I'm a sucker for court jester sweaters and mixed prints the way other bloggers go crazy over cat print--although this Twenty-Seven Names collection has those too (circled in lace and tied up with a bow). While I could care less about the fact that it's a cat print, I do love those sweet collared dresses and flippy little shorts. The color combinations enviable--would love to get my hands on a few of these pieces for fall.
Bona Drag is a store I ogle more than I shop at. They always carry the coolest pieces from the best brands (Shakuhachi, Lover, Wren, etc), but I usually balk at the price point. Still, I keep checking in and occasionally can't resist a purchase. How pretty are these shots by Mikayla Bowman for Bona Drag? I think I enjoy the juxtaposition of pretty dresses and stark, empty landscapes because it subtly turns the girly-girl stereotype of dresses on its head. Who says tomboys have to wear shorts and tee shirts?
I'm really liking Natalie Joy's new spring collection--adding enamel to her usual materials of crystal and vintage chains is an inspired choice that breathes new life (literally through bright pops of color) in her pieces. I especially like the negative spaces and shapes of this line; it's a strong, dynamic expansion to the jewelry line.
Although Karen Walker's a/w 2012 collection is titled "Sea Monsters" and is inspired by 2,000 Leagues Under the Sea, I feel a more Victorian vibe from the whole lookbook down to the killer brocade heels so evocative of that era. Her sea monster inspiration is more subtle revealing itself in tentacle-like swirling paisley prints and a palette that seems dominated by the ocean's blues, greens, and occasional gold.
Carven simply makes cool clothes. There's something nerdy chic about this collection but in muted palettes and longer hems, it doesn't look or feel like a school uniform. These pieces are from the f/w 2011 collection and while those in the southern hemisphere can take inspiration from them for autumnal dressing now, it'll be a number of months before I start to think of layers and sweaters again.
