Prairie Couture is the brainchild of my sister’s longtime gorgeous friend, Marina Perilli.
This is Marina
After a long stay in Vancouver she decided to return to her hometown in Alberta and with a cute set of wheels she’s bringing quality, fun & fashion via her mobile boutique who by the way, goes by the name LIV. My sis went to her opening last week at Rainmaker Rodeo & said it was tons of fun. Sorry I missed it but I love the photos. And I want a cowboy hat and boots.
Photos: Lisa King
Such a great idea!
Don’t break too many cowboy hearts Marina + posse!
You can follow Marina on Instagram @PrairieCoutureMobile to find out where her next pop-up location will be – you never know!
A silk kimono with multiple uses is a perfect standout piece to go for coffee or cocktails.
This printed floral kimono is from LA-based label Helena Quinn and conceived exclusively for the summer Box of Style. The lovely silk robe is lightweight, versatile and so vibrant it’ll punch up any ensemble. From a pool cover-up to a light layer worn over a T-shirt and jeans, the styling possibilities are endless (valued at $120).
Pack Helena Quinn’s kimono in your beach bag, then belt it over your swimsuit for an unexpected layer.
For her first Dior Cruise show Maria Grazia Chiuri showed off the undiscovered side of Los Angeles by taking the fashion set into the picturesque desert of California’s Santa Monica Mountains.
The runway unfolded against a scenic sunset and mountain view, complete with two floating Dior hot air balloons in the distance. Taking inspiration from Georgia O’Keeffe, the laid-back, Wild West-infused collection paired perfectly with its Californian backdrop. From the star-studded front row to the standout accessories, here are highlights from the show courtesy of Harpers Bazaar.
To reach the show’s location, guests went off-roading out to the Santa Monica Mountains via ATVs.The fashion pack was seated in safari-like tents featuring couches and cushions in lieu of a front row.
Two Dior Sauvage hot air balloons made for the ultimate Instagram bait.Throughout the show, the balloons served as an airy backdrop to the runway, but afterwards proved to be the Instagram gold of the night.
Rihanna, Demi Moore, Jaimie King, Charlize Theron and many more graced the front row. The star-studded show hosted a gathering of A-listers, all dressed in Dior.
Maria Grazia Chiuri’s inspiration from the show came fromwall paintings in the Lascaux cave, which Monsieur Dior himself was also inspired by back in the early ’50s.The hand paintings could be seen reimagined atop wide-brimmed hats and embroidered into airy dresses on the runway.
Every look was topped with a wide-brimmed hat, setting the tone for the ultimate Western vibe.Following Dior’s Fall 2017 runway filled with leather berets, the hats of this season took a more laid-back vibe, many of which were adorned with turquoise beads and cave-like paintings.
Following suit, the collection itself featured dresses, jackets, cardigans and more taking influence from the Lascaux paintings along with Georgia O’Keeffe.
(a.k.a. the party of the year) is always held on the first Monday in May. The MET GALA had celebrities and designers arriving at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s iconic steps on New York City’s Upper East Side to walk up the red carpet for the opening of the Costume Institute’s latest exhibition. The theme is “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between,” a show that examines the work of the famed 74-year-old Japanese fashion designer over the span of 40-some years. It’s a subject that has inspired incredible fashion choices this year, some of which will no doubt go down as some of the most memorable ever.
Priyanka Chopra in Ralph LaurenKate Hudson in Stella McCartney
Here are my choices for the top ten best dressed post-worthy looks. I choose sublime over plain outrageous although each women owned their look!
Lily-Rose Depp in ChanelJennifer Lopez in ValentinoZendaya in Dolce & GabbanaLupita Nyong’o in PradaMiranda Kerr in Oscar de la RentaCynthia Erivo in Thom Browne
I always say a trustworthy tailor is right up there with finding a good dentist, doctor, hairstylist & cobbler (if there is an updated term for someone who mends shoes I’m not aware).
A good tailor is worth his/her weight in gold thread. How many of us have been in this scenario: you found the almost-perfect dress, skirt, pant or jacket but if it only hada littletweaking it would fit perfectly. That’s where the magic of a good tailor comes into play. Anything is possible. Well, almost. There are some things worth taking in or altering and there are others that just don’t make the cut (pun intended). I know; I’ve been through it all. I’ve had things altered that I’m really happy with and a few other items that have just been costly mistakes. Like re-working a well-made floor length fitted brocade vintage opera coat that no matter how lovely it looks, even the fact that Grace Kelly wore one almost identical (I have the photo to prove it)…I will never wear.Not even to the opera! The friend who gave it to me said her well dressed mother wore it to the opera & wanted to hand it down to someone who’d appreciate it. Sorry! She should have given me the Chanel suit instead.
If something is really worth fixing to form (an heirloom piece or something you can’t part with) it may be worth the splurge but there are times when it’s just not. You’re better off to go and buy new.
It can be more involved but worth it depending on the item to fix things that have beading.
Here, six next-level alterations any tailor worth her salt can do, and a few things even the pros can’t fix.
They Can Rework a Neckline If you’re worried about showing a little too much décolletage, or not enough, a tailor can help adjust a neckline by adding fabric, removing collars or turning a basic V-neck into a plunge worth carrying around a roll of double-sided tape for. (If that’s your sort of thing.)
They Can Add or Move a Zipper If you avoid wearing a particular dress just because it’s a pain to pull over your head, you might want to consider adding a zipper instead of tossing it in the donation pile. This alteration does require enough fabric to accommodate the zipper, so it isn’t realistic for a dress that’s already pretty tight. Alternately, if you hate struggling to get into a dress that zips up the back, a tailor can remove that zipper and add one under the arm instead.
They Can’t Take Something in More Than Four Inches If you’re talking about pants, the cutoff is closer to two inches. After the four-inch mark, the original proportions of the item will be thrown off and start to look wonky in a whole new way. A good rule of thumb when making things smaller is that you shouldn’t try to reduce something by more than one size.
They Can Fix That Gap in the Waistband of Your Jeans You finally found a pair of jeans that make your bum look Kardashian-level amazing. Only problem: The waistband is gapping in the back in a way no belt will fix. Have no fear, this is actually a super-simple problem to fix. If your tailor isn’t too busy, he or she might even have it done in time for your dinner date the very same night.
They Can Add a Lining to Simple Silhouettes Adding a nude-colored lining to a slightly sheer summer dress means you’ll get infinitely more use out of it (and infinitely more compliments). A-line skirts, shift dresses and straight-leg pants are all good contenders for adding a lining, but be aware that not everything is easy to line. Anything too tight or too complicated is going to pose more problems for your tailor than it’s worth.
They Can’t Adjust the Shoulders Much Think you can just remove the shoulder pads from that ’80s power suit and wear it proud through the rest of 2017? Think again. Adjusting shoulders is a risky move that rarely pays off. Removing shoulder pads often leaves excess fabric that’s difficult to sort out, and attempting to narrow the shoulders of a too-wide top often requires deconstructing and rebuilding the entire thing.
They Can Dye Natural Fabrics Darker Fabrics like denim, cotton, linen and muslin are easy to dye a few shades darker or even make black. So instead of tossing those red-wine-stained white jeans, give them new life as a pair of sleek black skinnies.
They Can’t Dye Manmade Fabrics or Lighten Anything On the flipside, there are certain fabrics that don’t accept dye very well, and few fabrics at all can be lightened more than one or two shades. Polyester and acetate can’t be dyed without factory-grade machinery. Leather is also very difficult to alter. So if you’ve been itching to turn your leather skirt pink (like you’ve seen on all the street-style stars), maybe consider just finding one off the rack.
They Can Alter a Heavily Sequined or Beaded Item Take this one sequins. If you’re unsure of a tailor’s abilities, ask to see examples of his or her previous work. Many—especially those with a high skill level—keep portfolios at the ready in order to entice new clients. with a grain of salt. It is possible to shorten or take in the waist of a fully sequined pencil skirt, but it should be done only by someone who has experience working with
They Can’t Alter a Corset (damn!) Corsets by nature are supposed to fit your body like a glove and are actually easier to build from scratch than they are to alter because of all the pattern pieces and boning required to make one. If you really have your heart set on a corset dress or piece of lingerie that isn’t fitting quite right in the store, take lots of photos and bring them to a specialist who can recreate your dream piece so that it fits you (and your girls) perfectly.
A quote from someone I admire:
Fran Lebowitz , the cultural critic, writer, and sometimes actress :People care more about trends now than they do about style. They get so wrapped up in what’s happening that they forget how to dress, and they never learn who they are because they never learn how to take care of anything. So much of what my generation was taught regarding clothes was how to make them last. How to wash and care for them.
Best advice: take care of what you already own! Re-work only what you have to & shop smart: buy classic pieces you can wear forever and don’t pay a lot for trendy items.
accessorize, accessorize….so why not an accessory for an accessory?
But to me Spring Break means a good excuse to let loose with the wardrobe. Exchange bulkiness for something reflecting the warmer (hopefully) temperature. More color and lightness. Accessories are playful and important. Speaking of, there’s no accessory more versatile than a lightweight scarf. Especially one that is sustainable, versatile and lightweight.
This is a first of a series on sustainable fashion beginning with:
The Symbology Scarf received in my Rachel Zoe Spring Box of Style is both pretty and purposeful. This exclusive collaboration is also feel-good Fair Trade Fashion.
The bright, screen-printed iteration of sustainable fashion label Symbology is so much more than a pretty add-on. Boasting a chic peacock-feather print and a gold-berry colorway that pays homage to Indian bridal saris, the creation of this warm-weather staple also empowered women artisans from start to finish.
Founder Marissa Heyl was inspired to start Symbology while on a research trip to India to assess how fair trade empowers craftswomen. She met artisans in remote villages and sprawling slums. She was inspired by their resilience and incredible talent in a myriad of art forms. Watching Gita, a young mother of three, block-print a beautiful tablecloth, Marissa envisioned it as a dress. It was her aha moment—combining her lifelong passion for fashion design with women’s rights.
Indian Inspiration
The Zoe Report x Symbology scarf was handcrafted by ten women in the desert region of the Indian Village of Sanganer, where bright sun and dry heat create the ideal conditions for printing. In this region virtually all printing is ordinarily done by men but these women were trained specifically to create this scarf for those who ordered the Spring 2017 box of style. The peacock feather design symbolizes integrity and beauty, while the deep berry and gold hues emulate Indian bridal saris.
Armed with their new skill set, these women have far greater access to design opportunities and sustained income in the future. Which makes me feel even better wearing it. Thank you!
In my quest to bring more lightness to all areas in my life including my clothes, I came across this Italian resort wear collection at of all places, not Italy but at an outdoor market in Palm Springs. I fell in love with the timeless, low maintenance pieces worn with ease by renowned fashion designer Sabina Bach.
Sabina designs a comfortable, stylish and unrestricted collection, produced in Italy out of all natural fibers like the finest linen and silks.
It’s not yet Spring let alone Summer, but since fashion is on its own calendar, the fashion folks are already calling out Pre-Fall 2017 collections.Is there really another reason for another season?
L-R: Monse, Altuzarra, Givenchy
Pre-Fallis one of those fashion terms that doesn’t really make sense to the general public. Isn’t it kind of Spring/Summer…sort of? Pre-Fall collections arrive in stores in late Spring, and many are available through the end of the year. As such, they tend to be full of the wearable, versatile, seasonal clothes you live in, as opposed to runway looks.
Editors called out their favorite looks: the items they’d beg for because they need them right now, like the bold striped outfit from Monse; the dreamy, not-so-practical looks they’d like to borrow, like Altuzarra’s romantic head-to-toe floral; and the looks they’d like to steal because they feel totally new, like Givenchy’s monochromatic ruby pantsuit (with a huge agate pendant). I wonder how many women can wear these outfits as effortlessly as these models?
FYI: I almost bought a pair of Red trousers today but it just didn’t feel… quite like me just yet.
I’m not into begging or stealing but I might consider borrowing. How about you?
Calvin Klein has always been known for attention grabbing advertising campaigns.
Images from Calvin Klein’s spring 2017 campaign.
I mean unless you weren’t born yet, who can forget a young Brooke Shields flaunting her jeans, a skinny Kate Moss and a buff Marky Mark (Wahlberg) wearing all American classic T shirts & underwear…and nothing else.
Now we have Raf Simons (previous creative director for Christian Dior) blending Art with Denim in a New Calvin Klein Campaign.
Images from Calvin Klein’s spring 2017 campaign.
Continuing to drop hints online about his direction for Calvin Klein, Raf Simons has unveiled a spring campaign for underwear and jeans that juxtaposes those iconic items with modern and contemporary art.
Images from Calvin Klein’s spring 2017 campaign.
Just released on Calvin Klein’s web site and its own social channels, the ads showcase archival denim, a cotton tank top and quintessential men’s briefs in playful contrast with works from the second half of the 20th century. The clothes strike up a conversation with the art — much the way designers and artists in New York’s Pop heyday — on the streets of SoHo or on the dance floor of Studio 54, the company said.
Works by Andy Warhol, Dan Flavin, Richard Prince and Sterling Ruby are featured, photographed at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh and the Rubell Family Collection in Miami.
Images from Calvin Klein’s spring 2017 campaign.
Simons, chief creative officer of Calvin Klein, is well known for his passion for art. “It’s a celebration of Calvin Klein’s iconic underwear and jeans, acknowledging their status as Pop and showing them in the world of art,” he explained.
Pieter Mulier, creative director of Calvin Klein, added, “Looks were specifically chosen from the Calvin Klein archive for the campaign; it’s both a recognition of design firsts and the photographic history of the brand that made these garments famous.”
The eight advertising images were photographed by Willy Vanderperre and styled by Olivier Rizzo, featuring a largely unknown cast.
One ad, for example, features a guy in jeans standing in front of a 2,000 joke painting by Prince. It reads: “A guy goes to a psychiatrist wearing only Saran Wrap. The psychiatrist says to the guy, I can clearly see your nuts you nut.” Another shows a guy in a pair of jeans and taking off his white T-shirt and standing in front of Warhol’s 1976 “Skull” painting. And a third shows a guy in underwear and a girl in jeans and a white tank top admiring Warhol’s “Elvis 11.”
Images from Calvin Klein’s spring 2017 campaign.
Each of the ads features a description of the artwork and a snippet about the artist. Ads launch this month on billboards, the Internet and in magazines.
Photos credit: the series of eight distinct advertising images was photographed by Willy Vanderperre.
For me it’s always a kick to wander the aisles and booths of any outdoor market.
One of a Kind Collectible Enamelled metal Pins
Here in Palm Springs you have the weekly farmers market & the village street fest which encompasses pretty much everything. Then there’s an outdoor weekend art market twice a month and on the first Sunday of every month, the Vintage market which takes place on the grounds outside the Camelot Theatres. They call it Vintage with a View. Keep in mind vintage is a broad term and there’s also a lot of garage style items which shouldn’t be there. You must have a good eye(s)!
Two years ago I discovered this market. I was with a friend from Vancouver and right off the bat with my radar in tact, I spotted a pair of vintage Pucci sandals in my size. They were a good deal and would have been a better deal had I not smashed my phone on the pavement in the excitement of my too-good-to-be-true deal while trying to find my wallet to pay for them. Anyway, my friend was excited to find a woman named Maura who has been collecting “one off” enamelled pins (or brooches) for over 30 years. All of them (mostly flowers) in excellent condition. At first I wasn’t so interested in them but watched my friend with her 6-carat diamond ring purchase a whole bunch of them. They reminded me of something my grandmother would wear. So as I continued looking at them they started to grow on me and I bought one. Thinking if she likes them that much, they must be collectible. When I got home I ended up wearing it much more than I ever thought. They are a fashion statement accessory for sweaters & jean jackets. A little old fashioned in a pleasant way.
I encountered Maura again last week because they added an extra Sunday for Modernism and purchased more of these pins.
Boy these flowers, they grow on you!
A few other items of interest:
Joe Tatan told me that he and Paul Frank (the monkey guy) designed this leather sofa (yes, it’s a sofa)a and that a very famous person wants to buy it. From a distance I thought they were cushions. Asking price $4,500
If you are a creative person you can make jewellery, pillow cases, clothing, purses, etc. from many repurposed materials.
If you are a creative person you can make jewellery, pillow cases, clothing, purses, etc. from many repurposed materials.
Girl Who Would be KING on Life, Style and INSPIRATION. 
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