derek lam @ ny fashion week

not at all suprisingly my camera 'somehow' got left at home on fashion's night out (completely and absolutely expected behaviour from me, ugh /:) but I had a ball nonetheless. I got to spend the night out in the company of some really great people and think I picked a great 'homebase' neighborhood considering how saturated the city was with events. we hit the ck store, barneys, bergdorf's and a few more, catching glimpses of simon doonan and lindsay lohan along the way, along with what were almost certainly a few designers whose faces I just didn't know.

so rather than subject you to my smattering of crappy blackberry photos (unless you really want me to) I wanted to share some of my favorite looks from Derek Lam's spring 2010 collection which I stumbled on here. admittedly I haven't been keeping up with the hoards of collections being shown this week but this one definitely caught my eye. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

♥~L

artist #4: donald sultan

hello, dear readers! it's been a long time coming for this next installation in my {attempt at an} artist series, but I do hope it was worth the wait!

meet Donald Sultan. I discovered his work at the University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA) in 2001 (during my brief stint at U of M) and was immdiately captivated by his unique perspective and choice of medium. born in 1951 in North Carolina, much of Sultan's work would be considered still life, although he "describes these works as first and foremost abstract." (read his full bio here and here) I, however, would never have pegged Sultan for a still life artist, much less an abstract one, based on my inital encouter with his work...

picture this...

...you are browsing through a photography exhibit and are suddenly, inexplicably captivated by one image in particular. you stop and stare until it finally hits you: it's a picture of you. this is exactly what happened to Sharon Collins at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. unbeknownst to Collins, her image had been captured while working as an elevator girl in 1955 and imortalized in photographer Robert Frank's most famous publication, The Americans.

in an interview with NPR, Collins mused, "He saw in me something that most people didn't see. I have a big smile and a big laugh, and I'm usually pretty funny. So people see one thing in me. And I suspect Robert Frank and Jack Kerouac saw something that was deeper. That only people who were really close to me can see. It's not necessarily loneliness, it's ... dreaminess."

(article found via jezebel)

this amazing image and story reminded me of one of my favorite 'vintage' photographers, Gordon Parks

(found here)

(found here)

(Eartha Kitt found here)

(Leonard Bernstein found here)

(found here)

(found here)

(help! I lost the link, but it's another fab myvintagevogue find)

and of course, the man himself (image and article found here)

Depression/Harlem Renaissance era photos are some of my absolute faves, and Parks has a special place in my heart not only because of his beautiful images that certainly speak for themselves. My lovely grandmother had the distinct privilege of both knowing and being photographed by Parks (or was the privilege his? :smile:) and I can't wait to have her photograph in my posession (as promised by my mother...) perhaps I will be able to share it with all of you!

(ps- major shout out to Jessica of myvintagevogue for her amazing flickr and photobucket collections! thanks so much!!!)

♥

favorite things

we interrupt this regularly scheduled programming to bring you another fave things installation. there are just too many beautiful things (of all kinds) floating around not to share. so here are some faves of the moment:

these astounding musical necklaces

(this one being my personal fave at the moment- site found via oh, hello friend.)

this sweet idea that I plan to take advantage of with this

(found via bright new things)



these glorious engagement photos

which led me to these

which were phtographed by this guy. (I can't grab pics off his page but check him out!!!! headshots, anyone?! (;)

all to be summed up with a preview of the next artist to come, whose latest wedding photos have me ready to hire him pre-engagement!!! talk about an inspiration!

(aren't these dresses amazing?!? I'm only leaving out the photo credit for a little suspense factor, you'll just have stay tuned! no cheating MSMers!!!)

more to come...

♥

favorite things

ohhhhhh summers in nyc, how I love thee. and it's definitely been on the agenda to make the most of this one. from free concerts to great food to mini 'getaways' and just a general good time with good people. this past weekend was graced by some beautiful moments, some captured on film and some just taken in by my heart. sometimes I get so caught up in this whole public, internet, instant-access-to-everything thang that I forget to stop and appreciate what's right in front of me, this close to passing me by. and no, everything doesn't have to be aired for the world to *pine* over (haha) but some things are worth sharing.

like coming in from walking the dog on a saturday morning to the sounds of the opera playlist I made my (eager and quick to learn) gf. it was just so beautifully unexpected. I mean, she told me she loved it and I believed her. and we enjoy live performances when we can and she's a diehard supporter of my own sporadic appearances. but this was coming from the same gal who blasts her raucous music at its loudest. it was just a lovely change of pace.

from opera to hip hop in a few hours, we soon found ourselves grabbing picnic-worthy food and a prime spot just hours later to check out Q-Tip with a good friend (and an unexpected addition!) in Central Park. music makes my soul happy in *almost* all forms.




after a day in the sun and a night of dancing, sunday...afternoon...found us strolling about on our first visit to our new 'neighborhood' hangout, Governors Island. just when we'd given up on finding an empty hammock we stumbled on the perfect one: right under the most soothing windchimes. needless to say I definitely dozed for a bit :ahhh:

thanks to my sleuth of a lady, we've finally discovered the island and are already envisioning what a primo picnic spot it's gonna make on an upcoming weekend. weee!


on to see what's in store for this weekend...


~♥L

Q-Tip...