Is it Saturday yet?! Hopefully I’ll have more to write about in the a.m., until then, enjoy David Koma!
From back stage to center stage: 11/09

I’m so serious about the personal assistant thing. I mean… I haven’t had a second to breathe lately. This always happens around this time of year…
I won’t bore you with the trials and tribulations of the past week or so, but suffice it to say I was overbooked, overwhelmed and overextended. As always, thanks to my amigos for being so supportive and helpful ;).

Today’s designer is Liza Rietz and I’m quite certain you’re going to love her as much I do!

Liza Rietz began designing and sewing custom and retail pieces in 2001. She has been a part of Portland’s artistic clothing community from the beginning of her career, participating in multiple group and independent fashion shows in the area. Her designs have been available nationally in high-end boutiques in Portland, Seattle, Los Angeles and Washington DC. Liza Rietz designs are currently available for both custom and retail at her studio/store “liza rietz” in Portland, Oregon.

Rietz’s modern designs are structured yet feminine, detailed yet wearable, and are created individually, not mass-produced. Rietz designs two small lines annually, producing small batches of each individual design. Though her collections adhere to the seasons, her lines are not season-specific. Instead, Rietz focuses on designing clothes that are versatile and that easily translate to any time of year.

Rietz’s designs are made out of all natural fabrics including cottons, linens, silks, and bamboos. With a small production run of each line, the individuality of each piece exemplifies how clothing can be artistic and expressionistic as well as functional.

How stunning is that jacket!? I want!

Hola! It’s been a while, I know. I had to kind of disappear into work for a bit, but it was well worth the effort and I’m back!
Today’s designer is the absolutely wonderful Camilla Skovgaard. I am obsessed with her shoes! About CS:

Camilla Skovgaard was born in Denmark, north of Copenhagen, as the youngest of three children. In her late teens, she moved to Paris to train in couture, the late Monsieur Erik Mortensen of Balmain had written her some encouraging words when she sent him her sketches. Aged 20 a French owned fashion house brought Camilla to Dubai to design for the Gulf Sheikhs’ wives and daughters and it was in this connection that she eventually came onto shoes. Shoes were often ignored, something tucked in under floor length dresses’ hems and yet so crucial for the final look. Few years later Camilla partnered with a local, took over a team of tailors and embroidery technicians, and was summoned to the late President H.H. Sheikh Zayed al Nahyan’s palace for designs. In 1998 DeBeers Inc. choose Camilla’s dresses for their diamond show in Dubai, a rare occasion where her work could be seen in public. As is the custom for women in Muslim countries, theirs is a life lived in privacy, mostly in the company of other women and no media. Curiously, her business partner observed that while she had top clients then it was as if she had not yet found her true niche. As the story unfolds – Camilla believes shoes are something that she understands better than clothing. After 7 years in Dubai Camilla moved to London in 2000 and completed a BA (hons) degree, score 1:0, in footwear at the esteemed Cordwainers shoe college. She learnt how to make shoe patterns, cut the leather, close uppers and last shoes. Camilla won a number of prestigious awards in recognition of her talents as a shoe designer, namely Award for Excellence in Footwear 2003, London College of Fashion, Young Designer of the Season Award 2003, Footwear UK, Innovation in Fashion Award 2002, Cordwainers. Her eponymous shoe line took shape when she met Italian contacts in high-end shoe manufacturing during her MA at the Royal College of Art in London from where she graduated in 2006; Saks Fifth Avenue in the US bought her first shoes. Halfway through her MA Camilla was also appointed shoe designer for British fashion house Matthew Williamson with whom she is collaborating on 7th season (AW09-10).

How badly do I want those orange sandals? You have no idea!!

More things to catch you up:

Pocket Full of Paper, my favorite source for new music,  has some great downloads. Check out: “Skin of The Night” and Young Buck- Rock and Roll.

MissMalaprop featured some awesome bracelets from ArtfulWears.com that I’m sure you’ll love.

Check out a day in the life of Marcus Troy and get a man’s perspective on streetwear, style and more.

More later.

* Ha ha ha, no, this is not another diatribe….  although, I got a lot of e-mail responses to my little rant from a few days ago . . . I know it’s not my style to share that much about my personal life, but based on your letters, I’m glad I did! Anyway, speaking of my personal life, the countdown to the Vineyard has begun.  I’ve actually never done a 4th there before, so it should be interesting. We rented a place for the weekend and I’m sure I’ll have some  stories when all is said and done. I’ll definitely share if they are worth sharing.

Today’s designer is USE unused… and I really do feel them! USE unsued is one of the most successful young fashion design teams in Hungary.  The founders of the brand are Eszter Fuzes, Attila Godena-Juhasz and Andras Toth.  All three designers graduated from the MOME (University of Art and Design Budapest) in 2004 with a Masters Degree in Womenswear Design and since then they have run USE unused, their fabulous women’s wear line.

The USE unused philosophy rises from the motivation, attitude and mentality of the three designers, which can be clearly seen in their collections.  The designers often go back to the forms and philosophies created by the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s and try to blend them with modern silhouettes.  This philosophy of respecting tradition while also considering modern style ensures that the collections are extravagant, yet elegant at the same time. Furthermore, each time they create something new, they preserve their own continual and unique style and mentality.

The USE unused mission & vision is to create a worldwide-known Hungarian fashion label that is successful and still carries the Hungarian flavor rather than a mass-produced product. The USE team are also looking to add new lines such as menswear, leather accessories (bags and shoes) and eyewear. Their mission is to have an effect on the Hungarian clothing culture and to guide and help other local young, talented designers along the way.You can buy USE unsued at Global Hot Shops (If I hadn’t blown so much on that Badgley Mischka bathing suit I would totally buy the hand braided stalk top they have there… I still might!)

P.S.

It really needs to stop raining. I am so sick of this drabbery (I know drabbery isn’t a word, but that’s the only way I can describe this weather!) A while back I wrote about Living Proof’s no frizz… I know it gets mixed reviews, but I have to say, I am still in love with this stuff… just an FYI if this weather has given you a case of the frizzies…

P.P.S.

I’ve had that stupid car commercial song stuck in my head for days. You know what one I’m talking about, right? I love it. I hate that I love it, but I love it…  anyway it’s by Shiny Toy Guns and is begrudgingly my song of the day!
I would change my sidebar picture in “listening to” section to reflect this, but  Anthony Santos is just too darn cute to take down!

So… I’m realizing some books are just not meant to be read, at least by me. Crazy day yesterday. I am going to retire the book back to my bookshelf and try again later… much later!

I am already running late, but before I go I thought I’d leave you with Aussie brand, Manning Cartell.

Designed by sisters Cheryl, Vanessa and Gabrielle Manning, this fun creative label was created by “an impulsive decision to explore the unknown,” and has evolved into “reflection of the the three personalities!” The line is mysterious, playful and glamorous with a slightly subversive take on classic. The three ladies of Manning Cartell design for women who appreciate a mix of eccentricity and style, playfulness and culture, irony and elegance. In other words, you!

MC is one of Australia’s top brands… enjoy… and enjoy the fact it’s Friday!!!

Sorry for the Dem Franchize Boyz reference… it was just so fitting!
Before I get to today’s designer I have to say that yesterday was one of those days that’s going to take a long time to digest. I am sitting in my office (on my week off, of course, see how dedicated I am?) trying to make sense of everything. I truly feel like the luckiest person ever sometimes. I just know the greatest people. It’s humbling to have such an amazing group of friends, you know? Once I make sense of things I will try to do a better job of articulating… but for now I am just overwhelmingly thankful for it all…

Enough mushy stuff on to the fashion and my excuse for quoting Dem Franchize Boyz (again, so sorry)–
Today’s designer is Angela Johnson,  a clothing designer, fashion design instructor, Arizona fashion industry leader, fashion business consultant and fashion show coordinator with over 14 years in the fashion industry.  Angela is an award-winning, indie designer who handcrafts cutting edge, eco-friendly clothing consisting mainly of dresses created from recycled or “thrifted” T-shirts. She is best known for her “T-shirt Ballgowns.”  I mean, seriously how cool are these dresses?  A t-shirt ballgown is like my dream peice of apparel… soft and comfy but tres glam at the same time!

Today Angela’s designs can be found in a handful of physical and online boutiques as well as her website. She has a steady following of dedicated customers for whom she designs custom gowns and kitschy art inspired apparel.  I love them! Enjoy.