Appetite for Destructed Chic

So yeah. We all think Axl Rose is just an angry redneck with cornrows now. Which, y'know, he probably always has been somewhere deep inside, if Truth be told.

But none of that matters to me. There's never been a prettier face in Rock, and when Axl was young he was that perfectly potent mix of pretty and bad; the ferociousness lurking just beneath the surface, the potential for truck-stop trashiness just barely tempered by a wickedly original sense of style and androgenous bravado.



I'm not sure that Axl's ever really been given his fair dues as a style icon, (maybe because he's become such an unlikeable asshole) but I think he was truly an original:

The Night Porter-esque hard rock fetishism of the Live at The Ritz '88 era....

....the mash up of Grunge meets Bumpkin'-Rock-Raver of the early 90's: plaid, big sneakers, mesh, hill-billy leather and those iconic spandex shorts.

The "LA Cowboy goes vaguely Cosby" period of November Rain and Stephanie Seymore- oversized blazers, collegiate sweatshirts, silk shirts, snakeskin boots

The kilts.

The bandanas.

And the hair.

Oh, the hair.

I'm quite sure my lingering preference for redheads has much to do with Axl's wispy auburn mane.

Uh huh kids, I think I just let the cat out of the bag; this chic girl loves a bit of honest-to-goodness badass trash. But that's ok, Axl may have fallen a long way since his glory days, but I will always consider him the original and BEST angel-faced, styled-out, whiny-assed Devil in rock n' roll.

And in the words of Mr. Rose, if you don't like it, why don't you just... FUCK OFF!

;)

Putty and Persimmon

Spring '11 is shaping up to be one chic season.

I'm loving all the luxe minimalism of relaxed sportswear shapes grounded in new bone, putty, and ceramic colored neutrals. A fresh, sunny kick of pumpkin, persimmon and marigold make the look new and add a sense of urban exoticism.

All a girl needs is subtle tan (fresh from her winter vacation, of course!) and easy, breezy hair to keep the look youthful and quietly sexy.

These are a Thinking Woman's clothes, and the play between unwavering geometric lines and bold fluidity remind me of the monumental cast-concrete works of Rachel Whiteread and the hypnotically flowing draped pieces by Christo and Jean-Claude.

Somehow these contrasting works speak to me about the same things: The natural meeting the man-made. Touch and tactility. Uncomprimising boldness that also holds an inherent softness.

Throw in some quietly self-reflective Japonism and call it CHIC!

Summer has just ended but I'm already dreaming of next Spring....sigh

Shopper Chic

The lowly plastic shopping bag turned high fashion for Spring '11. How simplistically chic!

Surfer Chic

I was having dinner with a certain handsome surfer last night, and the subject of wetsuits came up;

Why aren't there any great, stylish, and possibly more grown-up (y'know, less "Brah, toootally dude!!!") options out there?

I'm all for sporty, but we don't all need to look like we're ergonomic, underwater Captain Americas.

Saying that,I absolutely adore this Cynthia Rowley for Roxy sherbert colorblocked number. It's so pretty in those yummy sugar shades, and I love the shorty proportion with the long sleeves. So right for Right-Now.

This dress collection was clearly inspired by surfy blocking of colors, but I think it would be even cooler if you applied some of the sophistication and color pallette of these dresses and design back into a wetsuit collection. Chic!

As for the boys...I just really love how beautiful this image of a "rusted" wetsuit is. I think there's something to more natural colors with a preppy twist....

Louis Vuitton s/s 2010

Bottega Veneta s/s 2010

Marc Jacobs s/s 2010

Keeping it fresh with a splash of red for the boys. I love these easy but smart mens sportswear looks as an influence. Sporty without over-doing the theme.

Feeling inspired! I feel a project coming on....!

What's Italian for Chic?

Saturdays don't get better than ample April sunshine, Hester St. Fair and pink champagne with hunky Italians. Today was cheeky chic.

Grazie mille for brunch Franco!

Color me Rad

Dyeing (no pun intended..I think...) for a change. So loving all the colored hair at the moment. Red? Maybe.....

Jacob Sutton, Another Magazine

Proenza Schouler s/s 10

All of which brings me back to the 90's and The Fifth Element. I mean, that was a great movie! Bruce Willis! Jean Paul Gaultier! Gary Oldman! And Leeloo's iconic naivety and bright auburn hair.

But I'm pretty sure the ORIGINAL candy-colored hair maven was Jem. And her Holograms. Although I'll have to be honest, I always preferred their bad-girl counterparts, The Misfits. But I guess the moral of this story is, paintbox-colored hair is feeling pretty good for all us girls these days, naughty or nice.


Watch this space....

BRMChic

The dashing Mr. Stubbington and I went to check out Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at Webster Hall last night.

Hot Chic(k) Drummer Alert: BRMC's new drummer from Swedish band The Ravonettes was awesome and gave the band the thumping backbone that's making their new music sound soooo rockin'. Been seeing some great girl drummers recently. Love it!

Some sage words from the good people at Webster Hall.

Unfortunately I'm not very good at taking advice.

Much buzzed-about Alberta Cross opened the show. This is the 3rd time I've seen them live now. If you get a chance to catch these guys, DO. Singer Petter Ericson Stakee has an amazing crystaline quality to his voice, but still keeps it rough and ready.

Bluesy, Southern rock. And they're from London and Sweden. Go figure.