Friday, April 30, 2010

Gary Graham interview

Charity: Your designs are dark and a little macabre. Where does this dark place come from?

Gary: I am really dark. I have my demons. I think we all have two sides. Spring is generally pretty and fall is darker. I have always had undertones of darkness in my inspiration. All my influences growing up were people like Vincent Price, Joan Crawford, but also Marilyn Monroe.

Charity: Yes, even though they are dark, they are still glamorous.

Gary: Yes. they all play into my inspiration.

Charity: Many designers, like Karl Lagerfeld, design whatever they feel like each season and it's not connected at all to the last collection. Yours seems to tell a continuing story, like each season is a continuation. Is this a conscious effort on your part, or just how it happens?

Gary: The continuation is not conscious. i don't plan fall to follow last year. It's not all connected. The woman that's driving this is always the same person but i don't plan to connect them. All things in the collection are connected together though.

Charity: When women's designers do a men's collection it tends to not have the same feel. Are you planning on your menswear mimicking the womenswear, such as in fabric, draping, asymmetry?

Gary: I use rugged fabrics, so the materials translate. But I am definitely not as adventurous, it's more straight forward. It's also things that I can wear, that I feel comfortable in. It's not more commercial, but more specific.
My menswear is a little more personal, things that I would wear, that I want.

Charity: How has the Vogue CFDA nomination changed your business?

Gary: Really, in terms of quantitative terms, you can't really measure it. In other words, ZERO. (laughs)
Not that that's bad but the information & exposure, it's changed. I think things will happen in the next two years.
In my career, I've been very lucky with certain things, and worked for for other things, but nothing is being just handed out right now, not with this economy in fashion.
I'm grateful for the experience and it's up to me to foster those relationships that have come available to me through that.

NOTES: thanks to Mitch for helping me write the questions. Gary remarked that they were great questions. i was seeking to find out things that everyone hadn't already asked him. he actually thought out his answers and nothing just came out automatic, so that was success to me! he also liked my Treesje skull clutch! :)



www.garygrahamnyc.com

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Voll wedding weekend

the best wedding ever! i wore this number to the rehearsal dinner. i changed clothes for each event. the female guests were loving it! i'm a Tuni fashion show, what can i say? dress by Poleci. i'm not a one shoulder dress fan, but since each side has a spaghetti strap, it doesn't count. then you can pull up the sash over your other arm, or leave it hanging. SO cute. cobalt shoes by Pour le Victoire. hot! bag by Gustto. necklace by Tova.
www.poleci.com
www.pourlevictoire.com
www.gustto.com

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

me-ow!

though i strongly distrust cats in general, these shoes are FAB.
i would wear them as if giving the finger to all cats everywhere.
by Miu Miu

Baby G!

the ultimate in tomboy chic: a G Shock watch loaded with diamonds! 
love it!

Saturday, April 17, 2010

my new shoes!

not that i can afford it at the moment, but once in awhile, something comes along you just can't resist! y'know?
case-in-point: these pink studded ballet flats by BE & D. ahhhhh.
springtime! they are my official spring shoes. and they represent my favorite fashion ideal: sweet & tough at the same time. ordered them from shopbop.com, of course!
trompe l'oeil sweatshirt w/ gemstones by Rozae Nichols, denim peplum skirt by Nanette Lepore, neon yellow leopard tank is Rogan for Target. enamel bangles by volcom, leopard cuff by marc jacobs.
buying new shoes is justified when you are wearing clothes from 3 & 4 years ago. glad i bought pieces that still rock!
www.beandd.com
www.shopbop.com
www.nanettelepore.com
www.marcjacobs.com
www.volcom.com

Monday, April 12, 2010

suburban warfare

some of spring's things are a little too sweet, so it's fun to toughen them up a bit. easy, too, with a little black leather, thick gold chains, & some attitude! metallic tulip skirt from H&M, Target tank, June black leather backless vest, Seril bondage bag with attached cuff, Faryl Robin shoes, Subversive necklace with green feathers, JKC bangle
www.hm.com
www.junewear.com
www.farylrobin.com
www.subversivejewelry.com
www.jessicakagancushman.com

Friday, April 9, 2010

these are a few of my favorite things...

fleece jacket with dracula collar by Rozae Nichols. i special ordered this sweet pea the day it came in. i KNEW it would sell out. sure enough it did...Natalia and I tossed a coin for the remaining XS and she won! i was devastated. then someone returned it to the shop! what crazy fool? oh well. it was MINE. but it was a medium. that was fine, Roz is so adjustable....
denim zebra with columns pencil skirt (so strange and surreal; j'adore!) by Just Cavalli
black tank from Target (where all the basics grow)
bone & bird leather necklace from Vanessa Montiel
snake print shoes by Faryl Robin
bangle with bow & acrylic key by Candace Ang
sunglasses with gold snake by Roberto Cavalli
watch by Freelook
www.rozaenichols.com
www.vanessamontiel.com
www.farylrobin.com
www.candaceang.com

Thursday, April 8, 2010

things i would NEVER sell!

starting with my most favoritest dress ever! my first Gary Graham. this baby blue duchess satin number is my prized possession. i would grab it in case of fire before anything else. anything non-living, that is. i later bought the orange skirt that goes under it, as was shown in the lookbook, because i just felt something was missing, though the dress looks great alone as well. it's such a strong, deconstructed piece: the epitome of Gary's style and talent. plus i just love baby blue! it's a little alice-in-wonderland-esque, which is my current obsession...
i keep accessories to a minimum when wearing it, to let it stand on its own. i chose this marble heart necklace by I-can't-remember-who. what a shame, cuz it's so cool.
gold wedges by faryl robin, who has some great shoes this season. i will be posting more of them this week, including some sweet snake platforms!
cuff by jenn fenton, made from a vintage shoe clip soldered to a thrift store cuff i found for $2. we had a fun time with the soldering iron, for sure! go, Jenn!
garygrahamnyc.com
farylrobin.com
jennfenton.com

Sunday, April 4, 2010

happy Easter dress!

usually i look forward to buying a new dress every year for Easter. but due to the state of finances, as well as the state of my closet, that didn't happen this year.
but i did choose a dress i haven't worn yet. i like this dress, it's Rozae Nichols, and since she doesn't design that line anymore, i dig her old things. but i'm not that attached. i would sell it. in fact, i did try to sell it to my friend Maria.
i am doing a series this week on things i wouldn't sell, no matter WHAT. there are a few. i sell a lot; on ebay, to friends, & to make room for new clothes. BUT there are some things that are keepers. such as Maurice, Gary Graham anything, etc.
and such as....5 bills! my adored Loeffler Randall shoes. LR shoes are still great, but that season was a stand out. i bought 3 pairs! i think it was 4 or 5 years ago.
also took some close-ups of them to showcase what i love but others might not understand: LOVINGLY WORN. the chips and gashes in the wood on the heels is part of the appeal! it shows they were actually worn, not just standing around cocktail parties, but traipsing through the trials of life, getting some wear & tear, just like me. this is not a defect. in fact i wouldn't trade these for a spanking brand new pair; just as i would never trade my vintage Louis Vuitton speedy bag for a new one. the dark brown worn leather handles are what signify luxury to me. using it til it falls apart. that's why we pay big money for good things. they last. and part of their lasting is the beautiful patina they develop with age.
dress rozaenichols.com
shoes loefflerrandall.com
jewelry by jennfenton.com
watch by michele.com
socks jcrew.com