ART BASEL HERE I COME...

Blogging from the airport! I love technology and my new air.
I'm off to miami for art basel. Years ago I attended the innagural show and I'm excited to see how it's exploded. While down there here are a list of the other shows taking place at the same time:
Art-www.art-miami.com
Design Miami- www.designmiami.com
Aqua Art- www.aquaartmiami.com
Red Dot-www.reddotfair.com
Photo Miami-www.photomiami-2009.com
Fountain Art-www.fountainexhibit.com
Nada-www.newartdealers.org
Pulse-www.pulseart.com
Verge-www.vergeartfair.com
Scope-www.scopeart.com
Pool Art Fair-www.poolartfair.com

With huge sponsors such as UBS and Audi the parties should be off the hook. My calandar looks a lot like fashion week and choices will have to be made. Bring it on south beach! I will be watching for fashion blunders and victories.

Blurb on Launch my line.

Shout out to my new friend Karen at Bravo who is also an old fashioned girl sent me video footage from the upcoming Launch my Line. Can't wait to see my 'Dandy' friend Patrick McDonald on the show Wednesday on Bravo. Tune in!

Bravo TV Video - It Takes Two to Make a Thing Go Right

The Hunt continues

So the grecarious and uber talented girls from The Hunt for Good Americans are on their home stretch with their documentary. They have returned to the big apple from their whirlwind tour swathed in colorful and zany vintage. All that's left is to edit the film, add music, distribute, and it's on it's way to being seen. They are on their home stretch but still need your support as the project was been bootstrapped funded. So please this thanksgiving if you have in your heart learn more about this project and support an artist!
ABBY and TORI SITE
FACEBOOK FAN PAGE

LAUNCH MY LINE LAUNCHING

At the farmers market I ran into style icon and dandy Patrick McDonald and was excited to wish him a happy holidays. At Fashion Week I'm also impressed by his attention to detail with his outfits. This man does not dress half way! He's got the hat, the jewelry, the matching gloves, the whole bag of style. He had big news to share with me. Next Wednesday night on Bravo premieres the show Launch my Line which he is a contestant in. I can hardly contain myself. As I check out the website bios it's clear he's the most colorful of the bunch. Hosted by Dean and Dan of DSquared with judges Stephanie Greenfield of Scoop and Lisa Kline. I can't wait although I will be art Basel in Miami next week and will have to squeeze it in.

Mikey's young but old timey bday

Mikey (of Mikey's Hookup) the pimpest lad in the land(he even has his own stalker fans) , swathed in white shag coat held court at his birthday party in Williamsburg's Manhattan Inn Sunday eve. (Don't you just love a good party on a Sunday-the antidote to amateur night). The venue is new to the scene but decor and vibe is super old fashioned-as an old fashioned girl I love the design aspect of new/old/worn/character. Organized by his dear friend Malisa Masala (of the talented fashion design house RED MASALA) Attendees were the movers and shakers of the hood- Tunde- of TV on the Radio, makeup artist to the stars Agata Helena, the band members of Leigh-Ra, photographers Steven Laxton and Eric Martin.

Dress code was old timey which meant flapper outfits, ragtime garb, OTT vintage hats, capes, and quirky vintage. I was fascinated by the shoes worn by some of the women-t-straps, character shoes, glittered chuckies, and the my favorite-red patent leather pumps with red ankle sheers-divine!! Outfits caused the mood of the crowd to be experimental, playful, and almost halloweenesque-what happens on Halloween will be all forgotten the next day.
Entertainment was fierce-a self taught pianist churned out rag time toe tappers, ethereal and flapperesque Christy Leigh sang 'magnets' and happy birthday for the bday boy, burlesque dancer named Pandora stole the show in her pink confection corseted costume as she exhibited the clam shell and turkey tail with poise, and dancing turned into a foot stomping, experimental, rowdy bath tub gin type of good time. I ended up having a blast fake tap dancing because it seemed the most natural way to move to the music. Crunking wasn't going to cut it!

JUST SAY NO/MAYBE to TRENDS

What is feel is so wrong with the fashion world is this ever churning need to discover/uncover/reinvent trends that are then force fed the general public. 80's neon colors, mini skirts, peasants skirts, baby doll dresses, ect ect ect! Women each have different shapes and coloring-so what may be one woman's answer to her body imbalances may be a fashion faux pas on another. For example a high waist espresso pencil skirt looks amazing on me because I have a long torso, short legs, an hourglass shape, and red autumn color palette. Put the same skirt on a woman with long legs, inverted triangle shape (wider in the upper half than lower), and soft summer coloring and you have a four alarm fashion emergency.
Yves Saint Laurent said it best, "Fashions fade, Style is eternal"
And Coco Chanel said, " The best color in the whole world is the one that looks good on you!"
So I urge you to find out and explore your own body-it's star features and it's challenges with the help of a stylist if you can. Ask yourself-does this trend serve me?In the long run it will save you time, energy and money.

PS-three great movies to watch-Coco before Chanel, Coco Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent: His Life and Times

Trophy Wife-chic or dead?

Did anyone see the spread in Harper's Bazaar this month (December 2009) called Diary of a Trophy Wife dictated to Rita Wilson, not read? It pokes fun at the life of a trophy wife. "The first time I had Botox, I had a headache for three days and I couldn't make it to the Cavalli trunk show. Heartbreak-especially since my forehead was so smooth, you couldn't even tell I was sad." Is humor the new black thanks to Tina Fey? Why is Bazaar making fun of the exact image they sell? Aren't they the #1 pushers of Botox and Jimmy Choo. I guess they feel that they've been taking themselves too seriously. It's about time!
http://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/fashion-articles/diary-of-a-trophy-wife

One look does not fit all

The wonderful thing about clothing and accessories is that they are voluntary contributions. Unlike hair coloring, style isn't permanent and always evolving. A few years ago I was Loft living Williamsburg (Brooklyn not Virginia) and trying to fit in style wise. Everyone was way too cool for school that hanging with my cool sexually ambiguous friends I found myself becoming a chameleon. I went to a prom party circa 1980. I think Marc Jacobs may have found inspiration from us hipsters in WillieB. W Magazine did a whole article around the Berlinsburg moment-thanks to a local dive club. I dyed my own chuckies, I cut holes in my shirts, I cut fingers off my gloves, I went for eccentric. Did it work? Was it fun? Yes and yes. Was it me? No but when I moved into the city I reinvented myself again.
I encourage you to explore experiment and find yourself. Or just play dress up. It always worked for me!
The current State in Williamsburg
Are Hipsters Dead?
The Williamsburg Nerd
Have a story to tell about one of your looks...please comment below!

Local Gem Orly Couture

Right under our noses in New York city lies so much talent. My inbox is always overflowing with talented designers reaching out to me. I sometimes do not make the time to go through it all. But luckily I visited Orly Shani's website Orly Couture because it is a gem. The styles are slightly inspired by the 80's but wearable. Original, one of a kind, re-purposed vintage, and one to check out. I love how she describes her line,
"When you buy an Orly Couture original, you’ll purchase something that’s rough around all the right edges. It’s never perfect or flawless, but it’s always just right."
Progress not perfection. Fashion should enhance not dictate.
Prices range-belts start at $20 and some dresses are $500. Most items in the $200 range. Not bad for handmade.
Orli Sheli, Inc.
310.621.5743
www.orlisheli.com

More Movie Fashion Inspiration

Can you recognize this actor? Bet you can't put your finger on it.

It's Jude Law as Minx in the movie RAGE set in the fashion industry. I love that Jude has the kahunas to play a 'model' and does such a hilarious Russian accent. His different looks are strong, striking, and playful.
The movie was done with a very small budget and shows you how you really can tell a moving story if you have strong actors-which the movie does. Judy Dench, Diane Weist, Steve Buschemi, and several other star in monologue format.
So back to Jude...isn't he just the sexiest...even as a woman??

Shot in Soho

What a wild ride. I've got a cameo in this short film shot by my very talented friend Abigail Shagwell Pope who is currently filming her cult film to be The Hunt for the Good Americans. I can't wait to see it. But meanwhile you can enjoy this short film which shows a slice of my life-inside my red closet (a bit messy) Vespa rides (super sleek), Donut Plant donuts (amazing), Temperley, and noodling around Soho.
Solstice Swimming

LeadTOGold
Eating artisanal chocolate coconut milk ice cream at the Brooklyn flea market
Stay tuned for the release of their docu in which I have a cameo. They just wrapped up a trip of filming.

Black is the new Black??? WTF

So I did black in a Donna Karan secretary sort of a way as a 12 year old but when I discovered that black did nothing for my coloring I banished it from my wardrobe. So when I hear people making such a fuss over black I laugh to myself because it is a myth that black looks good on EVERYONE. Recently I read a laugh-out-loud hilrious blog posting 'I mean what!!?' about black being the new black by Abe Gurko. Enjoy it here! And please find your own red and flaunt it! Enough of being 'safe'.

If you want to find out what your colors are-it's one of the services I offer. Send me an email ag@alexandrastylist.com and I will hook you up.

WIP Halloween

The Halloween joie de vivre has returned. Last two years I suffered from costume malaise due to lack of inspiration and fallback of the flapper costume. Hard to be excited about costumes every year because 'STYLISTS LIVE COSTUMES ALL YEAR'-Scott Shuster

I went as a Work in Progress (WIP) which is a big switch from Princess or Queen which was derigeur of my childhood. Part of growing up as an adult is dealing with the debunking of the myth that we will be rescued by Prince charming. Here in NYC the derigeur of the single ladies is sexy BLANK-you fill in the blank but be as scantily clad as possible-Victoria's Secret must make out like bandits on this holiday. But I chose to look attractive-hey I'm not going to look bad-but send a message and be forced to interact with strangers. Working on my social skills, working on fulfilling myself, working on....everything inside. The idea was to get a white dress from American Apparel and have people sign, draw, or add something to it like an evolving group wearable art piece.
Mine was more of an intellectual costume but was great for party participation. One guy who was Steve Jobs remarked that he felt closer to me after drawing a bomb in the thigh area.

Every day I try to remind myself that in life it's about PROGRESS NOT PERFECTION. It's really an impossible and insane dream to want to be perfectly dressed and in 'model' shape 24/7. Why wish for that? Be human. I wear sweats and t-shirts. I have days when not everything matches (the horror I know).
In the end I won my very first costume contest-perfect in my imperfection-spanx and all. Thanks for the champers!