science vs romance

{dress} Alexa Chung for Madewell Betty Tea Dress {coat} Le Fou by Wilfred silk jacquard quilted jacket {belt} Rachel Comey {model} Elise {photographed at the Natural History Museum}

The Natural History Museum is easily one of my favorite places in Los Angeles. I can get lost amidst the dinosaur bones, bird taxidermy, antlers, and minerals on display for hours on end. The museum also happens to be the perfect backdrop for photo shoots. My insanely beautiful friend Elise was my model this trip. Elise is awesome. She's an incredibly talented stylist and interior designer, not to mention this girl leads a crazy life and she always has an interesting story to tell.

Elise models one of my favorite jackets from Le Fou in an amazing mustard color, and a vintage-inspired dress with pleated skirt from Alexa Chung's collection for Madewell. The jacquard and the polka-dot combo is a subtle play on the pattern on pattern trend which I absolutely love. Her make-up look is au naturel inspired by the golden wood tones in the museum and sparkly pink of rose quartz. Elise is wearing two of my favorite eyeshadows from MAC: Woodwinked, a warm antique gold, and All That Glitters, a shimmery pink champagne. Both shades look really fantastic against her bronzed skin.

meet me in montauk

{fig. 1} via concurrencies {fig. 2} via hiitstuesday {fig. 3} via fuckyeahtealbluegreenhair

In my teen years most of my gal friends were dying their hair every color of the rainbow. Supposedly most adolescent girls are subject to go through a "crazy hair" or rather a "creative hair" phase with Ramona Flowers as the Patron Saint. I never went through such a phase. Blame my naturally black-as-night locks that immediately turn red at the hint of any dye for my aversion to hair color experimentation. Now, years later I yearn for hair the color of sea spray and cotton candy and neon lights. Most of all, I am absolutely smitten with teal hair, like Clementine in Eternal Sunshine, only greener.

The photos above illustrate my point perfectly. In my mind the girl with teal hair is this romantic character who embraces spontaneity and laughs in the face of danger. She's the girl that pulls the fire alarm and then runs away leaving you to take the blame. She reads Baudelaire on Sunday mornings, and some days she just gets into the car to drive, destination: no where in particular. Her hair is magic and it is the source of all of her superpowers.

metamorphic or sedimentary?

{top} Le Fou by Wilfred {shorts} Funktional {shoes} Elizabeth and James {photos by: Naomi}

Visiting the Natural History Museum it's fun to pretend to be a geologist or a paleontologist when walking amongst the dinosaur bones and cases filled with shinies. These were some of my favorite subjects when I was in school, so it brings back happy memories of learning about fossils, rocks, and crystal formations. Do you remember being little and how everything captured your imagination? I just remember the look of wonder in my eyes when I would stare at dino skeletons, amazed that such things existed.

The color of this Le Fou silk blouse almost matches the Citrines on display. I love the way the shoulders drape. The tulip -cut front of these Funktional shorts remind me of a pair from Rachel Comey's collection. The star print on them is also pretty rad, not to mention they fit the theme. The perfect outfit for a day at the museum!

burn the maps

{fig. 1 & 2} Susan Stockwell exhibit via Topshop blog {fig. 3} Carven Map Print Dress via hiyashishop

Vintage maps are one of my favorite things ever, especially the really old school ones with sea monsters drawn lurking in the oceans. I horde old maps whenever I can find them, and books that contain maps of fictional lands tend to make me giddy (sigh, Westeros). I think I would have loved to have been an old timey cartographer surveying the land and translating it on paper. Recently, map prints have infiltrated the fashion world, and I am jumping for joy! Carven's dress is just too good for words. I can stare at it for hours and get lost in the print's topography.

More literally, British artist Susan Stockwell has created amazing ball gowns constructed from maps and paper money. These works are her artistic commentary on colonialism and the British empire. Her dresses are life-size sculptures that utilize survey and military maps pieced together to create intricate and beautiful dresses. Trendland explains, "using military maps to create a woman's dress sends a double message of war and politics being dominated by men in Western history."

In the words of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "Maps! Wait. They don't love you like I love you..."

such great heights

{jacket} Rebecca Taylor {strapless dress} Elizabeth and James {bag} Topshop {shoes} Kristen Lee

A sure sign of winter's demise and the coming of spring is the first barbeque of the season. My really talented friend Paris, who's in a band called Popheart, and his girlfriend Rie hosted a great little shindig on their rooftop near Echo Park. The perfect night to break out my Elizabeth and James strapless dress that happens to be made from a cozy gray-heather sweatshirt-like material. The sky was three shades of purple as the band played. We munched on chips and hotdogs, all while Los Angeles faded into night. What a view!

the TREND: Spring's Sherbet Shades

{fig. 1} Shakuhachi neon pink lace Bind dress via Zoie, Chloe tan Runway Sandals from SSENSE, Marc By Marc Jacobs coral tubular stretch bracelet from SSENSE, Carven blouse and shorts from SSENSE, Proenza Schouler PS1 in coral from Barneys {fig. 2} Surface to Air SS12 from S2A {fig. 3} ACNE Lucille Dress from Acne, yellow H&M jacket, Wilfred Nava Shorts in Kiss, from Aritzia, Matthew Williamson neon optical sunglasses from SSENSE, Wilfred Le Fou Anatta pajama blouse in Ganpi from Aritzia {fig. 4} Wilfred SS12 from Aritzia

You're probably on pastel overload considering just about everything that's hot for spring has been Easter-egg or candy-colored. At first I was a bit skeptical, pastels are typically reserved for pretty princesses or proper Southern belle's like Lemon Breeland on Hart of Dixie. How will a bona fide tomboy like myself adapt this trend?! My aversion to pastels goes all the way back to childhood, when I was dodging ballet to play little league. I've come a long way from that little mud covered kid falling out of trees, but am I ready for bright pinks and melon shades? I am thanks to the likes of Wilfred and Surface to Air, both of which managed to make this trend less sickly-sweet.

I like to think of it as a sherbet or sorbet trend, mix those pretty pastels with vanilla creams as Wilfred did, and you've got a look that's far from being overly saccharine. Surface to Air produced their trademark modern lines just in fun spring colors. There's something about a minimalist cut that negates the idea that pastels are strictly frou frou. If you feel like playing it even safer just reach for brightly colored accessories to liven up your look for spring. Neon pink sunglasses, a coral handbag, or mint shoes are the perfect cherry on top of your neutral-colored sundae.

Pink is not a color that exists in my closet, yet. I am definitely scooping up that linen jacket from Wilfred and those pink shorts. The Acne Lucille dress in that minty aqua color is also on my list of must-haves! What are your spring gotta-haves?