Chloë Sevigny for Opening Ceremony Sunglasses

Ever since my One Teaspoon sunglasses got eaten by my host family's dog in America and I realised my Ray Bans were too big for my face, I've been searching with a heavy heart for a new pair of specs to protect my eyes. I have been a large fan of Karen Walker for a few years now but while I'm on this little bender, I thought I would spruik some of the work from Opening Ceremony in collaboration with Chloë Sevigny. As of late I've been obsessed with round and circular shaped frames and was considering getting a cheap pair from my local shopping centre that are a bit stiff and clunky but something more streamlined and refined might be a better choice.

I've never seen something as unnatural and whimsical as these shades before; the lens seems to hover in mid air and is caught between the plastic frames and although I normally go for black, something about the milky opaque pair and the pink pastel backdrop seems utterly romantic to me. Although one size fits most for sunglasses I usually prefer to try them on as well because you never know what features will be accentuated by wearing a certain pair of framed glasses- plus there's no telling what the tinted lens' will look like when you wear them and how long it would take for your eyes to adjust.

If you're a bit of a design freak and love all things angular, why not choose these daringly debonair sunglasses that have a small hint of aviator style about them as well as the 70s which was full of wooden TV sets and sketchy mustaches. I don't think I would personally buy myself a pair of these bad boys but I do like the intentional shaving of the top of the frames and I bet they would look fierce and formidable when worn with vintage leather trousers or a big denim jacket.

My favourite pair from this new collection are these retro throw-backs complete with rose red frames and psychedelic pink and orange frames. I don't care how hard they would be to style with an outfit, as an object on their own and with that pastel pink background behind them they look perfect and romantic. I bet I could wear them with a red and white floral sundress my mother bought me not too long ago as well as a straw bag and maybe some cute 70s clogs... I think about outfits a little too much these days but at least I have the guts to show them off to the world! 

Chloë Sevigny

If there's one woman who can be proud of her achievements to date, it's one Chloë Sevigny who I know best for her wild and eclectic style as well as influential designs and collaboration with American online store Opening Ceremony. She's also had a rich history as an actress in many supporting and award winning roles, was a former model and also a fashion designer. Her flair for fashion was evident in the 1990s in which New York's Sassy magazine, which labelled her the new it girl at the time, garnering her attention within New York's fashion scene.

 

 

Despite being heterosexual myself, there's still nothing more appealing than a girl who is willing to be herself and let her own individual sense of style shine through just as Chloë Sevigny does in this photograph above. I really love her wall as well as the matching red of the walls and her cardigan. I wish I had a hand made jumper knitted for me with my name on it too- but I guess I'll have to make do and save up to buy my own Harry Potter Weasley jumper from Etsy. Although her walls and vanity are cluttered with memorabilia, there's class and chic and order to what at a first glance is mess- something I should really aspire towards myself in my own room.

The impression I'm left with when observing her modelling style is that she;s straight-forward and non-sensical but there's also a flirty allure about her of lace as well as exotic perfumes she has when donning certain dresses. It's almost hard to imagine one single person having such wide and varied success as well as gaining acclaim on the New York fashion scene but it's also every girl at one point in her life aspires towards. I guess if you want something badly enough and are gifted as well, anything is possible and you can reach your full potential to become a truly inspiring feminine figure for a whole new generation of young women.

Chloë Sevigny first drew my attention when I spotted some of her fabulous shoes as well as clothing in collaboration with Opening Ceremony but I also came across a quite from the American starlet: "I'd like to be more approachable, not less weird". It's an interesting sentiment of being able to communicate with others but not compromising your own sense of self and style and I would love to perform a needle point stitch of the quote as a constant reminder to reach my creative peak every day of my life. Her shoes as well as her new collection with Opening Ceremony is a small revelation playing with all sorts of materials as well as the occasional bright burst of colour. I can't wait to get my hands on some of those pieces for myself.

If I'm not mistake, here she is wearing Miu Miu from their 2010 collection in a nude but embellished jewel shirt dress with pucked and pointed collar and also sitting amongst a sea of floral balloons on fake turf. Ah, to be a model and be at the centre of attention of a camera lens as well as be dressed in the finest clothes in surreal settings. It's photographs with aching finesse and imagination that make me long to be skinnier and prettier and fit into this world of fixed visuals and perception.

I didn't know the identity of the figure when I first spotted this image but it now makes sense that it can only be the one and only Chloë Sevigny blowing bubbles and dressed in a tuxedo like suit for women with slick blond hair pulled back. I love the contrast of the little tie on the white bib of the high necked shirt/ jumper.

Pyjama Style

It seems that casual slippers as well as cute knitted boots are becoming increasingly popular as the line between what wears around in bed or after getting upis getting fantastically blurred with day wear. I'm a big fan of casual slippers of this style and have a pair of plain black ones but I love the little Victorian style clips on these fuchsia slippers and there's a whole smorgasbord of velvet shoes and goodies on vintage reseller stores as well as on Etsy.

I live for comfy and cosy knitted jumper as well as sweaters to hide in when the weather turns cold and bitter and I adored this leopard print cardigan from Opening Ceremony but it seems that there will no longer be any put up on eBay. It's a good thing that there are a few stores who will imitate celebrity fashion such as this and recreate them for cheap- although the cardigans I've been looking at are without the warm and soft mohair effect as the original Opening Ceremony cardigan.

Another Etsy online obsession of mine are hand knitted Turkish slippers- now I already have a pair of all material made Japanese sandals that won't survive if I wear them out of the house and while I fear the same fat rests with these hand knitted boots I can't help but admire the craftsmanship for them as well as the cute little rose detail on the top. They've been made in that loafer/ slipper style as well with contrasting yellow and black and I quite like the combination.

I've never bought a pair of clogs and although there's a definite decline in demand for them I can't help but think these would be a cute pair of shoes to wear on Valentine's day or to a fancy dress party. All I need is to work my little butt off tonight as well as checking out postage being available to my country and the size and we may just be in business... Oh if only my foot was a little smaller to fit into all the glorious vintage shoes!

 

The suede/ velvet bracelet in deep violet is part of the new Deadly Ponies range that will be launching very soon and I can't wait to see what other magenta/ purple coloured accessories will come from their newest collection! Today I received my parcel from online store Good as Gold which included a Stolen Girlfriends Club ring in the shape of a silver bow as well as a Deadly Ponies Mr Lure in peacock. My Lure is a fabulous fox tail charm that's actually made of wool and looks great with my satchel! Eagerly anticipating more leaks of the new collection and pyjama styled clothing too in the coming weeks and months.

Dobi Velvet Criss Cross Heel

I accidentally stumbled across these velvet dandies when I was searching for another pair of shoes available on the Opening Ceremony website- possibly one of the greatest online gatherings of expensive and fabulously hipster clothing known to man. While I have been eagerly seeking vintage treasure on Etsy this past week, the variety of shoes within my size is a real letdown and absolutely difficult. So getting to see three colours of these gorgeous velvet cross over shoes with buckles as well made my spirits lift.

From the side profile we can see the gorgeous platform as well as heel of the shoe all decorated in decadent velvet with your choice of black, teal or lilac. Lilac is my favourite colour, but I know if my mother had anything to say about a colour choice she would by the second but deciding vote and make me choose boring, plain-old black. Of course it is difficult to try and choose between these shoes when your minus a few hundred dollars to afford them and they're not really available on the Opening Ceremony website. While they are too good to see on eBay anytime soon, with intense Internet scouring I'm sure I could find another pair somewhere.

While the structure isn't a great deal of important to me (although the rounded toes are quite cute), I find that velvet is one of those gorgeous rare materials and I love the shading quality it gives. There's a variety and spectrum of pink/ purple colours for the shoe above and I suppose it's similar to the Jeffrey Campbell X Wildfox shoe collaboration I'll be hanging out for, for the rest of the month. Both would look absolutely stunning when worn with a great dress, I'm thinking black accordion pleats and some frilly socks for added irony.

The teal is probably my least favourite colour variation of the three since there's notably less colour variation within this one shade due to the velvet material and also there's less versatility when wearing teal shoes with an outfit. That's not to detract from their overall design and quirk and if you do favour the shade by all means have your heart set on them; I suppose I'm just a little more captivated when I see shimmering colour due to texture of a material.

I never was a dancer of any sort but I suppose my fascination with ballet style shoes and thick ankle crossing reflects some sort of childhood aspiration towards being feminine. Still, I always felt that there was a stronger male influence in my life at the time when little girls do try to do dancing and was a rather determined tomboy. How things have changed; I now love pink and purple as well as velvet shoes and vintage dresses. I certainly wouldn't have seen that one coming however many years ago it was I was still a ragga muffin.

Chains of Love Skull Necklaces

 

Seeking to unleash your inner Mexican? Or maybe you're just a fan of skulls and gory little pieces of jewellery. In that style and tradition of chains of many little skulls with attached dangling bits and crosses comes some of these featured pieces from a brand called Chains of Love which I found as a brand stocked by the Amelie Boutique. It reminds me of some of the necklaces in collaboration with Opening Ceremony but at a more favourable price as well as a brand called Popsie but there seems to be more definition on these skulls with thicker set empty eye sockets, more detail on each of the mad grinning teeth and wilder colours. For example, I've gone gaga over these lovely turquoise coloured skull earrings with dangling wooden crosses. Perfect for those of us with smaller ear lobes and could stand to feel the weight dragging them down a little.

 

Although each necklace is sold individually, I dare say it would be very worthwhile in investing in two of these gorgeous necklaces for a layered effect. Because of the different lengths of chains and amount of necklaces between the two variations shown above, you can double your pleasure with white as well as brown necklaces each attached to dangling Egyptians ankhs in silver. A lot of the pieces on the Amelie Boutique website are also on sale- the brown necklace pictured has been marked down from £55.00 to £38.00. The only down side I can see to this lovely piece is that the skulls in brown means there's less detail on each of these little skull faces to enjoy- what a pity.

 

From this close-up we can see all the gory details of each skull- from there large and expansive empty eye sockets to the intentional cracks in the paint and even the slits of the nostrils which seem to remind me a lot of snake. It's hard to decide but I do think that my favourite coloured skulls would have to be a tie between cream pictured above and purple. I'm a sucker for all things purple but the minimalist white skull necklace without dangling chains and charms would go well with a colourful blouse and instantly add some Mexican chic to an outfit.

 

I just wish the extra long x-boyfriend skull necklace by Chains of Love shown here was a part of their selection of pieces on sale, alas it's the usual £50.00 for this piece but on the plus side your chain is real silver and a length of 25 inches which includes fifteen miniature and friendly looking skulls. I don't even care that Halloween isn't a largely undertaken holiday event in Australia. With this necklace, everyday is Halloween!

 

For a larger statement and to draw attention to your neckline and other regions unknown, layer two of these necklaces, wear with a chic blouse and if necessary a big and bold faux fur jacket such as cheetah fur or dyed blue. Bake in an oven at 200 degrees Celsius for twenty minutes and cool over an open-window-sill and collect complements for wild style as well as pretty jewellery. To prevent one necklace from sliding away from another, attach one clasp to another to prevent the two pieces from layering unevenly. Don't stop there either, I'm sure small and dainty cameos would add a touch of class to an otherwise spooky ensemble.

 

While all the necklaces are lovely I may save my money in the meantime of invest in a similarly designed piece- I've spotted some beaded bracelets in the same design with a single skull which are just a little more appealing towards me although this shade of purple is very much to my liking. Some skulls seem a little brighter than others and I like that one of a kind feel about them. My personal pick is this shorter necklace featuring fewer skulls but a price tag of £28.00, a lot cheaper than the large cream necklace and the swords hanging below each skull are rather nice too. I'm sure I'll pick up one of these items sooner or later but for now I'll just wait for all my purchases to come in from online shopping.

Opening Ceremony: Floral Quilt Blouse

After having lost all my useful opened tabs in my Internet browser and having to get them back, I found these two amazing blouses from Opening Ceremony on the Black Box Boutique online store and my heart had a tiny little stammer. I thought intensely and prayed to the gods of fashion "don't be expensive, don't be expensive". The price for one of these gorgeous little blouses featuring floral detail? $963. Even if that is in New Zealand dollars, for an Australian the price might come down to $900 if you're lucky. Nearly one grand for a single item of clothing that isn't too extravagant and special in it's design blew me away, that's in the bad way. I knew from the label the price would be in triple digits but to be over $500 for a single blouse is enough to make any body's heart ache and start tears in their eyes. 

 

Being made of 97% silk and 3% lycra for a little give I can understand the cost of materials being included but I have bought silk blouses before for a hundred something dollars and while Opening Ceremony are a great brand and I love nearly all of their clothes featured on their website, production is not going to cost one hundred dollars and the mark up is extreme.

Still, the design and clean cut lines of the blouse combined with the applique flowers reminiscent of Japanese kimonos with a Western twist are a rare touch and not something I've seen used in garment design. The three-dimensional flowers feature slightly ruches petals and a lovely texture about them as well as beaded detailing at the centre of each flower in the same colour as the petals. The cream coloured blouse is more suited towards the day, whereas the black one could easily be worn at night with the addition of some heels and a plain black skirt.

 

The flower arrangement for each of the blouses is exactly identical, using the same sized flowers in the same places. You've got to admire their quality control I must say, these would be blouses made far away from smokey streets in a sweat camp but instead by aspiring fashion students who know the importance of minor details as well as the careful beading process at the centre of each flower.

 

I had originally stated that it would be worn with a black skirt, but you know what? That's just a little too boring, even if it does suit I like the patterned leggings they've chosen to showcase the blouse but a wild print would suit the black blouse and the cream blouse would look dreamy with a skirt in an Oriental Ming vase print. Alas, I can't afford any of these blouses and my wishful thinking will be firmly grounded until I find some suitable work and/or win the lottery. 

Delfina Delettrez: Bat Bracelet in Brass

 

Many of Delfina Delettrez's jewellery pieces are very expensive due to the gorgeous precious metals and stones that are involved with the spook-tacular designs of skulls and spirits. My favourite and most minimalist design of all her jewellery currently available on the Opening Ceremony website is this bass cuff which comes in brass. The detail as you can see of the pointed ears, veins as well as fur is exquisite and I am familiar with some of Delettrez's other pieces having read an interview with the designer in Australian Vogue what seems to have been years and eons ago. Combining that familiarity with her fantastic craftsmanship with my love for the occult and you get a batty obsession. I cut out an extract of British Vogue which featured unique medallions and necklaces of quirky and spooky designs. This wasn't among them but I do think it should have been included in the collage.

Fantastical, dark, and cheeky, Delfina Delettrez's jewelry conjures a youthful sense of play that, when worn, not only adds touches of brilliance but also shades of intrigue. drawing inspiration from a sweeping range of sources--like anatomy, sixteenth-century Italy, insects, and Tim Burton--the fourth-generation Fendi blends the merry and the macabre to create an aesthetic that is unique and spooky-sweet.

 

I'm usually a bit wary of the way a bangle can sometimes restrict the movement of ones wrist but to be able to wear something as grand, beautiful, eye-catching as well as unique as this I think it would be well worth any discomfort. It'd be lovely if the little bat flew off that fancy cushion and into my jewellery case instead but well... looking at the money I have available as well as the prospects of travel and trading in my camera for a better model, things don't look so good on that front for now.