STREET FAIR STYLE: Silverlake Jubilee

Trends at the Jubilee included:

• vintage and fringed handbags
• showing off the back with peek-a-boo cut-outs
• suede moccasins and vintage loafers
• booties and boots: particularly lace-up and western styles
• floral dresses and rompers
• vintage decade dresses
• bright orange lipstick
• high-waisted denim cut-offs
• patterned and ripped tights
• funky bralettes peeking out of sheer tops
• tie-dye and southwestern prints

Know Better, Learn Faster

I need you to be better than me, I need me to do better than you... Her voice carried across the hip Silverlake crowd at The Echo. She strummed her guitar and stomped her vintage-cowboy-boot clad feet to the music. We danced, she sang and when it was over it was obvious Thao Nguyen and her band The Get Down Stay Down were forces to be reckoned with.

Memories from another wonderfully fun night at The Echo from last year. I saved these pictures for a post because I loved Thao's stage wear and the experience of seeing her live was quite amazing. At one point people in the audience actually shouted up to the stage asking where she got her vintage-inspired peplum dress. Surprisingly, the answer was Urban Outfitters.

Spring at the Getty

{dress} Chris and Jaime {belt} Sunshine & Shadow {socks} Hansel From Basel - strawberry top knee-hi {shoes} Cynthia Vincent for Target wedge sandal {ring} Turquoise from Venice Beach Boardwalk

Deyrolle Pour Opening Ceremony

{fig.1} Deyrolle Pour Opening Ceremony Spring 11 Lookbook {fig.2} The short fox print dress from openingceremony.us {fig.3} Deyrolle Paris interior via Opening Ceremony Blog {fig.4&5} More from the Spring 11 Lookbook {fig.6} Alexa Chung in the long fox print dress.

the TREND: Trench Coats

{fig.1} Model Hanne Gaby Odiele (via touchpuppet) {fig,2 & 3} Alexa Chung in Burberry trenches, love the ombre! (via CharlesAnastase1979 and IWantToBeAlexaChung) {fig.4} Rachel Bilson in a casual look on a rainy day. (via fabsugar) {fig.5} LA street style, I spotted this lovely gal at the downtown LA Artwalk and had to snap her pic. Check out the puff-sleeve detail on her jacket and that perfectly jaunty beret. {fig.6 & 7} My trench interpretation. H&M mod trench coat, Rokara polka-dot blouse, 7 for All Mankind jeans, Kristen Lee for Tenoversix shoes, Luella sunnies {fig.8} Alexander Wang silk trench from the Spring '11 runway (style.com) {fig.9} Opening Ceremony's unique take on the classic trench. (available at www.OpeningCeremony.us)

I am a shameless trench coat aficionado. Perhaps it's because the trench strikes me as mysterious, the uniform of secret agents and mod super spies. Maybe it's because the classic Burberry silhouette is timeless and elegant, bringing to mind perfectly rainy London days with Big Ben in the background. It may just be a simple coat, but it is easily romanticized, even on the silver screen- think Audrey Hepburn in Charade, Inspector Clouseau, or even Bogey in Casablanca. The trench may have had humble beginnings as a military raincoat created by Thomas Burberry in 1901, but today the options are endless. Take a cue from Alexa Chung's ombre effect coat, Alexander Wang's spring runway version in flowing silk or get funky with Opening Ceremony's oversized design. There isn't a more perfect transition piece for spring when April showers will be bringing May flowers.

into the woods

{dress} Opening Ceremony {belt} Rachel Comey {wooden platform heels} Jeffrey Campbell {bracelets} Free People, vintage {model} Chelsey Cole

Comic Con

{fig. 1} Actresses Paula Labaredas as Barbarella, Pheobe Price as Wonder Woman and Alicia Arden as Aeon Flux {fig. 2-9} Cosplayers at San Diego Comic Con 2010

Pow! Boom! Swish! San Diego Comic Con is coming up again in a few months, the perfect time to post some cosplay inspiration from last years Con. I had the honor to do some directing for a documentary about cosplayers which features actresses Paula Labaredas, Pheobe Price, Alicia Arden, Bridgetta Tomarchio, and Adrianne Curry from America's Next Top Model, to name a few.

Comic Con and cosplay in general brings up the subject of fashion in regards to character design in comics and video games. Obviously there is a certain amount of sex appeal prevalent in the designs, but a character's uniform can often tell you a lot about their personality and the powers they possess. One could say that the genre has actually been very fashion forward through-out the ages, inspiring interesting silhouettes and pushing the envelope. I can see comics being a great source of inspiration for designers and making a fluid transition from comic book to couture.