Luster » fashion

Color Theory: Grasshopper

Luster — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:38:26 +0000

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5

It’s been so refreshing to see bright colors in Fall fashion’s palette this year unlike the typical earth tones to which we have become accustomed. The hot pink and orange color blocking that was all the rage this summer has turned cooler for Fall, and ladies on the street are turning to acid yellow and emeralds, which are always a good idea.

p.s. The lovely Jacquelyn over at Lark + Linen asked me to participate in her Bits + Pieces series today. So hop on over to Lark + Linen to check it out. Thanks so much for having me, Jacquelyn!

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Style Envy ::: The Graduate

Luster — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 00:34:36 +0000

The Graduate has been imitated and written about endlessly since it’s debut over forty years ago. Most are captivated by the familiar feelings associated with youth’s confusion and rebellion against the establishment. Many also love the character of Mrs. Robinson with her eternal sex appeal, the comedic script, Simon and Garfunkel’s haunting soundtrack, and of course the costumes and set decoration.

Early in the film we are introduced to Mrs. Robinson’s house when Benjamin drives her home, and she orchestrates the famous seduction scene. You cannot help but notice she is dressed in a tiger print dress and luring Benjamin into her bungalow style sun porch that is more like a glamourous jungle cat lair.

The animal prints she wears throughout the film, and the sun porch decor in particular were inspired by Henry James’ novella The Beast in the Jungle. Director Mike Nichols’ vision was based on the idea that Dustin Hoffman’s character, Benjamin Braddock, was being stalked. Nichols says: “We talked about it being a jungle, and it was a jungle. There were all these plants and the Beverly Hills garden behind the glass that surrounded the sun porch. And we talked about her being the tiger in the jungle and she had a tiger-striped dress on and it was all built to be a trap, a tender trap. We wanted to find a way to express the fact that she was being provocative.”

The fact that it’s summer has me thinking about drinking cocktails surrounded by palm trees, and if I had a sun porch to decorate, Mrs. Robinson’s style would be a good place to start. It’s no secret that this well-established look has been inspiring designers since it lit up the big screen, and became the second wave of Hollywood Regency style. I have always loved that crisp black and white striped awning against the black tufted leather, white barstools, the accessories (notice the bar details while watching the clip) and the sleek chrome and gold finishes.

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Images: Benjamin in front of fish tank | Benjamin unbuttoning Mrs. Robinson’s dress | Katherine Ross | All others via IMDB

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::: Trunk Show at Share With :::

Luster — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 06:08:48 +0000

Share With is one of my favorite shops to stop into when I am in Montauk. It’s a beautifully curated shop owned by former Calypso designer Joelle Klein, with carefully selected clothing, jewelry, artwork, sandals, and skin care that is beachy, eco minded, and always reminds me of the Brittany coast with their collection of Le Minor sailor tees.

Lucky for me there was a trunk show happening on the day I walked in featuring two great companies: Two NY and Tata Harper.

I always love a good caftan, so it was fun to discover Two NY founded by friends Monica & Piola who wanted to combine their talents to create a line of beautiful and functional clothing for mother & child. Using colorful cotton saree fabrics sourced from India and hand made in Brooklyn, their gorgeous line of caftans, tunics, dresses for women is the perfect frock to quickly throw on as a busy mom who still wants to look chic. The color combinations and details in the fabric were dazzling, and I could see how it would be easy to get used to this no-fuss way of dressing for mothers and non-mothers alike.

I am always on the lookout for the latest in natural and non-toxic products, especially when it comes to beauty and skin care. Tata Harper’s all natural skin care line has been on my radar since last fall, and have been wanting to try it, but have been holding back after having a bad experience with one particular natural skin care lines that created breakouts. Tata’s line took 5 years to develop and is made on her farm in Vermont.

Keri from Tata Harper was offering facials during the trunk show, so I jumped at the chance to finally try the line. Well, all I can say is that it blew me away, and I finally got what the hype is all about. Throughout the 8 step process, my skin felt so clean, hydrated, and nourished. Your skin just soaks in the product, and is left dewy and glowing, and you don’t need to apply a lot to see the difference. It’s really impressive that she also manages to keep her all-star anti-aging product, the Rejuvenating Serum, completely natural. I bought the deluxe beauty set to continue trying it before committing to any of the full size bottles, but I have a feeling I am going to want to invest in them permanently! Fig+Sage did a good interview with Tata and reviewed each product in the line if you want to read more here.

Images via Two NY and Beauty Blogging Junkie

Style Envy ::: The Thomas Crown Affair

Luster — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 06:10:07 +0000

Flipping through the channels the other night, I got a glimpse of the famous white pants and camel turtleneck outfit worn by Faye Dunaway in The Thomas Crown Affair (1968). Directed by Norman Jewison and starring Dunaway and Steve McQueen, this 60′s bank heist movie is filmed around Boston and the Massachusetts coastline with costumes designed by Theadora Van Runkle. While the 1999 remake is more watchable in terms of the acting/script/plot, it certainly cannot compete with the original in terms of iconic style. White pants never looked so good.

Images via IMDB and connect.in

::: All tied up in a bun :::

Luster — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 07:52:08 +0000

The bun is all the rage these days. Whether it’s a ballet bun, french bun or a top knot, it’s such a chic way to get all those messy tresses away from your face.

Wilfred lookbook | Haley Boyd & Whitney Pozgay in Matchbook Magazine | Chloe Spring 2011 | Ban.do top knot | The perfect Parisienne bun

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::: Cut-out sandals for Spring :::

Luster — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 06:01:47 +0000

There are so many great sandals for spring mixing cut-outs + wrapping+ wedge heels + suede, and I love them all!

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{Green} with envy

Luster — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 05:26:53 +0000

Watching the parade of emerald dresses down the red carpet at Sunday’s Golden Globes has me all green with envy.

Remember Keira Knightley in Atonement? I have always loved emerald, and particularly when it appears in small doses…

…like this shot of emerald on the velvet chaise, and the hint of it on that curtain.

Some pretty accessory pieces that would be just the right dose of this color…

…And I found a glass emerald perfume bottle this weekend up in CT at Papyrus when I popped in to buy a card. It does not seem to be on their website or anywhere else online, but it’s so beautiful in person, and only $14 on sale if you can find one in a store near you.

{Images: Golden Globes Red Carpet Coverage | Delight by Design via Homes and Gardens}

{Black Swan}

Luster — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 10:19:20 +0000

Last weekend, I saw the new film Black Swan when it opened in theatres, and almost one week later I am still haunted. It’s deep, dark, and disturbing; a dichotomy of both the beautiful and tragic, set against the backdrop of the New York ballet world. This terrifying tour de force features gorgeous costumes designed by the talented sisters of Rodarte.

Rodarte’s original sketches on Stylecaster via WWD

Fashion is already seeing many feather and ballerina influences based on the film in both haute couture and ready to wear. White Swan vs. Black Swan Whistles Evangeline Feather Dress $603.40 and Tory Burch Ceres Dress $450

I have always loved the Dance Studio look as well.

Loved finding these limited edition silkscreen posters on Empire, especially the one on the right. No information is available yet about where to buy these.

{Movie stills via Black Swan official site}

{D/R} the legacy of the Design Research store

Luster — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 18:16:21 +0000

{Exterior of D|R Cambridge building, photo by ESTO}

Last fall when we visited family in Cambridge, we happened upon an intriguing building at 48 Brattle Street in Harvard Square with five floors of floor to ceiling glass that appeared to be a store filled with eye popping Scandinavian design in the form of textiles, furniture and tabletop items. There was no entrance or any other info available besides some signs about it being an installation. Like so many other designers, I have always had an ongoing fascination with Scandinavian design, so when an article popped up recently in the NY times Style magazine, it was exciting to finally discover the history of this landmark building and its creator, Ben Thompson.

Ben Thompson shown in the D|R store in Cambridge, Mass. Photo by Design Research, Inc. Thompson is also known for his creation of Faneuil Hall Marketplace, and South Street Seaport.

Architect Ben Thompson and chair of Harvard’s Architecture Department was the founder of a store called D|R which stood for Design Research. Inspired by Scandinavian textiles and design he discovered in Europe during the 50′s, he decided to open a retail store in 1953 with the sole purpose of making modern design accessible to American customers. The first store was located in a residential home, but years later when Thompson completed construction on a building of his own design, the store moved to its new location at 48 Brattle Street in 1969. Eventually the store opened locations in New York, San Francisco, and Philadelphia.

{Above} The original D|R Cambridge store housed in a former residential clapboard home photos by Design Research, Inc.

{Above & Below} the interiors of the D|R store in Cambridge at 48 Brattle Street that opened its doors in 1969, photos by ESTO

{Above} left photo by Michael Proulx and right photo by ESTO

{Clockwise left to right:} The D|R store on 57th street in New York City photo by George Cserna, D|R storefront in San Francisco’s Ghiradelli Square photo courtesy of © Jane Thompson via Marimekko: Fabrics, Fashion, Architecture, and the D|R installation in 2009 in the former D|R building at 48 Brattle Street photo by Richard Schieferdecker via NY Times

Perhaps the most lasting influence on American consumers is D|R’s introduction of textiles by Marimekko. Thompson met Marimekko’s founder Armi Ratia in 1958. By 1959 Marimekko’s bright textiles were displayed in D|R’s store, and by 1960, Jacqueline Kennedy was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine in a bright pink Marimekko dress, creating national attention for the Finnish design house. Julia Child was also a huge fan of the store, forming a close bond with the Thompsons. For her show The French Chef, Child often used cooking equipment and furniture provided by D|R.

Life Magazine’s iconic spread on Marimekko, June 1966. Photographed in Finland by Tony Vaccaro

{The D|R installation, September 2009. Photos by Luster}

D|R’s legacy also paved the way for some of the most well-known retailers of our time. Most notably, Crate & Barrel is the closest follower with its original inception based on the impact it had on C&B’s founder, Gordon Segal. Segal began buying Marimekko textiles wholesale from D|R, and when D|R folded in 1978, Crate and Barrel moved into the storefront at 48 Brattle street for the next 30 years. If you go into any C&B store today, the retail concepts founded by Thompson are very evident in the merchandising and product choices as well as Marimekko’s textiles which they continue to infuse into their collection. Other famous D|R followers include Sir Terence Conran’s stores Habitat and The Conran Shop, Williams-Sonoma, Room and Board, MOMA Store, and Design within Reach.

For more information check out Chronicle’s book co-authored by Ben Thompson’s widow: Design Research: The Store That Brought Modern Living to American Homes © by Jane Thompson and Alexandra Lange.

{Images from Design Research: The Store That Brought Modern Living to American Homes © by Jane Thompson and Alexandra Lange, unless otherwise noted. All written content by ©Luster 2010}

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{Military} details

Luster — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 16:11:07 +0000

Military influence comes and goes as a trend in fashion and it’s in full swing again this year for fall and winter with all the wool coats, buckles, tassels, studs, fancy buttons, and fold-over boots.

{Left to Right}: Army Sequin Patch sweatshirt, Greta Twill Jumpsuit

{Clockwise Left to Right}: Belted winter coat, military stud earrings, Navy cropped jacket, chain military cap, custom stamped dog tag necklaces, B Low Belt, tassels away boots, brushed metallic studded tote, facile camp shirt Roundup by Luster ©2010

I love the crossover that’s happening as well with the influence of epaulette sleeves from military uniforms, dressing up tees with a variety of embellishment.

{Clockwise Left to Right}: beaded epaulet tee, tepui shoulder piece top, epaulet white tee with chains, Neiman marcus embellished tees, supper club tee, beaded brilliance cobalt tee