The Holden Archive

Looks This Week [On Me]

hristmas this year was unlike any before. I was unable to go visit my mum and sisters in Nantucket, but found my own little family right here in San Francisco. Last year I was all alone (poor me) and it was slightly depressing, but this year was full of treats. Here’s what I wore, where I went and who I saw:

MONDAY

Going: Vesuvio Cafe for chess and coffee; Scarf: Hand-knit by my Ukrainian grandmother (it even has sparkles!); Cashmere cape: vintage; Gloves: Target (sigh, they’re already dying); Tights: Target; Boots: Stuart Weitzman

TUESDAY

Going: Beauty Bar I was feeling very nostalgic for my ballet days; Fascinator: handmade and found at an Indie Mart event this past summer. Unfortunately, the designer did not sew in her tag so now I’ve forgotten who made this little beauty (note to designers: DO THIS); Dress: H&M; Sweater: H&M; Scarf: my mother’s; Dance skirt: Capezio; Tights: Target; Shoes: Fahrenheit. Because the shoes are a little too big, I tied two plum-colored satin sashes around the arc of my foot the same way one ties pointe shoes. Here is a little YouTube video on how to do this. It’s a great way to keep your shoes from slipping, especially if you plan to dance in your heels, or run from Johnny Law, either way.

WEDNESDAY

Going: The Elbo Room; Scarf: Kenneth Cole; Sweater: Esprit! Remember them? I’ve had this forever; Belt: H&M; Skirt: French Connection UK; Legwarmers: Ricky’s; Shoes: Scorah Pattullo

THURSDAY

Going: to photographer Julie Schuchard’s Christmas Eve Party; Dress: Benetton; Tights: Target; Shoes: Kate Spade

FRIDAY

Going: to visit Brigid Huntoon at Vesuvio Cafe and then to the Elbo Room for their Anti-Christmas Christmas Party; Fur: Heirloom, vintage Stanley Korshak Chicago. The Chicago boutique closed in 1990, after 80 years of business in designer apparel for women. The coat is absolutely treasured; Gloves: a gift from my mum; Jeans: Hudson; Shoes: Scorah Pattullo; Bag: Celine; Arm-candy: Ryan Joseph

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Oh! Here are some photos from that evening, courtesy of dear friend Domini Dragoone:

We like this last one. Kinda spooky, no?

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SATURDAY

Going: Absolutely nowhere. I stayed in jams all day. Cashmere sweater: Badgley Mischka; Knickers: Ralph Lauren; Socks: the super comfy slipper-socks with treads (!) that you can buy from Hotel Triton when you stay there, which I highly recommend when visiting SF. It is a lovely boutique hotel.

SUNDAY

Going: to Murder of Lilies’ studio to play music spectacularly loud with Daniel Murder and Ryan Joseph and the lovely Layne Cross and dance dance dance; Sweater: H&M; Knit Dress: This is actually a skirt from Arden B. I bought forever ago and pulled up and belted to make a little 60s shift; Belt: H&M, it kind-of sucks and unclicks sometimes. This might be a case for some serious glue; Tights: American Apparel; Socks: Target; Red suede ankle boots: Donald J. Pliner

Happy New Year everyone!

My Fashion Life, Adventuring Week-in-Review

I’m publishing this from sweet home Chicago and though I’ve only been away from Fog City a few days, I miss it already. Though getting to see my sisters and step-sister and dad and step-mom has been very centering. 

No fashion fronting over here in the Midwest. Lounging around in yoga pants and no makeup, watching cable television and laughing like a lunatic with my sisters is the best way to spend a holiday. 

Last week, however, was full of San Francisco style goodness…

Dear friend, photographer Lisa Wiseman, sent me a few of the shots from our photo-shoot earlier in the month.

This is the lobby of my building. I’m wearing a dress by Ivana Ristic of Missing Piece, thanks to dear friend Danielle Cohen who styled the shoot.

I love the softness of Lisa’s work. Chelsea Millunchick was the shoot’s makeup artist. Yes, it takes around two hours to look this natural! Chelsea is a star, go see her portfolio.

“I shoot details,” Lisa says. A couple of shots from inside my apartment.

The best part of this shoot was that it was an all-female team. As you know, I don’t model often anymore at all, but to get creative with girls, and in my own home, was refreshing. Lisa isn’t a “fashion photographer” in the strict sense, but you can see how her work transcends genre. She’s one talented woman, that’s for sure, and was recently recognized by Photo District News as one of the top 30 photographers to watch this year, a coveted accolade. Well deserved, Lisa!

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I had coffee and tarts at Cafe de la Presse with the stunning Catie of Cuffington. She wore a vintage Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche jacket that was to die.

I stole this self-portrait from her blog.

If there was ever a woman who’s closet I’d like to raid, it’d be Catie’s. I got to learn more about her project Style Cinema, an ongoing party where she and Annie of Poetic & Chic host a screening of a film of fashion influence, along with drinks and noms and thorough fashion discussion. I missed the first one, but Catie assures me there will be another Style Cinema this coming January. Let’s all go.

I’ve been rather nutty about what are now my official Disco Shoes, these sparkly numbers from Scorah Pattullo.

Love them.

I couldn’t resist heading down to Union Square to watch the ice skaters.

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The DiSH on FASHION at the W Hotel was, again, lovely fun.

The featured Missing Piece designer was KITTINHAWK, a real up-and-comer in the San Francisco style world. 

What I wore…the shift over the LBD was a gift from San Francisco designer Hellyn Mercereau, who’s lookbook I modeled for last year.

I threw my favorite vintage fur over the top. Superluxe.

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Saturday night was all about STYLE WARS. But first, Miguel and I made a stop at this cute little art lounge north of the Panhandle, Madrone.

They do a weekly Prince vs. Michael dance party.

What I wore.

Over at Mezzanine, we met up with Danielle. See her Ploom? The smokeless flavored tobacco device isn’t out for the public yet, but you’ll be seeing them around soon. Delicious.

Onto the show!

Glitters!

Paper!

The waist!

Spectacle!

Purse head!

Trash bags!

Kayo gets the KAY-O!

As a Missing Piece alum, I was thrilled designer and dear friend Kayo Mitsuyama won the Style Wars crown. 

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A fantastic week. Looking forward to Chillin’ at Mezzanine, a fashion party at 440 Brannan and a few other treats coming up when I get back to my other sweet home, where I left my heart, SF.

But all this yummy foodstuff…I might have gained a dress size or two by the time I get back!

x

Adventuring! (My Week In Photos By Me)

ou will kindly understand that due to a bit of laziness, this week’s update is really two weeks in one. I mean, I get out and about, but this is a bit more than usual. Adventuring!

This is the Shotgun Wedding Hip-Hop Symphony. Miguel and a bunch of friends and I went to see them at Yoshi’s jazz club in the City. All that brass! And a stand-up bass. I make no secret of my love for both. This 12+ piece band from right here in SF is a fantastic mix of…well, jazz and hip-hop and the antecedents of both. If we’d wondered about the chops of the lead vocals we shouldn’t have worried. His total freestyle riff on audience suggested topics (Dick Cheney, building a boat and sex) pretty much knocked my socks off. Though they’re all Serious Musicians, no one seems to be taking themselves too seriously, and the show was surprisingly funny as well as rich in dynamic arrangement.

I gave up on my 365 Days series, but I’m still taking self-portraits. Guess I’m not quite narcissistic enough to do it everyday.

I did a quick-and-dirty series of three diptychs from a night at the Rickshaw Stop. I forgot the name of the gentleman on the left it’s Dev. He had quite a look, complete with barbie-pink lipstick, which is my second favorite lipstick color.

Our dear friend Terrence. No lipstick.

I’m in love with this photograph. I also have to smile a bit. These hipsters’ looks will most likely be hilarious to them when they’re ten or twenty years older. Such is fashion.

Morning at Miguel’s. I love to photograph the row houses through the sheer window treatments. Dreamy, no?

Speaking of dreamy, I have a thing for blur. Perhaps it’s that I’ve come to gradually accept my hand tremors as a well-that’s-life kind-of thing. This was taken on the corner of Columbus and Broadway. There is a public art installation here of flying books that look like birds. They light up at night. It’s beautiful. In my photograph, there are simply more birds. Just you see me turn a disability into art, just you see me do it.

This is a shot from a little live fashion installation at the Survival of Winter opening at Project One. Our dear friend Ryan Joseph’s girlfriend is on the right. The garments were what one could call high-concept, which is a nice way of me saying I wouldn’t wear anything from the show. Still, I could see some of it working for a “proper” party girl.

I did very much like Domonique Echeverria’s non-live fashion installation. Especially one very carefully pleated lavender-grey dress with giant puff sleeves, structured all the way to the ends of the wrists and bottom of the floor. A little Westwood-eque, the garment struck me as what a prairie girl might wear if she was traveling via spaceship instead of covered-wagon. It was, again, unwearable, but showcased Echeverria’s skill quite beautifully. I’m looking forward to seeing what she’ll do now that she’s gotten her first group show under her belt.

That night wrapped up with Lorrie’s diner, which is admittedly a tourist trap, so one might as well go the whole way and eat at the one on Sutter with the glossy, turquoise fin-tipped boat inside. Red lipstick, clearly, is the best costume for the occasion.

A rare smile from Mr. Mister of [MySpace warning] Shark Naomi, who the dungaree dolls just goo over.

Voila Le French Toast. Told you it ain’t just any old cockroach joint.

That evening’s attire, courtesy added luz! in my foyer. I did go for the nude fishnets after all, but the gloves, a gift from Mum, make it for me here. Added bonus: it’s fun to hold a pair of gloves in your hand. Makes the boys nervous.

The rest of the weekend was spent with our dear friend visiting from the Big D, staying at the lovely Mandarin Oriental. A nice “corner job” with a view, as her gentleman friend might say.

Did you know the Marc by Marc Jacobs striped socks’ stripes match up perfectly to the strap of my Marc Jacobs canvas mary janes? Canyoubelieve. Whataguy.

We weren’t sure of this one. But we weren’t unsure of it. Miguel felt the material of the vintage Prada skirt and said, “What’s this made of?” (Some poly-blend.) “That was made back when synthetics, were like the thing.” Those red tights are really that red. Hot Red. Not as good as Hot Pink, but close.

Miguel and I tried to up the evening spectacular skyline ante, with cocktails and a quick dance at Top of the Mark. Later ditching them to slum it in other Nob Hill haunts.

Adventuring!

This week I’m looking forward to seeing Penny Arcade at City Lights, a little party thrown by the rather brilliantly designed online magazine The Bold Italic (with fine writing to boot, go see for yourself), and Missing Piece’s The Dish on Fashion at the W Hotel’s XYZ.

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Fashion Texts

Le W.E.E.K.E.N.D.

s you might have noticed by now, I include art with fashion and genre hardly matters to me anymore. What is fashionable is the same question and answer as what is art. The more you learn about photography, painting and poetry, the more you learn about fashion in its core form. No more flippy fashionistas. Gravitas, my dears, gravitas.

On that note, this weekend is absolutely filled with brain candy…

TONIGHT

• See our dear friend Del Geronimo’s photography at the WERKSTATTE art reception at Otis Lounge, 25 Maiden Lane (5pm - 9pm)
• While you’re at Otis, pop up to the 2nd floor for the San Francisco Fashion And Merchants Alliance monthly social mixer. Meet other fashionistas and members of SFFAMA, local fashion insiders, retailers, designers, boutique owners, merchants and future business co-leagues (5pm - 9pm)
• Then everybody go check out Litter’s much-lauded accessories line at CULTURSHOCK at Space Gallery, 1141 Polk (6pm - 2am)

FRIDAY

• Have your happy hour cocktail and see NYC’s Catherine Fullmer’s and SF’s Alyssa Bird’s designs at the DNA (designers+artists) pop-up shop at Space Gallery, 1141 Polk (5pm - 10pm)
• I’ll be running out to see our friends and Very Famous San Francisco Poets, Kevin Killian and Dodie Bellamy read with Bruce Benderson at SF Camerawork, 657 Mission Street, 2nd Floor (6:30pm - 9pm)
• Also, Trunk Show at Trunk, 544 Haight Street (7pm - 10pm) and BellJar Friends and Family event at BellJar, 3187 16th Street (regular business hours, click here to print coupon for 15% off all items and 25% off sale items)

SATURDAY

• This work is beautiful. Go see Studies of Mutation, an exhibition of works by Scott Greenwalt at Stockholm, 1125 Folsom St, with musical accompaniment by Death Cheetah and Turd Cutter (7pm - 11pm).

SUNDAY

• Opening reception of Stephanie Mansolf’s installation Dear Catastrophe, “a series of Victorian styled treehouse dioramas”, at Right Window Gallery at ATA (Artists Television Access) 992 Valencia Street (2pm - 6pm) with prose readings by various writers at 4pm.
• Last but not least it’s again time for the final Indie Mart Street Fair of the year, at Thee Parkside, 1600 17th Street (12pm - 6pm)

Have fun. Be good.