Wallace and Grommet

The pages of Vogue, ELLE, and other fashion publications have screamed with headlines proclaiming the heavy metal look as hot hot hot with titles such as "Iron Maiden," "Rock Revival," and " What a Stud" over the past year. Everyone and their brother in the design world is capitalizing on the craze that swept the DIY blogging world by storm. Case in point (from left to right): Downtown kid Alexander Wang's grommet detailed sweatshirt, Matthew Williamson for H & M's grommet studded vest, and It-Brit (and animal friendly) Stella McCartney's silk grommet dress.


Just when you thought you'd scream if you saw one more editorial or blog post featuring biker chic wears (I may be a wee guilty on the latter point), Marc reinvents the wheel. For his Spring 2010 Marc by Marc Jacobs show he pairs heavy metal purses with tribal print clothes in vibrant oranges, yellows, purples, and blues. The resulting look is quite a departure from the tired neutral hues found on most rocker garbs. His collection is the refreshing oasis we all needed to liven up the rather barren season thus far.


xx,CC

Bonus: The bucket bag is the new "It" shape on the rise, so this little baby is screaming for a DIY!

Neat As A Pin

All the cool kids live in Brooklyn these days, including Lisa Mayock and Sophie Buhai, collectively known as Vena Cava. A wardrobe staple of Blake Lively's Gossip Girl character, the line is most recognized for its sexy party dresses and ornamental necklines. Although the two showed a more subdued collection for Spring 2010, they couldn't help but adding a little Williamsburg flavor to their collection with a safety-pin camisole. Their effort to make "wearable day pieces" certainly succeeded. Thrown over a basic tee or jersey dress, this makeshift suit of armor also comes in handy when your pants button pops or you need to pick a lock... which is far more frequently these days given the economy. Hey, I'm just saying.


What You'll Need:
Large safety-pins
Jump rings
Pliers

First make the bodice piece by connecting the safety-pins in a horizontal row long enough to fit loosely around your chest. Use the pliers to attach the jump rings through the top loops of the safety-pins and the bottom loops. Repeat for two more rows. Now use the jump rings to attach the three rows together. This allows the vest to lay flat, whereas if you actually pin them together it will get twisted. Finally, connect a row of pins for your straps and adjust the length.

xx,CC

Border Embroider

I went camping last weekend for the first time in I don't know how many years. While laying in my tent, a symphony of crickets and critters serenaded me to sleep (READ: kept me awake and huddled in a corner away from tent walls). I started to think about my childhood summers spent in the mountains of North Carolina at sleep away camp. Aside from the lack of edible food, no air conditioning, 30 second timed ice cold shower thus being forced to shave my legs on my bed, rock sliding and ending up with scabs all over my bum it was generally a great time! Let's just say I'm an indoor girl. When I stumbled across this Larsen Gray shoulder vest dress, though, I was flooded with memories of whiling away the stifling hours making friendship bracelets in the rec room with my pals. The eco-friendly line comes from Pratt alums Nora Caliguri (the girl who made a dress out of a plastic blue lawn chair on season 1 of Project Runway) and her partner Rachelyn Porter. Made from organic fabric and a can-do attitude, Camp Cheerio would have to approve this DIY activity!


What You'll Need:
Dress
Embroidery floss
Ribbon (optional)
Needle
Thread

First, make yourself a whole bunch of friendship bracelets. Check out instructions here. Sew one end of the bracelets on the strap part of the dress. Personally, I think the dress would look a bit more polished if you then sewed a ribbon around the neckline to cover up the frayed ends at the top.

xx,CC

Vested Interest

Thank Serena van der Woodsen for single-handedly bringing back the "bobo" - bohemian bourgeois - trend so finely crafted by the twins (you know which ones) circa 2004. This time around, cowboy boots and status handbags have been replaced by chunky necklaces, deconstructed tees, and... fringe. As an update to the flapper staple, Chelsea Flower has created a beaded version to achieve a Native American affect. The result? The perfect piece to wear during your daily routine of picking up bio fair trade groceries and aligning you chakras.


What You'll Need:
Vest (found at TJ Maxx)
Seed Beads
Needle
Thread
Scissors

First decide the color pattern for your seed beads. Next, thread your needle and knot the end. Starting from the inside of the vest, poke your needle through closest to the vertical edge seam. String your beads. Loop the thread back through the beads again from the bottom, but skip the bottom-most bead. This secures the string.

Push the needle and thread back through the vest where you came from the underneath. About 1/2" to the side, bring your needle back up. Bead another fringe string and repeat. repeat. repeat...

xx,CC