Wednesday, September 29, 2010

YES YOU KHAN WEAR JEWELS

Browsing through Saks the other day, I stumbled across a line of jumbo jewels from Indian designer Ranjana Khan. The next best thing to my favorite vintage jewelry is vintage LOOKING jewelry, and in Khan's pieces, no one will ever suspect you haven't been up late nights in grandma's closet, wiring a few prized heirlooms together for a completely 2010 look. Khan's summer campaign captured the exquisite aesthetic of a modern heiress.





This season, Khan's pieces (available online at Neiman's and Sak's), include these beauties, with a touch of floral thrown in. I am in LOVE with those tassel earrings. How heavy are they? No idea, but they look to be worth a little suffering.



Who is else is excited about Khan? EVERYONE. Indian Vogue recently did a story, and Harper's and Town and Country (below) have featured her pieces, and Kim Cattrall wears them too!


Images, via Ranjana Khan.

BROOKS FOR FALL

There's something about Brooks Brothers - it's rather like the clothing version of Holly Golightly's Tiffany's. What can go wrong in felted wool, crisp cotton weave, gold buttons, and pinstripes? Well, a lot if you're a Wall Street banker. But the buttoned-up, timeless style is just what I love. It's always a comfort to know, regardless of the occasion, you'll look up to it. Their newer line, Black Fleece, is a slightly more modern nod imbued with the same classic sensibilities. And stripes. Care to take the Aston for a spin?





From the classic woman's line - Connecticut, I hear you calling!

Don't overlook BB's accessories. The Audubon brooch is just gorgeous!
All images, Brooks Brothers.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

THE BEST JUICE

Remember those Tropicana commercials, where the woman wandering the aisles of her supermarket discovers a lush Floridian orange grove behind the shelves, from which brawny orange pickers hand her freshly squeezed cartons of juice? Amazing place, Florida. All those lovely cardboard trees, growing such pretty cartons...

Anyway, the point of the ad is that Tropicana, unlike all those OTHER juices, uses a "real" orange. But they're perhaps in for some competition. At least that's what I thought when I hit the master bathroom of the 2010 Atlanta Showhouse and Gardens, and saw Raymond Goins' undiluted, 100% not-from-concentrate orange laquer walls. The shade was somewhere between an Hermes hatbox and an equatorial sunset. And it was STUNNING. 


Bright, frothy, fun... a visual mimosa. And the rest of the space was no less inebriating. 


Atlanta designer Raymond Goins is a painter as well as an interior designer. The painting - and the tufted leather bench - are his own work. Note below that the decorative geometric shapes on the bench's side are actually extending pieces that can hold a candle or cup. Clever! (But don't knock your shins into it.)



Geometric forms are reflected in - and around - the mirror. The grain in the marble throughout is angular, edgy, rather like those old pixilated graphs printers churned out in the 80s. It's certainly not your mother's Venetian marble bathroom.


Other Mediterranean themes prevail in citron yellows, Mykonos sky ceilings, and a domestic scene of ancient Trojan life (really, with shades this bright, the overhead light is almost superfluous).


Images, Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles, www.rlgoins.com.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

CHALKDUST

Perhaps it's the back-to-school smell of pencil bouquets and the squeaky fresh sound of new sneakers, but designers seem to be favoring chalk shades these days. All the latest bags are coming up in pastel yellow, cream, pink, beige, and blue...









All images, companies as attributed.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

CRAZY HAZY DAYS


Tomorrow is the last day of summer - which means that today, this minute, is your LAST chance to get in all that summering you've been meaning to do. So grab your sunscreen, leave your work ethic at your desk, and get busy... because the only way to celebrate the end of summer is with homemade ice cream! On the beach (as long as there isn't a wind). Website Serious Eats came up with a brilliant scheme: ice cream made in your home freezer! It takes a few hours (during which the freezer, not you, does all the work), and the results are apparently Haagen-Dazs quality.

What's the trick? Ice cube trays...

But the results look like this. 

Recipe HERE, and more details HERE.
Chanel ice cream cone via Nitroclicious.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

INVESTED

I love vests for fall - which is the only time I like them. All those stylish shots of celebrities in Aspen with turtlenecks and vests make me think one thing: cold arms.

This year, vests are very popular, and one of my favorite looks is the hunting style - quilted or puffy in sober colors, it's a great look with jeans, jewels, and Saturday afternoons. Match it with riding boots and you have a winner.





Images, companies as attributed.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

WONDERWALL

"Because maybe
you're gonna be the one who saves me
And after all,
you're my wonderwall."

Along with the successes of Jessica Simpson and Justin Bieber, the lyrics to Oasis' Wonderwall are among the great mysteries of modern civilization. It would make sense to compare one's love to a pillar, perhaps, or a foundation, but a wall? A barrier? A blockade? It's like saying, "hey baby, you inhibit me." It didn't make sense until...

I saw Celerie Kemble's wonder walls. Walls are an oft-overlooked part of decor, particularly in an age when minimalism (in appearance, if not in the actual budget) still reigns supreme. But Kimble's walls are as necessary to her designs as any piece of furniture in the room - in fact, it's almost a shame to cover them up with pictures and paintings. 

These wonderwalls will make you fall in love.

PATTERN

















COLOR










TEXTURE



So which do you love?
Images, Kemble Interiors.

Friday, September 17, 2010

HAPPY FRIDAY

Coach. Pixi rain boots. $108. FAB!
Wishing you a happy (and rain free!) Friday!

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

BACK TO COOL

It's Fashion Week, but all I see around my town (a.k.a. Not New York) is... back to school. Plaid, leather, notebooks, bikes, and books.
Autumn may not be quite in the air - but it's on our backs (and in our book bags).









SHOP THE LOOK

1. Jimmy Choo Ugg. 2. Kashmere plaid scarf. 3. Vintage matchstick cords, J.Crew. 4. Quilted Riding Jacket in bone, L.L. Bean. 5. Norah Satchel, Tory Burch. 6. Simone Cardigan, Tory Burch. 7. Antique Bicycle Necklace, Forever21. 8. Printed Reva Denim flat, Tory Burch. 9. John Derian for Target. 10. Balenciaga backpack.
All images, companies as attributed. Fashion photos, courtesy of fashion-spreads.com.