District L

There are few people in this world that you can depend on for style suggestions – everyone seems to have an opinion, a licensed clothing line, two t-shirt companies, and a personal style Tumblr. So when you find reliable friends that double as unfailing fashion informants, you pay close attention.

This week, I was introduced to MEI New York, an evocative new brand with a penchant for the past. Inspired by 19^th Century menswear and Christopher Payne’s redolent aesthetic, the design duo shares a similar philosophy with the aforementioned photographer – to preserve the vanishing quality and design of yesteryear.

With close attention to detail, the MEI New York F12 collection combines utilitarian with poise for a rich, enduring debut.

Post by Amanda LaMela

Purposefully shaking off this evening’s post-work fatigue, I found myself ascending to the top of The Standard Hotel for the latest INC Editor-at-Large launch.  New York stylist and Voguette veteran, Kate Young, celebrated her newest collaboration at Le Bain. On a stage constructed over the infamous whirlpool, models posed in sequin separates, polka dots, and tribal prints.

DJ Hannah Bronfman spun for an energetic crowd, a further reflection of Young’s devoted following. Guests socialized over champagne, 18 floors above cobblestone, while stealing an exclusive first glance at the INC Editor-at-Large S12 collection.

Post by Amanda LaMela

Reminiscent of Talitha Getty in the early years of her marriage to John Paul Getty Jr., Bouchra Jarra revealed a couture collection that was part-bohemian muse, part-heiress bride. Expertly tailored separates, brass military buttons, and rich fur trim indicated a privileged start, while faded prints in delirious fabrics hinted the escapist’s demise.

Post by Amanda LaMela

Images: The Blonds Runway A/W 2011

“Tulga is going to be the guy doing the door and it’s going to be more…poets. I want poets to come. If you are a poet, you can come,” Andre Saraiva, owner of Le Baron, declared almost a year ago. And after twelve months, a liquor license contretemps, and a stream of unrelenting downtown rumors, the famed magnate of international nightlife is set to open his doors… soon?

So that gives me a bit more time to figure out how to feign “poet” status – which, to me, means attaining the proper balance of insanity and eloquence. The intention seems pulled together, with a fragility that toes the edge, much like Lord Byron and the pet bear he kept at Cambridge or the charmingly bipolar Dylan Thomas.

Simultaneously transparent and obscure, it’s concluded that “Much Madness is Divinest Sense” – she who was the most elegant ticking time-bomb.

No. 21

The Row

Post by Amanda LaMela

Lois Eastlund Runway, October 2011

The pulse of New York style survives on a diverse assortment of emerging designers and independent retailers. Local boutiques generate excitement and satisfy the city’s need for one-of-a-kind pieces that can’t be found at some mall in New Jersey or a Midwestern department store.

Small Boutique Fashion Week was founded as platform for emerging designers and small-scale buyers to connect and achieve further exposure. Twenty designers will present collections of ready-to-buy pieces during the SBFW Runway Show and Market on Saturday, February 11, 2012. Exhibiting designers include Lois Eastlund, Cut & Sew, Dirt Po by Paul Young, Nolan Kouri, and Dirty Monroe.

Dirty Monroe, Fall 2011 Collection

Nolan Kouri

Lois Eastlund Runway, Photograph by Chuck Lau

Post by Amanda LaMela

You don’t have to read the site for long to realize that my lifestyle is a far cry from domesticity: I don’t own drinking glasses that aren’t intended for wine, champagne or coffee, my fridge contains nothing more than gin and butter at any given time, and most of my cookware hasn’t been used in the two years I’ve lived in my apartment.

Nevertheless, as I was poking around the ‘Lifestyle’ section of Farfetch.com, I began to ask myself the age-old question: “What is this stuff and why don’t I have it!?”

For example, why haven’t I heard of the Chanel Vintage wine bottle holder yet? Must only vintage bottles be placed in the vintage holder? If a bottle survives the weekend in my apartment without being consumed, surely that makes it vintage, right?

Chanel Vintage bottle holder $2,350

Also, in what situation might I need to use a Squirrel Snuffer by Chehoma? To buzz in the Fresh Direct delivery guy? To torment my roommate’s pet? Regardless, I’ll take three.

Chehoma Squirrel Snuffer $25

Knick-knacks are the epitome of settled-in, domestic life. Buying a knick-knack is like saying, “Hey, I don’t plan on moving ever,” because who the hell wants to pack those things up when you get bored of your apartment and want to move across town? If your significant other starts purchasing useless little trinkets, you better run – and quick. There is nothing more suffocating than a knick-knack gifter.

With this in mind, I stumbled upon a collection of small Lanvin statuettes, completely shattering all of my preconceived notions. Uncharacteristically whimsical and surprisingly irreverent, these particular porcelain figures said something else that I hadn’t anticipated: “Buy me!”

Lanvin Porcelain Statuette $412

I’m sorry, little Lanvin dolls. It’s just that… this is getting a little too serious. It’s not you, it’s me. I’m not ready to throw in the Hermes towel just yet. But, um, maybe I’ll text you sometime…

Post by Amanda LaMela

Hello, my name is Amanda. I enjoy long walks on the beach and relaxing with a good book in the park.

Actually, no – that couldn’t be any further from the truth. I have never been able to really appreciate nature with the distraction of defecating pets, uneven grounds, and the occasional inconvenience of an enforced open container law.

Now, I’d like to introduce Park Here, the Nolita “pop-up park” in Openhouse Gallery. This indoor venue at 201 Mulberry is complete with artificial trees, Astroturf, benches, and a hammock. Being the only one of my friends to have the day off from work, I jumped at the opportunity to discover a space that collectively, we wouldn’t have survived but three minutes. So I threw a pair of denim cut-offs over my leggings, found my "most outdoorsy" pair of shoes, and headed for Mulberry and Spring.

Much like a real park, Park Here boasted all of the telltale signs: distracted PTA moms, an awkward first date picnic, a knitting hipster… except this park had Savage Night at the Opera escaping its artfully hidden speakers, a hushed BYOB policy, and promises of risotto tater tots.

Nevertheless, as soon as I'm finished writing this piece, I'll have to depart from the squealing toddlers and preoccupied mothers. It takes a certain kind of person to enjoy a park of any variation, but I am not quite ready to speak with them yet.

Post by Amanda LaMela