’s pink rose bouquet collection is named after a rose. a favorite of jessica alba and scarlett johansen, the collection offers eight meaningful pinks from deep pink roses to symbolize gratitude and respect to light pink roses which express love and happiness. try tea rose petal, apricot silk, or camelot blossom for a sweet spring look. best of all, there's no need to suffer the consequences from the harsh toxins often found in nail polish--this brand is formaldehyde, phthlate, and toluene free! carcinogenic free nubar nail lacquer is available at www.bynubar.com.


nurture the natural

your skin will love the earthy goodness of amala's skin care collections. this new skin and body care collection is manufactured in germany, certified organic by ecocert, and strives to raise the bar in the "natural" beauty category. there are zero preservatives, petrochemicals, parabens, or genetically modified agents in this line. i could go on, but instead i will just urge you to try these wonderful products which are rich in organic, whole plant nutrients and contain healing botanicals from around the globe custom blended to rejuvenate, hydrate, purify and detoxify the skin. there are four collections to chose from: detoxify, which cleanses and smooths with myrtle; purify balances and heals skin with rare blue lotus; rejuvenate revitalizes the skin with cocoa bean; and hydrate quenches dehydrated skin with jasmine. amala cultivates their organic whole plant ingredients in their natural habitats around the world, partnering with local fair trade farmers in these regions. you can order products at www.amalabeauty.com.


painless blushing

keep your glow going with a set of vegan makeup brushes. animals shouldn't have to suffer just because you're adding a bit of color to your complexion, right? in keeping with the growing demand for cruelty-free beauty products, morphe brush company has now introduced a line of eco-friendly taklon vegan brushes. created by using an advanced technology of synthetic and natural fiber, these makeup brushes are comparable to animal hair brushes in both functionality and durability. the advantage of taklon brushes is their antibacterial properties. brush sizes and textures range from extremely soft to very coarse, making it perfect for the application of powders, creams, and liquids. you can purchase these brushes at www.morphebrushes.com.


fragrant feet

this is the season of luxurious sandals and there's no better way to keep your tootsies comfy than with fragrant footings by summer soles. every time you slip on your favorite pair of heels, these scented insoles will release subtle bursts of jasmine, mint or lemon, while cushioning your feet and absorbing foot perspiration. available in a full trim-to fit size as well as convenient ball-of-foot pads and three-quarter length mini's at www.summersoles.com.


healthy protection

since this is the month to watch your garden bloom, make sure to keep your skin safe from bugs and pests with theraneem herbal outdoor spray, a water-based spray with neem and other essential oils for your outdoor comfort. another great product by organixsouth is neem oil, their healthy botanical alternative to chemical pesticides, repellents and fertilizers. neem oil protects the environment, and in turn, our health and is widely used in india and other countries as a soil additive and foliage spray. the components in neem oil have been shown to keep your garden and plants healthy, while enhancing crop yields. theraneem herbal outdoor spray and neem oil are available at www.organixsouth.com.


save your manicure

tired of over-sized, poor quality gardening gloves? you'll get lots of gardening done and keep your manicure intact with these lovely gloves by ethel. they come in a few different patterns and are made with four-way stretch fabric, a rubberized grip, extended cuff and reinforced fingertips. ethel gloves are available at select lowe's stores nationwide and www.ethelgloves.com.


garden in comfort and style

i am a huge fan of oka b. spa shoes, and even bigger fan of their gardening clogs. their specially designed garden clog just for women is ergonomically supportive for women's feet. microplast technology in the new line of oka b. offer relief to those who suffer from pain from walking or standing. arch supports and massage beads are available in each style of the line that is described as the "shoes that love you". all i know is that they are easy to slip on and perfect for the garden--plus i love the colors. to order go to shoesthatloveyou.com.


modern watering

even if you're not a major gardener, it's hard to resist this fabulous watering can that will make you feel like spending time communing with nature. the blomus aguo watering can is the ultimate in modern garden accessories with its sleek design and stainless steel construction. functional and fashionable, this is the ideal watering can for the stylish gardener. available at allmodern.com.


quick gardening fix

cvs/pharmacy now caters to home & gardening needs with gardening tools, accessories and planters in addition to all-purpose plant and flower food. if you're in a pinch you can also find watering cans, gardening hats, gloves and clogs, soft kneeling pads, dirt totes and all-purpose supplies.

here's hoping you will get out and enjoy all the blooms of spring!