70s Mood

Thinking about Sawyer of Napa shearling coats, olaf daughters clogs, and low wedge sandals.
These Celine sandals have similar proportions to ones by kork-ease.
Also on my wish list are classic Clarks desert boot and Wallabees.

Bits and Pieces

YSL black suede ankle boots, with great proportions

vintage Robert Clergerie "desert boots." That's what they basically are, with a low wedge heel. If the toes were a bit more tapered like the Clarks ones are, they'd be perfect.
Vintage Pucci pleated silk dress
This is an old pic from last summer. Narciso Rodriguez for Barack Obama tshirt and Philip Lim ruffle zipper skirt.
black/beige leopard ruffle dress

YSL orange and blue bow blouse, with an old belt and gray pleated pants
crazy vintage silk velvet Diane Fres dress

vintage YSL saffron cardigan
YSL sailor jacket (I no longer have this)
60s YSL safari dress
YSL ivory jacket with gold buttons
YSL haute couture suede and fox coat (bought as Christmas gift to self)
YSL silk and gold lurex dress
YSL silk velvet and velour cocoon jacket


YSL tuxedo bib blouse in slubbed silk wit polka dots
YSL silk pleated blouse (has matching skirt and separate tie)
YSL wool and lurex Russian peasant skirt

YSL pewter silk tiered skirt
YSL paisley silk camp shirt
YSL plaid wool Russian jacket
YSL challis blouse
YSL b/w polka dot blouse

YSL red silk robe dress (terribly evocative of Hef)
YSL slubbed silk safari shirt

YSL silk velvet cardigan
YSL gray suede skirt with gold whipstitching
YSL black wool sweater with sequin sleeves

YSL wool and velour smoking jacket

Sorry, can't take photos of clothes on myself anymore. I've turned into a whale as of late and am going to the gym to turn that around.

Ebay Psychosis -Hi Nigel!

This following Q&A really happened in the listing for the shoes pictured above. Some psycho called Olivia Winslow has no idea how ebay works and starts freaking out when she is outbid. The seller is polite and then gets mad by the 4th question. (the end result of the auction is rather anticlimactic, since the winning bidder was not olivia winslow nor did they pay), but this middle part is comedy gold.

Q: hi miss melbourne. will u cancel my bid if i have no feedback? i just started an account to buy the shoes but my maximum is 699. can you sell it to me for 699? do i have to pay postage if i can come and collect from your house? what is the reason for selling them? are they defectives? xoxo olivia. Dec-21-09
A: Hi Olivia, Thanks for checking in with me first, I appreciate it. Feel free to bid, I won't cancel it. Unfortunately, I cannot do a BIN as a number of people have emailed me in the last 12 hours asking the same thing. I feel it would be unfair to end the listing for you when I've said no to three other people already. I'm very sorry if that disappoints you. If it's any consolation, everyone is telling me that 699 is the maximum they can bid, so I suppose it will come down to the first person who does put that number in (I have a feeling this is going to be a last minute thing). If it helps bring things along, I will lower the starting price for the auction after this reply. No, you will not have to pay postage if you come and collect them. I have homes in Port Melbourne, Toorak and Brighton so you may collect them there, or from either Hawthorn or Mount Waverley if you like. The reason for selling is that my husband and I are expecting a baby and are converting his dressing room into a nursery. He is moving his things into my studio so I need to make plenty of room. As I have explained in the listing, we made a deal that in exchange for a 100k renovation :D, I would be more practical about my fashion choices. :( As these don't fit me, they have to go. They are not defective at all, other than natural wear to the bottom of the soles-- if you would like to inspect them, you can come and see them in person. :) It's purely personal reasons that they're being sold. If you don't mind, I'm going to post this reply publicly, so I don't keep having to answer the same questions. Thanks and happy bidding, Emmy

Q: pleeeeeeease will u let me by these now, someone is bidding and everytime i get my bf to agree to pay more the other person is straight bidding against me!1! i really want these shoes please help me!!!! Dec-23-09
A: I understand your position because I love these shoes, too. If someone had them listed in my size, I would be eager to buy them outright before anyone made a bid. However, I will not end the auction now that it has started. It's not fair to the other person who is bidding responsibly and in good faith and it wouldn't be fair to the other people who have emailed me with the same kind of plea. I wish you good luck with the auction and regret disappointing you. If I can say one more thing, it may help you to read up on bidding practice on eBay. I don't think the other person is sitting at their computer, vindictively upping your bids, I think it's because their highest price is more than yours. It's just the automatic bidding system at work. Don't take it personally. Thanks. Emmy

Q: who is the other person bidding against me then?!? can u give me their email address?!?! it is very frustrating i want these shoes badly and they are ruining my holidays. can u ask them to stop bidding? Dec-23-09
A: Olivia, there is no way I am going to disclose that to you. For all you know, they want these shoes very badly, too. Please stop asking me these questions. I will post your most recent question publicly, so they will be able to see it. If they are happy to stop bidding, then they can. I'm sorry that you are frustrated but this is just how ebay works. Take care.

Q: EVERY TIME THAT IM PUTTING IN A BID THEY INCREASE IT AND I CANT BEAT THEM!!!!!!!!!!!! if i bid more can u let me have them for less ((like to get cashback) if i pick them up remember u said that i dont have to pay shipping so will u let me? i neeeeed these shoes and the person is making more bids... i will bid more if you give me cash back when i pick them up from u? like at electrical shops wen u get cashback when u buy!!!! Dec-25-09
A: No. You're really pushing me to the point that I don't know if I would be happy selling to you. If this kind of behaviour went on at an auction that I was bidding on instead of selling, I would be very upset. Please take a step back and look at the situation from an objective point of view. Do you think you are being fair to the other bidder? They haven't done anything wrong to you, they are just bidding on shoes they also want. I don't know how many emails I have received from you now, but if you make this kind of suggestion again, I will cancel your bids and sell to the other bidder for their starting bid. I'm serious, Olivia.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Christian-Louboutin-Heels-Pink-Python-Alti-160-EU-41_W0QQitemZ280440827405QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_Women_s_Shoes?hash=item414b936e0d

Frippery is Fun

This is the most beautiful vintage YSL bow blouse ever! It has such a nice pattern of feathers, and the silvery color is so soft and flattering.

Another recent purchase is this spotted YSL silk dress. I love the ruffles and the fact that it has pockets.
This one's not new, but this Tom Ford for YSL tarapunto leather jacket is so beautiful I thought I'd photograph it anyway.


YSL fall 2002 gladiator sandals. The design of these shoes are very innovative, and I love the fact that these have lace-ups in the front years before other notable designers did them. (Ann D. Spring 09, Manolo Blahnik for Band of Outsiders Spring 09, Narciso Spring 10, etc)

Tina Chow Jewelry Pictures

Tina Chow's jewelry pieces are very hard to come by. I have never seen any of her crystal and bamboo pieces up for sale, and the few pieces that are go for thousands of dollars.

"I like the idea of wearing very personal jewelry and not so much decoration," Tina Chow says. As a result, there is a Oriental spareness about her jewelry-- a sense that every detail has been considered, every element is as it should be. (Tina worked closely with Japanese master tea ceremony basketmaker Kosuge Shochikudo, who created the encasements.) The pieces--like Tina--defy categorization. Shapes are simple, straightforward--often dictated by the stones. Chosen materials are hardly standard fare; that too is characteristically Tina: "Uncut stones are so wonderful, why muddle about with them?"

-from Vogue US August 1987

I googled Kosuge Shochikudo, and he passed away in 2003. This is really unfortunate, as his basket making techniques are very elaborate and there are not many artisans like that in Japan today.

Here is an example of his work on a bamboo bodice for Issey Miyake, in 1983.

Here is an excerpt of a NYT article on on crystal jewelry:

FASHION; In Jewelry, Choices Sacred and Profane, Ancient and New Age

By DEBORAH HOFMANN Published: May 7, 1989

Her pendants, wrapped in bamboo or sterling or gold wire, dangle from heavy silk cords. The highly polished and tapered quartz ''Miwako'' pendant is $1,500; a smaller oval quartz pendant is $600. The ''Temple'' quartz ring is $550 and is ''good for zapping people with good energy,'' Ms. Chow said.

Perhaps this is the ring? ($1500, ebay)

Although the new age stuff is absolutely bunk, I think her jewelry is timeless and unique. It should be appreciated on its own merits as small, wearable sculptures. Here are some pictures from the fashion spot, and ebay. I have tagged the pictures so it's easier to find them on google image search. People who aren't members of tfs would not be able to see some of these pictures otherwise.

asymmetric earrings made with quartz and sterling silver, from trocadero.com

bamboo pendant, quartz cuff and bamboo woven braceletFrom Flair (an out of print book about her vintage collection)





Vogue, 1987 photographed by Helmut Newton
clear quartz cuff, signed T. Chow

A similar necklace went for about $4500 on ebay in November. This one is from trocadero
crystal ring, at Nalia de Monbrisson in Paris (she has a great gallery)

these crystal spear earrings went for $3639 on November 10th. The quartz is lovely and very clear. Both the earrings and the spear ring come from the same seller.

Lohanhouse.com Reeks of Desperation

Okay, tawdry desperate famewhore time!
I was curious about this site after reading about it in Page 6 of the NY Post. Its motto is "Real people live here". So what horrors would be fished out of this sad Long Island coke den and put up for sale?
The merchandise in the store is less than mediocre and ridiculously overpriced. There's old
old Luella for Target stuff for full price! A YSL fringe bag is $800, something you can easily get for 300 or less on ebay. Many things are outdated looking. Pastel puffer vest, anyone? Another quirk of the website is its drug-addled misspelling of many designer names. Here's a sample:

Diana von Furstenbrg
Marc Jacob
Emillio Pucci
Lauren Muffet (mother goose on crack or something)

Strangely enough, there is a pair of Dsquared2 black heels for only $10. This is the only bargain on the whole site.
The link to each person's room are not actually pictures of their rooms, but rather pages with information about current projects. I was sort of disappointed to not be able to see a 90s Whitney Houston crack pipe on the dressing room sort of disaster. I could totally see Dina wandering around in a pill induced haze in her trashed bedroom before issuing some ridiculous denial about her oldest daughter's drug induced behavior.

ROBERT CLERGERIE Patent Booties 6.5 Pierre Hardy Box

Proenza Schouler Wallets Are Here!

Moro Brown






Blackberry-dark purple

They measure 7.5 by 4.5 by 1 inch, at the top. Functionally, they are rather like a clutch, since there is only 1 interior compartment, lined in jacquard, and 1 compartment in the back.

These colors are now both sold out on the website, so I was quite lucky.

Allegations In the Comments Section of NYMag About Daul Kim's Death

I liked Daul Kim as a model and always thought she was smart as well as a fantastic dresser, and was saddened to hear about her untimely death.

Here are some interesting comments from a thread in The Cut. The name of the thread is :Daul Kim IMed With a Friend About a Physically Abusive Boyfriend Hours Before Her Death.
Please keep in mind that these are semi-anonymous accusations, but they sounded very interesting, and if indeed Guillaume Chaillet was her boyfriend and is as powerful as these commenters claim, I wanted to put these comments online in case the ones at nymag get taken down.
Here's a picture of him.
from asvof

Boyfriend was Guillaume Chaillet. He's super well connected in the fashion industry and comes from a "good" french family. http://neo-cffoundation.org/new/?guillaume-chaillet,9

-voisla 11/25/09 2:14 Am


It makes me very uncomfortable that a possible murderer is running free around in Paris.
Daul Kim's boyfriend was abusive. I also do not believe this was a suicide.
Her boyfriend's name is Guillaume Chaillet. He is high profile in fashion, head of Pressing PR Office. He is wealthy and well connected.
He is 20 years older than her.
It was not Daul Kim's apartment, It was his.
He was present, inside the apartment when she died. Authorities were quick to close the case as suicide and he was never a suspect.
The investigation has been transferred to another department handling criminal activity.
Possible Homicide.

Daul's death has not been confirmed a suicide. Most of the press have taken excerpts from her blog grossly out of context.


Daulsbestestfriend 11/25/09 2:51 PM

How do you give citation to information you know via being best friends with someone? I can corroborate that daulsbestestfriend was indeed her best friend. I knew her and a lot of my friends knew her. She may have been emotionally volatile, but she wasn't suicidal, and based on the contact she had with them, none of them can believe that she was suicidal in the days leading up to her death. She was planning on breaking up with her boyfriend and coming to new york to be free of him. Things are not adding up.

voisla 11/25 5:28 PM

This is why I am letting the netizens know. This information is not being disclosed publicly because of French policy. The authorities cannot name Guillaume Chaillet. You do not know Daul. Maybe she never smiled in photos.
What high fashion model does? I think models do tend to photograph looking stern, pensive, or in pain...i mean, unless they are in a catalog.
As her friend, we smiled all the time...and guess what? She can laugh too.

It is not wrong to call her a boyfriend an abuser, especially when he is a one and his girlfriend is now dead. It also seems likely that you too missed the whole point of her blog: a darkly humorous, sometimes cynical, but mostly celebratory take and sharing of a life behind fame, full of rants, and random thoughts, all for a hobby and your entertainment. I doubt her blog was a cry for help. Do people cry for help from strangers on the internet?

daulsbestestfriend 11/28/09 4:16 PM

Fun New Stuff

Just got this Rag & Bone safari jacket in the mail the other day. It's gorgeous and so light (because it's not lined)! Love the nipped in waist too.



On a somewhat related note, how gorgeous is this Rag & Bone leather jacket with zip off sleeves? photo via NYmag/The Cut
Another new purchase is this vintage Chanel camellia. It's so delicate and has a tiny oval plate on the back with the hallmark.

The 3rd thing is something new from the 90s. This pair of Helmut Lang suspender pants is very Marlene Dietrich, no? The suspenders are removable.

4th new purchase: a YSL tuxedo jacket!!!
so excited.
Looking at style.com's accessories for Spring 2010, I was struck by this printed Givenchy Nightingale. What a beautiful print.





These silver Gucci low boots from Spring 07 also look very intriguing.