When you choose to wear a rainbow colored dress like Beth Ditto, you’re making a statement no matter what. But the more pronounced the colors, the more of a statement you’re making. To avoid standing out in a bad way, I’d suggest wearing a dress that incorporates the colors in smaller stripes and breaks up the ROY G BIV order of the colors. Going by those guidelines, the Loft Party Dress was the perfect fix to this faux-pas. I paired it with the basic, black suede Midnight Rider Carryall and My So Called Heels to keep the dress from looking clownish, and then accessorized with the Syracuse Cardigan in Westcott and the Dahlia Headband. I love her hair and makeup – no changes there!

What would you have accessorized the loft party dress with? What are your thoughts on lots of color?

• Are you looking for creative inspiration? Check out the illustration section of art-dept.com to browse portfolios of some of the industry’s most intriguing and talented illustrators! If illustration isn’t your cup o’ tea, also featured on the site are professional photography portfolios (including advertising, architecture, etc.), styling, hair, makeup, production, and the list goes on! If you have work to do, be careful, you can easily spend hours browsing this site without noticing!
• There’s also a Fashion Illustration Group Pool on Flickr.com, where you can browse independent artist’s works, or even submit your own.
• Lastly, I’d been searching for an online vault for retro or vintage inspired fashion illustrations. I came across this Fashion Blog that features some, but other than purchasing the book, “100 Years of Fashion Illustration” by Cally Blackman which I had come across, does anyone have any good suggestions of a site or source for vintage or retro fashion illustration?

Hey friends, I need your help!

This video made me laugh out loud at my desk, so I had to share. Then, I went to Maru’s website, and it appears that Maru the Cat has written a book! Is he an international cat celebrity that I didn’t know about? Well, either way, I’m definitely going to be following his blog in the weeks to come =)

I love how understated this outfit is. Nothing about it is flashy and yet this girl still stands out. Everything in her outfit looks like pieces I could pull out of my mom’s closet (she never gets rid of anything), and that’s a compliment. I love the brown quilted leather purse and classic oxfords. Plus, lately I’ve been getting really excited about contrasting prints. I think the plaid trousers and paisley scarf work amazingly together. This photo also revives my desire to have worse vision. I might have to bite the bullet and wear non-prescription glasses. No one will know – except all of you…

Here are a couple pieces that will jump start your copycat look: the Cynical Teen Glasses and the Minsk Scarf.

(Image above: Dirty White Trash by Tim Nobel and Sue Webster)

You know the saying: One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. And in some cases, it becomes another man’s art. For this edition of Green Scene, we dug up some of the coolest recycled art out there, from trash heap shadows to a sprawling, scrap metal city.

(Images above: Forevertron by Tom Every, Trash People by HA Schult, Ballbasket by Elizabeth Lundberg Morisette)

Whether it’s artist Elizabeth Lundberg Morisette’s whimsical Ballbasket (get it?) or Tom Every’s fantastical scrap metal world Forevertron, junk artists are out to shake us out of our usual views on ordinary objects and question their purpose and our relationships to them. Other artists, like German master HA Schult, choose to invade cities rather than create them. Schult’s traveling band of “Trash People” have stood on the streets of the world’s famous cities, from Cairo to New York City. Assembled from crushed aluminum cans, computer parts, and whatever else Schult finds, this silent, telling junk army draws viewers to think about not just trash as art, but what we are in this modern age. “We live in a trash time,” according to Schult. “We produce trash and we become trash. [The] ‘Trash People’ are images of ourselves. Like the pyramids of Giza send messages to us from times past, ‘Trash People’ will travel as a ‘now time expression’ to the world’s most important spots.”

(Images above: Sniff One by Robert Bradford, Filter Rabbit by Tom Deininger, Very Hungry God by Sobodh Gupta)

From a distance, these sculptures look deceptively normal. But step closer and conceptual artist Robert Bradford’s technicolor puppy dissolves into a mishmash of buttons, refrigerator magnets, and plastic toys, while Sobodh Gupta’s giant, gleaming skull breaks down into a frenzied assembly of metal parts. Or, if you’re that little rabbit, you look pretty adorable but reek of tobacco. Believe it or not, American artist Tom Deininger created this cute critter out of used cigarette filters that he collected from beach parking lots!

We’ll admit, when it comes to our trash, the most creative we get with it is recycling. But what about you, ModLovers? What’s the coolest thing you’ve ever done with your old junk?

]]> http://blog.modcloth.com/2009-11-05-whatcha-gonna-do-with-all-that-junk/feed 11 http://blog.modcloth.com/2009-11-05-this-just-in-22?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=this-just-in-22 http://blog.modcloth.com/2009-11-05-this-just-in-22#comments Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:53:18 +0000 Susan http://blog.modcloth.com/?p=7363 Nefertiti Heels

When we found these wonderful heels at a tradeshow a few months ago, I knew they had to be mine. I’m so excited that they finally came in this week! I can’t wait to pair them with dresses and lots of jewelry for a holiday party.

What’s your favorite new item this week?

Happy Bonfire Night! In the UK (and also New Zealand, Newfoundland, South Africa, and parts of the British Caribbean), November 5th marks the anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Also known as Guy Fawkes Day, this annual celebration commemorates when Catholic co-conspirators, in protest over Parliament’s treatment, failed in their attempt to blow up the House of Parliament (with King James I and the royal family inside). The plot went awry when their legendary leader, Guy Fawkes, was captured and tortured. Before he could be executed, he leapt from the gallows and broke his neck.

Today, Fawkes stands as a symbol of anarchist resistance, and his violent quest for accountability is simultaneously mocked and championed. Whatever your political stance, it’s hard not to love the festivities that take place on this night, which include fantastic fireworks displays and bonfires in which, traditionally, effigies of Guy Fawkes (appropriately called “guys”) are burnt. Since no celebration is complete without food, traditional tasty treats like bonfire toffee or treacle toffee (a hard, brittle molasses confection), parkin (a soft cake traditionally made with oatmeal and molasses), toffee apples (a.k.a. candy apples), and jacket potatoes (baked potatoes) are consumed. Yum!

Even if you won’t be able to join in any public festivities this year, never fear! You can still celebrate by cooking up some delicious Bonfire Night goodies, or even send out an e-card! You can also learn more about the event’s history and tradition here.

What about you, ModReaders? Do you celebrate Bonfire Night? If so, how?

The Uffizi Handbag from Helena de Natalio

Helena de Natalio makes beautiful, soft, leather bags, but there’s much more to her story! Helen, the founder, learned how to sew while in the Peace Corps, and takes pride in her socially-conscious company that’s growing- even in today’s economy!

Read my interview with Helen

Crystal: From what I’ve read, it seems like the Helena de Natalio story begins when you joined the Peace Corps?

Helen: You’re right. I was in the Peace Corps from 2003-2005 in Paraguay. My assignment was to work with the farmers’ cooperative in south Paraguay.  And as a side project I also worked with women’s groups to put together a small vegetable sale, kind of like a Farmer’s Market, with local goods. And while I was doing that, I was able to interact with some local artisans who created their own handmade goods, which taught me a lot about South American artisans and inspired me to work with them.

Crystal: And you learned to sew while you were there, too?

Helen: Yes- I rented an apartment from a woman who was a seamstress. She had a little quick-e-mart, and also did alterations for people in town. She let me borrow her sewing machine and taught me how to sew.

Growing up, my mother was a teacher and wasn’t much of a homemaker; so she didn’t really sew or anything like that. So I was 24 in Paraguay when I learned how to sew!

Then, following my experience in the Peace Corps, my husband and I (I actually met my husband in the Peace Corps- he’s from Seattle.) decided to move down to Buenos Aires.  And there I took leather-working classes, and started making my own designs and working with factories and artisans in Argentina.

Crystal: You also met your hubby while you were there? How did that happen?

Helen: Yeah! It was funny because we actually had friends in common in New York, but we met in the middle of South America!

Crystal: Did you have an interest in fashion before you moved to South America?

Helen: I definitely hate to admit it, but I wasn’t all that passionate about fashion growing up. Now, I realize that I always liked creative outlets, but I studied and played a lot of sports instead.

So, I think I was exposed more to the fashion world while living in Buenos Aires.  People there were very fashionable. I feel like people are more adventurous in their fashion there than in the States.

The combination of living abroad, and moving to a beautiful city that was so fashionable, and living in an apartment of a very artistic expatriate who used to work in fashion in New York (he was very influential) -all of this made fashion an amazing creative outlet that I’d never had before.

Crystal: How did you choose the name Helena de Natalio?

Helen: The name comes from the name of the town where I did my Peace Corps work. The name of the town was Natalio, and my name is Helen, and so my nickname there was Helena de Natalio (Helen from Natalio in Spanish), which I thought was pretty, so I decided to apply it to my business.

Left: the women’s group Helen worked with in the Peace Corps. Right: Helen buying leather in Argentina.

Crystal: Tell me about your company’s social responsibility.

Helen: Something that is really important to me is socially responsible production.  I guarantee fair wages are paid, and people have a healthy work environment- no child labor. I visit all of my production facilities and do cross-references and guarantee that they’re not sweat shops.

Crystal: Did your time in the Peace Corps influence this aspect of your company?

Helen: I think that when you live abroad in a third world country, it obviously gives you a great perspective on the world. I think you don’t really understand manufacturing until you live in that world, because what I’ve learned in the Peace Corps is that obviously we live very well here.

So I felt like one thing I could do, working in manufacturing, was to take the time to do the research. So yeah, I was definitely influenced by working with people living in different countries with different economic situations than I was accustomed to.

Crystal: What was the most important thing you learned in Paraguay?

Helen: I think I’d say exposure to living in the third world. The good thing about the Peace Corps is that you’re there for two years, so you become part of the community and make friendships. It’s not a little work trip- you really feel integrated in the community.

I feel like it really changed me and gave me a different perspective on life. Because I was fresh out of college, I’d worked for a few years, and then I went down and I had this opportunity. So, just exposure to other parts of the world- because it helps you look at the world in a different light.

Crystal: Where do you get inspiration for your purse designs?

Helen: Well, now that I’m back in the States, I was actually kind of worried because I had so many great muses and inspirations in Buenos Aires.  And now, I didn’t  know where I’d find my inspiration. But I feel like I’m more of a typical designer now. My experience was a little bit backwards- I studied business and economics in college. But now I do ‘tear sheets’ and take pictures of clothing. I like details – like contrasting piping on clothing or cute buttons or different textures – and I’ll integrate that into handbags. I’ve become more traditional because I’ll now study print trends, and those kinds of things.

And I still love to travel when I can. I’m hoping to go to India really soon because we’re moving some production over there. And I think that that culture and the bright textiles will really inspire me.

Crystal: Is your hubby part of Helena de Natalio, too?

Helen: Definitely- whether he likes it or not, he’s a big part of it. He works in international development, which is similar to what we did in the Peace Corps. I’m mentioning that because it’s something I’m very passionate about, because it’s what we did in the Peace Corps, and he’s turned that into a career. So he’s a sounding board for my ideas. I want to continue socially responsible production, and once we are profitable and have some money to give back, I’d like to work and donate my time to non-profits who do international development work. So we’re always discussing that. It’s interesting how our work relates to each other- like what’s going on in Argentina or India- he has to be aware of that because of his work.

But actually my father is now an active part of my business, and helps me with all kinds of things!

Crystal: What’s next for Helena de Natalio?

Helen: We’re working on a new website. That’s in the near future and should be ready by the end of this month. And we’re looking to move more production abroad because fortunately we’ve been growing a lot in this economy, and it’s been kind of hard to keep up with production. So we’re looking into India and Hong Kong to look at leathers and production facilities and hardware, and I love the idea of working with Indian fabrics-saris and petit prints.

So for summer I’m thinking of doing fabric bags with leather handles out of India. But you just kind of never know. We’re trying to keep moving forward and just trying to keep it at a sustainable growth.

Crystal: That’s really great- in three years,  that you’re expanding.

Helen: It’s interesting because I know it’s a bad economy. But I think it’s a combination of the fact that I’ve surrounded myself with some great people, and I think we’re a really good price point for accessible luxury, so it’s not an $800 bag. But I feel very fortunate for sure that we’ve grown so much!

“Color Me Multi” by Kate Sumpter aka ravencolours at http://ravencolours.etsy.com

“Henry David Thoreau described this photograph, perfectly. ‘The true harvest of my life is intangible – a little star dust caught, a portion of the rainbow I have clutched.’

I have been doing photography since my junior year of high school. I love giving my photos a vintage feel as a throwback to the glory of film and darkrooms. I love capturing the everyday and making it my own as art.”

Do you have a piece of photography, or other piece of artwork that you’d like to share with the ModLife community? Email it to media@modcloth.com, along with your name, and medium used. We’d love to share and talk about your creative ventures!

This winter, ModCloth’s got your back! Just as the chilly weather starts creeping its way into your hometown, we’re introducing our ingenious, new Winter Coat Rating. We believe that you deserve to know exactly what you’re getting when you order from us, and that includes the intricacies of each coat’s coziness! Plus, just because the temperature is dropping, doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your style! In order to decipher what outerwear best suits your climate and style needs, our fabulous ModTeam developed an elaborate equation that measures every aspect of a jacket’s potential warmth, taking into account its material, lining, sleeve and body length. The result of their painstaking work is your benefit!

To take advantage of our new Winter Coat Ratings, just click on any coat’s Composition and Measurement information to find out where your potential garment lands on the snug spectrum. A coat with a rating of 1 indicates lightweight outerwear suitable for milder climates, while a jacket with a rating of 5 is a heavyweight champion! So, if you’re a snow bunny in Aspen who doesn’t want the winter chill to interrupt her ski runs, The Adorable Snow Coat (Rating: 5) might just be right for you. For our budding political pundit in Washington, D.C., our Ruffle Around the Edges Coat (Rating: 3) could help ward off the chilly breeze blowing in off the tidal basin. Women around the country are jealous of the stylish Southwestern gal who gets to pull off the fabulous En Vogue Jacket (Rating: 1) late into the winter months. But no matter your location or the season, ModCloth has your outwear needs covered!

What coats do you plan on investing in this winter?