Dress Style

Fabric Blocked Drawstring Bag

Here's something I made last weekend, and I've been using ever since I made. I think it's the perfect blend of fall textures and colors with a spring/summer type of bag (think thin cotton square bag- something I have many of)

It's perfectly big without being overbearing, it can be folded in half and held as a soft clutch and man, it can carry a lot of shit. anyway, apparently i am in love with it & i think you would be too. what do you think? (i have other bags in mind for the future...)

ONE: Multiple ways dress 02

i am so tempted to keep this one, the fabric is the softest, it was completely hand draped and inspired by my current haircut (something that maybe is only visible to me)

draping is definitely my new technique of sewing, I've always loved it since the semester I took my first draping course at UC Davis... look out for more garments, I've got 1-2 mini collections coming out this week, but this is the only ONE piece for now.

what: DIY Margiela knock off tee dress, DIY bike shorts, new wedge slingbacks from Dinsko, DIY handbag, circle sunglasses

why:
one-the lovely ladies at Les Mads asked me to submit my look for this.
two-today i experienced more snow then i ever have in my entire life, so while all is white outside, i'm pretending that it's beach weather indoors.

p.s. this is what my hair looks like when i don't straighten it, a la natural. get used to it, the weather outside takes away all of my "hair doing" motivation.

my favorite winter coat, tons of layers, monki scarf, vintage clutch, new leather panel strip leggings, wedins wedge boots

this is what i wore last night- my boyfriend and I went on a date (who goes on dates anymore?) to one of my favorite restaurants in Stockholm, Ramblas Tapas- perhaps an attempt to pretend we're in a warmer climate?- not working considering it just started to snow again...anyway- this post isn't really about the outfit above...

its about OLD LADY style. i'm often on the subway, people gazing and there will be an old lady that either has a completely gorgeous overall look or has with her a pair of shoes, hat or most often a handbag that i would kill for! it's always a bag that you know she's had for years and years but kept in such good condition that it looks brand new- adding to the envy, it most likely isn't in production any longer. i guess that's what thrift stores are for but in the last week i've seen too many stylish old ladies not to think about it for a while. just now, down in my neighborhood grocery store, i saw an older lady (i first saw her from behind and thought she was a hip youngster of my age) wearing the most amazing camel colored trench with matching ankle boots that were the exact color, heel height and style that i've been hunting for. i'm always jealous of people who get to raid their grandmas cupboards, i love my grandmas (i had three of them- long story) but they all originated from and lived in India, spending their days in traditional Indian clothes so there isn't much that I can get from them wardrobe wise, although my most amazing grandfather did carry around THE best doctor bag i've ever seen... my sister and cousins and i were ready to fight for it after he passed away but to our sadness it was the one possession no one was allowed to have... so i guess i'll spend this cold evening wondering about the days when i'll be old enough to hand down my clothes, will anyone want them by then?

this reminds me, i've always thought of starting an 'old lady' street style blog. do any exist?

p.s. watch out for new new new things in the shop very very soon!

if you live in stockholm, this is old news but this is an ad that was posted across the walls outside a department store here in central Stockholm called PUB. the concept was created by Olle Hemmendorff who explains the concept as "a fashionable demonstration rally" that highlights the seasons newest offerings from various designers, Swedish and worldwide. I remember walking by it and meing impressed, i think it worked exactly as it was intended to- it highlights the beautiful garments to perfection yet the entire concept isn't lost either. i remember it wrapping around the building, a display that added to the effect.

i receive A LOT of comments (from friends, family as well as people i don't know) asking my wny I don't smile in my photos or saying that i should. as you've noticed I don't post a lot of close up photos of my face, solely because this isn't a blog about my face. but to answer these questions, which i find cute and endearing in a way, i present to you my face and some facts about it:

1. several days ago i updated my latest haircut (there have been many stages) by shaving off a big chunk of it.

2. i don't smile in most of my photos simple because i'm not someone who can/likes to smile on command. it's not that I don't like smiling, its just that I can't summon up a forced smile for a camera lens when i'm only taking a photo to display a garment... i DO smile, there is proof in entry 97. i smile in my natural habitat, but i also don't mind people wondering why i dont, i'm glad my smile is appreciated by my friends & fam :)

3. i might as well clear up the OTHER question i'm accustomed to getting- are these & my other glasses prescription? no- although my eyesight is far worse then most peoples- it is precicely for that reason that my eye doctor will not allow me to convert these into perscrition versions because he warns the glass will be too thick to be comfortable- i wear contacts under these, though in a sick and twisted way i wish they could be vision enhancing specs (well I really wish i wasn't going blind...)

this morning:

1.macarons from petite france, my new favorite cafe in Stockholm
2. old passport photos of Johan and I before we knew each other

this night:

1.there will be a wine feast- 6 different mini bottles of wine, all new to us
2. minus flowers
3. minus chocolate

worn with F21 leggings (surprisingly amazing though I had to alter them when I first bought them) & DIY studded boots, various WEEKDAY tanks underneath and a silver chain from H&M with colored pencil pendants bought from the Holiday Market at Konstfack (the art school down the street from our flat)

a really blurry outake including johan

this is the first of 4 items I bought on my latest thrift store hunt. When I saw this chunky gray knit poking out from the gray section at Myrona, I sprang for it (although the only shopper competition at this particular store are older ladies who probably wouldn't even look at this). At first I wasn't quite sure about the blue colored shapes on the front, I don't think I own ANYTHING in those colors, except a pair of underwear that johan bought me a while back, so I decided to try it out without alterations.

I loved the sweater, it kept me warm all day and sat just right on my body, didn't ride up, didn't get too warm and never tried to choke my neck (we've all worn something at one point or another that tried to slowly kill us over the course of the day, right?) the blue colors didnt even bother me as much as I thought, but the conclusion came last night when I had a brilliant idea, the shapes will turn black (leather to be exact) and I may even add some chains of various sizes all across the front... I'll have to do some trials before I actually go through with it, but even if that doesn't work out, this may be one of my favorite sweaters now.

p.s. i swear my face doesn't look as strange in real life, and if anyone knows the designer that made that necklace, please share, I LOVE her work and would like to purchase more goods...(i know, such a bad shopper not to remember her name!)

one the newest garment i've made just for myself. i'm currently obsessed with: nude fabrics, draping, the oil & water quality of a hard fabric such as leather mixing with a soft jersey knit, shoulder pads, knee length items (even though I look even shorter in them), simple exposed single stitch lines. this garment has all of these front to back, top to bottom. next time i'll have bigger shoulder pads for a dress like this. i remember in high school i would pull out the shoulder pads from all my vintage dresses- there was something unsettling about a paisley print frock with shoulder pads but on a dress like this insanely simple knit shawl dress, they are almost necessary (at least i thought so at around midnight last night)

two today, while on a break from work i went thrift shopping for the first time in months. i've been exclusively sewing most of my clothes and buying a few select pieces here and there- so i hadn't visited my favorite charity shop near work in ages- so long that they had physically changed the interior of the shop. anyway, in the end i walked out with a bright red bomber jacket (will turn into a loose top), a cute black s/s sweater (will remain as is, perfect for mid spring in Stockholm, drinking beers out on a patch of hot grass or on a mountain), a long jersey skirt with sheer stripes running through it (will turn into a long dress- a first for me) and best of all, THE essential oversized, textured gray sweater, with light and medium blue abstract shapes (shapes will turn into faux leather shapes?) wait and see... i'll post photos soon

three there have been a slow down in the rate of my posts because
[a] i've been working hard and partying even harder
[b] i've been trying to eat an even healthier vegetarian diet (indian pizza is healthier in my book any day!)
[c] trying to spend as much time with my friends, including boyfriend, as possible
[d] trying to finalize my logo for two very very special but very secret things
[e] looking for a studio space (i'm visiting a potential space on WED!]
[f] last but not least, trying to get up more manipulated fabric things into the shop, this past weekend i had my very first sale from Hawaii!

here is the first in a new collection coming to MISHAMARKET called ONE which I have mentioned once before.

this is the first and perhaps the simplest of pieces from the collection. it is made of one piece of fabric which has been carefully draped and sewn in two places (not including the neckline finishing)... in essence this is a very simple garment but it's been created without any patterns or design in mind- it's entirely created on the spot and the results are quite interesting, especially the numerous possibilities in which it can be worn AND the various sizes it will fit- all with a slight twist, adding to the uniqueness. I'm already working on making myself one- but the really cool thing about the ONE collection is that I don't think I can ever duplicate any piece to exact measurements. more intricate items coming soon!

...to be surrounded by such talented people.

when my very talented friend Lotta returns from her lengthy vacation (jealous!) i swear, we'll embark on a creative journey full of drawings, dresses and photo shoots. i've made her a dress to wear around the world in the next two months, she made this fantastic illustration of me- - hope to have a photo of that dress soon!

p.s. i also have Lotta to thank for teaching my to illustrate garments using my new tablet, could a girl ask for a better friends?

while doing some research at work, I stumbled upon Swedish designer Lina Osterman and was really impressed, especially with all the seamless incorporation of metal jewelry/clothing. As i've mentioned before, im not the biggest fan of metal and was definetly not on board with the 'dress made of silver chains' trend that's been going on BUT i love the metal cape thing in the last set of photos and the the black metal piece in the second set of photos- i would wear it! i also love the possibilities one can think of just looking at the photos.

p.s. did anyone else notice the nod to the last pair of shoes- that everyone seems to love ;)- in my last post a la very chunky creepers? i cant believe these are coming back, oh i remember the days...

Margiela sneakers (some of the coolest i've seen) for the man.


cool as ice- brand unknown

i cant decide if i really hate these or if they are ugly cute...brand also unknown.