Chain Mail/DRIES INSPIRED

I loathe it when people ask “are you a shoe or bag person?”  Not just because the question has been asked 1 zillion times, but because the questioner always fails to throw jewelry into that cliched ultimatum.  My answer would be jewelry in case you were asking.

These are two necklaces that I acquired these past two weeks.  One is vintage and from Reno, the other from Forever 21.  I’ll let you guess which is which.  Upon spotting them I was whisked away to Dries Van Noten land and there was no turning back.  They reminded me of that amazing gold cluster necklace I recently saw on the runway that turned my knees into butter.  Nowhere near identical but definitely in the same family.

I promised lots of people that I’d start posting some more of my style on Fashion Intel.  Maybe it will help you get better acquainted with who I am?  You’ll definitely be seeing lots of

1  jewelry 2 black 3 gold 4 s+m shoes 5 vintage

You won’t be seeing the following

1 80s fashion 2 “it items” 3 frowns 4 bad model poses 5 cliches/platitudes

Thanks for reading.  Have a lovely weekend.

Inspired by ANGER

Film is a medium that has always inspired my sense of style.  For this reason, I am so excited for this weekend’s screening of The Films of Kenneth Anger at Cinespia.  Even better is that he is going to be there in person.  I was devastated when I missed him at the Hammer’s “Occult Month” so here’s my chance to redeem myself.  Maybe he’ll even induct me into the O.T.O.

These are some of Anger’s images that I found particularly inspiring while digging around for some clips.  I think I might have spotted that sequence coat at Balmain and that cage on Lady Gaga recently.  Maybe I’ll see you there this Sunday?  Here’s some info to further entice you:

Beautiful, erotic, phantasmagoric, the films of Kenneth Anger are a national treasure. Mick Jagger, Jimmy Page, Marianne Faithfull, Anton Lavey, and a  parade of other 60s luminaries collaborate on this collection of short films . They range from rich mystcal imagery and visual essays of psychedelic color to insider documentary footage of bikers and a glittering love letter to early black and white film. Please join us under the stars for this very special screening with one of our most legendary filmmakers.

Cinespia should have included the word occult somewhere in that description but I’ll let it slide.  Erotic? Satanic? Under the stars in a cemetary? You can count me in!

The WOODS pt. 2

I couldn’t go on vacation without hitting the local thrift stores.  I found an amazing astrology necklace [ sorry it is blurry] and an amethyst piece.  While I was in Virginia City I picked up these copper and gold dream catchers which take me back to my Girl Scout days.  Who else made their own dream catchers?  I couldn’t be happier with the treasures I found while on vacation.  Thrifting out of state has always been a win for me.  Don’t even get me started on my $7 Louis Vuitton military jacket from Vegas.

I finally found myself a long black clutch.  It is true perfection.  Too bad I didn’t have $400 lying around to pick up that amazing YSL at a Nevada outlet to add to my collection. Sigh.  If you love history, ol’timey candy, and the gold/silver rush like myself, make sure to swing by Virginia City when you’re in the area.

The WOODS pt.1

Smoked meats anyone?
Wearing American Apparel floppy hat, Ray Bans, vintage silk dress, Delicate Raymond necklace

This gold butterfly knife almost came home with me, until I found of they are illegal to carry in California.
Wearing Alexander Wang tank, AA floppy hat and skirt.

Yosemite, Convict Lake, the Marina.

Whole Foods Reno had a granola bar. JEALOUS!

Wearing AA tank, skirt, floppy hat and vintage Hermes scarf

I have almost recovered from our trip to the woods.  My family, boyfriend and I ventured to the Sierras this past week and here are some snap shots from Lake Tahoe, Reno and Yosemite.  We all had a blast and most importantly we had the chance to relax among some beautiful scenery.  Highlight – we saw two black bears while in Lake Tahoe.

Even with my excursion into the woods, there was thought into my wardrobe.  I pulled out my Stella McCartney luggage and packed my most woodsy black ensembles.  I wanted to be comfortable climbing rocks, skipping, hiking and bike riding so of course I brought plenty of my American Apparel soft cottons.  I wore my Jeffrey Campbell Oxford sandals most of the time and never took off my American Apparel floppy hat.  I’m very cautious about sun damage!  I couldn’t go without my silks, so I threw in a long vintage dress and my Barneys’ ruffled sleeve short one.  And how can I forget my shorts and Alexander Wang tee?  Perfect for picnicking by a lake in Yosemite.

I thrifted some amazing jewelry while I was there and a Balmain button-down.  Finally I found an amazing black vintage clutch and some black wide leg trousers.  Finally! Finally!   AND don’t even get me started on bottled sodas and ol’timey candy.  I’ve got plenty of that too. To be continued…

Just IN

I got in early this morning from our trip to the Sierra Nevada and it is such a bummer to no longer be on vacation.  Lots of photos were taken and there will be a post on Monday of my adventures in Lake Tahoe, Reno and Yosemite.  Such beauty in the desert and woods!  To all of you who commented while I was gone, I’m working on getting back to you.  Have a lovely weekend!

wearing American Apparel hat, vintage Hermes scarf, and AA tank

Into the WOODS

I’m off for a few days to the Sierras and Lake Tahoe.  I’ll take lots of photos and will be back with you on Friday.  Have a greet week!

Durian TIME

I was born and raised in the San Gabriel Valley, both in San Gabriel and Alhambra, and have recently moved back to my old hood since living in downtown L.A.  I truly love being back on my old stomping grounds and particularly enjoy showing my boyfriend all the things I’ve missed about the SGV.  Today we stopped by a new-ish restaurant in Valley Plaza called GREEN ZONE.  It is an organic restaurant with Hainan chicken on the menu, so how could I stay away?  Super cute, modern, and green inside.  I suggest you check it out and order something delicious.  My dear friend Diana Quach recommended it to me and I’m glad she did.

Considering our location, the S.G. Superstore was an absolute stop on our Thursday night romp.  I dropped by the Art Land booth inside to stock up on some stickers and I ran across the infamous SGV visor! I kind of fell in love with the gold lace on this one.  What do you think? How am I going to drive while wearing this?

Lastly, I’d like to make a shout out to durian.  If you haven’t tried it, you haven’t lived!  It is OK if you hate the smell, just give the fruit a chance.

Wearing vintage Chloe jacket, Target dress, Jeffrey Campbell sandals, and Anya Hindmarch for Vanity Fair tote.

Chain MAIL

I welcome you to the first installment of “chain mail” – Fashion Intel’s must have jewelry for the week.  Though I cannot certainly buy everything I post, it is my desire to drool over the best baubles I spot on my favorite webstores and share them with you.

Maybe you love exactly what I love?  Gold. Abrasive. Gaudy. Heavy metals.

1. Nicole Romano Clustered Gold Rosette Necklace [$330]
2. Forever 21 Rosie Hinge Bracelet [$8.80]
3. Fallon XL Machine Age Spiked Bangle [$126.75]

DECADES

On Saturday I ventured over to the much blogged about Decades Two shoe sale.  I’m not sure what was worse, being like 100th in line or the selection of 90s cast-offs they had on sale.  I love Decades Two but you are foolish to think I want squared toed patent leather Lanvin flats or chunky Marni espadrilles.  It didn’t take me long to realize why these shoes were on sale.  I know I wasn’t the only one with a discerning eye!  At least I could rely on Racked L.A.’s twitter coverage to keep me entertained while waiting in the sunburning line and dodging crazed ladies inside.

I saw quite a lot of girls leave empty handed, so if you left with some gems, please let me know!

Ethnic WHAT?

Photo via LadyGaga.net

“In truth, Gaga’s attractive, slightly off-kilter features – ethnic nose, prominent front teeth – seem almost infinitely mutable: One day she looks like Debbie Harry, the next, Donatella Versace.” Rolling Stone Issue #1080

Ethnic. Tribal. Words used to classify the “Other.”  Not familiar with “Othering”, please read up on it here, here, and over on Racialicious.  This quote from Rolling Stone really struck a nerve and I find it crucial to address as I constantly see people, fashion, and food described as either ethnic or tribal.  Lady Gaga is one of my favorite women right now and I find her incredibly talented and sexy.  So what about this “ethnic nose”?  Rolling Stone apparently thinks this is the most appropriate way to describe a woman who doesn’t meet the Euro-centric facial features criteria.  Obviously they haven’t looked at a map lately, so I’d like to remind them that “ethnic” people make up more than half of the world’s population.  Why is it that we are then called the “other” and exotified?

I live for fashion as you know, but I cringe every time I read lines like this: Teen Vogue’s “…Explore new horizons in layered–on ethnic prints”, or Who What Wear Daily’s “Trend Report: Tribal Punk.”  And who could forget American Apparel’s “Afrika” print?  When I see these words being used I cannot help but think of bell hook’s Eating the Other.  I had an amazing course at UCLA entitled Special Topics in Women’s Studies: Femininities: Queering, Countering, Racializing taught by Stacy Macias in which I read this by the aforementioned author.

“Within commodity culture, ethnicity becomes spice, seasoning that can liven up the dull dish that is mainstream white culture.

Currently, the commodification of difference promotes paradigms of consumption wherein whatever difference the Other inhabits is eradicated, via exchange, by a consumer cannibalism that not only displaces the Other but denies significance of that Other’s history through a process of decontextualization.” bell hooks, Eating the Other: Desire and Resistance

Post-modern cultural studies/feminist theory.  Applicable to fashion?  You bet.  I’d really love to hear from one of my favorite bloggers – Mimi of Thread Bared – and from all of you.  Lets start a discourse.

Boy CRAZY

Hey, Alexi over at I’m Boy Crazy has a cute video of my cute boyfriend.
I like her + her blog.  SEE IT HERE.

Sea of JEWELS

If you have read this blog before, you know how much I love jewelry, especially if it is gold or black or better yet, a combination of the two.  Thank you CREATIVE CONTRAST for adding 3 new “must have” pieces to my long list of jewelry desires.  The first amazing octopus ring I saw was at Barneys and then it appeared on Sea of Shoes and I died!  Thankfully Kenneth Jay Lane designed one I can afford and $600 less than the aforementioned.  I cannot forget to mention one of my favorites Alexis Bittar and since I lost my favorite/only AB ring I have been in the market for a new one.  Did someone say bangle? Yes, please

1. Kenneth Jay Lane Gold and Pave Crystals Octopus Ring ($135)
2. Alexis Bittar Large Smoky Quartz Baguette Ring in Gold ($219)
3. CC Skye Black Gold Soho Enamel Bangle Bracelet ($119)

Dark NIGHT

Last night I was without internet connection.  It felt weird.  See you tomorrow readers.

xo Fashion Intel

Miss You WINONA

Images via Winona Forever

Winona Ryder is one of my favorite actresses, ever.  To my delight while at a newsstand in Santa Monica this weekend I saw the latest issue of Elle UK with Winona on the cover.  Since I promised myself I’d cut down on my magazine buying (yeah, right) I passed on picking this one up and just told myself to find some magazine scans when I got home.  To my surprise there were no good images online, but I am still thankful for these water damaged ones from website Winona Forever.

Don’t you miss the intelligent brunette with effortless style!!?!?!?!  Aren’t you ready for a Winona comeback?  I know I sure am.

Oh YEAH

Karen O. of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs looks so amazing in July’s music issue of Elle Magazine.  I’ve always loved her and the bad.  Her performances on stage are probably the best I’ve ever seen.

Gun METAL

Picked up this bracelet over the weekend and absolutely love it.  As soon as I saw it hanging on the display I ran over and said “I’ll take that!”  Even more fun is the noise it constantly makes when I’m moving around; you always know when I am coming around the corner.  Typing is a bit hard, but I’ll make the sacrifice for something so amazing.

A MUST

I need this bracelet ASAP.  Saw it today on Refinery 29 and gasped in awe.  Where can I get it?  Better yet, when will YOU buy it for me?

I dissected the pages of Amica and have come up with a solid answer.  Thank goodness I can read Italian [so-so]: Collana Anatmoica d’oro giallo , argento e smalto, Delfina Delettrez.  That’s right, Delfina of Fendi fame is responsible for the skeletal bracelet I am dying over.  Pun intended.  Her website is not functional but try the link anyways.

For ADULTS

Belladonna wore this to the AVN awards, up for auction

On Sunday we ventured to Erotica L.A at the Convention Center.  I was excited to see what new booths were at the expo but most importantly I was overjoyed knowing that I’d meet my favorite star Belladonna over at the Evil Angel booth.  OK, I’ve met her before, but since reading her twitter, I was looking forward to discussing our mutual love for Kombucha, homemade food, and all things fashion.  I’d like to say that Belladonna is one of the coolest girls I’ve ever met and I wish we were friends because she has the most amazing positive energy.  Loved her headband.  I wonder if she watches Gossip Girl too.

While I was waiting for Belladonna to arrive at the both, I met a lovely young lady named Bobbi Starr.  My friend Natalie A. and I were immediately struck with how stylish she looked and I asked her if I could snap a photo of her outfit.  After inquiring, she mentioned that the belt was thrifted in London and the top was from Budapest.  Pretty legit.  I was completely unfamiliar with this actress so I did some research and found out that she considers herself a pro-sex feminist.  Also mentioned on her wikipedia page “As of 2008, Starr is a student studying pre-med, with the aim of becoming a gynecologist. Her intent is to work within the adult entertainment industry, where she has identified a lack of female gynecologists.”  Love it.

The industry can thank these women for bringing some great style and personality to a field that is often monolithic.

I don’t want to forget to mention I am well aware of the L.A. Times article discussing the recent news that an adult film star recently tested positive with HIV.  This is a serious issue and if you already haven’t read the news, please do so.

Post-GRAD

I first want to thank all my readers and friends for sending me so many well wishes over my graduation weekend.  Oh, the sweet feeling of completing college!  All the hard work was absolutely worth it.

With graduation comes lots of celebrating and if you’ve ever partied with me, you know how much I love everything to be just perfect. VIRGO ALERT.  Friday night my parents took me, my sister and boyfriend to a lovely dinner over at Anisette Brasserie.  French is right at the top of my list and their dishes were delightful.  I wish I could go into every detail but it was so wonderful I’d end up taking up this whole page with words.

Saturday afternoon after my Women’s Studies graduation we headed over to The Viceroy Santa Monica.  If you’ve been reading Fashion Intel for awhile you know how much I love The Viceroy Palm Springs and I was just as impressed with its predecessor’s location.  As you can see, I couldn’t pass up the chance to take photos in the gorgeously designed Kelly Wearstler green bathroom.

It was great to dine outdoors with my family, boyfriend, and besties Stefani and Serge. I’d like to mention how delicious my tomato, mozarella, and micro-basil salad was.  Whist at The Viceroy is amazing – you must go!  My friends S+S also surprised me with a wonderful gift certificate to Willow Spa.  Seriously, I die!

Last but not least, check out that amazing box of Sprinkles graduation cupcakes my mom bought me.  I love you mom!  I’d also like to give a shout out to my lovely sister who flew down from NorCal for my special weekend.  Not only did she shower me with love/gifts but she wrote an awesome speech in my honor.

Graduation DAY

Today I graduate from college and I cannot tell you how happy I am!  Many of you I’m sure know the feeling but I am so elated I don’t know what to do with myself.  Luckily I’ve got a plan: wake up, eat breakfast, yoga at Equinox, massage/spa at Equinox, relax at home, eat lunch, graduate, cry, and dinner at Anisette. Oh, and a whole lot in between.

I really wanted to find an image that summed up how I felt about graduating.  Last week I was browsing google images for “Vogue Paris” and this image of model Natasha Poly grabbed me immediately.