thanks and nail polish

first of all, i just want to extend a big fucking hug to all of my friends who have been so sweet about the rebirth of this blog. as small as the whole thing is, it's been so wonderful to have people who i didn't even know read this thing say that they were excited that it was back. being surrounded by good people makes a project like this all the more worth it.

as i was getting ready for my interview with mr. mouret tomorrow, picking out an outfit and such (decided on: louis vuitton tiger print blouse, cropped black pants, sam edelman chain-link clogs) i realized that my chipped green nail polish probably wasn't going to look too hot. a quick talk with the old bff (who also moonlights as a nail polish guru) resulted in the conclusion that "sparkle-licious" from opi's "burlesque" collection was the way to go.

nail polish has become one of my favorite accessories, and a new, good color is such a treat. i would encourage you all to check out both the sparkle and solid "burlesque" collections from opi — they're perfect for winter/holiday time. with two coats, the sparkle polishes are gorgeous on their own, but as a top coat, they're also a great way to spice up your favorite shade.

ps: so excited it's december 1st! i'm a holiday nut. my roommate, jack, and i put up lights all around our apartment last night, and he bought us stockings to decorate (his is currently hosting a very large picture of james franco's face). hope you're all engaging in some fun holiday activities! xox.

roland mouret

i was quite thrilled to receive a call from neiman marcus chicago's pr director, tina koegel, the other night, which ultimately resulted in the opportunity to chat and have lunch with french designer roland mouret this thursday. an incredible designer, i can't wait to talk to him about reclaiming the rights to his own name (crazy, right?) and the opening of his first ever flagship store in london next year. in honor of this exciting event, i thought i'd post some of my favorite looks from his ss/11 collection.

images from style.com

bringing back the sass

after quite the hiatus, i've decided that there's a little something missing without sassafras in my life. or, as my friend alana said to me the other day, "everyday i wish you'd start that damn blog up again so i have something to look at."

this fall i've immersed myself in school, my editor position with f newsmagazine, and other incendiary life events (like turning a quarter century old...), and haven't spent enough time doing my own things with fashion. this is me reinvigorating that.

just like old times, i'm deciding to blog at the very last minute before i need to head off to a meeting, so here's an interview i did recently with visual artist and fashion professor nick cave. his soundsuits were featured in vogue's september issue, and i was lucky enough to get a chance to sit down and talk with him after the issue came out.

enjoy!

Amanda Aldinger: I want to start off with the editorial spread in the September issue of Vogue. What was the process of landing that?

Nick Cave: Vogue called my gallery in New York City, Jack Shainman Gallery, and asked if I would be interested in doing a spread … but I had just shipped out all of my work to a museum in Sweden. So I had no work. My gallery called Vogue and said, “He doesn’t have any work, maybe he can do it another time.” The magazine called back and asked if I could produce some work, and I said that in order for that to happen, I’d need at least two months. And so they basically held the spread until I produced the work.

AA: So everything in that editorial you produced specifically for Vogue?

NC: Yes, for Vogue.

AA: Can you talk about your process for creating your Soundsuits?

NC: The ideas are really generated by paying a great deal of attention as to what provokes me through material. So it’s not that I’m sketching these ideas, it’s really just sort of hanging out at flea markets around the country, around the world, and something will trigger me based on something that I see. It’s really on impulse. I’m at flea markets weekly.

AA: You studied textiles in college, you’ve studied as a dancer, and you’re obviously interested in fashion — did you ever anticipate creating work that would merge these three worlds?

NC: No. I made my first Soundsuit in response to the Rodney King incident [Rodney King’s beating in 1991], but I looked at it as a sculptural object. Once I put it on I realized I could wear it, and that through my movement it could make sound. So it was one sort of revelation after another, all with this one concept.

AA: Does fashion influence your work other than the basic aspect that a Soundsuit is also a garment?

NC: I think aspects of it do. More on a couture level — the theatrical aspects of the design, and creating this huge extraordinary world in which the concept comes from. It’s fashion, but then you also have installation. And then all of that ties together and it becomes a performance of sorts —i t all becomes very organic. If someone did a sculptural piece, and you were to bring a dance company to intersect with that — what is it then? Does it then remain a sculpture, or does it become an object that is integrated with this performance base?

AA: What about your new pop-up shop and drive-by series? Are these your conception?

NC: Yes, the pop-up shop is something that will be in support of this drive-by video series. So I’m looking at that as a whole other genre of work that’s an extension of the sculptures.

AA: Can you explain the concept behind the drive-by?

NC: The concept behind it is creating these alternative art venues that rest within communities and off-beat paths. I’m interested in doing drive-bys that aren’t necessarily connected to an institution with particular boundaries, like a museum. This comes as outreach — you can refresh a neighborhood by bringing additional commerce there, but yet it also moves us around the city. I would love to do this in three or four different locations.

AA: In an interview with Christelle de Castro for Opening Ceremony you mentioned that you consider yourself “a humanitarian before an artist.” How do your Soundsuits reflect that concept?

NC: A Soundsuit dismisses identity, race, gender, and it forces you to reckon with something that’s unfamiliar without judgment. That’s really the impetus that’s behind the work. You can’t categorize them — they’re something that is unknown, unfamiliar, and not necessarily connected to any particular origin. That’s very important — that everyone can bring their own references to the work. It’s a moment where we intersect and the lines blur. The main humanitarian part of it is me taking this and wanting to be an artist with a conscience.

AA: Is this a theme that resonated in work that you did prior to the Soundsuits?

NC: No. Prior to that I was being an artist and working and doing more large-scale painting and installation work. But once I was affected by the Rodney King incident, I realized that I want work that matters.

AA: And that changed your direction a bit?

NC: Yes. I became concerned with how my work would perform out there in the world.

AA: I read in the New York Times that you want to stage a choreographed extravaganza in Millennium Park. Is that something that’s still in the works?
NC: Yes, that’s still in the works.

AA: Will it still be in 2012?

NC: It will be probably be a little bit later now.

AA: Do you have any ideas as to what that’s going to be like?

NC: It’s going to be a 90-Soundsuit performance. I don’t know any more than that. But it’s going to bridge community together, because that’s the sort of interface that we’re working with: dance companies in the city, outreach in the public schools. It’s also going to work with individual performers that are street performers. I’m interested in intersecting and using the community to build the performance.

AA: It’s often said that of the major cultural hubs in the United States — New York, LA and Chicago
— Chicago is kind of the “third city.” Do you see yourself staying here in Chicago and working?

NC: Personally, I don’t think you have to jump ship, period — you have to be smart and realize that. Chicago’s my hub, it allows me to produce my work in an environment that is extremely convenient. I look at Chicago as an open canvas. We’re in a different kind of world today — we’re global. So I can be in Iowa, have an amazing gallery in New York, and still be international. Artists today are multi-tasking. We’re building and designing our own pathways, and making our own decisions about how we’re going to interface with the world at large. It’s up to you how you strategically design that.

AA: Do you have a favorite Soundsuit?

NC: No. I’m not really that connected to my work, on that level.

AA: On what level are you connected?

NC: I think I’m just the messenger here to deliver these deeds.

AA: So once you send them off, you’re okay with that, and you don’t ever need to interact with them again.

NC: Exactly. Done.

*featured in f newsmagazine's october 2010 issue, and on their website.

Suzy Menkes and Pierre Berge

suzy menkes talks to pierre berge, ysl's former lover/business partner, about ysl's first-ever retrospective at le petit palais. perhaps it was just sheer exhaustion (writing a paper about ysl's pop art sensibilities, no less!), but the images of ysl's iconic designs + pierre's perfectly smooth french accent brought tears to my eyes.

there is a gorgeous parisian light at the end of my academia-haunted tunnel. i. cannot. wait.

tilda swinton: i am love

the release of tilda swinton's new italian film, "i am love" is releasing soon, and dazed digital is featuring her on their may cover (two may covers!). i can't wait to snatch up every different cover...you all know my tilda fever. the film sounds quite wonderful, as well.

yoox recently did an interview with swinton about the film:

Exclusive interview with Tilda Swinton and Luca Guadagnino

L: Luca Guadagnino
T: Tilda Swinton

What is the movie about?
L: I Am Love is about the endurable force of love. It is about how a family can change forever through the power of personal revolutionary choices.
T: It’s about family and inheritance. About the revolution of love. And about the inevitable triumph of nature - both human and otherwise.

Why choosing Tilda Swinton to represent the main character, Emma Recchi?
L: I did not choose her. We made the movie together.

What does fashion mean in this movie?
L: Fashion is a great inspiration and a fertile collaboration to me. To be able to make ideas spring out of this encounter between fashion and cinema is a total absolute privilege.
T: Substantially less than style does.

And how does fashion/wardrobe underline the character?
L: Fashion as pure creativity enables the character to be more unconventional and real.
T: Everything in a truly cinematic film underlines character. The frame, the art direction within it, the colors, the movement of the camera. Character is only a construct of all these elements brought together – one hopes, in harmony.

Why choosing Jil Sander designed by Raf Simons for Emma’s wardrobe?
L: I always loved Raf Simons’ work. I am in love with his artistry. That’s why.
T: Because the team at Jil Sander understood perfectly from the very outset that what we were looking for was an extremely subtle dialogue within the film with Emma’s wardrobe.

What does fashion mean to your professional and private life?
T : It means company, in a very practical way. I have the great blessing to have as my friends a number of inspired people, many of them artists, working in fashion. My collaborations with them is a very particular and joyful part of my work as a whole. I find, in their company, an energy and a kind of precision that is unique: something to do with the supremely personal aspect of fashion – how it calls up the spirit in all of us and dares us to be authentic.

The Recchi family lives according to the strict rules of the Milanese haute-bourgeoisie, until Emma-Tilda Swinton rebels against them by falling for another man, who is well outside the aristocratic conventions. The director and Oscar-winning actress have created a film in which style choices emphasize personal transformations. The wardrobe of Emma Recchi indicates a precise historical and social context, while the colors develop the plot giving way to passion.

images: style frizz

new look of the day

what do you guys think of the sunnie's reincarnation of the cat-eye? i kind of love it. as long as i can find a pair big enough - large hair and a wide face are not the best canvas for smaller sunglasses - then i'm all in. these ralph vaessen ones are to die for.

interview with vaessen/more photos here: dazed digital

ysl tuesday

i found this interview from 1959 with ysl this morning. a beautiful man, with such a light, innocent, unassuming vocal quality.

happy tuesday :).

robin givhan

i had the distinct pleasure of getting to meet and speak with ms. robin givhan, former vogue contributor (she informed us that yes she knows anna wintour, and yes she calls her anna) and current fashion editor of the washington post, last week. warm, funny, and filled with wonderful, fabulous stories, she was a true delight to meet, and shared some vital words of wisdom - we bonded over our being journalists (her, established...me, studying to be - i also assualted her with the first question while sitting in the front row) and she even took the time to email with me.

check out an interview she did with timeout chicago, as well as her articles for the washington post. they're highly relevant, and pose serious questions and observations regarding the place of fashion today.

blogger profile: moodboard

for one of my classes i was assigned to interview someone in the arts/writing field that i enjoy/admire/want to learn more about. and because i'm always curious about the blogger behind the blog, i was lucky enough to score an interview with kate, whose blog, moodboard, is one of my absolute favorites. she has lots of wonderful things to say, and a blog filled with inspiration and beautiful images.

enjoy!

-----------------

In the Mood: One Blogger's Quest for Inspiration

The task of keeping a blog is one that is often underestimated. While one post a day may seem like nothing, life has its way of disrupting extracurricular productivity. For some, perhaps. But for Kate, the blogger behind the style blog, Moodboard keeping up with the images and bits of inspiration that she posts up to 8 times a week is anything but work. Rather, she admits, it's pleasure, pure and simple. "I can't begin to tell you how much blogging has changed me. I feel that the possibilities are endless on what I can create and learn."

A proclaimed vintage aficionado, Kate began Moodboard in July 2007 after discovering a forum in which she could explore her passion for vintage, beyond flea markets and thrift stores. "One day while searching the Internet I stumbled across Lisa Congdon's blog, A Bird in the Hand. I was so excited to find someone that loved vintage items and talked about it in a personal narrative, and I wanted to be part of that community. I thought my blog could be a place where I could virtually pin things that were inspiring me." So Kate threw herself into the blogging world, posting images of vintage creations, as well as profiles of homes boasting unique interior design concepts, culling her material from magazines like Domino, Harper's Bazaar and Modern Home. As Moodboard gained popularity in the blogging world, its rapidly increasing readership implored Kate to share her perspective beyond vintage design - they wanted to know what she thought about all things style-related. She immediately responded by expanding her material base. "I started to include reviews, outfit posts, and magazine scans. After receiving several reader requests, it has grown to become a source for old magazine editorials."

The extraordinary thing about Moodboard is its multi-facted exploration of beauty through a visual aesthetic. Featuring images and narrative on everything from food to books, from music to international thrift stores, from DIY projects to wedding planning. In searching through Moodboard's incredible two-year archive, it's impressive to witness the breadth of material Kate has discovered and captured - attributing her sensational eye for design to the way she was raised. "I didn't have a conventional childhood, so I think that impacted the way I see the world. We didn't have much money growing up, but my mother fostered the idea of finding beauty in even the smallest things. Most of our things were bought at thrift stores and yard sales, and I think that is where I developed my eye. She still sends me hangers and garbage bags in colors she knows I like!"

A visual aesthete, Kate uses Moodboard to hone a knack for creativity that hearkens back to her childhood. "I had little collections of items that I would use to decorate our barbie houses (built out of cardboard boxes). At one point I made all the Barbies pink ear muffs made of cotton balls, trash bag ties and food dye." As an adult, Kate has refined her taste beyond Barbie accoutrement. When asked about her personal taste in interior design, she muses, "Let's go with Transient Eclectic. Currently I'm loving rustic wood pieces, patterns and lots of rich color." And her personal style? "A mix of masculine and feminine elements. Though I can tend to love fussy pieces I don't like fussy outfits."

A life-changing endeavor, Kate notes many thrilling experiences from her life as a blogger. "My most memorable moments have been when someone I admire contacts me because of the blog. I purchased a vintage dress by artist Vinette Varvaro and was horrified when it was altered too short. I hate to think I may have destroyed or went too far from the artist's original vision. Vinette left the most lovely comment on my blog and put my mind at ease about the dress." But its not just designers and notable icons Kate is looking to impact, "I would love to continue to grow and to be a source of inspiration for other people as well. "

interview: carol calacci

scs managing director, carol calacci (right), with scs writers alia rajput and nina krek

i was fortunate enough to be able to interview the lovely carol calacci, the managing editor of blog and online fashion mag second city style, to talk to her a little bit what it's like to work in the fashion biz. she's a true delight, and has had the opportunity to meet lots of fabulous people and to have some amazing industry experiences.

-----------------

Style in the City: Talking Fashion with Second City Style’s Carol Calacci

A School of the Art Institute Chicago alumna, Carol Calacci is no stranger the Chicago arts scene - and as Managing Editor of the online luxury fashion magazine and blog, Second City Style, Calacci proves to be a reputable authority on all things Chicago chic. Having initially thrust her creativity into clothing design, Calacci has since shifted her talents into a journalistic sphere. A freelance graphic designer, blogger, fashion scenester, and editor of a luxury news source, Calacci is at the top of her career, and at the forefront of the Chicago fashion world. Ambitious to the extreme, Calacci believes wholeheartedly in the Chicago fashion industry, lauding local boutiques and giving Chicago its due place in the big, stylish picture that is Second City Style.

Sassafras: When did you start to become interested in the fashion industry, and what sparked your interest?

Carol Calacci: I always loved fashion - ever since I was a child. I remember looking in my parent's Life magazines at art, sculpture and mod fashions. I wanted to look like Twiggy!

S: You used to design a leather line. Can you talk a little bit about that? Who did you sell to, market to, how did it develop, etc? Do you still feel a calling to fashion design?

CC: Yes, my degree is in graphic design, and after graduating I studied accessory design at The School of the Art Institute Chicago (SAIC). There I received a wealth of information on where to find materials in Chicago, how to approach boutiques and how to design well-constructed, wearable accessories. I had a thing for leather. We made handbags out of leather and I used to get old coats from Salvation Army and reconstruct them into skirts and pants. Several years later I was inspired by a Tom Ford for Gucci leather halter that was in a Vogue September Issue. I began constructing variations of lamb leather tops using metallic leathers, ribbons, and, of course, a lot of black. I cold-called some Chicago boutiques that I loved and [luxury Chicago boutique owner] June Blaker gave me great advice. After that, [my pieces] landed at Toshira - my absolute favorite boutique! So that was quite a thrill. Then, as I was traveling on a vacation to L.A. for a long weekend, I looked at a Lucky magazine featuring L.A. and called several boutiques. I made some appointments and managed to sell out in L.A. as well. Being a designer helps me to understand fashion designers when I interview them - I understand the construction and what it takes to produce pieces.

S: After having been so successful with design, what motivated your foray into becoming the Managing Editor for Second City Style (SCS)? How do you merge all of your experiences in the industry?

CC: It was actually because of Lauren Dimet-Waters [SCS Editor-in-Chief], who I met in a Networking group. She was in technology, and I worked with her and we became friends. We talked a lot about fashion, restaurants and automobiles…but mostly fashion. I knew she wanted to start her own business, so I approached her and said, "Did you ever think about doing a website?” I showed her fashion topics and she said, "Yes, I’ve always wanted to do a website exactly like this!" I had no intention of starting another business - but the passion for fashion led me in, and Lauren's know-how with technology is what really made it grow.

S: Being a key part of SCS, there are lots of things you get to do, and people you get to meet. What have been some of your most exciting, memorable moments?

CC: Memorable moments are meeting the rock stars of the business - the designers! I’ve met and interviewed Brian Reyes, Rachel Roy, Christin Siriano, and Alexis Bitar - the jewelry designer. I was interviewing him in a back room at Nordstrom and he got a text message that he volunteered to tell me about. It was Grace Coddington [US Vogue’s creative director] asking him if he could do a piece for Vogue. "Something with a bow, or something - for a jumpsuits shoot." Then 3 months later I get the Vogue, featuring jumpsuits on the cover and with the tuxedo bow jewelry he designed! That was one of my most memorable moments. To have be at the inception, and then to see the end result.

S: What's your favorite part about your job at Second City Style? How have you seen the business develop since you and Lauren started it in 2005?

CC: My favorite part is working with wonderful writers, and sharing a passion for fashion and design with the many people I encounter. Going to N.Y. Fashion Week is a highlight - knowing what's new and current and predicting what people will wear is gratifying.

S: Who are your favorite designers/influences in the fashion industry? How have they influenced your work?

CC: Well, Tom Ford for Gucci - you got that leather halter story already! Lately, I’ve been really liking Lanvin. I loved Donna Karen's Spring 2010 – which was surprising, because I usually like collections that are more avant garde. I like Costello Tagliapietra, Angel Sanchez - designers who make walking sculptures, as I like to think of it. They influence me with their modern, luxurious and artistic approaches to fashion.

S: How do you feel the industry is changing? Online journalism is definitely where journalism seems to be going - what do you feel are the benefits of running an online company?

CC: At SCS, we began feeling like "little bloggers,” and now we’ve almost too many PR companies and designers publicists knocking at our door! I think they really see the importance of online information and the large fashion audience that they can hit with SCS.

S: As the industry is continually changing, what are your goals for SCS? What niche market does Second City Style fill?

CC: We started with women’s fashion and accessories, saying "We don't do bridal, children's or men's!" Like, "we don't do windows." But then we added beauty, a huge animal, a few years ago. I do get a lot of requests for men's fashions, so I think that may be the next area that we tackle. It may be a long way off, but we like to keep the subject matter tight. That’s our advantage.

photo credit: secondcitystyle.com